So… homeschooling then? 

Homeschooling is NOT the best solution for each family, but if you’re going bonkers trying to figure out what to do, and if you need a rest-easier solution – one that allows you to move forward in peace without feeling like you’re in limbo — homeschooling  might be for you. You won’t have to keep stressing over which decision to make, and that alone is a burden lifted. Simply choose, and go forth! It’s one decision you can make that isn’t hinging on the answers of so many uncertainties going through your mind right now. And for the purposes of this article, we’ll say that YOU’VE CHOSEN TO HOMESCHOOL! Hurray! The best part? The Texas Education Agency has stipulated that parents can choose to keep their kids at home and can decide to send their kids back to school at any time, as long as it’s at the beginning of a grading period. (NOTE: This is the stipulation schools have been making for on-campus versus online learning, but it makes sense that this will apply to homeschoolers, as tax-paying residents, who are needing to reenroll as well.)  So if things aren’t working out at home, you can choose a new plan!

What is homeschooling?

We should get something straight. As mentioned above, with homeschooling, you (the parents) call the shots. And luckily, Texas homeschool requirements are not nearly as stringent as most other states. As of now, there’s a lot of leniency in homeschooling, and parents can choose to use traditional curriculum, a “create-my-own” curriculum, an unschooling approach with no “curriculum” at all, etc. For now, there are no grades to submit, no work to turn in, no standardized testing (though available!), and no official records that absolutely must be kept or turned in to a homeschooling reporting agency. No one is dropping in at your house randomly to do a “check” to ensure your kids are learning what they need to be learning. 

But homeschooling doesn’t mean that you must be on your own. Fortunately, The Woodlands and Houston area in general is teeming with homeschooling families – experienced and novice – and abundant ways to connect within the community. If your child attended a regular school in March 2020 and his/her school year was cut short due to Coronavirus, you should know that the way “homeschooling” looked then is not at all typical of homeschool life in Houston. 

These are new and different times, so one can’t say which all amenities will be available for homeschoolers this school year, but for most families, homeschooling includes a combination of several or all of the following: seatwork and lessons done at home; part-time participation in a co-op; hanging out with friends from various homeschooling circles; going on field trips – homeschool musicals, ballet productions, ranch trips, etc.; enrolling in virtual and in-person classes (in every subject from ASL to frog dissections to math to art – for all grades); participating in sports; assembling projects for science fairs; and so much more. Of course there are daytime errands, random trips to the mall, visits with grandparents, spontaneous play dates, and group holiday parties. And on top of that, homeschooling families generally enjoy more flexibility, an opportunity to travel during the “off season”, and the ability to indulge in special interest projects. 

Homeschool students in our area participate in student commerce fairs, museum classes, writing contests, group history projects, spelling bees, science fairs, speech and debate teams, organized sports, and so much more. 

We don’t know which businesses in our area will be opened, and which services will be offered this school year, but under perfect conditions, homeschoolers have the world at their disposal. Start browsing, and it’ll be only a matter of time before you find something your child will want to try!   

How do I start?

Since this article is about helping you navigate the waters of homeschooling, we will focus on just that. Once you decide to homeschool, as a courtesy, you’ll want to officially unenroll your child from school (if he/she is currently enrolled) by sending the school and/or district a letter. Then from there, there’s no rule book nor an official playbook. 

But here are some questions you’ll want answered: 

·         - What do I teach my child ?

·         - Where do I find materials?

·         - Where do I find outside or virtual homeschooling classes and connections?

·         - How do I teach my child?

·         - What does homeschooling look like?

·         - What kind of set-up do I need in my home?

·         - How do I get“me” time? 

 

Homeschooling has never been about re-creating the traditional school options at home. It doesn’t mean starting the day at 8am, ending at 3pm, and going through each session on a bell schedule. I hope this brings you comfort! Homeschooling can be delving into science for half a day, taking nature walks and going down a Google rabbit trail, watching documentaries on TV and writing essays and book reports on the weekends, and so many other glorious things. There is far too much curriculum and too many different teaching styles for us to delve into the topic here, but the Internet offers an abundance of resources. In fact, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, so here are some basics to consider:  

1.    Follow the guidelines. If you’re new to homeschooling and prefer a set a guidelines to follow to ensure your child is learning what the “powers that be” think he/she needs to learn for a specific grade, you can look up the curriculum standards and scope and sequence of your zoned school district (or any other school district, for that matter), and use them as a blueprint. Note, many homeschooling families prefer to decide for themselves which materials are important enough or necessary for the student to learn at various grades, but having a guide or at least an idea of what your child would be covering if he/she were still enrolled at the public school can be useful. 

