How to Start Homeschooling: Start Here if You’re Beginning Homeschool

Learn What You Need to Know if You Are Thinking About Homeschooling Your Children

Beginning homeschool is the start of a journey that will have a profound impact not only on your children’s lives, but on your life as well. There are many reasons to consider homeschooling; and, if you have decided that homeschool is right for your family (or that you at least want to give it a try), you have already taken a major step toward doing what you believe is right for your family—and that alone is commendable.

So, now that you have made the decision to pursue (or at least seriously consider) homeschooling your children, where do you begin?

This guide to beginning homeschool provides an overview of what you need to know.

Technically speaking, you don’t have to do much to start homeschooling your children. If you register with your state and make sure you have a curriculum that meets your state’s minimum requirements, you are technically ready to begin homeschooling. But, if you want to make home school a meaningful experience that prepares your children for the future, there are additional steps you will want to take to get ready.

7 Basic Steps to Start Homeschooling

As with most things in life, when it comes to starting homeschool, the more you can do to prepare, the smoother the process will go. There will still be bumps and challenges along the way—you are at the very beginning of a brand new journey—but you can set your children (and yourself) up for success by getting started early.

With this in mind, here are seven basic steps to start homeschooling:

1. Learn What’s Required in Your State

Just like traditional school, the requirements for homeschool are set at the state level. As a result, to get started, you will need to find out what’s required in your state.

Typically, state requirements include registering your child and submitting a curriculum plan or a yearly report. Some states offer multiple options, which may or may not require standardized testing. When researching your state’s requirements, it is important to go directly to the source. Don’t rely on third-party sites that aggregate state requirements, as these are frequently inaccurate or outdated.

To register your child, you will need to complete an application, and gathering the information you need to complete the application can take time. Our article on meeting the state requirements to homeschool provides additional information.

2. Decide How You Want to Approach Homeschool

Reviewing your state’s requirements will provide some insight into how you should approach homeschool, but you will ultimately want to craft an approach that is custom-tailored to your children’s educational needs and that sets both you and your children up for success.

There are many ways to approach homeschool; and, since you are at the very beginning of the process, you have the freedom to explore all of the options that are available to you. In all cases, however, placing value on learning is key. If you and your children view learning as a process rather than an outcome, this mindset will provide the foundation for a successful and engaging educational experience.

In terms of specific approaches, there are too many options to list them all here—and we encourage you to do your research. If you are open to all ideas, you should research everything from homeschooling approaches that mirror traditional school to implementing the Montessori method. If you already have some idea of the approach you want to take, you should research that approach in detail, as there is no single “right” way to homeschool with any method you might choose.

3. Choose a Curriculum

Once you decide how you want to approach homeschool, it’s time to choose a curriculum. Here too, there are numerous options, and making an informed decision is key. While some heavily promoted curricula might be very good, you should not choose a curriculum for your children just because it is marketed well.

Once you’ve identified a few options, set aside a few hours to pour over them in detail. If one of the options you’ve chosen seems perfect, then go for it. But, if none of them seems quite right, it will be worth looking for something else. Again, there are plenty of options; and, if you look, you will find something that clicks for your family.

4. Start Assembling Your Homeschool Materials

With your curriculum locked down, it’s time to start assembling your homeschool materials. Since you are just beginning homeschool, you will want to make sure you have enough materials to make the first month successful, but you shouldn’t buy too much at this stage. When you create your home school plan (more on this below), you can make notes of materials you are considering and the dates that you need to order additional materials to ensure that you will have them on time.

As you start to assemble your homeschool materials, you will want to go ahead and get in the habit of keeping them organized. Managing all of your homeschool materials will get more challenging over time, so having a plan for keeping them organized will be important.

5. Start Preparing Your Homeschool Space

When you organize your first homeschool materials, you will want to organize them in your dedicated homeschool space. This space could be a room in your home; or, if you don’t have a spare room available (or a room that you can turn into a dedicated classroom), it could be a closet or a shelf.

While you don’t necessarily need (or want) to spend 100% of your homeschool time in your dedicated space, it is important to have a space that is just for homeschool. This is important for giving your children a sense of place and structure during the school day, and it is important for maintaining a balance between home life and homeschool as well.

