Can I Start Homeschooling This Year?
Do you want to start homeschooling this year? Your biggest question is probably, “Can I do it?” I answer emphatically, “Yes, you can!” Let’s talk through it together. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you start homeschooling with confidence.
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Identify Your Reasons and Concerns
First, list the reasons why you want to start homeschooling this year. Your “why” keeps you focused on your goal. When you feel discouraged, go back to your reasons to encourage yourself. The strength of your why translates to the solidity of your resolve.
Reasons to Start Homeschooling This Year
People consider homeschooling for many different reasons. What are your reasons?
- Do you see your child falling behind and struggling to catch up?
- Does the curriculum seem too advanced or arbitrary?
- Conversely, does the curriculum seem not advanced enough for your child?
- Do you observe classroom disruptions or behaviors that concern you?
- Are there difficulties with teachers or peers that have not been resolved despite your efforts?
- Additionally, does homework fill the precious evening hours without room for anything else?
Whatever your reasons for considering homeschooling this year, take a moment to write them down.
Reasons to Not Start Homeschooling This Year (Concerns)
It is scary to start something new or make a big change. Mainly because it is unknown. Confronting fears based on the unknown dispels uncertainty. Knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions. Let’s take a close look at some common concerns about starting to homeschool, and shed some light on them.
First, we identify common concerns when considering to start homeschooling. Next, we take action steps in the form of research and test trials.
In many cases, concerns vanish under the lens. In others, validity remains, but we discover supports that make homeschooling doable.
I don’t know if Homeschooling is Legal or not.
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. However, each state has different requirements to follow. Regulations range from no notice regulation, low/moderate regulation, and high regulation depending on your state.
Action:
- Research your state’s homeschooling requirements by visiting your state’s Department of Education website. They have a page dedicated to Home Education with resources, forms, and FAQ’s.
- Visit Home School Legal Defense Association and click your state on the interactive map to view regulations and action items.
- Search Facebook homeschooling groups. Join a homeschool association group for your state and ask your questions in the thread.
I don’t know how to teach my child.
Most parents that start homeschooling are not teachers. However, they deeply know and love their children and will do anything for them. A parent who is committed to her child’s learning and will do anything to see her child succeed is more effective than any trained teacher. One-on-one teaching and a willingness of the parent to find ways to teach her child make a difference.
Many purchased homeschool curriculums present full lessons at appropriate levels with no preparation required from you. Identifying your teaching style takes care of things like daily flow and management.
Action:
- Take a deep breath and relax. We will walk through choosing a curriculum and identifying your style in the next steps.
I don’t know what to teach my child.
As mentioned above, there are many economically priced homeschool curriculum options available that take all the guesswork out of what to teach your child at each grade level. In addition, many are aligned to national or state standards. There are open-and-go curriculum books, online learning platforms, targeted workbooks, and targeted learning manipulatives. We will look at these options together a little more in step 4.
Action:
- Research curriculum options on Google and YouTube by typing in “homeschool curriculum.” Don’t make a choice yet. Just get information on available options.
- Ask homeschooling families you know (or join a Facebook homeschool association and ask) what curriculum they use.
- Make a list of your favorite curriculum choices.
Optional:
- Search [my state] state standards to see K-12 all subject area standards (usually a page on your state’s Department of Education website). Use it as a guideline for academic instruction.
- Visit the National Common Core Standards website. Most states have adopted the Common Core standards. View your child’s grade level for Math and Reading/Language Arts.
I don’t know if I can handle teaching my child.
Daunted describes the feeling when considering being at home all day with your child and solely responsible for his/her education. Especially if, your child has a lot of energy, a disability, or a personality that clashes with yours in some way.
First, please know that a homeschooling day typically takes 2-4 hours. You will not be teaching your child 6-7 hours a day! Secondly, know that those hours include homeschool co-op activities, classes, sports, and tutoring as part of your homeschool curriculum and schedule. Finally, tailoring the curriculum and schedule for your child optimizes success. Set up a few test trails with your child to find out what does and doesn’t work before you commit to start homeschooling.
Action:
- Schedule a test trial with your child.
