So you are thinking you want to start homeschooling…but how? I know from talking to friends, watching my social media feeds, and seeing the statistics in my own state that many families have decided to homeschool for the first time this year.
My heart goes out to those of you scrambling to figure out what to do and how to do it, and I hope this post can be a help to you as you navigate these unfamiliar waters. I’ll share a few of my own thoughts as well as resources I have found helpful when I was figuring out how to homeschool.
Let’s dive in and help you figure out how to get started homeschooling.
Pray
Pray, pray, and pray some more. Like everything else in motherhood, you are going to need wisdom as you being homeschooling. Thankfully God gives wisdom when we ask and will guide each step of the way. As you read through the steps I have outlined below, remember to pray every step along the way as you make decisions and plans about the upcoming year.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” ~James 1:5 (NIV)
Check Your State Homeschool Requirements
Each state has its own set of requirements for homeschooling. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the requirements for your state. Know what information you need to file with the state before you begin, if you need to notify the local school district, if there are standardized testing requirements, portfolios to turn in, umbrella schools, etc.
The best resource I have found for quickly looking up information for each state is the Home School Legal Defense Association. Go to their map here and click on your state to find an overview of your state’s homeschool requirements.
Determine Your Homeschool Style
One of the beautiful benefits of homeschooling is getting to make school fit your family. Just When you are first getting started with homeschooling, one thing that helps narrow down curriculum choices, plan for the year, and save money is determining which homeschool style your family most embodies.
I really like the way Sonya Shafer described the different styles in the video on this page. If you watch the video and do her little questionnaire, you will have a decent understanding of which style fits your family.
A couple other points on homeschool styles:
1. Your style can change over time. Just because you think one way sounds really appealing right now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t change you mind later. Also, as your children grow, your style may change.
2. You can mix and match different styles to switch your family’s needs. For example, we use the Charlotte Mason style as our primary philosophy. However, we include a few unit studies especially around holidays. We also do a little bit of unschooling when we dive deeply into a topic that one of the children wants to explore more. Right now that is the weather for us. But even in the bit of unschooling, we still have much of the flavor of our primary Charlotte Mason style. We are reading living books about weather, carefully observing the weather, using short lessons, and keeping a nature journal with our observations.
Write Your Homeschooling Vision
When you are figuring out how to start your homeschooling journey, a vision is a key component. As with any major undertaking, you want to have an idea of where you are going. If you haven’t already noticed, there is an abundance of homeschool resources, supplies, curriculum, printables, and more. When it comes to choosing what is right for you, your vision will help you narrow the options, save money, and have the curriculum and resources you can actually utilize.
Here are some questions to consider as you form a vision for your homeschool.
- What is it you want to accomplish in your homeschool?
- Do you want your child to stay pace for pace with the public school so that he or she can seamlessly go back into that setting?
- Do you want to pave the way to continue homeschooling until graduation?
- How do you want your child to remember homeschooling?
- What role do you want to take as the teacher?
- What will success look like when we get to the end of our homeschooling days?
Give yourself a little bit of time to think through your answers to these questions. Especially if you never intended to homeschool, it may take a little time for your mind to shift and to be able to answer them. Make sure you discuss this with your spouse as well so that you are both on the same page
As with all other areas of homeschooling, there is always room for tweaking and adjustments later. But thinking about it and getting an idea of your vision now gives you something to aim for and hope that you really can homeschool your child.
“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” ~George Washington Carver
This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase through the links shared, I make a little money at no extra cost to you. See my disclaimer for more info.
More on creating a homeschool vision
If you want to dive deeper into creating a homeschool vision, here is a video from Pam Barnhill where she talks about visions for your homeschool. She also has an excellent workbook to work through for planning your entire year. I used it last year and found it super helpful.
Get Support
As much as we would all like to think homeschooling is all cheerful faces around the table with minds ready to take in all the wonderful information, there will be days that try even the most patient among homeschool parents. Bad attitudes surface, doubts arise, questions come up, and overwhelm can bog us down. We all face those days, but one thing helps immensely: support.
Don’t homeschool alone.
What kind of support should homeschooling parents find?
A Mentor
Whether you are just learning how to start homeschooling or have multiple years under your belt, finding someone a little farther along in the journey is wise. This is the person you can ask all the things about how to start or persevere in homeschooling. Find someone who will share what they have learned along the way, the ups and downs. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends who homeschool questions. Shoot me a message. For the most part, homeschoolers are more than happy to share information and things we have learned.
Local Groups
Many areas have local groups or homeschool coops. These can be a great way to meet other homeschooling families, have your child take a class with other children, and just be together. To find a group near you, I recommend talking to someone you know who homeschools. Even if they are not a part of the local group, they will most likely be able tell you who to contact.
Online
One of the beautiful gifts of technology is the ability to connect with others from a distance. I am part of an online homeschool group called The Homeschool Sisterhood where there are members from all of the United States, Canada, and even some other countries. We have a group chat, book clubs for littles, kids, teens, and moms, family workshops, guest speakers, and more. What a blessing it is to be able to encourage each other, ask questions, and share in learning together!
Facebook is another great online way to connect with other homeschoolers. Many curriculums have groups where you can discuss specific curriculums and talk with other moms who use that curriculum. There are also lots of general homeschool groups you can join to learn more and get support.
Organizations
Home school organizations and associations can provide a great deal of information about how to start homeschooling, where to find support groups, how to file with the state, and more. Two I am familiar with are: the HSLDA: Homeschool Legal Defense Association and the NCHEA: Nebraska Christian Home Educator Association.If you are in another state, they will probably have a home education associate or organization you can find by either asking someone or googling it.
Purchase Curriculum
Now for the part that makes it feel really official…at least to me. Decide on and purchase your curriculum.
Go back and review your homeschool vision and think about the homeschool style you decided fit your family best. Different curriculum publishers cater to different homeschool styles. Also, different curriculum may work better for different students. I was homeschooled for high school using A Beka Academy, but my brother used A.C.E. In our four years of homeschooling our children, I have used Five in a Row, some Masterbooks, a lot of A Gentle Feast, quite a bit of Simply Charlotte Mason, and a wide array of books and resources from other places.
Here is a little cheat sheet showing some of the options for homeschool curriculum by style to help you get started researching curriculum to suit your family. Of course, there are other options, and you can always combine options, but this will give you a starting point.
For a downloadable version of the Homeschool Curriculum by Style Sheet, fill out this form.
A few more thoughts…
As you consider how to start homeschooling, the amount of information out there can seem overwhelming. But remember this: No one on this earth knows your child better than you do.
Work through the items I have outlined here, spend time in prayer, and start preparing. This year can be a delight and a blessing for your whole family.
And if you need help or have any questions, please reach out to me. I love to hear from you and am happy to help you on your journey.
