Homeschooling, educating your child at home instead of in a traditional eductional environment, is really on the rise. I know several homeschooling familiies and they are some of the smartest kids I've ever met. Homeschooling provides constant one-to-one interaction between you (the teacher) and the student. No public or private school setting can match that. Nothing beats one-to-interaction regarding education. But what if, for whatever reason, you feel homeschooling your child isn't for you? Your kids can still experience the benefits of homeschooling (although in a more limited way) if you Afterschool. Afterschooling is a term coined to describe the teaching and learning that go on in my own home when my son gets home from school.

What goes on when you're afterschooling? Well, my son attends a Catholic school in our area from 8 am until 2:45. There is no bus system for them, so parents drop off and pick up their child. This allows us more time together than if he rode a bus back and forth to school. We use that time in the car to talk about what happened during the day, homework from his teacher, and what is on the agenda for tomorrow. Then, we go home and do the homework from his teacher. Then, he usually vegetates for 30 minutes (enough time to watch one episode of SpongeBob-we all need our down time!) After that we spend 10-15 minutes doing my homework for him. That could be Latin exercises, working on a Spanish computer program (he's teaching himself spanish), spelling worksheets, flashcards, history projects, reading (me to him or him to me), science projects or working on an educational website called www.Time4Learning.com Since he's been in school all day, we keep it short, unless he wants to keep going. Children really want to learn and that desire does not disappear when the school bell rings at the end of the day.

Since my son is in school all day, I do try very hard to make sure he isn't overwhelmed and has time to just play. He's extremely social and loves to play with friends, but they don't get home from school until an hour after we do. That is the time we use to our advantage. My kids also have chores, so they do one or two of them during this time, also. How do we stay organized? I found a scheduling system that we adhere to somewhat, depending on what my kids need. www.titus2.com Also, the weather plays an important role in what we decide to do. I try very hard to follow the desires of my child regarding learning. I may have one thing planned for a certain day, but if the weather is beautiful that day and my kids want to go outside and do a science experiment, or take a nature walk instead of what I had planned, that's OK. Maria Montessori is a strong influence in determining how I teach. I believe a parent is a child's first, best and most important teacher. Following the child in their journey to learn and listening to what they need is crucial.

I also have a younger, preschool-aged child. She really loves the Montessori approach and we have many works that she can choose from, whenever she wants to. SInce I am home with her more often than my son, her learning opportunities are much less structured. Also, she's usually always around for my son's learning sessions, so she learns from them, too.

Several sites I recommend if you are interested in afterschooling your children follow. I am not affiliated with any of them, except that I use them or have used their products.

Flashcard maker

http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/flashcards.htm

Montessori For Everyone

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/blog/2006/09/workplans-for-elementary.html

Powerpoint Presentation For Kids

http://www.pppst.com/themes.html

Montessori Makers

http://www.montessorimaterials.org/geo.htm

Butterflies

http://www.nature-gifts.com/live-butterfly-kits.html

Coal Information

http://www.teachcoal.org/teacherstore/index.html

Bottle Biology

http://www.bottlebiology.org/

Site Words Help

http://www.mrsperkins.com/dolch.htm

For Small Hands

http://www.forsmallhands.com/store/

Funny For Parents

http://www.breedemandweep.com/

The internet is a treasure trove of activities and ideas. If in doubt, follow your child. They always know where they need to go next.