Homeschool - Groza Learning Center

How To Start Homeschooling Your Child In 5 Steps

This past year and a half has been a historic time to say the least. The pandemic’s impact has extended far beyond the hospitals and into the walls of our very homes and schools. Many parents have been left confused and scrambling as they watched their children fall through the cracks and miss important academic benchmarks.

As the Delta strain continues to threaten communities, homeschooling and online education have become attractive options for many parents. The benefits of one-on-one schooling are numerous. You’ve done your research, and you’ve decided to take the leap — but where and how do you start?

We’ve got your back! In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the process step-by-step, so you and your child transition smoothly to homeschooling and get the most out of this exciting and rewarding experience.

Step 1: Start with the Legal Stuff

The very first step is to familiarize yourself with your state’s homeschool requirement.

You can transition to homeschooling at any time during the school year in all 50 states. However, the requirements and process vary from state to state.

For example, if you live in California, parents have four homeschooling options:

homeschooling as a home-based private school,
homeschooling via a satellite program,
independent study,
or homeschooling with a tutor.

Depending on which option you choose, California residents may need to fill out a Private School Affidavit (PSA) prior to the upcoming school year.

You can visit the Coalition of Responsible Home Education to read up on the specific regulations of your state to ensure a smooth transition and that your family remains in full compliance.

Step 2. Consider the Time and Cost Involved

Although homeschooling requires your patience and the dedication of your child, it is definitely worth every minute and effort.

No two families homeschool in the same way. While some parents set up an actual classroom in the house, other homeschooled children work at the kitchen table or on the couch. Arrange whatever works best for your child and is conducive to healthy academic and personal growth. And remember: there’s lots of freedom for you and your family to learn and grow!

You will need to spend money on homeschool supplies, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. You will have to purchase basic supplies and materials for everyday lessons, such as pencils and paper or a dry erase board and possibly arts and crafts. You’ll also want to set aside money for field trips and extracurricular activities.

Step 2: Don’t Do it Alone

Transitioning your child to homeschooling is a big step that can feel intimidating!

Speaking with experienced homeschooling parents can answer your burning questions and help you get a feel for the commitment of this education alternative. Building a network of support will prove invaluable to you and your family. So, seek out friends and acquaintances, social media groups, and homeschooling forums to start building your connections and network.

Step 3: Know Your Child’s Learning Style

When it comes to your child’s education, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. One of the great things about homeschooling is the ability to customize the program to fit your child’s individual needs. Understanding your child’s specific modality, or learning style, will help them learn and retain information more effectively.

It also makes the learning experience more enjoyable and engaging!

Every child has a different learning style:

Visual Learner – sensitive and insightful
Auditory Learner – expressive and communicative
Kinesthetic Learner – uses hand and body movement

Take our free learning style assessment so you can help your child study smarter – not harder. By understanding your child’s strengths and weaknesses, you can choose and design a program to ensure his academic and personal development is on track.

Step 4: Choose the Curriculum

Take the time to research available home-based curriculum and decide which program best suits your child’s needs and goals. Different programs concentrate on different subjects. Additionally, you want to keep electives and foreign languages in mind for college-bound kids.

Curriculum can be expensive, but there are lots of high-quality free materials online! Do a little digging to discover what fits your budget and child’s needs best.

Step 5: Set a Schedule and Structure

A key benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility it offers families. We recommend that you structure a school schedule that complements your child’s needs as well as your own.

Often when parents imagine homeschooling, they picture themselves sitting at a desk with their child all day. You certainly can do this if you’d like — but this is by no means a requirement for a high-quality private education. Certain programs require only your supervision, while others call for a more hands-on approach.

Only you know your child best and what will be the right fit.

Another hallmark of homeschooling is that you get to experience the best parts of your child as they grow and learn. The best way to homeschool depends on your style, circumstances, and the age and ability of your children.

However, you may find it beneficial to:

organize and structure specific times for schoolwork, playdates, and extracurricular activities,
set aside each day to review lesson plans or prepare ready-made lesson plans from curricula and websites,
establish measurable goals and benchmarks to track your child’s academic progress, and review these on a regular basis,
find creative ways to get out of the house and educate your child in the real world (i.e., museum or library trips).

