The previous post addressed the overwhelming feelings you may have when you first begin researching how to homeschool. Today I would like to talk about what I should have been concerned with at the very beginning.
This post will cover the basics of what you need to do to start homeschooling with confidence. These initial steps will get you on your way to homeschooling successfully {and legally}.
Know the Laws
Note: For purposes of this post, I am focusing on regulations for what you need to do to start homeschooling in the United States.
The first thing you should do is find out how to homeschool legally where you live. One simple way is to go to the Department of Education website for the state where you will be homeschooling.
This should include simple instructions for what you need to do start homeschooling {logistically and legally}. Most importantly, you will learn whom you need to inform of your decision, and what paperwork and evaluations you must submit.
Tip: You may need to search for the word “homeschool” as they do not always make it easy to find.
A Few Things To Keep in Mind
What you need to do to start homeschooling will vary quite a bit from state to state. Some states require almost nothing—not even a letter of intent—and others will expect significant correspondence on your part, as each individual state has their own regulations.
Even for states with more stringent demands, the process, record-keeping, and assessments will almost always be easier in practice than it seems at first glance.
When we were preparing to move to New York, I heard horror stories about how complex homeschooling would be there and how much paperwork and bureaucracy awaited me. I looked over the requests for individualized plans, quarterly reports, and end-of-year testing, and thought wow that sounds like so much! In reality it took very little time to figure out the system, and the reporting was not bad at all.
Also, standardized testing is often optional—although they might not make that clear—and there may be an alternative evaluation method, such as submitting a portfolio for review. So even if it looks like having your student test is mandatory, read further and make sure you know all the options.
Very important to remember: You follow the laws for the state in which you physically reside. Even if you own a home in another state with more lax requirements, you cannot claim that as your state of residency.
Likewise, if you are military {like us} and move frequently, you must abide by the laws of the state where you are currently living, even if the active duty member has a different state of record.
One additional item I should point out: In your research you may come across a group {or two} that touts itself as a beacon of legal protection and advice in the homeschooling world. Often this will involve unabashed scare tactics in an effort to drum up supporters {i.e., paying members}.
Do not fall for it. Not only is it extremely unlikely you would ever need legal representation, but also these folks tend to be fundamentalist and may not even entertain taking your case as a secular homeschooler.
Brainstorm Resources
When I attended public school in the stone age {okay, the 1970s and 1980s} few educational options existed outside the classroom or public library. We used dry textbooks and very occasionally watched films—boring as all get out but still a refreshing change.
Thankfully, choices have improved, and the majority of them are available for you to use at home. Now your biggest dilemma will likely be deciding among the abundance of possibilities.
You may be thinking, wait—shouldn’t I have a better idea of what “type” of homeschooler I want to be first? Or find out more about my student’s learning style?
You can if you like, and it is easy enough to Google quizzes and books that can help you assess. However, most families will find themselves using a more eclectic approach—taking what works for them and leaving the rest.
Your chosen materials do not need to be part of a traditional “curriculum” at all. I mean, if that works for you, great. You can find all-in-one, pre-packaged options for every grade level. But you can very easily “build” your own with a little research and planning.
Of course you should take your student’s {and your own} preferences into account. A book-based curriculum might not be the best for someone who is not a strong reader. You probably don’t want an online-only program if you have one computer and multiple students.
Questions To Jumpstart Your Planning
Answering these questions for yourself and your students will help you to focus your research and preparation time. Once you establish the style of resources that would best fit, then you can move on to specifics.
Spoiler alert: This will only assist you in narrowing down the kinds of resources that would likely work. I can give you questions to ponder, and offer general suggestions, but in reality once you get to the end of this post the real research begins.
- Do you want a full curriculum, with every subject laid out for you and on the same grade level?
- Would you prefer an a la carte style curriculum, where you could mix and match levels?
- Does the idea of creating your own curriculum sound fascinating or terrifying?
- Will finances/budgeting be a primary motivator in your decision?
- How involved do you want to be in the day-to-day lessons?
- Is a teacher’s manual or answer key a necessity, or do you feel comfortable going it alone?
- Does your student learn best through reading, listening, watching, or something else?
- Are you equally okay with written versus video lessons, or are you biased toward one or the other?
- Would a mostly book-based plan work for your family, or do you want more variety of sources?
- Does the idea of doing school entirely online sound appealing or dry?
- How do you feel about “hands on” work like art projects or experiments or models?
- Do you need a certain amount of structure, or are you more go with the flow?
- How comfortable are you with unschooling or very relaxed homeschooling?
How Much Direction Do You Need?
The more guidance you feel you need, or the more structure to your homeschool year you crave, the more likely you will be drawn to pre-packaged curriculum with a specific do this, then do that style. These sets typically include everything you need for one student for one year—books, workbooks, lesson plans, supplies, manipulatives, assessments. You simply need to implement the plan on the prescribed schedule.
