For many parents the idea of exactly when they should begin homeschooling is really simple.  From the moment they find out that they are having children they already start thinking about curriculum choices and other special things.  Going to the effort of teaching your child at home might sound like the easiest decision in the world but for many it is something that they wrestle with for a very long time.  In order to ensure that you really are making the right decision for you and your family you need to look at your overall situation.

Do you think that you can really teach your child at home?  Many parents don’t think they can, they believe that a lengthy education at a formal school is required in order to actually teach and this is far from the truth.  Most parents can easily teach their children at home successfully.

Do you have the time and pateience to look for suitable resources?  This is an area that become hectic, many parents spend years, if not their child’s entire educational career looking for the right curriculum to use.  You need to have the time and patiance to actually keep searching until you find the perfect choice for you and your child.

Tags: curriculum, getting started, reasons why

Every family has a different way of homeschooling.  Some take the time to start out each day following a rigid schedule and others are much easier and loser to deal with while tossing schedules right out the window.  It is a matter of choice and most families eventually settle into a pattern and routine that works well for them.  In order to easily and simply move along many families opt to use a scehdule.  There is nothing wrong with this, but many families find that going by a schedule makes them nervous and they simply cannot function.

Trying to decide if you are best using a schedule is not always easy, there are plenty of different factors that you need to take into consideration. You need to always consider your own attitude towards schedules, do you view them as your friend, or just something that is a hassle.  You also need to consider the personality of your children as wel.  Not all kids are the same, one child might not work well with a schedule while another child may thrive using it.

Taking all of these considerations into account will help you to ensure that you are making the correct decision, rather than simply trying to force a solution on your family that just will not work.  Always feel free to make some changes if necessary to things if they are not working.  You are in charge ultimately and you need to be happy with the solution or it will be a complete disaster and typically fail.

Tags: getting started, reasons why

There are plenty of times when life happens right?  I know it has happened here.  No matter how hard you try things seem to skew badly out of control.  Taking a bit of time to look for a solution only seems to throw things further into chaos as well.  How are we supposed to cope with this and still ensure that our children receive the necessary education?  The best solution is often taking a break.  Not only will this allow your child some relief from the stressful situation, but you will be able to take the time needed to straighten out your situation.  If you are determined to get started before things are straightened out you will usually find that things only get worse.

Never feel bad about taking a small break.  These are often quite useful to allow you time to get back on track and ensure that you can devote proper attention to the materials that you are wanting to cover.  After all, a small break never hurt any child.

Tags: breaks, complications, getting started

Plenty of people wonder exactly why it is that homeschool children are quite so successful.  In order to really understand the reasons you have to first understand why homeschooling is different. Most parents who homeschool have a deep love and respect for the children this leads them to look for educational selections that are best suited for their child. Not all children learn best by doing hours of busy work or work out of workbooks however there is the occasional child who does best with this type of work.

While schools are left to deal with school boards and education departments that do not like changing curriculum parents who teach at home are free exchange materials on a daily, weekly or monthly basis until they find the perfect choices.  this allows most parents find soonest what works best for their child. In this situation is extremely easy to see why homeschooled children succeed.

Taking a bit of time to see what works best for your child is very important. Schools do not take this time and because of this every child has the same materials and the same education. The problem with this is not all children learn the same. Some modification is needed for most children which is impossible in a standard classroom. Educating your child at home allows you the flexibility and freedom to make any changes that are necessary without interference.

Tags: curriculum, getting started

Many households discover themselves in the position of teaching multiple children at home.  Very rare is the homeschool family that has only a single child.  This means many families look to unit studies as not only a great way to learn, but also self-defense against a monsterous stack of books that are never completed.

In order to really get the most benefit out of a set of unit studies you need to understand that these are specialized units of study that are based upon a topic.  The topic can be anything you like.  It could be a place, a thing or even a person.

Once you have selected your topic, you then work on finding activites that relate to the topic, while teaching all of the necessary skills such as spelling, writing, reading, mathematics, science and history.

While many people are unsure how to make this work, there are some great resources that are available online if you are interested in getting started but have no idea how.  In further posts I will dive deeper into how you can create your own unit studies and how to make them work for your personal needs and the ages of your children.

Tags: curriculum, getting started, unusual learning, web resources

If you are like many families the cost of purchasing new curriculum every year is out of your reach.  There are still ways to get the materials that you need, without putting your budget in a really bad spot though. There are also some specific times of year that are best as well.

