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The
Laws: Become knowledgeable about the laws in your particular
state. The map below will take you directly to your state law
regarding a home academic program. All states differ in their
requirements and it is essential that you be abreast of yours.
State
Laws
If you find that you have a question or need legal advice regarding
homeschooling, the people to contact are the Home
School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983,
the HSLDA is an association of over 70,000 families and 60 full
time staff members. Aside from legal advice, they also offer
E-Alerts on current legislative issues and homeschool news;
Home School Court Report, a bimonthly newsletter-magazine; Home
School Heartbeat, a daily radio program. The HSLDA also provides
a Special Needs Coordinator who supplies counseling and helpful
materials for its members.
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State and Local Information
Select a state from the map to be taken to the HSLDA State
Law Info.
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Support:
You will want to meet and align yourself with a homeschooling
veteran either through a support group or otherwise. These veterans
can be relied upon to walk you through many of the 'little things'
that will crop up along the way as well as how to file the necessary
paperwork with your Department
Of Education stating your intent to homeschool your child.
The Internet is filled with homeschooling groups that can be
tapped into. To name just two of the excellent national groups
- Bridgeway
Education Network provides unlimited homeschool help and
educational resources, National
African-American Homeschool Alliance offers both Afrocentric
as well as mainstream curriculum resources, lists state organizations
as well as support groups. Homeschool
World, the Home
School Learning Network and Homeschool
Fun all offer helpful lists for your homeschooling endeavor.
A fabulous online community and driven completely for and by
homeschooled kids/teens is The
Homeschool Connexion. With an EZine written by students,
HS Connexion features free services for homeschoolers which
allow them to connect in a family-friendly environment.
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Supplies
And Curriculum: Finding curriculum is not a problem. Today
you can find everything from traditional textbooks to homeschool-specific
curriculum
and correspondence courses. A good place to start is with your
support group or homschooling veteran. They can tell you what
what they have tried, what has or has not worked for them, and
why. Also, becoming familiar with your child's particular learning
style will also help narrow down the search for the right curriculum.
If able to, attend a book fair or homeschooling trade show.
To save money, tap into the used
curriculum market in your area. Homeschooling groups
frequently have annual book swaps just prior to each new school
year. Don't forget to look into used curriculum vendors.
Libraries are often overlooked. Free and open to everyone, your
local library is a virtual resource goldmine. Today many libraries
have online catalogs where you can browse, place books on hold,
renew books, access e-books, and even join book discussions.
In short, the library is one of the homeschooler's best friends.
Special Needs: Betty Statnick, HSLDA's
Special Needs Coordinator, says, "Thousands of families are
homeschooling children whose special needs range from Attention
Deficit Disorder to severe multiple handicaps. Parents often
find that when they bring these children home to be educated,
they come out of the 'deep freeze' that has kept them from making
significant progress. Gone are the comparisons, labels, social
pressures, and distractions that a regular classroom may bring.
Parents can offer their children individualized education, flexibility,
encouragement, and support. For learning-disabled children who
function best with 'real-life problems' rather than artificial
worksheet tasks, homeschooling may be ideal. For medically sensitive
children, learning at home provides the opportunity for careful
monitoring. And for attention-deficit children who function
best with uniquely structured time and fewer distractions, homeschooling
usually proves to be the answer." Essential
Learning Institute, provides learning disability solutions.
Once again, the Internet is a great resource in tracking down
the the specific type of information you need. For starters,
contact LDHope,
the HSLDA
or NATHHAN
(NATional cHallenged Homeschoolers Associated Network). Through
NATHAN you can access a newsletter and other resources for families
with children who have special developmental or physical needs.
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| Socialization
- The S Word:Ongoing research is finding that most homeschooled
students are involved in a wide variety of outside activities,
interact with a broad spectrum of people, and make positive
contributions to their communities. Experience has shown
that homeschoolers are well socialized and able to make
lasting friendships across age and cultural divides. |
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The Non-Classroom:The
question of WHERE to have your classes frequently comes up.
Go ahead, be creative! This is what homeschooling is all about.
Many families use one particular room which they have turned
into their own classroom, others use the kitchen table, living
room or the patio. Each homeschooling family finds a solution
to this question that works for them. Also, nothing is carved
in stone here, you can alter where you hold classes whenever
you like. With today's Tablet PCs and laptops, the entire world
can be your classroom.
Don't forget Field Trips for your student/s. We loved them when
WE were kids and they never go out of style. Call your local
historical society; science and art museums; fire stations;
chambers of commerce; town halls; tourism offices and craft
guilds. For some innovative ideas, go to www.fieldtrip.com.
Setting up a homeschooling schedule varies from family to family.
Some prefer an open day while others, (like my family), find
we work best with some sort of a daily schedule. For more insight
into scheduling your teaching day, read A
Good Schedule - The Building Blocks.
Paperwork - a necessary evil. In a way, running a good homeschool
program is not unlike running a successful business. Both entail
an endless amount of paperwork. Be prepared to color code folders
and whatever else it may take to keep your homeschooling papers
from overtaking your closet. Remember, you will be keeping papers
for two different reasons. First, your student's papers need
to be carefully placed into a portfolio as they are finished.
Secondly, you will need your own system in order to see what
you have accomplished in the curriculum, where you are now and
where you still need to go this school year. With more than
one homeschooler, we were literally drowning in paperwork until
I started saving all work and information to floppy discs -
which we then print out as needed. If you are using ClickATutor
then you have access to the lesson plan and journal, where all
your assignments are kept as well as the work logs your student
does. And all this paperwork brings us to the.....
End Of The Year - Now What?: Once again,
what you are required to do (if anything) at the end of the
school year will vary according to the state you are located
in. Check with the laws in your sate (see the MAP above) and
speak with your homeschooling veteran or support group. Some
states require that the student take a final exam each year
administered by your local public school system. Others need
a written letter from a homeschooling family of more than 2
years or a certified teacher stating that they have looked over
your child's portfolio and find they have completed all necessary
work for the year. Some states with less stringent rules require
nothing at the end of the school year. This school year, ClickATutor
will have certified teachers available to go over the student's
portfolio and help with the end of the year paperwork. For more
information on this service, please contact ClickATutor.
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Graduation
& College: Homeschool graduates closely parallel their public
school counterparts-about two-thirds go on to post-secondary
education, and one-third directly into the job market. Homeschool
students who have utilized community colleges for foreign language,
lab science, or higher mathematics courses discover as an added
bonus that these course credits make it easier to enroll in
four-year colleges after high school graduation. (Brian Ray,
Strengths of Their Own-Home Schoolers Across America, NHERI,
1997.)
Colleges
& Universities are actively recruiting homeschool graduates.
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Bridgeway
Academy is a full service homeschool academy. They are accredited
by the National Association of Private Schools, and their state-recognized
diploma allows your children to be eligible to receive scholarships,
grants, financial aid and opens up job opportunities that a
non-accredited home school certificate will not. They have been
serving the international homeschool community for 15 years.
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