We are starting homeschooling and I’m trying to get an idea of what supplies are essential and what’s overrated. We don’t have a dedicated homeschool room as our home is pretty small so I’m really wanting just what’s essential. Any advice is much appreciated!
L.,
While I didn't home school, I know plenty who have.
1. A CLEAN SPACE to study - since you have a small home? The kitchen table.
2. a cabinet to store your pencils, notebooks, etc. (a plastic rolling one works well)
3. The books that certify you are following the plan
4. A calendar so you can mark your days and hours of education.
nothing fancy. lots of spiral notebooks, some art supplies and a library card will be your best friends.
my boys kept their individual stuff in rubbermaid containers on a shelf in the living room, where we also had a general 'homeschool stuff' place.
it is good to have a corner somewhere to have bigger projects stashed, like dioramas or puzzle tables or robots in the process of being built. ours is in the basement, but in a pinch could go in a corner somewhere.
homeschooling did take up more room than not-homeschooling, but really not very much. if kids are in school they still need room to keep their school stuff, and it transfers over pretty well.
we didn't have desks or blackboards or a 'classroom area.' if we were working together it would be in the living room or at the dining room table, and they did their solo stuff (which made up the bulk of their homeschooling) wherever they felt like.
khairete
S.
Never home schooled.
I would talk to other people in your community that are home schooling and see what they use and feel are the necessities.
I know there are home school groups that meet for sports activities. There is one group that meets at our library so they "team teach" the kids in small groups (I think there were 4 to a group) and each parent took the session they were strongest in.
See if your library has the space for it, then you have all the books you need at your disposal.
L.,
how exciting and kind of scary. But congrats! We've been homeschooling for about 8 years now, a 7/8th grader and a kinder aged. Third child was home-schooled for a year but preferred reg school.
What are your kids ages?
a few tips
1. Figure out legalities in your state, rules vary state to state.
2. Decide on an approach (more relaxed child led, learning in jammies on the couch or a little bit more structured etc., are you looking to recreate a traditional school environment but at home?) Take some time to explore homeschool methods and observers to homeschooling might think "of course" homeschooling has to follow the school calendar year to be legitimate/sufficient. "Homeschool year" follows your family needs, does not have to follow the school year. Oh one more thing, examine the way your kids learn to adapt how to best teach them.
3.Tap into your local home school community.. I know a couple moms that stay home with the kids all day but my homeschool group has been a lifesaver for me, esp when i was new I picked other moms brains, loved the support & fellowship time, the kids got to 'socialize'.
4. Patience, lots of it. (takes awhile to get into a groove, and then your child changes so you have to switch things up). Be patient with your child & yourself
5. Library card .
As for necessities, you probably already have things like pencils, crayons, glue, craft stuff if you're kids are into crafts etc. A binder for you, loose leaf paper, notebooks, I love my dry erase board, if you continue to homeschool get a laminator.
Good luck! Any specific questions, PM me!
P
I've homeschooled for 13 years. I agree knowing your state requirements is the first step. Secondly figuring out how your children learn. Mine were 4 years apart (my daughter graduated in May and we homeschooled from 1st - 12th, currently schooling my son in 8th). One of mine has an incredible memory and is an auditory learner the other learned more easily reading and hands on. One excels in math and science, the other in language arts and fine arts.
One helpful resource for me was Cathy Duffy's Top 100. She goes into more detail to help you analyze how your children learn and gives lots of great info on all kinds of curriculum. You will be able to find it at the library or used very reasonable. Another book I'd recommend is Things We Wished We'd Known compiled by Diana Waring. This is a book that over 50 veteran homeschoolers have contributed to and it's so good.
Homeschool conventions are a great resource but can be very overwhelming. It's a great place to explore lots of curriculum at one time. I never used one curriculum for all subjects so it helped me piece mine together. The speakers are great.
I don't know the ages or number of children you're schooling but we always had together subjects and independent work. Our together subjects were history, literature, art, Bible and music. Independent work consisted of grade appropriate math, science, writing, spelling etc.
We travel a lot so my kids have been to lots of zoos, museums and places of interest. Lots of nature walks and good conversation. Learning outside is always fun.
One thing though, don't be afraid to try new things. It a curriculum you're using doesn't fit, don't force it. My opinion is try to instill a love for learning because that lasts a lifetime.
Supplies I use all the time are dry erase boards for math, spirals, map colors, pencils, pens, 3 ring binders and a calendar.
Happy to help you in your journey. PM me anytime. Have fun and know it's a learning experience for all. Enjoy!
Hi L.! I am assuming you have little ones and their needs are different than older learners. First I am going to tell you not to invest in curriculum. There are so very many choices out there and you really don't need anything until you have a clear idea where you and they are headed. So, what do you need? A membership to your local museum of science and zoo. We went to our science museum every Monday. When you take your time there is lots to learn and the knowledge that you can come back creates an opportunity to delve. My kids were always amazed by the school groups we would sometimes see, they didn't understand why they moved through the rooms so quickly. When you go to the zoo let them look for specific features in the different animals. Which are predators, what role does their coloring play, etc, etc. Look for changes. Find something that interests them and run with it. We had breakfast with Magic School Bus every day, I now have a friend who has lunch with Ms Frizzle daily. Make a date with the library every week, let them bring home whatever they want. I was strict about how much and what but I let them play computer games. Things like Reader Rabbit and Carmen San Diego, oh and that math one my son loved...I see it in my head but can't recall the name. It's great when they think they are playing and never realize they are learning. Cook with them, there is math in measuring and doubling or halving. What happens when you forget the baking soda? The possibilities are endless. Oh, your question is about stuff--- start with an empty bookcase and add as you go, you'll find lots of things---great paper and gel pens, and beads and glue and things to experiment on and with. Have fun!
I can't help much with how to do it with young kids. We didn't start homeschooling till 7th grade. You need to figure out what you think your child needs to learn and that age. You can do some research online there are lots of tools if you just look. There is so much you can do when they are young online and just around the house and local area that you probably don't need curriculum. Unless you feel you need things spelled out of you which some do. You also want to know if the state regulates homeschool. I know where I live they don't but other states do. Know the laws for your state
When I homeschooled my son, the most essential thing for us was differentiating between "home" and "school". It was too tempting for my son to lie on the couch and read and read and read. In the process he neglected things like math and history. We didn't have an extra room to turn into a school room either, so instead we created what we could.
School started at a fairly regular time. My son just couldn't stay in bed, turn over and start his classwork. He had to have breakfast, clear his cereal bowl and spoon, be dressed (comfortably, but not in pajamas), and come to the kitchen table, which was by then cleared and cleaned and ready to spread books out.
By establishing certain simple rules (a time frame, like saying school would begin between 8:45 and 9 am after beds were made and breakfast eaten; a designated clean place for doing classwork such as a dining room table, living room coffee table or kitchen table; certain reasonable expectations such as not staying in pajamas all day), the school day flowed quite well.
We did K-12 because I wanted to have that support and their resources. I had a desk with a laptop for her to watch her classes. Everything was online so it was very easy.
We had family discussions on her history lessons and it was so good for her, she retained everything!
I think you need someplace that is designated for her school work. She doesn't have to stay there of course, but having a set place gives her her own area.
