Homeschool Questions: Top Ten!

Our classroom, 2011-2012 school year

I recently was connected (via a mutual friend) with a woman considering homeschooling.  I am always very happy to share my experiences, and help someone come to a decision about their child's education, and I eagerly offered for her to "fire away" with any questions she had!  She replied that she had "tons", but narrowed it down to a top ten.

Having answered many of these questions before for others, I thought I'd post them for all those to see who are interested in the option of homeschooling their child.  Please know that these are off-the-cuff answers--if I were to contemplate them too long, waiting for an opportunity to construct the perfect answer, it would never get done!

Enjoy, and apology in advance for the longer nature this post requires!  I'll try to be as brief as I can.  If you'd like more details on a particular topic, please comment.

1. What questions can I ask myself that will let me know that I am ready?


When are we ever really ready for a big life change?  It's the kind of thing  for which you can prepare for months, and really not be that better off than if you had jumped in with both feet forward.  In the meantime, you've lost those months!  If your child is not thriving in their current environment, and you see no end to this in the near future, just pull 'em out!  If the student is in high school and is very close to finishing a semester, you may wish to keep them in so they can receive full credit on their transcripts for those classes, but other than that...in many cases, it would be better to remove them from the bad situation and let them take a break for a couple of weeks while you get your curriculum and learning space figured out--if things are really that uncomfortable, the poor kid might really feel recuperated after some time off, and if they've helped you choose curriculum, there could really be some excitement about starting the new programs!

If by "ready", you mean that you've got it all figured out, you might be waiting a loooooong time.  With homeschooling, you've got to stay flexible--it very well might take some time to work out a system that works for you (the teacher) and your child (the student).  After all, that's one of the huge advantages to homeschooling, right?  To be able to understand and meet the needs and interests as they present themselves!  Rigidity, although useful to some degree, is a necessity of a larger classroom, where individual needs are not easily accommodated.

So, in my opinion, you're "ready" when you're ready to analyze your interactions and educational goals with no guilt--to be able to say, "Nope, that's not working out; I'm going to make a change here" without looking back.

2.  Where do I obtain the printed materials to teach the curriculum?  How do I know the curriculum to follow?


The Michigan Department of Education posts all curriculum standards on their website.  (If you're from out-of-state, visit your own state's department of education).   However, most accredited curricula will say what standards they align with.  There is some curricula available for all subjects for each year--I haven't used these myself, but some of them are Bob Jones and Sonlight.  Both of these are Christian-based programs--since many homeschoolers are far Christian right, there are lots of options for their needs.  I personally teach a secular curriculum, and I haven't found a whole year packaged up like those  to suit.  However, I think it's best to hand-choose each curricular piece/program individually in order to best suit the needs in your home.  A good place to start would be Rainbow Resource Center.  I suggest requesting a catalog sent to your home--it's thicker than a phone book, with the same font size...you'll be encouraged and intimidated by your choices all at the same time, but overall, I think it's very exciting to leaf through.  You can browse with your child through all the subject matter at their fingertips!  No longer will you be constrained by what your school offers--want to learn Chinese? Arabic? Art Appreciation?  Gardening?  Two science classes? Want to polish up your grammar, or your penmanship?  Learn a computer language?  Forget the days of one or two electives.  You'll find you can be SO efficient with your time, you'll have your core subjects done in just a few hours everyday, leaving you so much extra time for what interests you the most!