The more comfortable you feel with the uncertainty of forging your own path, the more likely you will be drawn to choosing your own eclectic methods. This might mean choosing curriculum for some subjects but not others, building your own plan from scratch, or simply being open to trying out a variety of options to see what fits. It could also mean forgoing a plan altogether and taking a more relaxed approach.
Depending on your answers to the above questions, you can focus your research and begin to seek out fellow homeschoolers, homeschool bloggers, websites, etc. that cater to your needs.
Develop a Framework for Your Days
Even if you tend to be the spontaneous type in other areas, having a basic outline to your days/weeks will be beneficial. This does not mean you need a strict hourly—or even a daily—schedule. But it will help tremendously to have at least a vague idea of what homeschooling will look like in your home.
Will you “do” school every day? Four days a week with one day for outings? Will you start first thing in the morning? Ease into the day? Does a parent’s work schedule mean you might choose to do work in the evenings? On weekends? How long will each day be?
Will you try to hit every subject every day? Or would a loop schedule be beneficial? Will you have a certain day/days set aside for field trips and library visits?
In the early years establishing a routine is almost entirely for your benefit. It will help you to feel more in control of your time, and get your kids on board with the idea of school at home. This is all part of finding your groove, and to be perfectly honest, it will probably take a while.
Choose a Calendar That Fits Your Needs
There is more to choosing a calendar than simply deciding if you want to follow the traditional public school timeline or continue year round with limited breaks {like we do}.
You might decide to follow a calendar like many year-round public schools, which usually includes more time off at the end of the year for Christmas and New Year’s, a shortened summer vacation {six weeks or so}, and more frequent or longer breaks throughout the year {e.g., a full week around Thanksgiving, two weeks of spring break instead of one}.
Or maybe a system where school is “on” for six weeks, then “off” for one week would work best. Unit studies would fit nicely into this timeframe.
There is also the option of going January to December, or beginning with your child’s birthday, or choosing a random start date. {For several years, our starting date was the Monday closest to July first.}
Once you choose the best fit, you can begin to block out dates for vacations, holidays, planned time off, and any outside events that will affect your school year. If you are in a state that requires a certain number of days of instruction, you can do a preliminary count to see where you might have to adjust.
Daily Requirements and Scheduling
One important consideration will be what you require of your student{s} each day {or week}, and how you will schedule your days to make this happen.
Will you expect a certain amount of work to be completed by the end of each school day? Or will you plan more in terms of a full Monday through Friday week, with pacing slightly different for each day—maybe even using Friday as a “catch up” day? What about lesson plans? How detailed will they be, and what happens when {not if} they go south?
Will you expect to start and finish school at the same time each day? Would you allow for differing starting and ending times based on the day’s agenda? Or will you want to follow a more strict schedule, without a lot of outside interference? Will you have a full day set aside for appointments and field trips, or add them into your week as you go?
Personally I am more of a general planner: I have an idea of where I want to start the school year, and where I want to end up, but I do not use a weekly or daily lesson plan to get there. We simply begin the year and move forward.
How Much Independence Do You Anticipate?
Another thing to contemplate when developing a framework for your days is how much independent work you want your student{s} to complete. Depending on age/grade, this may range from “little to none” to “basically everything.”
Spoiler alert: Independence will come more slowly {and later} than you think. You will need to plan your own time accordingly.
If you are thinking that the very beginning elementary years are the only time you will need to sit with your child while they are doing the majority of their work, I have a surprise for you: They will need you to guide them longer than you would imagine. Even my very independent oldest still has lots of questions for me and wants me to be right there readily available while she works most of the time.
This is not a bad thing. While easing into more autonomous study is a laudable goal {by 6th grade my oldest was going off into the other room to concentrate on at least part of her daily work} don’t expect independent study to come easily or quickly or early.
Younger children will literally need you to be sitting beside them helping them navigate most of the time. By late elementary or early middle school, they should be able to handle more of their school work without direct guidance. But honestly, even older students will need/want you to be nearby and accessible.
Find Support
Do not stress or struggle alone. The secular homeschooling community has grown quite a bit in recent years. With minimal effort you will be able to find a mentor who has BTDT as well as someone in the same stage currently.
Keep in mind when looking for camaraderie, this does not need to be a co-op or organized classes, or even an in-person group at all. Online homeschooling groups can provide emotional support as well as answers to all your questions. Having just one close friend who also homeschools can be better than a park day full of acquaintances with whom you don’t feel comfortable discussing your challenges.
Personally, we never connected with most of the homeschool groups where we lived, yet we still always manage to meet one or two homeschooling families that become friends. This works for us, because we are {mostly} introverts and so one-on-one time or small groups meets our need for interaction. If you or your student skews extroverted, however, you may not be as satisfied with that set-up. Take time to figure out the right balance for you.
I hope you feel more confident in your decision to homeschool, and that these tips have helped you to understand what you need to do to start homeschooling. Still have questions? Leave a comment below.
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