Asalamu’alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies, last week we dived into our first step in homeschool planning; our vision, where we discussed why we need to establish our homeschool vision, and how we can put together a vision plan, as well as a mini version of the plan by making a vision statement to remind us often of what our aims are so we can filter our choices and decisions through them.
And today, we’re going to narrow that down, not by looking for curricula, but looking at our children. Because rather than finding curricula, and seeing if it’ll be a good fit for our child, we need to start off by looking at our kids a little closer. It’s one of the most crucial steps in planning, but it’s also one that we don’t give enough attention to.
It is important that you take a moment to reflect on your child’s needs when planning for the year, even if you spend all day homeschooling them. Our children’s needs are constantly evolving, and as they grow, their education, exposure, and opportunities must also evolve. Therefore, it’s crucial that we stay focused on meeting those changing needs as homeschool mothers.
When describing our child’s learning style, phrases like “hands-on learner” or “loves books” are a good starting point, but they don’t provide a complete picture. To fully understand how our child learns, we need to look a little closer and create a focused framework just for them.
By asking ourselves questions like…
What does my child like learning, and what makes him excited?
What is my child naturally good at?
What are his passions, and what does he have a strong inclination towards?
How does he approach and process information?
What does he resist often?
What does he need to know at this stage? (Think in terms of deen especially, and also core skills).
What does my child want to learn more about?
Does my child need extra support in a particular thing?
What has worked well for him in the past, and what hasn’t worked so well?
By devoting time to learning about and understanding our children’s individual needs and learning styles, we can make our homeschooling more effective and meaningful. This means taking into account what they enjoy and tailoring the curriculum accordingly. Rather than letting the curriculum dictate our approach, we have a clear vision of what we want to achieve for each child and can make informed decisions. This way, we can ensure that each child receives the support they need to succeed in sha Allah.
And if we’re a bit unsure about certain things, this is where the research starts. Personally, I researched a lot about dyslexia, and still continue to do so, so I can better support my child with dyslexia, not just with what curricula to choose but how to adapt resources and vary her learning to suit her best. Remember, it isn’t just about the learning either; you want to also note down if your child needs more emotional support in a particular area, does he need more one-to-one time in a particular thing; connection is key to a successful homeschool. Take time out to reflect, find and focus on each of your child’s needs because it will set you up long term, and more importantly, make our homeschool days filled with connection in sha Allah.
By doing so, we’ll not only make better choices; we’ll also be more confident in tweaking the curricula, because no matter how good of a fit, we’ll have to tweak it to some extent. But we can tweak with confidence in sha Allah.
We won’t need to feel guilty about skipping out on the cut-and-paste activities that our child really doesn’t enjoy; we’ll be happier notebooking pages instead of doing just comprehension questions, and content with skipping ahead or slowing down, even if that isn’t what the study schedule suggests.
So find out and focus on each one of your children, so the plans you make are well-suited. Remember, it isn’t about getting through things; it’s about giving our children a quality, connected to their purpose and values education!
Here are some other ways I can help you keep your homeschool meaningful and manageable.
- Register for the FREE Five Steps to Simplify your Homeschool Workshop, where I share a step-by-step process on how to simplify your homeschool, especially if you’re prone to overplanning, and overcomplicating it all.
- Join the How to Homeschool Multiple Kids Course, and start building the homeschool of your dreams today.
- Join me inside The Muslim Home & School Maker Membership for ongoing support and community, for Muslim homeschool mothers.
