{"id":24115,"date":"2015-03-31T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-31T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com\/?p=24115"},"modified":"2018-10-04T14:58:36","modified_gmt":"2018-10-04T18:58:36","slug":"questions-and-answers-about-homeschooling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com\/questions-and-answers-about-homeschooling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Insider’s Guide to Homeschooling: What You Need to Know Before You Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve homeschooled my kids since 2002, but I still remember all the unsure, overwhelmed feelings that accompanied making the leap from thinking about homeschooling to actually doing it. I recently asked my Facebook followers<\/a> what they wanted to know when they first started homeschooling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

My intent was to compile the questions and answers into a blog post, but it quickly became a novella and, thus, a series of questions and answers about homeschooling was born – The Insider’s Guide to Homeschooling: What You Need to Know Before You Start<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

This post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure policy<\/a> for more details.<\/em><\/center><\/div>\n

This 3-part (for now) series will answer some of the most common questions about homeschooling<\/strong>. Next week, we’ll tackle questions about how to choose curriculum, how much homeschooling costs, and how to transition to homeschooling.<\/p>\n

How do you homeschool legally?<\/h2>\n

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but the laws governing homeschooling can vary greatly<\/strong>. Some states consider home schools to be private schools with very little oversight, while others are highly regulated. It is vital that new homeschooling parents understand the laws governing their state. <\/strong><\/p>\n

My go-to source for homeschooling laws<\/strong> is the Homeschool Legal Defense Association<\/a> website. They maintain a synopsis of homeschooling laws for each state<\/a> and U.S. territory.<\/p>\n

HSLDA now requires first and last name, an email address, and state or a member login to look at the legal synopsis pages. It’s kind of an annoying hoop, but I think it’s worth it to make sure you understand your state’s laws.<\/p>\n

While it is imperative that each homeschool parent take personal responsibility for making sure that he or she fully understands the laws<\/strong>, homeschooling families in your area can be an excellent source for getting an overview of state laws. Just remember, “Well, Kris said…” is not an adequate defense for failing to comply with the law. Do your homework and make sure you understand your state’s laws. They’re generally pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n

Homeschool laws can also be affected if your child has been enrolled in school before.<\/strong> For example, in Georgia typically you don’t have to file a Declaration of Intent to Homeschool until your child turns 6, the minimum compulsory. However, if a child under the age of 6 has been enrolled in public school for 20 days or more, you do have to file a DOI.<\/p>\n

How do you homeschool?<\/h2>\n

This is a very broad question, but one that many new homeschooling parents are asking. What I think they generally want to know is, what does homeschooling really look like<\/em> each day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That can vary widely from family to family. I remember one of my first experiences with a homeschooling family – other than my one friend who has homeschooled forever – was a mom who who made her kids call her Mrs. So-and-So during school time so that they could differentiate between school time and regular family time.<\/p>\n

I’m not going to lie – to each his own and stuff, but that makes me cringe. I wonder if she continued that as they got older. To me, homeschooling is as much a lifestyle as it is an educational choice<\/strong>. No matter what we’re doing during the day, I’m always Mom.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

I think new homeschooling parents would love the opportunity to be a fly on the wall in another homeschooling family’s home for a week<\/strong>. It can be hard to wrap your mind around homeschooling if all you’ve ever known is a traditional school setting. When we first started, I would have loved to have spent a day or too just observing a homeschooling family.<\/p>\n

If you know a homeschooling family, why not ask if you can observe? Most would probably be willing. If not, you’ll really like the annual Day in the Life series at Simple Homeschool<\/a>. Each year, all the Simple Homeschool bloggers share a post from a day in their homeschool. What I like best about the series is that there are all different types of families and homeschool styles represented<\/strong>. It really gives a great peek into how varied homeschooling can be.<\/p>\n

In addition to my posts at Simple Homeschool, I’ve done a few day in the life<\/a> posts on my site.<\/p>\n

How do I know what to teach?<\/h2>\n

One place to start is your state’s homeschool requirements. For example, Georgia requires that homeschooled students be taught math, science, language arts, social studies, and reading. There are no stipulations on how those subjects are taught, but the law creates a framework from which to begin.<\/p>\n

If you’re a textbook or all-inclusive curriculum kind of family, you can start with your child’s level (based on grade, age, or a placement test) and go from there.  For example, we loved Trail Guide to Learning<\/a>. What to teach was a no-brainer because it includes everything except math.<\/p>\n

A good source to use as a general guideline is World Book’s Typical Course of Study<\/a> site. There are also the “What Your {Whatever} Grader Needs to Know<\/a>” books. In a letter to my first-year self<\/a>, I stated that the money I spent on those would have been better spent on field trips. That’s true – but I do recognize that they can be reassuring those first few years. Just be sure that you’re using them as a framework. Don’t let them rule your homeschool.<\/p>\n

For most kids, I’d suggest starting with the basics:<\/strong><\/p>\n