Interested in home schooling? Don't know where to start?
You've come to the right place for advice, tips, and best practices on how to get started, and more!
We'll start by telling you about some of my our home school techniques, and things we have learned along the way.
Let's get started!
First, breath. Home schooling is a commitment but it's easy once you get the hang of it. It can also be a lot of fun for both you and your kids. One of my favorite parts of home schooling is all the stuff I have learned and continue to learn along the way. Don't be afraid to change your mind about your home school style many times, as you may find some things work for others that don't work for you, and vice versa.
There are several different types of home school methodologies. These are just the few basic ones, and I implore you to google "types of home schooling" to learn more about the different styles. Also, seek out blogs from home school veterans to get a feel for how other parents are doing it.
Some of the most common types of home school methods fall into the following structures:
1. Hardcore Homeschoolers - These parents typically set up a real classroom, set a strict schedule, have a set curriculum, do all the state standardized testing, etc. I don't recommend this style for first year home schoolers, because you set all these expectations, and if they don't work out perfectly, it can leave you feeling discouraged about it all together and many parents will give up and think "I can't do this right" However your state laws may require this type of homeschooling. If so, you will want to get very organized before beginning and make a plan for documenting your journey.
2. Relaxed Homeschoolers - I find myself in this category personally, and it works for me. Relaxed homeschoolers typically don't use a curriculum or they make one themselves. Some relaxed homeschoolers will do testing, or even some of the state standardized tests, mostly for the sake of others who say "but what grade are you in?" For those who don't know, a curriculum is a set course of study that is used throughout the school year, is typically purchased, and comes with all the books, worksheets and things you need. Many parents find this easier and less time consuming than making your own, and that is fine. I like to make my own, because there are certain things I want my kids to learn that may not be included, and they can also get very expensive.
They look fancier than my own curriculum because sometimes my worksheets are hand made, some are printed, some come out of used curriculum books I have obtained hand me down style. There are a lot of great websites to get worksheets and materials from, some of which I will post here in the links section. If you don't find what you are looking for, it's easy to google "Clock worksheets" or "Dinosaur worksheets" or whatever it is you are looking for, and most likely it is there, and is free or close to free.
3. Unschooling - This controversial word makes people think that the kids of Unschoolers are learning nothing, but the whole idea behind Unschooling is to get it out of peoples heads that learning is done in one fashion, with one set of rules. The Unschooling parent probably doesn't use worksheets, may not keep specific binders for each kid outlining their daily progress, and definitely doesn't do standardized testing. Unschooled kids typically do a lot of hands on learning, that they fit into their daily activities and routines. Kids love learning, and most will seek out information in subjects they like, without wasting time memorizing a bunch of facts that they will never ever use in their adult lives, unless they get lucky enough to become a contestant on Jeopardy.
Now to the good stuff...
The Laws
States in the US have different laws regarding home schooling. Some require standardized testing, some require only logging of specific subjects, some require reporting to the school board, and some require almost nothing.
To learn more about what the requirements in your state are, follow these links.
http://www.hslda.org/laws/
http://education.uslegal.com/homeschooling/homeschooling-laws-by-state/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling_in_the_United_States#Homeschooling_laws_and_regulations
The first link above is provided by HSLDA - which stands for Home School Legal Defense Association - They help families adhere to the law, and defend parents who have issues with the laws regarding home schooling. Their site has helped me a ton, but I don't subscribe to their newsletters or pay for a membership or anything. If there is a reason to believe you may have legal issues surrounding homeschooling, ask other homeschoolers their opinion of the group.
Socialization
Home schooled kids are weird! Home schooled kids are unsocial! These are typical myths regarding home schooled kids and it CAN be true, because sometimes (okay lots of times) kids are weird. Kids need socialization, it's true. However the idea that kids will only get that by learning each day with 30 other kids the same age is silly. How many of your friends are exactly your same age? Do you hang out with people older or younger than you? Of course, and so should your kids. Luckily, in this day and age it is super easy to find home school groups or co-ops in your area, because the sheer numbers of home schooled kids has risen drastically in the last 15 years or so. I have friends who were home schooled well over 15 years ago, who still participated in group sports and activities, but my understanding is that back then, you had to pay for that kind of socialization, and there weren't many large groups of families in the same area that collaborated on a consistent basis.
