15 Ways Moms Can Improve Homeschool

As moms, we all look for ways to improve our homeschool. We are experts at trying this and that, constantly re-vectoring to meet the needs of our children. With this in mind, I asked my son to give me his perspective on 5 ways moms can improve homeschool and as a master overachiever, he came up with more! :) So, without further ado, here’s his advice to all of us:

Moms can improve homeschool by...

Allowing children to finish at the same time; building sibling comradery.
Scheduling more math (we do Singapore) and iPad math; if math isn’t your thing, find which subject most excites your child’s learning.
Scheduling breaks for iPad math; this may be as simple as giving them 5-10 minutes to take a break doing something they love.
Not requiring such l-o-n-g verses for copywork. Okay, he’s 7! I sometimes ask too much of him. I need to scale it back a bit. Instead of asking for more content, I need to encourage him to give his best attention when forming his letters.
Encouraging snack time during reading lessons. My son also stipulated that he'd like to choose the snack options. We have a wide range of acceptable snacks in the pantry that don't consist of a lot of sweets. I've found that sugar and homeschool really don't mix well together! Snacks like popcorn, pretzels, and apples seem to work well for us.
Arranging time for more games! (Enough said)
Providing the opportunity for your children to take the lead. My son will sometimes ask to be the teacher. And, I can usually find ways to give him responsibilities that empower his budding leadership skills. Plus, did you know that people learn up to 80-85% better when they teach what it is they're learning?
Including more crafts. Okay, I admit it...I have this aversion to glitter!
Doing a lot more scavenger hunts. Searching for a specific bird, seed, track or tree somehow brings our Nature Studies to life. My children feel invested when involved in unearthing these delights and tracking down each item gives them a great opportunity to make their own observations about God's world around them.
Encouraging more piano. If not piano, allow your children to pursue their interests. We use piano as a break between subjects, so it is seen as a reward.
Offering more movies during homeschool. We had one semester where we watched biographies of historic characters (Beethoven, Galileo, Marco Polo, Louis Pasteur, William Bradford, Florence Nightingale, the Wright Brothers, etc.). Apparently, it was a huge hit! NEST Entertainment offers "award-winning children's educational media. with character-shaping [DVDs] that are both engaging and stimulating including [their] Animated Hero Classics, Animated Stories from the Bible, [and] Animated Stories from the New Testament... to name a few."
Allowing one candy as a reward. Inevitably, holidays around our house bring in more candy than I like to have in supply. So, this incentive lets us diminish our candy "stash" in a positive way. FYI, I usually administer this reward AFTER lessons are done for the day. This helps me keep my sanity! :)
Using the whiteboard a lot more. You know what they say, "Variety is the spice of life!"
Using ABC Mouse a lot more. Children find accomplishment in tasks they can complete with ease. Allowing them to repeat a task where they've found success is a good way to bolster their confidence.
Allowing more time to use technology. My son likes to spend his time "playing" Blue Apprentice an Elementary Science Game by Galxyz--Universe. As a result, he's been introduced to and developed an interest in Chemistry at an early age. Using technology to educate is a valuable tool.