6. Create a Homeschool Plan

You’ve got a curriculum, you’ve got your first set of materials, and you’ve got a dedicated homeschool space in mind. Now, it’s time to create a plan. You’ll want to create a home school planner that includes:

• Your Plan for the Semester – When beginning homeschool, you should have an overall plan for the first semester, including the segment of your chosen curriculum that you’ll cover, major projects, and your weekly schedule.
• Your Plan for the Future – Even though you’re just beginning, you’ll want to think about your plan for the future. What will you cover next semester? How will this lead into the next year?
• Your Child’s Daily Log – Depending on your child’s age, either you or your child should keep a daily log that documents his or her experiences and progress.
• Ideas for Lessons, Projects, and Activities – Your home school planner is a good place to keep track of ideas you have for lessons, projects, and activities—whether for the upcoming semester or for the future.
• Questions You’ll Need to Answer – As you prepare to start homeschooling, you are bound to have questions. If you don’t need answers immediately, keep track of the answers you’ll need to track down when the time comes.

If planning isn’t one of your strengths, this is something you will need to work on. Having a plan will be important not only when you are beginning homeschooling, but throughout your homeschooling journey. We offer resources and a home school subscription to help parent-educators and other caregivers stay organized, and this is one of the key aspects of our monthly membership plan.

7. Create Your Daily Schedule

Finally, once you have an overall plan, you will want to figure out your daily schedule. This doesn’t have to be set in stone—but, again, you will want to be prepared to make the beginning of your family’s homeschool experience as smooth as possible. When homeschooling, consistency is important (including starting on time every day). Not only does consistency provide structure and help with the separation between home life and homeschool, but it also lets your children know what they can expect once the school day begins.

10-Step Checklist for Beginning Homeschool

So, let’s recap. What do you need to do once you decide to homeschool your children? Here is a 10-step checklist for beginning homeschool:

• Research your state’s homeschooling requirements
• Choose between your state’s homeschooling options
• Complete your state’s homeschool application
• Think about how you want to approach homeschooling and what you want out of it
• Research curriculum options and make a decision
• Start assembling the materials you’ll need for your first weeks of homeschooling
• Create a dedicated homeschool space
• Keep your materials organized in your dedicated home school space
• Start a homeschool planner
• Decide on your initial home school schedule

To be clear, this is not comprehensive; and, again, there is no single “right” way to homeschool. The key to successfully beginning to homeschool is making informed decisions based on what you believe will be right for you and your children. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s okay. Take it step-by-step, and you’ll find yourself well on your way before you know it.

Download, print and add to this checklist:

Spotlight: Choosing a Curriculum When Starting Homeschool

As we discussed above, one of the key steps to homeschooling is choosing a curriculum. There are lots of options out there, and some of them are much better than others.

So, how do you choose?

As with many aspects of starting homeschool, it’s important to do your research. Don’t choose a curriculum just because it’s the first one you find or because you saw it recommended in a homeschool group on Facebook! These are almost certainly being promoted—and, while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it also doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the right curriculum for your family.

When doing your research, you will want to focus on curriculum options that fit your approach to home school. For example, if you want a secular home school experience, this will knock out several options right away. Likewise, if you don’t want a secular home school experience, this will also help narrow your search from the beginning.

You will also want to focus on the type of learning experience you want for your child (or children). For example, if you are interested in using the Montessori method, there are specific Montessori curriculums available. This includes curriculums from the North American Montessori Center that are specific to Infant/Toddler, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary. If you are interested in a more traditional approach to home school, there are plenty of options that are much more similar to the curriculum your child (or children) would follow in public school.

Of course, whichever option you choose, you can—and should—adapt it to make it your own. From going outside to adding in unique “classroom” experiences, this is one of the unique benefits of home school!

You can spend a lot of money on a home school curriculum—and, in some cases, you do get what you pay for. For example, our family used the North American Montessori Center curriculum materials, and we found these to be well worth the investment. However, you can also find much lower-cost options available, and you can even find free resources like public or private school curriculums posted online. If you’re interested in these options, try checking out the websites of schools in your area; or, if your school district has a home school coordinator, this individual may be able to help point you in the right direction.

