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Homeschooling FAQS
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Getting Started
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Where do I start?
That's a question most people ask first. My advice before you start is to read, read, read, and ask questions! There are some great books out there on the subject of homeschooling. The first book I read was The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell. I loved it! She does such a great job of describing homeschool life in general. I would also recommend reading some of the John Taylor Gatto books. And my biggest recommendation is to join the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They fight for us to keep our right to homeschool our children, and will help you fight, should anyone in your state decide to harass you about it. Also, find a homeschool support group in your area and talk to them. Talk to anyone you can about homeschooling to get a variety of ideas on it. What works for one person might not be exactly what will work for you! There is no one certain way to homeschool! It really depends on you, and your children, and what works for your family in general.
Most of us, that were public schooled, have a hard time breaking away from
the mental image of how school "should be". We can't help but picture little
desks and a big chalk board, with lots of colorful posters around the room. But
homeschooling can take place anywhere! You can have a classroom type
setting if you have the room, or you can simply use your kitchen table, or even
kick back on the couch. A local park, or your yard can also be a wonderful
place to school on pretty days!
One of the first things you need to consider is what your child's learning style
is. Typically it's not something you'll know immediately. You have to watch
your child and learn about the various styles of learning. Some great books to
use when learning about this are:
"Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here's
the Key to Every Child's Learning Success" by Mariaemma Willis, Victoria
Kindle-Hodson
"The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
"Every Child Can Succeed: Making the Most of Your Child's Learning Style" by
Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
What do I teach with?
Next you're going to want to decide what curriculum you're going to use. For me that's been one of the hardest things about homeschooling! There are sooo many choices out there! You can choose one, or bits and pieces from several, you can choose to do unschooling (child directed learning), or unit studies... just to name a few. I feel that which curriculum you use will depend on you, the amount of money you have to spend, the amount of time you have to give to it, and most importantly.... on what will fit your child's learning style best.
Is Homeschooling legal?
Yes, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Each state has it's own laws regarding homeschooling. You can find out about your specific state laws here - HSLDA State Laws
What about Socialization?
Ahhh..... what about it? This seems to be a question mostly asked by people that know little to nothing about homeschooling. Here are a couple of great articles regarding the question of socialization:
But my all time favorite reply to the question "What about socialization?" is by Marsha Ransom ~
Uninformed Friend, Family Member or Stranger - "Ohhh so you homeschool... But what about socialization? Aren't you worried about your children not getting socialization skills?"
Marsha Ransom's reply -
"Oh, I think the word you are looking for is socializing. Socialization is actually defined as the process by which the norms and standards of our society are passed from one generation to the next. I've never really thought that a complete strangers six-year old child would be a good source of information on the correct standards of behavior in our family and in society as a whole. As for socializing, I remember from my school days that it was something you weren't supposed to be doing during class!"
(note - the above quote was taken from an essay written by Marsha Ransom, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling".)
Is Homeschooling expensive?
Homeschooling can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you choose to make it. It depends on how many children you will be schooling, and what resources and materials you decide to use. Parents could easily spend a fortune, but homeschooling can also be done virtually for free. The library, garage/yard sales, used book stores, and the internet are all wonderful places to find inexpensive and/or free resources. Some homeschool support groups will have their own lending libraries, or used curriculum sales.
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