5 focus areas when homeschooling 5th grade

Homeschooling is no longer considered ‘hip and new.’ Presently, more parents are taking to homeschooling as a way to help their kids unlearn some of the things the conventional school system feeds their young minds. With homeschooling, parents are taking control of their children’s educational and personal well-being.

For most parents, the formative years of a child’s education could determine their future outcomes. And that is why homeschooling 5th grade is such a tightrope to walk.

Homeschooling 5th grade introduces the onset of impending puberty. With the child set to enter the junior high level, it is up to the parent to establish a solid launch pad of what could be a child’s most challenging transition.

From an educational standpoint, 5th grade is the right time to introduce the child to more analytical tasks. These are five focus areas that you need to double down on for best results.

1.    Creative writing

To encourage creative writing, you will need to assist your child in reading and breaking down more technical aspects of literature. Assuming your child hasn’t been much of a reading-for-pleasure person, this is a grand stage to introduce longer, more complex texts. From this, they can learn how to identify story patterns and form arguments from what they read.

2.    Scientific experiments

While you may be using a tailor-made curriculum for your child, 5th grade is an excellent time to set those experimentation gears in motion. At this level, your child can start to learn the basics of simple science experiments. Additionally, you can include skills such as data collection and recording. You can then follow up with hypothesis forming and would be the best time to introduce some of the more complicated aspects of science. These projects can be a boatload of fun as they do not necessarily have to be at home.

3.   Social studies

The mind of the 5th grader is beginning to take an interest in social interaction. Use this window as the launchpad for topics such as more profound history. Delve into more complex social studies. Since they’re starting to think of themselves as more independent, lessons that involve other cultures would be highly beneficial at this stage.

4.    Skill-based studies

Some interests that will probably influence future choices in your student’s life begin to develop around this time. You can think of this time as that window where a toddler stops needing training wheels and wants to ride on their own. Focus on things that seem to carry the child’s attention more than others.  In conventional school systems, areas such as art and sports scheduled. While homeschooling, these may go unnoticed. However, since your role will most likely be reduced to guidance rather than hands-on, keep an eye on what the student takes an interest.

5.    Beyond the visible

This focus area dwells specifically on math problems. You’re moving from pen-and-paper math concepts to concepts that require abstract thought. Here, they can learn how to tackle math problems through multiple avenues. Sharpening skills such as measurement-taking and inference become crucial at this point.

In a way, homeschooling 5th grade is symbolic. You may find yourself increasingly using the outdoors as a teaching aid. As more of the learning at this stage is mostly analytical, your student might also use this chance to build other qualities such as public speaking.

Being a fragile time, your student may have varying feelings about homeschooling. As such, it is essential that you let them express themselves in peer groups.

With all the pressures that come with it, homeschooling 5th grade might be an exciting time for both teacher and student. While navigating these pressures, academic growth should never take the back burner.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates