How to Pull a Child from Public School & Start Homeschooling

The decision to remove your child from public school to home school is personal, as well as exciting. You can ensure a smooth transition through preparing yourself and your child for the adventure. Join together the willingness to research homeschooling regulations and styles and a desire to experiment and change course as needed and you will be ready to start homeschooling.

Contact the public school your child currently attends to find out what needs to be done to withdraw your child. Speak directly to the principal if possible and fill out any necessary paperwork. Plan a date and prepare to home school.

Get to know your local homeschooling groups. Many areas have several types of homeschooling groups that meet frequently or infrequently and are based in religion or other common interests. Since homeschooling is new for you, a support group can be an endless resource of information for your new adventure.

Research homeschool regulations in your state on the internet, through contacting the board of education or with local homeschooling groups. Some states require parents to have specific education and planning while others have few, if any, requirements. Check around to find out what you need to do to satisfy homeschooling regulations in your state. Local homeschooling groups may have ideas about how to satisfy requirements creatively and effectively.

Explore homeschooling styles and curricula. There are as many ways to homeschool as there are to parent and live one’s life. Use an internet search engine and a local group to find out how other parents are doing it, so you can have a feel for the variety available. Some parents find a curriculum they like that helps make homeschooling fun, easy and a great learning experience, while others opt for no curriculum. Make a list of styles and curricula that interest you.

Observe your child and family rhythm. Children and families operate in a different manners. Some may enjoy staying up late and playing outdoors while others may turn in early and like lots of indoor time for quiet or study. Observe your present schedule and activities to find what really works for you and your child. Consider changing what does not work to try something new.

Be willing to experiment and change course as necessary with a primary focus of teaching the love of learning. Homeschooling allows you the opportunity to be flexible, to learn with and teach your child, and to make the most of all family moments as teachable moments. Most of all, have fun and your child will learn exactly what he needs to–just like he did when he spoke his first words and took his first steps.