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Do You Have To Be Smart To Homeschool?

Today, many parents are looking to homeschool their children instead of sending them to a public school. However, despite their preference for homeschooling, they doubt their ability to do so as they have presumed one needs to be smart and are under the impression they are not smart enough. So, do you have to be smart to homeschool?

 

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You do not need to be smart to homeschool. However, it is important to be committed and dedicated to learning more about each subject to better your understanding and teach them. You should also have certain skills such as research, knowing your limits, goal-setting, and creativity.

 

If you are considering homeschooling your children but think you are not smart enough for the job, then keep reading! Below we explore questions you might have, such as does one have to be smart to homeschool? Why do you not have to be smart to homeschool? And what skills do you need to homeschool?

smart to homeschool

 

Does One Have To Be Smart To Homeschool?

Many people think one has to be smart and be an expert in each subject to homeschool as each subject in public school is taught by a different trained expert. However, this is far from the truth. 

Most parents would prefer to homeschool their children instead of enrolling them in public school. Still, they are under the impression that they are not smart enough to educate their children. However, if parents are committed and dedicated to learning about each subject and pass on and teach that knowledge to their children, they are indeed smart enough. 

Although you do not have to be smart to homeschool, you need certain skills to do the job successfully. Now it is also important to remember that you might not have all the necessary skills when you start homeschooling but do not worry! Some skills take time to acquire, and as you learn and adapt to homeschooling, you will develop more essential skills. 

 So, let us explore in more detail why one does not have to be smart to homeschool and the skills one needs to homeschool successfully. 

 

Why Do You Not Have To Be Smart To Homeschool?

Homeschooling requires the homeschooler to teach various subjects, whereas public schools have trained experts to teach particular subjects. 

Being smart in each subject is highly unlikely unless you are a genius. Therefore, all it takes is willing to learn and being okay with not knowing something, and being prepared to look it up. The library and the internet are equipped with all the resources you need to acquire more knowledge and understanding of each subject you have to teach. 

Furthermore, the subjects you were not smart enough in and struggled through in elementary, middle, or high school might not be as daunting after all. As a homeschooler, you should be more motivated and dedicated to learning than you were in school, as you have to teach them to your children. 

Moreover, despite your best efforts, there will be at least one subject in which you will struggle to learn, teach and not be smart enough in. However, there is no need to stress or think you are not good enough to homeschool. There are many resources you can use that will better your understanding of that particular subject, such as:

  • Online courses
  • Video-based curriculum
  • Tutors 
  • Homeschool co-ops

Lastly, despite schoolteachers in public schools being trained experts in particular subjects, they do not know it all, hence why they have answer keys and teacher’s manuals. Therefore, you do not have to know everything or be smart in every subject. As you seek help and learn, your children will as well, making you a great homeschooler.

 

What Skills Do You Need To Homeschool?

Although you do not have to be smart to homeschool, it is important to have certain skills to help your homeschooling journey to be a success and educate your children in the best way possible. The following are the skills we will explore in more detail:

  1. Research skills
  2. Know your limits
  3. Goal-setting skills
  4. Creativity skills

 

1. Research Skills

It is impossible to know everything about each subject you have to teach. Therefore, research skills are crucial to learning more about the subjects and looking up something you do not know or understand. 

It is important to rely on your research skills to consult the right sources, such as scholarly articles, and check their accuracy by identifying who wrote them and how qualified the writer is. 

 

2. Know Your Limits

Knowing your limit is another essential skill for homeschooling. You must understand that it is okay not to know everything about each subject. If you struggle to learn, understand, and teach a particular subject, be sure to ask for help. 

You could hire a tutor to help you with challenging subjects or hire someone to teach that subject to your children. 

 

3. Goal-Setting Skills

Having goal-setting skills will undoubtedly help you feel more in control when homeschooling your children. With this skill, you can set realistic goals for you and your children to give direction to hit milestones and reach them. 

Setting goals for each subject is a great way to stay on track and progress through the challenging journey of homeschooling.   

 

4. Creativity Skills

Although you may not be smart in particular subjects as you find them quite difficult to understand, using your creative skills can help you with these challenging subjects. When learning new information about each subject, involve your children in this learning time. By doing this, you and your children will be more motivated, providing an opportunity to learn together. 

Moreover, creativity skills will allow you to present the material of subjects differently each day to keep your children engaged and help the material sink in. 

 

Conclusion

With all that said, we can confidently say that you do not have to be smart to homeschool. There are many sources available at the library or on the internet that you can consult to learn and better your understanding of challenging subjects.

Furthermore, suppose you possess the skills we have explored above. In that case, you should have no problem homeschooling your children and educating them as best as possible!

 

 

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