It is a tough transition to go from homeschool to public school because we are in full control over how and what our kids learn. I did it with my oldest child last year, and I learned a lot about how to be more effective at it. This year I will be afterschooling my third grader and kindergartner. If you are a mama sending your kids back to school post-pandemic or looking for ways to supplement learning, this blog is for you. You will find advice that will hopefully help you be successful in your journey.
What is after-schooling, and why do we after-school?
Afterschooling, simply put, is learning at home after school hours. It could include weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. There are many reasons to do it, and here are a few –
- To supplement learning and teach interest-led content
- To fill the gaps in school education and offer enriched learning content
- To provide individual attention and build confidence
- To allow advancement in school
You can read my blog post on what I did last year with my then second grader.
Do you need to after-school?
Not necessarily. It is a personal choice you make for your family and your kids.
What are some reasons to after-school?
There are so many reasons to after school, and I’m sharing just a few based on common experiences you may have.
1. To excel at academics.
If your goal is to help your child excel at school and academics, it is an excellent idea to do it. There are many schools of thought on this matter among homeschool moms, and you can pick your perspective. It is not unreasonable to have these expectations. The key is finding the right balance between learning and everything else that leads to a healthy childhood experience. The goal of learning is many things, one of which is to help our children find their passion and interests, including subjects they learn in school.
2. Channeling your child’s learning capabilities
I believe that the elementary years are so vital in the learning journey. In classical education, it is referred to as the grammar stage. You can read more about it here. In a gist, children can absorb a lot of information in their early years. This content is then applied to their later years when they need to form opinions.
Our experience transitioning from homeschool to public school was that the content areas (history, geography, science, etc.) significantly dropped in public school with a primary focus on math and ELA. The school did not teach ELA in silos with intentionality regarding writing, spelling, phonics, and literature. This meant the amount of learning also dropped significantly for us.
3. Understimulated or Bored
If your child is not stimulated enough at school or is bored, they may be learning content too easy or redundant. You can get them excited about learning by introducing things not taught in school. Do science or history or take the time to focus on writing skills or math skills. There are many ways to stimulate your child’s learning gaps.
4. Curiosity
If you have a curious child who wants to know more, find a way to teach them at home through literature or curriculum. We started World Geography this summer, and my child told me she needed to continue doing it through the school year. Such learning is child-led but so worth it.
Tips for Success
#1 – Make a plan
It would help if you had a plan. You have to know what your afterschool program will focus on teaching. You need to have materials to teach, so take some time to find what it is. For example, we use Singapore Math as our math curriculum. Math is a foundational subject and teaches logic, reasoning, problem-solving, and mathematical calculations. If your kid struggles with math at school, it is a good idea to take some time to teach it at home. It also builds confidence when they need to tackle it in school. If your child has trouble writing, take some time to work on that. There are many programs out there that teach the foundations and build up your child’s writing skills. You can find a few good writing programs we have used by clicking here.
Last year, my kid was in second grade, and she did not get any structured lessons on spelling. They practiced spelling using games and memorization in school but did not learn the phonograms necessary for long-term encoding. At home, we follow a Spelling Program, All About Spelling, that builds long-term encoding skills. Click here to learn more about it.
#2 – Prioritize
If you are going from full-time homeschooling to after-schooling, there is a lot you want to do. You have so many programs at home and subjects you have been teaching purposefully that it is hard to give them up.
My advice is to prioritize. Find out what gaps exist in school and find a way to bridge those first, then allow your child’s interest to guide you.
#3 – Set expectations with your kid
The most important step is to make this a partnership with your child and discuss what you are trying to achieve. Explain the why and collaborate on making plans so that they feel involved. I had no trouble early on when we started to afterschool last year, but there were days when my kid would question the need for it. Adjust your schedule and build in things they love to do. The key is to find the right balance between letting them do what they love and getting an education. This year I have my kids signed up for two sports they love, creating balance in their afterschool world. We also have a strict timeline to stop unless my children want to continue. Learning is from 5-6 pm on days without sports activities. This is a shift I made from last year where we did not adhere to a time and some days were longer than others. Other things they accomplish are play, bath, outside time, and TV time. So far, my kids have not complained about our evening structure. I will write a separate blog with the list of programs we use for afterschool.
#4 – Incentivize learning
Children are motivated differently. I know this because all my kids are different. For those who love incentives and rewards, offer it to them. If they achieve a goal, give them something in return, such as a movie night of their choice, an ice cream outing, or a few dollars in pocket money. Do what aligns best with your reward system at home and your personal values. My kids have the Garmin watch, allowing me to assign chores and other goals. They get rewarded coins when they achieve them. Once they accumulate 50 coins, I give them $5 for it. If they do homeschooling in the evenings, they get a few coins for it, and they love it.
Final Thoughts
I will write a detailed post on what programs we are using in our afterschool. Meanwhile, comment below if you have any questions and share this with someone who will find it useful.
