Homeschooling can be an attractive option for parents looking for more structured education for their children. To help make the transition, it is important to ask the right questions and determine what needs to be done to make the homeschool experience successful. Here are 15 essential questions to consider when you are thinking about homeschooling your child:
1. Is Homeschooling Right for Our Family?
Before getting started with homeschooling, families should think carefully about whether or not it is the right choice for them. Families should weigh the pros and cons of homeschooling, consider their current situation, and think about how the experience could fit into their family’s future.
Pros
There are several benefits to homeschooling. It offers a more personalized approach to learning, with parents and children sharing the experience together.
It also offers parents more control over the curriculum, giving them the ability to tailor it to their child’s interests, abilities, and needs. It also allows more flexibility in the learning environment, with classes held anywhere—in the home, the library, or even on field trips.
Cons
Along with the advantages of homeschooling, there are also some drawbacks. It can be time consuming for parents, both with the prospect of organizing and teaching lessons, and potentially having to limit family time as well.
It can also be expensive, particularly if parents are having to fund additional educational tools or materials. Lastly, homeschooled children may miss out on some social aspects of learning, such as team sports and activities with peers.
2. What Will Our Homeschool Environment Look Like?
An important part of getting started with homeschooling is to create a conducive learning environment. Consider questions such as how much space is available, how the area can be organized, what materials might be needed, and how parents can ensure the best experience for the children while they are being homeschooled.
Location
Parents should first consider the space they have available and determine how it will serve as a learning environment. Ideally, there should be a dedicated area for the purpose of homeschooling. This may be a home office, a spare bedroom, or a room specifically designed for learning activities.
Alternatively, it could be a corner of a living room or kitchen that can be used for classroom activities, or the space could be moved around if the situation requires it.
Organization
Next, parents should think about how to organize the space. Shelves and other storage materials can be utilized to not only keep all learning materials and supplies in one place, but also organize them in a way that is visually pleasing and aids in learning. Other helpful items might include furniture such as a desk, chairs, and bean bags.
Parents might also want to consider getting an interactive whiteboard or an extra-large monitor to display lessons and educational videos.
Supplies
Parents should consider the type of materials their children will be using in their homeschooling program. Common items include textbooks, workbooks, art supplies, recreational items, and educational software. To make the homeschooling process smoother, parents may also want to invest in learning tools, such as magnets for younger children, writing utensils and paper, and manipulatives to help explain mathematical concepts.
Parents should also factor in any additional supplies needed for field trips or other activities.
3. What Learning Method Will I Focus On?
When deciding on a learning method for homeschooling, families should take into account the needs and interests of their children. Parents should research several methods and determine which methods are most suitable for the kids they are teaching.
Classical Education
If parents are looking to teach their children how to think critically and create philosophical connections, a classical education approach may be the most suitable. This method of homeschooling focuses on teaching the children the “three pillars” of classical education—grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
Tools such as structured memorization and narration are also utilized under this method, helping children gain better understanding of the material and create more meaningful connections between facts.
Charlotte Mason
If parents are looking for a more holistic approach to homeschooling, the Charlotte Mason method is likely to be the best fit. This method focuses more heavily on “living books”—texts that tell stories, often from a Christian perspective—and encourages children to learn through real-life experiences.
Charlotte Mason also emphasizes art, music, and nature appreciation in order to create a comprehensive and engaging educational experience.
Unschooling
If parents are looking for a more organic approach to education, unschooling may be the perfect fit. This method focuses on child-directed learning, which allows the children to pursue their interests and learn at a pace that works best for them. In this type of homeschooling, parents provide support and guidance while allowing the children to take charge of their learning.
4. What Curriculum Options Will We Use?
Once parents decide on a learning method, they should make sure to research appropriate curriculum options for their family. There are several online homeschooling programs that provide in-depth lesson plans with materials, assessments, and more. Other families may choose to use pre-packaged curriculums, which are designed with homeschooling in mind and often provide teacher’s guides and other helpful tools.
Online Programs
There are a variety of online homeschooling programs available for parents to choose from. These programs can provide comprehensive lesson plans, materials, and other resources to make homeschooling more efficient and enjoyable. Examples of some popular online programs are Khan Academy, ABCmouse, and Time4Learning.
Pre-Packaged Curriculum
If parents are looking for a more traditional approach to homeschooling, they may prefer to use a pre-packaged curriculum. These curriculum packages typically include texts, worksheets, quizzes, and other materials specifically designed for homeschooling.
Popular pre-packaged curriculums are Calvert Education, AOP, and Alpha Omega.
Custom Learning Experiences
For more creative families, making a custom learning plan with various curriculums and online programs may be the ideal choice. Although this does require more effort on the part of the parents, it does give them more control over the content and the schedule that their children will follow.
5. How will I record our Homeschool Progress?
Once parents get the learning process underway, it will be important to keep track of the children’s progress and achievements. This can be done with a homeschool portfolio, where parents can log the materials, lessons, and activities that their children engage in.
This can be helpful to refer back to when considering future curriculums or if planning a field trip.
Homeschool Portfolio
A homeschool portfolio is a collection of the items that a child works on while being homeschooled. These include pictures of completed artwork, student essays, and other tangible items that demonstrate the child’s academic progress. Parents may also want to include documents such as transcripts and attendance records.
Grade Book
To provide more structure and formality to the homeschool process, parents may consider creating a grade book. This is a document that records the grades each student receives from assignments, tests, and projects.
With this, parents can track the progress of their children and get an overview of how they are doing.
Other Record-Keeping Tools
In addition to the portfolio and grade book, there are other tools that can aid in the record-keeping process. These include software and apps that provide options to track attendance, create lesson plans, and calculate grades. Making use of these will help keep parents better organized and provide them with an easier way to review their children’s progress.
Conclusion
Homeschooling can be an enriching experience for both parents and children, providing more control over the learning process and allowing for more personalized educational plans. For families looking to pursue this option, it is important to ask the right questions and do the necessary research to ensure a successful start. Here, we have outlined 15 essential questions for parents to consider when planning out their homeschooling program.
From determining the right learning method to keeping track of progress, these questions should provide parents with a good starting point as they embark on their homeschooling journey.