Whether you’re new to homeschooling or just considering it, there are a lot of things you need to know so you can be successful. So here are 10 of the most common mistakes that new homeschoolers make and how you can avoid them.
New Homeschooler Mistake #1 – Not Following the Law
Perhaps this seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many parents start homeschooling without fully understanding the homeschool laws where they live. The laws are very specific in the United States, and they vary greatly from state to state. Two states right next to each other can have vastly different laws for the requirements to homeschool. Some states require notification to the school board and some don’t. Some states have testing requirements and annual portfolio reviews, and many others just don’t. It’s very important that you understand the law where you live before you even think about starting to homeschool.
HSLDA.org/legal can be a great resource, but also make sure to read up on the homeschool statute for your own particular state, because sometimes HSLDA’s recommendations aren’t exactly in line with the laws. They sometimes recommend things that are not actually required. Your state’s department of education website should have the information you’re looking for. And don’t worry, you don’t have to pay for the HSLDA membership to read about the laws for your state. That part of the site is totally free.
Mistake #2 – Not Taking Time to De-school
Mistake number two is not taking time to de-school. Especially if you’ve just pulled your kids out of public school, you may be all gung ho and excited to get started right away with homeschooling, but that would be a mistake. This is a big change for everyone, and to be successful at homeschooling, you need to get the whole idea of school as you knew it out of your head. We’ll get more into that in my next tip, but just remember, homeschool is an entirely different way of education than traditional school. So you need that time, be it a few weeks or even a couple months to just take a break.
Go on some adventures, spend some time just relaxing at home. Treat it like summer break, and ease into the whole homeschooling thing. Don’t worry that your kids are going to fall behind, that’s a school thing anyway. Even if you live in an area with a required number of days of teaching per year, most of them don’t dictate HOW you teach. Trips to a local museum or library can count as school time if you need to keep track. But just remember to take that break and ease into the whole homeschooling thing slowly at first. You’ll be glad you did.
Mistakes New Homeschoolers Make #3 – Trying to Recreate School at Home
And that leads me into mistake number 3 that a lot of new homeschoolers make which is trying to recreate school at home. There is no need for you to try to do what public school does. Homeschool is so different and there is so much freedom and flexibility. Isn’t that one of the reasons you wanted to homeschool in the first place?
School is designed the way it is because they need to educate a large group of kids at the same time. There are many more kids than there are teachers. They have to be in one school building most of the time. They have to use the curriculum and standards set by the state. But homeschool isn’t this way at all. Depending on the requirements where you live, you likely have a lot of freedom to make these decisions on curriculum, when to teach, where to teach, etc. You don’t need a specific school room, or to stick to a Monday through Friday schedule. Don’t think of homeschool so much as school, as it is just home education.
Mistake #4 – Trying to Teach an Entire Curriculum Start to Finish
The next mistake that new homeschoolers make is picking one curriculum and continuing to push it even if it’s not working. You don’t have to just follow one specific curriculum start to finish. The beauty of homeschooling is the ability to follow your child’s interests and unique learning needs. So if they are loving a curriculum, great, keep it going. But if they don’t seem that interested, don’t be afraid to pick a different one, or pull from a bunch of different curriculums.
You’ll figure out what your kids like and what keeps them interested as you go along. And this still will likely change as time goes on. I can’t tell you how many different things we’ve tried. As long as your kids are learning and making progress and you’re meeting the requirements for where you live, try not to stress too much about the curriculum.
Related – https://eschooled.com/should-you-homeschool-your-child-in-2023/
New Homeschooler Mistake #5 – Not Following Your Child’s Learning Style
And in line with the last mistake, is mistake # 5, not following your child’s unique learning style. All kids learn differently, which is sadly why school doesn’t turn out so well for many students. There is no reason you have to force your kids to sit and do book work and quizzes and tests if they fight it. Just find a different way for them to learn. Maybe they’d prefer learning through hearing stories, or doing more hands on activities. Or maybe they’d like to go outside and do the lessons at a park rather than at the kitchen table. Maybe they don’t like doing online school, or maybe they’d prefer it.
