How to Start Homeschooling: A 10-

Step Guide
Here are 10 steps to take toward bringing your children home, reclaiming your role as their

primary educator and renewing your own family culture.

8-year-old Harriet Mumby and 10-year-old Oscar Mumby (daughter and son of the
photographer) are homeschooled by their mother Jo Mumby on Jan. 27 in Cuckfield, England.
(photo: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty Images)
Erika J. Ahern BlogsJuly 10, 2021
It is no secret that education in the Western world is at a crisis point. Public
schools have become institutional agents of a state-driven agenda to “free”
children from their family cultures, as Harvard professor Elizabeth Bartholet
put it during a recent panelist discussion. At the same time, they are failing to
provide a basic education in literacy and mathematics.
In the Catholic education world, great strides are being made by organizations
such as the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE), which recently
published Renewing Catholic Schools: How to Regain a Catholic Vision in a Secular
Age. But for many families, there either is no classical, affordable Catholic
school option nearby or, more positively, they want to bring their children
home to prioritize the domestic church, grow sibling relationships and
personalize their education.

If you are uncomfortable with the education your children are receiving or the
social influences in their lives, and you think it might be time to pull your
children out of a school system, it probably is. But homeschooling is more than
a reactionary choice. Parents homeschool in order to customize their
children’s education, improve their confidence, create more natural and
healthy social experiences for them and exercise their freedom to raise them in
the Catholic faith.

Where do they begin?

Here are 10 steps to take toward bringing your children home,

reclaiming your role as their primary educator, and renewing your
own family culture.

1. Pray and discuss. Offer this effort to Our Lord and ask him for the
graces to persevere in home education. Pray together with your
spouse or support team (parents, friends) and discuss the reasons for
homeschooling. Include positive goals — not just reactive or negative
reasons such as “the schools are bad.” Encourage each other and ask
God together for the grace to build a beautiful, happy home culture of
learning, wonder, and mutual support.
2. Check your state and local regulations. Check with the Homeschool
Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) on your state laws regarding
homeschooling. Regulations vary widely from almost nonexistent (as
in my home state, Connecticut) to quite high (as in California). Do not
be intimidated by these laws: families are homeschooling in all 50
states in record numbers and living within the regulations. If 5 million
families can do it, you can, too!

3. If they are in a school, take your children home. You do not have to
create a perfect homeschool space, purchase mountains of books or
complete 45 hours of teacher training to bring your family home. Once
you have made the decision, and particularly if your children are in a
detrimental school situation, fix a date to take them out. They can
come home at the next school vacation or even mid-year. Have a
family meeting and present in an age-appropriate way the positive
reasons you have made this decision to them. Allow them to ask
questions and express their concerns. Encourage them that you are
always open to talk about this change and that you are all in this
together as a family.

4. Get advice and support. Most homeschoolers love sharing their way
of life. Home education is not about driving the covered wagon out to
the prairie and “making it on your own.” This mentality results in the
trial-and-error approach that deprives our children of stability and
thus of the best education. Find trustworthy sources, talk to them,
make your choices, and plan to follow through. A friend recalled to me
her sister’s advice: “Go to the park in the middle of the day and look
for families — they’re probably homeschoolers!” Daily Masses are
another good place to find homeschoolers. Ask a veteran mom if you
can talk briefly over the phone or on a playdate about her own
homeschool story, how she uses a schedule, and how to work with
multiple children. Even if your support system is virtual (as through a
consulting service), encouraging and practical words of advice will
keep you going strong.

5. Shift your thinking. One of the myths of homeschooling is that

parents must recreate “school at home.” Homeschoolers do not all sit
down in their desks from 8am to 3pm or require hours of formal
instruction. One of the great joys of homeschooling is discovering that
learning, education and formation happen through a diversity of
experiences (intentional and unintentional!) and methods. A midweek
visit to the beach becomes a science unit. Building a rabbit hutch
becomes a hands-on geometry application. Attending daily Mass is
the best religion class.