(Note that if you are homeschooling a high schooler, you need to be sure that you're meeting the graduation requirements for your state, and keep good records!  Make a running transcript for each semester completed, and be ready to supply more details of the particular curriculum you used)

Personally, I have two 11-year-olds I'm homeschooling.  We are using the following...which doesn't mean everyone should use them, but just to give you an idea of what works best for us:

• Math:  Connected Math Project II, aka CMP2 (I was a Math teacher--I wouldn't recommend this for most homeschoolers, as it's not designed for homeschool; I adapt it because it's a great program).  We also do one Mathmania magazine a week....when that gets old, we'll switch to another type of supplemental math.  I love Math, and so do the kids!
• Science:  Haven't found a science program I really really love, so right now we're doing an Anatomy unit with the Kids Discover magazines and teacher guides (along with the Power Vocabulary guides).  On Friday mornings, we do experiments from "Science in a Nutshell" kits--currently working on an aerospace unit. 
• Phonics:  Working through Key Curriculum Press's Phonics books
• Spelling:  Nothing in particular--phonics covers some, our power vocabulary covers some, and our typing program also reinforces spelling.  I do have a program sitting on the shelf for when we've finished all the levels of Phonics.
• Grammar:  Many Grammar topics addressed in Phonics...other grammar is covered in our writing on a one-on-one basis.
• Writing/Literature/History:  This year, we're using an integrated curriculum to cover these topics together.  I LOVE the program, and recommend it highly.  It's called History Odyssey, and there are programs for all levels of students.  We are currently doing Level 2, Modern History, and are reading Red Badge of Courage, The Jungle Book, Around the World in 80 Days, Diary of Anne Frank, and many more.  There's a lot of instruction on how to properly prepare an essay, a research paper, etc.  There also are appendices with other literature selections, such as poems and excerpts.  All work is organized into five sections of a binder, which serves as a wonderful portfolio, especially useful for high school students.
• Music:  In our area, there is a wonderful organization called Oakland Homeschool Music, Inc. which offers a variety of music classes for all ages, pre-K thru High School.  They even offer varsity letters, grades, and have a formal graduation ceremony.  My boys are currently enrolled in Middle School Chorus and Philharmonic Orchestra.  In addition to that, they are also enrolled in the Oakland Youth Orchestra, and take private piano and string (violin for one, cello for the other) lessons.  
• Physical Education:  We're currently enrolled at Zen Martial Arts in Rochester, which is quite a workout for the boys!  They do conditioning at the start of every class.  We also have done dance classes (and there's dance in the musicals we do as well), swimming lessons, running, and regularly participate this year in homeschool ice skating.  (We're trying homeschool roller skating next week!)  Homeschool ski club is awesome, as it's a great price for downhill skiing, plus Pine Knob is only a couple miles from our house!  My husband and I do P90X, and sometimes the boys join us for that, too.  As a family, we like to ride bikes when we can.  I wish we took more walks--I've been wanting to do geocaching in the local park, but haven't fit it in yet!
• Drama/Art:  There are several homeschooling drama clubs in Oakland County--we belong to Six Stools and a Folding Chair, and participate in the Spring Musical--last year, one of my sons got to play the role of Oliver!  A fantastic opportunity.  I love the level of production this group does--on par with Community College, some say!  There are many art programs available at Rainbow Resource Center, but I have a bad track record of doing art with the boys, so this year I enrolled them in homeschool art classes at The Artist's Apprentice in Clarkston.  More art centers are offering these in the area, and I bet if yours doesn't, they'd be open to starting one!  Michigan Opera Theatre offers $10 tickets to their dress rehearsals for homeschoolers, but you must call ahead for reservations.  You won't find a better price for live opera anywhere!  We haven't gone lately, as there's been a conflict with our Art classes, but we've been attending the MET Opera: Live in HD performances at our local movie theatre to follow the NYC productions.
• Language:  Currently using Rosetta Stone for Chinese/Mandarin studies.  The boys are thriving on this, and I love it myself!  (I used to teach French, and I find this a much better way to learn--sorry, French teachers!  I still love you!)
• Typing:  Remember when we called it "keyboarding?"  I chose Roller Typing for the boys, as it has a fun twist of matching your success with cool jumps on roller blades.  LOL
• Current Events:  LOVE the Time for Kids weekly magazine.  Great price for a weekly, and very timely topics--teacher guides (worksheets and quizzes) published right on the website.
• Geography:  We're focusing on US Geography this year, and are using Which Way USA workbooks published by Highlights.  They're quite expensive, but the kids love them so much!!!!
• Penmanship/Handwriting:  Handwriting without Tears.  Cursive seems to be a lost art these days, and I definitely want the boys to do it well! Use it or lose it!  

