Tips for New to Homeschool Parents

So you want to homeschool? Congratulations! You're about to embark on an amazing journey of learning and exploring alongside your kids - it might be one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs you will ever take on, and it's totally worth it.

 Budding scientist, Dr. Truth

The most common question/comments I get from new to homeschool mommas are: "It feels so overwhelming!" and "Where in the heck do I start?" I was blessed to have a couple of well seasoned homeschool mommas to help point me in the right direction, and now I would like to pass that wisdom along to you who feel as overwhelmed or confused as I was starting out. You can do it!

Note: This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it should help point you in the right direction. And please contact me directly if you have any other questions that need answering - I am only a few years in myself, but can ask others in the local homeschool community if I can't answer it for you. Good luck!

Where To Start:

1) Check your state's homeschooling laws. The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a great place to start researching. Every state is different - some require minimal oversight, and others require more record keeping, supervision, and/or standardized testing. Some states require specific subjects/hours of study per day, others do not. Some states also offer tax benefits and supports for families who homeschool, so it's also worth checking that out as well. Click here to find your state's laws for homeschooling.

2) Decide which curriculum you would like to use. There are hundreds of options! Charlotte Mason, unit studies, classical, unschooling, piece meal programs, online homeschool, umbrella programs, or a combination of these options are just a tip of the iceberg. While you are deciding, take time to consider your child's learning style (see my previous blog post touching on this) and your personal teaching needs (more structure vs. less structure, premade lesson plans vs. compiling your own lesson plans, etc).

NOTE: You will likely never find a curriculum that will perfectly fit all of your needs or your child's needs, and will almost certainly have to tweak it as you go, adding or taking out things to better fit your needs/schedule (and that's ok!). But it can be VERY helpful for new homeschool mommas who lack confidence (ahem, ME) to have a framework to work around. Here are some great examples of good comprehensive open-and-go curricula to get you started in your research:

       Sonlight
       My Father's World
       Heart of Dakota
       Timberdoodle

Also, Cathy Duffy is a great resource for curriculum reviews and recommendations. Happy hunting!

3) Go to a homeschool convention! There are literally hundreds of vendors, speakers, books, lesson plans, and resources in one setting to explore.
A Word of Advice: Do some research before you go to narrow down what kind of curricula/materials you are interested in checking out. (It can be very overwhelming if you don't.) Then, once you've narrowed down your list, head to the vendor hall and go get your hands on the books and flip through a few weeks of lessons to see if it's a good fit for you. There are many conventions to choose from, including the Great Homeschool Convention, which I have found very helpful the last few years.

Half of the Vendor Hall last year - EEK!

4) Check out your local community for programs/services specifically for homeschool families - here in the Louisville Metro area, many of the libraries, museums, YMCA, aquarium, and the zoo offer programs specifically for homeschool families. It's a great way to expand their learning experiences and to connect with other families and make new friends.

Our amazing librarian Ms. Lori posing with Flat Stanley

5) Find a homeschool momma who's been there. Find a family who is several years ahead of you in the homeschooling process, and have achieved comprehensive results through a variety of learning methods that align with your convictions on education. (Thank you Jason, my co-headmaster of Four Maples Academy for this tip!)

Here are some additional tips from other experienced homeschool mommas (thank you, Kathy and Aleasha for letting me pick your brains on the subject!):

- Don't attempt to do "school at home." Home school doesn't have to mean doing seat work at home for 3-4 hours straight with limited opportunities to get up and move. Limit your learning time to one to two hours total for the school day, keeping the time per subject to just a few minutes. And take lots of breaks!

- School does NOT equal worksheets - some kids love them, and that's great. Some kids do better without, and that's great too! You can assess their understanding in many other ways, like asking questions or discussing the material, doing an activity using the material learned, etc.

Reviewing constellations with pebbles and chalk

- Every subject does not need to be started in the first grade. Subjects like grammar, foreign  language, etc. can wait. Less is more! Also, let them master the basics before moving on to more abstract learning.

- Chairs are overrated. Sitting at a desk/table is only one way to "do school."

School in a bean bin. Yes.

And lastly, here is a link to another brilliant article titled "10 Ways You're Making Your Homeschool Day Harder Than It Needs To Be." Enjoy, and let it encourage you!

Happy learning, you've got this!