HOW to start homeschooling your child!

Are you thinking about homeschooling but unsure if it suits your family? Or are you still overwhelmed with all the information you may find online and still don’t know where to start?

Then you’re in the right place!

They say, the idea of homeschooling your child can be both exciting and frightening at the same time. But preparation is definitely the key. Knowing what to expect and what to do makes all the difference. Thus, homeschooling doesn’t have to be frightening as others may picture it to be, but definitely, it is exciting!

As parents we always want the best for our children like with their Education for one. More and more families are now exploring homeschooling as a better choice for their kids. 

Getting started with homeschooling wondering about a lot of things is quite overwhelming. But here are the things you should know and consider on how to start homeschooling your child.

ASK YOURSELF WHY?

Taking full responsibility of your child’s education is in your hands and we want to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. 

Ask yourself this question: Why Do I Want to Homeschool my Child? We all have our different reasons why. Each family has their own unique whys. Some choose this path because they believe that education does not only takes place in the classroom or boxed type form of education doesn’t simply work with their lifestyle, while some families are always on the go and move a lot thus enrolling their kids on a Traditional School is not even an option, and others want to get away from the psychological and physical torment that happens with bullying. 

Knowing your WHY is something you should be clear about. Not having a clear why is like travelling without knowing exactly where you wanna go thus you eventually lose your way.  When things go rough and you feel like giving up on this journey, you hold on to your why. It is what will keep you going! That is why I cannot emphasize enough how important it is.

Once you are clear on your why then you’re ready to homeschool. 

INVOLVE THE WHOLE FAMILY

You’re all excited to take on this journey, but have you included your family in your decision?

Remember, homeschooling is a family journey, not your child’s journey alone nor your journey. The whole family has a say on this matter. 

Ask your children what they think about them being homeschooled instead of going to a traditional school. It will be hard to get them to cooperate if they don’t want to be homeschooled in the first place. You have to make them understand, you have to explain to them especially if they have been in a traditional set up for a while now. This won’t be a problem for parents with kids who will just start schooling. 

It’s best for everyone to be on the same page before you even start planning or deciding on homeschooling. Help everyone understand your why, address their concerns and misconceptions like for example about socialization.  

Trust me when I say having everyone on the same page will make your homeschooling journey a lot better. Because most often than not, misunderstanding among family members about homeschooling leads to unsuccessful journey.

ARE YOU GOING INDEPENDENT OR UNDER A HOMESCHOOL PROVIDER?

One must know what would work best considering the lifestyle of the family.

You may opt to go independent or enrolled under a homeschool provider. Homeschool providers are Dep-Ed accredited institutions that help parents get accreditation for their homeschooled children. They provide the school records needed when homeschooled kids decide to go back to the traditional school or when they enter college. Take note that not all Homeschooler Providers offer the same curriculum. You may opt to do more research and see what fits your family.

While other families choose to take the independent route. Meaning, they do not enroll their kids to any homeschool providers. Going indie makes the curriculum more flexible but you may still opt to follow the Deped. When the time comes to go back to traditional schools, they take DepEd exams like the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) or the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Exam under the Alternative Learning System. 

If you are new to homeschooling and you think you need a guide, then your best choice is to enroll your kids under a Homeschool Provider. One of the Homeschool Providers is The Learning Place International, known as TLP in Los Banos Laguna. They offer open-curriculum based learning and you may join their traditional school’s activities if you like. You may visit their Facebook page or website for more details.

KNOW YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING APPROACH

Who knows your child better than you, right? Each child learns differently so they should be taught differently as well. Choose ways that will keep your kids focused and excited on their everyday learning. 

Research on what homeschooling method works for your family.  It can be as traditional as “school at home” or as radical as “unschooling” where education is more on the practical learnings without the need for exams.

There are many homeschooling methods like Classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Unschooling, School-at-Home, Unit studies, and Eclectic education methods. You may want to explore these to see what best suits your kids.

The goal here is to not to know what is the best out there but to know what approach or method will work best for your child. 

JOIN SUPPORT GROUPS ONLINE OR OFFLINE

Homeschooling doesn’t mean you have to do it alone and most times the reason it fails is because of the lack of support and feeling alone on this journey. 

Even if you haven’t decided yet, you can go ahead and join homeschooler communities. This will help you better understand homeschooling coming from fellow homeschoolers who are already doing it or still planning on doing it.

To successfully homeschool, look for community and support groups whether online or offline. Having a support group helps you in a lot of things. You can do field trips and activities together avoiding isolation. That’s socialization in there plus the fact that it makes the cost of activities more affordable when shared among more families. You can also share tips and techniques to make homeschooling more fun and exciting. 

It is also good to know that what you’re going through is not unique to you and other homeschoolers feels the same way too. This is where you will find encouragement and support. This will keep you sane when things are really rough. Who would understand what you’re going through better than a fellow homeschooler, right? Talking to people on the same page as you are is really helpful on your homeschooling journey.

Being part of a community of homeschoolers will make a huge difference on your journey. You don’t only get the support you need but you will also gain friends in the long run.

OPTION TO ATTEND HOMESCHOOLING CONVENTION

Attending homeschooling convention is something you may also want to consider. This will give you first hand information from homeschooling experts about homeschooling itself. This is a great way to know more and understand homeschooling in a holistic manner.

This is learning from the experts themselves.

CONSIDER TIME AND COST

Homeschooling will also have a cost, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. The cost will entirely depend on your choices, Are you going to get enrolled in a homeschool provider? You will also need to buy books and school materials or going on field trips like regular schools. It can go as high as going to traditional school or not. It really depends on you but the technique here is setting a budget and working things out based on your budget. 

On a good note, you don’t need to save for transportation and food allowance. Your child doesn’t need to wake up very early in the morning just to make it on time to school. This is I think one of the best advantages of homeschooling - getting away with traffic that eats up your child’s energy making him/her feeling tired because of the travel time. 

Now that you’ve learned about the things you should take into consideration, you’re a step ahead to deciding whether to homeschool or not.

Make sure that you, as the parent-teacher will have time to teach your child. Remember, homeschooling is a parent-led education, not tutor-led. Yes, you will be needing help from experts like for subjects that you are not good at but still, you should supervise. Sometimes, the problem arises when parents leave everything to tutors and are not hands on with their child’s education.

Remember How to homeschool starting TODAY is easier than you think!

I’m so excited that you’re exploring your homeschool journey!

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