So there's just a taste of what we do....we also have an hour each morning where we do whatever we'd like to together--sometimes play games, sometimes cook, sometimes clean (Home Ec)!  Right now, we're working on a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.  :D

One more note....about staying on top of curriculum and standards....I chose last year to give the boys the grade-level appropriate SAT exam.  It took a few days to complete, but I found the information it provided me with to be worthwhile.  I got to see how the boys were performing compared with other children their age.  I was able to administer it in my home after becoming a certified tester, which was a very simple process if you have a college degree.  Not all homeschoolers test like this, but it gave me a little peace of mind.  It also ended up giving the boys some confidence as well, because they weren't sure how they'd compare (they were pleasantly surprised)!

3.  Where do I obtain the tests?
Testing materials vary for all curricula.  Sometimes testing materials will be on a CD-Rom.  Sometimes a separate booklet.  If you want to do standardized testing (like the SAT or Iowa tests), you can obtain them from Bob Jones University Press.  I recommend them because they're used to working with homeschoolers.

4. Is there support?
There's always lots of support if you go looking for it.  There are MANY Yahoo groups out there--go to groups.yahoo.com and do a keyword search.  This is a great way to connect with people and get questions answered quickly!  You can also join a group and search their past posts/messages and learn a lot there, as well.  There is a legal organization for homeschoolers, HSLDA.  I've never belonged to their organization, and I've heard some controversial things about them...but for the most part, they're there to help you.  Luckily, in Michigan, the laws are very lax concerning homeschooling, and you won't have to worry about whether or not you're jumping through the right hoops.

Know that you will meet resistance, as well.  Most of us have a fair amount of trouble with family, even if it's just screwy looks on their faces or upturned noses instead of outspoken protests.  ALL of us have stories of idiotic things people have said or done when they learn that we homeschool.  It just goes with the territory, so be ready for it.  It's not worth it to try to change anyone's opinion, but just to let them see the fruits of what you're doing!

5.  What about subjects for which I am horrible?  Like Geometry and Algebra, for example?
There are LOTS of ways around this!  Be at ease!  As long as you have a good internet connection and a computer, you're good to go.  One program comes to mind called Teaching Textbooks.  I'm not advocating this program, as I don't know it well enough to do so, but I know many people who use it and love it.  It is a completely independent program for the student, even with every single problem's solution in a video you can watch.  There are also online schools that take care of this problem for you, like Wilostar3D, which a friend of mine uses and loves. Some homeschooling purists claim this approach isn't truly homeschooling, but going to school from home...I'll stay out of that argument.  ;)

6.  How does one graduate, and prepare for college?
As far as preparing for college, I find homeschooling to be an amazing tool for college-training!  My sons are given more and more responsibility to manage their own time, pace out their work, choose subject matter relevant to them, etc.  I've heard college students who were homeschooled claim that it's not very different at all from what they were used to.  And because I (the teacher) am focused on them all the time, I make sure they're learning very good habits...like correcting their mistakes, keeping their workspace neat, showing work/supporting their answers...all the things that most conventional teachers do, but I can do it better because my class size is 2!  The potential to be an amazing student producing quality work is so great because it has started at such an early age!

As for graduating, I don't have any experience with this yet, but you could find lots of info on Yahoo! groups.  From the messages I've seen floating around, there's everything from "I made up a certificate and printed it out" to hiring a service to produce a transcript for you as well as a diploma.  There is an organization/school in Ann Arbor that's popular called Clonlara--you could check them out.  Also, many public schools are now getting on-board with homeschooling--if they offer you online homeschooling classes and curricula, they can get money from the state for your child, so you can see why it's gaining popularity!  In my area, Clarkston and Oxford public schools offer online diplomas.

