5 Easy Steps to Begin Your Homeschool Journey
Homeschooling has become an increasingly popular choice for families seeking a personalized and flexible education 📚 for their children. I am noticing more and more people these days considering, 🤔 or at least looking into the option of homeschooling their children, which is super exciting! 🎉
I feel like there are two types of homeschool families…
👩🏻🏫 the ones who have planned to homeschool since their kiddos were babies
🤪 and then there are the ones who sort of got thrown into it, but quickly realized the awesome potential it holds
Which homeschool journey best describes you, mama? Were you thrown into it? Been planning for years? Or maybe something else… be sure to share in the comments 👇 I would love to have a convo about your journey!
I never thought I would homeschool
If you would have asked me 5 years ago if I would consider homeschooling my kids, I would have given you a big fat… “heck no!” 😳😖🚫 HOWEVER, the last 4 years of homeschooling have truly been such a blessing ❤️ and at this point I can’t imagine sending my kids back to school.
Homeschooling has changed me in many ways; it has allowed me to see learning in a different light that is so beautiful and magical to witness. ✨ Now don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of days that I want to pull my hair out 🤪😮💨 and ship my 3 boys off to a boarding school 🏫 😂 BUT even with those days, I would still choose homeschooling!
In this blog, I am excited to share my experiences and offer some valuable tips ❤️ for the mama who is considering, or just beginning her homeschooling journey.
Let me help turn your overwhelm into confidence as you get started with these 5 simple steps. 💪
Now, please keep in mind as you read this blog, that every family is different and every state has different homeschooling laws. I will leave you with some tools to help you figure out what may be best for you and your family.
I know the decision to homeschool your kid(s) can be extremely overwhelming.
When I first began I felt...
😩 lost
🤷♀️ confused
🙁 concerned
😣 overwhelmed
🫣 scared
🤗 excited
❤️ seriously, all the emotions!
So if this is you right now, please know that you are not alone!
Do yourself a favor and...
take a deep breath mama! 😮💨
It’s truly not as complicated as we make it out to be. (And that’s coming from a mom who homeschools in one of the most strict homeschooling states)
Im going to walk you through some first steps to take in your homeschooling journey 🏁 and hopefully these steps will get you closer to your decision and/or starting your homeschool for the year. 👏
STATE SPECIFIC HOMESCHOOLING LAWS
First things first, get familiar with your state’s laws and regulations around homeschooling. 👮🏻♂️📜 You will likely need to report to your school district your decision to homeschool, as well as send in some basic paperwork and possibly reports depending on your state.
You can find information about your state by simply googling “homeschool laws in [insert your state]”.
❗️I would recommend becoming familiar with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They define themselves as "a non-profit advocacy organization that makes homeschooling possible by protecting homeschooling families and equipping them to provide the best educational experience for their children." You can become a member or simply use their free site for basic information. They have loads of resources, up-to-date homeschool laws, a search database for local homeschool groups, homeschooling grant applications, and much more.
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HSLDA has a lovely map that shows which US States have the strictest homeschooling laws (don’t panic, I live in NY which is one of the strictest states and it’s really not as bad or scary as it seems on paper, I promise!)
Check out the map below, then visit HSLDA to look up the specific laws for your state.
If you live in a green state, congratulations 🎉 You don't need to do any reporting, and you can simply begin homeschool whenever and however you would like! (be sure to double check things on the HSLDA site just to be sure)
If you live in NY like me, here is a current copy of the NYS homeschool laws.
save this link, you will need to refer to it often
Once you decide to homeschool ...
Once you've done the hardest part, deciding to homeschool, 👏 start your homeschool journey by following these 5 simple steps...
1. NOTIFY THE DISTRICT
Once you decide to homeschool you will (depending on your state) need to notify your school district of this decision. 📞 Start by calling your local school district and asking them how to go about notifying them of your decision to homeschool. They will give you the contact information of whomever is in charge of that department and they can walk you through the process. 📑
Most states require at least a Letter of Intent (LOI) and an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). These are just fancy terms for a letter informing your school district that you are going to homeschool, and a very basic outline of what you plan to teach. 📩🧾
The LOI comes first, so once you know who your school district contact is, send them your LOI. I recommend googling some templates for this. It truly is very basic, I personally use the motto “less is more” when it comes to any homeschool reporting.
