*Disclaimer: All education plans and curriculums follow the national educational standards. During the formation of the curriculum outlines, in addition to using the national standards, we also used some of the countries top state standards to build a curriculum that exceeds all traditional state educational standards. In addition, we have educational plans and intent to homeschool forms for the states of Nevada and Ohio. Please contact me with your state of residence and I can compile information for your specific state’s homeschool guidelines at: itscoolmom@gmail.com
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STEP 1
Nevada residence can find the state required Intent to Homeschool form and Grade Level Education plans for FREE by clicking the image.
Ohio residence can find the state required Intent to Homeschool form, addendum to homeschool, and the yearly assessment option #1 and #2 for FREE by clicking the image.
You can also check out this article HOMESCHOOL OHIO for more details.
The most important thing that you need to do first is find out what documentation your state requires to be submitted in order to homeschool your children.
Some states require a simple Intent to Homeschool form and Education Plan once like Nevada, and some states require an Intent to Homeschool Form, an Education Plan, and assessments that need to be completed each year like Ohio.
If you are unsure of what your state requirements are you can send an email to itscoolmom@gmail.com with your residing state and we can track down that information for you.
STEP 2
There are many things to consider when building out your homeschool experience. The good news is, you’re in control and you can build it as you go!
Here are just a few of the many things to consider:
- How will you set up your school calendar (when do you want to start and how much time do you have to prepare?)
- What curriculum will you use? (Will you buy one or build your own?)
- Will you have elective courses or just general courses? (And if you do electives, what will they be and how will you teach them?)
- What administration and organizational tools will you use?
- What tasks should you complete throughout the year?
Step 3
When you get enough experience in anything, you find tips and tricks to help make things run a lot smoother. Here are some important things I have learned over the years of our homeschool journey.
- Create a schedule that works for you and stick with it
- Work in short blocks and take lots of breaks
- Consider the amount of time you spend homeschooling (less is more when you are working one on one)
- Get creative – use everyday life as part of the learning experience (homeschool doesn’t have to be taught within 4 walls)
- Add your own spin – what additional skills do you want to teach your kids?
To read more and check out some of the resources I suggest, read the whole blog article HERE!
Step 4
I found that if you re-evaluate your plan each month it helps keep you on track to reaching your homeschool goals. You can continue with the things you like and tweak or get rid of the things not working.
I like to take notes throughout the month.
- What skills are my kids just smashing and what skills do we need to focus more time on?
- What new resources or learning tools did we try?
- What were their favorite things to learn this month?
- What was something new we tried?
These are some of the questions I ask myself and then based on those answers I adjust the upcoming month accordingly.
Step 5
When finishing out the school year it may seem like once lessons are done you are done but that’s not the case. Closing out the school year requires making sure all of your documentations are in order and complete. If you have documented throughout the school year, closing out will be a breeze!
Some documentation to consider would be:
- Final grades, remarks, comments (however you plan on showing proof of growth)
- Assignments and projects completed that show proof of work
- A summarization of the school year
Having the right organization and administrative tools will help make this process seamless.
- a grade card to add to their portfolio for each year
- a weekly schedule
- a weekly and daily lesson planner
This packet has all of that for you plus a few bonus sheets! Keep in mind, some states do not require documentation or submission of documentation but there are a few reasons to do it anyway. One being in case you plan on putting your child back in school at some point and it is always a safe bet to protect yourself in case laws or standards change.
still have questions?
Don’t waste anymore of your time and energy trying to figure this out alone. Let’s work together! We can get all of your questions answered, help you find out if homeschool is right for you and your family, and get you up and running quickly!
If you are from...
any state
Make sure to familiarize yourself with your states homeschool laws. Here is an article that explains the 7 Standards you should understand.
Nevada
Make sure to scroll back up to Step 1 and get your state required forms.
Ohio
Make sure to scroll back up to Step 1 and get your state required forms and don’t forget to check out this article:
If you are from any other state and need help tracking down your homeschool laws and requirements send an email to itscoolmom@gmail.com with your residing state and we will find you the information that you need.
