Deciding to homeschool can be overwhelming to most parents and students. As it is now widely accepted as alternative educational option in the United States, legal requirements vary from state to state. Here are seven steps to help you start out:
- Find out your State’s Homeschooling Requirements
- Join a Homeschooling Group or Group Chat Online!
- Decide on a Curriculum
- Create Your Homeschooling Corner at home
- Set Your Goals
- Set a Schedule.
- Watch Out for Common Homeschooling Challenges
Every state has a different set of rules and regulations for homeschooling, for example In New York only six to seventeen years old can be homeschooled while in New Mexico, kids as early as five years old will do up to eighteen years of age. In other states, parents should submit an annual declaration of intent with the local superintendent specific days before starting to homeschool.
HSLDA website provides all information for every state with regards to Homeschool Laws. For people in Las Vegas, you can check this link on how to how to comply with Nevada’s homeschool Law.
Join a Local Homeschooling Group or a Facebook Group Chat! Everybody’s updated on social media, teachers and students can easily communicate through the Facebook messenger portal instead of meeting up in person. This way you can have other parents or students who can help answer questions, and how homeschooling works for everybody. Also, this may open new opportunities or activities for your child to participate in, such as sports, music, and online clubs depending on your child’s interests.
Curricula vary from different types of textbooks and workbooks that can be purchased through the mail or from online stores. You may research your state’s scheduled conventions as they showcase publications for homeschooling.
Homeschool.com provides people a curriculum finder that fits every student’s needs. You can find your best-fit curriculum according to subject, grades, formats and categories.
Creating a homeschool corner or space inside the room or house is essential It must have a good study desk, baskets for school supplies, bookshelves, and a wall area to post to-dos, events, and completed tasks.
An area designed for a distraction-free homeschooling room improves concentration. Make sure the dedicated study area has more natural light and during dark evenings, a good lamp can do the trick. It also must a good window for ventilation and to allow fresh air.
Set your to-do’s, tasks according to importance, especially in the first year. This is to organize everything you need to accomplish from short-term to long-term goals. These goals can be posted on your homeschool area at home or even on your phone or computer.
You can create a success bulletin board, put your homeschooler’s accomplishments, and notes of encouragement to inspire more good work.
You can also put fun “post-it’ on the refrigerator’s door as written memory jolt, so every time they grab something from the fridge, they get reminded of a certain goal.
Learn the S.M.A.R.T goal. It should be:
S: Specific – Specify the goal using your own words. Is it a Science grade leveling up from B to A?
M: Measurable – Is it doable? Is it possible?
A: Achievable – Do you have the resources to accomplish this?
R: Relevant – Do you think this will help the overall long-term goal?
T: Trackable – Can you achieve this in your time frame? Can you track your progress?
S.M.A.R.T goal-setting will allow homeschoolers to achieve their goal and track their progress help them have realistic overview.
Aside from setting a goal, setting the specific schedule for homeschooling is vital. You can break down the learning task schedule to week by week instead of daily depending on your child’s adaptability. Don’t try to do all subjects every day.
Home School Super Freak says “Most home school parents find that they can effectively homeschool their children in around 2-3 hours each day for 3-5 days each week. How many hours homeschooling takes will depend on factors like: how many children you homeschool, age and stage of the children, the curriculum or method you are using, outside classes and activities, and the requirements for your state.”
They also added, “Many states have a minimum number of hours (or days) you must meet each year, and some states even break down how many hours you must meet in specific subject areas. Most states don’t require a specific number of homeschool hours per day and leave that to the homeschool parent’s discretion.”
It is common to have problems with homeschoolers. The fact of being home all the time brings a feeling of isolation mostly to learners. Socialization becomes critical. What you can do is find your kid volunteer activities or your high school student find a youth group of her interest to meet and join.
If your child likes sports, there are schools that accept homeschooled athletes. Homeschool Sports Network provides a team locator by the state for homeschoolers.
Rebecca Davitt of How Do I Home School says “Although homeschooling generally produces socialized individuals who go on to become productive members of our society, home education sometimes provides an environment in which parents can easily frustrate and create problems for their children.”
“Importantly, homeschooling is an individual family experience. What one family sees as a disadvantage, other families may not. One family’s issues might not be the other family’s issues.” she added.
Finally, with these seven steps, you will likely end up having successful homeschooling. There are a lot of ways to approach every step but there are also a lot of resources and guidance we can get online and offline. Remember to breathe and have fun.