If your child is struggling in public school, for whatever reason, and is getting more discouraged as the year progresses. Choosing to homeschool might be a valid option to consider.  However, be prepared for a transition period after taking your child out of public school before jumping into homeschooling.

If your child is currently in public school, before you withdraw them, you need to determine your state’s homeschooling laws.  Make sure you meet all of the state’s requirements before taking further action.  After you’ve met each of the laws of your state, contact your child’s school and formally withdraw your child.  Failing to formally withdraw your child may lead to truancy issues in the future.  Also, be prepared for them to ask questions.

The manner in which you withdraw your child will probably vary depending on where you live, possibly writing a letter to the superintendent of your child’s school system.  Explain to them that you have chosen to homeschool and are formally withdrawing your child. Provide proof that you are following your state’s laws and are legally allowed to withdraw your child from school.  If you can quote part of the law in your letter, it will show that you understand the law and your rights as a homeschooling family.

•  When you have your child at home, be prepared to take some time off of actual school work.  This will give your child a chance to learn a new lifestyle.  After all, your child has been used to the school’s way of doing things.  They are no longer imprisoned by the rules and regulations they’ve come to know.

•  Take some time to get to know one another again. You may think you know your child, but it’s quite possible that you don’t know them at all.  There may be parts of your child’s personality that you never knew existed.  They might learn some new things about you, as well.

•  Don’t be surprised if your child continues to do the things that they’ve become accustomed to doing.  Some new homeschoolers will raise their hand if they have a question or when they need to use the restroom.  It may take some time to do, but those habits will need to be broken.

•  Keep some of the better habits they’ve gained.  If your child has been used to having spelling tests on a particular day of the week, continue to keep that schedule.  If you allow them to stop doing everything they did in public school, you may have a situation that is worse than they left.

•  Take the time to enjoy the process with your child.  Choosing to homeschool, while primarily for the student, should also be enjoyable for you as well.  Cut loose and have fun.  Don’t take yourselves too seriously, and remember that you were a parent first.  Most of all, remember why you chose to homeschool . . . to enjoy the freedom homeschooling affords.

Families have homeschooled their children throughout history.  Homeschooling fell out of fashion when modern public schools were developed, until homeschooling began again in the early 1980s.  Since that time some of those homeschool graduates have continued their education, but it hasn’t always been easy to go on to college.

Until recently, being accepted into college after homeschooling has been uncommon, but times are changing.  In fact, many colleges now seek out homeschool graduates for admission.  The reasons they do so are varied, but it boils down to the fact that homeschooled students already know how to learn.

Should your child pursue a college education after being homeschooled?  That is a decision only you and your child can make.  While college is different from public school, there are some similarities. If your child has not been used to the structure of public school, you need to realize that they may struggle in college.  Don’t let that dissuade your child; the struggles can be overcome if they put forth some effort.

If your child is interested in furthering their education, by all means allow them to pursue it.  Encourage them to reach for their dream.  Your job, however, will increase as you have to keep very good records.  Your child will need a transcript that you create, or you can sign up with a homeschool cover that will create the transcript for you.

What are the requirements for gaining entrance to college?  Each college has their own admissions requirements.  Check with the college your student is interested in attending.  The college should have their requirements listed on their website, if they have one, or you can write for a catalog or further information. 

Quite often children will be homeschooled until they reach high school so that the student will be able to get a diploma. Others will continue to homeschool through high school and take correspondence courses to earn their diploma.  Begin to prepare your student to take the ACT as a preliminary to entering college.

Seek out the help and advice from the college Registrar.  They will be able to inform you of any special requirements for homeschoolers.  They will also be able to tell you if there are other options for those seeking admission without a traditional education.  An option that isn’t often considered if a student wants to continue their education is to seek admission after turning 19.  This will classify the student as “mature” and changes the criteria for entering college.  In some colleges, the age to classify as mature is 21.  Check the college of your choice before using this option.

Finally, when considering a possible college education, make sure that your child has begun to contact potential colleges in plenty of time for the application process.  They will also need to fulfill the other college admissions requirements.  Encourage them to seek their dreams and do all you can to help them go from homeschool graduate to college student.

Homeschooling, while it affords you certain freedoms when educating your child, is not always easy. But there are things that you can do to make homeschooling easier for yourself as a parent.  The following tips may help make your job as a homeschooling parent a little easier.

•  If in doubt, look on the Internet.  If you are in doubt about your method of homeschooling, use the internet to seek another method.  In fact, you can use the internet to help you in regard to nearly everything homeschool related.  Do you need something to keep your little one busy while you’re working with an older child?  The internet has coloring sheets galore, as well as worksheets, mazes, and puzzles.

•  Choose a complete curriculum.  Complete curriculums will also make homeschooling easier on you as a parent.  Instead of having to search through multiple catalogs to find just the right curriculum, choose a complete curriculum.  Not only will it save you time, it may even save you money, in the long run.

•  Cut yourself some slack.  Don’t expect yourself to be the perfect teacher.  Unless you have an education degree, you most likely will make mistakes along the way.  Don’t beat yourself up about them.  Learn from the mistakes and try not to repeat them again.