For myself, I have personally found that the winter and spring months are the best for picking up curriculum at good deals.  The back to school sales are over, and most people have everything that they need for the year.  But what about the next year?  Do you have everything that you need?  Likely not, which makes it a good time to start looking for great deals.

If you have a good idea of the materials that you are interested in using, you can keep a list of the publishers and supplies handy so that whenever you stumble upon a fabulous deal you can pounce.  This allows you to ensure you do not buy duplicates, but also do not pay full price either.

Some great places to find materials include CraigsList, eBay, Freecycle, and even the used bookstores.  These are all great places to find discounted materials that will cost a fraction of the usual price.  While you can find some new supplies this way, you will frequently find that you are able to track down used materials at a steal of a deal.

What are your favorite places to look for materials and curriculum?

Tags: curriculum, getting started, web resources

Many people consider year around school only associated with public schools, but in reality this is a trend that is expanding to the homeschool community as well.  There are many reasons for this, and it is extremely important that you start looking at your needs, as well as that of your family to decide when to schedule in your breaks.

Taking a break is more than just about getting some things organized and taking a breather.  It is about allowing your child some time to just act like a kid.  This time can be either days at a time, or you might decide that taking long extended breaks occasionally is best.  This is entirely up to you.

Many homeschooling families decide that schooling at least on a modified year around schedule is best.  This allows you to still take breaks as your family needs, while still ensuring that you are covering material often enough that your children will not forget it.

Perhaps you have something else that works best for your family.  Have you considered how it is working for you?  How is it not working for you?  Stopping to consider these issues occasionally can allow you to honestly consider any problems that you are having and start looking for solutions.

Tags: breaks, getting started

Most parents who homeschool know and realize just how complicated it can be to stay legal while you are homeschooling.  States like California tend to send shockwaves all across the homeschool community, and even places talking about such things as requiring parents to be certified creates even more hassles.

Regardless of where you live, it is VERY important that you take some time to review your states website.  This is one of the best locations for information that pertains to your particular state.  Not only will you be able to usually find copies of the forms that you will need, but you will also get the exact legal requirements.  This will then allow you to easily start moving along to make sure your staying within the confines of the law, while still keeping your children your first priority.

Tags: complications, getting started, legal issues

Most people are well aware of the benefits that homeschool groups can provide during the journey through homeschooling.  However, finding a great homeschool group that fits your needs is not always as easy as it might seem.  There are tons of groups that exist, and each one exists for a reason.  Finding a group that is a good match for your needs is vital if you expect to really benefit from the group.  Wasting your time with a group that is wrong for your needs can leave you frustrated.

* You can always look around online for different groups such as Google Groups and Yahoo! Groups.  These are great ways to start tracking down different groups in your area.  Additionally, start looking for groups that are state specific rather than city specific.  This can be a good way to locate groups that are in your area and might suit your needs.

* Check out different homeschool websites and blogs in your area to see if you can find any recommendations.  If you find a blog that you really enjoy find out what group they belong to.  Most often if you find one person that you fit in with, you might enjoy the rest of the group as well.

* Talk around to differnet homeschool parents that you know and see what groups they recommend.  This can be a wonderful way to locate several different groups in your area.

* Check at your local church to see if there are other homeschooling families that are active in a group.

Once you find a group though, be sure to start asking plenty of questions and try to attend a couple of meetings before you make a committment to a group to ensure that you are really satisfied with the group.

Tags: getting started

There is nothing worse than working with a math progra that you hate.  Even if you child loves the program you actual impression of the program will play a huge role in just how successful it will be.  Additionally if your child hates the program but you love it, then it is going to be extremely hard to actually make it work.

If you are lookig for a complete program that will cover years you need to look to some of the major publishers of them such as Saxon and the Math U See curriculum.  I personally use Saxon and while my kids love it and I enjoy it as well, we are only in the Kindergarden book presently.  I can give a much better opinion on the program once we are much further in, but right now only a few weeks in we are almost half-way through the book.

The kids love the manipulatives and I really love all of the lessons laid out neatly in the teacher’s book.  For us this works wonderfully.  Some families do not enjoy Saxon quite so much, before you go invest in a curriculum though you need to spend some time flipping through books.  Not all publishers teach the same material in the same order.  Ensure that you are comfortable with all of the materials, additionally if your child does not enjoy manipulatives then a curriculum such as Math-U-See or Saxon is not likely to be suitable.

Always follow your own personal preferences as well as your child’s personality and learning style before you buy any curriculum that you might end up regretting.

Tags: curriculum, getting started, history, math, science