More about How to Start Homeschooling in 2021

It’s an exciting time to start homeschooling.

So many people have started homeschooling as a result of school closures. I have a few friends who are newly homeschooling. It’s great! I’m always happy to see someone take the leap into this lifestyle that I find so personally rewarding. If you’re here and you’re new to homeschooling, you may be thinking that if you’re going to be responsible for making sure your kids stay begrudgingly engaged in endless Zoom calls, you may as well have some say in what and when your kids are learning. As this school year ends and plans for next year start to become reality – and in my state there is no school reopening in sight – I find myself answering lots of homeschooling questions! I find myself answering so many questions that I decided to put it in writing. For a cheat sheet with lots of info, please click on over here.

Assuming your family wants to start homeschool, your next step is to get on the right side of the law.

Find your state’s homeschooling laws. Some states have a lot of legal requirements, such as detailed attendance records, standardized tests, even curriculum oversight. Other states are more laissez-faire, with few- to no hoops a parent has to jump through to start homeschooling. Some states are moderately regulated. You can find your state’s requirements here. While you are getting your paperwork in order, be sure to alert your local school district if your kid is currently enrolled in one.

Before you start homeschooling, plot your course with a mission and a vision, and indulge in a fantasy about how you’ll remember this time 20 years from now.

With your partner and your kid/s, you’ll want to brainstorm your family’s unique reason for deciding to homeschool. You’ll want to plot your vision to give you an ideal to shoot for when life gets tough. And while it is true that we can’t control the outcome of our efforts and trying to do so is a fool’s errand, it is also well-documented that a happy childhood generally results in a happier adulthood. So allowing yourself to visualize the ideal peer relationship you hope to have with your adult children some 20 years from now can be a powerful tool for guiding your actions today.

Human beings are wired for a village. Finding your tribe is a must.

Find your people. Join your local homeschool groups. Search Facebook and Meetup for “homeschool [your town]. You don’t have to know yet what kind of homeschooler you are, you just need to meet other moms and your kids need to meet other kids so you aren’t making this awesome lifestyle 180 alone. I homeschooled for a few years before I found the homeschooling group of my dreams, and finding it made all the difference in my own happiness. I can’t stress enough that finding people who know what you’re going through, and who can give you ideas and support in your journey– it’s priceless.

Decide how you will structure your homeschool

.Do you want to go your own way with minimal oversight and maximum freedom to school as you like? Some states offer the option to file a Private School Affidavit which is a form that tells your state you will be operating a private school in your home. If you want minimal involvement with your local education authority and your state allows it, a PSA allows that freedom within the parameters of your state’s laws. If you want more support or if you want financial assistance, joining a homeschool charter can be a good choice. With a charter you will receive some of your tax money back to spend on curricula, supplies, and sometimes classes for your homeschool student. Materials must be secular since your charter will be funded by your local public school’s budget.

Some differences between a homeschool charter and filing a Public School Affadavit

Every charter has different rules and funding amounts vary. I have been with charters that offer $2000 per child per semester and I’ve been with a charter that offers $600 a year per child but also offers a great resource library and engaging weekly classes. You’ll need to determine what is most important to you. You should expect more oversight from a charter than you would get if you filed a PSA. You’ll be subject to standardized testing and accountability that varies by school. If you need money more than freedom, thinking about your charter’s regulations as requirements you might need to fulfill to earn money at a job can help. Yes, you’ll jump through some hoops but you get a paycheck for your trouble.

Find your homeschooling style

Do you dream of reading the classics on a picnic blanket by a creek while kids run around finding butterflies to sketch in their nature journals? or having a young scholar whose grasp of world history and Latin grammar make your heart swell? Then you’ll want to check out Charlotte Mason method and Classical Education, respectively. There are home ed styles for people who like worksheets, people who like project-based learning, people who like to leave their days unstructured, and even people who really like tea. I’ve linked here to three business/styles I happen to love and use pieces of in my own family’s homeschool. But your style will likely be different from mine. Most likely you’ll create something new from several methods. (Eclectic homeschooler, are you? Me too!) To discover your own favorite method, you’ll want to read and follow method- and curriculum rabbit trails. A fun way to know where to start is by taking an online homeschool philosophy quiz.

If you are new to homeschooling or gearing up for your first “official” year of home ed after last year’s Covid-schooling,

…please tell me: what is your biggest challenge right now? What do you see standing between you and your happier homeschool? Go ahead and share in the comments. And if you’re rocking this thing and want to shout it out, please share that too!

If this article helped you, please pass it on to a homeschooling mom friend. Thank you!