How to Pick a Homeschool Magazine

New magazines crop up every year and homeschooling magazines are no exception. But how do you know which magazines would benefit your homeschooling style? Luckily most magazines offer a free issue, which gives you a general idea about the magazine. Bookstores may stock other magazines you can purchase or review for content. Whichever way you review a magazine, there are a few things to consider before you subscribe.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Homeschool magazine samples

1. Know what you want from a homeschool magazine before you start shopping for one. Some homeschool magazines have a variety of lesson ideas while others consist of articles that would be of interest to homeschoolers.

2. Request sample issues online that let you receive one free issue without a subscription obligation. Most of these magazines send an invoice that you return with the word cancel written on it if you don't want the magazine. Some homeschooling magazines that offer a sample issue are: "Practical Homeschooling", "Home School Enrichment" and "Home Education Magazine".

3. Check with your local library and see if they subscribe to any homeschool magazines and review a handful of issues before you subscribe. If your library doesn't have any, check the bookstore and peruse any homeschool magazines they have. A common magazine you can find at bookstores is "The Old Schoolhouse Magazine."

4. Read each magazine thoroughly, taking note of the different subjects covered and which topics have regular columns in each issue. Count how many articles are useful now and how many will be useful in the future. If you are a veteran homeschooler, you don't want a magazine that covers only basic issues such as how to start homeschooling and where to find curriculum.

5. Look over the letters to the editor section for each magazine. If a magazine is self-published, you'll notice any biases and preferences in the editor's replies to readers. This is also where you can find out if a magazine holds a religious view on homeschooling or a secular view.

6. Browse the magazine's website for archives of past issues or articles. The archives usually have at least two or three articles from past issues. This helps you see if a magazine repeats content frequently, or if they change it up on a consistent basis.

Tips & Warnings

• If a homeschool magazine subscription isn't in your budget right now, surf the internet for articles and ideas you can print out and put together in your own personal homeschool book.
• If you're just starting out with homeschooling, try subscribing to a different magazine each year. This way you can build up a magazine library with a variety of sources.
• Watch out for homeschool magazines that consist mostly of ads for products the publisher sells. These have little useful content and you may end up buying products you don't need.

Resources

• Practical Homeschooling
• Home School Enrichment
• Home Education Magazine
• Old Schoolhouse Magazine

[mikimoco]

on 9/8/2009 I recommend the free, Christian, online-only homeschool magazine called The Utmost Way Magazine. This magazine was created by a homeschool family of 20 years around 11 years ago. It is very unique and unusual HS mag. You can go to it at www.utmostway.com