Below 👇 is the LOI template I personally use each year. Please be aware of how your district would like homeschooling matters communicated. Some require it to be sent via certified mail 📨, some regular mail is fine 📬, and some accept email 📧. I would recommend keeping record of all of your interactions with the school district including dates that you send things in.
To Whom It May Concern,
We are sending this notice of intention to instruct at home as required of Section 100.01 of the Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education. [CHANGE THIS ACCORDING TO YOUR STATES REGULATION]
We intend to homeschool our children in the [INSERT SCHOOL YEAR]:
[INSERT CHILDS NAME] for [INSERT GRADE]
[INSERT NEXT CHILDS NAME] for [INSERT GRADE]
Sincerely,
[SIGN YOUR NAME]
THAT’S IT! Don’t overcomplicate it! I’ve sent this in the last 4 years and not once have I been asked for further information.
Next, your school district will respond to you (per regulation in NYS they legally have 10 days - this will all be laid out to you in your specific states homeschool instruction policy).
Ours sent us a packet 📁 with information on steps to take next, including an outline for the IHIP 📑 and quarterly reports (most states don't require these).
Again, I recommend keeping it SIMPLE, “Less is more”. See what you are legally required to report in the laws and regulations for your state. This is where the HSLDA comes in handy.
2. FIND YOUR HOMESCHOOL STYLE + SELECT CURRICULUM
Please know that one of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom 🇺🇸 to choose what best fits your family, AND to change that whenever you see fit.
One of the most empowering things to me as a homeschool mom is knowing that I don’t have to homeschool in a certain way.
In fact, I can homeschool one way with one child 👦🏻 and another with the next 👦🏼. We can switch styles the following year, or heck, midway through the year if we wanted. If one curriculum 📙 isn’t a good fit, then on to the next we go 📗!
This is another reason that the “less is more” attitude is best for reporting because it leaves you way more wiggle room for switching things up when you need to. 😉
Some homeschooling moms know right from the get-go what style of homeschool they want to have 👩🏼🏫, while others have no clue 🤷♀️. This homeschool style quiz from www.homeschoolon.com helped me figure out that the homeschool I envisioned 💭, wasn’t actually the style that fit me best ❤️.
Check it out and let me know in the comments which homeschool mom style you have!👇
I thought 💭 I would get Waldorf / Charlotte Mason style when taking it, because those are the styles I was trying to follow, but when I took the quiz, I realized that I was trying to be a homeschool mom that wasn’t fitting my needs.
On my quiz I actually got the Traditional Homeschooler!
My results were...
32% traditional 🏫
20% unschooler 🐾
19% classical 📖
Which, when I am being the most honest with myself is so accurate as to how I homeschool my kids.
>> Be sure to let me know what you got in the comments! 👇
Once you know your homeschooling style, you can begin to research 🧐 various curriculums 📚 that suit your style. There are also lots of free curriculums, units, worksheets and more out there!
TIP: Follow the homeschool mom bloggers out there, so many of them have weekly freebies! I have SO MUCH free homeschool material from bloggers, we never even get to all of it before they age out of the material. Specifically pre-k, kinder, + 1st grade - there is so much out there!
SECOND TIP: create a separate homeschool email 📧 to hold all of your freebies in! 😉 you're welcome.
❗️ Also keep in mind that YOUR style may not be how your child learns best, so being open to change and switching things up is important.
3. CONNECT WITH OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS
We always hear that “homeschoolers don’t get enough socialization” 🙄 {please know that I am giving the worlds biggest eye roll while I type this}, when in reality there are LOADS of opportunities as homeschoolers to get your kids involved in the community and socializing with their peers. 👧🏻👦🏽🧒🏼👶🏾
When I first started researching I was AMAZED at how many opportunities there were in my area for homeschoolers. We have been invited to so many that we have to say no a lot because it can get overwhelming. So please don’t worry about your kids not being socialized. 🤓 In truth, your kids will likely become more socialized than public school kids. Unlike kids who go to school and see the same 14-20 kids every day, all year long, your kids will likely have many groups of different friends at various activities AND likely kids of differing age ranges. There will be plenty of socialization happening!
Socialization will not be a problem unless you lock yourself and your kids in your home 24/7, which I have yet to meet any homeschool family who does 😂 (although I suppose I never would meet them if they stayed home 🤷♀️😂). Anyway, the point is your kids will be fine!
There are a plethora of Facebook homeschool groups, so I would start there to find local groups.
Next, I would connect with your local...
- library
- gyms
- dojos
- YMCA
- museums
- etc.
