More depended on the student than on the school.
Robert A. Heinlein
So, you're thinking about homeschooling your child, but are not sure that you have the ability to do it or how to go about it?
Take a step back there! You may be underestimating yourself. Be assured that you are not the first person to ever have held these doubts. One thing is sure: you'll be working with one or maybe two children, not a class of forty!
This article takes a look at how you, as a parent, can homeschool your child and whether you have the necessary capacity to do so.
Qualifications
Almost anybody can homeschool a child. You do not have to be in possession of a teaching qualification or be a varsity graduate.
All you need is a passion to provide them with a top-quality education, discipline to keep them on track and oodles of patience. While this is not very specific, it does allow you quite a bit of freedom in terms of how to go about your task.
Should you register with the department of education?
Yes!
Firstly, the South African Schools Act (SASA) states that every parent has the responsibility to ensure that a learner will attend school from the time that he or she “reaches the age of seven years until the last school day of the year in which such learner reaches the age of fifteen years or the ninth grade, whichever occurs first.”
Further, the SASA provides for the registration of a learner for homeschooling in the following way:
- A parent may apply to the HOD for the registration of a learner to receive education at the learner's home.
- The HOD must register a learner as contemplated in subsection (1) if he or she is satisfied that- (a) the registration is in the best interests of the learner;
- the education likely to be received by the learner at home-
- will meet the minimum requirements of the curriculum at public schools; and
- will be of a standard not inferior to the standard of education provided at public schools; and
- the parent will comply with any other reasonable conditions set by the HOD.”
- the education likely to be received by the learner at home-
The Pestalozzi Trust is available to guide parents on registering their intention to homeschool. The Trust states that it endeavours to “protect the rights and freedom of families and schools to educate children according to their own religious and philosophical persuasions, educational preferences and cultural traditions.”
The Pestalozzi Trust further encourages parents to contact them before they attempt to register for homeschooling, so as to minimise the chance of their application being refused. This can arise when education department officials interpret and apply the regulations, related to homeschooling, inconsistently.
Learn how registering for home schooling in SA works on Superprof.
For any parent, who wishes to homeschool their offspring, it will be of the utmost importance that they compile a solid homeschooling syllabus, build up a supply of homeschool resources and draft homeschool rules and expectations for their child.
Notwithstanding, let us have a look at the different ways to homeschool your child or children.
The Various Ways to Homeschool Your Child
There are a number of different ways to homeschool children, including participating in distance learning courses or remote learning. This would mean that their work would be marked and graded by actual teachers.
If you were to follow this route, you child would receive a report at the end of each term and you will be kept up-to-date in terms of their progress. This would be a great option for you if you have any doubts about keeping up with their schoolwork, especially when your own work demands are great.
You would also not have to concern yourself about a homeschooling syllabus as the tutor will put this in place quite easily, since he or she may have knowledge of what is expected of your child’s age cohort. The teacher or tutor would then also assume responsibility for putting in place homeschool rules and expectations.
Of course, you could also teach your offspring yourself!
You could assume the responsibilities of a teacher if you feel that you’re up to the task. Your provincial department of education does have a responsibility to ensure that your child is receiving an adequate level of tuition, and so, may check in with you from time to time. You don’t, necessarily, need to agree to meet with them, but it’s good to do so since departmental officials have a duty of care where your child’s education is concerned.
Find more about home schooling pros and cons on Superprof.
Do Your Own Research
Any person, who teaches a child or a class, has to research the topic beforehand and familiarise him- or herself with the crucial elements of the content, highlighting the most salient facts. Before any lesson, you will also have to ensure that you have available any homeschool resources necessary for purposes of supporting your teaching.
No matter what the topic, you will have to educate yourself in the topic before you can teach the content to your child:
- Learn how to research effectively on a broad range of topics to put yourself in a better position to teach your child well.
- You could also consider doing research alongside your child so that the two of you learn at the same time. You may even learn a thing or two from your student.
The latter idea is really a great one, since you will both learn about the topic at hand and about doing independent research.
