| Ready to get your younger kids ready for a day | | | | older children are receiving instruction. The |
| of homeschool? Here are five amazing tips that | | | | disruption of switching on entertainment takes |
| will revolutionize your school day for younger | | | | older children out of the realm of imagination and |
| students as well as your pre-schoolers who have | | | | interaction. Use more engaging activities to keep |
| mastered the art of disruption. | | | | everyone's eyes and minds on higher things. |
| #1 - First, have a routine. If you are educating | | | | #4 - Fourth, pull younger children back into the |
| older brothers or sisters, younger children often | | | | teaching time for activities with a strong tactile |
| want to be included. So include them. Treat them | | | | component. If you are taking a child or children |
| like the others as you begin your instruction time. | | | | through a science lesson and you are going to |
| Have them go through the motions of settling in | | | | peel an orange and observe the structure of the |
| to do some work. They will excuse themselves | | | | fruit, that's a great activity to pull younger ones |
| when they have had enough, which takes us to | | | | into. With an extra orange, the simple act of |
| point number two. | | | | controlling the times that they are allowed to "join |
| #2 - Second, have activities prepared for younger | | | | in" keeps you in the drivers' seat. |
| children to occupy them. It seems so simple, but | | | | #5 - Fifth, stick to your lesson plan for the day |
| the act of preparing an activity in a special location | | | | and get it done. Smaller children are masters at |
| for a younger child gets them in the habit of going | | | | sensing weakness. Give them something to avoid |
| to their place. You can easily arrange ahead of | | | | - an energized execution of a well-planned day. |
| time a special coloring page, a special collection of | | | | They will sense that you are in the teaching zone |
| small toys reserved for play during older siblings' | | | | and will show more respect for your strong |
| teaching time, or other self-guided craft activities | | | | presence as you work through your plan. |
| such as Play-Doh. Training very small children to | | | | Smaller children are one of the hardest factors to |
| go to their place during instruction time removes | | | | handle in homeschooling. But you can do it if you |
| the incentive to disrupt. | | | | stay in the lead with each student as well as each |
| #3 - Third, get rid of the TV. Don't use television | | | | future student. |
| or video games as a baby sitter for toddlers while | | | | |