Don’t worry, you might not know right away how your child learns best, but I promise you will figure it out soon enough. So don’t be afraid to follow their lead. Kids (and all humans) learn so much more when they’re really engaged in the learning, not moaning and complaining about having to do school.
Mistake #6 – Not Getting Out of the House Enough
Another mistake new homeschoolers make is spending too much time at home! One of the benefits of homeschooling is being able to get out there and experience the world. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can visit libraries, parks, local museums, take walks in the woods, meet up with other homeschool families, and many more things.
If you check with your local library, they probably have discounted passes to lots of local attractions that you can borrow. And don’t forget, many places that give student or school discounts will also give you a homeschool discount, so it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Mistakes New Homeschoolers Make #7 – Not Giving Your Kids a Chance to Make Friends
People always worry about socialization with homeschoolers, and that’s probably because there is some truth to it. It is harder to give homeschool kids enough opportunities to make friends and be around other kids. You have to put some work in, but it’s not impossible. This is why I suggest that as a new homeschooler, you make this a priority. Your kids mental health should ALWAY come before academics.
Facebook is your friend here, so look for all the local homeschool groups that you can join. And if your budget allows, look for homeschool classes that your kids can attend. Local museums and nature centers often have homeschool days or even regular homeschool classes, so if you can sign up for some of these, that’s a great way for your kids to make friends. Bring them to places like parks and playgrounds during the day when other kids are in school and see who you meet. And just say yes to all the homeschool meetups at first! You’ll figure out what your kids like and develop a good routine in time.
Eventually, you’ll see what your kids like going to and they will make friends. It helps if you find local things so the friends don’t live too far away. I promise this part does get easier as you meet more homeschool families and attend more activities, but it’s something that you have to put work into, especially at first.
Mistake #8 – Not Making Use of Free or Resources
Another mistake new homeschoolers make is spending too much money up front on curriculum and supplies. There are actually a lot of good free and inexpensive resources out there that you should definitely check out before you spend too much money.
There are free curriculums that you can print out or do online. Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool is a favorite. Ambleside Online is an awesome free resource for the Charlotte Mason method. The Good and the Beautiful allows you to print their curriculum for free. Khan Academy is a free website with all sorts of courses available. I especially recommend their math courses.
There are also websites with free or inexpensive printable resources. My favorites are education.com and the Teacher Club Card from Creative Fabrica. And of course your local library is going to be a great resource!
New Homeschool Mistake #9 – Forgetting the Extras
One of the only drawbacks to homeschooling in my opinion is that in most places you don’t have the same access to extracurriculars as public school kids. But don’t make the mistake of just excluding these entirely. Lots of kids enjoy those extras like art classes or music lessons or team sports. For younger kids, your local rec department probably has opportunities for team sports. For older kids this gets a bit more challenging. You can also look into individual sports like horseback riding, gymnastics, swimming, dance, tennis, golf, and many more. There are a lot of options, but unfortunately they will likely cost you some money.
I’ve noticed lots of options lately in my area for art classes, so that’s something else you can look into as a new homeschooler. And of course there are always private music lessons. You can even find them online. We’ve been using a company that does online music lessons specifically geared towards homeshoolers, and my daughter has really been enjoying taking voice lessons via zoom. There’s also a lot of options on Outschool.
If you want to check out the online music lessons yourself – don’t forget to use my code TwentyTinyToes for 15% off!
I’ve also noticed lately that places like martial arts studios, skating rinks, gymnastics centers and other places that normally offer evening classes are opening up homeschool classes during the day. If there’s enough interest, you might be able to convince them to offer a regular class for your homeschool group!
Mistake #10 – Comparing Your Kids to Kids in Public School
Lastly, a big mistake many homeschoolers make is comparing their kids to kids in public school. Remember, even in school, kids all learn at their own pace. So don’t stress if your child doesn’t know the same things as her public school friends. In many cases, homeschoolers will end up far ahead of their public school peers, but if that’s not the case it’s nothing to worry about. Your kids will learn what they need to learn in their own time, and with homeschooling they will likely be learning things that they’re interested in and have fun doing it. So please resist the urge to compare your kids.
If you’re really having trouble with this, you can always have your kids take a standardized test and see how they do. You might be surprised how well homeschooled kids end up doing academically.
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