Your Home School Guide

Use this informative home school guide to help you navigate through a potentially confusing path as you start homeschooling and try to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your children. Learn homeschooling facts from someone who has taught preschool through high school home study.

Do you remember the TV Guide of older days which we had to regularly check for the current listings of shows we wanted to watch?

Well, I hope you can use this home school guide as a continual source to look up answers to all your questions about the many different topics in homeschooling or home education, as it is also called.

So, from your questions about getting started, preschool, high school, homeschool curriculum choices, online schooling, and more, you will find answers here I learned after teaching at home, and in the classroom, for over twenty years.

Getting Started

When you consider teaching at home, you need to be fully persuaded that you are doing the best thing for your family.

Believe it or not, you may be faced with a lot of opposition from family and friends who think they know more than you about what is best for your family.

Be prepared for this onslaught because if you are not fully persuaded in your mind about your conviction to teach at home, you may buckle under the pressure.

I have seen this happen before particularly when the confrontation occurs between you and a parent, in-law or expert educator in the family such as a licensed teacher or principal.

Determine exactly what the homeschooling laws are in your state. Find out the rules for yourself rather than relying on what others may tell you of the laws. According to Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) homeschooling is legal in all states. But, what differs is the amount of accountability and reporting that is required by each state.

Check with the local educational agency in your area too, to see what they report about the legality of home schooling for you.

Preschool

It is very easy to begin homeschooling at the preschool level because there is no accountability at that age. Consider it an opportunity to determine if teaching at home will really work for your family.

It's sort of like a testing period for everyone, before it really matters once you child reaches the age where compulsory attendance in school takes effect.

Homeschool High School

If preschool is a testing period, you can think of homeschool high school as a pruning period because is the time when many will abandon teaching at home for various reasons.

It may be that your child no longer wants to be different and learn at home or you may no longer believe that you are capable of teaching your child his subjects.

However, there are ways to continue to teach high school at home if you choose.

You can do online studies, enroll your child in a homeschool cooperative or tutorial program or hire a private tutor to assist with the more difficult subjects like chemistry and calculus.

Homeschool Curriculum

As you search the different types of home school guide books and resources, you will discover that there are traditional textbooks, write-in forms of worktexts, computer software, unit studies, classical education, unschooling, and online programs.

There are unique characteristics of these curriculum choices so you will want to carefully review all choices to find your best option.

Some require minimal preparation while others will have you photocopying and creating materials all weekend to go along with their required activities.

Online Studies

Now, your child can "attend" a virtual classroom without ever leaving the presence of your happy home! ABeka and Bob Jones publishers offer the online classes, textbooks, supplemental resources, and comprehensive technical and customer support if you choose this option.

This form of instruction allows your child to continue to work independently once the program has been set up in your home. This is also a good option for families that travel because the classroom goes with you as long as there is an Internet connection.

Be sure to check back often as this Home School Guide will be continually updated. If you have any specific questions feel free to contact me and I will post a response here.

Return from Home School Guide to Homeschool Curriculum Home Page