Thinking about home schooling

If you are thinking about homeschooling this year and have never done it before, let me give you some tips. When my husband and I came to the idea of homeschooling are daughter I had no idea what to do. I had a wonderful next door neighbor who offered to do it for us since she was already homeschooling her daughter. So all I had to do is give her the money for my daughters books and the things she needed and that was it. She was amazing with her, she got her reading to where it needed to be and our daughter really liked school. When the 6th grade rolled around my next door neighbor decided to go back to work so that meant I had to teach. I didn't know where to start what to do with her. I did get some advice from my neighbor but, I still felt very over whelmed. So it took me two years to really get into homeschooling. So here are some of the things I have come across in my travels with homeschooling.

If you are new at homeschooling and don't know which way to go,



1. Look in to a curriculum. I know they can be costly but you have everything you need right there.


2. If a curriculum is not the way to go for you. Make sure you look through the books you want to do. Make sure you read them and find out what they are teaching. I have ran across some books that were just reading no quiz or test. Which is fine but you will have to make up your own.


3.There are a lot of teaching aids out there make sure you find what is best for you and your child. You need to make at their pace. My daughter is a little slower at learning, but my oldest is very fast, find out how they learn then set it to their learning abilities. So if you make it to tough for them you will have a lot of road blocks and being to easy you will find that they have a lot of free time.


4. Remember that the day is up to you to make them work. My daughter does a lot of reading and I do a lot of looking over her work. Know what they need to work on that day before the day starts. I have found myself getting ready on that day and have always given her the things I didn't want her to do yet. I always do a lesson plan on Sundays for the whole week. If they don't work out you can always adjust them. I don't feel as lost if I do it a week at a time. Then you have something to go off of if you have to adjust.


5. I have learned how I do my curriculum is up to her. If she really likes what she is doing we can go a little faster. If she is having trouble understanding then we can go a little slower. Last year I started a new curriculum and we ending the year in April. To me that was just to fast so this year I'm added more things to do and spending a little more time on things that she is having trouble with.


6. Make if fun for them but also make it challenging. When you come to the things your not sure about you may have to find a tutor or a friend that knows how. I have also used the internet for finding out some math problems and I will find those sites for you.


7. One of biggest thing that I am looking to doing is something out side of the home. Some where that they can be with other kids their own age. Something I wish I would have done it earlier. You need to check your local home schooling association and get involved.

8. My last piece of knowledge is to know your homeschooling laws for your state. I just ran across my for Idaho yesterday making sure I was with in the laws (which I am, we don't have very many for homeschooling). Since my child is going to be in 9th grade, which is high school, I have to make sure I keep good records of her work and grades.


I have given you some of my tips to start homeschooling. I will be trying to make a list every week of things to do or things I have done that have or haven't worked.