Steps to Take Before You Begin Homeschooling
Congratulations, you’ve decided to homeschool!
You’re about to begin a fun and exciting adventure. Since many aspects of homeschool will be new to you, you will need some guidance. Here are helpful tips to consider as you begin your journey.
1. Know Your State Laws and Requirements
This is the best place to start. Homeschool families must follow their home state’s laws and mandates for student education. Some states are considered more ‘homeschool-friendly’ than others but educating your child at home is legal in all fifty states.
Laws specific to home educators vary by county and may include:
- notifying the board of education of your intent to homeschool
- adhering to teacher and subject requirements
- commencing school by a certain age
- completing a pre-determined number of educational days or hours each school year
- submitting to standardized testing
- providing proof of immunization
An excellent resource for homeschool families, the HSLDA website (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) has links to the legal requirements in each state.
2. Know the Reasons You Chose to Homeschool and Write Them Down.
As much as you love your kids and desire this lifestyle, frustration may set in. It might seem silly now but when you are exhausted or knee-deep in drama it will be helpful to remind yourself why you began this journey. When you are in doubt or are tempted to quit, take a quick glance at these reasons, take a deep breath and remind yourself- you CAN do this!
3. Connect with Other Homeschool Families
No doubt you will have plenty of questions and need sound advice. Who better to ask than someone with first-hand experience? Seasoned home educators can help you navigate the many facets of homeschool decision-making, as well as offer companionship and emotional support.
Before I fully committed to homeschooling, I attended an informational meeting at a local church. It was definitely time well spent. They provided me with phone numbers to umbrella groups and co-ops, recommended websites for ordering books and materials, and most importantly, helped me understand the state laws and requirements. I also sought out an experienced homeschool mom in our neighborhood who was more than happy to offer me advice and share information.
Of course, beyond the basic fact-finding opportunities, connecting with other homeschool families provides a sense of community. Meet-ups can be for fun, education, or extra-curricular activities. Places to connect with like-minded people may include:
- through friends and family
- church groups
- the library
- homeschool co-operatives
- enrichment classes
- the playground
- sports events
- bookstores
- social media groups
- homeschool conventions
4. Withdraw Your Child from Public School
Children previously enrolled in public or private school must be removed from the school system. In some states this requires sending an official document to the school district’s enrollment liaison. If needed, the withdrawal form can be found on your state’s website. In Maryland it is called, ‘Intent to Homeschool’, known in the homeschool community as a Letter/Notice of Intent and abbreviated as LOI/NOI. Once completed, this form can be emailed, or printed and sent via the US post office. For a list of Maryland’s county liaisons, click here.
It may be prudent to expedite this letter as depending on your state’s laws your start date may be determined by the official date of notification. This means that you are not legally permitted to begin homeschooling until the state has received your letter. In Maryland, homeschool families must wait 15 days after sending their notification to begin. Please note, the NOI form does not request permission or validation from the state, it simply informs the state of a family’s intent to educate at home.
In addition, some states require an intent to be filed annually. If you homeschool under an umbrella or cover school, they will probably file it for you, just verify with them to be certain.
5. Familiarize Yourself with the Lingo
I mentioned in the previous section the term umbrella- some of you may be wondering “what does preparing for a rainstorm have to do with my child’s education?” Well, this is just one example of the jargon used in the education and homeschooling community. As you research and explore different homeschool avenues, you will become familiar with what has been dubbed ‘teacher-eze’. An alphabetized list of these terms can be found here. (Umbrella is on this list but is also explained here in tip #7).
6. Accredited or Unaccredited?
A common concern for parents is how homeschooling might affect future career aspirations. Some refrain from home educating for fear their child won’t be able to pursue a college or university degree. While this may have been true decades ago, today many post-secondary institutions, including Ivy League colleges and universities encourage homeschool students to apply. Evidence suggests some schools may even prefer home-educated applicants, as they are self-directed, motivated, and have had life experiences not afforded to their public school peers.
If you remain concerned, accredited home-education programs do exist. Most parents who choose this method of education consider it homeschooling, however, these accredited courses are more correctly referred to as ‘school-at-home’. This is because technically homeschool curricula are ineligible for accreditation. School-at-home students receive their educational materials through a brick and mortar school, either online or through DVD instruction. The students follow a strict and sometimes rigorous schedule which closely mimics institutional learning. An example of school at home is Abeka Academy.
An unaccredited homeschool curriculum allows for more freedom of choice in resources, materials, schedule, and learning methods.