You Can Do This!

Homeschooling should be an exciting and rewarding experience for both you and your child. Many families grow closer and children thrive under the personalization of private schooling.

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, partnering with a trusted homeschool program like Groza will take out the guesswork and get your child on track to being his very best. Alternatively, one-on-one or group tutoring is an excellent way to supplement their learning and ensure a qualified educator oversees your child’s academic progression.

Call our team today at (310) 454-3731 or click here to schedule a free consultation.

What Is The Need For Home-Schooling?

Be it a situation when your child is sick, or maybe you are going out on a business trip or a vacation, or any unprecedented situation like the corona pandemic, and your child misses going to the brick-and-mortar building, which we call a school. So, will that be fine to let your child miss out on schooling? The answer is a big NO, and here, Homeschooling comes to your rescue. During this pandemic time, it has become a common scenario in every house, children attending their school through the screen of their computers.

Homeschooling is something where your child gets his or her formal education, which is equivalent to the one they acquired at school, at the comfort of their home.

How does homeschooling help my child?

Homeschooling is a new way of imparting formal education to children by the means of modern technology in online classes and tailored 1:1 class for your child at your places, customized according to your child’s need. Some children need to be motivated to get their best output, and some like to take up challenges and prove their skills. It is the teacher’s job to understand the student’s orientation and provide them a customized approach to get their best output. But do you think it is a possible scenario with the traditional schooling method?

When do children learn the best?

When they are taught according to their pace. Well, it might sound pretty obvious, but its not something easily achievable until one has a scenario similar to home-schooling, where your child is the prime focus, his or her needs, capacity, style of learning, is kept in mind to deliver him with a course which imparts education whilst sculpting the best out of your child.

Benefits of Homeschooling:

Self-Paced learning
Easier access to the teachers
Easier to focus
Comfort of home

Other than the few aforementioned pointers, where you clearly understand how it helps your child to attain his education at his pace because every child has the unique ability to grasp up things, some do it very quickly, and some let the concept sink into them at a slow steady pace. A question might come to your mind that what is the best solution for homeschooling?

The answer is Groza, we have been providing the best home-schooling support to students, way before the pandemic existed. We have a highly qualified core team of Academic Instructors who are graduates from the best universities like Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. And they exactly know how to academically coach your child, make their path easier to attain more success in their academic and even higher studies to the colleges and universities from where they themselves belong. But at the same time making sure your child’s journey to the top tier schools like Harvard and Stanford is not a burden on them, rather it becomes a rich source of their self-paced, knowledge mining game, that they cherish. Our instructors are not on a job of teaching your child, but rather carrying a passion to impart knowledge and sculpt the best brain out of your child, at the comfort of your home, because after all, it’s home-schooling.

Don’t Settle on Your Child’s Learning Experience. FREE Education Plan Consultation. Call Groza at 310-454-3731 or text us at 424-231-5197.

Benefits Of Homeschooling to Improve Your Child’s Learning Experience

Learn The Benefits Of Homeschooling: Don’t Settle On Your Child’s Learning Experience

The Unexpected Homeschool Experience

This past year was unlike any other for families. Parents with younger children in traditional schools found themselves scrambling to adjust to having children attend school virtually at home. This was the first experience of homeschooling for many parents, younger kids and high school students, and the sudden transition to learning outside the public and private school setting was very stressful.

Parents and students were used to traditional schooling structures and all that accompanies them. Becoming used to receiving instruction within the home was new, and few were adequately prepared.

Poor Outcomes

Parents found that, more often than not, the hastily rolled out curricula their children received from their high school were poorly adapted for home learning, and were difficult for children to follow. In fact, the sudden shift to at-home learning in the last year cost some students dearly—these students essentially lost on average five months of learning.

Homeschooling Can Be So Much More!

What if there was a way to turn learning at home into a positive experience? Well, there is a better way.

While trying to make poorly-designed distance learning programs work at home left a sour taste in many parents’ mouths, those who chose homeschool education programs like Groza Learning Center saw their children move from surviving to thriving in at-home schooling.

