Homeschooling Teachers: Write Homeschool Lesson Plans like a Pro

Education is changing. With extensive research over the past thirty years, educators are looking for new, more effective ways to deliver content to students in the hopes that they attain more skills.

Lesson Planning isn't the most difficult task in the world, but at first it can be daunting. With this easy-to-use guide and a little practice, you will be planning those lessons for your homeschooled child like a well-trained pro. 

Step 1: Out with the Old? No Way!

The majority of learning occurs by connecting new information to old information. It is important that you have your child recall important points from the previous day's lesson and, perhaps, some key concepts from previous weeks.

When beginning your lesson, plan to have a few questions (no less than three and no more than seven) that ask your child to recall information. Make sure the questions range in difficulty. This activity is called a "Do Now" or a "Warm Up" activity.

Step 2: Time to Teach!

With Direct Instruction, you, as the teacher, provide the most valuable information on the subject at hand. This is your time to introduce the new concept, demonstrate how the skill or concept is applied to the content, and to answer any questions the student may have.

The importance of Direct Instruction is that you show the student what you expect them to be able to do. There are a number of ways to accomplish Direct Instruction: 1. Lecture; 2. Presentation; 3. Discussion; or 4. Demonstration.

Vary your approaches. Lecturing everyday is a good way to lose your child's interest.

So, plan wisely. Always have your plans for Direct Instruction laid out specifically. Using a numbered list or bulleted points is a fine way to organize how you want to present your information.

Step 3: Hold their Hand!

Guided Practice is the next step in lesson planning. Now that you have demonstrated the skills or concepts to your child, you need to guide them through the process with some hands-on work with you at the helm.