Homeschooling is a big decision to make for most families. There is so much information out there on the subject and that can make it somewhat overwhelming. Most people are just searching around looking for straight forward answers without having to read through tons of websites.
That is what this post is for! I want to give you the answers to the most common homeschooling questions right here. Let’s get to it!
Check out my top 10 homeschooling tips and tricks here!
#1 Do I need special skills or education to homeschool my child?
No, you do not need any special skills to homeschool your child. Anyone can homeschool their kids. You do not need a degree in education to teach your children. Just a little bit patience and organization is all you really need. You can always build on those as you go!
#2 How long does it take each day to homeschool my child?
Very good question! The short answer is that it will depend on the age of your child and how many children you are teaching. If you are teaching Pre-k to 1st grade you can expect to be doing homeschool for about 1-2 hours per day. If you are teaching higher grades then you can expect around 2-4 hours per day. It’s not nearly as long as public school because there are less distractions and less children to teach. If you are homeschooling more than one child you can expect to add about 20-30 minutes to figure in any set backs from moving from one child to the next.
#3 Can my child go to a regular university if I homeschool them?
The truth is most universities welcome homeschool children with open arms! My advice to you is to seek out local universities and see what their requirements are for accepting a homeschool child. Just be sure to fit in the requirements when your child hits high school age. Easy peasy! You can read more about high school and writing transcripts here.
#4 Will homeschooling make my child socially awkward?
Contrary to popular belief, homeschool children tend to have better social skills than previously thought. Homeschool children don’t only learn to communicate with children their own age, but they also learn to communicate with older children and adults on a daily basis. Think of it this way…. have you ever had a job that you ONLY work with co-workers that are your age? Probably not. Chances are that when you work outside of the home you will be working with adults of various ages. So why constrict children to only socialize with children their own age? Sadly this is usually what happens in public schools because most children stick to friends in their own age group. There are many ways that you can socialize your little homeschoolers. You can learn more about that here and here.
#5 Where will I get my course materials at?
There are many ways to obtain homeschooling materials. You can find boxed sets online (we use Timberdoodle because it’s customizable!) or you can even piece together your own curriculum from resources you find online. I highly recommend the book Home Learning Year By Year. This book will outline what your child needs to know each year by grade. This book also includes lots of great resources as well. Some parents even opt for online homeschool for their children. A good example of this is A Time 4 Learning. There is no right or wrong curriculum to choose. It’s mainly about finding what fits and what works for your family.
I hope this answers some questions you might have about homeschooling and that it will make your choice a little bit easier to make. The best thing about homeschooling is that you can do things on your own terms and in your own sweet time. Please check out our resources tab for more information and our “Getting Started” tab.
