Education is very important in my household. I do everything I can to encourage my kids to educate themselves and to keep myself educated as well. They are both doing amazing in school. Even before they entered school The Husband and I have always done things to make sure our kids are at the top of their game. Their are so many resources at hand. I knew once they entered school nothing would change. I just don’t believe that their education is completely up to the school.
La La Land Mommy: 9 Ways To Supplment Your Child’s Education
I feel that as their parent I have to make sure that they know that education continues beyond school. So I make sure that they are always learning something. It seems to help a lot because they are really thriving. I think a great mixture of school and outside education is great. I don’t think public school is the devil. I just think I should have a hand in my children’s education as well. I honestly thought about homeschooling for a little while but I honestly didn’t feel like I could do my kids justice. I mean I think I could have if I tried but I felt I was better at supplementing where needed than taking full responsibility for their education. But I have found there are so many resources at hand that can help children even when they are in public school. I thought I would share a few:
- Communicate with your child’s teacher. You could ask the teacher to give your child extra work whether they are gifted or need a little help. Inquire about tutoring.
- Workbooks: You can find workbooks online or any local stores.
- YouTube: There are great videos on youtube that will help your child in a class or just allow the child to research something they are interested in.
- Homeschool curriculums: There are homeschool curriculums that you can purchase offline and incorporate in your child’s daily life. Educents offers many free homeschool resources.
- Educational websites: There are many educational websites available to help your child. They can either challenge them or help them in a particular area. My kids often go to Khan Academy, Brainpop, and Poptropica. When they were younger they loved Starfall, Sesame Street, Pbs, and Nick jr.
- Worksheets: There are websites where you can download free worksheets like Education.com, Tlsbooks.com, and schoolexpress.com. I’ve gotten worksheets for my kids from all of these sites.
- Local events: You can also look for local events that highlight your child’s interests. There are many free events that can be found especially S.T.E.M events.
- Visit local attractions: Take your child to visit the museums, zoo, and other local attractions in your area. It is also fun to visit your surrounding states.
- Allow your child to focus on interests outside of their school work.
Education doesn’t have to start and end at school. Encourage your child to look beyond what they learn in school. There are so many things that aren’t covered in school that you basically have no choice but to fill in the blanks. You can unschool and homeschool while your child is in school. It will definitely help you to become closer to your child and it can be so fun.
These are great tips. It's wonderful that you are supplementing your children's education and sharing with other parents why it is important and how to do it. Through the years, I've noticed there are things that aren't being taught in schools anymore. Some life skills are barely being touched upon. I hope you continue doing this with your children. It will make a big difference.
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Thank you!