FAQ: Teaching Tips

“How much parent involvement is required with the kits?”

How involved you will need to be depends on your child's age and grade level. You won’t spend a lot of time prepping for school, as our kits are designed to be “open and go.” Pre-readers do require more parental oversight, but once your child is a strong reader, he should be able to follow the “open and go” format himself.

"Why does Timberdoodle recommend independent learning?"

We have quite a few reasons for selling independent learning tools. A few of them are:

  • avoid burn out
  • cultivate responsible learners
  • frees you up to deal with life issues such as special needs, illness, or newborns
  • you don't have to love to teach

For more insight on this, read Why Timberdoodle Encourages Independent Learning.

“What is the best way to transition a child from complete parent involvement to independent learning? And at what age?”

We recommend transitioning to independent learning slowly but purposefully. You can start by handing off a few subjects at a time, working towards handing it all off to the student. Setting a timer might be helpful at first. Have them work independently for 5 minutes and then check in with them, gradually lengthening that time until they no longer need the timer.

"What are learning styles, and why are they important?"

If you know your children’s learning styles, you’ll be far better equipped to teach them and better prepared to choose a homeschooling curriculum. Your learning style naturally impacts your teaching style. With a little thought and effort, you can adapt your teaching methods to better fit the learning style you see in each of your children.

"How can I homeschool multiple students at the same time?"

Don't worry; it is doable! This article has some tips for you: How to Homeschool Multiple Children at Once

"What suggestions do you have for motivating a reluctant learner?"

Check out the video where Deb and Hope sat down to discuss what to do if your student doesn't want to do school: When Homeschooling Isn't Fun

If your student is balking about reading, check out this article: 6 Questions to Help Pinpoint Why You Have a Reluctant Reader

"What suggestions do you have for when my kids get bored?"

Here are a couple of articles that you might find helpful:

"What suggestions do you have for specific ages?"

“What support does Timberdoodle offer throughout the year?”

In regards to support, we are here to help you year-round. You can contact us by email, live chat, phone, or on Facebook. During our summer busy season email is probably going to be the most convenient way for us to answer your questions.

We also have a lot of support material available for you to access for free online at any time:

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