How to Start a Homeschool Blog

Starting a homeschool blog is a great way to share your homeschooling journey with other people. It allows other homeschoolers to know they are not alone and homeschoolers to share information with each other. If you want to start a homeschooling blog, here is what you need to do.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet connection
• Good writing skills

1. Decide on the purpose of your homeschooling blog. Do you want to write to inspire other homeschoolers to do the same? Do you want to encourage new homeschoolers? Are you a new homeschooler looking for encouragement? This will help you decide where to place your blog.

2. Choose your blog provider. There are several to choose from. If your primary audience will be other homeschoolers, then you will first want to consider using the service HomeschoolBlogger.com where your primary audience will be other homeschoolers. This blog, membership-based website is sponsored by This Old Schoolhouse Magazine. If you want a broader audience, you will want to consider sites like Blogger.com, Wordpress.com or LiveJournal.com. There are numerous blogsites you use, but these tend to have the best visibility.

3. Once you sign up to use a blog host site, you need to start your blog. The first step is to choose a template. Each blogger site provides at least a dozen templates for you to choose. Just glance over them and pick something that catches your eye. You can always change and customize it later.

4. Start writing. Write whatever is on your mind (that you do not mind others reading).

5. Read the blogs of other homeschoolers and leave comments on the ones that interest you. Also link to the posts of blogs that inspire you to write or leave a comment that is too long to put in someone’s comment space. This will lead other bloggers back to you and let them know your blog exists. Make sure you leave your blogging address on your comments.

6. Write well. Proofread your blog posts, and have a strong personal voice in your writing. People are more interested when people have strong opinions or interesting stories to tell.

7. Keep writing. It will take some time to build an audience and to start getting regular feedback.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t worry if no one reads your blog right away. Keep writing.
• Avoid using your real name and the names of your children and family members on your blog.

[AutumnLeavz]

on 4/28/2008 Thanks again for your help, excellent information!

[AHermitt]

on 4/21/2008 I use mine... but I do recommend some caution. Don't give too much personal information.

[AutumnLeavz]

on 4/21/2008 What do you think about using your kids pictures in a blog? I have recently started my own blog but I'm still undecided on whether I want to include my kids pics even if it relates to a project or something specific I'm writing about.