How to Start Homeschooling
Have you thought about becoming a homeschool family but don’t know where to start? Here are some resources and first steps to get you going in the right direction! I’ve also created a detailed guide, specifically for secular homeschoolers, that you can access here:
If, for ANY reason, you are thinking this may be the time to explore your options with homeschool, these tips will help you get started on your journey. If you are already a homeschool parent, please fell free to add resources and tips in the comments on this post below! We are stronger together! I know how overwhelming this can all be at first. We started at Kinder, so keep in mind, if you are transitioning from traditional school to homeschool- there will naturally be an adjustment period for that, so lean into it and give yourself, and your kids lots of grace and patience while you all get acclimated.
KNOW THE LAWS IN YOUR STATE
First, make sure you clearly understand the laws in your home state- every state has homeschool regulations of some sort, so knowing those and working with them is the best place to start. Many recommend HSLDA (NOT LINKED INTENTIONALLY) for finding your state laws, I do not because HSLDA is a Christian organization that garners funds from the homeschool community to fuel their political agenda and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. They also spend money to pass laws that help ONLY Christian homeschoolers and if any of this sounds ok to you- you’re probably not gonna love my website. I do NOT recommend HSLDA and I do LOVE the LGBTQIA+ community.
This is going to take some research- but it’s worth it and as the laws, regulations and requirements vary from state to state- knowing yours, specifically, matters big time. As I mention in more detail below- finding a local homeschool parent or group or organization with similar values to yours will be tremendously helpful because they will have been where you are and can guide you through the necessary steps to get started in your state! I happen to be in California, so if you are too- here are two good websites to start with!
CHN (California Homeschool Network) and HSC (Homeschool Association of California)
Look on your state’s Department of Education website and check out CRHE too!
DISCOVER DIFFERENT HOMESCHOOL MODELS
Next think about what type of homeschool practice you and your kiddos want to start out with- remember this will evolve as you go.
If your child has been in traditional school for a few years (or more) starting with a relaxed “school at home” approach may be the best transitional tactic. When we first started, “unschooling” sounded like something we would never ever attempt but here we are 5 years later and we absolutely incorporate elements of unschooling into our eclectic style! There is a detailed breakdown of the various styles in the Getting Stared Guide.
Some states offer charter programs that provide funding for curriculum and resources- this can be a great option and I highly recommend looking into for new-to-homeschool families! Here in California there are quite a few options but I know many states do not offer any type of funding for homeschool families, so definitely look into this for your area if it’s something you’re interested in.
FIND A HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY (LOCAL OR ONLINE)
Online and in-person homeschool groups can be tremendously helpful. These can be an excellent place to ask questions, connect socially, organize group field trips, exchange curriculum etc. Where I live, near Los Angeles, there are lots of homeschool families, so we have quite a few online and in-person groups and local outsourcing options- I’ve found, over the past 5 years, that most communities have something like this too, so definitely investigate if your local area has online homeschool communities (like a Facebook group) or even something in-person. I have to mention this though, especially if you are brand new to homeschooling, people homeschool for lots of different reasons, and staying true to yourself and your values may feel isolating at times and you may not have a local group to connect with, but there are communities all over the world that you can find online that will share similar styles and ideals. For example we are not religious, we believe in science and there is a sector of the homeschool community that is very religious and also a sector that is very against vaccines and choose to homeschool in order to uphold those specific beliefs. All of this to say, don’t feel like you have to change you what you believe to be a great homeschool parent, there are plenty of options for all, don’t give up if at first it seems like homeschoolers aren’t your people, I promise folks who align with your values are out there and you will find them!
CHARTERS & CURRICULUM
If you are able to homeschool with a charter school, they will be a great resource for curriculum, and some of them also offer funds that you can use for various curriculum, outsourcing, enrichment etc. It’s definitely worth investigating if there are charter options in your area. If you are homeschooling independently one way to get an idea of what you’ll be covering in the coming school year is to check out the state standards for your state by grade level. Here is a resources for that- but it’s also a pretty easy google search. (STATE STANDARDS BY GRADE BY STATE MAP).
Don’t let these stress you out, but use them as a guide, and know that every kid is different- while the state standard for 3rd grade math might involve multiplication , if you know your child is still struggling with addition and subtraction- stay there, meet them where they are, work on what they need to strengthen and the rest will come in time.
The state standards will just give you an idea of what is being covered in traditional schools in each grade level. Knowing and learning with the state standards or using the school-at-home model are also often a good fit if you think your homeschool journey is a temporary situation and that your kiddo will be returning to traditional schooling when possible. We actually completely ignore the history standards and instead learn history in chronological order because it made more sense to us to do it that way. So again, you will adapt as you go and as you grow! There is SO MUCH curriculum out there, SO many online options, workbooks, classes- it can be really overwhelming, so leaning into a community where you can get specific questions answered is extremely helpful. If you have specific curriculum questions leave them here for me in comments below and I’ll do my best to help or to point you in the right direction!
Check out my SECULAR HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM LIST here!
RESOURCES
My number one tip is to give yourself and your kid(s) a ton of grace- these times are unprecedented and we have no frame of reference for moving through something like this. Prioritize mental and physical health above all else and use this as an opportunity to deepen the connection between you and your kids. Here are some of my absolute favorite folks who create epic content for homeschool parents, if you are a homeschool parent and/or content creator please add more links and resources in comments:
