Thinking of Homeschooling? Helpful Tips for Parents

Thinking of homeschooling?  It can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding choices you make for your children and family.  It can also be overwhelming, but we have laid out 7 steps to help you get started.

1. First, PRAY about it!  Ask God for wisdom before doing anything.  James 1:5 tells us that if we need wisdom, we can ask our generous God for it, and he will give it to us!  Trust him to help you and show you the way you should go.

2.  RESEARCH laws in your state, so you know ahead of time what will be required of you.  Your state Department of Education and your district homeschooling office are wonderful resources to find out this information.  Most states require some form of homeschooling proof, like keeping a portfolio, end-of-year testing, attendance records, and/or light paperwork to turn in to the district

3. Join a COMMUNITY.  Find your tribe! We cannot recommend this enough!  Homeschooling by yourself can be lonely and more difficult than it needs to be.  Finding a church, co-op, local homeschooling association, or interest-based club with other homeschooling kids and families provides help, support, advice, and fun for your journey.  We need others!  The Homeschool Well offers a community setting and support for moms.

4. Consider your children's STRENGTHS and INTERESTS when deciding how and what they will learn.  Make a list of their interests.  How long is their attention span?  Are they more active or do they like pencil-paper type of work?  There are many ways to structure your year and it will change from month to month or year to year as your children grow and change.  There are many different styles and methods of homeschooling from very traditional and structured, to more flexible and eclectic. Decide what's best for your family and start there.  If you aren't sure, you can start out structured with more supportive curriculum and loosen up as you become more comfortable. Cathy Duffy Reviews is a helpful resource for researching all types of subjects and homeschool curriculum. Remember to plan enrichment activities such as art, music, and PE! 

5. PLAN from long-term to daily. Once you have your curriculum, set aside some time to map out how your year will go.  Plans will undoubtedly change, but having a loose structure can help give us direction and keep us on track. Make a list of vacations, holidays, and field trips you will want to take off, and pencil them in.  Then plan your topics around that.  This will give you an overview of each month for the year.  Once you have the long view, you can plan out the first few weeks knowing this is a loose rhythm of how you want your weeks to flow.  Be sure to include appointments, sports, work, etc.  

6. Keep RECORDS.  Most states require you to show work samples from your year.  Don't stress!  We recommend keeping a binder or file box for the year divided by subjects.  Try to keep your work so you can see your child's growth from the beginning to the end. Also, be sure to take pictures of fun projects, activities, and field trips for memories!  These are so fun to go back and look through.  Here is a list of ideas for ways to keep records, and there are many other ideas on Pinterest or with a quick Google search:

   • file box (one per child) with dividers for subjects

   • three-ring binders with dividers/pockets

   • open a Gmail email account for emailing work to it

   • open a private Instagram account just for pictures of student work 

   • Keep an ongoing PowerPoint of work samples

7. Lastly, make sure to REST!  Be sure to plan rest and recharging days like vacations, paperwork/organization days, breaks, and less intense days for when your family needs to chill.  Give yourself permission to take care of your well-being and your family's well-being.  Even God rested after working so hard creating the universe!  He set the example, and we can relax and know that He's got this. 😎

Please feel free to reach out to us with questions or join our community for support, ideas, and encouragement.