People often ask us about homeschooling, so after years of sending more and more information through email, now I'm listing it all conveniently at your fingertips right here. Just look below for information and links on how to find out what's required, different homeschool styles, getting organized, and doing it all without getting stressed. In terms of curricula, we use Waldorf curricula and you can check that out on our Waldorf page.
Disclaimer: We homeschool, but do not consider ourselves homeschool experts. If you are considering homeschooling you should consult your state's Department of Education website, and check with your local school district about the requirements you'll need to comply with.
Visit your home state's Department of Education website for information about your state's homeschooling requirements. (It's a good idea to visit your local school district office too so you can get to know who you'll be submitting information to, and so they get to know you.) Many states require you to register or file a notice of intent to homeschool, before you begin your home instruction. Some states have requirements for teaching certain subjects. States can also require that you keep records, for example attendance and immunization records. Some states have requirements regarding the minimum number of days and average number of daily hours of instruction for homeschoolers. Many states require periodic standardized testing or an alternate type of evaluation.
What homeschool style works best for you? Here is a list of homeschool styles:
A quick internet search on "homeschool styles," "homeschool philosophies," or "homeschool approaches" will get you lots of good, broad brush descriptions of the various styles. I would suggest reading a few of those to get a sense of each style and then do some research into the specific styles that pique your interest most. Forest School and Waldorf are two styles that are a little more obscure, and coincidentally the two we find extremely appealing. The Forest School Association has a great explanation of what forest school is. We primarily take a Waldorf inspired, eclectic approach. Sometimes we have used Charlotte Mason methods, sometimes we incorporate Forest School ideas, sometimes we do unit studies, but mostly we use Waldorf ideas and curricula. Speaking of curricula, once you know what style(s) you are interested in, you can start doing your own online research about the best curricula and talking to other homeschoolers about what curricula they use and why.
We homeschooled for several years without having a homeschool planner, though we kept attendance and records of what we did in a spreadsheet. I liked the spreadsheet because I could ctrl+f search it when I wanted to look back on details about certain activities we did in the past. I also keep a separate, journal type book for notes on lesson plans, and quick reference notes on verses, poems, songs and other things we are learning. A few years ago I switched from using the spreadsheets to a hard copy planner by Homeschool Life Press and I find it really helpful because of both its flexibility and all of the various sections its creators knew would be useful to other homeschoolers. I also keep googledocs for each season/grade, with notes on relevant verses, activities, songs, etc....
Your greatest resource will always be other homeschoolers, so if you don't already know any homeschoolers in your area, you can probably find them on social media, or by asking your local school district and public library. Finding your community is a great source of reassurance, and you'll need it - we all need some sort of mentor when trying new things.
Apart from the local community, there is a huge community of homeschoolers online too, from every walk of life and in every part of the world. One whose wisdom I come back to regularly is Durenda Wilson. She is an experienced homeschooler/author/speaker/podcaster who gives great pep talks for parents nervous about getting their homeschooling started. I cannot tell you how many copies of her books I have passed out freely to folks new to homeschooling over the years. She reminds us that if we are homeschooling for the long term, we don't need to stress about running the perfect homeschool each and every day. Some days, even some years, we may feel like we are not accomplishing much, but it's all going to be okay and we can do this! The author writes from a Christian perspective, though her tips and advice are really useful regardless of one's religious persuasion. You can find her books and more at https://www.durendawilson.com/.
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