You never planned to homeschool but your baby just turned 3 and you can’t imagine putting her on a school bus, ever.
Your kids were in school since they were in pre-K and suddenly the public school environment isn’t workable for your family.
You always wanted to homeschool, but your spouse wasn’t on board and now he is.
What are your first steps?
The idea of homeschooling can seem overwhelming at first, but as with any large task it’s important to break it down.
- The first thing to internalize is that you are totally capable of educating your child. The primary goal of homeschooling should be to give the child the tools they need to learn – such as reading, writing and math. There are a lot of tools and opportunities out there so that if you’re weak in any, or all of these areas, you can learn alongside your child.
- The second thing you’ll want to review is the paperwork required to homeschool in NYS. It’s not complicated, and can seem overwhelming at first, but after you do it once it will feel a lot more manageable. If you’re still overwhelmed after reading through the requirements, you can ask someone to review your paperwork in one of the homeschool Facebook groups, or you can have your paperwork reviewed by Grace. Click here to learn more.
- Next you’ll want to consider whether you’d like to use curriculum and if so, what kind. This will generally relate back to your educational style, and it’s okay to take time to figure that out. It’s normal for people to switch curriculum mid-year while their finding their goldilocks approach. To help you get started, we put together this Quick Start Guide to Homeschool Curriculum.
- Finally, you’ll need some homeschooling friends. Homeschool groups, co-ops and activities are a great way to connect with others who have the same lifestyle you do. We’re fortunate in Rochester to have a number of excellent choices. You can view a chart which compares them by clicking here.
Would you like to learn more? Join us for our next Homeschool Roadmap Event! You can also sign up for a coaching session by clicking here.
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