New to Homeschooling Questions
by Tammy
Homeschool Questions
This is all new to me, I'm scared, but I really feel that God wants me to do this. I'm from Illinois. I need help with everything you can imagine. :( We are a one income family, my husband only works so I can be at home when the children get home. I'm a fairly fast learner I just need some guidance and help along the way. :) You can start me off with what I need to do first then we can work from there if you want :) I know Illinois is like Michigan and you don't have to report anything. And I know Illinois has a $500 tax credit. But everything else I need information on. Thank-You for your time, and God bless you! Hi Tammy, Thanks for posting your homeschool questions to my website; many other parents feel exactly the same way you do when they first decide to homeschool – scared, unsure and hopeful all at the same time! If you feel God leading you to homeschool your children, then do it! He will guide you and give you the wisdom you need to take on this wonderfully life-changing endeavor. The first thing I recommend (besides praying!), which you have already done, is make sure you know the homeschooling laws for your state. Both Michigan and Illinois have great homeschool laws; you do not have to register with the state or any school district. Since your kids are in public school, I would definitely notify the school so they know that your children will not be back next year and request their transcripts/school records, especially for your high school daughter. You will want the information so you can add it to her high school transcript in the future. Next, I would take some time to learn about homeschooling; I provide some helpful information on my website. You will also learn a lot from reading some books. Some that I recommend are: Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Homeschooling Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr Raymond and Dorothy You should be able to find these or some others at your library. I would also look for a homeschool support group in your area. You and your family will find support, encouragement and friendship. (If there isn't one, that's okay.) Although you can homeschool successfully without one, I can't tell you what a blessing it has been for both me and my family to belong to a group and connect with other homeschooling families. There are many curriculum options; a fun hands-on one for your boys is "A World of Adventure" by Dorian Holt (www.learning-adventures.org). (Your daughter will like it too; mine did.) It is written for middle school, but with unit studies you can adjust them for any age – do less with younger children and go more in depth with older students. You will find a lot of information on choosing and finding curriculum on my website, as well as curriculum reviews. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! Other website visitors may have some helpful insight too. To your homeschool success and savings, Heather :)
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