Prepping for Our Second Year of Homeschooling
Homeschooling in Scotland
I never planned on homeschooling in Scotland, but here we are prepping for our second year. (In the UK, home educating is the recommended term, homeschooling here means a literal school inside the home. I use both though, mostly because homeschooling seems to flow off the tongue a bit easier!)
Last year was our first year of proper schooling at home. It went well, it really did. It was a big year, a lot of changes, and a bit of our eldest being the guinea pig.
This year, I feel a bit more prepared and far less apprehensive than last year. I’ve also done more reading and at the end of the day I’m confident that this is doable. And for guidance, my kids are will be 7, 5, 2, and under a year at the beginning of the school year.
Regulations and Requirements
Homeschooling in Scotland has very minimal requirements, especially compared with certain states in the USA. Some areas require a written document outlining home education plans and detailing how your child is going to study/what your child has learned. Other than that, there is no additional follow-up, no testing to see how a child is learning, etc.
I keep pretty meticulous records, and of course my kids are always happy to answer questions, even though I really hate the questions from strangers! Fellow homeschooling moms probably can relate how awkward it is when you’re in the checkout at a shop and a stranger starts quizzing your kids.
Anyhow, here’s how we do it!
Workbooks for 4/5 days.
This was a bit of an accidental thing, but I love it so much. Four days of workbooks/hands on learning and then one day without workbooks. This might look a bit like a field trip, it might be an art day, or it might be a catch-up day where we really review a concept to ensure it’s really grasped. I plan things out weekly, so our workbook free day may be middle of the week, rather than a Friday. It’s also nice to be able to be a bit flexible and plan out weekly work in case we want to be spontaneous.
We do workbooks specifically for maths, phonics/English, Bible, and handwriting. For history and science we read books and do hands-on activities/experiments.
Morning Time
I love this! We read 3-5 books every morning before we start our school day. These are generally younger-themed book so I can really focus on time with the toddler, but inevitably the bigger kids join in too. We like having book bags for more in-depth readings, but this works as a way of starting out our time really well.
Doing the hardest subjects during nap time
When the baby is sleeping, we focus on the most hands-on subjects, generally maths and phonics/English.
Set the younger kids up for play
Some days this is easier than others! But toys like magna tiles, Playmobil, Duplos, colour books, and art supplies to keep the toddler busy make schooling much smoother. She will also join us at the table and colour or play with play dough or clay, which is a helpful habit for her to work on!
School is completed before lunch
We follow a consistent routine with all schoolwork done in 3-4 hours, including breaks. I know as they get older, our schooling time will probably spill over into the afternoon, but right now I’m cherishing the extra play time they get in the afternoons. Because they’re still so young, I want them to get up and move around too, so they’re not sitting in a chair doing a workbook for four hours straight in the morning!
Afternoon schedule
Just because we try not to do workbooks in the afternoon, doesn’t mean we don’t learn! We read books, have a quiet time, sometimes do a bit more art, and of course free play. Because we don’t need to do homework, we can focus on things the kids might want to focus on more, be that legos, ceramics, gardening, reading or getting out of the house for an activity.
Learning through play
Definitely focus on how the kids can learn through play. That looks different depending on ages, interests, and knowledge level. We don’t do computer games or really any screen time outside of Duolingo for my oldest. I think there is definitely a place for it, but it’s a tool and we’re moderating screen time based on personalities and what they can handle. Hands on play is where it’s at right now!
My Homeschool Philosophy
Everyone has a very different philosophy, and honestly, I think that is what makes this so awesome! Right now, we adhere to a gentle Montessori method for under 5s and then transition neatly into a bit of a Charlotte Mason for older kids.
I love the Montessori method because it really focuses on developing real world skills and lots of hands-on activities. It’s a great way for the kids to help out with chores around the house and keep them involved in just general life.
The Charlotte Mason method I adore because of the emphasis in books. We love books around here and so it slots neatly into our general love of literature.
I also think workbooks are important to understanding and one of my children in particular really enjoys workbooks (cough like me cough) so we have no difficulty implementing those!
At the end of the day, I want to support each child in how they learn best. Sometimes that’s a bit of experimentation, but it helps that we’ve done so much pre-schooling before they begin, so its not a complete shock.
There’s also homeschooling groups and co-ops, playdates, and more, but as far as scheduling out work, that’s what our daily schedule and philosophy looks like!