The type of program Groza Learning Center offers homeschoolers is entirely different to the haphazard way public schools operated virtually. Groza Learning Center has created a carefully curated program with a focus on personalized education. With Groza Learning Center, parents can rest assured, knowing their children can choose 1:1 live classes that they can attend in-person or online, that are adapted to their learning styles.

And for the students? Students at Groza Learning Center benefit from learning in a safe space from a flexible and accredited program.

If you want to learn more about homeschooling your child, read our FAQs below.

FAQs

Q – What are the benefits of homeschooling?

A – There are many benefits of homeschooling for students. Here is a list of some.

Homeschooled children can learn at their own pace. Rather than rushing key learnings to fit a traditional schooling model, homeschooled kids can take the time they need to learn—until the information slots in comfortably.

Being pressured to learn at the same pace as peers can get in the way of learning and may decrease a child’s confidence. Learning at a pace that suits the student is far more beneficial.
Studies show that many homeschool students consistently score above their public school peers on standardized testing. Often parents find their students struggle in public school, only to see the same students excel academically with an organized homeschool program–and that academic success is more likely to carry them through to completion of a college degree.
Some students with special needs and/or learning difficulties like ADHD/ADD struggle with the transition from public school to college. They may do really well on their SAT scores, but after leaving the structure of traditional schooling, they may find it difficult to achieve goals when left to their own devices.

Having the experience of homeschooling, and having support and coaching on executive functioning skills from homeschooling teachers and homeschooling parents, better prepares students for the rigors of college.

Homeschooling is also better when it comes to assisting students of varying learning capacities and styles–whether they be gifted children, students with learning differences, and students that struggle with executive functioning. In a homeschooling setting, the time is available to identify learning needs, and support students of varying learning styles and special needs.

Q – Won’t homeschooling be detrimental to my child’s social skills?

A – One big myth about homeschooling is that children won’t develop the social skills needed to succeed beyond the academic realm. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Homeschooled children grow up to be adults who are more likely to:

Score higher on indices rating self-esteem and personal security
Have lower rates of anxiety
Vote and volunteer in their communities
Experience more effective and high-quality social interactions.

In studies, homeschool students showed far fewer antisocial traits than students attending public schools.

When deciding on homeschooling your child, the key is selecting a program that grows and flexes with the student and integrates wraparound academic and social care. During these vital K-12 years, providing the right opportunities can provide students with all the tools they need to succeed, no matter what life brings.

In addition, at Groza Learning Center, homeschool socialization is integrated into our program, so your child has plenty of opportunity to engage with other homeschooled children. It’s also worth noting that with an effective homeschool education program that is schedule-flexible, your child may have more time up their sleeve to become involved in extra-curricular activities like sports, the arts, and community service, where they can meet other kids their age in more neutral territory than in the schoolyard.

Q – Why choose to be a homeschooling family?

A – There are many reasons why parents choose homeschooling for their kids.

Some parents had a poor experience in public schooling themselves and would like a different model for their child’s education. They see that home education offers pros that traditional schooling does not.
Some parents are concerned their child will not be provided with adequate safety and protection in a public school, especially in light of media reports of school shootings and bullying.
Parents of special needs kids may have already realised that homeschooling has unique pros when it comes to meeting their child’s educational needs.
Some parents with young children are still undecided about whether or not they want to follow a homeschool curriculum, or if they want to opt for traditional schooling. They may choose to start their kids off as homeschoolers, and leave the decision about homeschooling through high school for later.
Some parents may need to work from home, and may find there are benefits of home schooling. They can plan their days better, rather than following an unrelenting schedule of public school. Also, their homeschooled kids don’t have to rush in the mornings and commute to and from school. That time can instead be spent on their homework, leisure activities, and quality family time.
Some parents may need to live or work far from any public or private schools, and distance learning may be the only option available. In these circumstances, they may choose to become a homeschooling family, as the pros of homeschooling are so great. They are able to move wherever their careers take them, without interrupting their child’s education.

Q – Will the education my child receives in a homeschooled environment be equal to that obtained by students in traditional schooling?

A – Yes! At Groza Learning Center, we offer a K-12 homeschool curriculum that is fully accredited and also flexible enough to ensure that your child’s learning needs are met. It includes all the required fields of study that exist in the public school system, and then you and your child can pick and choose learning modules based on interest.

