STARTS

by LAURA CZERWINSKI

If you’ve arrived at the decision to school your children at home, or even if you’re just hungry for a little more detail about the “getting started” process, here are five steps to help you get a smooth start.*

Place Yourself In Good Company

Find families who are currently teaching their children at home. It’s always great to have someone along with you on the journey. If you don’t know anyone personally, there are groups and pages on Facebook that can aid in an introduction. I’d recommend finding an upcoming event, playdate or other get-together where you can connect with other parents face-to-face.

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO TRY SEARCHING FOR HELP INCLUDE:

North Carolina Homeschool Help

Charlotte Area Homeschool Connection

North Carolinians for Home Education

Learn The Rules

Learn about NC state laws and recommendations for schooling at home and file a notice of intent to register your school with the state - You can find a link with detailed information on this process at: ncadmin.nc.gov/public/home-school-information.

SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• If your child(ren) is already enrolled at a school, do not attempt to withdraw them until after you have filed your notice of intent with the state. You will likely need to provide a copy of your home school registration to the school registrar to officially withdraw them.

• Think carefully and with strong consideration when choosing the name of your school. You will not be able to change it once you register it. This will be the name on your child’s transcript and future diploma which is what they will ultimately use on a resume in the future.

• There are certain other restrictions the state lists on their site when it comes to naming your school that you must adhere to. For example, you cannot name your school after copyrighted curriculum names.

BOOKMARK SOME GREAT GO-TO RESOURCES ONLINE

In addition to bookmarking the state’s site mentioned earlier, here are two other key sites to visit and then re-visit for future reference:

HSLDA.ORG: Homeschool Legal Defense Association. A nonprofit homeschool advocacy organization.

NCHE.COM: North Carolinians for Home Education. Here you can check out tons of great resources and sign up for their weekly email to get notices on events such as field trips, graduations, scholarships, etc. They also offer great sessions for those beginning the journey to schooling at home.

Start Thinking About What Type Of Teaching Style And Curriculum You May Want To Use

Teaching at home does not necessarily mean that you need to replicate exactly what your child would be doing in a classroom at school minute by minute. A popular recommended book to look into is 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy. It provides an overview of different styles of homeschooling and helps you to identify what type of learner your child may be. This can help guide you to an effective method of learning. Once you do this, it helps to connect you to widely available curriculums that match those learning styles. Remember though, if something you are using isn’t working for your family, it’s ok to re-evaluate and move on to something that works better.

MAKE PLANS TO START A ROUTINE & THINK ABOUT SPACES IN YOUR HOME THAT ARE COMFORTABLE FOR LEARNING

Remember, this is another time where you can be flexible. You don’t have to designate a special room where you’ve spent a fortune to make it look like a classroom. Learning can happen practically anywhere. You might have days when going to the library works better, or you take a field trip to a planetarium or museum. You might find that the couch is a cozier reading spot vs. a desk (I mean, isn’t it?). Most families I know use the kitchen table, kids’ desks in their rooms, their parent’s desks in their home offices, etc. Probably the same places most kids do their homework.

Starting out with a schedule is always a good idea. Your family might like to get chores done in the morning, and then hit the books afterwards. For others, they like to get their studies done straight away and leave the rest of the day open for activities. The key here, again, is not to feel stuck if something isn’t working and things need to shift after life throws you a curveball. (We know life is FULL of them) After all, isn’t thoughtful pivoting after those curveballs of life one of the critical lessons you want your children to learn anyway?

To learn how you might qualify for free admission to an upcoming North Carolina Homeschool Conference in Winston-Salem in May and how you can register for a free “getting started” seminar in Mooresville this June, check out the on line version of this article by visiting lkn-magazine.com. And join me next month: Simple Schooling at Home: Do This, Not That!

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