2.    Focus on covering the main subjects: Math, Language Arts (includes reading, writing, grammar, penmanship, and literature), History (or social studies), and Science. That’s it! Four subjects, and you’re golden! As you search online, use key words such as “4^th grade math curriculum) and start searching from there. 

3.    Add in “specials” based on what else you’d like to cover. Specials are additional learning areas to which you’d like to consistently expose your child. Artist and composer studies, nature studies, handicrafts, cooking, art, memory work, Greek roots, Shakespeare, etc. Specials often are what add the magic to homeschooling life, and can be added in and taken away at any time, depending on scheduling needs and interests. For help with scheduling, consider setting aside a time each week (Fridays, perhaps) or maybe every two weeks to work on Specials. 

4.    Electives – This category can somewhat overlap with specials, but electives are often a more structured approach to your child’s learning something that he/she “elects” to learn. Things such as signing up for homeschool band, taking a Spanish class, learning tennis, and enrolling in musical theater can be considered electives. 

5.    Add in “special projects” on an as needed basis. It’s fun to give your child a special project or two to have to complete at some point throughout the year, and the projects can be as creative as you’d like! Younger kids might have to do an animal research project and presentation, while older students could be charged with creating a short film documentary. Putting together dioramas, hosting an art exhibition, writing and giving a speech, organizing a neighborhood food drive, and building a piece of furniture are all examples of special projects.

NOTE: There is a lot of trial and error when you start homeschooling, but luckily, you have time! On average, a homeschool day is about half the length of time a child spends on campus at school. Don’t fret if it takes you longer than usual to figure this whole thing out.  

Homeschooling materials are everywhere. You have some already, in your home! There is no exact book or method you must employ for homeschooling, and the books, games, science kits, and other tools you probably already have at home are a great place to start. Beyond that, here is a VERY short list of places to find materials: 

*NOTE, when shopping for pre-built curriculum, here are some established, well-loved, tried-and-true quality programs to look into: A Beka, Apologia, Bob Jones, Sonlight, Switched on Schoolhouse, Simply Classical, Memoria Press, My Father's World, Teaching Textbooks, Five in a Row, Handwriting Without Tears,  Charlotte Mason (an approach, not an actual curriculum), Saxon Math, English from the Roots Up

ChristianBooks.com – We love that this website has an easy-to-navigate, well-organized interface, and a lot of the popular homeschooling curriculum can be found here. The best thing is that this site offers extensive peeks into the curriculum / books so you can really assess before you purchase.

Rainbow Resource Center – Tons of great curriculum and learning resources, games, puzzles, toys, manipulatives, and fast shipping times. The site has extensive summaries about curriculum featured on their site and comprehensive descriptions of their products, which makes it so easy to assess before you purchase. You can even download their free curriculum catalog. 

Homeschool Buyers Co-op - This website offers a wide range of affordable homeschool curriculum at discounted prices, plus free resources. Also, use their easy online template to print out your homeschool teacher / student IDs which will allow you to save $ when shopping at many local stores! This is a great place to start if you want to explore new program options.

The Homeschool Store – Houston has its very own warehouse-sized homeschool store! You can find all the popular curriculum here, plus so many others that you’ve never heard of, manipulatives, and more. The place really is a goldmine! We love that the store sells both new and used curriculum, so it’s the best place to check if you don’t want to pay a fortune! 

Amazon.com – Over the years, Amazon has gotten better with carrying homeschooling curriculum, and they often have the best shipping times. 

TeachersPayTeachers.com – If you want to search through thousands of primary and supplemental resources for all grade levels, download them (many are free, some are paid) on your computer, and print/use them right away, TeachersPayTeachers is the best website for you. You’ll find full curriculums, worksheets, work packets, project plans, bulletin board printables, and everything under the sun, in every subject, for teaching your child. We especially love the great resources you can find here for special education / adapted learning. 