7. Decide if You Want to Use an Umbrella or Remain Independent
As you may have determined, a homeschool umbrella has nothing to do with the weather. Think of it instead as a tent or covering- in fact, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘cover-school’, or church related school (CRS).
An Umbrella School acts as a non-traditional private school. It partners with homeschool families to provide oversight, advice, and assistance with meeting legal obligations. Umbrella schools may have additional stipulations beyond what state law requires, such as additional subjects or credits. There is a fee associated with Umbrella School membership.
If you prefer, it is perfectly fine to remain independent. You will be responsible for knowing, understanding, and complying with the legal requirements of your state and local school district. Performance reviews will be done with a representative of the school district (such as a certified teacher), rather than a member of an Umbrella School (often a fellow homeschool parent).
8. Decide Who Will do the Educating
In most states the parent or legal guardian must oversee home education programs. This means parents are responsible for choosing the curriculum and supervising the teaching. Responsible parties can be one or both parents, should you decide to share the obligation. If splitting the duties, good teamwork and communication will be important especially for scheduling, tracking hours, and grading.
A parent’s own level of education may play a role in complying with homeschool law. While some states have no requirements, others mandate a high school diploma or even a teaching certificate.
If preferred, parents can opt to pay for online school taught by certified teachers. This is considered ‘school-at-home’ and may allow less freedom of choice in regard to curricula and schedule.
9. Become Familiar with the Different Methods of Homeschooling
Your preferred method will determine how you teach, what curriculum you use, and the learning environment you set up. There are several methods of educating at home, including a more traditional or ‘school-at-home’ method, virtual or online schooling, classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, unit studies, unschooling, and eclectic- which is a combination of two or more methods. It is not unusual for new families to begin with one method and add or transition to other models as they become more comfortable with homeschooling, and/or their needs change.
10. Understand Your Child’s Learning Style(s)
It has been determined that each person has a preferred way to learn. These preferences include auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile. If your child has had some educational experience or is older, you (and they) may already have an idea of what works best for them. If not you may have to closely observe them to determine their preference.
My son prefers to hear information rather than read it. When I am able, I find audio books so he can hear the story and follow along. We also listen to podcasts and watch videos. I am thankful I can provide him these options which would be impossible in a public school setting.
11. Make Practical Preparations. When and Where will You Homeschool?
Homeschooling does require dedicating time and space to accomplish set goals. While it is not necessary to spend a lot of money or to have an actual classroom, some parents prefer to keep educational time and materials separate from their communal living space. If this is your plan, I encourage you to do some research online. I recently did a search ‘just for fun’ and found many inspiring and creative classroom designs.
If a classroom is not in your plan, ideally you will provide a desk and quiet place for completing assignments- but do not be surprised if it is seldom used. My kids each have a desk in their rooms but prefer to be among the action, sitting on the floor or at the dining room table when completing projects.
Books and supplies should be placed somewhere with easy access where they won’t get lost or damaged. If you frequent the library, it may be prudent to have a designated library storage area to prevent misplacement or loss.
We use the living room for communal learning. I set up a six-foot table and purchased a small bookshelf to house the items we use daily. Extra materials are kept in my office or on the sunporch. We typically sit on the couch to do lessons and either Chromecast or use a screen-sharing app to watch videos on the tv. Occasionally we lay on a comfortable rug and read aloud to each other.
The school area and time schedule you select will depend on your lifestyle, homeschool method, work and other commitments, budget, and your home’s available space. Items to consider when considering a space include:
- How many people are involved- do you need a large or small area?
- Are you early birds or night owls- will you be disturbing others while you work?
- Do you work from home- will you yourself need a quiet place to work?
- Can your child work unsupervised?
- Is your child easily distracted?
- Do you have pets which may hinder instruction?
- Are there younger siblings in the home?
- Are you doing parent-led or ‘school-at-home’?
- Do you need computer, tv, or video access? Do you have a good internet connection? Have enough power outlets?
- Are other family members or people involved, do you need to consider them when scheduling?
Keep in mind, your homeschool space will likely need modification as your family matures and as your educational methods and requirements evolve.
12. Choose a Curriculum.
Curriculum choice will vary depending on your worldview, preferred educational methods, child’s learning style, reasons for homeschooling, time, budget, number of children, and much more.
There are so many excellent resources available that it can be difficult to decide on just one. The good news is you don’t have to! Many families, including ours, use an eclectic approach. In what might be considered an educational ‘a la carte’, or even ‘cafeteria style’ learning resources are selected from different publishers or sites for each subject and may even change every year. This unique combination of materials provides a truly individualized learning experience.
I wish you all the best in your homeschooling adventure!
