How To Start Homeschooling: 4 Easy Steps to Begin Homeschooling

Did you know the U.S. Department of Education estimates there are 1,770,000 homeschooled students in the US (2013)? I’m sure there are more now since the popularity and accessibility of homeschooling is on the rise.

When we decided to turn our lifestyle upside down and homeschool our kiddos, I was clueless as to how this is done. “How do I start homeschooling my children?,” I wondered.

So I dug deep into the world of Google to figure this thing out and boy was I surprised at the amount of information out there.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you want to read more see my boring disclosure statement at the bottom of the page.

Read: The benefits of homeschooling

Read: 3 great reasons to homeschool and why we chose to

It can get a little overwhelming. What homeschool curriculum do I use? What are my state laws for homeschooling? How long should I teach a day? How much does homeschooling cost? The questions and uncertainty can go on and on.

Because I have a passion to help our other homeschooling moms on their journey, here is a complete guide for the first time homeschooler who needs help knowing how to start homeschooling or if you have already started, where to go from here.

Before you get too far, you should read My Advice for New Homeschoolers.

And you have to get your 1st day of school signs here.

How Do I Start Homeschooling?

Pray

I couldn’t do this without the help of God. I need all the help I can get and He gives it to me.

5 Prayers to Pray for Your Homeschool

• Guidance- That He would direct your path
• Wisdom- For you to teach your children what they need
• Peace- For the whole family; but also for you to be at peace with all the choices you are making
• Tons of Patience- For those days that seem never ending and you want to put your kids on the big, yellow bus
• Diligence- That your kids would work diligently and efficiently

Check Your State Laws

Homeschooling is run by the state and every state has different laws. Some are more strict and require more from the parent and some have very relaxed laws.

If your state’s laws seem complicated don’t be discouraged. They probably aren’t as complicated as they seem. A law put into practice usually isn’t as complex as it seems on paper.

Here is a link to HSLDA to check what your state laws are.

Find out Your Homeschool Style

• What is YOUR homeschool style?

Are you structured and organized or are you laid back and chill. I’m kind of both, but lean more towards a relaxed homeschool. 

There are many different methods of homeschooling your children and not one is wrong or right. They’re all dependent upon your teaching styles and your child’s learning styles.

Jennifer at Helping Hand Homeschool has a great homeschool style post with a workbook to help you find out what style of homeschool mom you may be.

• What are your kids’ learning personalities?

Are they a workbook kind of kid? Or are they more of a listen and learn kind of kid? I have one of both. Rebecca from Homeschool On has a cool learning style quiz to find out what kind of learner your child is.

The best thing about homeschooling is THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO DO IT. Read and play games all day or do workbooks all day if this is your child’s style of learning . Either way, make sure your child is learning, thriving, and benefiting from it.

Read: 5 Things Every Homeschooling Mama Needs

After you’ve found out what your family’s homeschool style is then you can set to work finding curriculum to fit your needs.

This one is where things get overwhelming. There are TONS of curriculum companies out there and TONS of people telling you what you should use and why.

Just remember, stuffing a whole bunch of subjects down your kids throats everyday is not going to get them ahead. “Quality over quantity when it comes to education,” I always say.

We cut down on the amount of work we have to do by using copywork.

What kind of homeschool curriculum should I buy (and how much does homeschool curriculum cost?)

Homeschooling can cost as much or as little as you want. You can go the freebie route and use k12 or utilize your local library and get creative on the internet. You can also spend some real money and get everything you need sent right to your front door.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to homeschool your kids. I love to buy used books and curriculum from buy/sell groups on Facebook, Thriftbooks, and Amazon. This is the best way to homeschool frugally.

Want to homeschool for free? See my post Homeschool for Free With These 29 Tips and Resources.

How to Start a Homeschool Routine

Routine goes back to your personality and also your lifestyle. If your a night owl, maybe you sleep in and get your school done later than normal.

Maybe you work through the day and need to do it in the evenings. My belief is everyone needs some kind of routine. And, it doesn’t have to be the traditional morning routine.

Whatever you do, get it planned out. Trust me, it will save you buckets of time and frustration. Start with a homeschool planner and go from there.

How Long Should I Teach a Day?

Homeschool doesn’t have to take all day like public school. A lot of time is wasted in the public school systems because they have to work around 20-25 kids per class. You don’t have to do that at home.

A typical homeschool day lasts from 1-4 hours depending on the age of the child. However, if you have a large family, it may work better to slowly work through your homeschool day.

Read: How to Ditch the Homeschool Stress

How Do I Teach So Many Different Ages?

Math has to be split up according to level, age, or grade level. Language arts can be split up the same way. On the other hand, if you use copywork for most of your language arts it can mostly be taught together. Adjust the passage according to age and maturity level. Here is my post on copywork.

Science, history, geography, bible, and art can all be completed in a group setting with all your children. Again, just adjust the amount of work to accommodate your littles.

Related: Responding to Homeschool Critics in Your Family

How Do I Homeschool With Toddlers in the House

Homeschooling with toddlers in the house can make your day more chaotic. The toughest ages are between 1 and 2 1/2. You just have to embrace it and try to find something to keep them occupied.

My house was always completely tore up from my 2 littles by the time we got done with our school work. We would all work together to get it put back together when we were done.

Here are some ideas to keep toddlers busy while you homeschool

• • Fill the kitchen sink and let them play with some plastic bowls and cups

• • Fill a shallow plastic tub with kinetic sand and let them have at it (keep a lid on it to store it)

• • Fill a plastic tub with pebbles and let them play with matchbox cars and little tractors (keep a lid on it to store it)

• • Playdoh and cookie cutters

• • Buy their own cheap workbooks or coloring books at the dollar tree (toddlers live to imitate brothers and sisters)

• Another idea is to set these things up as centers like a preschool would do and let them play with one for as long as their attention span lasts, then move on to the next.

Don’t get frustrated when they take your attention away from your task at hand. It’s just in their nature to do so.

The “S” Word: Homeschooling and Socialization

This has to be the #1 worry people have when you announce your going to homeschool.

“How are you going to socialize them?”

Ask yourself this question, Do I want my kids socialized by kids at school or people who love them and truly want what is best for them? I wrote a post on this.

Most people are afraid their kids won’t get along well with other kids because they spend too much time with adults. That may or may not be the case while they are a child. However, they don’t stay children forever.

They grow up and socialize with other adults of all ages for the rest of their lives. They’ll be far ahead of kids who only know how to socialize with kids their own age.

Are They Going to Learn All They Need To Learn?

If you really need to know what your child needs to learn from year to year go to your state’s State Department of Education website and find what their academic standards are. For example, here is Oklahoma’s Department of Education academic standards website.

Another option is to talk to a local school teacher and have her make a broad list of what the kids in her grade will be learning.

This shouldn’t even be a worry if your giving your all to educate your children. Life skills alone will make up for what he/she lacks in the book knowledge.

Besides, how much do you remember that you learned in school? Probably not a whole lot considering you were there for 13 years.

Are You Still Asking Yourself How You’re Going to Start Homeschooling Your Child?

I hope not. I hope this guide helped you to navigate your way through this.

At the end of the day you’re a parent and love your baby more than anyone else in this world and want what is best for him/her. No one else can ever want more for this child than you.

If you’re having doubts as to whether you can do this- you can. You can do this. God gives His grace and strength to those who need it. There’s so much support out there for you and I’m your biggest supporter.

I understand that not everyone CAN homeschool. I get it. But if it’s just discouragement holding you back, drop a comment below and I’ll help you in anyway I can.