Interested in Homeschooling?
When families first start out on the homeschool journey, it can feel a bit daunting with information overload. I wrote this article to help families figure out practical next steps as they walk the path of homeschooling.
As background, I grew up in a homeschooling family. I attended public schools for six years, and my parents interspersed that with six years of homeschool (in elementary, middle, and high school). My husband and I are grateful for the opportunity to homeschool our son, and he said to tell you that he loves it too!
Embarking on the homeschool journey does not need to be stressful. Yes, it will initially require time for research. But, this can actually be enjoyable! You get to figure out what homeschooling path will work best for you and your family — not copying what works best for others — but YOUR family. Since you know your family so well, you’re at a perfect starting point!
Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area: they are educators, because they are parents. Pope St. John Paul II
As you can see, there are a lot of curriculum options! To help families narrow the available choices, I encourage them to look at the three websites below, because they offer such practical and useful guidance to both new and veteran homeschoolers.
Regarding which homeschool program to choose, the below homeschool quiz and curriculum review website will greatly aid parents in focusing their search and choosing the best for their family. So, let’s get started!
STEP 1: HOMESCHOOL QUIZ:
The homeschool quiz, from Homeschool On, tells you what teaching method you naturally gravitate toward. (After opening the “quiz” link, scroll to the middle of the page to find the start of the quiz.) We like a traditional approach with a detailed lesson plan and a box of books sent to us. Some prefer eclectic, where they select the books and develop their own lesson plan. Others people want a computer based program.
There are many teaching styles, and different curriculum is designed around these methods. Knowing your teaching style helps you narrow down what curriculum you may want to use — or at least allows you tackle curriculum choices with a smaller number of options to research to see what is most suited to your teaching method and your child’s learning approach.
STEP 2: CATHY DUFFY HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM REVIEWS:
Cathy Duffy is the gold standard for curriculum reviews. Once you figure out your teaching style, then head over to the Cathy Duffy website to search for a curriculum that best fits your family.
You can do free searches for homeschool programs that match your teaching style and educational goals. Additionally, you can searche for programs that incorporate religion/faith or a secular perspective. From there, start narrowing down what curriculum makes sense for your family. Her website offers positive yet tailored and practical reviews, so families are able to judge whether a particular curriculum would be a good fit for their individual needs.
STEP 3: HOMESCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION:
I highly encourage families join HSLDA — both for their legal guidance and general homeschool support. The membership is inexpensive compared to the value HSLDA provides. Each state has different homeschool laws, and HSLDA lawyers guide you through everything. (They have 24/7 legal support and are literally available after hours for whatever legal issues you may run into.)
They also quickly step in for parents. A few years ago, our county issued an inappropriate questionnaire to homeschool families. HSLDA intervened. The next day, the county apologized and rescinded their questionnaire!
Beyond legal support, HSLDA has excellent resources to assist parents. Among other things, they provide speech therapist contacts in your area, suggestions if you think your child has dyslexia, ideas on how to homeschool multiple children, or what a daily routine might look like. We contact them throughout the year for legal guidance and general questions — each discussion is free (since we’re members).
Of course, there are other resources.
A lot of families use co-ops. They originally started out for older kids to take high school classes, such as higher level math, advanced science, or lab experiments — all taught by moms and dads or hired teachers who have advanced degrees in these subjects or had previously taught the courses in public/private school. Co-ops have now expanded as options for younger children.
Each state has a homeschool association which is quite useful to join. The state homeschool associations also usually list local homeschool groups in your community as well other pertinent details.
If your state association doesn’t have such a list, then try contacting larger churches or ask your neighbors. Or, check out this website. Although it’s not all encompassing, it does list some of the homeschool groups in each state.
These local groups are especially important for new homeschooling families. From the field trips the groups take to the friendships and the encouragement they offer, they create a quick way for moms and dads to call someone for advice or just to compare how their day went.
We belong to a local homeschool group, Mary’s House, and last year parents organized more than 100 events. They included: park meet-ups, book clubs, poetry, chess club, art show, science fair, volunteer opportunities, field trips, and parent date nights. (So, no worries about homeschool kids and socialization!)
The point is the local homeschool groups are busy, vibrant, and a great way for friendships to develop.
There are lots of other resources that friends and family will share with you, but I wanted to provide this article as (hopefully) a quick way to get you started.
Happy exploring! And, most importantly, know that YOU are indeed capable of homeschooling!! After all, you’re the most qualified to teach your child!
Homeschooled children benefit the community,
because they are not shaped by peers but by parents.
Mary Kay Clark
If you have any other questions, please leave a comment below or contact me at achargetokeepdevotional@gmail.com.