“They may surprise you,” Muhlestein said. What do you want to get out of the educational process? Include older children in this process so they can choose subjects that really interest them. She said a homeschooling family should start by clarifying objectives. “You’re simply looking at the needs and desires of your family and designing an education menu for yourself, then buying the resources that you need to be able to educationally nourish your kids.” She said planning for a homeschool year is a lot like planning a monthly menu. “It’s like you need a spreadsheet of all of the different ones, and which are better for elementary school kids and which are better for different age groups” and a variety of other considerations, she said.Įducation advocate Avalie Muhlestein is a veteran homeschooler and former public school teacher with a master’s degree in education.

She’s looking for the best resources for planning their school year and has found that the abundance of resources can be a little overwhelming. “What resources are available?” “Do I have to cover a certain curriculum?” “Does my child have to get tested when they go back to school after the pandemic is over?” “Do I need to file papers with the state?”Īs one mother planning to homeschool for the first time put it, “I don’t even know what I want to know.” Kristina Murphy said she doesn’t feel good about sending her young children to school with a mask all day, so she’s planning to educate them at home this year. New homeschooling families have a lot of questions as they get started. Some are concerned about the potential for their children to be exposed to COVID-19, while others are concerned about children being required to wear a face mask for six to seven hours per day. As the new school year approaches, many families are choosing to homeschool for the first time.

Brave writer cathy duffy