Homeschooling can be a tough task; keeping my students engaged and motivated to complete school work is especially difficult. How do you prevent school from becoming a chore students can’t wait to finish?

Here’s 10 homeschooling tips that help me keep my own students engaged. You can apply one of these tips in just about 10 minutes and make a big difference in your homeschool!

  1. Allow Freedom
    Flexibility is essential in homeschooling and to be honest, one of the many reasons why we started homeschooling. My children are not fond of strict schedules, they easily get frustrated. While I do have a set routine I typically like to follow, I allow some breathing room in the daily schedule to allow freedom which allows my children to feel comfortable and not pressured while learning.
  2. Games and Hands-On Activities
    Learning can be fun. My children enjoy learning through hands-on activities and games. We find fun ways to address my students’ weaknesses and reinforce our lessons with a fun activity that allows us to create memories while developing engagement. Some of our favorites have been building a birdhouse in the geometry class to get a handle on measurements and angles and fun card games to enhance their reading skills.
  3. Involvement
    Involvement in your student’s homeschool will create motivation since some school subjects can be dull and boring when done alone. What do we do to spruce up our homeschool? We joined a co-op group! Every other Tuesday, we conduct science experiments. My students are excited to work amongst their friends while learning and I get excited because, well, my house isn’t the one getting dirty! I’ve seen a huge difference in motivation from my kiddos since we joined. I highly recommend joining a co-op as it will help increase the enjoyment and remove gloomy prospects from those lonely experiments.
  4. Interruptions
    If interruptions are not limited, then studies will be. My children are easily distracted and struggle to discipline themselves. Our number one homeschool rule is that no one is allowed to play with their electronics, unless we are using Time4Learning, until all their school work is completed. I do allow brief interruptions, but I certainly contain them. Only within the balance between freedom and discipline will homeschooling function properly.
  5. Gear Subjects Towards Your Student’s Passion
    Allow students to lead their own education. Observe their strengths and passions, then develop courses around their talents. My oldest loves to cook, so we do a lot of learning in the kitchen. Reading ingredients, following directions, and measuring just to name a few. My youngest is fascinated with engineering, so together (with some help from dad) we built a remote control car. We also wrote essays about the operations of machines for English, and studied the development of these discoveries through history. Two key tips for my homeschooling moms out there: Refrain from demanding students to fit into an expected learning style. Instead, develop subjects uniquely just for them.
  6. Set a Good Example
    People often mirror the actions and attitudes of those around them. If you display expectations for your students through your actions, they will be encouraged to perform similarly. Are you willing to try new learning games? Do you research things you don’t know? Are you enthusiastic about school? It is impossible to expect these attitudes from students who never see them displayed. From one homeschooling mom to another, take this homeschooling advice and show your students how to be excited about learning.
  7. Consistency
    Consistency allows for clear, predictable schedules, expectations, and responsibility. A non-constricting daily routine enables students to act responsibly when they know what to expect and understand their role. We always start our day off, at the kitchen table,to discuss what needs to be accomplished that specific day, so my students have a clear understanding of my expectations. Like I mentioned previously, schedules can become overbearing. Consistency is a wonderful tool until it becomes too controlling and stressful.
  8. Real Life Connections
    Subjects that seem meaningless in real life are very unmotivating to complete. Thus, to engage my kids in undesired subjects, I find ways to connect our homeschool studies with reality and complete experiments that display the subject’s value.
    Here are some ideas:

    • Visit nearby battlefields from wars studied in their history lessons.
    • Discover living creatures in nature to spruce up your online biology curriculum.
    • Complete math-applied experiments, like building furniture or baking.
    • In English, learn how to write letters, articles, ads, how-to papers, etc.
  9. Be Your Student’s Partner
    Partner with your students, and focus on tackling education alongside them. I always assure my kids have my support and am always willing to work with them whatever the case may be. Guide your student and provide learning opportunities. Your faithful support will encourage them and your partnership will motivate them.
  10. Keep It Simple
    In my 10+ years of homeschooling, I’ve learned that over complicating your homeschool and pressuring your child will only develop stress and frustration. Focus on learning and working on keeping education simple. It is important you understand what you are doing, but also important to relax. Learn to teach at your student’s pace and enjoyment. Design your homeschool specifically for your student and make learning fun and enjoyable for all.

Teach students to love learning using these homeschooling tips and tricks. If you’ve got tips that work for you and your homeschool students we love for you to share them in the comments below!

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