New To Homeschooling?

Are you researching homeschooling? Or are you interested in homeschooling, but don't know where to start? Here are some helpful videos and websites to get you started.

What Is Homeschooling?

Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has a good definition for homeschooling: a parent-directed, customized education which encompasses more than academics. This definition allows for learning as a lifestyle beyond academics and a whole-child perspective on our children's growth.

Homeschooling is extremely rewarding, but it also requires commitment and support. Rainbow Resource Center (a homeschool supply company) explains the pros and cons of homeschooling in this video, and encourages families from different situations to view how it might work for them.

Who May Homeschool?

Homeschooling is legal in California and can be done privately (see this article from HSLDA describing the options: PSA, PSP or Private Tutor) or with public independent study options (Option 3 on this page by California Homeschool Network). The following video compares the three most common options: PSA (private), PSP (private) and online charter (public).

Homeschooling can look different from family to family. Some families may have more traditional routines, others may follow their interests to pursue unconventional routes. You can read about some of HEART families and their homeschooling days here.

Why Homeschool?

Reasons to homeschool include: freedom to inculcate your faith and family values (Deuteronomy 6:7), customizing your child's education to his learning abilities (special needs, gifted, twice exceptional), providing a wholesome environment away from bullying and negative pressure, and  allowing your child to pursue special interests, e.g. sports.

It is worth taking time to figure out the Why for your family, because it will affect the direction of your homeschool, and it could save you grief trying to replicate other families where it would not work for you.

If this sounds like too much pressure, do not fear - our Lord has promised to give wisdom generously (James 1:5), and you are not alone! There are also tools to help - our friends at Align Your Homeschool have provided this free workbook and audio recording from their webinar(password: 3A^WW3@5).

How to Homeschool

If you decide to homeschool publicly, Peach Blossom PSP maintains an updated list of public schools with independent study programs, and online charters. Your public school independent study co-ordinator, or your educational specialist (ES) for the online charter can advise you as to which curricula and activities are acceptable, and perhaps point you to a lending library. 

That said, welcome to the world of researching curricula and activies! This can be a heady time - shall we read living books, take a nature hike, join a math circle, memorize the periodic table, or let the kids start their own business..all at the same time? 💪 It's exciting, but it can also lead to burnout. 

This is where you need to look back to "Why we homeschool". There is a time and place for everything under heaven, and we need to seek the Lord's direction on whether a particular idea, which may work wonderfully for another, would work for yours. Rainbow Resource Homeschool (a homeschool supply company) has a good video exploring factors to consider using the acronym FAMILY together with a free worksheet.

The following are overview videos of common homeschool philosophies: Charlotte Mason, Classical, Literature-based Learning, Unit Studies, Unschooling. By necessity, they are brief - there are conventions dedicated to each, and highly supportive communities for each philosophy, each one eager to defend its merits.

There's also eclectic homeschooling - basically, mix and match resources! The following Youtube channels are by homeschooling families who review various curricula.

You can also explore your family's learning styles - our friends at Christian Home Educators of San Francisco (CHESF) have put together this worksheet with links to quizzes to find learning styles and homeschool philosophies which fit you.

When to Homeschool

As of this writing (July 2020), California law requires you to notify the school district of your intent to homeschool if your child is between the ages 6-18, i.e. it is not necessary to notify for Kindergarten. HSLDA summarizes the requirements here. CHEA has sample forms for withdrawal from school here.

If you are filing privately with a PSA, the customary period to file is Oct 1-15. However, you can also file later e.g. you are transferring out of a public/private school to homeschool in the middle of a school year. There is a period of time in summer where the form is not available, however you can still homeschool then and file when the form re-opens in October. 

More Questions? Seeking Community?

It's understandable you have more questions, and it's wise to seek counsel from a multitude (Proverbs 15:22).   If you live in San Mateo county, you are welcome to find out more about our group, HEART for Christ Schools, by connecting over Facebook or email. We recommend joining other groups in the Bay Area in our sidebar (Nearby Groups) if those are closer to you.

At the state level, there are several groups supporting homeschooling including Christian Home Educators of California which hosts an annual convention (open to the public) where you can browse a huge hall of curricula, listen to speakers on a variety of homeschooling topics and connect with other homeschoolers in the state. This summer, they have also hosted a series of helpful webinars such as "Getting Started with Homeschooling" and "Choosing Your Curriculum" and you can access them all for free at their "New To Homeschooling" page.

At the national level, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) provides legal protection for private homeschoolers for an annual fee, provides a library of homeschool helps, offers homeschool counselors for your curriculum/planning questions as well as hosts online high school AP-level classes. HEART is an HSLDA Discount Group, so you can get a discount on the annual fee as a member.