As homeschooling parents it is our responsibility to supply unique educational opportunities for our children. There are several reasons why unique educational opportunities are necessary.
1. Impromptu opportunities: As a homeschooler, you have the freedom to supply varied educational opportunities and experiences. There is not reason to plan for a field trip. If you find out on Monday that the Nutcracker is showing on Tuesday, you can go. If you get an email that the local planetarium is allowing people to in at midnight to see Mars through the microscope you can jump in the car and go. This keeps the homeschooling experience from getting stale.
2. Excitement: Homeshooling does not have to be boring, ever. You can keep your children excited about learning by creating fun ways to demonstrate concepts through field trips, games, and even television shows.
3. College: If you have a college-bound homeschooler, you should know that the schools are looking for candidates who have an interesting background and unique experiences. Therefore, supplying unique educational opportunities and documenting them is an awesome way to pad your child’s homeschool portfolio that you will give to the college admissions officer.
To find unique educational opportunities, you have to keep your ear to the ground. Get connected with homeschool groups and sign up for email news lists. By being connected with other homeschoolers living within an hour of so to yourself, you will learn everything that is going on around you. All you have to do is check your email each morning. For example, this morning I got an email that there was a Lieutenant Governor Page Program for children 12 years of age and up. I promptly emailed the program (after determining that my child was interested). Therefore, my child will get to “learn about state government first hand and meet other kids from all across Georgia.” This is just one of the many types of unique educational opportunities I discover on a daily basis.
Be sure to read Homeschooling Mulit-Aged Children: Museum Memberships
and Stop being a Slave to your Curriculum!