After much deliberation and asking around, you have finally decided to try homeschooling. But it can be a little scary to take the road less traveled, especially when you don’t know exactly how it’s going to turn out! Here is what you need to know as a first-time homeschooler.

Video: What You Need to Know As A First-Time Homeschooler

The Wonderful Gift of Homeschooling

As a mom who has been homeschooling for 14 years with one graduate and nine more children coming up behind, I want to say first of all that you are embarking on an incredible adventure with your kids. Little did I know all those years ago what a lifestyle change homeschooling would bring to our family. Homeschooling has been an incredible blessing. The more I see our kids develop so many varying interests and and pursuits, the more convinced I have become that our decision to homeschool is one of the best choices we ever made for our kids!

Having said that, I also want to say that if you have not realized it yet, homeschooling is also hard. It’s the road less traveled. It’s not easy being with kids all day. Sometimes it’s tempting to do what everyone else is doing and put your kids on the school bus so you can have a little more time in your day. Because of this, I want to caution you with some challenges you will likely face this first year (as I did) so that you can be prepared for them and know how to respond when they happen.

What Works In School Does Not Work As Well At Home

If you have delved into the homeschool world at all, you have probably heard people say, “Don’t try to copy school.” This is such wise advice and you should really aim to follow this in every way possible. In fact, I believe the school model is so ingrained into so many of us (because it is all we know) that we do this even after knowing it doesn’t work as well. In fact, after I had been homeschooling for a couple of years, sometimes I would come across problems in our homeschool that when I looked a little more closely, I realized it was because I was copying the school model. Homeschooling works best when we let learning happen naturally. Here are some of the ways that I unwittingly copied school until I realized there was a better way.

• Cramming everything in to “finish 2nd grade curriculum” by the end of the year.
• Letting the curriculum be my master rather than using it as a tool to help me.
• Thinking of school as only September through May. (Every day is school. Life is school!)
• Letting school take priority above our home life. (So many of the every day house work chores we do are opportunities to teach our kids important life skills!)
• Not being flexible with learning times like evenings and weekends, especially when these changes work better for our family life.

I challenge you, when you face struggles in your homeschool, really look at how you are structuring your work and see if possibly, you might be operating in a “school mindset.”

You Will Probably Worry That You Aren’t Doing Enough

At some point in your first year, you will probably ask yourself, “Am I doing enough?” When lunchtime comes and you’ve done everything you had planned, you may wonder what you are missing. The reason moms doubt themselves on this is because homeschooling takes so much less time than traditional school. Because you are working one-on-one with your child, you can get finished in half the time.

If you find yourself wondering if you are “doing enough,” use this general metric as a guide.

1. Do some reading, writing, and math every day.
2. Read frequently to your kids throughout the day. (This will cover any perceived gaps you think you might be missing.)

It Is Normal to Be Overwhelmed by the Curriculum

One of the most difficult parts of homeschooling, for me, was the initial step of picking out the curriculum. Having had no experience, I didn’t know my style, my child’s learning type, what our routine would be, etc. I had no idea where to start. Additionally, after I picked our curriculum, it was all new to me, so the challenge of learning the method and rhythm of the content was also new.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the curriculum, I suggest you find a few moms who have been homeschooling for several years. Ask them what curriculum they like and why. Chances are, most homeschool moms have tried a few different companies and can give you some great insight into what they liked or didn’t like. This can be so helpful for you in determining what you want. Also, once you have decided on a particular choice, as another homeschooler who also uses the same curriculum for suggestions on how she uses it.

The First Year is the Hardest

So many who try homeschooling throw in the towel after the first year. In my opinion, they have done the hardest part and quit just before seeing any of the fruit. Homeschooling gets much easier with time. This is a complete lifestyle change for the whole family. It really takes a while for everyone to adjust. That first year is often your learning curve. You make tons of mistakes. It’s the second year and the third when you ease into yourself and find your rhythm.

