“Wow, I could never do that,” say most people when I tell them that I homeschool my children. Questioning them generally reveals that a lot of parents feel inadequate to home educate. They think that if they don’t have a college degree, or if they never took algebra, or if they cannot speak a foreign language, then they are ill-equipped to teach these things to their kids.

But homeschooling doesn’t require that you actually teach your children everything—as long as you provide the means by which the child learns. As homeschooling mom of six Lori Murafka-Orme puts it, “I will admit I’m not able to teach everything…that’s OK. It’s important to recognize your weaknesses and figure out ways around them.”

Perhaps you’ve gotten up the courage to take the plunge, remove your children from a conventional school setting, and homeschool them; but you have no clue where to begin. Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Networking

New homeschoolers must network. Visit a support group. To find one, ask at your public library or search online. Join one that fits the needs and personalities of your family, making friends for yourself and your children. Homeschooling mom Christie Clark feels that, especially for the first five years, a support group is a necessity. “The amount of support and encouragement,” she says, “is imperative.”

Co-ops

For several years my family hosted a small co-op in our home. Two other families joined us every Friday to study language, science, state history and nutrition. All our children were close in age, making the lessons easier to prepare. Each mom taught either what she felt comfortable with or had certain qualifications to teach. We changed classes with each semester. If you cannot find an established co-op, and would like to start your own, I recommend Homeschool Co-ops 101 by homeschooling parent Karen Lange.

Bartering

Lorene left an engineering career when she had her first child. She teaches algebra for moms that feel unqualified to do so in exchange for other services. Holly, an accomplished artist, teaches art to homeschoolers. Mike hosts a chess club in his home. How do you find these parents willing to share their knowledge with more than their own children? Network—meet people and make your needs (and strengths) known.

Community Service

My daughter wanted to learn cake decorating. We found a class at a craft store in a nearby city. She took several classes there and excelled in each one. My son wants to learn photography. Our county Parks and Recreation Department offers just the course. We struggled to learn Spanish together as a family. We were unsure of ourselves and inconsistent. Then we saw an ad in the paper for free Spanish classes offered at a local church. The instructor? A retired college Spanish professor wanting to make a difference. We are now well on our way to understanding our Hispanic neighbors.

Private Tutors

Some families hire private tutors for the subjects with which they feel uncomfortable. Murafka-Orme feels that what works best for her family is to pay for services or to participate in co-ops that charge a fee. “This way everyone is on the same page and knows the expectations being set,” she says. To find tutors, ask older homeschooling moms in your support group or call the local schools. Many teachers moonlight tutoring and some may recommend their brightest students for the job.

Dual Enrollment

For high school juniors and seniors, dual enrollment at a local community college is an option. The child gets both high school and college credit for the courses taken. Clark, who has homeschooled her four children for 11 years, says that “the community colleges are accepting of homeschoolers and this is an excellent avenue for the higher math, science, and foreign languages courses.”

Internet/Computer/Correspondence courses

A myriad of educational opportunities exist online. Several math and science curricula now offer companion DVD’s that tutor the student. Bob Jones University offers a satellite school. Pam Bishop uses a Catholic correspondence program called Mother of Divine Grace School. “They offer day-by-day curriculum as well as call-in classes,” Bishop says. “A student can also send in their papers for grading and receive feedback from teachers.”

Finally, remember the local library. Library personnel generally keep abreast of community affairs and are always willing to help. When we moved from one state to another, I first asked at the library. The woman at the desk gave me the phone number of the leader for a local support group. The rest is history.

Online resources to consider:

The Homeschool Lounge is a place for homeschool moms to connect for support, encouragement, fellowship and fun. 

The Homeschool Village offers articles written by homeschool moms giving sound advice, suggestions, and encouragement.

Parent at the Helm was created by veteran homeschooling parent Linda Dobson. Dobson describes herself as a homeschool mom turned grandma turned full-time advocate for intellectually freeing children from the confines of government (public) schooling. PATH is the place to find the impetus to take charge of your child’s education…no matter where that may come from.