Helpful Teaching Approaches
Everybody thinks that they can teach; that there’s nothing to it, really.
Really?
It is actually not all that easy.
We’re not all ‘born teachers’, right? Also, while you may know something, you will need to find a way and use appropriate language to explain the concept to someone else.
If a subject is not your forte, you can enlist the assistance of a tutor. This will be a very good idea where a subject like Mathematics or a foreign language is concerned.
Subjects at high school and, in particular, at matric level, may require the expertise of someone with a very specific knowledge of the subject at that level.
Rather enlist that expert help than add to your child’s stress levels as well as your own.
Teachers have a number of different ways of bringing information across to learners. Adding to their value is the fact that they may have many years of experience in the classroom, with all kinds of personalities and temperaments, and may have very specific knowledge which is crucial to the understanding of the subject matter at hand. A skilled educator can be the trump card you need to make your attempt at homeschooling a roaring success!
Find more about home schooling your child on Superprof.
Patience and Vigilance
At times, you will find yourself in an unenviable position.
It may be difficult to separate being a parent from being your child’s teacher. You therefore have to prepare a set of rules or steps to follow to help keep you on course in your chosen role of your child’s educator.
If this is a challenge for you, what about your child?
It may take a while, but it is important that you explain to them the role that you play in the ‘classroom’ and when that role changes to where you are, once again, just Mom or Dad.
With homeschooling, you can decide whether or not to issue homework, whether as extension, practice or consolidation. You will be the judge of whether your child requires homework and whether intervention is required on your part. Always be aware of the role that you’re playing when, so that you give yourself and your child a break – so that they’re not ‘in class’ all the time!
Be Flexible
It is still an excellent idea have a schedule or a plan when you wish to step off from the prescripts of the curriculum. Homeschooling allows for adaptability and creativity, so use the opportunity!
If you need to, change your weekly schedule.
Maybe you want to spice things up a bit; make things a little more interesting or exciting than a traditional lesson. You may want to start class later in the day, because your child seems to function better after 10:00. Many teenagers, nowadays, tend to rise very late (some around noon on weekends) and, because they’re often up late at night, are only really fully awake very late in the morning.
Find more about home schooling SA on Superprof.
At the end of the day, you will be in a position to change things up in a way that would be of benefit to your child.
Become a Master Organiser
This may come across as a bit of a paradox, but you will have to become organised if wish to homeschool your offspring, even if you do not always follow the plan. While you are, of course, free to change your plan, try to be ready for any eventuality.
Your child will learn best in an structured environment. A routine is a good thing for your him or her to follow, especially when it comes to sleep. Discipline is also a great thing for your child to learn, especially when relating to others. A schedule is very important since, if lunch breaks and lesson times are all included in the schedule, it can prevent your child from becoming bored, over-tired or too hungry.
Any Time is Learning Time
Learning doesn’t only take place in the classroom or during lessons.
Your child can practise maths when playing a game (e.g. dominoes or darts) or when shopping or baking. Make use if these opportunities to check on and consolidate their learning. In a store, for instance, you can get your child to calculate what three of a particular item would cost or whether the special for 750 grams of coffee would work out to be cheaper than buying a 500 gram- or a litre-pack.
Note that both children and adults learn best when they can apply what they have learned in real-life situations. This allows them to see that, what they are learning, actually has its usefulness in everyday life.
The sky is really the limit, in terms of the learning opportunities outside of the classroom, as are the range of possible ways to homeschool. One option is for you, the parent, to homeschool, while another is for your child to receive tutoring online, individually or in a group. Another alternative is to call in the help of a qualified assistant. Here, you can opt for a tutor to conduct lessons in the privacy and security of your own home.
Superprof also offers a great selection of tutors, who will conduct lessons in-person or online. This is a great platform where you can check out the individual tutors before they commence lessons with your child. A great feature is that most Superprof tutors offer their first lesson at no charge to their clients. So, in essence, you could actually sample a few before deciding on who to go with. Go ahead, hook up with one of these great, qualified professionals and make your homeschooling experience a thing of wonder!
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