Expect Interruptions

The natural, fluctuating environment of a home is a stark contrast to the structure of a brick and mortar school where kids sit in desks in a single room. In a home, a host of interruptions are likely to occur. When you have babies and toddlers nearby, laundry that needs to be run, meals to make…(the list goes on,) you can be certain that you will not lack for distractions in your day. If you are a first-time homeschooler, the constant interruptions may catch you off guard. If only it was as easy as kids sitting a desk and quietly completing all their work. I promise you, it doesn’t work that way in homeschooling!

The way to handle interruptions is to let learning happen naturally. Learn how to respond to these distractions and teach your kids how to respond as well. For more ideas on this topic, I’ve written this post about homeschooling struggles which you may find helpful.

Don’t Be Surprised When People Criticize or Question You

If you are the first in your family or group of friends to homeschool, don’t be surprised when people criticize your choice. Homeschooling is different and most people are unfamiliar with it. They may even tell you wild stories about “that one family” that “ruined” their kids by homeschooling.

Here’s what you should know. When it is a family member who questions you, often it is out of a genuine concern for you and your kids. I find that people who have never been homeschooled know very little about it. When they begin to see how well your kids are doing (and this often takes a couple of years), they will question you less. Give it time.

Leave a Comment!

If you are a first-time homeschooler, I’d love to hear how it’s going! What questions do you have that I haven’t covered in this post? Let’s keep the conversation going!

Pin It for Later!

This post is for those of you who have recently made the decision to homeschool. Maybe you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten soon. Or maybe you have finally decided to step out of the system, take the plunge, and give homeschooling a try. You’ve been drawn to homeschooling for so long, but have not been brave enough to dive in head first…until now. You want to know how to start homeschooling when you have no idea what you are doing! These 5 steps will help you start homeschooling today.

Video: How to Start Homeschooling (When You Have No Idea What You Are Doing!)

#1 Familiarize Yourself With the Homeschool Laws in your state.

This is one thing that keeps so many people from going for it. They are not sure how to break into the homeschool realm and doing it legally seems intimidating. Let me assure you, it’s not as hard as you think! It is like anything else. Taking those first few steps are the hardest part. Most states have made it fairly easy to homeschool. Even in my state of Pennsylvania-which is considered one of the states with more hoops to jump through- once you know what is required, it’s not really all that hard.

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association website is a wealth of information for new homeschoolers. On this page you can choose your state to see the specific requirements and steps you need to take to start homeschooling in your state.

Don’t put it off! Find out specifically what is required to homeschool in your state and get started with the process. Once you have things in place, you can do what you want to do most…start homeschooling your kids!

#2 Find a Community of Other Homeschoolers

This is another way I see so many new homeschoolers flounder. After only one year they are discouraged and feel like it is not working. How can you expect to succeed alone? No man is an island; you need a support system!

Many people love the idea of homeschooling, but it’s so much easier to go with the default public school system that has everything planned and laid out for you. People are afraid that their kids will miss out on drama performances, sports opportunities, a community of peers if they homeschool. These kinds of things are already well established for kids through the school system. Will my kids have friends? Will they miss out on x,y,z…?

When you break in to a community of other homeschoolers, you may be surprised what opportunities are available to your child that you didn’t know were available.

The greater homeschool community is alive and thriving. In our county, homeschoolers have opportunities for drama performances, orchestra, multiple sports, high school prom, a high school graduation ceremony. If you don’t already have booming homeschool support groups in your area, you probably will soon! BUT unless you are in that world, you probably know little to nothing about it.

Find a Local Community of Homeschoolers

While it’s okay to find homeschool support online, a local community of homeschoolers will provide close friendships for you and your kids. I would argue that finding other homeschooling friends is as important for the mom as it is for her kids. As a mom, you need friends who can relate with you in some of the day-to-day scenarios happening in your homeschool. Have play dates in each other’s homes. Meet up for hikes. Visit local events and museums. By doing this, you will learn so much about homeschooling. You will also feel more and more comfortable with your decision to homeschool as you see it working well for so many others. These are some of the things I have learned from other homeschoolers.

