Your Homeschool Questions

Welcome to the super simple homeschool podcast where we help you find purpose in your homeschool while keeping it super simple.  

I’m your host, Jenny Hedrick, and today I’m here to answer your questions about homeschooling!  

This time of year I get a lot of questions about homeschooling as families everywhere are starting to think about the next school year and making decisions about schooling for their kids.  So, I thought it was a good time to do a question-and-answer episode to tackle some of the most common questions I’ve been asked or have seen in Facebook groups. 

Thanks to everyone who contributed their questions today!  Let’s get to it! 

I want to homeschool.  How do I start?  

I am going to address this to parents who have children in the public school system.  If you want to homeschool, do it.  Don’t wait, just start.

That being said, the first thing you should do is visit the Homeschool Legal Defense Association’s website to determine what is legally required in your state.  If you are taking your kids out of public school, I highly recommend getting a membership with the HSLDA to help you navigate any issues that come up in the withdrawal process.  Then, take the legal steps to take them out of school as soon as you are able.  You do not need to wait until any particular time during the school year.  Just take them out and do what is required in your state to start homeschooling.  

As far as curriculum goes, I highly recommend a period of “de-schooling” to establish a new family norm.  Spend time playing games, reading books, getting outside, going to the library, watching movies, making food, having fun, etc.  You do not need to begin formally teaching a curriculum the moment they get out of school. Teach life skills, and relationship skills, find YouTube videos on science subjects that interest them, same for history.  Practice real-world math skills.  Curriculum can come later.  This is the time to establish what life at home will look like. 

Get to know your kids.  Take time to talk to each other and observe how your kids like to play and learn on their own.  This will help so much as you start looking for a curriculum to match your family’s style.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you have to have everything figured out before you start.  You don’t.  Life doesn’t work like that.  Go back and listen to episode 1 before looking for curriculum.

When should I start?

I am going to address this to families who are starting out homeschooling.  I’m talking to all the moms of 3-year-olds who can’t wait to get started.  

Don’t.

There is so much research that shows that waiting to start formal school only benefits the child in the long run.  Play games, go outside, read, get dirty, read some more, go on a walk or hike, and ignite their natural curiosity.  

Do be sure you know the legal requirements for homeschooling in your state.   Where I am, enrollment or notice of intent is due when a child is 6, but formal education is not required until age 7.  

All too often I see moms getting frustrated with their five-year-old for not wanting to do school.  I was this mom.  To my children, I am sorry.  I wish I had played more, explored more, and waited.  

Wait.  Most five-year-olds are not ready for school.  Let them play.  Play together.  

What’s the difference between an umbrella school, enrichment program, and co-op?  

There may be some variation of what these terms mean based on your location, but I am going to cover the most popular meaning for these terms.

An umbrella school is typically considered a private school that offers some oversight on your homeschool.  Why would you want this?  Well, in CO, I can choose to have the state provide oversight by filing a notice of intent to homeschool with the school district, or I can choose to have an umbrella school provide oversight.  Because umbrella schools are private, they may have different requirements for enrolled homeschoolers, either less or more restrictive than the state.  They typically hold the official record of your homeschooler, ranging from attendance only to report cards, grades, and learning plans.  They may also come with benefits, like help with transcripts and high school diplomas, local school and teacher discounts, and more.  It all depends on your location and the individual umbrella school.  

For us, the umbrella school provides a legal buffer between my kids and the state, while requiring minimal oversight of our homeschool.  There is a cost involved, but it is minimal, given what is being provided. 

An enrichment program is a part-time program that provides some outside education for your child.  This typically takes the form of a day or half-day each week in which your children can be dropped off into the care of adults who will be teaching your child.  There are two types of enrichment programs: public and private.   Public enrichment programs are run by the school district and are typically free because the district receives public school funding for the homeschoolers enrolled in these programs.  When enrolled in a public school enrichment program, your child is considered a “part-time public school student.”  Why does that matter?  Well, for many of you, you chose to keep your child out of public school for a reason.  These programs keep them tied to the school district, which could conflict with your family values or reasons for homeschooling in the first place.

Then there are private enrichment programs.  These programs are not typically licensed or governed but are there to provide support to the homeschool family.  They offer part-time classes for a fee.  Typically these are run by a group of homeschooling advocates and paid teachers, who may be parents or other qualified adults.  These are not associated in any way with the public school system.  Co-ops also fall into this category but are different in that they usually require that the parent be present or participate in the teaching of the students.  Co-ops typically cost less than private enrichment programs for this reason.   

Umbrella schools and enrichment programs are most often optional for homeschoolers but can provide many benefits.  A little bit of research on Google and Facebook is all that you need to do to find out what is available in your area.

Can I still homeschool if I have to work full-time?

I’m going to give an honest answer here.  Maybe.  I want to say absolutely, yes!  But that’s not entirely honest.  

If you have a job that offers zero flexibility, 40 set and scheduled hours outside of the home each week, and a spouse with the same… that’s going to be difficult.  Especially if you have young kids who need supervision.  If you have a sitter or a family member who can help, that’s different.

Maybe you have a job that has some flexibility or allows you to work from home.  Or you work part-time.  It is definitely possible.  Remember that homeschooling doesn’t have to happen on certain days, at certain times, or even during certain months of the year.  When you homeschool, you get to decide when and how to educate your kids.  