•  Allow your children to help themselves.  You can’t be expected to know everything, so if your child wants to learn something you don’t know, give them the freedom to follow their interests.  You might be pleasantly surprised to find that they learn more on their own than they did while you were more involved.

•  Seek the help from others.  When in doubt about anything dealing with homeschooling, seek the advice from those who have been homeschooling for longer than you.  Even though they may not have dealt with exactly what you’re dealing with, chances are they will be able to give you advice or point you in the right direction.  Take advantage of your homeschooling peers’ offers of help, there might be a time where you’ll be able to return the favor.

•  Online communities are available.  If you don’t know people that homeschool in your local area, there are literally hundreds of homeschooling communities on the Internet.  Search online for homeschooling groups or forums.  They can be found in every state, and even some outside of the United States.  You may have to register to join a homeschool group or forum, but you can be as active as you like and remain anonymous if you like.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be hard.  In fact, one of the reasons most people choose to homeschool is the ease and freedom associated with it.  When you have difficulty, however, you may feel as if you need help.  The above tips, when followed, can help make homeschooling a little bit easier.

Homeschooling is legal in every state, but the choice to homeschool should not be made lightly.  Research and discussion are required to make a wise decision.  How do you tell if homeschooling is right for your family?  Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering homeschooling as an option for your family.

Am I comfortable spending all of my time with my children?
One of the main reasons that people homeschool is because they love their children and want what’s best for them. They also genuinely like spending time with their children, which is good since you’ll be spending all of your time with them.  If your children frustrate you easily, homeschooling might not be a good match for you.

Will questions bother me?
Homeschoolers are usually asked a lot of questions.  Those questions could be about what curriculum they’re using or about socialization for their children.  If you homeschool, it helps if you don’t mind answering the same questions more than once.

How can I find out about homeschooling?
Check out books from your public library.  There is more than likely a large selection of books that will tell you everything you need to know.  The librarian might even be able to tell you if there are any homeschoolers in the area, since most homeschoolers rely heavily upon the library for source materials.

Is there a support system available?
After you’ve read some books, find local homeschoolers, or do an online search for “homeschool groups (your city)” or “homeschool groups (your state).”  There are homeschooling co-ops available in many places, as well as opportunities for families to get together and have fun.

What if I have other questions?
After you’ve found some families that already homeschool, and ask them about the pros and cons of homeschooling.  Most families will be honest about their reasons, and will be more than happy to help you make an informed decision.  Ask them what types of hardships they had to deal with when starting out.  Should you be concerned about socialization for your children?  What about curriculum?  Do they have suggestions about what to use or not to use?

What curriculum do I choose?
Curriculum choices are astronomical – in the variety available, and often in the price.  While it is possible to have “school at home” by choosing books very similar to what are offered in public schools, it is also possible to homeschool without using a set curriculum at all. The library books you checked out earlier should have explained about the different methods, and should have given you an idea of what your child should learn in each grade.

If you are considering homeschooling your child, or children, answering the above questions should help you make an informed decision.  Not everyone will choose to homeschool after investigating the option.  However, if you want to be more involved in your child’s education, homeschooling might just be right for you.

People choose to homeschool for any number of reasons.  Some of those reasons include homeschooling for religious reasons, not subjecting their children to many new schools if they move a lot, or having a child with health issues that could be made worse by attending public school.  For whatever the reason, homeschooling is a great option.  Homeschooling does not have to begin when a child first starts school, you can start a child on their homeschool journey at any point in their school career.

Many people think that homeschooling must start at kindergarten.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, you can begin to homeschool your child at any age or in any grade.  When you begin homeschooling depends on when you’ve decided to take your child out of the public school system and bring them home to teach them.

While it may be easier to begin homeschooling right from the start, it isn’t unheard of for parents to pull their children out of school in any grade.  Depending on the student, parents may decide to teach when they’re starting high school.  It’s not unheard of in homeschooling communities to choose to homeschool as their child’s educational career is nearing a close.

One reason parents may choose to bring home a student starting high school is that the parents don’t feel their local school is safe.  With the possibility of being introduced to drugs and alcohol, parents may choose to keep their children from those influences.  They may also bring their child home because of the threat of violence on campus.  These and other issues may cause a parent to pull their high school student out of school to homeschool.

If unhealthy influences aren’t an issue, some parents decide that high school is the right time to homeschool because of opportunities that arise.  Some high school students are already in advanced classes, however if they homeschool, they may be able to attend some beginning college courses while still in high school. 

Another possible reason for bringing a child home while they’re in high school is so they can participate in a work-study program.  Whether they are interested in a work-study program, or an apprenticeship, public high school students may not be able to work these programs into their schedule.  As a homeschool student, however, they have the ability to work ahead and therefore may be finished with high school courses which will free them to pursue an apprenticeship position.

Homeschooling is an awesome opportunity for students, no matter what grade they begin.  Things may be easier on both the parent and the student if they begin homeschooling when the student is younger.  However, that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your child home as they near graduation.  Listen to your child, understand what they want to accomplish, and then let them spread their wings and fly.