September is coming fast. The first day of public school displays on my calendar. I've been wondering if I should start homsechooling on the exact same day as our district, or do I decide to start on another day? If I do start on another day, is it because it's the right thing to do for our family's schedule, or is it just because I can, now that we're no longer on their schedule?
Whatever I decide, and it really feels like "I" and not "we" as my husband is working a lot and I'm doing most of the research and planning, I need to decide how I'm going to start. What am I going to do with the kids all day? What curriculums do I use? How do I teach two different kids, two different ages/levels, at the same time...?
I have never read a "...for Dummies" book before. I borrowed the book from my sister-in-law. I found Homeschooling For Dummies very easy to read, sometimes repetitive, but overall, it was worthwhile. Parts of the book confirmed our decision to homeschool, which was beneficial to my growing anxieties about our choice. Most of all, the book was helpful in pointing me to resources for most of my growing concerns. E.g. What are the top math curriculums? What do people do for history? What are good, kid friendly websites? I took notes on company names I found interesting, games I wanted to try, books to read later, and links I thought would come in handy.
The book is not a complete resource, but it's a great beginning to get your feet wet. The big concept I walked away with (I can't remember the exact quote at this moment) is that most people felt it is better to jump right in, make mistakes, learn from them and go forward versus agonizing days, weeks, months trying to figure out the best curriculum, path, or method. This book won't be the answer to all your questions, and definitely doesn't have all the resources listed, but it's a great starting point to help you jump right into the homeschooling life.