If you are truly committed to homeschooling but still feel that you have to work, it may mean finding a more flexible job or starting a home-based business to support your homeschooling.   I work part-time, running 3 businesses that together bring in enough to cover our mortgage payment each month.  

If you don’t use a standardized curriculum, how do you know that they will pass testing if required by the state? 

I live in Colorado, where testing is required for homeschoolers.  However, there are alternative options, like an evaluation with a certified teacher, which is what we do.  Further options are available for those enrolled in an umbrella school.  Doing some research on this subject, I found that most states that require testing do have alternatives to standardized tests.  Check with the homeschool organizations in your state to find out if there are alternative options.  You can also check on the HSLDA website.  

Personally, I do not wish to teach my children to learn what is needed to pass a test.  I would pursue any other option to avoid standardized testing for my kids.  But if it is unavoidable, then you will want to choose an approved test early in the year and be sure that the learning activities you are doing will meet the minimum level.  In CO, homeschoolers need to be above the 13th percentile, so the bar is not set very high.  Do your research so that you can make informed decisions instead of fear-based decisions.  

How do I know if I am doing enough to prepare my student for the next grade level?

Grade levels are social, not academic.  Schools use grade levels to group children by age. When homeschooling, you are able to teach your child at their own unique ability and pace.  It’s one of the best advantages to homeschooling!  

There is no behind in homeschool.  

There is no behind in homeschool.  

Some curriculums are purchased and administered by grade level.  If that is not working for your students ability, then consider changing curriculum.  Homeschool is not one-size-fits-all.  

How do I know if I am doing enough to prepare my student for high school, college, trade school, etc?

First of all, let’s be the generation that stops sending kids off to college for 4 years because that’s what we did.  Very few adults will need a college degree.  But let’s say that your child decides to go to college.  What is the worst-case scenario here?  Let’s play it out.  You have a 17/18 year old who decides they want to go to college for some degree that has some requirements that you didn’t achieve in their 11-12 years of homeschooling.  You have at least 3 options at this point:  1. tell your son or daughter, sorry, but it looks like you can’t go to college.  2. Teach them the class at home for an extra semester or two so you can put it on their transcript or 3.  Send them to community college to finish up the classes they need to get into the college program they want to go to.

Not the end of the world.

If you want to send your child to trade school- perfect.  Please do!  We need a TON more people in the trades and a TON less people with loads of student debt.  

Their high school diploma and transcript, issued by you, their teacher and school administrator will be enough for them to start trade school.  Don’t agree?  Have them get at GED.   That’s enough too

How do you homeschool High School, knowing they need grades and a transcript

I am not experienced in this yet, so I don’t have a ton to say about it.  However, I did find a bunch of helpful information on the HSLDA website.  They even have a transcript service that you can purchase to help you put together transcripts for your high schooler's work.  

How do you homeschool multiple kids, especially if one needs extra attention due to attention issues or learning difficulties?

First, breathe.  When I realized that my kids were dyslexic, I had to put on my big girl panties because I recognized that they were likely going to continue to need some level of assistance from me for a very long time.  That’s okay, it’s already gotten a LOT easier. 

One thing that has worked well for us has been to do what we call “stations.”  This is like a 15-minute rotation where the kids rotate through independent work and working with me 1:1 on a subject- typically reading or math.  The independent work includes typing and piano practice for the older kids and coloring or listening to an audiobook for the younger.  

For all other subjects, we work together.  Science, Bible, History- all the content-based subjects are done as a family.  We forgo workbooks and worksheets and use Notebooking instead, to streamline things and allow each child to work at their own level.  For more on Notebooking, stay tuned for episode 3. 

My child is very social and missed his friends in public school when we homeschooled him for a semester.  How do we overcome this if we choose to homeschool him again?  

There have been seasons in our homeschool that we have been homebodies, in part because of my own social anxiety and tendency to get reclusive.  But I have found so much joy in finding our homeschool community, our “people”.  This is no simple task, and it definitely requires reaching out and getting out of my comfort zone as a mom.  

We enroll our kids in a private enrichment program one afternoon/week.  When we started, I didn’t know any of the other moms, and COVID practices made it difficult to mingle at pickup.  However, eventually, I decided to reach out to the parents of the kids I was hearing about and schedule play dates.  I am so glad I took that leap, even though I didn’t know these people.  It was through these play dates that my kids’ friendships blossomed and I found the people who are now my closest friends.  

Building a community can be hard and it takes time and effort.  For kids leaving public schools, it may mean making an effort to get together with their friends from their school, while also getting them involved in new activities and programs to make new friends as well.  

Remember, homeschooling is a journey and we are raising lifelong learners.   When things are hard and you are struggling, know that you are not alone!  We all struggle and we all worry that we are screwing it all up!  

But in those days and at those times, it can be so helpful to remember the purpose of your homeschooling.  Why did you decide to live this way?  The answer usually isn’t to raise academic genius’ or to do things the same way as everyone else.  When you remember your purpose and your mission, you can remember that everything else is secondary.   

I hope that this episode answered some of your questions about homeschooling!  If it did, please consider sharing it with a friend!  If you have further questions about homeschooling that you would like me to address in a future episode, please email them to me at info@supersimplehomeschool.net.

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