Getting Started Homeschooling
Where Do I Begin?
Most parents who are looking into homeschooling or who are just starting out have similar questions. I'm mostly directing this to parents wanting to homeschool in Texas, so you will need to check with your own state laws to see how they might apply if you're not in Texas.
Legalities and Is This Really for Me
First off...homeschooling is legal in ALL 50 states. Each state has it's own methods and laws regarding how to comply. For this site I am only going to cover how to comply with Texas state laws. Generally speaking, if your child has not started school yet then you do not need to notify anyone that you plan to homeschool. You can simply start. If your child has been going to a public school and you want to homeschool then you will need to write a letter stating that you will be withdrawing your child and plan to homeschool in compliance with Texas state law. There is no need to make a personal appearance with school officials or present a curriculum for review.
For more information on this please see the letter posted at the Texas Education Association website
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/taa/comm042004.html
Homeschooling in Texas falls under the same heading as a private school and so Texas homeschoolers are exempt from compulsory attendance as long as they have sent the school a letter informing them of their intention to homeschool. Remember, this is not a request to homeschool. You are informing the school of your intentions so that they know you are not violating the compulsory school attendance laws.
Most school systems here in Texas are pretty easy to deal with as long as you comply with state law.
Now that we've dealt with the issue of legality we can deal with the questions that many people have about if homeschooling really suits them. There are all sorts of reasons to homeschool ranging from medical issues to just wanting more time around your kids.Those reasons are individual and personal. It's up to each person to decide those for themselves. I can give some information that might help to make the decision easier though.
Socialization is one of the most common worries. It can be even more worrying for a pagan family since many of the homeschool associations are geared towards Christians. One thing to keep in mind is that in a public school system kids aren't really able to talk with each other as much as you might think. They usually get in trouble for speaking during class which means that they talk in those few (usually about 5-10) minutes between class and possibly during recess or before and after school. If they have extracurricular activites then they may talk during these times too. Altogether it may add up to an hour or two a day. Homeschooled kids can usually focus on school work and have a play day along with extracurricular activies with kids their own age. On top of that they can usually find time to volunteer in the community or have a part time job as they get older since they have more flexible schedules. This means that they will be around people their own age as well as getting the chance to be around people from other backgrounds and ages more often.
As far as homeschool associations go, the thing to keep in mind with them is that all homeschool associations are a little bit different and have different things to offer. One place to check for homeschool groups that may be pagan friendly is the local Unitarian Church. Every Unitarian Church is a bit different so it's worth "feeling them out" a bit first. You can usually check their calender of events to see what sort of things they offer and even go to a few of their offerings first to see what they're like. Or you can just jump right in and ask if they have a homeschool group or two that meet there. You can also do a search on Yahoo, Google or Dogpile.com to see if there is a group near you that is not religiously affiliated. Again, it might be worth feeling them out for a little while first. Some will say they aren't religiously affiliated, but have so many members of one faith that it can be uncomfortable if you don't follow that faith. You might also look at groups a little bit outside of where you were expecting too. In my case I live near a small town where the homeschool group is very much Christian based. They offer sports leagues and some arts programs for homeschoolers, but it just wasn't what I was looking for. Then I looked a little outside my usual drive. If I drive just an extra 15 minutes more away in a direction I normally wouldn't have been going there is a homeschool association that gives information on other groups that meet once or twice a week and are more open minded. In addition they also offer homeschool education discounts, information on classes (even some in my area), field trips, a homeschoolers library(where you can try different curriculums before deciding), a toy library, Iowa testing, clubs and resources for kids in addition to the sports leagues that the group closer to me offered. If you try all this and still don't find anything, you might try setting up your own group. Decide what you want out of a homeschool group first. Once you have an idea of what you want out of a group then start by checking with a local PNO, Meetup group,Witches Social or Pagan Tea. A good place to check to see if there is one near you (if you don't already know of one) is http://www.witchvox.com or you can just do an online search for one in your area. See if there are some homeschool families that go to them. You might also check with them to see if there is already a homeschool group meeting that you didn't already know about. If there's not then see if there's a time and place that everyone can agree on. You can rotate homes or find a park that you all like. It's as easy as that.
