How to start homeschooling today!
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Why I want to help you start to homeschool
I have written some posts in the past about choose curriculum and our story to begin homeschooling. However, I feel like any parent that is making the choice to switch from public school to homeschool is usually doing it for a specific reason or are being faced with a choice. So, I put together this “How to start homeschooling today” guide.
I did not put this together to gain followers, there will be no e-mail capture requirement to download, and I will not have any affiliate links. I did think to help the scared moms and frustrated dads make solid choices with a plan of action and provide some piece of mind.
My branding and contact information is included simply to provide credibility and to allow for anyone to reach out to me with additional questions.
Each step will have the choice you need to make, any links that can help you make that choice, and a place to write your answer. Please don’t feel overwhelmed with your choices. You CAN positively homeschool your kids, and if it isn’t something that works for you, that is the right choice for your family as well.
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What are the laws to start homeschooling in your state?
Check the HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association). You should be able to find out what requirements, if any, there are for your state. With that, you may need a record keeping plan or find a charter program to school your child through. This does not limit your ability to homeschool and for first timers, it may be beneficial having some guidance.
Do you have childcare during that day that will replace the supervision your child received in public school?
Guess what? School doesn’t have to happen from 8AM-3PM every day. School can happen whenever it fits best for your family.
Stay at home parent? Work from home? Shift change? Can you look into passive income? Grandparent? Extended family? Day care? Another parent you can trade with on childcare (and teaching)? Older child in the home that can help? Older homeschooled child that is looking for spending money?
Think outside the box and ask around for ideas with your family, friends, community, church, and social media.
What type of homeschooling should you choose?
Often homeschool information suggests choosing a homeschool style and then goes into an overwhelming list of styles. With the new move towards homeschool in our country, there are tons of resources that actually proceed the style when it comes to choice.
Distance education – where the child has a set number of assignments that are put together by credentialed teachers. There are programs that are both online, book work, or a hybrid version. Sometimes there are online classes that the child must log into, most of the course materials are provided and can even have their costs covered by the school district. For this option, consider reaching out the school district or programs like K-12. These can potentially be great for working parents or where a family member or care provider will be attending to the child during the day.
School at home – Many are going to tell you not to do this. There is merit in it when the family is only considering having the child home for a short amount of time and want them to blend back into a public-school program seamlessly. The model for this would include choosing a curriculum with more rigorous standards or a set program. There are many amazing ones out there that provide everything a child and parent needs. One that comes to mind are programs like Alpha Omega Publishing (Christian based).
Traditional homeschooling – This is more what many imagine when they consider homeschooling and this is where the styles of homeschooling come into play. Styles include classical, Montessori, Waldorf, Moore formula, Charlotte Mason, and relaxed. There are numerous sources online for reviewing each of these styles. There is no right or wrong style, take a little time and review them and see what makes the most sense for your family. Honestly, after homeschooling for five years our family has not chosen a style and change it up a little based on which curriculum seems the best fit for each subject and age of child.
Unschooling – This is more free style rather than structured. Many see it as not teaching a child at all, and that is not the case. It is a child-led structure where you consider that they would like to learn and follow their lead. Some families still require the core subjects that they see fit and let the child lead for other subjects.
What curriculum should you choose?
That is a question that no one can answer for your family. The place where I chose to start was Cathy Duffy Reviews. This is a site that reviews and categorizes hundreds of curriculums for all styles, ages, and subjects. The site is reasonably up to date, however, there is an influx of brilliant people writing homeschool curriculums that you can find through Pinterest, Etsy, and a printable site called Teachers Pay Teachers. Try not to discredit these sites especially if your state allows it. These are resources written by homeschool parents and teachers, so they are set up to work well in homeschools. I have a post on my site on How to Choose Curriculum and a podcast episode that tells about how our homeschool is set up that both might help on these topics.
Most curriculums give a suggested schedule and tips for parents on how to teach the program. When you receive or download a curriculum, take some time to figure out how you want to integrate it into your homeschool day.
How to afford curriculum?
Sometimes curriculum can be really pricey. Do not make yourself feel bad if you can’t afford the top of the time everything. There are many low cost and free options that can be considered. Easy Peasy Homeschool offers a completely free online homeschool curriculum for all ages and subjects. It is an amazing resource! There are tons of printables out there that can be downloaded and printed for low price tags and be printed for multiple children. Even higher cost curriculums sometimes have a download option or e-book that is a fraction of the printed cost. If you would prefer a printed copy, you can often get the textbook (or whole kit) used online or at local homeschool sales or swaps and then just order missing work books if they aren’t already included.
When should I start homeschooling?
My answer? TODAY! That may not be a possibility for everyone. Your biggest concern should be your child’s supervision and safety. If you don’t feel safe sending them to school, don’t. You’ll figure everything else out. If you have to wait until you acquire alternate childcare, that is great too. Of course, it makes the most sense to have all your ducks in a row before pulling your child from school, but honestly, I also don’t suggest pulling them on a Friday and starting to homeschool on Monday. Consider deschooling first. Deschooling is an opportunity for your child to decompress from the structure of public school before starting a new routine.
It is okay to unenroll your child from school at any point during the school year. If you are near the end of a school year, you may want to wait and start homeschool in the fall. That is, unless there is a safety concern. Some states do require that a letter is sent to the district informing them of your intent to homeschool. Make sure that you are following any of those requirements to avoid a truancy charge.
If the question you have isn’t answered above.
Please reach out!
Email: info@thehomesteadeducation.com
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