Boost Homeschool Morale, Performance, and Relationships with Mentoring

You cannot be successful in a small business or a major corporation without mentoring others and having mentors yourself. Yet students are seldom given this opportunity in a traditional classroom setting. The homeschool environment is uniquely positioned to change that.

Why Encourage Students to Guide Each Other?

A Montessori classroom models the mixed ages of a family. Multi-age environments encourage older children to serve as leaders, both academically and socially. There is no better way to learn than to teach. Mentoring cultivates leaders and self-starters who love to learn. Children also tend to be attentive to and learn effectively from peer guidance and collaboration.

Mentoring opportunities abound in the homeschool environment, whether with siblings, peers at a co-op, or similar occasions. Children will model the kindness and patience shown to them in their own instruction. Mentoring develops self-confidence, intellectual independence, collaboration, and diplomacy.

And a practical benefit for multi-child families: you do not have to provide all of the instruction or be the only person available to help.

If you notice a child losing focus, offering an additional leadership responsibility can help advance them in their academic, emotional, or social development and maturity.

How to Encourage Child Mentors

You have probably seen this develop spontaneously many times. You can also help the interaction to blossom. Closely mentor and guide older children to model desired behavior. The key is showing the child, not simply asking them to help or telling them how to assist. Model the behaviors and techniques you would like your child to imitate.

When you spot an opportunity where one child could help another, make note that a need has been observed that may benefit from their support or guidance. Once aware, the child will often initiate offering assistance on their own.

You can also encourage children to present lessons and activities they worked on when they were younger to other children. Mentoring is made easy with ShillerLearning's scripted lesson books, which require no lesson preparation. The script incorporates respect for the child in both approach and language, and the Parent Guide provides suggested responses for common situations. Children can use the script to mentor others with confidence. Even a child who is not yet reading can present a lesson using language arts or math manipulatives.

Mentoring Goes Both Ways

Peer mentoring is not always from older to younger child. It can go in both directions. It is important that the interaction not include body language or verbal expressions of superiority. Any disrespectful behaviors can be addressed with a reminder of the goals and values of your family or organization. It is genuinely beneficial for students of all ages to recognize that someone younger can be a capable instructor in an area of their talent or expertise.

Ultimately, children are their own teachers. We are simply there to guide them on the journey toward becoming capable, caring adults who cultivate healthy relationships. Mentoring supports that goal with benefits for both parties, boosting morale, performance, and relationships. Children see that they are an important ingredient in family and homeschool success.

Share your favorite mentoring moments in the comments below or tag @ShillerLearning and use the hashtag #childmentor or #mentoringmoments.

See Inside Our Montessori-Based Kits

Language Arts Kit A
Pre-K to 1st Grade

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Language Arts Kit B
1st to 4th Grade

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