Tips for Beginners

When our families first started homeschooling, we spent countless hours over many months reading and researching curricula. We read tons of articles and blogs online, ordered books about homeschooling, and joined multiple Facebook groups and forums to get a handle on what others were doing and the types of materials they were recommending. If you’re new to homeschooling, there are a few things you might want to do BEFORE you begin (and especially before you spend any money!).
 

read, Read, READ as MUCH as you Can!
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There are a LOT of great books about homeschooling (we’ll write an upcoming post about our favourites), but If you have to pick ONE book, start with The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart, and listen to some of the Bravewriter podcasts or watch some of her free videos on YouTube. Julie is a homeschool veteran -- she homeschooled her own 5 children, and she’s pretty insightful and all-around-awesome. We feel like she “gets it” and that she truly understands what home education is all about. Start with Julie. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Start Learning the Jargon
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When you first start homeschooling, you’ll hear people say things like: “We’re Charlotte Mason homeschoolers,” or “We’re Reggio,” or “We’re Unschoolers.”  Although it’s impossible to know ALL of the acronyms for ALL of the homeschool styles and philosophies, you may want to become familiar with some of the main ideologies and methods. Having a general understanding of homeschool philosophies will enable you to more easily understand where you fit in the world of homeschoolers, which may also help you narrow down curricular choices. Your reasons for homeschooling may give you some good hints as to the style(s) that  may resonate with you. Remember that you don’t have to subscribe to ANY pedagogy in full (you may find that you'd like to sample a few!) but it's good to know that they exist so that you can research and find materials that suit your family. There are a few websites like this one that give a general overview, but here are a few links to some popular homeschool styles.
 

Pump Up the Volume!
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If you don’t have time to read, download a few Podcasts or Audiobooks and listen to them while you’re driving (or folding laundry!) The Bravewriter Podcast is a great place to start, but you might also want to try Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids​ or the Home/School/Life Podcast or The Kitchen Table Homeschool Podcast.

 

Take Notes
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If you haven’t already, start a file folder, notebook or journal to record your findings and thoughts. Use it to write down names of websites, books, authors, philosophies and ideas for learning as you gather information about homeschooling. Fill the book with sticky notes, musings, and brainwaves. Keep a folder on your desktop for  downloads, and make use of the bookmarks feature on your browser or consider using Symbaloo or Pinterest to stay organized digitally.
 

NOTE: As homeschoolers and busy moms ourselves, we've struggled to manage multiple notebooks, too many open tabs on our internet browser, and piles of sticky notes, so we created and published a Homeschool Resource Notebook to keep all of our homeschool ideas in one place! We hope that it will help you, too!
 

To help with your planning needs, we've combined the Homeschool Resource Notebook with a WEEKLY/MONTHLY Planner in our book Inspired Planning: A Combined Homeschool Planner & Resource Notebook  . If you're looking for a detailed planner with space for DAILY customization, check out our DAILY/WEEKLY & MONTHLY Homeschool Planner called Balancing Homeschool: Simplifying School, Home, and Life. Both of our planners allow you to plan up to 16-months (70-Weeks) so that you can start planning early and continue longer than a regular planner allows! 
 

Be a Joiner
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Put yourself out there and sign up to attend local parent homeschool coffee nights, information sessions, and webinars. Look for activities posted on local bulletin boards or at your local library or community centre. Join mailing lists for homeschool web pages that you like and follow other homeschoolers on Social Media.

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Ask Questions!
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Find someone who has been homeschooling for a while (if you don't know anyone, put out a post on Facebook) and schedule a coffee date! Ask them what they do, what curriculum and materials they use, and how they structure their day. Write a list of questions beforehand, and take notes as you chat! If you still need help, or are feeling overwhelmed, consider reaching out to us - we'd love to chat!