Wondering what to do next once you've decided to home school? Here is an overview of some key steps.
Here's what you'll learn in this article:
- Once you’ve decided to home school there are 5 key activities you can do to make it a successful experience for everyone in the home.
- Key activities to complete once you’ve decided to home school.
- Answers to common questions about completing the set-up activities to home school.
- Key takeaways that parent-educators can use to start their home school journey.
- How to learn more about each step involved in homeschooling and resources you can use to ease the process.
Once You’ve Decided to Home School, There are 5 Key Activities to Do Now
It is likely a relief to make the decision to home school and know that you’ve made a decision for your family that you hope will address what your child wasn’t receiving from a traditional education. It is also likely overwhelming to make the decision to home school and know that you are now in charge of educating your child and instilling in them the value of learning.
So, what can you do next?
Keep going! The more engaged you are with the process, the more positive experiences you will have when homeschooling. As you embark on this process, consider what materials have worked well for you before when you’ve started a new project. For example, do you prefer planning in a physical notebook for charting plans, laptop, tablet, or phone? Maybe a combination is best, so you always have what you need when you have a moment to dedicate to home school activities. Gather the material you want to start with, and let’s star the key activities.
5 Activities to Do Once You’ve Decided to Home School
Once you’ve decided to home school, here are 5 practical activities to do now, If you want a successful home school experience from the start:
1. Define a Mindset
Define a mindset for yourself and your child. Start with why you decided to home school. Is it to offer a more rigorous education? Overcome bullying? Create space for other activities?
Make note of your why in your home school planner.
If you want to go deeper, consider what you want from home school in the long-term and short-term. If you decided to home school for a largely positive reason like wanting to create space in your family’s schedule to travel, then invite your child to share in this ‘why’ by engaging in conversations about it. For example, what do they want out of getting to travel? What are they unsure about?
If you decided to home school for a largely negative reason like behavior problems, then reframe this reason with your child. For example, if they were too disruptive in class, then reframe home school as an opportunity to have more space to help them find what learning approaches work best for them and build coping skills. Defining a mindset at the start of home school will give you a foundation for making decisions throughout homeschooling.
2. Register with Your State
Registering with your state to home school is a critical activity. The process varies by state and can even include different options within each state. It is typically a time sensitive process that requires an application and supporting materials, so it can feel daunting. There are a number of third-party websites that aggregate the information across states; but, be wary of those sites, as their information can become outdated or be fraught with misinformation regarding which options are "best."
For a detailed walkthrough, you can read our overview of registering with your state to start homeschooling.
3. Select a Curriculum
Selecting a curriculum is a key activity for a couple of reasons. In the short-term, summarizing your approach may be necessary to register in your state. In the long-term, it will frame the education you are offering your child.
Not all curricula are equal.
Many curriculum creators are foremost selling a product. For example, teaching reading using the “whole word” method is largely refuted by research as ineffective (check out this kid friendly discussion on ways to learn to read), even detrimental, yet that approach persists in many U.S. classrooms because replacing curriculum materials is costly. A few questions to ask yourself as you select a curriculum are:
1) What type of learning do you want (e.g., project-based, traditional lecture/test)?
If you already know what schooling approach works well for your child, then select a curriculum with that approach. But if you don’t know what schooling approach works well for your child, then make use of the time you have before homeschooling begins to evaluate some options.
If you have an eager learner, then including them in this process is likely to be exciting and welcomed. If you have a reluctant learner, then use this process to start reframing the narrative about what school and learning can be. Identify a few activities to try on the weekend that use different approaches to learning. Observe what parts seem to resonate and what parts seem hard. Ask your child open-ended questions about each approach.
Make notes in your home school planner as you go through this process, so you can narrow the options.
2) What is your budget?
