Homeschooling offers an independent, self-paced education for students who may not thrive in a public school environment or who want the option to finish high school on their terms. But completing classwork and studying only at home—especially during a pandemic that keeps everyone inside—can start to feel like being stuck in a rut for your student. Without a change of scenery, they can get bored and find it harder to focus. Shaking up their study sessions can help them get back on track and excited to learn, but what can you do when the world is practicing social distancing? Here are five ideas to get started!
How to make homeschool exciting
Make studying a game. Learning doesn’t always have to be serious business. One easy way to shake things up for your homeschooler is by turning their study sessions into fun, educational games. Using what you have at home you can turn a lesson into a game show. Ideas for engaging study games include your own at-home version of Jeopardy, Trivial Pursuit, or Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. Besides making studying fun, you can engage the whole family and make it a competition. Don’t forget to include prizes for the winner! Prizes could be as simple as getting out of a chore, choosing what the family has for dinner, or watching a favorite movie.
Find fun ways to supplement what they learn in class. While stuck at home, going to the zoo, a local museum, or the movies isn’t possible. But it is possible to supplement what your homeschooler is learning through resources online. Adding fun activities can break up their day and help reinforce what they’re learning in class. Try watching a documentary on Netflix that relates to what they’re studying or take advantage of the museums and zoos offering “virtual tours” to explore something new and educational.
Rearrange or redecorate their study space. Shaking things up can be as simple as a change of scenery. While going to a cafe, library, or even the park to study is a no-go, helping your student create the perfect study space at home can help them focus and allow them to get creative.
Get crafty. Incorporate creative time into their daily study schedule. Whether it’s painting, knitting, or even doodling, having some time to be creative and focus on something other than the computer screen can be a refresher. They’ll learn new skills, have fun, and get back to studying with a fresh mind.
Take a day off. Even homeschoolers need to take a day off from their studies. While they’re at home and able to work at their own pace, having a day off to relax and focus on something else can make a big difference in how they retain information. The benefit of an online homeschool like James Madison is that they can study when it works best for them—and for you. A day off won’t put them behind and they’ll get back to their classes ready to learn.
James Madison allows you to homeschool your student your way.
James Madison’s online high school program is a flexible homeschooling solution that allows students to learn at their pace. With no set deadlines and due dates, you can help your student learn in the way that works best for them, with room to shake things up and make studying feel exciting. To find out more about how James Madison High School works, reach out to our expert Admissions Team today at .