The other thing I've heard a lot of is parents questioning if they are really qualified to teach their own child. You know your child better than anyone and homeschooling give the advantage of a one on one education. There are lots of resources out there for parents who homeschool and on top of that communication has improved vastly in the last few years. We now have access to internet, which means new ways of researching and talking with other parents.If you really don't feel qualified to teach a subject then check around to see if something may be offered through extended learning at a community college or even online. You never know where you'll find free online classes or what they might teach. The point is that you are probably more qualified to teach than you think and if you aren't comfortable teaching something then you should know you're not alone. There's plenty of resources out there to learn from. Museums, the zoo, state parks, even visiting with someone who lived through WWII and has lots of stories to tell...Are all great places to learn from.
I've tried to cover as much as I can here, but if you read through all of the stuff on this website and still have questions please contact me at Muttnboofer@yahoo.com and I'll try to answer your questions the best way I can or at least find out where you might be able to get more information.
Homeschool Styles and Methods
There are as many different styles of homeschooling as there are homeschoolers which can make things very confusing. I'm going to try to highlight some of the better known methods so that it might be easier to see what some of the choices are out there. For myself, we go through Goddess Moon Circles Academy online and supplement a few classes outside our home. They are based on the Montessori method. I also tend to like the Waldorf method and my husband is a bit more of a traditionalist in some ways. In other words we are an eclectic homeschooling family. We take what we like from the different methods and blend them. I will also include possible drawbacks to each method that I have seen. This does not make it a bad method, but does mean that you should take into account what works best for your child and you.
Online: A good choice for the child who needs more structure. Usually this method utilizes a teacher who either meets with the students online at a set time or leaves the lessons for the children to do online with a set time to turn in assignments via web or email. This method may also be used by someone looking for an umbrella school. In this case the parent would be doing the schooling at home, but the records would be kept by the umbrella school. This might be a good choice for anyone having problems with the local school system (which doesn't happen often in Texas). The drawback that I see to this method is that it doesn't allow for as much flexibility as some other methods.
Montessori: Started by Maria Montessori. This method emphasizes that children should learn at their own pace. Children are allowed as much unscheduled time as possible so that children learn to manage their own time. Learning materials are set out in "centers" such as a math area, reading area, history area, etc to allow children to select their own materials to learn from. The idea is that children will be drawn to what they need to learn at the time. Materials of natural origin (wood, etc) are preferred. The main drawback that I see to this method is that if you have a child who is having a particularly bad time with a subject they may avoid it completely. Had I gone through this method as a child I would never have done any kind of math.
Regio Emilia Project approach: In 1963 the people of Regio Emilia, Italy decided to begin a new program that would be a better learning environment for their children. The parents of the community and Loris Malaguzzi headed the new program.This method focuses on the child in the context of his or her environment, community and the people and experiences they already are familiar with. It encourages children to explore, research and study the world around them through discussion, hands on activities and field trips. The hands on activities are a key ingredient and may take a few hours or several weeks. Through these methods they are taught to see themselves and the immediate world around them in the context of the world and society in general. Another key to this method is documantaion of what the children are working on and places they have gone or discussions they have been involved in. This could be very handy for those in states needing this to turn in for state use. Here in Texas it's not so important but may be useful if planning to move or thinking of going back to public school or college sometime in the future.The drawbacks to this method are that it is fairly new to America so a lot of the information is still in Italian. It's also a good idea if you have other kids you can get together with to exchange ideas with as well as free time to go out to explore your area. It is a very free form sort of schooling too which may not work for everyone.
Waldorf: Started by Rudolph Steiner. He believed that education should combine body, mind and spirit. Younger children focus on crafts, music, movement and nature. Older children learn self awarenes and reasoning skills. Children create their own books using the world around them. Again the learning materials preferred are of natural origin. The way that I have seen this set up is that each year is focused on a different religious and cultural system. For instance, first grade studies the bible, second studies saints, third grade studies nordic beliefs and cultures, fourth studies Hindu beliefs and cultures, etc. This would be good for a family wanting to teach other cultures and belief systems and can easily be integrated into a pagan lifestyle. The main drawback that I see with this method is that it does not have any kind of real structure to it until the 3rd grade and focuses mainly on the arts.
