How Do I Start Homeschooling?
There is a popularity rising in homeschooling.
As anything that becomes a bit more common, more people are going to be willing to give it a shot.
Perhaps YOU have wondered about trying it—at least for a semester.
But, how do you start?
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First of all, know that different states have different homeschooling laws. When gathering advice from friends and homeschool parents online, remember that there are different requirements based on where you live and what is expected to stay within the expectations of the law.
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Now that that disclaimer is out of the way, let’s dig in! How do you start homeschooling?
Consider what is needed as graduation requirements. (This is essential if your child is in late middle school or early high school. If your child is in elementary school, bypass this for now—you have time!)
You don’t want to find out too late into high school that your child needed a particular credit to graduate. Have a “work backwards” approach starting at the graduation point and make a plan for getting to graduation.
You should talk to someone in your state to verify graduation requirements. Some parents speak with a representative at their school district, but more parents prefer to speak with a homeschooling expert. HSLDA is a nationwide organization that can help you get connected to someone in your state who knows the laws. In my state, I use an umbrella school, which is an organization that helps me report my grades, curriculum plan and attendance at the state level. They have counselors readily available to take questions and guide me in the process.
Find a community of homeschool families.
This may be a community with classes, such as a co-op or tutorial, but it might be an athletic community (P.E.), arts community (chorus, music lessons), or social community with regular meet-ups. You might even find a church with several homeschool families.
Word of mouth and local social media groups have been the best sources of information on finding communities. Depending on the town or city, the public library may also be a place to meet homeschoolers. Sometimes it may start with just meeting with one person over coffee. The connections will continue to grow as long as you’re willing to meet.
The connections may be just as much of a blessing to you as they are to your child. You can find support. Your child can find friends. Even if your child is plugged in with other social groups, it can be helpful to meet up. You may find a homeschool graduation ceremony in which your child can participate.
Choose your curriculum.
By this point, you have likely spoken to other parents and heard some recommendations for material. You might have even found an in-person class in which to enroll your child, such as a math or science class.
Remember to line up your curriculum plans with the graduation requirements. Know that you may choose an online homeschool service that takes care of everything—even grading (but with little customization) OR you can pick and choose what materials to use that are online and what materials to use that are traditional textbook. You can have a blend of those options if that works for you.
One more thing! Make adjustments if something isn’t working well and ask experienced homeschool parents what they have done in similar situations.
Have a period of time to reset.
Some people call this time “deschooling.” I don’t think you have to have an official term. It’s just a break period of keeping things low-key as you adjust to spending time with your child and not trying to exactly mimic a school day. It is crazy to try to make everything identical to a school when you are at home with a small group of children. That would be like making your kitchen into a food factory when you cook for a few people. You’re not cooking to fill a semi truck! You’re able to take your time and customize.
Likewise, homeschooling will look different than a classroom at school. You can still use books and pencils and paper, but it allows for more freedom and customization on what you assign and how you spend your time.
This break period can be spent:
—taking library trips together
—nature walks
—reading aloud books together
—drawing, painting, play-do (or any crafts)
—pretend play
—learning games
For parents who have been sending children to school for nearly 40 hours a week, these activities can foster the parent-child relationship and allow the parents to get to know how their child learns best. It might be a few weeks or only one week. Everyone’s different.
Begin your journey and document it.
You may choose to have a planner, a journal, a video journal or even a portfolio of your child’s work. It is important to document what you’re doing and what your child is doing so that you can look back and reflect on it. How much has your child learned? How far has he come? It can be incredibly rewarding to look back, and you can choose a way that works best for you. For our family, we take lots of photos and videos of what we are doing to share with family.(This also helps slowly educated them about the world of homeschooling).
Remember that homeschooling is just as unique as families are. Yours won’t look identical to your friend’s homeschool. Your children are different ages with different strengths and weaknesses. You are allowed to adjust. You’re in charge. That’s probably the most difficult thing for new homeschool parents to recognize.
Remind yourself that your goal is to have your child become a successful adult (by whatever means you define that term). Align your daily activities to prepare your children for that goal.
Be sure to check out my Survival Guide for the New Homeschool Family! It’s free and gives you a head start as you navigate this new world.
Remember, you are your child’s most influential teacher.