In short, here are some key considerations for choosing a curriculum when you are getting ready to start homeschool:

• Narrow your search by thinking about your chosen approach to home school. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, this will make it easier to find.
• Take your time, and consider plenty of options before you choose. This is a big decision that will have a major impact on your family’s home school experience, so it’s worth investing the time.
• Look for curriculums offered by reputable sources, whether these are well-known home school associations, the North American Montessori Center, your local school district, or a private school that posts its curriculums online.

Once you’ve chosen a curriculum, what’s next? At this stage, one of the next key steps to homeschooling your child (or children) is to begin collecting the materials your family will need. If you purchased a curriculum that came with lots of materials, you may already be well on your way. If you chose a less-comprehensive option or found a free resource online, then you’ll want to begin thinking about what you will need for the lessons you’ll provide during your first few weeks. Here too, you can generally spend as much or as little as you want. Nearly all of the resources you’ll need can be made (or printed) at home.

FAQs: What You Should Know if You Are Thinking About Homeschooling Your Children

How do I start homeschooling if I am a beginner?

If you are just beginning your homeschooling journey, you’ll want to start by doing some research. You should research your state’s homeschooling options and requirements, and you should research the various curriculum options that are available. From there, you’ll need to register with your state, and then you will want to start getting organized and prepared for your children’s first home school day.

What is the best age to start homeschooling?

There is no single “best” or “right” age to start homeschooling. While some parents homeschool their children from the very beginning, others choose to pull their children out of traditional school at different ages and for different reasons. Ultimately, if you are thinking about homeschooling, it will be worth learning what you can expect if you decide to homeschool so that you can make an informed decision regardless of your child’s age.

How many hours a week should a child be homeschooled?

Here too, there is no single “right” answer. At a bare minimum, parents and other caregivers who homeschool must meet their state’s requirements. But, this often means homeschooling no more than a couple of hours per day. For a robust homeschooling experience that prepares your children for the future, the amount of time your children spend in homeschool should generally mirror the amount of time they would spend learning in a traditional school environment.

What do I need to start homeschooling?

To start homeschooling, you need to register with your state, and you need to have a curriculum that you and your children will follow. Beyond that, how much time and effort you put in is really up to you. With that said, many parent-educators and other caregivers invest a significant amount of time and effort into their children’s homeschool experience; and, the more you put in, the more your children will get out of it.

What if it turns out I’m not good at homeschooling?

If you struggle with homeschooling, there are resources available to help you develop your skills as a parent-educator. With that said, if you are at the very beginning of your homeschooling journey, you should focus on how you can succeed from the outset, not what might (or might not)  eventually go wrong. If you do your research, if you have a plan, and if you commit yourself to doing the best job you can, you will be able to help your children navigate homeschool and grow into who they want to be.

What Comes Next?

While this guide covers much of what is involved in beginning homeschool, this truly is just the beginning. As you start navigating homeschool—and progress through your homeschooling journey—you will have additional tasks to complete, options to consider, and opportunities to explore. Here is just a sampling of what you will encounter in the future:

• End-of-semester and end-of-year assessments
• Acknowledging milestones and transitioning to the next phase of your child’s education
• Repurposing and retiring homeschool materials
• Evolving your homeschool space
• Incorporating field trips and community engagement into homeschooling
• Adding in (and managing) extracurricular activities
• Refining your approach to homeschooling to keep everyone organized and engaged

For now, though, you can focus on what’s in front of you. You are preparing to homeschool your children—and that is exciting, engaging, and potentially stressful enough on its own. If you start at the beginning, and if you approach the process of beginning homeschool step by step, you will make it to the first day of school and far beyond.

Beginning Homeschool? Become a Crush Home School Member

Are you at the beginning of your homeschooling journey? If so, then consider becoming a Crush Home School member. As a member, you will receive a monthly membership package delivered to your inbox each month. Each month’s membership package has a central theme and includes organizational tips, lesson ideas, community engagement ideas, exclusive resources, and more—all with instructions for implementing them at home. Learn more about becoming a Crush Home School member.