Getting Started

I am by no means a homeschooling expert. I have been asked before how I got started. I can tell you how we did it, but to be perfectly honest it’s been more a process of trial and error than anything else! We all have to find our own groove.

I decided to begin homeschooling when my eldest was preschool aged. She was willing and eager, and I was excited to begin. The problem I faced was this:

Where on earth was I to begin?!

I knew there were laws and guidelines I would need to adhere to. I researched my state laws and found that I would need to notify a local school district of our intention to homeschool. I would need to have a minimum number of school days a year as well as a minimum number of hours per day. Standardized tests would need to be administered periodically, certain subjects were required to be taught, and various records would need to be maintained and made readily available should I ever be called upon to do so. I was quickly becoming overwhelmed and scared out of my mind.

I found a local Homeschooling 101 seminar and decided to attend. In many ways this helped a great deal. The ins and outs of the law, which initially seemed so daunting, were explained and simplified for us. But in other ways it only added to my fear. These seasoned homeschoolers were talking all about the various unit studies they did, lapbooks, file folder games, interactive notebooks, and countless other terms I did not understand. Then they started in about homeschooling high schoolers and keeping transcripts and recording GPAs. They spoke of various approaches to education such as Charlotte Mason, classical, traditional, eclectic, Montessori, unschooling… it was too much to take in! I left the day-long seminar feeling more confused than ever. The only thing that seemed clear was that I had no clue what I had gotten myself into. 

In the end, I realized I would simply need to pick a curriculum and give it a try. I did, and within the first year I learned a great deal about my daughter’s style of learning. As my other children have gotten older and been added to our homeschool I have had to constantly revamp our approach to how I teach them. There is certainly no one-size-fits-all style of educating all children. Through trial and error I was able to find what works for each child, as well as what works for our family as a whole. I have purchased a lot of curricula over the years. Some of it was great, and a lot of it was never completed. My eldest is now in 8th grade, and my youngest in 2nd. I know that we are nowhere near done, and we will probably continue to try and try again as we go along. I no longer see that as a bad thing, however. Learning to adapt and understand how one can get the most out of one’s life and education is a wonderful part of living life to the fullest. 

My biggest piece of advice to new homeschoolers is to be flexible. There is no right or wrong way to teach your children. The process will stretch your students as well as you. You will learn and grow right alongside your children. It’s okay to stop in the middle of a schoolbook if you know it’s not working for your child. Schedules are powerful tools, but don’t let them rule your life. If you’re prepared to roll with the punches of life, it will make it all so much easier. But more than anything, have fun. It’s going to be an amazing adventure.