{"id":34,"date":"2017-07-11T22:48:22","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T22:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/masondixonhomeschoolers.org\/home\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2025-10-28T00:15:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T00:15:15","slug":"getting-started","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/masondixonhomeschoolers.org\/home\/getting-started\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeschooling: 5 Steps to Getting Started"},"content":{"rendered":"
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STEP 1:\u00a0 Know the law.
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\n<\/span><\/strong><\/em>Homeschool laws differ from state to state. For example, in Pennsylvania at least one parent must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (e.g., a GED) and no adult living in the home may have been convicted of specified crimes within the five years preceding the beginning of the home education program. (Parents who do no have a diploma may enroll their children in Cyber Charter Schools, however.) For those living in Maryland, there is no diploma requirement, any parent may homeschool, but you will still need to find out what MD law does require (see <\/span>Maryland Home Education Society<\/a><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, homeschool laws change over time. Make sure to keep up with those changes! The PA Home Education Law was modified in 2006 and 2014. You can read the current law here<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

If you are homeschooling in PA and need to know the basics in a hurry, please read From Affidavits to Evaluations: 7 Steps to Complying with the PA Home Education Law<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. <\/em>This article summarizes the steps you need to take to start homeschooling as well as provides links to documents you will need to file with the school district and forms you can use for record keeping. For a practical, easy-to-read guide of how to comply with the PA Homeschool Law, read the <\/span>MDHSA Law Guide<\/span><\/a>, <\/b>available free of charge on this website. If you wish to purchase a hard copy of the law guide, you may do so on our <\/span>Publications<\/b><\/a><\/span> page.)<\/span><\/p>\n

STEP 2: Do some research.
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\n<\/span><\/strong><\/em>Before making the commitment to homeschool, it\u2019s beneficial to devote as much time as you can to researching homeschooling methods, learning styles, and available resources. One of the best ways to do this is to actually talk to parents who are already educating their children at home. While you will want to develop your own style of homeschooling, finding out how others homeschool will give you ideas that you can adapt to fit your own family. Local homeschoolers can also give you good tips about resources or events in your own community that will enhance your student\u2019s education (e.g., 4-H Clubs, nature programs, book clubs, art classes, etc.).<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Naturally, the Internet is a treasure trove of information about homeschooling. In fact, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of websites, articles, videos and blogs available online. Additionally, most libraries will have books and\/or ebooks on the subject as well. MDHSA also offers our own booklet \u201c<\/span>The Fine Art of Homeschooling\u201d<\/span><\/i> on our <\/span>Publications<\/b><\/a><\/span> page. This booklet details how to homeschool, and is helpful for beginners as well as veteran homeschoolers. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Once you have done your research, you will be able to make an informed choice. If you do choose to homeschool, you can move on to Step 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

STEP 3:\u00a0 Choose your curriculum.\"\"
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New homeschoolers are often concerned about choosing the \u201cbest\u201d curriculum. Truthfully, there is no \u201cbest\u201d that will suit everyone. Families have their own unique styles and preferred methods of learning. Some resources are necessary, of course, but these can be minimal, especially in the elementary years. The library is a proven provider of many excellent resources and is widely used by homeschoolers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When buying curriculum, some homeschoolers prefer the \u201cpre-packaged\u201d approach where curriculum is divided into grade levels, and all the materials for all the subjects for the entire school year are included in your \u201cpackage.\u201d Other homeschoolers prefer a more eclectic approach, choosing their curriculum by subject and piecing it all together into their own unique \u201cpackage.\u201d There are pros and cons to each approach; you may have to experiment to find what works <\/span>best for your student<\/b>. (Tip: Avoid the mistake of buying a curriculum that appeals to you but doesn\u2019t suit your student.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Trying out different curriculums can be expensive. To make your money stretch further, consider buying used curriculum. Used curriculum can be found <\/span><\/p>\n