How to Get Started Homeschooling
Helpful Resources & Answers
“If you want a real thinker to blossom from childhood, don’t measure them at every turn … or condition them to shine on every command. Instead … help them indulge in their own natural curiosities … and they’ll measure themselves and shine for all of ever.”
Ellie, taking a Calculus test at an Airbnb in Crouay, France
Since we began homeschooling, I get a lot of questions from friends and acquaintances. First of all, they want to know why we decided to homeschool. Once I get into a conversation, I often find that these people have considered homeschooling but don’t know where to begin. We’ve created a couple of posts to help give you some guidance. Last week, we covered the question Is Homeschooling Right for Your Family? We suggest that you start there to have a good understanding of what homeschooling is and what the reasons are to consider it.
If you’ve already decided that you want to homeschool but have no idea how and where to get started, keep reading. We’re going to cover various methods of homeschooling and a step-by-step process to get you started. We’ll share some great resources and our own personal experiences throughout the process.
Is Homeschooling Legal?
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 U.S. states. However, education regulations vary from state to state. Some states have high levels of regulations, limiting who can educate their children, what must be taught, and how much needs to be reported to the department of education throughout the year. Other states have virtually no regulations and parents are legally able to determine their child’s curriculum, attendance, and performance requirements.
If you’re interested in homeschooling, you’ll first need to contact the department of education in your state to determine what steps you need to take. A good resource that I like to use is HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association). There, you’ll find information about homeschooling regulations, by state, along with some state specific resources to help you make sure you’re checking all the boxes as you make the transition. If you decide to become a paid member of HSLDA, they will provide advice and even legal defense in the event that your state tries to infringe upon your rights to homeschool your child. (If you live in a state with a high level of regulation, a membership could be a good choice.)
What are Some of the Styles of Homeschooling?
People often think that there’s a right or wrong way of homeschooling or that you have to have a background in education to be successful at educating your children. This is simply not true! We live in an age where there are so many resources to help you secure a phenomenal education for your child. There are an infinite number of ways you can accomplish your goals! While you’ll need to be sure that you’re following the laws of your particular state, there is room to determine your own style.
There are several recognized approaches to homeschooling. Despite their specific definitions, most homeschoolers don’t follow any one method but, instead, combine aspects of several to meet their specific needs. Here are some of the models that exist for homeschooling:
School at Home Approach – This is what most people imagine when they think of homeschooling. It essentially involves doing the same thing that would be done at school but changing the location to home. It’s important to note that this method has the highest burnout rate! The advantage with this method is its familiarity. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of work on the part of the parent to design lesson plans that are not necessarily customized or fun for the student.
Classical Education – This form stems all the way back to Plato and divides the learning into three stages called the Trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The main goal is to stimulate a desire for a lifetime of learning and to focus on depth rather than breadth. If you want to rely less on technology and memorization and more on classical books and logic this style might work for you.
Charlotte Mason Style – Charlotte Mason was a British educator who created her own method of homeschooling that is accessible to all children, regardless of financial resources. Relying on the belief that children are not just containers to be filled with knowledge but persons deserving of respect, this method allows children time to play, create, and learn from real-life scenarios. Parents might take nature walks to integrate a lesson in biology or visit a museum to learn about art or history. Achievement is measured via discussion and application rather than testing.
Unschooling or Deschooling – This method is also known as “natural” or “child-led” learning. It allows the child to pursue their own interests and assumes that their curiosity will push them to dive deeper and learn more. This method is often used when transitioning from institutional learning to homeschooling to “deschool” from the traditional mindset. The advantage is complete flexibility because there is no curriculum or schedule. Conversely, this also means that it is difficult to measure progress, achievement compared to their peers, or even whether or not your child is performing at their grade level!
Waldorf Homeschooling – This method stresses the need to educate the whole child - body, mind, and spirit. It moves from an early emphasis on arts, crafts, movement, and nature to a development of self-awareness and an ability to reason as a child ages. Children create their own books and are discouraged from using technology like computers and television which are considered an impediment to creativity and good health.
Montessori Homeschooling – This method emphasizes “errorless learning.” Creativity is highly valued in this method that promotes hands-on, self-directed learning. Children are encouraged to collaborate and problem solve. Self discovery and real-life experience is valued over memorization. Parents are meant to trust in their child’s own sense of discovery and act as facilitators as their child explores the world around them. Like the Waldorf method, Montessori discourages the use of technology, particularly for younger students.
Multiple Intelligences Homeschooling – The foundation for this method is the belief that everyone is intelligent in their own way and that learning is most effective when focused on a person’s strengths, instead of their weaknesses. It seeks to find the approach that allows each student to learn best. An active, hands-on learner, for example, has a hard time sitting still and might benefit from audio books while drawing or building. With time, most homeschoolers naturally gravitate to include this method. (We’ve found that it is key to a lot of the success our girls have had since we started homeschooling.)
