Empowering Your Kids to Take Charge of Their Education

At The Centre for Learning@HOME we understand it’s never too early to encourage your child to take greater charge of their homeschool education and to feel motivated to learn. As your children get older, they’ll become increasingly responsible for their own learning, and they will be better able to tailor their learning to their own needs and interests. Here’s how to encourage your child to become more self-sufficient and responsible for their homeschool education: 

Involve them in decisions

One way to start empowering your kids is to involve them in the decision-making process when it comes to their homeschool education. This doesn’t mean that you should step back and let them do whatever they want, but rather that you should involve them in the decision-making process and let them have a say in what they’re learning. This can help them feel more invested in their personal education and allow them to feel more enthusiastic about what they are learning.

This could mean sitting down with them at the beginning of each week and helping them map out what they want to accomplish. Or, it could mean giving them a list of options for each subject and letting them choose which ones they want to do. Ask them what they feel eager to learn about, and let them help you plan out their homeschool curriculum!

Encourage suggestions 

At the Centre for Learning@HOME we encourage parents to gather feedback and suggestions from their children. Such feedback helps to boost their confidence because they will feel like their opinions are heard and important. If a child is struggling with a particular subject, let them choose how they want to learn about it. Perhaps they want to change it up by watching a video on the subject, or maybe they want to read a book about it. Their suggestions give them the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about their existing education, and to make decisions about what they want to learn and how they want to learn it. Encouraging your child to make suggestions allows them to reflect on their own education, take responsibility for their learning, and make the education more enjoyable for them. Parents seeking more advice or support about homeschooling you can contact The Centre for Learning@HOME at 1-800-659-1945. 

Encourage them to ask questions

When children are given the opportunity to ask questions and direct their own learning, they become more engaged and motivated to learn. It can encourage them to take an active role in their own learning, rather than passively absorbing information. This in turn leads to better confidence, improved academic performance, and a more positive attitude towards learning. Asking questions also allows children to develop critical thinking skills and explore their own interests. Parents seeking more advice or support about homeschooling you can contact The Centre for Learning@HOME at 1-800-659-1945.

Provide feedback

At The Centre for Learning@HOME we recommend that parents provide their children regular feedback on their progress. This helps students grow their confidence by highlighting their progress.  Showing a child how far they’ve come and will motivate them to continue their hard work. When you give them feedback, they know that you are paying attention to their progress and that you believe in their ability to learn and grow. 

Empowering your child to take charge of their homeschool education can help them feel more invested in their learning and make homeschooling more enjoyable for everyone involved. After all, their learning is most effective when they feel interested, responsible, and engaged! 

If you’re looking for support with your child’s home education journey, contact us today at (403) 938-4119 or at our toll-free number 1-800-659-1945. The Centre for Learning@HOME has supported homeschooling families in Alberta for nearly thirty years, so you can rest assured understanding that your family is in good hands.