How can I start homeschooling my kids?

Question

I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old I would like to homeschool them...Can anyone tell me how to start....Is there anything I have to do with the state or is there a teacher that comes to teach them how does it work and how can I do it?

Answer 1

Congratulations on your decision to homeschool your children. You can either teach your children yourself or you can hire a tutor. Laws vary from state to state. Don't be scared off by the state's requirements because they really aren't difficult to meet. In Georgia, we are required to teach all the basic subjects, turn in an attendance report monthly and test them every three years. The first two things you need to do is contact your local Board Of Education and find out what the requirements are. You probably can get that info online somewhere. You most likely don't need to report to the BOE until they are 6 years old because in most states that is the age they have to go to school. The other thing that you definately need to do right away is to find a homeschool support group. Homeschool groups may meet several times a month for enrichment classes, play days, formal meetings, field trips etc. There are yahoo homeschool groups where you can get support and help. There's probably some yahoo groups that's members live in your state and they can answer your questions about the laws in your state. As for the question we all ask, "Can I really teach my children". Yes you can teach your children and you will learn alot right along with them especially when they get to the higher grades.There are a ton of curriculums available at varying prices. Do a search for homeschool curriculums and you will have lots to study up on. E-mail me if you like [e-mail]
Blessings,
P~

Answer 2

Chances are that you've started already and don't even realize it? :-) Where they are right now is because what you have done in your home as well as your children learning from life.

First, as others have suggested find out from hslda.org what your state requirements are, find a local and/or online group and then ENJOY the journey. There are tons of ways to home educate your children, you just have to pick what is best for your family. Some people use text-book curriculums, others use online courses, some use a literature-based approach, others eclectic, some use unit-studies, others use self-teaching methods and others use no curriculum at all. We use a relaxed, literature based approach.

I use the Florida Umbrella School option and the one we choose only requires 180 days attendance...no testing, no grading etc. That suits us perfectly since I'm not a believer in that all children need to know everything by a certain age. Homeschooling means that your child is no longer trapped by the school push em' in and shove em' out approach.

The next thing to do is read, read, read. Had I to do it all over again I would recommend any book by John Holt, he was an awesome man.

Answer 3

After you have checked out the regulations of your particular state through HSDLA, I have one further thing for you to very carefully consider. Are you willing and able to put in the time and work required to homeschool your children? Homeschooling done properly is a lot of work! It takes discipline on your part, to get things ready, to teach, to correct, and to do it day after day after day. You can't just hand over the workbooks and texts, or plug in the computer program and tell Junior to go to it. I suggest you see if you can locate a homeschooling group near you, or at least a homeschooling family that you can observe and talk with the parents, so you have an idea of what you will be getting into and what it will require. If you don't go into it with eyes open and a full understanding of what is required, it is not going to work out for you. If you decide it's what you really want to do, and are willing to do- then go for it. The five year old should be ready for preschool/kindergarden work- and that is usually the easiest and most rewarding first year. It goes easier if you start homeschooling from the beginning, and you can learn the system that works best for you while the work is still fairly simple and doesn't take as much. Check out the various programs and curriculums available, through internet search and by looking at what other families are using and can recomment. For first time homeschool families, I usually recommend they find a full service curriculum until they get the hang of things and are better able to determine their needs and wants, and what will work for them. There are loads of those available at all price ranges, and an internet search of homeschool curriculums will bring up plenty of suggestions.

Answer 4

I'm glad you're questioning what to do. I really hope you know the proper strategies for teaching children to read. I teach 2nd grade and have had 2 or 3 students come through who were home schooled and can't read at all. They're soooooo behind and struggling. They're highly intelligent, and learn new things quickly but when the rest of the class is reading 90 words a minute and the homeschooled kid is reading 3 words a minute, it kind of makes me wonder what kind of reading instruction he received.

Answer 5

What I was going to say about homeschooling would basically have been a medly of all the other answers already here, so I won't say anything like that. BUT I just wanted to say a couple of things:
-In case you didnt' know and were wondering, HSLDA stands for the Home School Legal Defense Association. I'm pretty sure.
-I live in MN. I don't know where you live, but if you care to check out a Y! Groups site for our local homeschoolers, it's: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CFHGMN/

Happy homeschooling!

Answer 6

It varies state to state on the laws and what your state requires. You can find the laws for your state at
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

I don't know of any state that sends a teacher to the house though many do require meeting with homeschooling groups at least once a week. For the most complete guide of options and how to go about homeschooling try
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/index.htm

Answer 7

That sounds like a great decision! You will need to find out what requirements your particular state has, and see if there are any local homeschooling organizations in your area.

In the meantime, use every situation you can for a teachable moment. Go to the post office to buy stamps and let them decide how many you will need and how much that will cost. Go to the grocery store and let them help you by adding up the numbers as you go. Read to them a LOT. Talk to them a LOT about everything you can. (Those are the two key factors to their success in English.)

I'm sure there are some good resources out there for you. Do some googling and you'll find them.

Answer 8

There are many different ways to go about homeschooling. Do a web search for homeschooling support groups in your state. They can give you specific information related to your state guidelines.

I homeschool through a charter, which means that I receive money from the state for curriculum and school-related activities. The charter files all the paperwork with the state. Each month I meet with a "facilitator" to plan out the school work for the next month and to turn in roll sheets and work samples from the previous month. We also do state testing and take some classes through the charter. You can do a web search for "charter schools" looking specifically for ones in your area that are focused on home-schooling.

Other people in my state register as a private school and file their own paperwork with the state or join a ISP (Independent Study Program) to help with paper work.

I am also in a homeschool support group, which offers classes and information related to homeschooling. I suggest you begin looking for one of these in your area (as I mentioned in the beginning) as these can hook you up with people who are homeschooling in your area and can help answer all of your questions. There are usually a lot of homeschooling families that are willing to act as mentors to new families to help get you going.

Answer 9

Start with http://www.hslda.org for regulations where you live. Also do a search for a homeschool association or support group where you live.

Having a teacher come and teach is not typical. Parents usually do it themselves, although some sort of online option is becoming more and more popular.

Answer 10

There is different rules and laws in different states. Your best bet would be to attend the very next homeschool conference in your area. It is full of how to start and what to expect and people who have tried different approaches.