Here are 7 inspiring goals for developing young learners in elementary homeschool.
7 Inspiring Goals for Developing Young Learners in Elementary Homeschool
Homeschooling our elementary-aged kids is such a pleasure. All of the 7Sisters’ homeschooled kids when they were young (all the way through high school, too). One of the blessings of homeschooling our kids is the freedom to develop them in a whole-person way.
Here are 7 inspiring goals for developing young learners in elementary homeschool:
Give them a faith-filled lifestyle
We read-aloud Christian-themed novels (like Paul Hutchens’ Sugar Creek Gang, and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia). The kids participated in Sunday School and Awana. We read children’s Bibles. We talked the faith and prayed together.
Establish wonder and curiosity
Wonder and curiosity are keystones of learning. A child who has known these can enjoy learning. We established wonder by noticing God’s hand in nature in our own backyard and going on field trips with our co-ops. (One of the beauties of co-op is having other moms to help out on field trips!)
One wonderful way to invest in elementary-aged homeschoolers, is to give them the wonder of reading (not just the academics of reading). A simple way to do this is work with 7Sisters Literature Activity Guides. These are fun guides based on favorite classic children’s books. Each guide is packed with engaging, fun activities. For a complete list of 7Sisters Literature Activity Guides, check this post.
Here’s why you should include non-fiction in your elementary student’s reading program.
Develop creativity and imagination in young learners
C.S. Lewis said that “imagination is the organ of meaning”. If children learn to creatively use their God-given imaginations, they will come to know themselves better than children who never have that opportunity. They will also be more available to God’s creative work in their own lives- they will learn to have fun, to invent, to take their place in the universe.
Our kids composed stories and poetry, drew and did crafts (mostly in co-op with creative moms there). They also told jokes and made up tall tales and silly songs. They learned to trust that God would give them ideas.
Have hands-on experiences
One of our favorite ways of learning was hands-on. This is so important for young brains. When they involve different activities in their learning, the learning *sticks* better!
That’s why our 7Sister Allison’s husband, Wayne, has contributed his popular Literature Activity Guides to 7Sisters’ curriculum. The activity approach to reading in elementary makes learning more meaningful! Check out our 20 delightful Literature Activity Guides. Download the Literature Activity Guide for Max Lucado’s You Are Special for FREE!
Learn perseverance
As they take on academics, our kids had to learn perseverance. On difficult days they had to learn to say, “This is hard, but I can do it.” Hence a growth mind-set sets our kids up for success!
Remember to keep learning fun for young learners
Ah, the joy of the 3 Rs, history and science. Good, good times. As much as we could, we’d have fun with academics. What wasn’t fun we learned to push through. What greater reward for me than to teach my own child to read and to multiply and to know our nation’s history and who made the world?
Learn social skills
Elementary aged children (just like most people) feel better when they know manners and skills for interacting with others. Even if they feel shy, they have tools to use for interactions! We taught our kids 10 basic skills (that our adult kids report that they still use).
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7 Inspiring Goals for Developing Young Learners in Elementary Homeschool
