As families look ahead to the 2020-2021 school year, many are considering options other than public school. If you have wondered about homeschooling your child then keep reading! I know you have so many questions right now. I will answer as many as I can in this post while providing links to help you in your specific state and give you information on curriculum options.
Homeschooling a child is a big decision. I would even say it is a major life change. If you had a child in school this past year, you have experienced a small taste of how educating your child at home can change so many things about your life. It takes time and diligence as well as patience and boldness. During this quarantine-schooling period you would have had a teacher planning the lessons, giving instructions, and grading the work. Should you decide to homeschool next year, it will all be on YOU! This decision isn’t to be taken lightly. I don’t say this discourage you, but to remind you of the responsibility to which you are committing. For our family, the homeschool experience has had its challenges, but has been deeply rewarding as well!
The first step in starting your homeschool journey is to know your state’s laws. It is important to know and follow these so you don’t have any legal issues later. If your state requires a notification letter, you will need to fill out or print and send that prior to the beginning of school. Many states will require a letter to be submitted each year. Along with the letter, you may need to attach a list of planned curriculum.
Speaking of curriculum- thanks to the surge in homeschool interest over the past decade, there are plenty of options to meet the needs of your student. The problem will be choosing one! When researching curriculum, you should consider the number of children you will be teaching, the grade range, and how much money you will be able to spend, the time you have to instruct, and so much more! You could also talk to 20 different people and get 20 different opinions on which company is best! In the end, you will need to figure out which is going to be best for YOUR family. Keep in mind that you don’t need to feel tied down once you decide…you are allowed to change your mind, but do your best to make an informed decision!
You should do some research when it comes to curriculum or even the method you will use to educate your child. Thankfully, there are resources to get honest (unbiased) reviews on both secular and religious curriculum options. Cathy Duffy has spent countless hours doing the hard work so we don’t have to! Many homeschool families attend conventions to get an up close look at books and programs. Sadly, most of the homeschool conventions have been cancelled for this year. Instead of being able to see and touch the books, we have an online curriculum fair (Facebook Group). This fair offers free door prizes, giveaways, and information from vendors on their specific curriculum. It is also helpful to read others questions and comments or post your own!
When you have chosen the program or textbooks that intrigue you then consider buying used curriculum. I actually buy most of my books used because I can get a good deal on a gently used book with lots of life left. There are also Facebook groups which specialize in used homeschool resources. If you are looking for other ways to save money on homeschooling, check out our post on this topic.
Reliable places to purchase new curriculum are Christian Book Distributors and Rainbow Resource Center. Both have excellent customer service and a wide range of curriculum choices. They also offer special discounts or sales depending on the time of year.
When it comes to co-ops, you should seek out other homeschoolers in your area to find out about these learning opportunities. Many of these groups meet once a week for class time with a group of students and an instructor. Families will need to complete assignments or subjects not covered in co-op on the other days throughout the week. Classical Conversations is a popular Christian group which can offer support and structure for new homeschool families. You can do a community search on their website to see if there are any groups meeting near you.
Once all of your educational materials have arrived, it is time to plan out a schedule. A lot will depend on your curriculum decision. Some of them are basically “open and go” or pre-planned for you. Others will have a layout that can be fit into 3-5 days depending on how you want your routine to look. A good planner will allow you to set up a schedule that is flexible while being highly effective.
Make the first day of your homeschool just as exciting as the first day of their public school peers! Take pictures, shop for supplies, visit the library and get ice cream; make a new tradition! After all- kids are naturally curious and they were made for learning, but honestly, public school systems don’t have the ability to tailor to each student like you do at home! Be prepared to answer more questions on a daily basis than you even knew existed! Explain what things will be different if your child is accustomed to public school. Set expectations that are clear, yet beneficial. This may just be your child’s favorite year of “school” yet! And it may be yours too!
There is so much freedom in homeschooling, but in the beginning it can feel overwhelming as you try to meet state requirements, choose curriculum, and follow through with this commitment. First, I encourage you to pray. Seek God’s wisdom in this endeavor. Talk with other homeschool families. Try to determine your child’s learning style. Decide what you want your child’s education to look like. Hopefully, these links are helpful as you get started. You can visit our Homeschool Quick Links page for even MORE resources to guide you! As always, please comment or reach out through email with any questions regarding homeschooling!
Seeking Wisdom,
