How to Get Started Homeschooling My Child
Homeschooling is a choice that some parents make to keep their kids out of public or private educational institutions. Parents who decide that homeschooling is the right choice for their children often do it for varying reasons, include religious preferences, learning capabilities, safety and parent-child relations. Though not all families feel that homeschooling is right for them, for others, it has proven to be a successful method of educating their children.
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Things You'll Need
- Schedule
- Curriculum
- School Supplies
- Extracurricular activities
- Support group
- Classroom area
Instructions
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Register your homeschool with officials. The process for this varies from state to state; for example, in North Carolina, homeschoolers report to the Department of Administration. In most states, you need to submit a declaration of intent to a superintendent or government-run education agency. The declaration of intent often contains your qualifications, the names and ages of students in the homeschooling program, and the time and location where the homeschooling will take place. This declaration lets officials know that your child is enrolled in a school and will prevent legal complications.
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Choose a homeschooling curriculum for your child. There are several options available, some computer-based and some utilizing textbooks and workbooks. It is important that the curriculum is able to provide the student with the information necessary for him to excel at standardized tests at the appropriate public- or private-school level.
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Schedule your school year. You, your spouse and your children should be able to work with the schedule that you choose. It should allow the child to move quickly enough to keep up with other school schedules while keeping her abreast of the information she should acquire. Schedules may be altered after the actual homeschooling process begins if the work is done more slowly or more quickly than anticipated.
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Purchase the necessary supplies as dictated by the curriculum. Depending on your child's grade, students may need various academic supplies, such as rulers, calculators, protractors, notebooks and writing utensils.
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Set up a specific classroom area in your home. This will help the child to differentiate between playtime and school time.
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Review the teaching materials. Be sure that you have a thorough understanding of the curriculum and that you can answer questions or concerns that your child may have regarding instructions, content and processes.
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Find extracurricular activities that your child is interested in participating in. This will help him to develop and improve his social skills. Sports teams, arts groups and church organizations may provide your child with the social stability and independence that he needs to develop properly.
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Look for a parent support group. Because homeschooling is new to you, you may benefit from the advice of other parents who have already begun the process of homeschooling their kids. You may learn valuable information on which products other children have used successfully and which activities they are involved in.
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References
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