We are homeschooling pros and are here to ensure that your child’s hard work is recognized and that their individual academic needs are catered for. We believe that homeschooling kids is the best way for children to learn. Our aim is to ensure your child can progress confidently through their homeschooled student years through to higher education and the workplace.

Q – Is Groza Learning Center the right homeschool solution for our child?

A – We believe we can help any child reach their potential, no matter the circumstances. If you’d like to discuss your particular situation with us, the team at Groza Learning Center will listen to your story and goals, and work to understand your child’s unique needs.

When it comes to your child’s learning experience, you do not have to settle. We know it can be scary to try something new, but we truly believe in providing an educational opportunity that fosters growth and prepares your child for lifelong success.

Because we feel so strongly about this, we offer a free Education Plan Consultation. To get your child started on the path to success, call Groza Learning Center at (310) 454-3731 to chat with us, or text us with questions at (424) 231-5197 and one of our homeschool co-ordinators will get back to you.

Interested in reading more?

For related posts, see our Blogs and our FAQs page.

How To Transition From Traditional School To Homeschool

One of the biggest hurdles that parents worry about is how to move their child from a traditional school format and environment to a homeschool program. But after this past year, more parents than ever before were questioning traditional school methods and whether the conventional curriculum is truly supportive. Transitioning from a public-school model to private homeschooling is not as difficult as parents may fear. In fact, parents and caregivers are often only sorry they did not make the transition sooner. Let’s explore some of the factors involved in moving from a traditional to a homeschool model.

Covid safety in the face of uncertainty

Unfortunately, Covid continues to be a safety issue for many communities. For those students and families with young children who cannot yet receive the vaccine and those who are immunocompromised, a traditional school setting could be dangerous. In addition, as the Delta variant surges, there is increasing uncertainty surrounding the delivery method of traditional schooling. This uncertainty creates instability for families and critical gaps in education. The way traditional education attempted virtual instruction did not work for many children, who could not remain engaged in class. Often the quality of the virtual education depended on how invested the teacher was–and in too many cases, this led to children falling through the cracks. Well-rounded and targeted homeschooling programs like Groza Academy integrate individualized curricula that move with the child at their pace. Instructors work one-on-one or in small group settings, unlike cattle-call Zooms filled with 30+ distracted children.

No hidden agenda, just learning

Far too often, parents learn the hard way that many classrooms are not bias-free. Unfortunately, many teachers must deal with the whims of changeable school boards or local governments. This often results in inconsistent policies that inhibit classroom learning. The teachers themselves may consciously or unconsciously have a bias that interferes with the student’s educational progress. Moving to a homeschool environment eliminates that worry. Parents and caregivers can create a space that focuses solely on the learning process.

Homeschooling for greater freedom and flexibility

More families than ever before have a parent or family member working remotely or in a job that requires travel. Transitioning to a homeschool program like Groza Academy can provide consistent, quality education without the disruptions the child would experience if attempting to remain in a traditional school. Many families have found that finally moving to a homeschool program opened doors for their families, giving them the freedom to travel and work from anywhere in the world without compromising on their child’s educational needs.

You CAN do this!

If you have considered making a move from traditional school to homeschooling or become dissatisfied with the lack of attention and progress when it comes to your child, you are not alone, and you do have a better option. You can transition to a homeschool program successfully. See how Groza Academy can create a customized plan for your child. You don’t have to settle for traditional school–get a FREE Education Plan Consultation. You’ll wonder why you waited. Call Groza Academy at (310)454-3731, or text your questions to (424)231-5197.

The Importance of Kindergarten

Every year, in the United States the 21st of April is the official celebration date of National Kindergarten Day.

Why April 21 you ask? Well, it is the birthday of the German educator Friedrich Fröbel, who founded the first play and activity institute called kindergarten in 1837. (Kindergarten’s actually a mid-19th century German word literally meaning “children’s garden.”)

According to Fröbel, young children should follow their own interests and freely explore them. That’s why kindergartens include singing, dancing, and creative play.

Why is Kindergarten Important For A Child’s Development?

Kindergarten is important to students’ success and helps children adjust to elementary school, as well as their success in later years.

