Getting Started

I think my biggest hurdle with homeschooling was getting over the fear of taking on such a huge task. I was overwhelmed with all of the endless information and websites. Instead of just picking and choosing what I liked and having patience with the discovery process, I just wanted to shut down and hide.

For some people, a boxed curriculum, which is one order, through one company, for all your books  (not necessarily one publisher) will be the best choice for first year homeschoolers. It may even be something you choose to do as a veteran homeschooler, but others of you will venture out into the world of deciding yourself what is best for each individual child.

You will notice in the curriculum choices I have for PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade that I didn't list all the curriculum I have ever used. I chose what I used for the majority of my kids or what I am currently using. It can change and it does look different from child to child usually.

Here are some things to remember if you are a newbie...

First, WELCOME to the wonderful world of taking full responsibility for your child's education. It's a BIG step and it's one that you can do great at so breathe deep and dive in. Prayer should always be your first move when deciding to homeschool. You need Him and so do your children. Include the Lord daily.

Secondly, discuss with your spouse your reason for homeschooling and write it down. Keep it close. You will want to review it as challenges arise. You can read more about this in my blog, Know Your Why. Create a mission and vision for your homeschool and you can use the process listed under the mission/vision area of my blog in regards to families.

Next, you can not ever be filled with too much information on homeschooling. Read, read and then read again. Do this every chance you get to sit down and have a moment. Others experiences are invaluable to helping you miss out on the mistakes and hit only the ringers!

Your very next step should be to check the laws in your state or country regarding homeschooling. They vary from place to place. You can see your state laws HERE.

Then, you need to think about what kind of homeschooling method you will use. You may not know right now what kind of homeschooler you will be and that is okay. There are so many approaches to homeschooling and you will find yourself developing into that almost without thought. Research the different ones and you might discover it right away: Classical, Eclectic, Charlotte Mason, Thomas Jefferson, Unschooling; there are so many great ways out there.You can see the descriptions of each method HERE.

OK, now practically, you need to place your order for your books. I recommend not waiting until July as books on used book sites like Amazon and Ebay become non- existent and on back order causing you to put off some subjects until September.

If you do not want to go with a boxed curriculum, you can pick it out yourself. You could go off of friends recommendations or you could use The Well Trained Mind's recommendations. She has several options she has researched and she picks the best she has found and tells you where to find them and the price from the publisher. I still say Amazon is your best bet. Christian Book Distributors is another place I order from. Ebay is certainly another option. Any online book store is fine. Basically, where the book is the cheapest and with a company that can get it to you in a timely manner and has trustworthy customer service  is who you should go with. Curriculum Halls at Homeschooling Conventions carry lots of great deals. I highly recommend attending one at least once to see what you think.

Organize an area in your home for just homeschooling materials and supplies. It may not be your strong suit, but you can't afford to be disorganized while homeschooling. This may be a growing area for you, but you will be glad you grew. I have had drawers, shelves, crates, and a conglomeration. I don't like the deep drawers. I do like having a a small 3 tiered plastic organizer for crayons, stickers and markers. I have a plastic box with a divider that separates into 2 compartments and a handle in the middle that is very helpful. I put my stapler, hole puncher, index cards, erasers, pencils, white out, calculators, rulers and chalk in there.  The books that I am not using that year will go on a shelf in my garage that I can peruse as I need for reference, but any day to day books we are currently using go in our school room on a book shelf all it's own. Each child has their own shelf and they are responsible to go and get their books and put them away. I also have binders that we store loose leaf papers and that is only good when I file. Otherwise, my papers are stacked high in an in/out office shelf. I have a basket for flash cards or other educational games that have lost their boxes and found baggies as their new home. I have found keeping them together in one basket makes it easy from year to year to pull out what I need.

If you don't have a lot to spend on organizational items, don't worry. Like I said, drawers work fine. Cups can be used for pencil holders, shoe boxes can be used for storing crayons and crafts. There are websites out there that teach you how to homeschool for free. I haven't researched that yet, but probably should.

So a quick recap:

Pray alone and with your spouse and children. Talk to your spouse, read, create your why of homeschooling, your mission and vision for homeschooling and then listen to friends and other homeschoolers. Educate yourself on the state laws.  Choose and purchase your books and then set up your school area or room. Don't feel like it should mimic a school room unless you just want it to. If it's normally a kitchen, then let it remain that way. School goes anywhere! To see a list of recommended supplies, go HERE.

I am so excited for you to start! It is wonderful knowing that your children walk in truth. You have the perfect opportunity to raise your children up in the way they should go so in the end, they will not depart from it.