Where do your children go to learn each day? What is their classroom like? Do they have school desks and chairs just like a regular classroom, or do they spread out around the kitchen table? Do you have a special room designated as the homeschool classroom? Or do each of your children have their own private “space” for quiet study?
Whatever your arrangement, remember that as homeschoolers, you and your children are never confined to a “classroom.” The world is your classroom. Remember that homeschoolers have class…everywhere! Allow exploration to be a natural and spontaneous element of your homeschool program.
Of course, “googling” any topic will produce a wealth of information on the Internet. Regular visits to the library will help your children develop research skills as well as exposing them to an unlimited source of wonderful books. Explore your neighborhood and community. Find out about different jobs and what makes your community work.
Other ways to explore your world might be:
- Build and label a collection
- Write letters to relatives and pen pals
- Read about science, ask questions, conduct experiments
- Learn to read and follow recipes
- Learn about musical instruments, learn to play one or more
- Make a family / personal scrapbook
- Plan and conduct a home safety check
- Learn to read maps and atlases, navigate family trips
- Create a vegetable and/or flower garden
- Do the laundry, learn to iron and take care of your clothing
- Learn simple auto maintenance and repairs
- Learn to use the encyclopedia for research and interest
- Sing in a choir or chorus
- Develop speaking skills, learn to talk in front of a group
- Know what to do in an emergency, learn first aid
- Study great poetry, write a poem
- Read the newspaper, learn about current events
- Learn about a great person in history
- Find ways to serve others, volunteer in the community
- Start and maintain a savings or a CD account
- Get proper rest, nutrition, and exercise for good health
Children can explore their world in all sorts of ways. Be open and creative. Don’t confine your classroom to the four walls of your home. Get out and explore!