Kindergarten learning also lays the groundwork for learning in later grades.

According to developmental psychologist John W. Santrock, children experience rapid growth of their frontal lobes between the ages of three and six. This is the area of the brain that regulates organization, planning, and maintaining attention.

Researchers believe that kindergarten teaches skills like patience and perseverance and that learning these skills early contributes to later success as an adult.

Kindergarten goes a long way in the overall development of your child. It develops your child’s social, emotional, literacy, and fine motor skills, which they need to build during their lifetime. During this period, children learn by engaging their senses of hearing, sight, smell, and touch.

What Age Should Kids Start Kindergarten?

Historically, the starting age for kindergarten has varied widely. In the past five years, both states and districts have pushed the minimum age to start kindergarten up so that more and more kids are at least 5 years old when they start school. In California, a child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before September 1st. By law, all children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday. (Please check your state’s requirements for age and cut-off dates.)

Kindergarten Introduces Your Child To New Ideas, Helps Develop Problem-Solving Skills,

Along With The Following Skills:

Learn to coordinate and cooperate with fellow students
Become more aware of his surroundings
Respect for others and start understanding others feelings
Develop language skills, numeracy, and reading stories
Making friends
Receptible to new concepts and ideas
Build confidence
Improve communication skills
Express their creativity through art, drawings, and dance
Develop academic skills like reading, writing, and counting

Furthermore, survey results show children who attend kindergarten classes tend to have better cognitive skills, higher IQ, better understanding, improved social interactions, and develop a deeper love for learning.

How To Choose The Right Kindergarten Program For Your Child?

Choosing the right kindergarten school will enrich your child’s learning experience. An excellent kindergarten program would offer your student a variety of learning experiences that are fun and learning-oriented at the same time.

An article in Psychology Today reported that a good teacher and the quality of early education make a huge difference. They conclude that early education is a very good investment.

10 Tips for Choosing a Kinder Program?

Half-Day or Full Day
Are you interested in Public, Private, Private Homeschool, Small Learning Pod?
What has been your response to Covid-19? What policies/protections do you have in place? How do you keep kids safe from infectious diseases?
Do the school’s educational philosophy and values match your family’s?
What background checks do you run on prospective employees?
School proximity
School transportation, e.g. bus schedule
Special interests like language, arts, and alternative programs
School curriculum structure.
Talk to other parents in the community. Does the school have a good reputation?

Cyberbullying: The Ugly Truth

Cyberbullying is an undeniable truth, defined as the use of electronic communication (social media platforms, websites, apps, texts) to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature with the intention of hurting or harming another person. Cyberbullying is even more damaging than face-to-face bullying since it can happen anytime, anywhere, across many platforms, and in front of a large audience. Not only can the perpetrator strike at any time, but they have also added layers of protection; anonymity, pseudonyms, and distance. Furthermore, parents are often unaware that their kids are being bullied since they may be not monitoring their children’s devices. Kids tend to hide that they are being bulling from adults and peers because they feel ashamed, scared, or reluctant to admit to being victims. So the question is, how do parents and educators help empower children so that they do not become perpetrators or victims. The simple answer is, we educate, listen, watch, and support.

At Groza Learning Center, we take bullying of any nature very seriously. Our educators check- in and observe their students for changes in behavior. Using digital media in a responsible, respectful, and safe manner is integrated into our curriculum. Students are encouraged to stand up for and support their peers rather than take the passive role. By modeling appropriate behavior and keeping an open dialogue students learn to recognize red flags and are encouraged to share their thoughts, questions and concerns.

Ghosting. When friends cut off online contact and stop responding, they’re ghosting.

Sub tweeting. When you tweet or post something about a specific person but don’t mention them by name or tag them, you’re sub tweeting.

Fake accounts. Sometimes kids will create fake accounts in someone else’s name and use that account to stir up trouble or hurt that person. In most cases, there’s no way to trace who created the account, and even if it’s shut down, the person can make another one.

Sharing embarrassing posts and pics. Taking selfies and group pics are a normal part of tween and teen life. But sometimes, kids take pictures of each other that, while fun in the moment, are potentially embarrassing if widely shared or cruelly captioned.

