Getting
Started
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Homeschooling really is easy.
I cannot count the number of times people have said that they
wouldn't have the patience to homeschool their kids or that they
would fail because it was too difficult.
The most difficult task is mustering
the confidence in yourself to actually take the plunge. Getting
started with homeschooling can be a confusing exercise, but it's
not all that complicated. Here are a few of the basics.
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 LEGAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Homeschooling
is legal in all 50 of the United States.
One of the main things you think about when you consider
homeschooling is the legal ramifications. Homeschooling is legal
in all 50 states. Each state has a different set of rules and
the best resource is your local homeschool support group or an
online statewide group. These resources will help you determine
what you need to do to let the school district know that you will
be exercising your right to homeschool your children.
Since states vary in their specific
requirements, they will also vary in how they view gifted and
talented students. Pay particular attention to laws that are specific
to "Special Needs" students, since some states see gifted
students as "Special Needs" students.
[ Our legal
issues page. ]
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TIME
COMMITMENT
Homeschooling requires an enormous time commitment
by at least one parent. It involves preparation time, usually
your summer, it requires daily time to get things rolling, it
requires travel time if you take your homeschool on the road.
If you are a planner, plan on investing a lot of time. Remember,
homeschooling is not a life long decision; it ends at the end
of high school...if that's where you're going.
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SOCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
The issue of socialization always manages
to come up when someone is considering homeschooling. How many
preteens or teens for that matter do you know in the school system
that can construct whole sentences and have meaningful conversations
beyond pop-culture? Anymore, there are not any social considerations
for homeschooled students unless you live in a cave on top of
a mountain in an isolated area. Even in this case, if you have
Internet, academic isolation is difficult.
Social consideration was an
issue put out there by the Public school system years ago when
many felt (some still do) normal "socialization" meant
having your kid be around same age peers learning the same thing
all day, learning to value all the same material things everyone
else does. A well rounded adult knows how to deal with people
of all ages and values a variety of things and issues. Also, note,
gifted students are often bored with too many same age peers so
homeschooling feeds their natural thirst for the unusual and for
a broad range of social interactions. My student thrived because
of this aspect of homeschooling.
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| FINANCIAL
ISSUES
The
average amount spent educating American students is $12,000-$13,000
per student. As a homeschooler, you’ll never spend that much,
unless you want to. Here’s a secret, you can get by on one
paycheck if you live within your means. Budget, cut the cord, use
coupons, these are a few examples, search online you'll find hundreds
of ideas. It can be done, I did it as a single mom. But here’s
another secret, you can quit a job, homeschool your kids and homeschool
yourself towards a better career.
[
https://www.learnhowtobecome.org
]
[ https://www.mikeroweworks.org/about
]
You
can also work part time and participate (in my day they were called
resource centers), in a homeschool “pod” (new option
introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic), or in a more traditional homeschool
co-op.
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ACADEMIC
CONSIDERATIONS
Homeschooling offers academic flexibility,
for all students.
This is especially
important with a gifted student as the academic challenges that
come with this type of student can vary daily. Many gifted students
excel in one or all areas of study and some may have learning inabilities.
All of these
issues must be considered when planning a homeschool course of study.
[ What about curriculum? ]
[ How do I homeschool a gifted student?
]
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STYLES
& METHODS OF HOMESCHOOLING
There
are several styles or methodologies homeschooling families embrace.
These are just a few: School-at-Home, Unschooling, Montessori,
Waldorf, Charlotte Mason. We used a traditional curriculum with
a mix of mix of school-at-home and unschooling, some call a mix
like this Eclectic homeschooling.
[
More on styles & methods ]
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