It's The Middle Of The School Year:
Can I Start Now?
As we come to the end of the calendar year, and the middle of the school year, there are a lot of parents out there looking to take their children out of school now instead of waiting until the end of the school year. Whatever the reasons behind the decision, you just can't face letting your child head back to "that school" again after the new year begins. Can you really do this any old time of the year? Of course you can!
First, of course, you want to be sure of the legalities in your area. Remember that homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. See our article on researching the legal necessities for yourself to get some good tips on how to find out what you need to do to be legal. The biggest thing that you need to remember when taking your child out of school is to make sure that you file all your paperwork (if needed) within the proper time frame to avoid being considered truant. Some states have very simple rules about withdrawing a child in order to homeschool, sometimes nothing more strenuous than filing a letter of intent, but it must be done within so many days in order for your child to be legally absent from school. If you must join some sort of cover or umbrella program, you need to get that taken care of. Some cover schools will take new students any time of the year; others make a cutoff at various times of the year depending on their schedule or the number of students they can comfortably accommodate. This may make it a little more difficult to find a group that can take you, but don't despair and don't be afraid to ask for recommendations.
Next, you may want to consider deschooling for a while to "shake out" the school mentality. How long you decide to take a vacation from school-type things is up to you and your child's needs. Deschooling can be especially helpful if you are leaving suddenly, for whatever reason. It gives your child time to rest and recover from school and give you time to get your act together and decide how you're going to approach homeschooling when you do start.
If you haven't already researched curriculum, now would be the time to do so, while you're taking a break. Don't just rush out and buy the first set of workbooks you find or the most expensive CD curriculum on the market. One of the biggest mistakes that a new homeschooler generally makes is to try and recreate school at home, and those big, fat textbooks and workbooks always seem so appealing in an effort to do just that. Use your downtime with your child to first study them, then study the curriculum samples and catalogs. Don't feel like you have to get it perfect on the first try, though, as you will probably find yourself trying a few different things before you truly hit your stride.
One of the best things that you can do is to join some sort of support group, whether it be a local group of homeschool families, or a virtual group on the internet. If you do a search on the term "homeschooling" at YahooGroups, you will get over 4,800 hits - and that's the public groups! In addition, there are dozens of message boards and blogs on the internet. You may want to try for a couple of general (nation-wide) homeschool groups and a couple of state and/or local groups. (Do a search for "homeschooling, statename" or "homeschooling, city, state".)
If you've not thought of homeschooling before, but circumstances have pushed you into it, you may be a little scared at first. If you've longed for it for some time and can finally jump in, you're probably relieved. Whatever you are feeling about your new family adventure, it can be done, and don't let yourself get discouraged. Your family will be richer for the experience you are about to embark upon; go for it!
