Starting to Homeschool

You’ve decided to start homeschooling.  Now what?  Here are some steps I would recommend taking as you move forward.

Find Out the Legal Requirements in Your State

In Florida, the requirements are not burdensome.  You will need to send a letter of intent to the county office, maintain a portfolio of student work, and comply with the accountability piece by having your child take the state assessment or a similar assessment, like the SAT-10, or have your child’s work reviewed by a certified teacher in Florida.  With the evaluation, a Florida certified teacher will come in and look at a sampling of your child’s work from the beginning, middle and end of the year to see that they are progressing.  This should not be a stressful, but one of celebration, where the children and parents can see how much they have learned over the course of the year.  I provide evaluations for different families, and it is something I look forward to each year.

Decide What Your Goals Are

Think about where you want to go, both long term and short term.  What do you want your children to have achieved by the end of the year?  Where do you want to see growth?  Do you plan to send your children back to school in a year or two?  Then you may want to take into consideration what topics are being covered in various subjects and what curriculum the school may be using, especially in the middle and high school grades.  Are you in it for the long haul?  I think you have a bit more freedom to do what you would like.   Are there areas you want to focus on?  Character training? Do you want your child to learn a trade, skill, etc.?  You may not have the answers to all of these, and that’s ok.

Determine the needs of both the Teacher and the Children

Are you looking for curriculum that is scripted or curriculum that will serve as a guide? Are you willing to piece things together yourself? Do you prefer something that allows the children to work more independently or something that calls for more teacher involvement?  Personally, I believe that kids will need the parent to be pretty hands on and involved in most subjects until at least until the third grade.  What is your budget?

As far as the children go, what is each child’s learning style?  What are their strengths and weaknesses academically? Which children may need more parent help?

Choose Curriculum

This can be a seemingly overwhelming task, with all the options and choices available.  Here are some things to take into consideration.

• Getting some curriculum in your hands: If you have other friends who homeschool, you could ask to look at their curriculum. It’s nice to have something in your hand that you can view.  If not, most curriculum developers have samples on their websites you could peruse.
• Family goals, convictions, and dynamics: As you are selecting curriculum, think about your family’s goals, convictions, and dynamics. Are you looking for something with a gentle approach to learning or something more rigorous? Are you looking for something Christian or secular?   How many children do you have?  What kind of schedule do your have?  Will your children return to school?
• Instructor teaching/learning style: Think about your own teaching/learning style, and finding something you can get excited about. If you are excited about what you are teaching, the children will more than likely feed on that excitement.
• Cost: Consider the cost of curriculum in regards to your budget

These are just a few steps you can take as you move forward.