Tip of the Week: Have A Plan

As you begin the school year, here’s another tip which I consider foundational to helping insure your success this year as a home school parent.

Have a plan!

There’s truth in the saying, “fail to plan, plan to fail.”  Plans should be written down so that you know what the target is and if you hit it.  For parents new to home schooling, using curriculum guides, and even a complete canned curriculum can be an invaluable resource since most of the thinking and planning has been done for you.

Here’s what else a canned curriculum will do for you:

• give you an overview of what will be covered during the year.
• keep you from having to “re-invent the wheel.” They’re simple to use because a lot of the thinking, like I mentioned above, has been done for you.
• keep you on track. We all tend to gravitate back to teaching our favorite content which leads to a lack of balance and content gaps.
• provide a structure for you.
• provide you with step-by-step lesson plans.
• help pace you through the course, so that you complete the course.

So, whether you use a curriculum guide, canned curriculum, or simply go it on your own, be sure to have a plan.

That’s the tip of the week!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

This last evening I just completed putting the finishing touches on the lessons I will be presenting to the Supplemental Home School Class . I will be team teaching with two other teachers. I feel better mapping out what I’m going to do and having the materials I’ll be using ready to go. If if you’re wondering, there’s one seat left in the third and fourth grade class and four seats remaining in the fifth and sixth grade class. Please give us a call if you think you’d like us to work alongside you as you teach your child.   

Also, do you need with a specific subject you don’t feel up to teaching? We’ve got a team of tutors, available in both group and private settings, who are ready to provide the instruction your student needs.