Rumors. Social media is a perfect venue for the rumor mill, so lies can go far and wide before the target even knows what’s happening.

Exclusion. A kid may be scrolling through their feed and come across pictures of all their friends together — without them.

Griefing. Many kids play multiplayer video games, and they will purposely kill the victims’ character, steal their game loot, and harass them in chat. Online, that behavior is called “griefing.”

Hate speech. This kind of language is used across all social platforms and is intended to hurt someone based on personal traits such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or belief system.

Statistics:

Teachers report that cyberbullying is their #1 safety concern in their classrooms according to a recent Google Survey (Janurary 2019)
One in three young people in 30 countries said they have been a victim of online bullying, with one in five reporting having skipped school due to cyberbullying and violence, in a new poll released by UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Violence against Children. (UNICEF, September 3, 2019)
More youths experienced cyberbullying on Instagram than any other platform at 42 percent, with Facebook following close behind at 37 percent. Snapchat ranked third at 31 percent.
Girls are more likely than boys to be both victim and perpetrators of cyber bullying. 15% of teen girls have been the target of at least four different kinds of abusive online behaviors, compared with 6% of boys.
60% of young people have witnessed online bullying. Most do not intervene.

Take time to talk to your kids regularly about online issues and let them know that they can come to you with questions and concerns. Look for signs; victimized children are more likely to have difficulty sleeping, headaches, nervousness, stomach aches, and make excuses to avoid going to school. Knowledge is power, and the more we educate ourselves and our kids, the better prepared we will be to face and prevent cyberbullying.

Partner Spotlight: Groza Learning Center

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As an experienced education partner, Laurel Springs recognizes that when it comes to learning options, one size does not fit all. Whether our partners want a comprehensive education program or to augment their curriculum with a few select courses, we help them find the best solution to suit their specific needs and student populations.

This additional academic support is one of the reasons why Groza Learning Center has chosen Laurel Springs to be a trusted partner for over six years. Tatyana Yukhtman is Director of this center located in Pacific Palisades, CA that offers tutoring, test prep, and other learning support to both full- and part-time students. She recently shared more about the kind of programs Groza provides and how partnering with Laurel Springs benefits all involved.

Growing With Groza Learning Center

At Groza Learning Center, students work one-on-one or in small groups with a dedicated teacher either at the California center, at a student’s home, or online. In addition, the following programs were created to fully ensure each student and family had their unique learning goals met:

A program to help parents monitor their child’s learning progress
An in-person program for students with learning differences
Guiding students through their current school curriculum either online or in-person
Providing more time for students to master a certain subject

So, what makes Groza different from other learning centers? According to Ms. Yukhtman, “besides our 20+ years of experience in education working with students from gifted to the ones that have superpowers of ADD, ADHD, Autistic, Learning Differences, etc., to students who just need someone to listen and hear them… We believe that every student is unique, which is why we provide educational experiences that meet each student’s individual needs and we match each teacher with the student.”

Groza students not only receive the right amount of academic support, but they’re also given the tools necessary to strengthen their life skills and become more self-sufficient, strong, and self-confident learners. “For many of our students, we provide Academic Management, Executive Functioning, Foreign Language Classes (French, Spanish, Latin, Russian, Mandarin, and Japanese), and Study Skills. Our credential and experienced teachers work with each student based on their learning style, whether the student is gifted or has learning differences.”

Where Laurel Springs Comes In

For a learning center that already provides students with so much support, what else can a family ask for? Well, there’s a lot more, actually. Part of the personalized learning structure that both Groza and Laurel Springs provides caters to students from many different backgrounds, with a variety of scheduling needs, and who pursue a host of different passions.

“Over the years we have had the privilege of working with students who are looking for a flexible school schedule and rolling enrollment while having an ability to grow and excel academically and personally. Among our student body, we have students who travel the world with their parents, students who are in [the] entertainment industry, students athletes, or students who are looking for a part time or a full time alternative schooling program. We strive to provide our students a curriculum option that meets their needs…a WASC accredited, college prep, online and text-based [options], with courses approved by the NCAA and the University of California a-g. We appreciate that Laurel Springs provides our students the curriculum that we are looking for and more.”

