How to Start Home School ! Your step-by-step guide

Indonesian

So how to start home school ? I'm set about homeschooling. I'm excited and I really want to do it. What do I do first ?

1. Find support group

If you have just decided to homeschool your children but you're still not sure how to start, first and foremost, find and contact a local support group. They'll get you started, I guarantee that. More on support group for help on how to start home school.

2. SKIP TO NUMBER 8 !

Well if you're at that point where you just want to start doing something instead of weighing all your options, then skip reading this and go to number 8.

3.Get to know your child

Begin homeschooling by watching your children. Know their learning styles. Some children learn best when you leave them alone, some need a lot of encouragement. Some learn best in the morning, some just won't learn anything until everybody else is fast asleep. This is another good thing about homeschooling, you can choose whichever way that fits your child.

4. Read homeschooling books

If you haven't already done so, here's a couple of book that made me want to start homeschooling :

How Children Fail by John Holt is really what convinced me. It's not a long book at all but it doesn't explain the how to start home school. The title tells it all.
Homeschooling the Early Years by Linda Dobson has good starting points on how to start home school.
The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise is as complete and as concise as I could ask for. It's got the 'how' and the 'what' of homeschooling your kids from preschool to highschool.

5. Attend Homeschool Convention

If there is a homeschool convention going on near you and you really want to know how to start home school, then go ! Homeschool Convention is just great, whether you're new to homeschooling or have been doing it for years, but especially for those who are just starting on homeschooling. It's got forum on homeschooling introduction, panels of parents who have been there, curriculum display, even students display.

6. Choose the method you like

Yup ! There are different ways of homeschooling. It's not just about taking your kids from school and setting up desk and chair to bring school home. You have probably started homeschooling just by letting your children play and learn on their own.

The methods range from the very structured (school-like) to not structured at all. So whichever works for your family is best. More on homeschool method.

7. Choose your curriculum

What do you want your kids to learn and how do you want them to learn. More on homeschool curriculum.

8. Just START and DO it

Still confuse and not sure ? Too much information and your head is just spinning ?

Well I'd say just forget the how to start home school and just start doing it. You can worry about number 3 - 7 later.

Get a book and start reading with your kids. Talk about the book. Enjoy the drawings or pictures. Take a walk with your kid and talk about what you see. Talk about the clouds, the rain, trees, squirrels. Go to the park and play catch. Just enjoy your kids !! There you go, you have started homeschooling !

But that's not homeschool ?! Oh yes it is.

When you read to your kids, respond to his/her questions, no matter how silly it can be. See if your kid is ready to re-tell the stories in his/her own word.

When you walk with your kid and talk about what you see, you're giving them facts of knowledge. They might not know about cloud before, nor squirrels, or maybe this was the first time they see a monarch butterfly.

Once you get comfortable and know how your child is, know that he's ready to do schooling, play alphabet or math games. Then go back and do number 2 - 7.

9. Feel free to change

The good thing about homeschooling is that you're free to change. If your kid loves a curriculum today and hates it next month, you can change how to teach, when and where to do schooling, even change the curriculum. Find what works.

If you feel like you've read enough about how to start home school and you're not confident about it, talk with your support group, adjust the curriculum, the methods, the timing, etc.

10. I almost forgot, check the law

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states so you don't really need to worry about this, especially if you have younger kids. However, there is a homeschooling law that needs to be adhered to so depending on your kids age, before you start homeschool, check your state law and see if you can get a discount card for bookstores ! (only kidding, but seriously, you CAN get a discount as a homeschooler).

11. That's a looooong list ! I didn't realize there's so many things on the how to start home school list.

Well this is just a guideline and I don't think I've said that homeschooling is not hardwork. It IS hardwork, but it surely is worth it.

Let me say it again, you don't have to follow every single step listed here. Pay attention to the numbers 1 and 8 of how to start home school list.

Homeschooling does require more 'PARENT PARTICIPATION' than if you just send your kids to school. But it is possible, it is doable, and more and more people are doing it.

So go ahead, you know how to start homeschool, now it's time to START HOMESCHOOL ! You can do it and it's worth it.