If you are thinking about homeschooling
you are probably wondering how on earth to get started. I know I did. It
seemed overwhelming at first. The first thing I did was to start by looking
at as many web sites from homeschooling families as I could find. This gave me
an inside look at how other families fared, and what their successes and problems
were.
Many of the questions that I had were
covered in these pages. Things like "What about making friends?", "How
do I find materials to use?", "What ways do other parents use to teach at
home?".
I also emailed a number of families
who offered help, and asked questions. I found that most people involved in homeschooling
were eager to share their experiences and helpful advice.
These sites will give you a good start
on finding places to begin:
Is it legal to homeschool?
The next area that concerns most people when they decide to homeschool
is the legal issue. Yes, it most certainly is legal. There are different requirements
in different states, and in some states it may be a bit more difficult. But
it is legal and there are organizations and support groups available to help.
You can find the requirements for any state here.
Structure - Once you
have decided that homeschooling is for you and you have learned how to go
about filing the necessary papers and fulfilling the requirements, you will
need to decide just how you want to "structure" teaching your children at
home. One of the biggest pluses of homeschooling is the freedom to decide
what works best for you and your child. Because every situation is different
and each child is different, what works for one family may not be right for
someone else. We chose an "unstructured" method often referred to as
"unschooling". But there is no right or wrong way. Talk to your children
on their feelings about learning. Find out what excites them, what their
interests are.
This handbook shows parents everything
they need to know about
homeschooling.
Then read as much as you can about various
techniques and adapt them to make a plan that works for you. If you are
interested in the ideas behind unschooling, try looking at these sites:
The list is practically endless. Your
local library, bookstore, used bookstores, television programs, museums,
and the Internet, are just a few places to start. Keep it simple. Don't run
out and buy a lot of books. Use materials readily available for free and
find out what works and what materials are good. There are many rating services
available for educational books and software. Lesson plans and materials
are readily available for free online. Start with some of these sites and
in future columns I will be adding many more.
About the Author:
Beverly
Miller is the mother of four, and together with her daughter Ruth
Simmons, operates a home-based web development and graphic design business
Silverleaf Design.
For the past two years
she has been homeschooling her son Andy, 17, and has learned a great deal
about the resources offered on the Internet for homeschooling parents.
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If you are thinking about homeschooling
you are probably wondering how on earth to get started. I know I did. It
seemed overwhelming at first. The first thing I did was to start by looking
at as many web sites from homeschooling families as I could find. This gave me
an inside look at how other families fared, and what their successes and problems
were.
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