New to Homeschooling?

Congratulations on your decision to homeschool your children! If you are unsure of what to do next, don’t worry. Every homeschool parent was once where you currently are. Hopefully, the following list will allow you to move forward with confidence.

• Check out HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) for the requirements for homeschoolers in the state you reside. This organization has been protecting the rights of parents who choose to homeschool for a long time. Their website is an amazing resource for parents wanting to explore the requirements of their individual state. Every state is different. Some have very strict laws, others are incredibly lax. It is important to know what to expect from the very beginning. Whatever the requirements are- it is vital to stay up to date and always file on time. As a new homeschooler there is a lot to learn. https://hslda.org/legal
• Important to note- some states have opportunities for even homeschooling families to access scholarships/grants for educational purposes and therapies . In the state of Florida, we are blessed to have multiple scholarships available for these purposes. It has been such a blessing for those that qualify. You should always check to see if your child qualifies for any programs your state might have. There may be virtual learning programs that homeschool students can engage in for free. There may even be opportunities for homeschooled children to participate in public school sport teams or events. Public schools rarely advertise this information so it is always a good idea to ask multiple sources to see what options might be available for your child. First, should be a web search using the keywords- (your state) homeschool scholarships or grants. Then search both the state and county school websites. Then begin asking everyone in your circles of any programs they might know about. You might be surprised at the number of amazing resources available.
• Once you know your states homeschooling laws – the next step is planning for required record keeping and end of year testing/ evaluation. The HSLDA website listed in bullet point number one offers good info on this. The most accurate information of what is expected should be listed when you register your homeschool with your local county.
• Once you know the landscape for requirements and opportunities in your state, then you are ready to make your decision known to whomever governs the homeschool program in your state/county. In the state of Florida, if your child is still currently attending a public or private school, you would fill out a withdrawal form at the school itself. Then very soon after, you would need to file an “intent to homeschool” form with the county in which your family resides.
• Determining your child’s learning style. This is not something that you are going to know on day one of homeschool. Understanding the 4 basic learning styles, will help you to know what to watch for as your child moves through their educational day. Known to many as VARK (an acronym) that refers to the four types of learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing Preference, and Kinesthetic. Typically everyone can learn from all of the learning styles but often each person leans into one style more than others. It is helpful to know the way you (the parent) as well as each of your children learn best. Often, parents want to teach the way WE learn best. Out of my four children, only one of them had the same learning style I did. In my early years of homeschooling, I couldn’t understand why certain concepts were not being easily received. Once I understood the different learning styles, it helped so much because then we were able to adjust lessons to the learning preference of each child. Even when we were homeschooling multiple children at different ages, concepts could be taught in different ways based on the learning styles of each student. For example, one child may love reading. They would read everything possible on the subject. While another child, might not love to read but would love to listen to another person reading (auditory). Another child may not love reading or listening to reading at all, but might be drawn in to the subject by playing a game or making something that might relate to the subject (kinesthetic). Regardless, understanding these learning styles will help your child get the most out of their educational endeavors.
• De-program from traditional school. While starting school at home is a really exciting time, its easy to recreate school the traditional way public school is preformed. . Many choose to start their journey with a public school “detox”. Most of us that have left the standard school model did so because it wasn’t serving our kids. The last thing we want to do, is recreate it exactly the same way at home. Take time to explore your children’s interests FIRST… Have FUN with them. Read with them. Find fun educational videos and watch them together. Find and play educational board games. All of this will give you time to search out the best curriculum for your child/ children. There are a ton of curriculum options. Curriculums can get very expensive or they can be very next to free. Take time to explore many of them before committing to any one. Ask other homeschooling mom’s what they use. Ask if you can actually see it? Look through it. Ask what did they like best about it? What did they not like? If there is one thing homeschooling moms like to talk about- its our new favorite curriculum and the ones we never want to see again. I have found over the years my kids have preferred different styles of curriculum for different subjects. One child might like a workbook format in one subject but require an online version for math. All of this is why it is very beneficial to know your child/children’s learning style prior to purchasing curriculum. I will be sharing lots of free and paid options for you to explore in the resources page. You are choosing to homeschool during the easiest to access information time in history. It was not always so. Rest easy. The most important thing is to encourage your children in a life long love of learning. Enjoy this time while you figure it all out… together.
• Finding a homeschool group. This will give you and your child many opportunities for socializing, as well as finding local events that will have educational value. It is also one of the easiest things to skip. This homeschooling thing can begin to feel like it is just you and your kids against the world at times. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. It will be a blessing for your kids but also for you, momma. For everything you do and will be encountering through this journey, it will be an encouragement to have the support of other families with similar goals. While it is amazing to meet up with like minded families, don’t feel like you have to be over scheduled or meet with groups you or your kids don’t really enjoy. Remember, this journey is about creating time an energy for your family to grow. You get to choose which events and activities help achieve your families goals. What should you do if you don’t find a local group to join? Consider starting one of your own. With the growth of homeschooling in this country, it is an absolute guarantee, that other families will also be looking to make friends.
• Consider underestimated activities to include in your families homeschool day. Many people mistakenly believe the best homeschool days are spent with the children sitting around a table completing assignment after assignment. My observations have been the exact opposite. Many undervalued activities such as including the children when making food, baking bread, building a chicken coop, planting a garden, and grocery shopping are confidence building and amazing learning opportunities that are lost in the typical public school setting. Taking a walk down a garden path while looking for different species of birds or mushrooms are things of incredible value. Slow down. Find time for these things and include them in your daily homeschool logs.
• Get connected with your local library. If you haven’t been to the library lately, don’t miss this valuable resource. More to come on this soon.
• Keep a running list of your favorite youtube educational channels handy. Having this available will reinforce difficult lessons or keep your child on task in between lessons.
• Lastly, remember this is a journey not a destination. You will be growing right along with your kids. You are not expected to know everything right now. You AND your kids will have days that are hard- maybe even when you want to quit… Give yourself and them grace… patience… and time to figure things out. And a bonus idea for you mama- anticipate the stressful days that you and your kids are sure to have. Try to have de-stressors available for each of you in the moments that are bound to happen. Whether it might be a snack or fidget toys or even a trampoline ( any outdoor change of activity). In my house, these simple change of venue items allow us to calm down, destress so then we can come back refreshed and with renewed minds. Before you know it, homeschooling wont be stressful or scary any more and you will be so glad you made the first step.