How To Start Homeschooling?

Suppose you are considering educating without school, or have already decided to do so, but don’t know where to start. In that case, I will give you some suggestions that can help you clarify your doubts about how to start homeschooling.

Step By Step Guide to Start Homeschool

Remember that you are making a radical decision that will require all your dedication and patience. You should not see homeschooling as a fad; beyond an alternative education for children and young people is a lifestyle. Every family is different and applies homeschooling according to their family goals, needs, and possibilities.

STEP 1. Think About It

Homeschooling is a significant decision, which will completely change your family’s lifestyle; therefore, you must be 100% convinced; and once you have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages, overcome your fears, and have well defined your reasons and convictions to educate without school, you can take the rest of the suggestions.

Having your reasons and the objectives you want to achieve by educating without a school well defined will help you a lot; since those objectives are the ones that will always accompany you and will be your impulse on not so good days.

If you feel you don’t have the skills to do it, it’s just a matter of trying a little harder, and I assure you that you will succeed. In my free guide, I talk about the skills and knowledge necessary for a homeschooler.

Also, remember that it’s a decision that must be made as a couple; and you must explain to your kids your reasons for not sending them or taking them out of school, prepare them to face questions from other people.

For you, as a parent who will be homeschooling, it will be a complicated experience at first but very enriching. When you start to see the results, I assure you that you will get that motivation to allow you to take strength and continue. There will be bad days, but I assure you that there will be more good ones. Still, take your time to analyze the situation and listen to your heart.

STEP 2. De Schooling Period

Whether or not you have decided to send your child to school, the whole family must go through a period of de-schooling.

I put this point second because after you’re convinced to go home to school, you should start with the de-schooling stage, and I recommend that you start with yourself, then include your partner, and then both of you help your kids. Teamwork will no doubt be fundamental to your new lifestyle.

We’ve grown up with the idea that school is the only way to learn; changing this paradigm and debunking the myths of homeschooling is very difficult, especially when you know that most people have a school mind.

You have to be strong in the face of people’s disapproval and criticism. Work hard on your beliefs, always keeping your reasons and goals in mind will help you a lot.

STEP 3. Find Out

When considering homeschooling as a learning alternative for your children, you should inform yourself as much as possible. There are different media; blogs, video blogs, books, social networks, etc.

There is a lot of information available to us, but I recommend that you don’t get intoxicated; don’t become a consumer of information without taking action.

STEP 4. Research The Legal Situation In Your Country

This step is of utmost importance; knowing the legal situation in your country is very important since not all countries allow homeschooling. You should be responsible and informed about what applies in the country where you live.

STEP 5. Observe Your Children And Know Their Learning Style

As you well know, every child is different; therefore, the way he learns is also different. Having chosen education without school, you must completely forget about the way they teach at school; you must look for the learning style that best suits your child’s needs.

One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can make learning fun. Defining your child’s learning style will allow you to define the resources you will use when you start homeschooling. The primary learning styles are: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

STEP 6. Choose The Learning Method You Will Use

Having determined your child’s learning style, you will be able to choose the method you will use to begin your homeschooling process. There are a variety of methods: Montessori; Charlotte Mason; Waldorf; books; online; classic method; free learning, etc.

You don’t have to focus on just one; you can combine the ones you find best, or take something from each one, you’ll decide as you go along.

I would recommend that you don’t block yourself if you don’t know which one to choose when you start, take it easy and analyze each method; that way, you’ll know which one is best suited to your child and what you want to achieve.

If you already know what your child’s learning style is, it will be easy for you to choose one, as you get to know more about it, and as you adapt to your new lifestyle, you will find it less complicated to choose or mix methods.

STEP 7. Make Your Work Plan

Although homeschooling is free if I suggest you make a work plan, since that way it will be easier for you to have a direction and you can measure your progress; the plan can be modified as you go along.

But it is crucial that you define your goals and that this plan is your roadmap. If your learning method is unschooling, I still suggest that you have a plan, especially well-defined schedules in which you will be spending all your time and dedication on your child’s learning.

STEP 8. Define a Workspace

Forget that for your child to learn you need a classroom that is also part of a schooled mind; what I advise you is to have a workspace, it doesn’t matter if it is the living room or the dining room of your house, make sure that at the moment of studying there are no distractions for your children.

Everything can be done according to your possibilities; even your patio could be the right place. It’s also vital that you choose a schedule; homeschooling is indeed flexible, but I think that starting to have discipline will be fundamental. Having a schedule will allow you to get better organized.

STEP 9. Join a Community (Support Group)

Feeling alone against the world is normal when you have chosen to educate at home; however, we have technology on our side, and fortunately, we have the social networks that allow us to meet more families that have adopted this method of learning, in this way you will feel accompanied.

STEP 10. Create an Environment of Peace, Tranquility, And Harmony

When it’s time to start your home adventure, you need to be happy and motivated enough; and you need to show your child that learning doesn’t have to be tedious, frustrating, and boring. Show them that you can learn in a calm and harmonious environment.

Don’t stress out; bring out the teacher in you but for the better. Also, consider that this is something new for your whole family. The process of adaptation may vary; take the time you need and enjoy the great opportunity you have in your hands to be a fundamental part of your children’s lives.

Besides, you should feel lucky to have the chance to spend a lot of time and get to know your children very well, and also let me tell you that you are courageous for your decision.

In Conclusion;

Don’t allow paralysis by analysis. If you have chosen a plan, and after starting your homeschooling process, you discover that it does not work as you expected, you do not have to continue.

Remember that the important thing is that your child has an active and quality learning; you can change as many times as necessary, give yourself time to find the best way and don’t get frustrated; be patient and don’t let yourself not start by waiting for everything to be and be perfect, paralysis is somehow also fear; overcome it and convince yourself that you will do well.

Trust yourself and your intuition, and I assure you that you will do a great job.