The Best Homeschooling Tips and Tricks for Success

Whether you’ve been homeschooling for 10 years or 10 days, I know you can use some homeschooling tips and tricks. We all can! When I get together with other homeschooling Moms, I always learn something from other’s journeys. Homeschooling can be a lonely journey. I always highly recommend that new homeschooling moms find their tribe. Find others they can talk to, meet up with, and learn from. It’s so important! I’ve benefited from the wisdom of others so much. And I’m happy to share some of what I’ve learned along the way with you!

Tip: Don’t Stress Too Much Over Curriculum

Now, don’t get me wrong. Former hybrid homeschooling teachers of ours may read this and laugh out loud at my hypocrisy in writing this. I’ll admit, it’s not something I’ve always done well. But it’s something that has changed a lot from my first child to my fifth. When my first child was in 1st grade, I remember stressing so much over his math curriculum. Now I realize just how silly that really was, but at that time, I could never see it. So I’m here to tell you, being older and (hopefully) wiser, that it’s really not that big of deal which math curriculum you choose.

Of course, there are pros and cons to each workbook and textbook. And time and care should be spent in choosing them. You’ll probably even see some posts in the future about which curriculum I prefer! But in the end, your child will learn how to add. And they will learn how to spell. The curriculum isn’t nearly as important as the passion behind the purpose.

Homeschooling Tips and Tricks Reminder:

As a homeschooling Mom or Dad, investing that time and effort into your child’s education is what will make all the difference. Not the curriculum you chose.

Trick: Call Chores Life Skills

This is something that I didn’t start doing until later in life. But now, I’m 100% into calling chores life skills. I’ve started having my two teenagers cook dinner once a week. This not only teaches teamwork, but also meal planning, budgeting, and time management skills. And of course, it also teaches cooking! Here are some chores your kids can do that you should definitely work into your homeschooling routine:

Elementary Age Chores

Emptying trash
Putting away clean silverware
Wiping baseboards
Sharpening pencils
Folding socks
Clear table
Dust
Water plants
Pull weeds

I’m sure there are many more you could add as well!

Middle School and High School Chores

Wash car
Vacuum car
Make dinner
Wash dishes
Change diapers
Vacuum house
Mop house
Clean bathrooms
Fold laundry

homeschooling tips and tricks for chores

I remember one time, when my oldest was about 10 or 11, and he went to put his laundry away. And I said, “But leave the shirts!” My husband wondered why I said to leave the shirts. I replied that he didn’t know how to hang shirts on hangers. My husband could barely stop laughing! Why in the world could an 11 year old boy not hang up a shirt on a hanger? Of course, my husband was right. He actually could do it. If I just let him try and took 30 seconds to teach him. But this was a perfect example of how Moms can get so caught up in doing everything for their kids. By doing this, we make our lives harder and more stressful, and we also do our children a disservice! What are you doing that a child could be doing?

Homeschooling Tips and Tricks Reminder:

Go about your day and try and identify things that you do that you pass on!

And if your child needs a little help focusing, try one of these fun chore charts! We had this same chore chart when my kids were younger. And they loved marking things off!

Melissa & Doug Mickey Mouse Magnetic Responsibility Chart

Tip: Focus on Reading

In one of my favorite homeschooling books, “Reading Made Easy,” there’s a line that we nearly live by in our home. “First you learn to read, then you read to learn.” When your child is in Kindergarten or First Grade, spend as much time as needed on learning to read. Don’t stress about science or history. Do those things as long as they aren’t too stressful! But focus on reading, and learning to read well. Don’t focus too much on handwriting either. I’ve found that many young children, especially boys, get very frustrated learning to write. But they can snuggle on the couch, and learn to read with their Mom! Practice, practice, practice.

The book that I love most is very hard to find, so I almost hate to even include a link for it. But things come and go from Amazon, so maybe by the time you are reading this, there will be more buying options on Amazon!

And when your child knows how to read, still focus on reading! Practice, practice, practice. On days when we don’t get much homeschooling done, we almost always do at least 30 minutes of reading. This includes high schoolers as well!

What should kids read? I always allow a mix of their choice and my choice. Sometimes we go back and forth from one to the other. And sometimes they read both at the same time.

Homeschooling Tips and Tricks Reminder:

Instilling a love of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children.

Trick: Enlist Older Kids to Help Younger Kids

If you have more than one child, this is such an important trick! When I think of homeschooling tips and tricks this one is such a classic. Who should help the 4th grader with her math? The 6th grader! Who should help the 8th grade Algebra student? The high schooler who’s taking Pre-Calculus! See where I’m going with this? Not only is this a help to you as the homeschooling parent, but it really does allow older kids to have a skills refresher! It doesn’t matter what the subject is, it’s helpful to review skills they should have mastered.

Something I love about the Montessori model of education that I love is the idea that is benefits children to spend time with older and younger kids. In a homeschooling family, that does usually happy naturally. Kids learn to play with older or younger kids. They aren’t as obsessed with whether their playmate is 8 years old. They’re just happy to have someone to play with at the moment! Keep encouraging siblings to play with each other, no matter the age difference.