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While basic homeschool subjects such as math, English, science, and history are important for your child, keep in mind your students need to engage in extracurricular activities as well. Classes such as music or art are great for stimulating your child’s creativity, and for giving them a break from reading textbooks. These homeschooling courses provide something for your child to look forward to. It’s also a helpful idea to set these classes with groups of other homeschooled children so your kids can have a chance to make friends as well.

• Incorporate homeschool art classes such as painting, ceramics, sculpting, arts and crafts, or drawing to your child’s daily schedule. Determine which would be the best for your family by considering your student’s interests, age, and abilities. For example, if your child is still very young, you may want to steer clear of art activities that require more complicated materials and steps.

• Consider art history and art appreciation classes as well. Your homeschool art class does not need to be limited to hands on activities. Make sure you teach your child the different art styles, and artists that have been celebrated over the eras. Taking a look at different artistic periods can show your child how society helped influenced the artists’ masterpieces. It’s also important to explain how art styles evolved over time in your homeschool art class.

• Make it a fun homeschool activity. Depending on what your project is, be creative and see how you can make the most out of the experience for your child. If you’re painting, set up easels and workspaces in your backyard and have children paint things they see. If you’re heading a sketching and drawing course, take a little trip to a nearby park and have your children work there. With homeschooling, it’s easy to get stuck in your house for long periods of time; make the time to get out and enjoy the outdoors once in a while.

• Take field trips to local museums or art galleries. These make excellent homeschool field trips where your students can witness first hand pieces done by their favorite artists. This is another opportunity for you to get together with other homeschooled families or children and go for a fun outing.

Unschooling is a form of homeschooling which has grown popular among some families recently.  Founded by a man named John Holt, unschooling allows the child, not the instructor to decide what to learn.  Through this methodology, children do not follow a homeschool curriculum; rather they are encouraged to learn at their own pace, and explore subjects they are interested in.  Holt believed that children learn best through an organic process; by learning naturally and gradually.  He thought that parents should give children free range to explore interests that excite them.

With unschooling, children may master certain subjects such as reading or math later than students in traditional school systems, depending on which topics they choose to focus on.  While this opens doors for much criticism, the thought behind this is that children will eventually learn the subjects they need to learn, so why not let them learn at their own pace and nurture subjects they are most interested in at the time?  Also, another concern when it comes to unschooling are the abundance of other influencing factors available to children these days.  These include the media, internet, video games, and other factors that may deter a child from exploring positive, meaningful subjects.  For this reason, it’s recommended that families who adopt the unschooling process keep children away from these influences.

Families that use the unschooling method are usually very active, allowing their children constant opportunity to explore and find new topics that may be interesting for them.  In order for unschooling to be successful, children need to be exposed to a wide variety of environments and ideas.  If possible, families who can travel often are great candidates for unschooling, due to the constant exposure to different cultures, languages, and histories.

While unschooling isn’t the most traditional method for educating children, it’s encouraged that children are taught in a manner that works best for them.  Perhaps you may not want to adopt soley an unschooling program, but it’s not uncommon for families to have a combination of both homeschooling and unschooling.  Also, don’t be afraid to try out different methods until you find one that proves most effective for your child.

Even after you figure out how to homeschool, you’ll most likely still find yourself in need of homeschool support.  This kind of support is essential for both those new homeschooling programs and those who have been instructing for years.  Homeschool support groups can provide instructors with encouragement and tips on how to effectively homeschool your child.  We’ve gathered a few points on how you can find a support group for yourself:

• Forums, message boards, or online communities- Take advantage of the internet!  Use search engines to find other people just like yourself who need advice on how to homeschool!  The internet is a great place for homeschool instructors who may live in an area with few neighboring homeschoolers.  With these online platforms, you are able to meet other homeschool instructors who can assist you with any questions you may have.
• Local homeschool support groups- Check community or recreation centers for other homeschoolers that may be in your area.  Use this as both a learning opportunity as well as a social avenue for your child.  Your student can meet and form lasting friendships with other homeschooled students though these support groups.
• Homeschool blogs or online journals- Again, using the internet, you are able to find thousands of homeschool resources.  Many other instructors have their own blogs during which they document their experiences with homeschooling.  Feel free to get classroom tips, curriculum, and activity suggestions from your fellow homeschool instructors.
• Attend homeschooling conventions- Check online or in your newspaper for any homeschool conventions that may be coming your way in the near future.  This is a great opportunity for you to network, learn how to homeschool, and acquire more homeschool resources. You’ll find that meeting with other instructors who have the same concerns as you will assist you in improving your skills as a teacher.  You’ll also be able to absorb the teaching skills of others, resulting in an improved homeschool program for your child!

Don’t just focus on one of these sources as a way to garner homeschool support; look into several and see what inspires and works best for you and your family.

While many of the public’s biggest concern regarding homeschooling is whether a child has enough opportunity to develop social skills, homeschooled students actually have a plethora of activities to choose from.  By looking around and using the resources in your neighborhood, you’ll be able to find countless homeschool activities to keep your student active and social.

• Civic organizations- Boys Scouts or Girl Scouts are excellent institutions to ensure you child develops leadership and social skills that will prove invaluable to their future.  Also look for other community groups or theaters that you and your homeschooled student can participate in that would help keep them active as well as a contributing member to your community.
• Sports teams- Look into neighborhood sports teams so your child understands the importance of maintaining a healthy, athletic lifestyle at a young age.  Sports teams can teach your child the virtues of teamwork and healthy competition.  Your child will also learn how being physically fit will compliment their lifestyle.
• Recreation centers or community colleges- These centers often offer low cost classes that your child can take as an elective course.  These classes may include anything from sports to arts and crafts courses.  This is a great way for your homeschooler to harness a broad range of knowledge by understanding subjects you may not be able to teach them.
• Church- This is a great way for children to meet friends who share their same beliefs and values.  Become active members of your church and have your child participate in Bible Study, Sunday School, choir, and any other church activities.
• Homeschool support groups- Find out if there are local homeschool support groups to give your student an opportunity to meet fellow students.  This also gives you a chance to interact with other instructors to share tips on how to homeschool.  Set up play dates with the other parents and look into attending any of the above listed teams together.