I have a love and passion for education. My Master’s degree is in counselor education and I am a former high school teacher and former elementary behavioral counselor. In 2017, I resigned from my position as a high school teacher and I became a full time blogger. At the time, my daughter, Madison, was at an excellent preschool! I loved her teachers and they had a great curriculum. However, after a couple months, my daughter noticed that I was home full time and she started asking if she could stay home with me. My husband and I made the decision that we would take our daughter out of her preschool and I would homeschool her.
Fast forward to 2019, about a month before Madison turned 5 years old, I decided to officially homeschool Madison. When I say “officially” I mean I was going to find a curriculum, schedule out daily activities, and plan for a full school year of homeschool on the kindergarten level!
I get a lot of questions regarding homeschooling so I decided to answer the top 5 homeschool questions that I get:
- What is your homeschool schedule/routine?
- How does your child get social skills if she’s home with you all day?
- What homeschool curriculum do you use?
- Why did you decide to homeschool & how long will you homeschool?
- Do you need a certification to homeschool?
1). What is your schedule/routine?
As I previously stated, I have a background in teaching. Therefore, I decided to create a schedule/routine that was similar to a public school, but a little more flexible. I also do block scheduling so every hour is dedicated to a specific task. One thing that I want to point out as one of the benefits of homeschooling is that your schedule/routine is completely up to what works for you and your child. A homeschool schedule/routine for a child in kindergarten might look different than a homeschool schedule/routine for a high school student. My tip to you if you’re considering homeschooling is to find what works best for you and your child. Your schedule/routine does not have to align with that of a public school or private school. You have the freedom to create what works best for you! So here is a quick glance at our homeschool schedule/routine.
8:00am: wake up, morning routine, daily affirmation, kids yoga
9:00am: breakfast, calendar, weather, book of the day
10:00am: Time for Learning, ABC Mouse, Hooked on Phonics
11:00am: hands on activity to reflect lesson of the day
12:00pm: outside time, science activity, and lunch
1:00pm: quiet time (books, educational movie, or nap)
2:00pm quiet time (books, educational movie, or nap)
3:00pm: social skill (gymnastics, library, ballet, extracurricular activity of the day)
4:00pm recap/review out day
2). How does your child get social skills if she’s home with you all day?
As a former behavioral counselor, I understand the importance of social skills. I believe oftentimes, people perceive homeschool children as staying home all day with no exposure to kids their age and this is not true. My daughter gets a good amount of social skills everyday. I have her involved in various extra-curricular activities everyday with children her age. For example, my daughter is in ballet class, gymnastics class, trips to the library, children museum, science museum, and the list goes on! Specifically, in my city, there are so many locations that offer homeschool activities during the day at discounted prices! I also know homeschool parents that do something called co-op. This is a group of homeschool families that meet up and work together to achieve a goal.
3). What homeschool curriculum do you use?
I use a combination of curriculums. I utilize an online education program for Pre-k-12th grade called Time for Learning. This program offers various subjects based on your child’s grade, an automated grading system for lessons, flexibility to complete tasks at your own pace, and parent tools for planning and organizing lessons. Outside of this self-paced online program, I also incorporate daily lessons on entrepreneurship, gardening, and black history! There are a variety of curriculum options for homeschooling. Another benefit to homeschooling is you have the option to choose what your child learns and the best curriculum that fits you and your family’s values!
4). Why did you decide to homeschool & how long will you homeschool?
I decided to homeschool Madison because I know this will give her a great foundation to instill a love for learning. I have been blessed to be able to work from home full time with my blog so I felt like homeschooling Madison was a great option for us. Madison has been very receptive to me being her teacher so it has been working out well for us. I cherish these moments of watching Madison grow and learn! Each year I weigh the pros and cons on if I want to continue to homeschool Madison or look into other options like public school, private school, or a Montessori school. At this point, I’m not sure how long I will homeschool Madison. I always say I’m just going to continue to do what I feel is best for my daughter.
If you are trying to decide on if you want to homeschool your child, I would suggest making a list of reasons why you want to homeschool. Then, I would make a list of pros and cons on homeschooling or public school. Also, remember that homeschooling doesn’t have to be forever. You can homeschool for a couple of years and then have your child transition into a public school. Remember, just do what’s best for your child.
5). Do you need a certification to homeschool?
You do not need any type of certification or license to homeschool your child. Each state has different rules on steps you need to take in order to homeschool your child, but you do not need any type of certification. In most states you will need to notify your school district of your plans and provide the curriculum you plan on using. In most states you have to contact the school district before your child turns 5 years old if you plan on homeschooling them. Some states tend to be a little more strict on steps you need to take to homeschool your child. Here is a great website to find out more information on the homeschool laws based on the state that you reside in. Homeschool Laws Based on the State you Live in.
In conclusion, I hope that these top homeschool questions and answers were helpful! Always remember to weigh out your pros and cons with homeschooling your child. Every family is different so don’t compare yourself to other families. Also, be sure to check out my blog post Simple and Easy Schedule for Kids at Home.
XO,
Ashley
