Advice on Choosing Homeschooling Programs

Series Summary

Homeschooling is the option of educating children at home, away from the environment of public and private school systems. Usually taught by parents or professional tutors, homeschooling grants parents the opportunity to customize an education for their children without the influence of state education laws or criteria. Perfect for families who disagree with the local school systems or for families who live in isolated rural areas, homeschooling is a legal alternative to formal education. In this free series on homeschooling, a homeschool mom offers advice about educating children at home. Find out how to register children for homeschooling, where to purchase homeschooling materials and how to teach a variety of subjects at home. Learn about "unschooling" students by taking them outside the classroom to experience life, and get tips on teaching homeschool students to drive a vehicle. Customize a curriculum for homeschool students, tailoring it to fit their specific needs and interests, using these helpful tips.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Linda Wooldridge. I am a Homeschool Mom. Every now again another mother will ask me for advice on choosing a Homeschool program. You know it really depends on you and your student. Don't choose something that will be hard for you to use. Because, within a few months you will hate it and it will be a waste of money. For example, if you choose to use a regular textbook that has been retired from the school system. You will need to write your own lesson plans. You may need to write your own answer key as well. Because, all that you will receive is the actual textbook that the student uses. I prefer to use textbooks which are written for homeschoolers. I get my answer key. Sometimes I even get the lesson plans written for me. So, I don't have to figure out what's in a days work for my student. You can even write your own curriculum. If you have a book that you like to use. Such as this history encyclopedia. You can choose a period of history. Write your own curriculum and just study whatever interests you. You do want to pay attention to covering most areas of history though. Don't concentrate only on the US or only on Ancient history. Cover the entire gamut as much as you possibly can and if you need additional help with what your student is supposed to be studying that year. Well, truthfully every school does it a little differently. So, you will probably be okay no matter what you choose. But there are things called scope and sequence that you can use to help you design your own homeschool curriculum. I'm Linda Wooldridge. Have a great homeschooling day."