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Chances are, you wound up on this page because you’re thinking about homeschooling, that’s great! I hope I can help make your decision easier.
Homeschooling is on the rise right now! There’s a lot of support and resources available now so it’s a great time to start!
I’m going to go through each step you need to take in order to start your homeschooling journey. I know it is a super overwhelming decision but take a deep breath, let go of any expectations, and keep an open mind as we work through it. Here we go!
(Grab something you can jot down notes so this info doesn’t go in one of your busy mama ears and out the other! I know how that goes.)
This page may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link to purchase a product. This results in no extra cost to you. I only promote products I love! Thank you for your support.
1. Look into your home state’s homeschooling laws and guidelines
Every state will have different laws and guidelines around homeschooling so it’s important to know. I homeschool in Washington State so there are certain rules I have to follow that you may not have to. For example, I have to mail in an “intent to homeschool” letter to our school district EVERY year stating that my kids will be homeschooled. That may not be required for you in your state. The main things you need to find out are:
- What are the requirements that YOU have to meet to instruct your children, if any.
- How many different homeschooling options are there in your state and what they are.
- Whether or not you need to send in a notice to the school district/state that you intend to homeschool.
- Record keeping.
- Subject requirements.
- Graduation requirements.
Everything I discuss in this post will kind of be dependent on your states laws so follow that first and foremost.
Below are links to each states homeschooling laws and guidelines. (I suggest clicking on your state and printing out the webpage so you have it on hand in the future – maybe even start a homeschooling binder!):
After you browse your states guidelines, google your specific school district to see if they have more specific guidelines.
2. Decide what format you’d like to use
Now that you’ve looked over your states homeschooling guidelines, think about what format works best for you and your family. Here are some examples of different formats for homeschooling:
- All at-home instruction where you, the parent, are administering direct instruction for all studies.
- Online schooling – there are many online schools to choose from. Did you know K12 Online Public School is FREE!
- Hybrid (part-online, part parent instruction) – Maybe you know you’ll be great at teaching english but teaching math makes you cringe. You can find online instruction for specific subjects.
- Parent Partnerships – Our school district offers a program called a “parent partnership” where the student meets with certified teachers a few times a week to create personalized lesson plans and go over progress. It’s a great program!
- Other programs offered by your state or school district – There are many different programs offered throughout states and school districts. Do some research on what is locally available to you (and don’t forget to be taking notes for later!)
3. Decide what model(s) you’d like to use (or not use)
One mistake I made when I was getting ready to homeschool was thinking I was going to rigidly stick to ONE homeschooling model, or method, as some call it. When I say “model”, think “style.” I thought I was going to 100% teach all of my kids in the Waldorf schooling model and I’m pretty sure I’ve done zero Waldorf schooling! Oops.
If you want to know more about some of the more popular models, check out his website here.
My advice to you is to, again, let go of expectations and realize you’re probably going to use many different models of teaching (unless there’s requirements in your state to use specific ones, but even then, make it your own!) It’ll end up being YOUR OWN model and it will work great for your kids’ specific needs. I teach my 9 year old (4th grader) one way and my 15 year old (9th grader) another way because they learn differently and have different needs. I let go of the method idea a long time ago and just go with what works.
If you are really passionate about one style of homeschooling and have the ability to dive head first into it and stick with it then more power to you, mama! But don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t. It’s easy to feel down on yourself when you see an Instagram homeschool mama who appears perfect at it and you’re like…”I used YouTube to teach my kids stuff today.” (It’s OKAY!!!! Me too, sometimes!)
On the other hand, it may be very helpful to you to choose a specific model and stick with it because it will take the mystery out of picking out curriculum a lot of the time. Which brings me to the next step!
4. Choosing Curriculum
Okay, this is where I made many mistakes, but that is how I learned what works for us!
There are so many curriculum options out there and it can be so overwhelming. THE TRUTH: You don’t actually need to buy ANY curriculum to homeschool. I know that sounds controversial, and it probably is, but it’s true (as long as there’s not some sort of rule in your state to use purchased curriculum.) Most of the time I kind of make things up as I go. I make and print a lot of my own worksheets and come up with my own assignments based on the grade requirements for each child. I do, however, use curriculum for some subjects like math and science.
