Can I Begin Homeschooling Mid-year?

Switching to Homeschool Mid-Year

Yes, you can!  Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and you can begin homeschooling at any time.  Many families choose to begin homeschooling mid-year due to problems at the school, kids falling behind, illnesses, or just feeling that it’s time.  The semester break is a perfect time to make the change; however, you can take them out at any time.

If you are considering taking your child out of public or private school during the school year, be sure to do your homework and follow the laws and requirements of your state.  

Simplifying The Mid-Year Homeschool Transition

• Check out your state laws.  It is important to follow the laws and take the appropriate steps required by your state.
• Your statewide homeschooling association can offer advice on the steps to take to remove your child from school.
• Your local homeschool support group can also help with the specifics and can usually assist with the procedure by providing forms, requesting the school records, helping with curriculum advice, etc.
• You’ll need to make curriculum decisions and purchases.  Sometimes, it is possible to use the school books that the children were using in school, but don’t count on it.

Other concerns:

• Socialization – Your child might miss his friends and feel lonely.  You can help him through this period by inviting his friends over and getting involved in outside activities.  Homeschool support groups offer many opportunities for kids to get together for field trips, park days, and classes.  There are many opportunities for field trips in your own community – go as a family or invite a friend.
• Deschooling – you might need to begin slowly and give your child time to heal and adjust to the change.  You might want to spend a couple of weeks just keeping up with math and reading some quality books.  Spend some time doing hands-on projects and letting him pursue topics that interest him through unit studies.
• Course of Study – If you are using graded curriculum, you can pretty well trust that everything is being covered.  If you are going to put your own curriculum together, you can refer to the Typical Course of Study for guidance.
• For online support, visit the homeschooling forum and weekly chats.

Homeschooling is a big step and takes teamwork.  It is a good time to get to know your child again.  Talk with him and be sensitive and understanding to his feelings.  Be enthusiastic, start slow, have patience, but most of all – relax and have fun!  

Household Organization

Organization is one of the most important factors of a successful school year. If your household and school room are organized, you will have a much smoother and more enjoyable time with your homeschooling. I don’t know how many projects we’ve had to put off because we couldn’t find the book or an item we needed for a project. It doesn’t have to be that way, I’m using the month of August to dejunk, reorganize and focus on a smoother running household.

• Over the years, I’ve learned a few tips that might be helpful to you:
• Get rid of junk – if you haven’t used it in a while, you probably don’t need it.
• Have a place for everything – find a home for every item in your house.
• Open the mail with a trash can handy and get rid of the junk immediately, including the extras that come inside your bills.
• Set up a laundry area and sort as you go. I have a 3 bag container for the jeans, colored and whites and a separate, big hamper for the towels. It makes it easy to see the most urgent and get the load going.
• Get a cleaning cart. I purchased a lightweight cart on wheels that has 4 plastic drawers and I hang a laundry bag on the side with big clips. This eliminates going back and forth to rooms to put things away. After I go through the house, each child takes their drawer to their room and puts the items away.
• If I’m doing my heavy cleaning, I keep the cleaning products in the top drawer, otherwise I use that drawer for transporting dishes to the kitchen.
• Have a beginning point and go completely around the house. I begin in the back bathroom and end at the kitchen.

How to Plan a Unit Study

Unit studies are a fun and effective way for children to explore a topic and develop a love for learning. Here’s a simple method to make unit study planning easier.

• Choose your topic of study.
• Decide how in-depth you want to study the topic.
• Decide how much time you want to spend on the unit.
• Gather your on-hand resources.
• Check your library for additional resources and ideas.
• Check out local field trip possibilities.
• Plan hands-on activities that relate to your topic (cooking, experiments, crafts, etc.).
• Search the internet for online resources, games and virtual field trips.
• With the gathered resources in front of you, lay out a plan of what you will cover and
• projects you want to do.
• Plan a schedule, as detailed or generalized as you desire.
• Begin your unit study with enthusiasm.
• Keep a journal of your study.
• End your unit with something exciting (a party, a presentation, field trip).

Tips:

• Choose a topic your children are interested in or use a chapter out of their textbook as a base.
• Be flexible with your schedule; if you’re really into a project, don’t cut it short just to keep on the schedule.
• For teaching different age groups, adjust the assignments and activities as appropriate.