These days, with the internet, and particularly social networking, it has become really easy to find groups of homeschoolers in your area. Some of the groups we have been involved in I have found simply by googling "Home school groups in 'my city'" some I have found by word of mouth and some I have found on facebook etc. Like any other groups of anything you may not find one right away that works for you, so feel free to join several and see which moms (and dads) you click with. Many large cities have very large groups, both secular and non-secular that you can pay for memberships and that hold a lot of group functions (like prom, and parties, etc). Mine is wonderful, filled with wonderful moms, and we have lots of activities, field trips, and such and it's completely free! My first year of home schooling I lived in a very small town, and still managed to find an active group of homeschoolers to do stuff with.
Routine
In my state I have to log at least 1,000 hours in 5 core subjects. I don't have to show it to anyone unless they ask (I don't know who "they" are, but if they ask, I have it) :D
I keep track of homeschool hours through google docs. I set up a document for each month, and I use simple abreviations for each subject in the doc. Here I'll show you a screen shot of both my Syllabus and log sheet, but this is just my style. Feel free to log/track however is easiest for you.
Syllabus
Log
At the bottom you will see I use the abbreviations to keep track of the actual hours. I do an extended school year and do something school related each day of the week that way on those days I just can't do school for whatever reason, we don't fall behind.
We also keep a "daily log book" and do one for each week. This is just 8 pieces of paper we have stapled together (one for each day and a cover) to keep track of the day, lunches, etc
Like this:
Links
Getting Started
The first link I'm going to show you is one of my absolute favorites. It is the typical course of study list for all grades. This outlines what kids are learning in most public and private schools and is an awesome guideline for what might want to include in your home school.
http://www.worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study
These are also good websites to find worksheets, planning materials, and other great info to help you
http://quaap.com/edu/
http://www.dadsworksheets.com/
http://www.tlsbooks.com/
http://midwesthomeschoolers.org/
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/teacherslounge/freebies.php#.UCmA-KFmS0I
http://www.k12lessonplans.com/index.php
http://www.tjed.org/
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/index.html
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ - if you have more than one student, or have a student above 1st grade, I found that paying the $19.95 for the full use of all worksheets was best for me. There are plenty of free ones out there if you don't have that or don't want to pay that. (Side note, most public schools use the worksheets from this site in elementary schools)
For the older student, this site is quite infamous in the home school community and is filled with hundreds (thousands?) of videos on lots of different subjects
http://www.khanacademy.org/
This is a free site, you can register, create a classroom (for any number of students), use the tests for home work or testing, send each assignment to your students email address, let it keep track of grades for you and a lot more. This is by far one of my favorite sites and it is FREE!
http://thatquiz.org/
Blogs
Many of the following are unschooling blogs, but some are actual friends of mine, some are just ones I like, or found helpful
http://raisingolives.com/homeschool/
http://mimigray.blogspot.com/
http://soggycrunchymommy.tumblr.com/
http://www.eclecticreality.net/
http://un-schooled.net/
http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/
http://kelly.halldorson.com/blog/
http://homeschoolnetc.blogspot.com/
Forms/Worksheets
http://donnayoung.org/forms/index.htm
http://www.dadsworksheets.com/
http://quaap.com/edu/
Geography
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/usa-states/
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/socialstudies/geography/north-america/usa-map.html
History/Civics/Social Studies
http://v7.k12.com/constitutionday/lessons/2-3/lesson_holder.htm?preloader.swf?Title=Preview%20-%20CH_02_03_01&userType=1000&lessonFile=content_lesson_37036.txt&previewMode=1&subjectID=4&uiType=33&targetType=1&stateAbbrev=PA&envID=1%27
http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-prel.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
http://www.kidspast.com/
Language/Spelling/Reading
http://www.vistawide.com/languages/language_software3.htm#french
http://www.studyspanish.com/
http://www.france-pub.com/french/french_days.htm
http://www.k12reader.com/
http://www.eduplace.com/spellinglists/
http://www.funbrain.com/spell/
Math
http://www.math-exercises-for-kids.com/
http://www.kidsnumbers.com/
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/math_games.html
http://www.coolmath.com/
Science
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_TRANSITIONMAIN&node_id=878&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=0ab6d9cc-5a92-4c78-9359-d813212f7867
http://www.primarygames.com/science.php#.UCmIHaFmS0I
http://www.brainpop.com/
Updated for 2021-2022 school year:
Online Curriculums - With the exception of K12 - which is an official online public homeschool that goes through your states school district, these will cost money, but will be all inclusive without having to put your own curriculum together. The cost can vary greatly, so do your research and compare them before making a choice if you go the route of an official online curriculum
https://www.k12.com/online-public-schools.html
https://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/
https://www.powerhomeschool.org/
https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-online-homeschool-programs-4842632
Keep watch for updated news, links, and resources
Happy Home schooling!