How to Homeschool

So you have decided to start homeschooling.

Welcome!

If you’re not sure how to homeschool or you’re just looking for ideas and support, here’s where you need to be.

I’ve compiled the most helpful homeschool articles from the site right here just for you.

Children playing with blocks and beads as in the picture above are a great example of how homeschooling can be more fun and interactive for your children than you might expect.

This article contains affiliate links to things that you might like.

Join Our Homeschool Community

As always, if you have any questions or just want a supportive community of fellow homeschooling parents and teachers, join us in the Homeschool Teaching PreK-3 group.

We’re happy to have you!

FAQs About Homeschooling

How do I start homeschooling?

Great question!

The answer really depends on where you live and what the requirements are for your state and country.

Check out this article that talks about the three things you need to do to start homeschooling.

It also includes a list of the departments of education for each state with links.

If you’re in Pennsylvania like we are, this article on Homeschooling in PA has more specific information.

Is Homeschooling Right for My Family?
How to Start Homeschooling Mid-Year
When to Start Homeschooling
How to Homeschool High School
How to Homeschool Kindergarten
How to Homeschool Preschool

What Do I Need to Start Homeschooling?

Don’t rush out and buy things for homeschooling without checking out the list of must-haves for first-time homeschoolers.

Veteran homeschoolers will surely have much of this already on hand.

How do I Keep Track of Homeschool Hours?

One of the scariest parts about starting to homeschool is the requirement to track hours and days.

It’s hard to know how to track it all!

Here’s a simple homeschool tracker that we use and have used for over a decade (seriously, it’s been a looooong time!) that makes tracking so much less stressful.

How do i create a homeschool portfolio?

A homeschool portfolio is a collection of the highlights of the work from throughout the school year.

It can be a physical portfolio or a digital portfolio (if that’s permitted by your state).

You don’t have to save every single item, but it is a good idea to save most of them and then compile the best pieces for submission at the end of the year.

(Many states don’t require you to submit a portfolio so don’t panic! Just research what’s required by your state. You can find the links to the departments of education for each state in this article.)

3 Tips for Keeping Track of Homeschool Progress

How Do I Decide on a Curriculum?

Oh, the curriculum question!

It’s hard to decide which curriculum to use – even for those of us who have been doing it for a while!

The beauty of it is that choosing a homeschool curriculum can be a fluid thing.

You are NOT stuck using the same thing all year long if it doesn’t work for your family.

Check out these articles on curriculum to give you some insight into how to choose a homeschool curriculum and pop over to the Ultimate Homeschool Curriculum Directory for more ideas:

How Will My Child Socialize with Others if We Homeschool?

Socialization is one of the most frequently debated topics when it comes to homeschooling.

Forget academics, people want to know how their kids will meet other children.

Don’t worry, in a normal world (read: not during a pandemic) there are ample opportunities for kids to meet others.

What Does a Typical Homeschool Day Look Like?

One of the hardest things to get past when you start homeschooling is the “school day” mentality.

Typically, parents send their kids to brick and mortar schools for 6-7 hours a day.

Shouldn’t a homeschooling day be that long too?

Nope!

In fact, most homeschoolers spend only 2-3 hours a day working on lessons and activities, because there are fewer distractions, no transition times, etc.

Once you change your mindset, the idea of having so much free time in your day to take field trips or play outside is highly appealing.

How Can I Homeschool and Work From Home?

I wish there was a magical answer that made this easy, but the truth is that working from home and homeschooling is tough.

There are a finite number of hours in the day and it’s really hard to be in two places at once – even if your desks are right next to each other!

That being said, homeschooling and working are possible!

I did it for over a decade!

Do I Have to Join a Homeschool Co-op?

So many first-time homeschoolers have the impression that they absolutely must join a homeschool co-op in order to successfully homeschool.

Guess what?

That’s totally not the case.

If you want to join a co-op, join one.

If you don’t, don’t.

It really is that simple.

When You Can’t Find a Good Fit Homeschool Co-op

How Can I Teach Multiple Children in Different Grades?

Remember the images of one-room schoolhouses?

Well, if you have multiple children in multiple grades, it’s time to channel your inner Little House on the Prairie teacher.

It can be challenging for sure, but there are ways to make it a lot easier.

One of those is to use the same curriculum for all of your kids.

How to Homeschool Multiple Children