How do you know if homeschooling is right for your family? How can you help your child to have fun and learn at the same time? If you’re considering homeschooling, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
When should I start homeschooling my child?
Perhaps your child is struggling in a classroom setting, their academic needs aren’t being met or you like the idea of being able to educate your child yourself in a holistic, informal way. There are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool and honestly, there is no right time. Whenever feels right for you and your family.
What do I need to get started?
You need to enrol your child with the governing body and then they will send you the requirements and an enrolment package. If your child is already at school, you need to notify the school to unenrol them before you embark on your homeschooling journey. Once that is all sorted, you are on your way to becoming your child’s home educator.
If you’re really worried about started this journey, I would recommend hiring a tutor to help with basic subjects like reading, writing and math while you observe and spend some time getting your head around what you need to teach and how you will approach it.
How much will it cost me?
The cost of home education will vary depending on the age and location of your children but for the most part, homeschooling itself is not too costly. Prices will creep up as some parents may opt to do a hybrid style for their kid’s education by incorporating tutoring or hiring a teacher alongside their homeschooling. Homeschoolers often like to attend extra-curricular activities too, which can also increase expenses.
What books and materials should I buy?
Many parents go overboard when it comes to buying resources for their child’s schooling. Whilst buying a bunch of workbooks from your local store can come in handy, often these materials are full of “busy work”, which children tire of quickly and they often get put aside and rarely used.
Using lesson plans given to you by your chosen homeschool provider is a great start along with resources with rich, hands-on activities such as Teacher for Early Years that is an all-in-one resource that breaks down all the important areas of Literacy and Numeracy curriculum expectations, giving you the confidence and inspiration to plan practical and engaging activities.
Utilising free and paid websites as part of your child’s learning is also a great way to incorporate a variety of learning tools in an economic way.
Do we have to follow the school calendar or can we choose what we do on which day?
It’s up to you! There are many different ways to organize your day. You can choose a primary school style of following the calendar, or you can do a mix of different things. Having the flexibility to give yourself a mid-term break if needed or to take holidays outside of school holidays is a big perk for homeschooling (plus all that money saved and holidaying without the crowds!).
What is important is that you stay on top of deadlines and keep up with your child’s learning goals.
How do you assess how well your child is doing in their studies?
Many parents choose homeschooling to get away from assessment but it is still important to measure progress in some capacity whether it be anecdotal or formal and standardised tests to measure academic skill and knowledge.
Simple checklists like those found in Teacher for Early Years is a simple way to gauge whether your child is meeting the minimum requirements for their age.
One of the first things to work out when considering homeschooling is how your children can best learn. Working out whether they are a visual, kinesthetic (hands-on), auditory (listening) or if reading and writing is their preferred way of learning is a great start to being able to tailor the lessons to their preferred style. If you’re considering teaching your child at home, it’s also a good idea to get them involved in other educational and extracurricular activities outside the home to help create friendships and spend time with peers.
I hope these tips have helped the often daunting task of starting out your homeschooling journey, feel a little easier and achievable. All the best in your new chapter, I’m sure it will be a fun, challenging but rewarding one.