Receiving a high-quality education and instilling learning as a value does not have to be expensive. However, having a budget that allows for the purchase of materials and experiences will reduce the amount of time you have to expend, so this is a worthwhile exercise. For example, there are complete curricula available to purchase from trusted educators for every subject that include lesson plans. However, you can also find a lot of free materials from various sites, or you can make your own. Homeschooling will involve finding a balance of where to spend and where to save time. Make note of the budget that is feasible in your home school planner.
3) What are your state's requirements?
As mentioned, each state has its own home school requirements. Your state may have requirements around what subjects are taught, how much time is dedicated to school each day, and what access to resources like libraries is available. If you select a state registration option that includes these types of requirements, then you will want to ensure those requirements are reflected in your curriculum selection.
Ensuring the state requirements are met is often not burdensome, and is what many people casually reference about homeschooling when they suggest all the requirements can be met in a couple of hours a day. Make note in your home school planner of any state requirements that you need to factor into your selection of a curriculum for homeschooling.
Answering each of these questions will help you narrow down your curriculum options. If you are still unsure, remember that you can start with one approach for a quarter or semester and change to another approach as you evaluate and reflect on your child's needs.
4. Consider Extracurriculars
The freedom to craft your child’s education and relationship with learning is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling. Even with a rigorous curriculum, you will likely have more time available in the day for extra learning activities.
Including these extra learning activities is how you crush home school! Consider what interests your child, how to expose them to a variety of topics, and what resources (time, money, people) you can dedicate to the effort. In your home school planner, make lists of all the ideas you have for extracurriculars, including field trips and traditional after-school activities. Once you start homeschooling, return to this list to identify patterns and select ideas to try.
5. Consider a Daily Schedule
While you may be able to complete homeschooling requirements in a couple of hours a day, the primary benefits of learning at home come from having a full-day of learning that promotes creativity and curiosity. People thrive with routines because it provides a sense of security in knowing what is next.
In the case of home school, providing your children with a daily schedule validates the importance of their education (to them and when they talk about it with friends who aren’t home schooled), and it helps them learn how to dedicate themselves to a project of their own. There are 168 hours in a week. A 6-hour school day, 5-days a week is only 30 hours. This leaves 138 hours for a lot of other things like free play or social meet-ups.
Your state requirements may also include expectations for the length of the school day. In your home school planner, make note of possible daily schedule windows (e.g., 8am-2pm, 8am-4pm with a 2-hour break, or 8am-3pm Monday thru Thursday with a half-day every Friday).
FAQs: What to Do Once You’ve Decided to Start Homeschooling
Do you have to do all of these things right now?
No, you don’t need to do all of these things right now. However, you are starting a new project, and this will require an upfront investment of time. Remind yourself that you won’t be doing all of the prep forever, and you will find a routine once you start the process.
What if I cannot decide between the home school curriculum options?
If you are having trouble deciding amongst the home school curriculum options, first consider why you are homeschooling. Does one option better fit your "Why"? If not, what else is important to you (e.g., your time or budget)? If you are still having trouble selecting an option, then consider a trial period for each . Home school is very flexible and adaptable, so use that to your advantage and be open to experimenting.
Key Takeaways
- Get started. Once you’ve decided to home school, treat it like a new project for yourself and get started.
- Define a Mindset. Consider why you decided to home school and use that as a guideposts for making future decisions.
- Register with Your State. Each state has its own homeschool requirements (see our detailed article here).
- Select a Curriculum. Guided by your why, consider what curriculum to select based on your desired approach to learning, budget, and your state requirements,
- Consider Extracurriculars. Crushing home school is about expanding beyond the basic educational requirements to include a well-rounded approach to learning with emphasis on your child’s interests.
- Consider a Daily Schedule. While you may be able to complete basic educational requirements in a couple of hours, focus on a full day of learning to create a home of creativity and curiosity.
Where to Learn More
If you would like more information about how to home school, consider becoming a member of Crush Home School. With our membership plan, you get monthly guidance delivered to your inbox with downloadable resources and much more. Learn more about becoming a Crush Home School member.