8 Lessons on Learning

(from a home-schooling parent)

Since the time I started my own home-schooling journey in April 2019, there were only a few million children electing to home educate worldwide. At the end of March 2020, estimates are that there are over 1 billion children being schooled at home due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. In that first year I went through a steep personal learning curve and had very little guidance, so it seems appropriate to share some of the insights gained with other parents who have been thrust into this same situation. While we’re living in a challenging time in so many ways, hopefully these tips can help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that comes from expectations and turn the home-schooling experience into a positive one for both parents and children.

When first starting out with home schooling, the most important skills any parent really needs is to stay open to changing one’s mind about how learning happens and adopt new strategies when appropriate. Home-schooling really is a ‘trial and error’ experience that enables a parent to tailor learning to the uniqueness of each child. It doesn’t have to be 3–6 hours per day of instruction or conducted while sitting at a desk. Learning happens in so many different ways, and the ‘how’ is the flexible part.

I found the experience of being a home educator actually became enjoyable at the…