Library – Your local library is an invaluable source of homeschooling materials! While you might not find all your primary curriculum needs at the library, count them in when it comes to an abundance of supplemental materials on whatever topics you’re studying, plus the largest literature selection, of course!

What Your _?_ Grader Should Know – These books that start at Kindergarten and goes up to What Your Sixth Grader needs to know are so useful for the primary grades! While some homeschooling families reject them, we’ve found them to serve as an invaluable guide for the basics of when to expose your student to various topics. In fact, there is so much information that you can be teaching your child, it is very possible to overlook introducing them to some of the more common (but somewhat necessary) tidbits of learning.

Again, this is a very short list, because the Internet is teeming with options! Just Google until you find what works for you!

Homeschool classes have been popping up everywhere lately! Who’s to say what will be offered for the new 2020-2021 school year as businesses are still figuring out how to operate under the ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines, but here are some best places to look: 

Houston Homeschool Hub – This website points you to abundant local learning resources and it features some of the more popular options in our area with new ones to be added. The editors have been on hiatus since the Coronavirus quarantine, but they’ve begun to get things back up and running, so be sure to tune in to their Facebook page. On the site, you’ll find lists of Education Centers (places you can drop-off your child for a la carte classes), homeschool Sports & PE Programs, homeschool music and performing arts, etc. You’ll also see field trip venues and ideas, homeschool co-ops, student opportunities, and more. Be sure to look at the listings for Extraordinary Education, The Training Center, Tomball Classes for Homeschoolers, and others nearby educational centers. 

Facebook Pages & Groups– There’s no shortage of homeschooling connections on Facebook. Do a search for homeschool groups and any other specific terms, and Facebook will generate a list of pages and groups, usually beginning with those closest to your area. There are Facebook groups for Woodlands-area homeschoolers (plus all the other areas), homeschooling teens, homeschool field trips, and so much more. Request to be added to some of these groups and start plugging in! 

Online classes – There are so many online classes to consider, that we won’t try to name them all here, but here’s a start: 

Outschool is a database of thousands of virtual classes that your child can enroll in, and enrollment is quick and easy! Your child can strengthen his paragraph writing skills, learn a new musical theater routine, produce a radio production, improve his multiplication mojo, and more! 

Excelsior Classes – Excelsior Classes is our favorite pick for a wide variety of high quality, college-prep online classes for upper elementary through high school. The teachers are highly qualified, class sizes are small, and the instruction is solid and interesting.

Math Classes – For lower-level math, look into Kumon, Mathnasium, Time4Learning, IXL Math, and CTC Math. For upper-level math classes, we recommend trying out Live Online Math, Mr. D. Math, and Khan Academy. 

Houston Homeschool Hub has just begun to update their resource for the new school year, but start browsing now and expect for more accurate information on what’s available by the end of July.   

Don’t be fooled. Just because you know a subject, doesn’t mean you can teach it. Sad, but it’s the truth. Some very smart people don’t have the gift of teaching, and some do. Don’t despair! You can learn how to effectively be your child’s teacher by tuning in to his/her needs and finding the right teaching tools. You already know your child’s personality, so learning his/her learning style should be easy to do, and then try to tailor a plan that meets both of your needs. Some curriculums include a step-by-step approach to each lesson, including talking scripts, so you’ll know exactly how and what to say to your child to achieve the best results. Seek those types of curriculums if you feel you need them, at least early on. You can ditch them later as you become an accomplished, confident homeschooling parent.

There is no one right way to teach someone something, and you’ll be way better at teaching your student some subjects than you will be at teaching others, but commit to growth, and your skills will improve over time. We can’t tell you HOW to be a good teacher, but we have these tips for how to not suck at it:

1. Be prepared. Preparation is critical to a successful school day! You might think that you can “wing it” if you have younger children (because you are confident that you already know everything about every subject you’re teaching them at this age), but you’ll be surprised at how quickly your day can become derailed if you’re not prepared. Depending on how your child learns and what subject you’re teaching, have supplements planned and on hand – library books, YouTube videos, real-world examples, hands-on demonstrations, games, manipulatives, etc.

2. Be passionate and purposeful. Your child can sense if you’re not enjoying the job as teaching, and he/she will perform accordingly. So, commit to being the most enthusiastic teacher you can be, show up and show out! Dress the part, put on your game face, and teach!

