Many people are deciding to homeschool this year after taking a hiatus and having homeschooling in the past and then putting their kids in school. They may have homeschooled two years ago. They may have homeschooled six years ago. Regardless of past experience, they may have questions as to where to start.
This uncertainty is for a good reason. Homeschooling is growing at such and incredible rate that a great many things change from year to year. Each year there are new curriculums, there are new approaches, and there is new technology that a homeschooler can use, so starting again can feel very much like starting for the first time.
So when I came across a question from a previous homeschooler who said they have not idea how to start up again, I was not surprised. For this reason, I am detailing a homeschooling re-start plan.
Reconnect with your old homeschooling friends. Chances are that if you stopped homeschooling that your schedule and your connections also changed. Contact a few people that you really enjoyed working with and socializing with before and find out what they are doing.
Get on a couple of email support groups for homeschoolers. If you have cancelled your email list subscriptions, join the ones that you have previously found most useful again. They way you will have people who you can ask questions about local activities and particulars.
Find what you have missed. Read about the homeschool laws in your state to find out if anything has changed. Find out from your old homeschool friends and email lists if any local homeschool resource centers have opened, and if some of the old ones you used are no longer in existence.
Seek out new homeschool curriculums. Many of the newest programs are internet based, but there will be traditional curriculums as well. Some of the newer programs are Ilearn.com math curriculum, Time4learning, which is just a few years old, and Spelling City.com. The best way to find out about the newest homeschool curriculums is to visit a homeschool convention.
At the end of the day, if you have homeschooled before, you know you can do it again. In addition to that you have very likely gained lots of knowledge and experience just by evaluating the results from having kids in school, and having them out of school.
My only caveat about beginning homeschooling for a second time is to make sure it is something you plan to do for the foreseeable future. Flip-flopping back and forth can cause educational gaps and emotional stress.
Curriculum Resources and Reviews