Home Schooling
Where to start?
The topic of homeschooling has become quite commonplace lately.
Have you thought about homeschooling your child? Maybe you’ve wondered if it may be too complicated an undertaking? So many questions. Will I have the time? Do I have the knowledge? Can I do it? Will my child really benefit?
These are all valid questions and just as homeschooling is a personal choice, so are the answers. I’ve put together a series of articles which follow, to help identify the questions and help you formulate your answers. This overview features a few broad tips to ponder, but do click through on each “up next” link (at the bottom of each page) for an in depth look. Best of luck in your journey.
1. Talk to other home-schooling families. Try to talk to a variety of home schoolers, so that you can see how home-schooling works for different lifestyles and family groups.
2. Look online for tutorials and literature.
3. Familiarize yourself with your local laws and requirements. Your local board
of education should be able to help you in this regard. Most communities
require a "letter of intent" or some sort of official statement
declaring that your child will be home schooled in the upcoming year.
4. Join home schooling organizations like co-ops and online communities. There
is usually a "main" group to which most home schoolers in your
community will belong, and you can find out when you talk to them. Your local
board of education might be able to help in this regard, too.
5. Choose a curriculum that is right for your child. This is where many
would-be home schoolers get stressed out! But it does not have to be stressful.
Think about what makes your child "tick" - if your child enjoys stories
and reading, there are curricula that are based on children's classic
literature. There are also more "traditional" types of curricula that
are fairly structured. Some curricula are based on social studies and
geography; others on reading.
Do some research, talk to other home schooling parents, and don't worry if you
don't pick the "perfect" curriculum right off. You can always change.
It's a good idea to start small and maybe avoid purchasing a big, expensive
curriculum right away.
6. Keep good records of your child's schooling. How you keep your records will
be affected by your local laws, because different regions have different
requirements for tracking a child's progress. Some areas require a portfolio,
which is a collection of your child's work in various subjects, and others
require standardized testing. Some regions give you a choice. Knowing the rules
before you start will alleviate headaches later.
7. Designate an area where your schooling will take place. This can be the
kitchen table, or a special chair, or an entire room. It's just a good idea to
have a set time and area in the house where you do your home schooling. It
helps set the mood and enhance concentration when the time and place are
scheduled.
I’ve created an etsy store to fill the needs of homeschooling families struggling with those critical curriculum needs. If you homeschool (and even if you don’t) you will find lots of great choices in the shop. I know you and your littles will find exactly what you need. And, if you don’t find the exact match, drop me a line. I also do customized pages and would love to work with you on your ideas. Dropping a link here for a look. It’s full of great educational printables to help with your everyday needs. I know you’ll find exactly what you need on the shelves of THE HOMESCHOOL HUB HQ ETSY SHOP The educational printables have been developed specifically for all areas of homeschooling education, but they’re fun too. Don’t forget the pre-schoolers. Playing school is a great way to prime the little ones for the years to come.
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