Hi!
I wanted to post for those who are new to homeschooling and searching for answers.
My family has been homeschooling for 4 years and I have learned a TON from various groups and talking to local people.
Here's some of what I learned.
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Each state has its own homeschooling laws in place. Some require more than others. Regarding legalities, find a local homeschool group that can help you manage paperwork (if you need any) in your district.
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Before you start searching for a curriculum, figure out what style of homeschooling might fit best with your family. The number of curriculum companies out there compared to even 15 years ago has multiplied many times over. There are so many options. https://hslda.org/.../quiz-whats-your-homeschooling...
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HSLDA is a great resource and organization. They provide legal advice to homeschoolers. HSLDA - Making homeschooling possible
- After you can figure out what style, research it to see what curriculum options fit in each category. Cathy Duffey Reviews is a very reputable website where you can get lots of detailed information about each website and go right to their links. https://cathyduffyreviews.com/
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Check out your state for homeschool conventions. It's easy to spend too much on curriculum you drop a few weeks into the year if you don't know ahead of time what style!
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If you live in a state that requires evaluations (PA does) find an evaluator EARLY in the school year. Our evaluator's schedule is booked by Feb.
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What are your goals for the year? Write down short and long-term goals (or even a word you want to use as a theme throughout the school year)
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After you have a list of curriculums you want to use, give a placement test if you don't know where your child is at. Every curriculum company has different scopes and sequences which will cover different materials in different years. Placement test are there to help you figure out where your child is ready to begin.
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The last suggestion that was helpful is to just dive in and go. You may not finish a book fully and that's ok. Is your child learning and loving it? Are they struggling? Slow down and play some games, watch some YouTube videos, or other activities that can help strengthen the information they are struggling with.
- If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and send us an e-mail to: nuggetsofwisdom4you@gmail.com.
With love,
Nat Bro, Co-Owner