How does homeschooling work?
Homeschooling works differently in every family and in every home. Because of this, I don’t really have an answer to this question (no one does).
I’ve included information below, to explain why there is no correct answer to this question:
Homeschooling is flexible. It allows you, the parent, to decide:
- What subjects you’re going to teach. The basics need to be taught, but you can add anything you’d like – sewing, character education, wood working, auto mechanics, coding, etc.)
- What curriculum, if any you’re going to use (There are so many options! All inclusive boxed sets, online classes, secular curriculum, faith-based curriculum, curriculum you develop yourself, etc.)
- How you’re going to teach (there are many different styles of homeschooling). Many homeschoolers choose an eclectic approach which means they choose a little of this and a little of that – whatever works best for their family.
- What days you’re going to homeschool (remember, homeschooling is flexible – if you want to homeschool 4 days a week you can).
- And more!
Heck, with homeschooling you can even unschool or road school!
Did you know that homeschooling changes over time?
It does! Homeschooling changes with:
- The experience of the parent
- Family circumstances
- The number of children homeschooled
- The ages of the children
- Their learning styles
- What’s “hot” in the educational market (STEM and STEAM are big right now)
- The discovery of new websites and/or curriculum
- And more!
How you homeschool five years from now will certainly be different than how you start to homeschool (it will probably be more relaxed).
Below, I’m going to answer various “How does homeschooling work/getting started” questions you might have.
How do you start homeschooling your child? First, you need to know about the homeschooling laws in your state. Some states have very few regulations while other states have many. The thing you need to know is that regardless of what state you live in, homeschooling is legal. Contact your state homeschooling association and google for homeschooling support groups in your area. They can help with explaining the laws, plus veteran homeschoolers love giving advice to newbies. You can ask about curriculum, co-ops, homeschool schedules, etc.
Can a parent be a child’s teacher? Yes! Check with your state to see if there are minimum educational requirements – some states require that parents have at least a high school diploma.
What does a typical homeschool day look like? Again – impossible to answer! 🙂 The style of homeschooling one chooses influences what a day might look like. Different styles include Waldorf, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, eclectic, unschooling, and more.
Do homeschoolers follow the public school calendar year? Homeschoolers have the flexibility to homeschool when they’d like. Many follow the public school calendar, but most homeschoolers I know homeschool year-round, with a more relaxed schedule in the summer.
What does it cost to homeschool? This varies. You can homeschool for as little as $250 a year or you can spend much, much more. In our family, we spend about $500 per child per year.
Well, I hope I answered some of your “How does homeschooling work?”questions. If you have additional questions, I’m here to answer them!
