When looking for homeschooling information, there are several basic things you need to know to get started. Whether someone is just considering the option or really feels a strong need to homeschool their child, the steps are basically the same.
laws – The first thing a parent should do is research the laws of their state. They can usually do this by talking to another home school parent in the area. If there are no other homeschool parents who can offer support, then the HSLDA website will provide a breakdown of the laws by state. Once parents are familiar with their laws, they can contact the local superintendent or county board office and see what needs to be done to get their child out of school or start home schooling. I have to include a word of caution here. If a parent is unfamiliar with the homeschool laws in her state and the first thing they do is talk to a public school representative, they may get incorrect information. Many times public school representatives are unfamiliar with homeschoolers’ rights and tell them things like, “You can’t take your child out of school for half of the school year.” or “You have to have a teaching degree to be able to teach your child.” or some other incorrect information. Often, it is not the intention of the representative to mislead the parents, they are simply not familiar with the laws. This is where a local homeschool parent really comes in handy. They are familiar with the process and know what needs to be done and can easily point parents in the right direction.
learning style – Before a parent starts choosing books or a curriculum for their child, they should take a careful look at their child’s learning style. There are tests and resources on the Internet where parents can get assessments of their child’s learning style. Basically, a parent just needs to pay attention to how their child learns best. Does the child learn best by seeing, listening or doing? Do they see things broken down into parts or are they more of a big picture thinker? These and others are good questions to ask when thinking about the resources a parent wants to use for homeschooling. Choosing the materials best suited to your child’s learning style will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration.
methods – There are quite a few methods available that parents can use to teach their children. Some enjoy a homeschool approach, while others prefer to use unit studies to teach their children. Other methods available are Unschooling (Interest Driven), Relaxed Homeschooling, Charlotte Mason, Classical, Eclectic, and Online/Computer Learning.
Subjects – Parents can make a list of subjects they want their students to cover and then start writing resources and books that can be used to teach those subjects. When they are ready to purchase materials, they can circle their first choice in each subject and use that resource to teach that subject.