Unit Study Homeschooling – This method combines multiple aspects of a topic in one cohesive study. It allows topics to be personalized across multiple disciplines. For example, a topic such as World War II can incorporate reading, history, science, government, a trip to a WWII museum, and discussions of how the art industry was affected. Hitting the same topic across multiple disciplines helps students to achieve a deeper understanding that helps with retention and application.
Relaxed/Eclectic Homeschooling – This is one of the most used methods. It’s essentially a method that mixes multiple approaches. Rather than setting specific schedules, a parent using this approach might set an educational goal and then let the child work independently to meet the goal. Textbooks or workbooks might be used for some subjects and not for others. Standardized tests might be used at certain intervals to measure progress. The advantage of this method is the ability to customize curriculum and schedule to what works best for both parent and student.
How to Begin Homeschooling
So how do you get started? If you’re anything like we were, you might be intimidated about taking on the responsibility of your child’s education and the process might seem daunting. Here are some steps to get you moving in the right direction:
Know the requirements for your state – Each state has their own set of mandates and requirements for homeschooling. Some have so few regulations that you don’t even need to notify the state that you’re homeschooling. Others have some fairly strict requirements such as specific certifications for the parent and/or a high level of record-keeping and reporting.
In our home state, this information can be found on the North Carolina Department of Administration (NCDOA) website, under the Home School Requirements & Recommendations page. We are required to notify the state, keep records of attendance and immunization records, and administer a national academic achievement test annually.
All states have their requirements posted on their department of education site. It’s up to you to do your own research to make sure you are in compliance.
Determine your goals – We highly suggest that parents sit down and have a strategy session. Ask yourselves the question, “What skills and knowledge do we want our children to have before they go out on their own?” Your answers to that question will determine so much about your path forward. It will have implications on the curriculum you choose, the courses you select, and even the level of structure you’ll need for your homeschool. If you’d like to read about our own goal-setting process, you can access that post here.
Determine your child’s learning style – Generally, there are 4 different learning styles. Not everyone fits neatly into a specific box but most everyone can identify a preference for one style. It’s helpful to determine your child’s preference ahead of time. While we recommend incorporating multiple ways of teaching, you may find that, in times of stress, your child will be most comfortable with one over another. Here are the 4 learning styles:
Visual Learners – Sometimes referred to as “spatial” learners, these students prefer to see and observe. Pictures, diagrams, and videos that engage their sense of sight help them interpret information. They need time to take in what they’re seeing and can benefit from presentations and handouts. Our middle daughter, Rachel, falls into both this style and the next one on the list. She is an artist so she takes in all visual stimuli around her. She also will sometimes withdraw to herself so she can process information or feelings.
Auditory Learners – These students like to process information by hearing it. They will prefer a lecture or an audiobook rather than a written handout or book. They also like to reinforce learning with their sense of hearing. Often, they are likely to be the ones talking during a lesson (sometimes to themselves) because they find it helpful to hear their thoughts spoken aloud. To assist with their understanding, try asking them to repeat a concept out loud or engage them in conversation. Additionally, videos and music (even in the background) can stimulate their learning. Rachel is our auditory learner. She likes to do math with rock music playing in the background! (She has even been known to drive her older sister nuts when it seems like she isn’t paying attention during a book reading only to provide a completely accurate recap when questioned!)
Kinesthetic Learners – These students have trouble sitting still and need to DO rather than hear or see. They like to build, create, and study all the parts. They might need more frequent breaks to get out of their chair, or they may require a lesson that incorporates experience, games, and/or movement. They are tactile learners. Our youngest, Sophie, is a classic example of this learning style! From the age of 2, Sophie would be in a store and she’d say, “I want to look at it…with my hands!”
Reading/Writing Learners – These learners are the ones that like to read and take notes. They use the process of writing itself to reinforce information and then rely on those notes when they study. I think this is the way traditional school tends to assume every child learns. Our oldest, Ellie, learns this way. She excelled at traditional public school because it seemed designed for her. She’s drawn to the written word. While she doesn’t think of herself as a writer, she is actually fantastic at the written word and even better as an editor. She likes to see her neatly written notes giving her the basis of all the important information she’s learning.
Determine who will provide the teaching – In our household, we utilize an online curriculum. Both girls get most of their day-to-day learning through that platform. We find this gives them the autonomy to plan their week and get the work done. If they get stuck and can’t figure something out, they know who to go to for each subject. For help with French, they seek out their oldest sister. For math, finance, and coding, they schedule time with their dad. For language arts, history, special projects, or to know what they need to get done for the week, they come see me. You’ll want to know who’s doing what and whether you want to develop your own curriculum, use textbooks, or rely on a full curriculum and just provide support. (Some of your freedom to explore this area will depend on what your state requirements are.)
Pick your curriculum – Very few homeschoolers develop their own curriculum from scratch. So, you’ll need to decide what curriculum to use. There is no right or wrong answer to this. You don’t even need to decide on only one source. While we use one online platform for most of our curriculum, we often layer in material from other sources. It’s also important to understand that learning can happen anywhere and anytime! The move to homeschooling can be transformative because you’ll suddenly start to see educational opportunities all around you.
