Homeschoolers ROCK!

Homeschoolers put into practice the freedom of choice that has made this the greatest nation in the world. Whether by conscious choice, conviction, or circumstance, you either have, or are in the process of, making the decision to homeschool your kids and are entering a world that is understood only by those who have made this commitment to their children.

Congratulations!

First of all, you can do this. Yes, it can be a frustrating, time challenging, what-have-I-gotten-myself-into-now experience, but it can also be fun, rewarding, connecting, and valuable experience for the whole family.

There are a few things that will help get you off to a good start on this homeschooler educational journey, and I cannot stress enough that planning and goal setting are the real keys to success with homeschoolers. So with that in mind, here some tips to help guide you in the right home education direction.

Tips for Success

Warning! Before you make that final decision to homeschool (or not) check out the laws regarding homeschoolers in your state. Each state will have their laws and requirements for homeschoolers, so find out first!

For example, I live in Michigan, so I looked up non-public or homeschool on the Michigan.gov website to find out there are not specific notification or reporting requirements, however, there are a few specific curriculum requirements, but they are not regulated at all by the state. Other states have specific reporting, record keeping, and testing requirement, so be sure you know and understand what is expected by you under the law of the state where you reside.

Planning ahead will make things so much easier for you and your kids. Trust me on this one – you can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you are going. So (with state requirements in hand) make a plan with long, medium and short range goals for each of your kids.

Goal Planning

Long range goals should be the end result of your homeschooler seducation plan. High School GED, getting into college, or learning independent living skills. Your child’s interests, personality and abilities should guide you in these decisions, and remember, this is not written in stone! Especially if you have very young children, start with your goal for them and modify the goals as your child grows and matures.

Medium range goals for this should include your overall plan of attack. For instance, do you plan to sit your kid at the kitchen table for eight hours a day, seven days a week? Or are you planning a completely informal, impromptu unschooling approach to teaching your homeschoolers? What kind of curriculum, books, software, etc. do you plan to use? Do you need accommodations in your home for your child to learn properly? This part of your plan tells the how of your goals and should be written on a yearly basis.

Short range goals are what you plan to do and teach this month, or quarter – depending on how you plan it. I suggest having a plan for at least a month out, more if you can swing it. And the more informal, unschooling approach takes even more planning to pull off properly and not allow those teaching moments to pass you by.

Make a plan and stick to it. Kids are kids and if you are not supplying a structured and planned motivation, they will establish their own priorities.

Support

Find other families for support. Join a homeschoolers group in your area, or on the internet. They are a fountain of information about where to get resources, activities and events.

For our family here at the Greenman Homeschool Academy (for wayward girls – just kidding!) everything we do we try to find and turn into a learning moment. Part of our medium range goal planning was our Learn See and Do board which you can see here, that got the whole family involved in planning activities for the year.

Activities

There is literally a ton of stuff to do out there for free, or for a small fee. There are libraries, museums, the zoo, art centers and theater, to name a just a few. Plenty of businesses have free tours and are more than happy to accommodate homeschooler families. Farmers markets, gardens and parks offer an inexpensive way of teaching about nature, nutrition, botany, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, math, language, geography, geology, history, social interaction, communication skills, coping skills, the environment, living green, business skills, and a host of things you haven’t even though of yet. See what I mean about planning…

Whether you are homeschoolers for religious or political reasons, your child has special needs, or you are just plain afraid of what our public schools have become, you are not alone. There are millions of other families out there who have made the same decision, and are successfully teaching their children at home. Families that reach out and learn from each other seem to do much better than the families trying to make it all on their own – a reflection of the spirit of this great nation. Make sure you let your state representatives know how you feel about homeschool laws.

Tell Your Story

Do you have your own homeschoolers experience that you can share? Helpful tips, lessons learned, funny stories, encouragement, ideas, suggestions, or even the horror story, can really help other parents who are going through the same things. Tell us your story – just fill out the contact form Here.

Resources

Homeschool Central
Here is a link to a page that has all the states listed with a link to information about homeschooling in your state.

http://www.homeschoolcentral.com/support/index.htm

ABA Resources for Recovery from Autism/PDD/Hyperlexia is a good resource for applied behavior information.
http://rsaffran.tripod.com/aba.html

Parents of Autistic Children (POAC)
provides scientifically-based training to parents, teachers, and related personnel who provide direct services to children with Autism
http://poac.net/about/about_who.asp

Return from Homeschoolers to Special Education

Return to Raising Special Kids Home

Want to read more about my family? Visit: www.anieleirose.org

Copyright    Disclaimer    Privacy    Contact    Home