• Most popular curriculum choices.
• What works and doesn’t work!
• Common mistakes to avoid.
• How to find a routine for the day.
• Ideas for how to make a workable checklist for the kids.
• Local attractions and how to get the best deals.
• Favorite read alouds.

Find an Online Community of Homeschoolers

An online community of homeschoolers is also beneficial for keeping a pulse on the homeschool world in general. Find out general information on homeschooling, how to problem solve when you have struggles, or just inspiring stories or quotes that will remind you of your purpose and the bigger picture.

In online Facebook groups, members share details about their experiences submitting paperwork to individual school districts. They may also share local homeschool friendly events. It’s a great place to ask questions and to meet friends. Though not having the group option like Facebook does, following other homeschoolers on Instagram may also help you get ideas for your own home. Just beware of the “perfect” profiles that may only cause you to fall into the comparison trap!

#3 Pick a Homeschool Curriculum and Just Start

The best way to find a curriculum is to talk to other homeschoolers. Ask them what they are using and why they like it. There is NO perfect curriculum! Additionally, you really have to use something every day before you will be able to know how well it is working for you and your kids. This is why you should just pick something and start.

For their first year, many parents like to go with an all in one curriculum that lays everything out day by day. Some examples of this would be My Father’s World or Sonlight or Easy Peasy All in One.

One of the most important subjects to pick a curriculum in is math. You can cover almost all other subjects by reading to your kids, but picking a math curriculum is essential. Are you afraid you can’t remember how to divide decimals or add fractions with unlike denominators? Don’t be. You will get a refresher course as you learn along with your kids. In fact, that’s exactly what homeschooling is….learning together!

My all time go-to resource for curriculum reviews is Cathy Duffy Reviews. You can find almost any curriculums out there on this list.

#4 Read to Your Kids. A LOT

Set aside a time (or times) to sit down and read to your kids every day. If you think about it, other than math (which is a skill) and writing (which is the overflow of reading), children learn almost all other subjects through reading. This is why reading to them covers so much ground!

Read to them frequently in small portions throughout the day. Read picture books, chapter books, biographies, fairy tales, fables, Scripture, poetry. Have them listen to audio books in bed at night to help them fall asleep. Read nursery rhymes to preschool and Kindergarten age children. Give independent readers quiet time alone to read to themselves for pleasure.

Are you afraid as you homeschool that you might miss teaching them something important? That they might have gaps in their education? Read to them! Reading covers a multitude of deficiencies.

#5 Don’t Compare Yourself and Don’t Doubt Yourself

Don’t compare yourself to other homeschoolers and don’t compare your kids to what everyone is doing in school. One of the reason homeschooling has become so successful is because it focuses on the unique gifts and interests of the individual child. Rather than lumping a group of kids into one stereotypical developmental benchmark, homeschooling encourages individuality. This is also why colleges find homeschool graduates so appealing. By comparing yourself to what “other kids are doing in school at this age”, you are actually undermining the ONE thing that is turning out highly successful kids!

Because kids can follow their own interests and move at a pace in each area that is comfortable to them, homeschoolers in general enjoy learning. When a children grow up in an environment that fosters their curiousity, they become lifelong learners. You and your child’s individual learning experience IS your success! Don’t take away from it by trying to do what someone else thinks you should be doing! Nurture it!

Don’t doubt yourself. Homeschooling is merely an extension of parenting. You are the expert on your child. The two of you are learning and growing together. No one knows your child like you do. No one has a personal, life-long investment in your child like you have. There is no one who will work harder or search more diligently than you will to find the resources your child needs for their struggles AND their gifts. So move forward and don’t doubt yourself!!

For more help as you begin homeschooling, START HERE.

Or take a look at these posts!

Our Homeschool Routine: Mom of Ten

How to Make a Workable Checklist

Our Family Homeschool Curriculum

What You Need to Know As A First Time Homeschooler

Leave a Comment!