6. Find your style. Since homeschooling took off in the United States
in the mid-1990s, different academic traditions have inspired a
plethora of curricula and educational materials all based on a few
fundamental education styles. Take time to learn about these
approaches, including classical, conventional, Charlotte Mason and
even unschooling. Finding the right style for you and your family sets
you up for homeschool success. Trying to squeeze yourself into the
wrong style because it looks good on Pinterest sets you up for
burnout. Talk to users of different methods to help narrow down what
philosophy meets you where you are at in your life right now.
7. Find your curriculum. Determining a style will help you discern
among the sometimes overwhelming number of curriculum options
available to homeschoolers. Ask parents you admire what has worked
for them and why, and do your research. Established classical online
schools such as Kolbe Academy and Mother of Divine Grace
Schoolprovide varied levels of support in the form of lesson plans,
books and services. New efforts such as TAN Academyoffer
personalized coaching to adapt well-structured lesson plans to your
student’s and family’s strengths and needs. A consultant can help you
match the home life and homeschooling style you desire with the
right books and lesson plans. Read trusted reviews and see what styles
and curricula the most successful homeschooling families use —
families that persist and thrive through the years of trial and struggle,
families with grown children who are the kind of adults you want to
raise.

8. Set a schedule. While you’re not recreating school at home, creating a basic
family schedule with flexibility built in is vital. If you are using lesson plans,
make a week by week planner so you have a sense of your daily and weekly
goals for “schooling.” As you get to know your children, reserve the times of
day when they learn best for the most formal learning. You might prefer to
save independent reading and enrichment for afternoons or evenings when
working spouses come home. Around these set school times, build your best
family life. Incorporate playdates, field trips, extracurriculars, work and family
errands into your plans and enjoy your newfound freedom!

9. Get to know your children. You already know them better than anyone, but
homeschooling will reveal the hidden depths of their particular learning styles
and temperaments. Know going into it that you will adjust your expectations
based on how a child responds to a particular method, pace, or curriculum.
Take each step as an opportunity to grow in knowledge and love of your child,
yourself, and God’s mercy.

10. Revisit, revise, repeat. Homeschooling is a family lifestyle and, as children

and parents grow and change, that lifestyle will need adjustments. As
Catholics, we practice a tradition of the nightly examen, which asks us to
review our actions and attitudes of the day and hold them up to the ideal of
Jesus Christ. This practice is vital to growing in goodness because it helps us be
aware of where we are doing well and where we need to grow. The same
practice should inhabit our homes with regard to education. A daily
“examination of education” isn’t really feasible, but setting aside time to
reevaluate monthly and a larger “examen” each year is absolutely necessary.
The adults leading the homeschool (usually mom and dad, but this could also
include your child’s tutors, grandparents or the leaders of your home school
co-op!) need to make sure they are all on the same page, as life brings with it
all its joys and surprises over time.

In your children’s education, you are becoming the person you want to be for
the sake your children. Any parent who steps outside of the status quo and
says, “We can do better for our child,” is worthy of admiration. In the end, this
is not just about raising a great kid or kids. You will find that the time and
effort you put into your children’s education transforms not only their lives
but also your own — and the entire culture of your family.

• Keywords:
• homeschooling
Erika J. Ahern Erika J. Ahern is an accomplished Catholic journalist, staff writer
and podcast co-host for CatholicVote's The LOOP. Her work has appeared in
the Plough Quarterly, Catholic Exchange, The Connecticut Examiner, Crisis
Magazine, and Regina Magazine. Erika lives in Connecticut with her husband,
Todd, and their six children.

8 Steps to Homeschool
Success
Find out where to start with a homeschool education. Includes a step-by-step
timeline for taking charge.

You've decided that you have the time, temperament, resources, and passion to
homeschool your child. Now what? With so many decisions to make, the notion
can seem overwhelming. Rest assured, says Linda Dobson, author of The
Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 101 Most Important Questions Answered
by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices. "Nothing is so stringent that you
need all your ducks in a row before you start."