- Set aside an hour or two for “practice homeschool” on a day and time that works best for you and your child. For example, two hours on a Saturday morning, a weekday morning, or a couple of hours in the afternoon.
- Plan some educational activities to do with your child. Preferably, activities that are suited to his learning interests that he will enjoy.
- Go back to your favorite curriculum choices and print a free sample lesson/activity, access an online learning platform/game (take advantage of free trials), use manipulative materials, complete pages from a workbook, or a free printable worksheet (or activity) from education.com. (I am not an affiliate, they just have fabulous FREE stuff!)
- Take a gentle “let’s see” approach. If you plan two hours, but it’s a struggle, shift gears. Try another activity you planned, or end the session and try again on another day. Several “test trial” days may be required to get a sense of normalcy and expectation.
I don’t know if my child will get enough socialization.
As I shared above, the homeschool curriculum and schedule include co-ops, classes, and sports. These are highly social activities! In addition, many local homeschool co-ops and associations gather regularly for field trips.
Action:
- Research local homeschool groups using Google or Facebook. What kind of social activities do they plan? How often do they meet? In what local classes/groups do members participate?
- Research local classes/groups available to homeschoolers. For example, sports, art, music, choir, 4H, Scouts, etc.
Pause for Reflection
Pause for a moment.
Take a deep breath.
You just did some major soul-searching. You listed your core reasons to start homeschooling this year. You walked through common homeschooling concerns, researched solutions, and set up “test trials” to do with your child.
You possess information and guidance you didn’t have before. Now, ask yourself again, “Can I start homeschooling this year?” Further it by asking, “Do I want to start homeschooling this year?”
- If you decide not to start homeschooling this year, that’s ok. You now have solid reasons for making that choice with confidence. Freely pursue other options such as scholarships for private education, virtual school options, or remaining where you are with new appreciation and resolve.
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If you answered yes, then let’s plan the remaining details together in the following steps!
Fulfill Legal Obligations
- First, make sure you officially withdraw your child from the public or private school they are currently enrolled in.
- Next, return to your state’s Department of Education website or the Home School Legal Defense Association and follow the regulations for your state.
Identify Your Style
- Ask yourself, “What do I need to feel prepared to succeed as I start homeschooling?”
If the answer is that you need a strong framework that hits all the benchmarks and you like to follow a set schedule, you probably have a structured style.
If you struggle with set schedules and you prefer a trial-by-error approach to things, you probably have a free-flow style.
Most of us are somewhere in between these two extremes. Here are three general and, admittedly, over-simplified style categories to get you started thinking through your homeschool style:
Structured
The structured style prefers to focus on reading, writing, arithmetic, memorization, and formal assessments. Open-and-go curriculum aligned with standards gives you security and structure. A set daily schedule brings calm to your school day. The Classical Education philosophy possibly appeals to you.
Loosely Structured
The loosely structured style combines structured teaching with some free flow. A combination of open-and-go curriculum and other curriculum choices gives you diversity and pleasure. The curriculum may or may not be aligned with standards. Your focus is on your child’s readiness, aptitude, and ultimate success.
Possibly, a philosophy of education such as Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, or Montessori embodies your values and informs how you implement your daily curriculum.
Free-Flow
Completely unstructured. Typically, no set curriculum or schedule. You weave academic subjects throughout daily life as your child expresses interest. Possibly, you ascribe to the Unschooling educational philosophy.
Be aware that your child’s style may not be the same as yours. For example, you are free-flow, but your child craves structure, or vice versa. If you have more than one child, they may not share the same style either. In this case, find a compromise.
Choose a Curriculum
Choosing a curriculum to start homeschooling is an important decision. However, it is not a make-or-break decision. The curriculum should serve your needs, not the other way around. If it is not working for you or your child, make adjustments. Tweak the curriculum to make it your own, or toss it and try something else altogether. If you have more than one child, it is ok to use different curriculum that best suits each child. Remember that your state may have curriculum regulations that will inform your choice.
Some considerations to make:
Open and Go
Comprehensive open-and-go curriculum books embody the simplest most streamlined option. Download samples, look at the table of contents, scope and sequence, and how lessons are presented. In addition, look for both negative and positive reviews. There is no such thing as the perfect curriculum. Decide on one that fits your and your child’s needs. Examples include The Good and The Beautiful, Abeka, and Masterbooks.
