Want to Homeschool?

Here is my advice on what you need to get started

  1. Mark this website as one of your favorites, it is here to help!
  2. You’ve made the decision to homeschool, be sure to fill out the Declaration of intent before September 1st.
  3. Join a support group once you’ve made the decision.  The information that you receive from other homeschool parents is priceless.
  4. Start asking questions to your local homeschool support group.
  5. Evaluate your child’s learning style…  How do they learn best?  Are they visual learners?  You may want to look into learning opportunities that have some sort of DVD or game that go along with a subject.  Do they need structure to succeed? Do they work well and efficiently on their own?
  6. Evaluate the way your child responds to you.  Do you discipline them in a way that they will know that you mean business when school time starts at school?  If not, work on it with reward systems that will get the job done.  While it is hard to wear the teacher and mommy “hat” it is necessary for everyone to succeed.
  7. Realize that you need to throw everything that you learned school is supposed to be away.  If the traditional school setting didn’t work for your kid, it is not going to work at home either.  There are learning opportunities everywhere.  For example, go to grocery store with a budget.  Have your children keep up with everything that is put in the basket.  Add it up.  In other words, you don’t have to sit at a desk doing worksheets and learning with a dry erase board all day.
  8. Pick your curriculum; you can use different curriculums for each subject or you may try the unschool approach (uses everyday learning experiences to educate).  Take a look at our forums, ask questions, see what works best for your kids.  A lot of curriculums have samples that you can try.
  9. Try to attend a Homeschool Expo.  There is one every summer in Atlanta.  While it can be somewhat overwhelming, almost all the Atlanta Area homeschool groups and classes will be represented there.
  10. Decide where you are going to do school time at your house.  Even if it is at your Kitchen table, make it sure that is organized with all your necessary supplies (paper, sharpened pencils, rulers etc…) close by.
  11. Brace yourself, the first year will seem daunting.  It is perfectly normal to question yourself on the decision to homeschool.  You and your kids will eventually get the hang of it!