This is a partnered post with Educents, but all opinions are my own/
As a new homeschooling parent, I was terrified. I had pulled my children out of school, one due to health concerns and another for learning disabilities. It didn’t matter that I had been teaching for years and quit my job to homeschool. What if I messed up my children? What if they didn’t learn anything? In the end I realized I had made the right choice for our family. The kids excelled in their studies and received scholarships for college. When I think back to when we first started, I have four tips for beginning homeschoolers I wish someone had shared with me before we began. I would have spent less time worrying and more time enjoying the journey.
1. Talk to homeschooling parents and ask for advice. I had no clue where to start when we began. By talking to parents I knew who homeschooled, they were able to show me the forms I needed to complete with the state, the information the state required and inform me of community homeschool groups in our area. Hint-check your state department of education’s website and look for the homeschool section in very small print. You can also check with your local school district. Discovering this information before we began helped get us off to a smooth start.
2. Research local co-ops and homeschool groups before you join. I was surprised to find a large number of homeschool organizations in our area. The first year I joined several. Two of the groups we joined were wonderful; we created group projects and attended geography bees, culture fairs, history fairs and more. But one group, which met weekly, was a disaster. There was no planning, teachers routinely missed their classes and no one seemed to be in charge. We toughed out one semester before I politely informed them we were too busy to attend.
3. Discover your child’s learning style. Every child is unique. Some children learn best visually, some learn best through auditory means and some with hands-on projects. Once I discovered each child’s unique needs, I was able to cater the curriculum to their needs. Plus, I was able to make it more fun for them by adjusting to their interests.
4. Make it fun. As a former teacher, I knew education could be fun. I developed courses based on the kids’ interests, added plenty of hands-on activities, field trips and travel. I knew there were some subjects I had to teach, like Latin, wouldn’t be as interesting as others, but whenever possible I tried to find something to capture their attention whether it was a video, a song, a field trip or a hands on activity. One resource I used often during my children’s elementary school years was the Magic School Bus books featuring Ms. Frizzle.
If you homeschool, what is your best advice for new homeschoolers?
I so admire home schoolers as I don’t think I could easily do it. There seem to be so many available resources now. Many families I know who have or do home school use the K-12.org program which seems to be a happy medium between parents teaching exclusively and adding some group elements and a teacher. Love the Magic School Bus series.
Those are great tips. It can be so overwhelming getting started, but I’m thankful for how many resources there are online and the supportive community.
I have a friend that is just starting to look into homeschooling her kids. I will have to share this with her. These are great tips.
These are really helpful tips. I admire anyone that takes on this huge challenge!
I commend any parent who decides to homeschool as they are going against the grain to ensure their education is in the right hands – which should include parents anyways. These are wonderful tips for any parents considering homeschooling.
I have to applaude you home schoolers. I know it is a lot of work. Thanks for the tips.
I always had organized classes for the kids during summer break. You’ve covered the bases so well, especially the part about teaching in a style they are comfy with. I always found it helpful with my own family and the kids in my classroom to give extra attention to the subjects where they needed more help.
I can totally see the benefits of homeschooling and love these tips. When my children transferred from public school to our art based charter school, they developed a new love for learning simply because there was more fun involved.
I do not homeschool, but you provided some solid tips for those who do! Goof luck on your journey!
GOOD LUCK!
These are really helpful tips. I always thought it would be difficult to start! I like that science club idea!
These are great tips. Making it fun is important. For PE class I would take my son bowling.
These are great tips. I can’t imagine being responsible for the education of my children. Just the thought of all that prep boggles my mind.
My sister in law has 2 little ones (1 & 3) and plans on homeschooling them. She has been looking for info like this.
These are great tips! I have been thinking about Homeschooling, I will have to really look into it 🙂