Homeschooling has been surging in the United States in recent years and actress Danica McKellar loves to see it. The “Swing into Romance” star began homeschooling her 13-year-old son, Draco, when he was in kindergarten, and the two have never looked back.
“There are more and more reasons that maybe homeschooling is a good choice,” she said last year. “I’ve had a good experience with it…You just have more control over what your child is exposed to. And in all kinds of ways socially, academically, you name it, you can be a little more in control.”
Now, the homeschooling veteran is sharing some tips and tricks that she’s picked up along the way to help support others in their homeschooling journeys. Let’s just call it: Homeschooling 101.
The key to getting started—and starting successfully—is to make sure you’re following the rules. But that doesn’t have to be complicated. McKellar suggests starting with a simple Internet search: How to homeschool in [your state]?
“Every state has different rules. It’s different in California and Tennessee and that’s fine,” said McKellar, who moved from L.A. to Tennessee in 2022 for a “total quality of life improvement.” “There’s always a way that it works out and there are communities around that you can find for support.”
One of the strategies that McKellar swears by is keeping learning fun—silly even. Whether it’s acting out a math problem or finding fun ways to remember history facts, there are plenty of ways to keep things lighthearted and less stressful.
“What it does is it breaks up the tension of the stress of not understanding something—and then suddenly you do understand it!” she said. ““It’s like adding a little bit of spice to a meal. It can bring the whole thing to life.”
There’s a reason kids grow up playing teacher—it’s fun to be in charge! When her son was younger, McKellar liked to utilize this innate desire by encouraging him to teach his stuffed animals what he learned as a student.
“When they become the teacher, it helps to really cement the ideas,” she noted. “It gives them a chance to be the hero, to the teacher, to be the one in charge, and that can really help.”
These days, kids spend almost an entire day in school, but with homeschooling, a solid 2-3 hours is sometimes all it takes as the kids have focused-learning time that is specific to them and their needs. Depending on the child, though, it may be harder for them to focus for a long time, so a timer can help keep track of breaks and ensure your child gets the learning time they need.
“I set a timer for two hours and anytime that [young] Draco would get distracted or start playing with toys or just wander off or whatever, I would hit pause,” she explained. “He knew that and he wanted that [learning] time to be done sooner rather than later… and then he’s like ‘Oh no, I want to get back to it!’ Works like a charm.”
To-do lists aren’t just for grownups! McKellar says that when both parent and student have a list of goals that they want to accomplish each day, it’s easier to work together, stay focused, and still have fun.
“I might want him to do the next chapter in math and to do a draft of his essay and to read something I’ve given him. He’s like, ‘I want to go on the swings and I want to play video games,’” she noted. “So you write down your list, you write down his or her list, and then it really validates their interest as well… It’s incredible how important that makes them feel, like their stuff matters.”
As a parent, you never want your homeschooling journey to negatively affect your relationship with your child. By building time into your schedule to connect in a positive way (like snuggling!), you can reinforce to your child that you are there to guide and support them.
“I call it ‘snuggle school’ so that’s usually good for either watching an educational video or reading something together,” she said. “And again, even just 10 minutes out of the day snuggling together while you’re reading something or talking something through… it makes them feel loved and supported and not like just that you’re some dictator telling them what to do all the time.”
For more information and inspiration on homeschooling, stream Kirk Cameron’s “The Homeschool Awakening” right here on Great American Pure Flix! Not a member? Sign up for your free 7-day trial today.
And be sure to mark your calendars for October 3, which is when McKellar’s “Swing into Romance” will premiere on Great American Pure Flix. You won’t want to miss it!