The most helpful thing I have found was to follow these steps when trying to figure out how homeschooling will function in our home.
- Research what your state requires from homeschoolers. The HSLDA website is a great place to start.
- Determine what style of homeschool would best fit your family. There are five main styles to research and there are a lot of resources out their for each type.
- Traditional (this includes online and public charter schools)
- Classical (popular programs include The Well-Trained Mind and Classical Conversations
- Charlotte Mason (a good place to start is Ambleside Online which is free)
- Unit Studies (popular resources include Five In A Row, Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett, and Homeschool Share)
- Unschooling (to learn more a good place to start is Unschooling.com)
- Once you have determined the style of homeschool that best fits you needs and goals look for curriculum that fit into that type. This can be very overwhelming! I was really surprised by all of the options that are available.
- First set a budget. Homeschooling can get very expensive very fast. Consider making a budget for curriculum, a budget for school supplies and organization, a budget for lessons and classes (music, sports, art, etc.) and a budget for field trips.
- Then check for any free curriculum and resources available that match your chosen style. There are actually a lot of free resources out there but take time to find. Also, consider the cost of ink and paper if printing is required.
- Take time to try any free resources before purchasing an expensive program. Homeschoolers often find that change their homeschool style or determine that they are a combination of two or three.
- Once you feel confident in your chosen style, and find a program or pieces of curricula you feel would be a good fit, look for reviews by other homeschoolers. I have found fellow homeschoolers are usually more that happy to share their thoughts and experiences with curriculum the have used. Who better to explain the pros and cons of curricula than a fellow homeschooler?
- Before you purchase anything, double check that it meets the requirements set by your state.
- After you have your curriculum purchased and understand your states requirements, determine a schedule that will meet the needs of your family. The schedule will often be partially determined by your chosen style.
- Then determine how to organize your lessons, school day, school week, and how store completed work. This usually requires some trial and error. I have changed things up several times. I am now using a spread sheet for a curriculum map, a paper planner for to plan my week, a 10 drawer cart to organize my daughter's daily work, and a binder per subject with dividers to store any printed lessons or worksheets to be completed and divider to store completed work.
- Lastly, be open to change things up if something doesn't work out. There is no one right way or wrong way. Something may work today but not in a few months. The beauty of homeschooling is that you are free to change how you homeschool whenever you feel the need. Your child may need more help in one area or may be advanced in one subject and needs to move on to more challenging work. You might love your homeschool schedule and then have a new baby and find it doesn't work for you anymore. You may feel you have the best storage set up only to decide months later it requires too much time to maintain.