Not only does Laurel Springs prioritize a student’s needs, but we also support our partners with a multi-faceted approach including guidance, progress reports, and more. It’s what keeps partners like Groza coming back for more. “We love having an opportunity to have a trusted partner in our corner. One that meets our goals for the family and that we feel comfortable referring.”

Tips For Mid Year Homeschool Transition

Here’s the good news, mid-year is the perfect time to transition to homeschool! Whether you’re considering transitioning due to the current pandemic, your child is falling behind, not being challenged, struggling with on-line learning, has learning differences, or any other justification, here are tips that will help make the shift more manageable.

Deciding to homeschool is a complex one, and the switch often causes parents to feel anxious and overwhelmed. However, realizing the benefits of homeschooling, such as customized curriculums, continually updated educational plans for optimal learning, 1:1 or small group instruction, and flexible schedules, often makes the process worthwhile.

Thankfully, if this process seems daunting, there are experts you can turn to that are well versed in homeschooling and who can help make the transition seamless.

Homeschooling 101:

1) Be aware of your state’s homeschooling rules and regulations.

Many states require:

Notification of your intent to homeschool to necessary officials.
Specific subjects that need to be covered.
Assessments for academic progress.
Parents who homeschool have a highschool diploma or GED.
Record keeping and submission of students progress.

2) Withdrawing your child from their current school:

Contact your child’s school and school district to notify them of the change.
Make sure that every entity is notified correctly and on time.
Obtain all records and transcripts needed from your current school.

3) Explore Curriculum Options:

Research available curriculums to identify which work best for your family’s needs and match your child’s learning style.
Take into account your child’s educational goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
Join local homeschool groups and social media groups to help answer questions.

4) Create an Optimal Learning Environment:

Designate a space where your child can learn according to their specific learning style.
Remove distractions.
Gather all supplies, books, teaching materials in advance.
Create and follow a schedule.
Set Goals!

Be Patient

While you are navigating this new adventure, remember to be patient with yourself and your child until everyone gets used to the change. Without a doubt, you will encounter challenges, uncertainty, and many questions but know that it will get easier, and the gratification of watching your child reach their full potential will be priceless.

Groza Homeschool Parent Testimonial

“He says he has done more reading in 2 days than he has in 9 months on Zoom!-eeek!!

Reading is really something he resists doing so he'[s making up for lost time;)

Aside from that, interacting with friends and teachers has made all the difference and he absolutely loves it. We are very fortunate he has this opportunity.”

How to Build Successful Learning Pods

What is a Learning Pod?

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts across the country are continuing with remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Parents worry that their children are not advancing academically or socially since they lack in-person teaching and are isolated from their friends. Learning pods to the rescue! A learning pod — also referred to as a pandemic pod, teaching pod, learning bubble, or micro-school — consists of a small group of children receiving guided education outside of school through a parent, tutor, or hired teacher.

How to Build a Learning Pod:

Parents considering forming learning pods should consider the following questions:

1.What are your academic goals?

All-day coverage
Academic support
Enhancement of remote learning
Learning through play

2. Are your children going to be safe?

Are the other families following the same social distancing practices?
Do you have adults available to lead the pod, or will you hire a private teacher?
Where will your learning pod be held?
Will you require regular testing for everyone?
Will you have mixed grade pods?
If so, are you familiar with the pros and cons of mixed grade learning pods?

The Pros of Learning Pods:

individualized learning plans
minimizing health risks
flexible hours and days
socialization
helps kids stay motivated
higher concentration
greater confidence
higher course completion
greater engagement
mental health
support for working parents

What parents need to be aware of :

Choosing the right curriculum can be stressful.
Researching state homeschool requirements can be confusing.
Is someone ensuring that your teacher is following proper CDC guidelines and social distancing protocol?
Does your teacher have all the necessary credentials?
Do you have a substitute if your teacher becomes ill or quits?
Do you have insurance for all students and teachers in your home in case someone gets injured?
Are you receiving updates and progress reports from the teacher?
Is your child learning at their pace and to their academic ability?
Learning Pods do not always work well for high school students since, being in the same grade does not necessarily mean you are taking the same subjects.