Don’t be afraid to step out and finally try homeschooling. It just may be the BEST DECISION you ever make for you and your kids. Why do I say that? Because it was for us.

Everyone homeschools differently. I have found it very helpful to create a daily checklist for each of my kids to use throughout the school year. This motivates them to see the personal responsibility they have to do their work. It also takes some of the pressure off of me having to direct them all day long. These are the steps I use to make a workable homeschool checklist.

Video: How to Make a Workable Homeschool Checklist

Benefits of a Homeschool Checklist

• One of the best things about a checklist is that it is a visual display of what the child needs to complete.
• It encourages kids to take ownership of their work. The burden of the work shifts from what the homeschooling mom is going to teach today to what they need to do to complete their work. They may also want to be more involved in planning their work by asking if they can do certain subjects on certain days or times.
• It cuts down on the amount of homeschool planning needed.
• Kids are more motivated when they have to complete their checklists. They may want to work ahead when they see how much to do. It also gives them a sense of accomplishment when they finish each day.
• A checklist helps with record keeping. It is a nice addition to the homeschool portfolio that you put the kids’ work in at the end of the year. When you put a homeschool checklist in your child’s portfolio, it gives good insight into what your child accomplished daily in that grade level for a regular homeschool day or week.

A Homeschool Checklist Should Be Workable

For a simple homeschool checklist to work for you and your child, it must be functional. This means that…

• Your child should use it every day. If it’s not being used, why not? Is the workload too heavy?
• They should have a place to put it. Find a good spot for your child to keep their checklist. Help them get in the habit of putting it away every day so they always know where to find it.
• You should check their checklist and work each day. This will motivate them to keep using it. I have chocolate treats in a jar that I give to our kids when they bring their finished checklist to me with everything completed to my satisfaction. This has been VERY motivating to them.

Pretty or Practical?

As much as embellishment and beautiful artwork look appealing, if the time frame it takes to design a pretty checklist keeps you from finishing it, it just isn’t practical.

For many years, this was the case for me. Putting the homeschool daily checklist together seemed like a big task for me. If I would have put pressure on myself to make it look a certain way, I would have been discouraged from finishing it.

On the other hand, if making their checklist beautiful motivates you to get started on it, then that would be a good reason to take the time on the design!

For many years, I have used a simple black-and-white weekly checklist that I created on Microsoft Word. Since I usually have 5 or 6 kids to make checklists for, this was as much as I could realistically do. I would have loved to have something more colorful and creative, but taking that much time to plan that out would have discouraged me. Our black-and-white plain checklist has worked great for many years.

For the first time this year, I experimented with Google Sheets and made colorful checklists. Since making yearly checklists has become routine for me, I needed to mix it up. As I began creating the checklist, I realized the design was motivating me to get it done. When we started the new school year and the kids saw their beautiful checklists, a few of them said, “I love it! I am excited to start school!” That alone made it worth the extra work!

I share both of these perspectives to make you aware of this important factor. Be mindful of what will help you start AND finish making a checklist that is workable for your child. It does NOT have to be a piece of art to function well for your homeschool.

Homeschool Checklist for Young Children

One easy way of using a checklist for young kids (K-2) is one I found on Sarah Mackenzie’s Read Aloud Revival website. She uses spiral notebooks and colored gel pens to write out 4-6 school work assignments for the child to do every day.

This is a colorful and simple way of introducing the checklists to young children. I like writing little notes or pictures at the bottom of mine and sometimes, the child will write back to me. It’s our fun little informal note-writing system.

I used this for several years with my youngest school kids. I still use it for the ones who are starting. They like the anticipation of seeing what new things are on their checklist every day.

As our kids grew, it became tedious to write a daily task list each day of the week, so we swapped it out for a more permanent version that we still use today.

Checklist for Older Children

Although I like the spiral notebook idea for kids, it realistically is too much work for me to do for each of our kids. Our older kids work well with a checklist that I print out for them.