The Good and the Beautiful offers its entire math curriculum for grades K-7 and language curriculum for grades K-8 as a FREE download! Just click on Free Curriculum under the Free Resources menu. I am not an affiliate of The Good and The Beautiful, but I do use their curriculum alongside Montessori and enjoy it.
Online Platform
Similar to open-and-go, comprehensive online platforms offer a complete digital curriculum. In addition, they often include ways to track your child’s progress. Explore the website, watch sample videos, check out the scope and sequence, and take advantage of free trials. Examples include Mia Academy, Time 4 Learning, and IXL Learning.
Understand that online homeschooling platforms are different from Virtual School options. Online platforms are subscription-based and you as the parent track your child and guide learning. Virtual schools are tuition-based enrollment. Instructors track your child’s learning and teach via scheduled group sessions your child must join. Virtual schooling is not considered homeschooling.
Open and Go combined with Online Platform
Using an open-and-go curriculum with an online platform combines the best of both worlds. For example, choose an open-and-go curriculum book such as The Good and the Beautiful for language and an online platform such as Teaching Textbooks or Math Nation for math.
Targeted Workbooks
Many companies make grade-level/subject-area workbooks. For example, Spectrum offers all subject areas for pre-k through 8th grade. Use targeted workbooks to provide additional support or practice. Targeted workbooks make it easy to include enrichment classes like poetry and art. For example, I love Evan-Moore’s Writing Poetry and How to Teach Art to Children.
Alternatively, build your whole curriculum by curating targeted workbooks for every subject and extra-curricular area. Other examples I use with students include The Life of Fred math stories, Keys to Fractions (Measurement and Geometry also available), and Explode the Code phonics series.
Manipulative Materials
Manipulative materials give hands-on, interactive experience with learning concepts. The visual, tactile, and kinesthetic movement of manipulative materials helps the brain process and store information. In addition, this creates a mental framework for future learning.
Materials such as The Judy Clock, Decimal Model Multipliers, magnetic fraction tiles, reading comprehension cubes, and prefix/suffix Bingo stand alone to support targeted learning goals.
Montessori Materials (which we love here at Owl Tree Montessori!) build upon each other to create a scope and sequence as part of a complete educational system by design. Montessori materials used as stand-alone or in sequential progression give children a solid conceptual foundation.
- Go back to your research on homeschool curriculum, choose your favorite (or top 2 favorites), download samples, sign up for free trials, or purchase them. Look through them and do some “test trials” with your child before you start homeschooling.
Decide on a Schedule
Daily Schedule
Decide your daily school schedule. Mentally walk through a school day of 2-4 hours beginning with when you get up. Imagine you eat breakfast, enter the school space, do lessons, and end with a break for lunch.
Alternatively, you sleep in late, snuggle with your kiddos on the couch and read books, have brunch, play outside, and then start lessons.
Ideally, what does a homeschool day look like to you? Make a schedule, then give yourself grace as you find your rhythm.
If you live in a high-regulation state, there may be day, hour, and subject requirements so plan accordingly.
Yearly Schedule
Decide your yearly schedule. Homeschooling affords wonderful flexibility. Many homeschoolers go year-round taking two or three weeks off at a time. Other homeschooling families follow the posted calendar of their local school district. Your state’s regulations may require 180 days on record, so be sure to check.
Planning your schedule on a monthly planner helps you track days in session, classes and field trips outside the home, and other fun things you want to plan for your homeschool experience. Look for a teacher/student planner that starts in August and ends in June.
Set Up Your Space
You don’t need a lot of space to start homeschooling. Simply, designate a space to work and a place to organize your books, pencils, and any manipulative materials. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
You Can Start Homeschooling This Year!
You are ready to start homeschooling! You’ve got this! Will there be difficult moments? Yes. Will there be adjustments? You bet. Will there be exquisite moments enjoying life with your child? Absolutely!
Have you already started homeschooling? What advice would you add for those considering homeschooling or just beginning their homeschool journey? Comment below!