Ready to Homeschool, but don't know how to get started? Getting started with homeschooling can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here to help with those daunting first steps such as choosing a curriculum, lesson plans, setting up a routine, organizing & scheduling your day. There really is no one way to homeschool .You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get started! Believe it or not, there are no firm qualifications to begin teaching at home. Below are some tools to help you get started & choose what works best for your family's unique learning style & needs!

The first question to ask yourself is why have you decided to homeschool. Your why will always be the catalyst for you to stay the course or choose otherwise. Cause reality is that you may be indecisive or have doubts and this is natural. Most especially if this a path that is new for you. Writing it down will always be a source of reference for you on those days. Be sure to get a designated Homeschool Journal and use this as a tool for writing down your why as well as to document other topics/inquiries/reminders that may come along on your homeschool journey.

For those parents seeking to establish a homeschool experience for the long haul, then you will have to legally register your child in your state. Find out the starting age requirements, hours and records needed to document, required subjects and more via the homeschool links for your state below.

*Disclaimer: These homeschooling laws may not be the most recent version. More current or accurate information may be available for each location. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources for the newest information.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Alberta*
British Columbia
Labrador
Manitoba*
New Brunswick*
Newfoundland
Nova Scotia*
Ontario*
Quebec*
Saskatchewan*

NSW
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania

Regional and Worldwide Homeschooling
Locate laws in other countries on this page.

The truth is that while Homeschooling may be fun and less rigid than formal school, the tendency to divert away from lesson plans may occur. A Home setting is usually relaxed so it is beneficial to set up a designated home space, schedule or routine to prevent missing out on any State requirements.

Children that were in a formal school setting thrive on a schedule & consistency. Creating a schedule will help everyone stay organized and focused. Download a Free copy of a Homeschool Schedule to help you get started. You may detail it to your family's preference. Be sure to have the schedule visible for the entire family to view, so that this reinforces the Homeschool experience.

The beautiful thing about Homeschool is that it is beneficial for all incomes. For those seeking to homeschool on a modest budget, utilizing workbooks, online worksheets, videos are extremely cost effective. If you do not have a spending limit, then you may choose to utilize Online curriculums & other programs.

Create a Homeschool environment that'll ensure a smooth experience. This means getting the children involved by starting their day freshening up, making their beds, putting away homeschool materials at the end of their sessions, doing household chores. To ensure that it all doesn't fall on the parents which can cause stress & burnout, establish a rewards system. Knowing that their hard work pays off as well as contributes to a successful homeschool environment, will create a joyful, blessed & worthwhile experience.

Before choosing a curriculum, create a list of what subjects your family would like to cover. Aside from choosing subjects for state requirements, you have free range to choose a plethora of supplemental instruction that'll be beneficial to your family. 

These lists are not set in stone, however you may use it as a guide in selecting your child's subject.

Kindergarten

Phonics

Learn to Read 

Handwriting 

Math 

Social Studies 

Science

Health

Phonics

Reading 

Handwriting 

English 

Spelling 

Math 

Social Studies

Science

Health

Reading 

English 

Spelling 

Handwriting 

Math 

History

Geography 

Science

Health

Reading 

English 

Spelling 

Handwriting 

Math 

History

Geography 

Science

Health

Now that you have chosen the subjects that you'd like for your child to take, now is a good time to decide what type of learning style you'd like to incorporate in your home education.

Begin to identify how your child learns best and adapt your teaching style to that child. Every child is unique, so you may have 4 children at home using various styles of curriculum.

Here are the general top 8 Homeschooling Methods:

Here is a list of online curriculum that my family has used in the past & some still currently:

Pre-12 Homeschool Curriculum

• Time4Learning

Digital Learning Age 8-13

• Adventure Academy

Free Online Curriculum

• Ck-12

African American Curriculum

• Kamali Academy

Free Online Public School

• K-12 Tuition-Free Online School

Free Online Courses K-12

• Khan Academy

Free Worksheets- Preschool-High School

• EdHelper

Bookstores

• Barnes & Noble
• Amazon.com

• Download a Free Curriculum form to keep track of your curriculum choices per child.

Now that you have your entire curriculum chosen and purchased, it’s time to plan out your year. Homeschooling schedules can be very flexible based on your own needs, so again, do what works best for the needs of your family. Planning out your lesson plans reduces stress & disorganization.

Plan out your weekly homeschool lessons, time off, vacation, holidays & extracurricular activities in your Homeschool Planner. Download a Free Weekly Homeschool Lesson Plan.

If this is your first time homeschooling, keep it simple. It is possible that your homeschool plan, curriculum choices and schedule will change periodically. Do not fret. This is normal. You are simply moving with the flow & understanding of your child/ren's learning styles.

Feel fee to explore our website for a plethora of resources, printables, forms that will surely be beneficial for your family's homeschool journey!