Getting Started

I would like to Homeschool my child, where do I start?

Getting started with Homeschooling can seem overwhelming. We were there once too and we remember how complicated it seemed.

Remember what it was like learning to ride a bike? At first you thought, I will never be able to do this. But soon you're off and riding like a pro. It becomes second nature. In hindsight, it wasn't as hard as we thought it would be. In fact, it's hard to imagine there was ever a time that we couldn't ride a bike.

It's the same with Homeschooling. At first it seems overwhelming but once you get started you'll see that it really isn't that bad. Soon you're off and Homeschooling like a seasoned pro.

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

1. We believe Homeschooling is the best method currently available for educating our children. We have been involved with Homeschooling long enough to see that Homeschooling works. If you are considering Homeschooling, let us be the first to applaud and encourage you.

2. Understand what Homeschooling is. There are two ways to Homeschool. The first is independently, where you as the parent are responsible to choose the curriculum, educate your child, maintain the record keeping, and issue the diploma. The second is to enroll in an umbrella school. Usually an umbrella school will suggest a curriculum. You are responsible for educating your child. You submit the grades to the umbrella school and they maintain the student record and issue the diploma. Umbrella schools are usually tuition based and don't offer as much freedom as the independent method. Because of this we prefer to Homeschool independently but some parents are more comfortable enrolling in an umbrella school.

3. Find out what your state laws are concerning Homeschooling. To do this we recommend first checking with the Home School Legal Defense Association's website at www.hslda.org. Once there you can find out more information about getting started, your state's laws, sample paperwork, and more. This is an exceptional resource. We also highly recommend becoming members of HSLDA because of the legal covering they will provide your family.

4. Once you know what your state requires, you will need to choose a curriculum for your child. You can read more about our recommendations to choosing a curriculum by clicking here. We normally recommend that new Homeschoolers use a complete Homeschool curriculum the first year. Complete curriculums like ACE/School of Tomorrow or BJU Press will help provide structure and guidance your first year. Once you become more comfortable with Homeschooling, you will more than likely begin experimenting with other curriculums.

5. Relax. First time Homeschoolers are often very concerned that they are not doing enough or feel the need to maintain the same schedule as their local public school. You will begin to develop a routine for yourself in which you are comfortable. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You will see that Homeschooling usually requires less time that is normally used in a traditional school setting because of all the time that is wasted in that setting. If you miss a day or two, you can easily make them up.

6. We pray the Lord's blessing on you and your family as you move forward in this endeavor. All of our customer service personnel have Homeschool experience. We have experience with Homeschooling large multi-age families, single child families, early learning, high school, college prep, etc. Please feel free to contact us via the contact form at our Help Desk if we can be of further assistance or answer more specific questions.