So are you thinking about homeschooling but you don’t know where to start or how to get it going?
The best place to begin is just with “how to homeschool” in a search engine. It’s not as scary or as daunting as you may think. Being informed is the best way to start. You probably already know someone who homeschools in your circle of friends.
Also – some of the reasons you may want to start homeschooling is your child’s needs:
Make the conscious decision that homeschooling is the best option for you and your family. If you are wanting to homeschool, you are already halfway there. Commitment and dedication is key. Your heart and mind have to be in it. You have to be ready to take the plunge and make the change. Change can be scary, you may have a few people questioning your motives or your children may be wondering, what will we do?
Some of you may hear many myths like, “your kids will be in their pj’s all day and never get work done!” Change their mind. The main goal is to make the decision and be confident in that decision. You have your reasons and you are committed to making it a reality. Plus, teaching in pajamas is pretty fun and comfortable – who wouldn’t want to do that?
Mistakes and learning happen along the way –
It’s okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to be confused, insecure, or even hesitant at first. It may seem overwhelming or maybe you you may be thinking this will turn your whole life upside down. Every coach you ever meet will tell you the same mantra, “if it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you” and “no pain, no gain” or that “nothing in life worth having comes easily”. But with a determined, confident, and positive attitude, you can make the change and succeed. Get info. Get support. And then go for it.
One of the biggest questions I have stumbled upon as I have observed other homeschool families and friends starting up, continuing or considering homeschooling is: What curriculum is best? What will I teach?
Here’s the honest truth: you don’t have to teach very much to be successful. Think about public schools and how they can only cram so much in one day with their class sizes and often limited resources and if you get the basics in/the core subjects: math, reading, writing, you have it. You will find that as time goes on, the easier it will get to have curriculum at your fingertips, expand and get creative even.
Here are some quick ideas for the core subjects that are user friendly, reasonably priced and as we like to call it “fool proof” curriculum.
Reading/Writing – grab a classic book from these books lists and a cheap mead notebook from the store. You have a basic reading and writing in one to get started.
If you want a little more – start with something simple that is already set up for you. A curriculum we absolutely love is Apologia Science and Story of the World. Easy ways to get the content in – much of the content that we may not even think of- and do it easily, in fun ways with lots of examples, worksheets, activities and colorful ideas that are sure to interest any student.
Question 3: What will it cost?
Often times families may be concerned about the continued expense of textbooks, resources etc. The truth is, homeschooling can be as expensive or as cheap as you want.
While some families we know have gone all out and gotten every textbook, online resource etc. for their homeschool, we have seen others, like ourselves, do a “shoestring homeschool” because let’s face it -kids are expensive.
But more than likely, if you have ever had a child or known a child in public or private school, there are costs for everything – food, books, fees, “technology fees” and extracurricular fees on and on. Add those up. It’s probably just as much as buying a few books for your child per year in your homeschool.
What does it really costs to start up?
On average, if you want to get a basic math, science, writing, and reading curriculum system going you are looking at a range of $300-600. However, many of the resources are reusable and you can save the worksheets, make copies etc.
The breakdown to start – subject by subject costs:
* the secondary math can be a little more depending (between $75-100 for the more advanced algebra/calculus) This is all ages and grades.
They have basic packages, online resources and more. There are pros and cons to this curriculum but overall, I would say it’s easy and user-friendly.See our review.
Science
Apologia Science Average cost for startup: $100 (watch for sales in summer, fall and spring. They have a lot of good discounts where you can get startup packages for much less.) We sign up for the newsletter and watch to see and save. $20 off each book x 3 adds up the savings! These are for all grades. Apologia has many curriculums and subjects. However, we have only ever tried the science, but it’s a great site to research. More higher end on the cost- but the cost shows in the quality of the materials.
The activities book is a great resource. This is a one time purchase too. But once you have the four books in the series and the workbooks- all you are spending money on are the copies as you need. I would say these books are a good start for early/middle elementary and some middle school students.
Spelling
Natural Speller cost for startup: $30-40 one time cost for the book and then you can create your own spelling lists or use the templates here. It is through 8th grade spelling. Best for early-middle elementary and even some of the words are good for middle school.
Reading and Writing Basics
Reading/Journal: We created our own based on a classics reading list we are accumulating, the reading list from the history resource and our extensive library of books. If you do not have extensive experience with this subject (we only do because our parents are all teachers and we went to college for this) then I use a lot of websites and resources including Pinterest, homeschool websites/blogs and the library search engine.
People love to share books and ideas. Finding out if they are age appropriate is easy enough using Common Sense website or some other comparable resource or using other people’s lists they have accumulated over time like this one for classic books.
Question 4: How much time and effort?
It takes as much or as little time and effort as you want.
Some families do a full hour to hour schedule and others un-school and make it freestyle. There are many ways to homeschool. The time and effort is up to your commitment and goals. There is no wrong answer here. These are your children. They see you care.
Some common methods: Checklists, morning routine of teaching new concepts per child and then letting them complete the reading and worksheets on their own. Also, you will find that most of the time, the subjects will get done in a couple hours.
However, we know some families that spread that out because they either have to do more than one chapter a day or they read slower, need more one-on-one help or have designated computer time for lessons and extra practice. There are so many options – that’s the beauty of homeschooling.
Question 5: Am I qualified?
Yes. If you graduated high school, you already know everything you need to teach. Yes, it may be intimidating and even scary because maybe you aren’t the best reader, writer or academic prodigy. No one said you had to be. Maybe you are better at finances or fixing a car. Who said you can’t teach your child your profession or your hobbies or what you are good at? You can show them through living.
A lot of what children learn in their foundation is through simply living and observing. How do your children learn to speak? They hear you speak. You read to them. It’s the same with homeschooling. But, get the resources and support you need and then let the rest fall into place.
Be confident in yourself. But, if you aren’t there yet, then find a homeschool co-op or a homeschool group. There are groups everywhere, even in the smallest or most remote areas. Find a friend, a church group or a parent who homeschooled. More than likely, you have met someone and can bounce ideas off of them. Or you can chat with me on Facebook! There are lots of groups and forums where you can research, talk or ask questions.
The most important thing to realize is: you aren’t alone. There are people everywhere to help. Do your research and then dive in. You won’t regret it.
