If you’re considering homeschooling, you may be feeling a little nervous about making the transition from public school to homeschool. It is normal to feel nervous about making an unknown transition like this, especially since many of us may have never known another form of education. But, never fear. We’re here to make sure that you know everything you need to be prepared on how to switch from public school to homeschool.
When you enroll your child in Kindergarten, the school system does everything for you. They have a teacher ready to go for you, they have your child’s curriculum picked out for every grade, and everything is in the classroom that your child will need to learn. Except for one thing – you.
How to switch from public school to homeschool—preparing your child and yourself.
When you are looking at taking the leap and switching from public school to homeschool, your child may need a little guidance to prepare. Although children are resilient, and many children are eager to get to stay home for school, they may still feel a little trepidation. Preparing your child by talking to them about how their day will be different can give them a sense of relief. Of course, this is age-dependent.
One way to prepare your child is by taking a summer break between public school and homeschool. It is natural to want to jump right into homeschooling, especially if your child is excited. But, in order to give your child time to mentally prepare, they need that time to process the changes coming.
This process of mentally preparing for this change is called deschooling. Deschooling simply means giving your newly removed public school child room and time to decompress before starting home education. Deschooling is not only good for them but good for you, too.
You can also calm their doubts, fears, and anxieties with some positive excitement by extending their summer break. Remember, you now have your own schedule and won’t be tied to the traditional school year schedule. You now have the flexibility and giving your child and yourself time to adjust will be good for both of you.
As you give time to prepare yourself, be sure to include a bit of time for making a budget. Homeschooling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You can find great homeschool curriculum sets like these bundled together for your convenience, or you can put them all together yourself. Budget is important as you think through your upcoming school year.
Ease Into Homeschooling.
After your break, it will be tempting to jump right into a full schedule. After all, your child did it at their grade level in your local school system, right?
Yes, but homeschooling will take some adjustment. Instead of jumping into a full schedule, it will serve your family well to ease into a regular schedule. Start with a couple of subjects and add to your schedule when you, and especially your new homeschool student, are feeling comfortable.
The flexibility and ability for homeschooling families to customize their homeschool experience are invaluable and one of the biggest benefits of switching from public school to homeschool.
In addition to easing into your schedule, don’t feel like you have to do what other homeschool families are doing. Your schedule won’t necessarily be the same as those of other families. Every family and every homeschool is different. You, as the homeschool mom, will know your family best and will learn quickly what fits their school day best.
When switching from public school to homeschool, check the legal requirements of your state.
When you choose to switch from public school to homeschool, you will need to check the homeschool laws in your state. Keep in mind that public school laws are not the same as public school laws.
Each state has its own set of homeschool state law requirements; a number of hours to be worked in a year, how many of those need to be done at home, standardized testing requirements, record keeping, etc. You can find your state’s homeschool laws here, at HSLDA.
While not all states require you to notify your local school officials when making the switch from public school to homeschool, it can be a good idea to exit your public school system courteously, especially if your area allows homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities and you plan to take advantage of that for your child. Exiting courteously may be as simple as having a conversation with your child’s school teacher or principal. Maintaining a good relationship with the school community is important for many reasons.
Homeschool recordkeeping
Although it may be beneficial to glance at the department of education requirements for what to teach and in what grade level to teach it, you don’t have to rely on that at all. Glancing at their suggestions are just that … suggestions. As you work toward a high school diploma in your homeschool, you have the freedom to move around subjects between school years. And, unless your state requires that you do a certain number of credits, you don’t even have to strictly follow the department’s recommendations on the number of high school credits.
Keeping good records of what you teach is essential, especially when your child reaches the high school setting. Take time now to start looking at what that will look like. Just know that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and you can practice keeping good records now. That practice will come in handy when you need it most.
When switching from public school to homeschool, resist replicating a public school classroom.
When you begin to think about how you will do school at home, it is important to understand how homeschooling is different from public school. In the homeschool school environment, you won’t necessarily have desks (although some families do). You won’t necessarily have a schedule that looks the same every day (most families don’t). Your school experience will likely be different every day (most families go through school days like this). And, you certainly won’t work on school 7-8 hours a day; homeschooling just simply doesn’t take as long and learning doesn’t have to be done during the 8 am – 3 pm hours. Need to rearrange your schedule to fit your husband’s work schedule? School can be done in the evenings and on the weekends, as well. The school year calendar will certainly look different from the local public school in your area.
Homeschoolers don’t have to use textbooks, although you can choose your own curriculum. The ability to customize your child’s education is an incredible benefit to homeschooling that you didn’t know you were missing.
What you’ll find once you start homeschooling is that learning can happen when your child is outside playing, curled up on the couch reading, on a field trip to a museum, or lying across a bed writing. Your family’s homeschool journey will be uniquely yours.
How to switch from public school to homeschool – Maintain friendships.
Even if your child is on board with making the switch from public school to homeschool, they are likely going to miss seeing their public school friends every day. Make an effort to maintain those friendships by arranging times to get together to stay in contact. The first few months of homeschool can be very lonely until they begin to form friendships with other homeschoolers. (HINT: Get involved in co-op’s and local homeschool organizations as soon as possible to form these friendships!)
Encourage contact with all of their friends, those from the public school and new friends from homeschool. For your child, knowing that they will be able to still see their friends will make the transition a much easier one.
Find support when switching from public school to homeschool.
Finding support for your homeschool journey is essential. Whether it is support from other homeschooling parents who’ve been homeschooling for a while and know the ropes, through a co-op or other homeschooling group, or is in the form of a traditional support group, getting connected helps to ensure that your homeschool journey will be successful.
There will most certainly be ups and downs as you homeschool. Every age and grade faces its own challenges. Having others in your life to support your family’s decision to switch from public school to homeschool will be invaluable, especially as you transition. If you don’t already have friends that homeschool, get involved in the homeschool group in your area and immediately start trying to build those friendships, for yourself and your child.
There are also homeschool conventions that you can go to. Take a look around and find one that is close to you. Take the time to go and learn and meet others that are walking the same walk you are.
Ignore the naysayers, embrace your freedoms, and give it time.
There will be people in your life, maybe even some close to you, that won’t be happy about your decision to switch from public school to homeschool. They can, and may, say hurtful things, but try not to take it personally. There are many people that won’t understand why your family has chosen to homeschool – something outside of the norm. It’s the hardest thing to do, but don’t let those naysayers diminish your ability to homeschool. Some may eventually change their mind about your decision, some may not. That shouldn’t change anything about the way you do school in real life with your children.
The freedom you have to do things that are the best fit for your family will hopefully outweigh those that are in disagreement with you. Embracing the freedom to do school on your timeline, that suits the individual needs of your children, will far outweigh anything negative that’s stated from those around you.
New school year freedoms and the naysayers can all be overwhelming. You are making a significant change, and for my family, it took a good year for us to all adjust. So, if you get off to a rocky start, don’t sweat it. Just put the day(s) behind you and start again tomorrow. You will get the hang of it and the relationship you build with your children in the process will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.
Embrace the homeschool crazy – you can do it!
