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What do we need to know up front about home schooling? So far all we know is the basic concept of home.. schooling. I have no idea how this works so please fill me in so that it is relative to home schooling a kindergarten. Thanks
There are many, many Home Schooling forums across the web. Just do a "Bing" or "Google" search and you'll come up with plenty. You can also get a ton of info from your state's Dept of Education office or their website.
That will get you started.
Check out Jon's website (the second one) for homeschool laws in your state. You may have to register with the school board, or declare yourself a private school, or jump through some other picayune hoop in your state (though possibly not until your child is six or seven). Better to make sure your Ts are crossed and Is dotted at the beginning, and save yourself some hassle.
Another option is to look up your state board of education, and look for their list of standards for each grade. You can use those as a strict guideline or a list of general suggestions, or say "oh, those are totally stupid!" and blaze your own trail. But it gives you a general idea of what other people will think he should know (and a very few people will feel free to criticize, no matter what path you choose).
Your best teaching aids will be a library card and passes to the zoo/science center/museums/whatever your town offers. State park passes are good, too. And a car in that's in REALLY good shape, because you'll probably spend a lot of time in it!
As you meet other homeschoolers in Richmond, you'll learn about all the cool stuff and options in your area. (Richmond should be a great spot for field trips. I'm envious.)
First you need to research the laws in Virginia. Do this at http://www.hslda.org. Then join a support group in your area.
My kids are currently 9 and almost 7, and have always been homeschooled. We never did much by way of formal lessons for our five/six year olds. We went on nature walks, counted coins and jellybeans, sang the abc's, they learned to write their names and sound out a few simple words, read lots of books together, went to the library, went to the zoo, and the children's museum, mixed up homemade playdoh, painted, played dress-up, went on homeschool field trips to the post office and the bakery, took them on regular errands around town, etc. My advice for your kindergartener would be to just relax and enjoy playing with her. We started with reading and math and handwriting in first grade, added in spelling and science/history unit studies in second, and my son is now also doing grammar and writing in third.
My kids are already out of school.....but I just wanted to say I applaud your efforts and wish you the best of luck. There are so many great resources and play groups until homeschooling now represents the best of two worlds.
You might want to start by researching the relevant law for your state of residence. To begin, you'll need to provide written notification to your local school district that you intend to home school.
Possibly not right away for a kindergartener. Compulsory ed laws don't apply to five year olds in most places.
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