If you choose to follow a specific model, like the classical learning model, then you’ll theoretically use the curriculum suggested by that model. So narrowing down a model may be helpful for you if you’re having a hard time choosing curriculum.
You can buy curriculum all over the internet: Amazon has some options. Or check out homeschool.com’s curriculum guide.
Trial and error is the name of the game!
I started with Spectrum math and had a really rough first year with my teenager (7th grade at the time). He hated it, I hated it, we didn’t even finish the whole thing. So, the next year I took advice from other homeschooling mamas and used Saxon math for both my older boys and it has been a lifesaver. We are at a point now with my oldest (now 9th grade) where he doesn’t really need any of my help. He reads over the lesson, does the problems, I grade it, and he fixes any errors. I only have to help him if he’s getting something wrong repeatedly and it’s usually because he’s being lazy and wont review the lesson attached to said problem. I will say that Saxon math is the most expensive part of my entire homeschooling journey but, to me, it’s worth it! (You can buy the Saxon curriculum on Amazon – click here.)
5. Set a routine
I. Love. Routine.
I used to not care at all about having a routine, I thought I could always fly by the seat of my pants. Let’s just say, life was much more overwhelming for me then. Over the years I’ve come to love routine and being organized.
Routines, however, can be subject to change depending on the season of life you and your family are in. Routine in homeschool is especially important to make sure your day goes somewhat smoothly. Also, your kids will always know what to expect and everyone will be on the same page.
Some questions to ask yourself when creating a routine:
- What time do I want my kids to get up in the morning?
- What time do I want them to eat breakfast?
- What time do I want to begin instruction?
- How often will we take breaks?
- What time should we have a lunch break?
- Will we cover every subject every day? Or cover certain subjects on certain days?
- What time do I want to be finished with instruction each day?
Again, this is another trial and error situation! So be easy on yourself, okay? Try one routine for a little while and tweak it as you go!
6. Collect your supplies
Just like public school, you’ll likely have to purchase some supplies but UNLIKE public school, you get to choose all the school supplies you want to purchase (like not 50 boxes of tissues to share with the rest of the class.)
BUT it does not have to cost an arm and a leg. I often find school supplies at my local thrift store: pencils, pens, paper, binders, folders, rulers, arts and crafts supplies, etc…
Here are some my favorite, most used homeschool items (that I use personally, not my kids) that you can grab on Amazon:
- Sticky notes: I could write a whole post on how I use sticky notes in homeschool! (Maybe I will) They are endlessly helpful, especially for my teenager. I try to stick with the Post-it brand because I’ve bought others and they don’t always have the same amount of sticky. I use all the sizes! You can get a variety pack here.
- A planner: I write down in my planner what each kid does every day. It’s a great way to keep a record of what you did and when! This on would be a great one for the upcoming school year: Planner.
- A HUGE amount of different colored, dual tip pens: I love my pens! My kids know it. I like lots of colors and different tips. I use them to correct papers and assignments. The ones I have can be purchased here.
- A filing system: You will need to keep records of all your homeschool documents and kids’ assignments. I use these, but a filing cabinet works even better! Whatever you find easiest, mama.
7. Figure out how you will socialize your children
JUST KIDDING!!!! This is a homeschooling joke, people!
I will write a post on this topic because it’s the one question I get asked the most and you probably will experience the same thing if you decide to homeschool. It can be really discouraging and it can feel like a judgmental question when you’re first starting out. However, I understand why people ask it, it is valid, so let’s talk about it in a later post.
8. Just go for it
Like many things in life that you know you want to do but seem scary, you just need to start. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, learn from them, and adjust.
9. Find support
You’re not alone, mama! Homeschooling is currently on the rise and I believe there’s more support than ever before so there’s never been a better time to start!
I hope that myself and this community, as it grows, can be a source of support for you. Contact me here and/or comment below any questions or concerns you have. Lets support each other!
Here are some links to helpful homeschool support resources:
I hope this post was helpful to you! If so, give it a like and a share so other mamas can get the support they need. If you have any advice of your own to get started on the homeschooling journey or have any questions, leave a comment below!
