You probably have a clear idea of what learning looks like inside the four walls of a school building. But when starting to consider home education, suddenly the learning view gets a little murky.
Should I put desks in my basement, stick up a flag, and start the day with the pledge of allegiance?
Perhaps–or maybe there’s a way to nurture both our children’s learning and their longing for the comfort of “home.”
Does the term natural learning sound appealing? Like something you wish your family had?
Then use these three “E’s” to cultivate a natural learning atmosphere in your neck of the woods.
Photo by Kevin Dooley
Have you ever tried to tackle a project in your house, only to be distracted by piles of unorganized stuff? It’s hard to focus and get anything done when surrounded by clutter.
It’s also hard to learn.
When you’re homeschooling, your home matters. It doesn’t have to be immaculate by any means, but it shouldn’t be distracting.
If you need help fighting the clutter wars, stay tuned! Next month Tsh will be writing about spring cleaning at Simple Mom, and here at Simple Homeschool we’ll be focusing on organization from a homeschooling perspective.
Let us be your cheerleaders as you create the home environment needed to make learning easy and inviting for your children.
And as you plan your educational atmosphere, don’t forget to consider the importance of placement.
If you own an incredible home library but the books are crammed on shelves in a not-often-visited corner downstairs, you’re missing the point.
We make learning inviting by making it accessible. It’s also how we show that we value it.
Photo by Brian
Once we’ve cultivated our home environment we need to gather the right equipment. Haven’t you heard the phrase “a worker is only as good as his tools?” It’s so true.
We invest in what matters. Your child’s education matters to you or you wouldn’t be homeschooling or considering it.
This doesn’t mean spending thousands of dollars. Of course money is involved, but it could also mean bartering, exchanging, trading, and so on. Our budget reflects our priorities, so we need to invest in natural learning tools for our homes.
Of course books are a given. Other types of learning equipment will be standard in many homeschooling households–like math blocks, microscopes, and maps. Other tools will be based on the interests of your students and may include items like knitting needles, high-quality cookware, power drills, nature binoculars, or a camera for that budding photographer.
While reading Snowflake Bentley with my children recently, I was struck by how Bentley’s parents invested in equipment. They spent much of their life savings to buy one of the first cameras available, so their son could pursue his interest in photographing and learning about snowflakes.
The work he produced is still studied and admired today–and all because his parents invested in the equipment to allow him to follow his dream.
Photo by Tim Pierce
As homeschooling parents we have valuable insight into what peaks our child’s interest at any given moment. We also have the advantage of extra hours together–time to devote to those budding interests. This means that the concept of “hands-on learning” can get taken to another level.
Whether it is through travel, field trips, specialized classes, or internships, our children have valuable time to gain the experience that will advance and encourage their education.
Having the first two E’s in place–the environment and the right equipment–will naturally lead our kids to gather the experience they need.
Through a little strategic planning, we can create an atmosphere in our homes that inspires the whole family and makes education a natural extension of life.
We can combine the warmth of home with the joy of learning, and in my experience, there is no better combination.
What steps do you take to create a natural learning atmosphere in your home?