Charlotte Mason: A turn of the century educator who used classical literature (living books) instead of textbooks. Children following this method do verbal narrative summaries of what they've read instead of taking exams or tests. They also copy paragraphs and quotes to reinforce ideas while also teaching handwriting. Students also generally keep a nature study notebook to help teach observational skills and may use a century book (basically a big timeline book) which teaches them how things fit together. The drawback to this method for me is that it's very unstructured. For some this method would work just fine.
Unit Studies: For this method you start with whatever the child is interested in at the moment. I.e. firetrucks. Then you find ways to integrate the lessons from there. Find books on fire engines, firefighters, etc. and have the child read them. The child can write about firetrucks, either a story or a report and possibly illustrate the story. For history the child could research the history of fire departments (did you know that Ben Frankiln was involved?). Science could involve the new equipment that's required for firefighters such as air respirators and GPS systems and how they work to help keep firefighters safe.It can keep going from there. The main drawback to this method is that because it is extremely child led it requires a child who is always asking questions, loves to be creative and will follow through on a particular interest for an extended period of time without getting bored easily.
Unschooling: This method lets the child decide what to learn and when. The argument for unschooling is that children left to learn on thier own will (contrary to popular belief) learn everything they need to as they apply skills in everyday life. This is very definitely a method that I would only suggest for a motivated child who is curious about everything around him. It wouldn't work here because my own family tends to be stubborn and there are some learning disabilites involved that require a more structured method.
School Sponsored Homeschool: Texas now offers this option for grades 3-8 through http://www.TXVA.com .They provide books and a computer (based on need) for the child's use for the time the child is attending for no cost. They also provide field trips and other in person activities in your area where possible. In this case you are still following the traditional public school method and still fall under the jurisidiction of the school system. It is state sponsored and funded and you are dealing with a public school. As such it is free to enroll. This is a good method for those needing to be out of public school for a short time due to medical or other similar reasons and may want to put their child back into the mainstream system quickly without a lot of paperwork at a later date. Really though, anyone wanting to place a child into a public school after homeschooling will likely find it easier than they thought as long as they keep decent records. I would not suggest this for children who do not do well with a standard school structure. Also, it only covers grades 3-8 here in Texas.
Independent Co-op: This type of homeschooling usually is made up of several parents who volunteer their time to help organize and teach each others children. Each parent may have a weakness in teaching that another parent may be stronger in. This may resemble traditional school in that classes may be offered, but this method is completely done on a volunteer basis by the families. Also, because they are not state regulated they may sometimes offer subject matter not available to a standard school system. The style of teaching may also be changed to suit the families involved. The main problems with this method is that you may not be able to find a group that suits your own education preference nearby or with a schedule that fits with your own.
Eclectic: Uses the best ideas from various sources and methods to fit your own child's needs and the best fit for your family. Main drawback is that it could be confusing depending on the child.
But What About College?
Some parents (including me) have asked the question about what will happen after graduation. Can a homeschooled child go to college? The answer is a definite yes! Many colleges are beginning to look at homeschoolers more seriously and some even offer incentives to get them to come to their schools. Why? Because homeschoolers usually test well, are more likely to graduate, and generally are well suited to college life. Here in Texas most colleges offer alternative admissions to homeschoolers as they are required by state law to accept all homeschoolers as long as they have fulfilled the state requirements for graduation. It's a good idea to check with the admissions office of the schools your child is interested in to find out what you need to provide ahead of time (usually by about 9th grade). The colleges I've talked with will usually take a notarized copy of the homeschool transcripts in lieu of a diploma as long as you've been following the state required curriculum during the highschool years. Past that you will usually find that the admissions requirements are exactly the same as they would be for anyone else entering college for the first time. They will need to fill out an admission form (and pay whatever fee goes with it), take the SAT or ACT exam and pass, and they will probably need to take the THEA unless exempt. In fact, some colleges have started offering homeschoolers an online option during highschool that not only allows the student to finish highschool with a diploma at home, but also gives them a chance to take dual credit classes that may count towards college later on. UT is one example of this.