A close friend of mine has a homeschooled high school senior--she is not only having no problems with colleges accepting her homeschooling, but she is being offered scholarships right and left (she's a National Merit Scholar).  If there's a particular college you have in mind, it probably wouldn't hurt to contact them before applying to see if there's anything in particular they're needing from homeschooled children.

7. Are there outside activities in my area for socialization, etc?
A quick search for homeschooling groups in your area (again, on Yahoo) will be a big help to you in finding them.  I've mentioned a couple above  for Oakland County, such as OHMI, 6 Stools and a Folding Chair, homeschool ski, homeschool roller skate, homeschool ice skate, but there are many more...YMCA classes usually offer homeschool phys ed.  For high schoolers, there are often proms, graduations, dances, etc if you  get involved with a good group in your area.  Some also get more involved in their Youth Groups at church, or in Community Ed programs (especially for sports).  There are often field trips planned (homeschool classes at parks, homeschool day at the Capitol, etc) and also elaborate trips with national groups, such as a European tour!  I'm personally not involved in any co-ops, but we have a tightly-knit group of 10 children (five families) who do things together occasionally, like our current Secret Santa endeavor (weekly gifts from a secret Santa, ending with a "reveal" party with a larger gift--very fun!).  It can take a little while to find a group that you click with, especially if you are a secular homeschooler, but there are plenty of opportunities to meet people, for sure!

8.  I read that my son can still participate in school electives?
That's right...there shouldn't be any problem with that, although it seems like some school districts are interpreting the "rules" differently.  Some want you to take some core classes before you take an elective, I have heard....but I don't have first-hand experience in this, having no need for it myself (the drama and music programs we are in seem superior to most schools, and I love our computer-based language class, and the homeschool art classes....so that about wraps up the electives!)  I'd suggest contacting the district you're in for details.  If they're going to make a fuss, you probably don't want your child there, anyway.

9.  What is a typical day like--structured like school?  Six-hour subjects?
I think you'll find that if you try to do core academic work for six hours, you'll finish your year's curriculum in a few months.  As I said before, homeschooling is super-efficient.  Some homeschoolers get their core work done often before noon and fill the rest of their day with creative activity.  Yet others are "unschoolers" and the day is completely unstructured, allowing for interest to guide the way, and for educational opportunities to present themselves.  Some people start at a set time in the morning, others ease more into their day.  You might try several variations, and see which one is best for you.  As an example, here's how I do it (and honestly, every single homeschooler I know has their own methods...yet all the kids are thriving--truly, do what's best for you!):

9:00  Start the day.  Sometimes this varies if we have a late-night activity and we need a sleep in!
9-10 am  Our flex time.  We ease into our day as we simply enjoy some time together, playing a game, doing a little project (origami, cooking, cleaning, etc), or sometimes we use the time for those subjects we have a hard time fitting in otherwise, like penmanship.  On Fridays, this is our time for science experiments.
10-11 am  One child is on the computer, either doing language or typing.  The other is doing music practice (piano and instrument)
11-12 noon Children switch...computer goes to music, music goes to computer
(Note:  this gives me TWO HOURS each day where I'm not needed--this is when I can pick up the house, do laundry, clean kitchen, prep dinner, do email, etc.  I find this time VERY important to keeping the house on track!)
12-1 pm Lunch and outside time.  The boys go outside almost every day, rain or shine or snow!
1-2 pm Math
2 o'clock until we leave for whatever activity is independent work time.  This is when they work on their weekly checklists, which are assignments they need to complete every week (includes integrated History program, current events, extra Math, Science, Geography, additional rehearsal time for chorus and drama).

We have activities outside the home every afternoon and most evenings.  If we get home before 7 pm, they're expected to work more on their weekly checklists.  They also have learned to work in the car to lessen their load on the weekend....since finishing their weekly tasks usually includes about 5 hrs on the weekend.