Provide Notice of Intent – Not all states require this step but most require some form of notification to be submitted to the educational authorities. In our state of North Carolina, this was a Notice of Intent to Operate a Homeschool. We were able to complete this notice online at the same NCDOA page mentioned in #1, above.
Withdraw your child from their current school – The process for this will vary from state to state and might even be different from one school district to the next. In our case, I called the front office of our school, provided them with our homeschool number (which had been provided to us after we submitted our Notice of Intent), and asked that they be withdrawn. Some states might have to “approve” the request or may have you meet directly with a school administrator to formally withdraw your child. These states are where HSLDA can help you determine exactly what to say and do to streamline the process.
Start Teaching – Follow your state’s requirements and get started teaching. Even if the subjects you have to teach are mandated, there is still a lot of flexibility available in how you go about teaching. Have fun with it and find the rhythm that works for you and your child.
Plug in and find support – This can look different for every family. You can join in-person homeschool groups where your child can socialize and parents can share ideas and support each other. Some families like to join together once a week for a combined art class. You might want to sign your child up for clubs or sports teams. Many families find opportunities to volunteer together in their community a few times a month. There are also tons of Facebook pages for homeschool parents where you can seek advice or share ideas with others. These exist on the national, state, and local level and are sometimes even specific to grade levels. All of these resources will give you places to interact with, and find inspiration from, other families that are navigating a similar path.
Keep good records – At a minimum, you’ll want to keep attendance records, report cards, and a record of courses your child has completed. For high school students, you’ll want to create and maintain a transcript that can be used to prove that they have met your state’s graduation requirements. It will also be provided to colleges and universities, if they choose to take that path and apply. Your specific state may have a number of additional requirements that include immunization records, a portfolio of completed work, or even a daily documentation of hours spent and material covered.
Assess your results – Not all states require an end of year test every year (or even at all). Others require a specific National Achievement Test be completed at the end of each school year. We are required to test our girls at the end of each school year, but we are not required to submit those results. We usually finish our school year, take a couple of weeks to decompress, and then have them take a standardized test. We emphasize to our girls that this standardized test is just for our records and to show improvement but no one sees it except for us. This seems to help with that end of year test anxiety.
Our Personal Experience
You may be wondering what the day to day process might look like once you get started. The truth is that it depends on a lot of the factors mentioned above. An online curriculum will look a lot different than one that uses textbooks or a curriculum that you create yourself.
We chose an online platform - Power Homeschool through Acellus - for a variety of reasons. It allows our girls to work on their own schedule and at their own pace, giving them a good deal of autonomy and independence. We’ve been impressed with how this has improved accountability for both of them. It also allows us, as parents, to function as facilitators rather than teachers. We help when they get stuck, need encouragement, or could benefit from some tutoring.
I am still heavily involved in the day-to-day activities. I set their goals, and make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing daily. I have the Acellus app on my phone and computer. This allows me to monitor their progress and performance in real time. I like that the program makes record keeping easy. Acellus maintains a record of their hours and attendance and allows me to print their report cards for our record keeping.
I can access their progress at any time to see how many lessons they’re getting done and how they performed on each assessment. I can also adjust the number of lessons required, by subject, in any given week to accommodate our travel schedule. This program worked well for us in our first year of homeschooling and we chose to continue it in our second and now third years.
We also augment the Acellus courses with other opportunities. When we are based at home, we add more Acellus courses for their electives. When we’re traveling, we shift into worldschooling mode. We cut back the online courses to just the core subjects and take advantage of learning opportunities all around us. The immersive learning is so valuable for them to reinforce what they’ve learned in a real world environment, especially foreign language and life skills.
At the end of each school year, we have each of them take a year-end national achievement test to assess their progress. For us, that is the untimed version of the CAT (California Achievement Test). There are several places where you can access national achievement tests. The untimed CAT is available exclusively through Academic Excellence. We chose this particular test because it meets our state’s requirements and the untimed version creates much less test anxiety for both of them, but Rachel, in particular.
We don’t do anything specific to prepare for the annual test and even give our girls up to a month after finishing the school year before administering it. We want them to focus their attention and efforts on learning rather than worrying about standardized testing and state mandates. Despite not preparing or practicing for the test, they have both consistently scored higher than their peers on a national level. In some areas, they have scored several grades above their own grade level! There are a number of national achievement tests that you can choose from to assess your child’s progress. Check your state’s requirements and pick the test that works best for your family.
Our entire family has thoroughly enjoyed our homeschooling experience. It has changed the way we view education and opened doors to new opportunities and experiences. We hope we’ve answered some of your questions about how to get started.
While homeschooling isn’t right for every family, it is a choice worth considering and certainly not something that you, as a parent, should feel intimidated by. For us, it serves as one of the most important decisions we made in allowing us to have Uncommon Family Adventures!
