How to Get Started Homeschooling
Choosing to get started homeschooling can be exciting, nerve-wracking, liberating and simply… overwhelming!
Whether it’s a decision your family made easily, or one you have agonized over, figuring out all the nitty gritty details of how to get started homeschooling is a lot.
After pulling together a few helpful resources, along with my experience with homeschooling my own children I have an easy, low stress “guide” to getting started on the right foot.
How to legally start homeschooling:
The first step in how to get started homeschooling is a very important, necessary one – make it legal.
While choosing to homeschool is a legal decision in all 50 states, each state has its own requirements, which you can view here: A2Z Homeschooling . Another helpful site for legalities and support is Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) .
Some states simply require notice (a letter of intent) that you are choosing to homeschool or withdraw your student from public school, and that’s it for record keeping.
There are other states that require a letter of intent as well as a yearly evaluation/test or portfolio. Make sure to do the research for your state and keep it all legal.
The importance of finding your “why”:
Now that you’ve figured out that part, the more “fun” parts begin!
I say fun, even though this part is so overwhelming to some just getting started with homeschooling, because it really can be fun!
Choosing how you want to educate your child, choosing how you’ll spend your days a family learning together, and most importantly choosing to just be together is the BEST!
That brings me to your realizing your “why” you and your family made the choice to homeschool. There is no right answer here, just sit and think for a minute about what this change for your family means to you.
Envision the life you want your family to have, schooling and otherwise, because our children are always learning. I am a visual person, so for me writing out our “why” or actually “whys” we chose homeschool helped me to focus on that when I felt overwhelmed, especially in the beginning.
I still come back and read these at least once every few months. Focusing on your intentions is helpful when you are feeling, well, unfocused or overwhelmed.
Educational homeschool styles or philosophies:
Staying along the lines of why you made the choice to homeschool, is my next tip, researching education philosophies.
One major mistake, or hurdle is maybe a better word, is the need to feel like you fit into a definite category.
For some people, that’s great! It definitely makes planning & curriculum choices easier when you can align yourself with an educational philosophy and find exactly what you need when you’re figuring out how to get started homeschooling.
For many others, myself included, you likely won’t feel completely drawn into one style. For that reason I really recommend going through the links below to familiarize yourself a little more with a few of the most popular homeschool philosophies/styles.
A few of the most popular styles of homeschooling:
Charlotte Mason : Charlotte was a British educator in the late 1800s, early 1900s. She believed in creating a natural way of learning. With an emphasis on focusing on the child as a person. Providing a comprehensive approach with nature studies, art & music appreciation as well as academic studies. A big focus is on creating lifelong good learning habits.
Classical :Classical education is based on teaching children in three stages, referred to as the Trivium. The three stages are: The Grammar Stage (ages 6-10), The Dialectic Stage (ages 10–12) and The Rhetoric Stage (ages 13–18).
Unschooling/Interest Led :Unschooling was a term brought to life by educator & homeschool advocate John Holt, who believed that children are natural learners. The idea behind this style is to allow your child to follow their interests as the guide for their learning.
Montessori : Maria Montessori was an Italian physician in the early 1900s. She believed in the importance of real life, choice based learning integrating movement.
Unschooling, and learning exclusively through Unit Studies are two other popular styles of homeschooling.
How to incorporate play at any age:
A really lovely part of homeschool is the gift of the freedom to explore topics that your children take an interest in, in more detail, at every age level.
While the early years of education benefit the most from time to actually play while learning, the importance of “playing” is still there, it just changes form as your kids grow.
Science experiments, learning to cook/bake recipes based off of studies, bringing book work outside for a change of scenery, field trips, art projects, watching a movie after finishing the book as a read aloud, hands-on learning in any shape is just plain fun!
The flexibility to do these activities within your academic schedule is one thing that gets lost in thinking about how to get started homeschooling. But like your “why” try to think about how to incorporate some “play” for your kids as you get your curriculum in order.
So many curriculum choices & where to find some guidance:
So, that leads to curriculum choices.
There are so, so many options out there in the world of homeschool curriculum choices and that’s great! It’s also again so, so overwhelming for a parent who is trying to figure out how to get started homeschooling.
If, after researching the educational philosophies, you find a good fit, great! You can easily find a set or boxed curriculum that goes along with that style.
You can also do what I have done, which is choose to “cherry pick” for each subject. Maybe find subjects you can combine with multiple ages, if you’re going to be teaching more than one child.
One of the most valuable resources I came across when I started researching & choosing curriculum, was Cathy Duffy Reviews. Cathy is a curriculum specialist with years of experience reviewing curriculum for all grade levels.
Starting out don’t get bogged down with all the subjects that would be taught in an actual school. Maybe focus on some core subjects. Math, grammar & reading. As you get into a groove, add in a few more subjects.
Make it an easy transition for you and your kids. With all that being said, curriculum costs can really start to add up.
A library card to your local library can actually be enough to supplement, or build your curriculum.
Sure you won’t receive set lesson plans. With a little extra research online you can 100% teach your children what they need and want to know.
The library, if it’s not already, will be one of your most frequented spots as a homeschooler!
The “s” word…socialization:
A huge topic, which is brought up a ton when you mention you want to homeschool your children is socialization.
It’s a hot topic in the homeschool arena. If you haven’t yet encountered already, family members, friends, even folks in the grocery store who may ask why your kids aren’t in school the one day you run errands during “school hours” – YOU WILL!
The whole idea that kids sitting in a room with give or take 20 peers, day in and day out, does not lend itself to socializing. Sure there is recess and maybe lunch time to chat but that’s not really ideal socializing if you ask me. The effects of peer pressure start at such a young age these days.
Your decision to homeschool is one that can easily lead to many wonderful, enriching social situations.
Finding “your people”:
After you get your bearings with curriculum I highly suggest looking for some local homeschool groups. Facebook is a great place to start looking for co-ops, park meetups, and group field trips.
Your library is likely to have some other homeschool families wanting to get out of the house. Go during the day every now and then and see if other families are there.
It can be uncomfortable putting yourself out there, and trying to make friends as an adult. However, the payoff could be so rewarding for you and your kids.
Attend any local meetups you can find as you get started homeschooling. Remember all of those families are there for the same reason, to make friends!
Having an ally or two (or 20!) in this homeschool adventure is priceless!
Enjoying the gift of homeschooling:
There are so many different views on homeschooling, well there are in parenting in general, ha!
Trying to jump into a major life change, like homeschooling, with all the background noise there is these days be it online, through social media, and frankly, through well-meaning family members with ALL of their opinions, is really, really hard to do.
Make it as simple on yourself as possible. Really try bring your focus back to your “why” you and your family chose this path. As cliché as it sounds, you do you!
I truly hope these tips are helpful to you and your family as you learn how to get started with homeschooling.
The choice to spend your days learning alongside your children is an amazing gift of a choice.
One of my favorite parenting sayings I came across years ago as a new mom, and it resonated so much with me then as it does now, is “In parenting, the days are long but the years are short.”
Homeschool gives you and your children the most treasured gift of all, time. More time together as a family, less rushing about and more time for your kids to simply be kids.