I used to print out a new checklist every week with specific assignments, but I found that over time even that was hard for me to keep up with.

What has worked for several years for us is to print out one checklist for the entire year. I put it in a transparent page protector and clip it onto that child’s clipboard. Each child has their own clipboard which includes their checklist and booklist. (The booklist is a printable page where they write down the list of books they read throughout the year.)

When they complete a subject on their homeschool daily checklists, they can check it off with a dry-erase marker and then clear the sheet at the end of the week.

With spiral notebooks and weekly checklists, you can write out specific assignments. (For example, Language Arts, Lesson 32.) You can’t be that specific with one yearly checklist, BUT I have taught the kids and they have learned how much I generally expect them to complete for each subject, so this has not been a problem for us.

Be Flexible With Your Homeschool Checklist

Although I print out one checklist at the beginning of a new school year, it usually has to be tweaked and reprinted two or three times as we adjust to our homeschool routine. Inevitably, subject areas need to be switched around. Kids grow out of a certain activity. Interests and needs change. You have to start using your checklists in your daily routine to see how well it works.

What should be on a homeschool checklist?

• Independent work. The purpose of homeschool daily checklist is to give your child a list of work that they can do on their own. You should have 6-8 assignments on their checklist for them to accomplish every day.
• Less is more! Many homeschool moms make the mistake of trying to accomplish too much. Doing too much will only frustrate both you and your child. First and foremost, Reading, Writing, and Math should be subjects you put in every day. The other content areas can be looped or put on the checklist however you prefer.
• Do the most difficult subject areas first. You want them to do the hardest subjects when they are fresh and the least distracted. For our kids, this subject is math. They do Math at the beginning of the day because I want them to be the most focused on the subject they need the most help with. What is it that your child struggles with? Do that work at the beginning of your day.
• Alternate subjects. Since our kids have a couple of subjects that require mostly reading, I alternate their reading work with other hands-on work like writing, math, or work on the computer. This helps to break things up for them. The order might fluctuate something like this: Math, read a History assignment, Writing work, foreign language, Literature reading, piano practice, etc.

• Optional Since their independent work is probably not all you do in a school day, you can also include the other subjects you do together. We do Morning Time and Afternoon Read Aloud together. In the past, I have sometimes put these on our kids’ checklists in a separate section as a visual reminder of all the work we do, but this is not necessary. Remember that the purpose of the checklist is for them to see what THEY are responsible for doing. If including other things on the checklist confuses them, leave it out.

Leave a Comment!

Wherever you are in your homeschool journey, I would love to know your thoughts on creating a workable weekly homeschool checklist! Please take a moment to share how this has helped you or what suggestions you would give for making a workable homeschool checklist!

As you begin to think ahead to a new school year, don’t get bogged down by all the things that you think you need to have planned. Relax, start slowly, and follow this Simple Guide to Planning a New Homeschool Year.

Video: Simple Guide to Planning a New Homeschool Year + Sneak Peek into Our Homeschool Space

#1 Pray

Before you get all caught up in planning your year and stressing over curriculum and costs, stop and pray. Commit your year to the Lord and ask for His wisdom and direction.

When I began homeschooling several years ago, I didn’t know many other homeschool moms. There weren’t many (or any) homeschool graduates that I could look at to see how things turned out for them or to realize that colleges were recruiting them.

Though my husband and I both felt that this was the direction the Lord was leading us, the whole endeavor seemed a bit risky. Because it was out of my comfort zone, I approached our first year with a sense of dependency on the Lord. I asked Him for help with EVERYTHING…how to schedule our day, how to teach multiple ages, to provide friends for our kids.

When I step back now, after 12 years of homeschooling, to see how rich this lifestyle has been for our family and how God has blessed it, I never want to lose that sense of dependency on the Lord.

Homeschooling is a big task. Don’t try to do this in your own strength. Commit your year to the Lord. Ask for His help and then watch and see what He does.