Groza Can Provide a Safe Alternative:

Fully Vetted, Experienced, Insured Teachers/Tutors.
18+ years of reputable history in providing personal tutors.
Learning and Grade Level Assessments
Customized Learning Plans
Customized Curriculum
Learn from the safety of your home with an in-person or online teacher
Learn in our center, which follows strict CDC guidelines
Full transparency with detailed academic updates for parents
Regular COVID testing for teachers and staff
Peace of mind

For more information about our Learning Pods and Homeschool Programs:

Call: 310-454-3731

Email: tutoring@grozalearningcenter.com

Grow With Groza

Tips on How to Reduce Homework Distractions

In a time of digital media, a world of distractions is at your fingertips so, minimizing as many distractions as possible will help get homework off your to-do list quicker and more efficiently. Here are a few tricks to help get you started.

Cultivating the Perfect Environment:

In order to save memory for more important tasks your brain builds associations between objects and actions. For example, the dining room is associated with eating, the kitchen with cooking, and the bedroom with sleeping. These associations are especially useful when trying to build an environment that primes your brain for homework. If you can designate a room in your house for homework, then you are already on the right track however, if this is not the case there are other actions you can take. Begin with finding a desk that you will use exclusively for schoolwork and not for any other activities such as, video games. Building a homework environment is not limited to the actual location.

Other Environmental Factors to Consider:

• Do you focus better in a warmer or colder room?

• Do you prefer warmer (orange) light or colder (blue) light?

• Do you prefer perfect silence or listening to music?

• If you prefer to listen to music, can you concentrate with or without lyrics?

Once again, these are only examples and if you stumble upon other factors that make or break your environment feel free to adjust.

Material Clutter:

Being surrounded by clutter and mess is no fun in fact, it can be quite stressful. Having papers scattered all over your desk before getting to work is just one more distraction from getting your homework done. It should be a no-brainer, but it is worth a mention. Everyday after you finish your homework, make sure to clean your desk and revert it back to its original state. This ensures that the next day you will get to your homework much faster. Remove everything you don’t need for your current task from your desk and ensure you have all your papers, pens, pencils and, other materials at hand. An organized environment will allow you to stay focused for longer.

If you are constantly getting up from your desk to get something, you will begin to forget where you left off, and eventually you will have to rethink through all the homework. Lastly, creating a filing system at home can be very useful; filing older assignments away will ensure less clutter while working and easier referencing to previous material when studying.

Mental Clutter:

Physical clutter is distracting, but the effects of mental clutter can be even worse. Have you ever just thought about all the tests and projects in the upcoming week and felt completely stress out? We have all been there and experienced that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start. It is something every student goes through, but it can be avoided. Using simple organizers such as a planner, to-do list, or a calendar are all strategies for decluttering your mind. By writing things down you ease the stress level by allowing your brain to forget about it and use the energy towards something else. Want to go the extra mile and further reduce stress? Block out the time it will take to complete each task so that you can better plan your days and weeks.

Digital Distractions:

The greatest source of distraction for students at this time is digital media. It is the phone in your pocket, the TV in the living room, and video games on your desk. The first tip for minimizing digital distractions is, if you do not need it, put it away. Instead of using your iPhone for math use a calculator. If you are struggling to stay focused because of your devices consider using apps such as Freedom and Anti-Social, both provide features that will limit your internet access to keep you on track with your assignments.

If you trust yourself enough, the Pomodoro Technique might be the way to go. This technique regimes your homework time into intervals of 25 minutes of intense work, then five minutes of break. After 4 repetitions of this (one hour and 40 minutes of laser focus work,) you can take a break for a longer interval such as 30 minutes. If you can hold yourself to this standard without falling into routine checks of your social media account, then your homework will be done in no time. Lastly, with most assignments being completed and submitted online it is crucial to keep organized files on your computer. Whether you use, OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox, accurately labelling and filing your work will make it easy to navigate, and less likely that you will be frantically scrolling through folders trying to find that one paper minutes before submission.

Academic Management:

If your student is struggling to stay organized and is falling behind due to poor academic management there is help available. A tutor or learning center can set them up for success by empowering them with specific organizational tools and tactics. Academic management programs will teach students how to stay on task by developing new ways of thinking, habits, and routines that directly impact schoolwork and day-to-day living.