Take a deep breath and review this step-by-step timeline. It covers everything you
need to know and do before taking charge of your child's education.
1. Research Your Homeschool Options

Begin any time, no matter whether your child is a toddler or already has several
years of elementary school under her belt. Some parents find the end of one school
year is a good time to start their research because it gives them enough time to
investigate the details and get started by autumn. Subscribe to magazines such
as Homeschooling Today, visit the library, read books, and talk to people who
homeschool — contact or join a local homeschool organization. Educating yourself
about the various routes you can take is the best way to define why you are making
this decision and what you hope homeschooling will accomplish for your family.
Just don't get frustrated if you don't understand everything you read or hear.

2. Investigate Your State's Homeschooling Requirements

Homeschooling rules and regulations vary widely from state to state. In New York,
for example, parents must file an annual declaration of intent with the local
superintendent by July 1 or 14 days before starting to homeschool, as well as an
individualized home instruction plan. New York parents must also maintain
attendance records, submit quarterly reports, and conduct standardized tests. You
can find detailed information on your state's laws at You Can Home School.

3. Join a Local Homeschooling Group

Meeting homeschoolers in your area will net you valuable information. Here you'll
find other families who can answer questions, let you review their at-home teaching
habits, and show you how homeschooling works for them. You can learn about
age-appropriate activities your children may want to participate in, such as sports,
tutoring, or small clubs that suit your child's interests. During weekly meetings,
parents may opt to teach a subject such as a foreign language or a science lab to
a group of students.

4. Decide on Homeschool Curriculum

Curricula can be purchased through mail order catalogues or at online stores,

including Scholastic's Teacher Store (you'll need to register in order to buy). They
vary from traditional textbooks and workbooks that cover reading, writing, and
arithmetic to more individualized approaches that are guided by a child's own
interests. State conventions and curriculum fairs, held several times each year,
also showcase a variety of homeschooling publications and products.

5. Create Your Homeschooling Space

Will you be conducting classes at the kitchen table? Do you need a blackboard or
a desk? How about empty wall space to post schedules, calendars, and completed
work? Is there a computer nearby that's connected to the Internet? Get organized
by purchasing storage cabinets and bookshelves for holding textbooks and
workbooks. Baskets are also useful for keeping loose supplies under control.

6. Set Specific Homeschooling Goals

Since homeschoolers proceed at their own pace, it's important, especially in the
first year, to consider what you want to accomplish. Academics are important when
you set short- and long-term goals, but they are not the only component of a child's
education. For example, how will your child get physical activity? When will he
socialize with other children? Consider the importance of extracurricular
activities such as music classes or Boy Scouts. Network with other parents —
homeschooling and not — to find the best activities. Also check local community
centers, houses of worship, and newspaper advertisements and listings.

7. Define a Homeschooling Schedule

Create a plan to meet the goals you've outlined. While a schedule makes some
people feel hemmed in, it helps, especially in the beginning, to be organized and
have a mission, says Dobson. Purchase a plan book and consider how you want
to break up your child's academic schedule and each subject you want to work on.
Consider how you want to break up your learning week by week too. Make time
for field trips and visits to the library. And remember, flexibility is one of the key
appeals of homeschooling. You can always adapt your schedule to your child's
changing needs.
8. Watch Out for Common Homeschooling Pitfalls

Homeschoolers say there are three issues that often stymie beginners. First:
feeling isolated. Make sure you've followed the advice in Step 3 and joined a
support group. It's not just for the kids, although socialization is critical for them.
Homeschooling parents need to connect with likeminded adults too.

Another potential problem is committing to a curriculum too early. Dobson notes

that some new homeschoolers purchase an expensive packaged curriculum right
away, only to find that it doesn't suit their child's learning style. Experiment for a
while before you plunk down a lot of cash.

Finally, know that you'll need to learn as you go. Adjusting to the freedom and
flexibility of homeschooling is a challenge. There are so many ways to approach
your task. Remember that you'll be defining — and constantly redefining —
yourself as you go.