3. Make learning fun. Whether your child is in Kindergarten or a high school senior, learning can be made engaging and interesting. Let your child lead the learning, encouraging him/her to think critically and ask questions. 

For younger children, try to make learning as hands-on as possible. Spent a good solid week or two preparing, and get your hands on as many manipulatives as possible. These need not be store-bought. Counters, geometric shapes, etc. can be found throughout your home, can be made on your computer and printer, or borrowed or purchased second hand. Planning is paramount.  Invest in a laminating machine, and it’ll be your saving grace as you make reusable booklets, folder games, and manipulatives on a shoestring budget.

4. Use repetition to reinforce lessons. Give your child many opportunities to recall and review the newly taught information.

5. Give your child access to a wide range of fictional and non-fiction level-appropriate books. You might be surprised at how much your child will learn on his own through unassigned reading. Make a point to strew books around the house and let him choose what interests and read at his leisure.

6. Call on the experts. If you're having a tough time teaching a subject or concept, don't be too prideful to call upon someone more knowledgeable than you to lend a hand. Your spouse, a family member, or a friend could have a stronger knowledge of the topic and might welcome the opportunity to teach it to your child. Also, be open to the idea of outsourcing subjects by signing up your child for virtual or in-person "homeschool" classes with paid instructors.

We’ve somewhat covered this above, but to reiterate, homeschooling looks like many things to different families, and what it looks like to your family one month could be totally different from what it will look like the next. One advantage to homeschooling is that you can truly follow your family’s natural rhythm – whether that means your child is an early bird so you’re starting the day bright and early with math; or that you and he/she jive better in the evening time, so you’re chillaxing in the daytime and hitting the books after dinner; whether weekends are the best times for learning in your house, etc. Unless your student is a rising Kindergartner, you might have already begun to get a feel for what homeschooling could look like if / when your child’s school switched to distance learning this past spring. 

Here are some things you might incorporate into your child’s school day:

·         * Reading lessons

·         * Read-alouds (parent pre-selects a few fiction or non-fiction books on a certain theme / subject) 

·         * Math lessons, plus math games, drills, etc.

·         * Daily journal writing and/or copywork

·         * Science lessons plus hands-on experiments and videos

·         * Field trips

·         * Grammar and writing lessons

·         * Penmanship

·         * Nature walks

·         * Virtual meeting with other homeschoolers (to learn something together, play a game, or to just hang out)

·         * History / Social studies lessons and projects

·         * Art lessons (drawing, painting, paper mache, sculping, etc.)

·         * Special subjects (study a composer / artist, Bible study, etc.)

·         * Memorywork 

* Online classes in any subject

Some parents will fight us on this, but we believe that homeschooling isn’t a free ticket to “wear your pajamas all day”. Raise the morale in your homeschool by expecting your child to get fully dressed and properly groomed each school day, and “come to school” ready to learn. 

 

 

You can homeschool anywhere, but here are some simple ideas. Don’t be afraid to switch things up from time to time. 

·         * Any room in your home

·         * Any space in your yard (the front / back porch, the balcony / deck, a garden, near the pool…)

·         * At a friend’s home

·         * A local park — at  a picnic table or on a blanket

·        * The library (if they’re open to the public for this purpose) at a table or in one of the meeting / study rooms

·         * The beach

·         * The car – while out running errands or an a road trip 

In you want to establish a dedicated space in your home for schooling, there’s no formula to use, but consider this: 

·         * Give your child enough space to work (a table, large desk, or kitchen island).

·         * Choose comfortable chairs that allow for proper seating posture.

·         * If possible, set up your homeschool in a place where there’s a window / access to sunlight.

·         * Keep supplies (computers and e-tablets, pencils, sharpeners, paper, etc.) and other materials nearby.

·         * Make a it pretty. Your schoolroom should be a space both you and your student enjoy being in. Hang art on the walls, bring in a futon, and decorate in other fun ways.

·         * Be prepared to work nearby. If you have your own work to do, set up your station close by so your child can have easy access to you and not feel alone. 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! 

Just kidding! We have plenty tricks and techniques to share with you for getting in your “me” time during the homeschool day. Stay tuned to our website for this article!