#2 Have appropriate expectations for yourself.

Don’t plan to have everything figured out for your whole year by the first day. When we are on summer break, we fully live in that season. When we start school, we dive into that season. Planning for a new year doesn’t have to be this big intimidating thing that you have made it in your head! Remember, homeschooling is simply learning together. It can be as basic as opening the books again on that first day and starting from there.

In my early years of homeschooling, I would unnecessarily stress every August when it was time to start a new year. I always felt that I should have been more prepared than I was. I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, I realized that I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. I learned that it is ok to simply open the books where we left off the last year and just start. As soon as we start, I get back in my homeschool groove. The inspiration starts flowing. I start jotting down ideas, things I want to try, things I want to buy.

#3 Purchase the curriculum you need for the first two weeks.

You do not need to have every book, unit study, tool, science experiment, or item on your list for the first day. You just need the basics to begin. Have what you need to get started. This means I make sure that we have what we need for Morning Time, Reading, Writing, and Math for the first few weeks. Science and History are variables depending on when/how often we plan to study those. All the extras like Art, Music Study, Geography, etc. don’t have to be completely planned and purchased before the first day of school.

Since we usually pick up where we left off last year, often the kids will already have some of their books (ie. Math workbooks). We don’t make a habit of “finishing 3rd grade math” and doing nothing the rest of the year. When we finish one level, we continue with the next. This way our kids are continually making progress and can learn at their own pace.

Other than buying basic necessary supplies, often I wait until we have started our first day to begin to make a list of things I want to purchase. As long as we have what we need for the first week or so, we can begin. Here are two reasons why I recommend this.

1. It’s only after you get into your subjects and daily routines that you can feel out what you really need and what is actually going to work for your kids.
2. Slowly starting your school year will help you and the kids enjoy it which will encourage you both to keep going and avoid burnout.

#4 Write Out a Simple Routine or Checklist.

Make a bare bones routine or checklist. I really hesitate to use the word “schedule” since this implies time limits which can feel restrictive. Try a routine or checklist. This will give you some direction to start out with. Start your school year simply! Ease into it. The first week is for getting back into your rhythm, NOT for completing every subject in a school day. Include the most important things: reading, writing, and math. Anything else is extra.

After your year starts, you will change your schedule or checklist. I guarantee it. Once you see how things play out, you will find that you want to arrange things differently. Math doesn’t work well in the afternoon because your son loses focus that late in the day. Piano lessons need to be finished before lunch because the baby is napping. There are innumerable tweaks you will likely need to change, but you won’t know this until you are in your rhythm.

Writing out a routine or checklist will look different based on your kids ages. Older kids do more independent work, so a checklist might be more appropriate for them. You will be guiding your youngest children through their day so, for them, a routine might be more appropriate.

Make sure to leave space in your day for the things that need to happen in a home… laundry, meals, chores, etc.

#5 Organize/Create a Space.

Have you seen those amazing Pinterest homeschool room ideas? If so, then you know the pressure you can feel to create this perfect homeschool area! Here’s a tip for somebody who needs to hear it…you don’t have to have a homeschool room! Nope, you don’t! Your home can look like a home and still be a wonderful place to learn. Work to make your home a beautiful, warm place with interesting things to capture your child’s curiosity. Music, flowers, art, books, and living things. Make a space for them to keep their pencils, books, and supplies, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be in a specific room or a certain way. You can homeschool successfully without a homeschool room!

We have never had a separate homeschool room. It is just not something that has worked for our family. Home meshes so much with with school and school meshes so much with life. It’s hard to separate the two! We have certain wardrobes and dressers for supplies. Also, my husband made some workboxes which I have labeled for the kids to keep their personal supplies. We have multiple bookshelves throughout our house, including one in each child’s bedroom. We have several seating areas, 2 tables, and one roll top desk. This gives the kids the option to curl up on the sofa to read or to spread their work out on a flat surface.