They many times have programs specific for homeschoolers.
Next, google “local homeschool co-ops” and you are bound to find a handful.
Lastly, put your feelers out… find and connect with other local homeschoolers. 🤝 Veteran homeschoolers always know the best groups to get involved with! 🥰
4. JUST START
You don’t need an elaborate plan or schedule to homeschool. Just commit to it and start. Grab a book and start reading, or grab a dollar tree workbook and start going through it. 📓
It is easy to become frozen from overwhelm and over complicate things. Like I suggested with the reporting, “less is more”.
Just start simple and take things one day at a time!
Not every day homeschooling is perfect, not every day homeschooling is even pleasurable. 😣 When it seems like everyone is frustrated, thats always a good time for a break. Give yourself grace for the day and take note of your kiddos limits. ❤️ Some kids can tolerate longer lessons and others cannot.
There is no “right” way to learn. The quicker you learn your kids learning styles the easier homeschooling them will be.
If there is one thing I have learned, it's that trying to force kids to learn something they aren’t interested in, in a manner they don’t learn well in, will never end well for anyone involved! Do yourself a favor, take a break and try again another time and maybe in another way. ✨
The best part of homeschooling is the freedom! Please remember that homeschool doesn’t have to look like traditional school (unless thats what you and your kids want).
One thing homeschooling has taught me, is that learning truly takes place everywhere! Your kids WILL LEARN no matter how you homeschool. 😊👏📚
Simply create an inviting environment for learning and watch the magic happen. You’ve got this mama!!
5. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE + GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD!
This I suppose goes right along with the previous step. Giving yourself grace in homeschooling is so vital to your success. 🏆 That includes grace with your own expectations. It’s easy in today’s world of social media and “perfect” instagram feeds to fall into the comparison trap. 😬 If you have been following homeschooling influencers for any length of time you know exactly what I am talking about.. the perfect homeschool rooms 👩🏼🏫, beautifully well-kept homes 🏡, over abundance of the classiest curriculums 📚, children with permanent smiles 😁, etc. That isn’t everyone’s reality. In fact, I would be willing to bet it’s almost no ones reality! So please don't fall prey to the comparison trap and let it defeat you.
You CAN have a magical homeschool even with…
🏚️ a messy home
📒 mismatched curriculum
🧦 muddy clothes
😭 toddler melt downs
🛋️ couch schooling
😫 and moments of tears and frustration.
The magic is in the moments and the freedom, so if you are ever feeling defeated, take a moment to give yourself grace and get out of your head. ❤️
✨ YOU ARE A GREAT MOM
✨ YOU ARE THE PERFECT TEACHER FOR YOUR CHILDREN
✨ YOU CAN DO THIS
✨ YOU ARE DOING THIS
It’s great to find inspo 🫶🏻 and fresh ideas 💡 from other homeschoolers, but try not to feel like you need to make your homeschool look just like theirs. Each family has their own homeschool journey and none of them are the “right” one. They are all perfect in their own way!
Homeschooling is truly such a journey of freedom 🇺🇸, growth 🌱, and learning together ❤️.
I hope these ❺ steps were helpful to you mama! You've got this!!
BOOK SUGGESTIONS
Being new to homeschooling is just like being new to anything in life. We need to learn and practice to gain more confidence in it. Here are a few books that I would suggest checking out. 📚 I hope you find them as helpful as I have.
This is also a great list of recommended books for homeschool moms from The Homeschool Compass
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PS. there are lots of podcasts 🎙️ and YouTube channels 🎥 out there too! If you have one yourself or find a good one that you enjoy, please feel free to share it in the comments! 👇
IN SUMMARY
Homeschooling isn’t always something we dream ✨ our whole lives about, sometimes it’s more of a last minute ⏳decision or a new idea 💡. No matter what it is for you, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or paralyzing.
Start with these 5 steps to get your homeschool going and then take it day by day!
As I stated earlier, homeschooling is all about freedom 🇺🇸, growth 🌱, and learning together ❤️. Enjoy this special time with your kids. They grow up way too fast!!
I wish you many blessings and many exciting adventures together on your new journey. 😊✨ May you have the best year yet!
Until next time,
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DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any information provided to you on this site is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor. I am not in any way diagnosing, treating, prescribing, or claiming to cure anything. Any and all medical ailments/treatment plans should always be consulted with your physician. This information is my own personal experiences and personal research. You should always do your own research and decide with your physician what is best for you.
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