I have a rewards program as well, where I give out poker chips which represent points (like the Houses on Harry Potter).  Points can buy a variety of rewards, like a trip to the movies, or a book.  There is extra motivation to work hard, perform well,  be efficient, since each milestone reached in the curriculum results in a large points pay-out!  This is new for us this year, and it's working out really well.  It also gives me another tool for positive reinforcement, and a mild tool for infractions, like being late, or not finishing your weekly tasks (points can be taken away---but I've only had to do this once).

Sounds a bit rigorous, I know, but honestly, our schedule is so busy because the boys want to do so many things/activities, that following a schedule is the only way we can stay on task!

I must reiterate, though, that it's taken me two years to get this system down!  It's just right for us right now, and I made lots of mistakes in getting here!  Do what you feel comfortable with, and watch your child for signs of growth/thriving, or of shutting down/stressing out.  Use those signs as your guideposts!

10.  Would you recommend it without any hesitation and why?
Quite frankly, I'm not sure I could recommend it without hesitation for anyone, just because every situation, every child, every parent, every family, is so unique!  I would say that if you feel called to it, or compelled to give it a shot, I say, "Go for it!"  It has been a wonderful experience for us, and for nearly all I know who try it.  The benefits I feel are the time with my children--I see the school buses in the early morning, and watch them return in the late afternoon, and it makes me sad to even think about being away from my kids for sooooo long, every day!  The first year I homeschooled (we did private school for 4 years), I felt like I was doing something wrong--breaking the law, or neglecting my children, or something, when September rolled around and most kids hopped on those school buses!  But I knew in my heart that it was the right choice for us--but I felt a little lonely, not knowing many others at the time.  Now, in contrast, I feel like school, although serving a very important function for our children and society, is for those who don't want to, or are unable, to homeschool--because I see so many benefits for the child in homeschooling--it really seems to be superior academically (if you want it to be), there's more opportunity (more efficiency means more time to explore interests, and in more depth), and so much about it seems more natural...I love cooking hot meals for the boys.  I love our more relaxed mornings (starting at 9 means they don't even have to get out of bed until 8, and that leaves an hour to eat breakfast and shower--they usually play a little, read a little...).  I love not having to leave the house before 1 o'clock in the winter and being out in dangerous driving conditions.  I love that we can eat so healthy, and practice such healthy ways of living, so we get sick seldom.  When we do get sick, it's only for a day or two--and this isn't because we're not exposed to germs (really, have you seen that schedule?  LOL), but we're exposed in smaller doses, and when we're at home, I can say, "You know, you're looking a little under the weather....why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?" while I immediately begin preparing some fresh-squeezed juice and vitamins, or perhaps draw a bath for him with a few drops of peppermint oil.  Throw some garlic bread in the oven, heavy on the garlic.  This, opposed to having a child attend school until they are really really sick, because it's such a pain in the butt to be absent...and then getting them back in before they're really ready.  At home, we can just add activities back in as they're ready for them, easy-does-it.  When we're around sick kids (which is just about every day in the flu season), we're around them for about an hour, not 6 or 7 hours.  It's a dose their immune systems can usually handle.  But it feeling so natural isn't just about being healthier--it's something that resonates deeply within me, being with my children all day, teaching them life skills and preventing bad habits before they even manifest as such (like correcting their posture, or being sure they put their napkins on their laps, or a million other examples).  We are tight-knit.  And they're thriving.  All this, while LOVING school and what they're learning, academically working at a level that is challenging and relevant, and able to pursue their many interests.  And we have a dog in our classroom.  Isn't that reason enough?  Hahaha!  :D

So, it works well for us.  Conventional school settings also work really well for others.  It's totally a personal decision.  And who knows, we might change gears at any time--because I'll continue to follow those guideposts, those signs the children feed me.  Will we go to public or private high school?  Perhaps--I have no idea, really.  We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!  But whatever decision you come to, reader, it's part of your journey, be it an error or a grand success, and you must take comfort in knowing that you are actively considering the best option for your child, instead of just allowing the status quo.  You're brave to consider a change, and I wish you the best in your decision-making!

Very sincerely, and with a light heart and an open mind,
Julie