*This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

#6 Buy a few Basic supplies.

Do not feel the pressure to go out and buy a ton of school supplies. I find that I think of more things to purchase after we get started on our school year. Buy the basics that you will need to get started. Here is what we have on our list.

• Pencils
• Pencil Sharpener
• Kid Scissors
• Wide-ruled Notebooks
• Glue or glue sticks
• Pocket Folders, as needed
• 1/2 Inch Binder, one for each child (I like to have these at the beginning of the year so we can start inserting samples or creating the cover for our homeschool portfolio whenever we are ready.)

Also nice to have, but not necessary…

• New Crayons
• New Colored Pencils
• Eraser tops
• Post it Notes
• New Paint brushes
• Finger Paint (for the littles)
• Watercolor sets

#7 Plan a Simple Way to Celebrate the first day.

Plan to do something special to commemorate the start of a new school year. It doesn’t have to be fancy or include a ton of preparation. It only needs to be something that sets the day apart as special. Celebrating the new year will give you a sense of confidence that you started out well. Also, it will get them excited about beginning a new school year.

One of the things we like to do on the first day is to take individual and group pictures of the kids. Also a fun thing I like to do which requires a little preparation is to give them each a new book. Sometimes it is a brand new book that I know they will love. Other times, it might be something I picked up at a thrift store. Some years I have worked to make decorations and special wrapping paper for their books. Other years, I wrapped the books in newspaper and let it go at that. The kids loved it both ways. They don’t care if it’s fancy or simple. They just love opening something new and knowing that mom worked to make something extra special for them. Another way to celebrate that first day is to make a special breakfast.

#8 Don’t Stress!

Remember that the heart of homeschooling is discipleship and learning together. Plan to begin your year by opening the books and making a little progress each day. Don’t let the pressure of a new homeschool year weigh you down! Follow this simple guide to planning a new homeschool year and enjoy this time with your kids!

Pin It! Simple Guide to Planning a New Homeschool Year

Most new homeschoolers were never homeschooled so they have no idea how to start teaching their children. In addition, homeschooling is very different from traditional school. Because of this, the approach should be different. If you are a new homeschooling parent looking for help, consider this advice from veteran homeschoolers as you begin your homeschooling journey.

Video: Advice From Homeschool Moms for Beginners

When starting your first year, one of the best things you can do is to ask for homeschooling advice from moms who have been doing it for a while. In this article, I will share the best advice I’ve collected from several veteran homeschoolers.

1.Familiarize yourself with the homeschool laws of your state.

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is an excellent resource for new homeschool families who are making choices about their children’s education. Their website supplies information about each state’s homeschool law, resources for getting started, help for special needs, and information on homeschooling high school students.

According to their website,

“We believe every child is unique. That children should learn in ways that meet their needs. And that you want the best for your child. Homeschooling gives you the freedom to personalize their education so they can realize their potential.HSLDA passionately advocates for the freedom to homeschool and offers support for every stage of your homeschool journey.“

2. Pick a homeschool curriculum and just start.

You can be choosy, get some material in hand to look through, take your time, but understand that you will never be completely satisfied with your choice. I highly recommend Kathy Duffy’s Homeschool Curriculum Reviews. Use caution though! Finding a homeschool curriculum can be very overwhelming. There are so many great options available. Ask another homeschooler or use curriculum reviews, but pick something and just get started. You will learn as you go.

3. Remember the 3 R’s.

Make sure they are reading, writing, and solving math problems every day. These subjects are skills. Do not short-cut these! They should be progressing in these three areas daily. We start with the 3 R’s every morning because they are foundational subjects. Have them conquer these when they are fresh. The other content areas can have some flexibility, but reading, writing, and math should be a priority.

4. Read. A Lot.

Read to them, even if they are already readers. Find a good book list and start purchasing or ordering from the library. Many homeschoolers use Sarah Makenzie’s Read Aloud Revival booklist.

