Five Steps To Choose Homeschool Curriculum

There is an amazing selection of terrific supplies for homeschooling families. The internet brings this to our fingertips. Are you looking into curriculum for next year, or considering homeschooling for the first time? Here are a few ideas to make curriculum shopping less intimidating:

1) Create a budget.

What is the ideal amount you would like to spend? What can your family afford above/below that amount? Do you have money set aside to pay all at once, or will you be trying to take advantage of a payment plan (many companies offer these)? Nailing this down first will help you make tough decisions as you go, rather than getting your heart set on something only to realize you can't make it happen after all.

2) Create a master list.

Begin with considering which method (or methods!) of schooling best fit with your family. Think about what your mission is a homeschooling parent and what your goals are - as a family and for each particular child. Then list any requirements in your state for the ages of your children. Once you have these parameters in place, you can list the subjects you will be covering, leaving space to fill in which materials you will use as you find them.

3) Research your options.

The internet is the best shopping tool on the planet, hands down. Not only can you look over samples and lists at homeschool curriculum companies, you can also read the reviews of other parents who have used those materials and connect with other homeschooling parents to glean their perspectives on different items. Talk with the other homeschooling families in your area; ask what they are using, what they have used, and what their thoughts are concerning your curriculum quest.

4) Attend used curriculum sales and homeschool conventions.

Wether or not you purchase anything at these gatherings, you will benefit from the time you spend. It is one thing to look at an advertised book or system on your computer screen, but it is quite another to hold it in your hands, flip through all the pages and speak with the parent (and sometimes student) who used it. First-hand accounts like this and the option to read over the material helps a great deal in the decision-making process.

5) Fill in the blanks.

Once you get this far, you will have most of the items on your list filled. I usually don't make any purchases online (though I may have a saved 'shopping cart' waiting to click 'check out') until I've been to the events in step four. Then, if I have a few things I didn't find or still need, I can take advantage of bulk rates or discounted shipping when I add to my order. I may beg or borrow materials from a friend or put together lessons from a free resource online.

What have you found to be your best resource for researching curriculum?

Homeschool Laws?

I live in Central New Jersey.

New Jersey has no law on the books regarding Homeschooling.  There is no call to register, no portfolio to prepare, no medical exams to prove.

When we first starting researching homeschooling, I was a little taken aback by the lack of legislation for families in NJ who homeschool.  I work best with a plan, so being given a clean slate was very scary to me.

After reading other state requirements and listening to some parents trying to get everything ready to prove what they did in school, I was pretty excited that NJ is a little more laid back.

A few months ago, a child in foster care who was being homeschooled was tragically killed, and the foster parents charged with neglect. I'm not going into the entire sad story, but this case has catapulted homeschoolers onto the NJ legislature, with new laws being proposed to protect children from being homeschooled.  The case is pitting DYFS against homeschoolers.

I'm not sure how I feel about the proposed laws. I can see the validity of having some guidelines, but at the same time, the wording in the proposed bill scares me.

Do you live in a state that is rigidly controlled? What are your thoughts?

Letter of Intent

A new school year has either already begun, or is soon to get started for home educators. For those who are brand new to homeschooling, I hope you have done your homework and know what the laws are for your state regarding notification. We live in Kentucky, where it is fairly stress-free to homeschool. The one thing we are required to do each year is submit a letter of intent.
Every state is different, and you can easily see what your state requires by visiting HSLDA, where you will find a map and all of the info you need to keep your homeschool legal.
Our letter of intent looks like this:

XXXX County Board of Education                                                             July 27, 2011

123 Your Street

Your City, Your State 12345

ATTN: Director of Pupil Personnel

Director of Pupil Personnel,

This letter is to inform you that as of July 5^th 2011, we will be home educating our children for the 2011-2012 academic school year, pursuant to all Kentucky revised statutes. Below are the names and ages of the children we will be educating, as well as information about our school.

Child #1  Kelley (13)

Child #2 Kelley (11)

Child #3 Kelley (8)

Child #4 Kelley (7)

Child #5 Kelley (5)

Our school, Kelley Christian Academy, will take place in our home at 123 Street, Our Town, KY 12345.

Phone: 555.555.5555

Names of Parents/Teachers:

Richard and Samantha Kelley

Sincerely,

Rick Kelley

Samantha  Kelley

We are required to send this in every year, within two weeks of the start of the public school calendar.

It is not required, but I would highly advise that you send your letter of intent certified mail. This ensures that there is proof that you sent it, should a question ever arise. Just be sure to keep the stub the post office gives you. We keep ours in our homeschool binder, along with a signed copy of the letter intent that we mailed.

Homeschooling is such a wonderful freedom, but we do have rules that we need to follow to keep our school running legally.

If you have yet to check your laws out, head on over now to HSLDA, and make sure you have all of your papers that are required.