How To Homeschool: Getting Started With Homeschooling Your Little Kids
Find lots of great resources that help you answer the most important questions related to How to Homeschool Your Little Kids. This post includes information about how to get started, how much it costs to homeschool and lots more! You’re definitely going to want to check it out if you’re considering homeschooling this year!
Something that I’ve been getting asked over and over again in the last few weeks is How to Homeschool. How do I get started with homeschooling? What do I need to know to homeschool my kids?
And with everything that’s been going on this year, I completely understand. I get it. There are so many unknowns and it’s definitely scary.
I’m so thankful that we’ve homeschooled from the beginning and I couldn’t imagine our lives any other way. I love getting to spend time creating and learning with the little guy and baby girl just about every day.
We have the freedom and flexibility to do schoolwork around our day to day schedule. That’s so important to us and especially with both my husband and I being small business owners.
We can school when and where it’s convenient for us and we know that our little kids are getting the best education possible.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links. For more information, please see my full disclosures.
Today I wanted to share some great resources to help you get started with your homeschooling journey!
How do I start homeschooling my child?
You’ve already taken the most important first step. You’ve decided that you want to homeschool your little kids and now is a wonderful time to get started.
This is an exciting and maybe even scary time for you, but rest assured homeschooling isn’t anywhere near as overwhelming as it might seem.
What are the homeschool laws in my state?
If you live in the United States, your individual state will have a list of regulations and requirements that you’ll need to follow.
In my state, I know that I need to send our local school district a notarized affidavit and a list of educational objectives among other things. We also need to do standardized testing in some grades and a portfolio evaluation at the end of every school year.
The best place I’ve found to get the most up-to-date information is HSLDA, which is the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Their website is filled with lots of helpful advice and becoming a member means tons of additional benefits as well.
How much does it cost to homeschool?
First, the good news. Homeschooling doesn’t have to cost anything. You can homeschool anywhere, even at your kitchen table. And as far as curriculum goes, you can find everything you need for free online.
Try Teachers Pay Teachers. There are literally tons of free resources! And remember, you’ll find lots of free printables & activities for your little kids right here on The Keeper of the Memories too!
If you’re homeschooling preschoolers and kindergartners, then no worries. You’ve totally got this! And of course, don’t forget to check out all of the Tot School & Preschool Themes that we’ve shared. You’ll find lots of ideas for hands-on and play-based learning experiences for your kiddos.
- Homeschool Room, Playroom & Craft Room
- Timberdoodle vs. Sonlight
- The Best Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool Mamas
How do I choose a homeschool curriculum?
Choosing curriculum is so much fun, trust me. We have a few companies that we tend to use materials from on a somewhat regular basis, but the possibilities are literally endless.
Did I mention that we love to mix and match things to fit each kiddo’s individual personality and learning style? It’s true. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You can never have too many books or craft supplies.
I want to raise kids who are lifelong learners and who are intrinsically motivated to try new things and explore the world around them.
What type of homeschool curriculum should I buy?
Literature-based
Do you and your kiddos love to curl up together and read? If so, then a literature-based curriculum would be perfect for you! We used Sonlight for Kindergarten with the little guy and we’ll using it for first grade this year.
We love Sonlight and wouldn’t trade the time we spend reading and playing together for anything. It’s such a beautiful way to homeschool little kids and you’ll be creating so many wonderful memories in the process.
Play-based
When I think of play-based learning, the first curriculum that comes to mind is Experience Early Learning. We’ve used this curriculum for years. We started on the little guy’s second birthday and of course we’ll be doing the same with baby girl. Not only do they now have a toddler curriculum, but they offer lots of other supplements and resources too!
Experience Early Learning delivers a box to your door each month filled with crafts & activities related to the monthly theme. I can’t tell you how much effort it saves me. Everything is grab and go, which means less time planning and more time with the kids.
STEM-based
Is a strong STEM education a priority for your family? Do your little kids love science, technology, engineering and math? If that’s the case, then Timberdoodle could be a great fit for you.
Timberdoodle curriculum includes lots of hands-on activities. We’ve received science experiments, art projects and even sensory materials. Even if we don’t purchase a full curriculum kit, I always take a look at what they’ve included for each of the grade levels that we’ll be homeschooling.
Keep in mind that these are just a few of the many companies that we’ve purchased from over the years. Spend some time online, join homeschooling Facebook groups and talk to mamas who have already been in your shoes.
I’m confident you’ll find something that works perfectly for you, your little kids and of course your busy schedule too!
What is homeschooling really like?
Homeschooling is what you make it. It can either a lot like public school at home or it can be a lifestyle in and of itself.
We’ve chosen the latter for the little guy and baby girl. We school in the margins of life. We do Math and Language Arts as we have time and we read together in the evenings after daddy leaves for work.
There are tons of art projects and science experiments that spill over from one day to the next and of course we spend lots of time playing outside too.
Other mamas who I’ve talked get up early, eat breakfast and immediately get started with school work. They take short breaks, but for the most part they homeschool until they’re finished and then enjoy the rest of the day.
Some of what you’ll ultimately choose depends on your individual kiddos. I know the little guy can’t handle sitting long enough to get an entire day of school work finished before lunch. Not to mention we tend to be night owls, so we usually enjoy the day then settle down and get started with school work after dinner.
It doesn’t matter which way you do it as long as you commit to getting the work done.
How many hours a day do you homeschool?
This is going to vary so much based on the ages of your kiddos and what type of curriculum you choose. We generally average 2-3 hours a day. Sometimes a bit less during the week and then we make up for it over the weekend.
Keep in mind that we’re also doing a full first grade curriculum and a play-based preschool curriculum, both of which include lots of hands-on activities and reading together.
Another thing to keep in mind is that as you get more familiar with the curriculum, you’ll be able to get through the day’s work a lot sooner.