Read to your young children and read to your older kids. Students of all ages can enjoy having someone read to them!

When you make this a part of your homeschool routine, it is one chance you both get to sit together, to look at one another, to explore places, ideas, words, feelings. This will mean more to them than any cheap thrill or gadget you buy them.

If you think about it, other than math (which is a skill) and writing (which is the overflow of reading), children learn almost all other subjects through reading. This is why reading to them covers so much ground!

In addition to reading great books to them, allow time in your school day for them to read quietly. We have a time right after lunch when everyone drops everything to read something purely for enjoyment. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. We do 15-30 minutes.

Audio books are another great way to help struggling readers. Let them listen to an audiobook every night in bed. Bedtime is a perfet time for audiobooks because they are not as easily distracted as listening to a book during the day. Here are more tips for Teaching a Child To Read.

5. Find a community of other homeschoolers.

This is a biggie in my book. It’s the difference in sinking or swimming. If you have a support group and your kids have great friends, you might start loving this new lifestyle! Many homeschool co-ops meet weekly or bi-weekly to offer classes, field trips, concerts, book clubs, dramas, sports programs, music lessons, and much more.

There is one caution that I would give. Be aware that if you choose for your curriculum a type of online learning (such as cyber schooling) that requires kids to be on the computer at certain and/or random times, and if you have more than one child, it will be very difficult to be available enough to be part of a regular homeschooling community.

6. You don’t have to teach individual subjects for each of your kids in all areas.

Although math, reading, and writing are subjects where kids progress at their own level, you can combine other subjects for multiple ages. You can cover history, science, and other content areas as a group.

For example, in history, pick a time period and explore that for a year. Pull library books, cook recipes, watch documentaries, visit museums. If your kids are crafty, let them make costumes or dioramas. When you find creative ways to explore their interests, you encourage a love of learning in your kids.

For science, ask your kids what they have always wondered about…the human body, simple machines, weather? Find a book of experiments on that topic and let them discover! Use this as a chance for them to learn about things that interest them! What do you remember from history and science in school? You remember the things that interested you!

7. Use this time with your kids as an opportunity.

Homeschooling is a great opportunity for you to do things with your kids that you’ve always wanted to do, but never made the time for. What is that one thing that you never have enough time to do with them?

Try asking the kids, “What is one thing you have always wondered about?” Or, “If you could pick one thing you would like to learn about, what would it be?” Then, take them to the library and find everything you can on that subject. Go places and talk to people that can teach you more about that topic. Watch documentaries on it.

Is there a skill they want to master? Have them watch YouTube videos to learn how to do it. I guarantee you, if you try this, your kids will learn things that they will never forget. In addition to that, they will love learning this way.

8. Don’t worry about what they are “missing” in school.

When we expect children to achieve certain skills or material at a certain age or grade, we are forgetting that children are unique individuals. Yes, we should have high expectations for them. We should also require diligent progress in their daily homeschool lessons.

But remember that children progress at different paces in different areas! They also have different learning styles.

Here is what happens when we set educational standards for all children of a certain age. A child who is weak in Math may be grade levels ahead in reading. In some areas a child might be ready to move on, but held back by these limitations and in other areas of study, he might be struggling and need more help or a slower pace, but be forced to move on.

In my opinion, when we try to fit large groups of children into “what you are supposed to know in X grade”, we ignore the uniqueness of the child.

Your child is an individual. Do not underestimate the headway you can make working one-on-one with your him or her! Do not worry about what they are missing in regular school. If they are progressing every day, they will be fine.

9. Pray.

Pray about your school year. God gave your child to YOU and you to your child. He thinks YOU are the one person who is best equipped to raise him or her! Ask Him for help with practical things… how to schedule your day, how to help your child in areas of struggle, how to teach math. Don’t doubt God’s ability to do “abundantly more than we ask or think.”

I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.

Psalm 37:5

If you are a beginning homeschooler, what questions do you have? It can be so helpful to ask homeschool moms for advice on how they do it.