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Getting started with homeschooling
Thinking about homeschool for your kids?
Here are a few tips to get you started.
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Just getting started?
Families considering homeschooling are invited to attend the Albuquerque Homeschool Co-op weekly park days.
Find out about the locations and times in the scrolling news on the online forum.
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 Making the decision
Is homeschooling the right step for your family?
Before deciding whether to homeschool, consider how your life will change.
Homeschooling requires TIME, not just for sitting down with the books,
but the field trips, park days, setting up science experiments,
shuttling to music lessons or athletic activities.
You should also consider the financial impact of having a parent
staying at home to teach your children.
Recommended reading:
Is homeschool for you?
Homeschooling style
What approach to learning works for your child?
Do you have an image of your child sitting quietly at a desk in your home,
diligently working through a set curriculum?
This might work well for your family, but before you go out and buy
the desk and curriculum, take some time to research the many approaches
to homeschooling: Charlotte Mason, Montessori, classical, unit studies, eclectic, unschooling.
Keep your approach flexible -- experiment! -- and adapted to your child's learning style.
What works for one child may fail for another.
Recommended reading:
Types of homeschooling
Homeschool laws
New Mexico's homeschooling laws are simple to follow.
In a nutshell: You must keep a school year that is the same length as local public schools;
teach reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science; have a
high school diploma or equivalent; file notice of intent with the state within 30 days of establishing the home school,
and by April 1 of each subsequent year; and maintain immunization records.
Recommended reading:
New Mexico homeschooling laws
Join a support group
Connect with other families for information and encouragement.
Keep in mind that your family won't be socially isolated if you homeschool.
There are many support groups in New Mexico, where families join together
to offer social support, field trips, co-op classes, advice about curriculum, etc.
Be patient! Find the right group for your family may take some time.
Some groups are all inclusive, some are open to those who
fit into a narrower range, such as groups for teens, Catholics, unschoolers,
or Gallup residents.
Recommended reading:
New Mexico homeschool support groups
Choosing a curriculum
What should you buy?
Many first-time homeschoolers make the mistake of buying too much, too soon.
Spend some time researching your options.
Most homeschoolers look back on that first year and realize that they
didn't need half the things they ended up buying.
Visit local bookstores, especially Title Wave, which has a huge selection
of used homeschool curriculum for sale.
Look on Ebay and at the used books for sale on Amazon.
Another good source of information about what you child should be
learning by grade level is the "What you X Grader Needs to Know"
books by Hirsch.
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If your family is looking for social support, fun, and enriching educational activities,
consider joining the
Albuquerque Homeschool Co-op.
Typical events on
our calendar include park days, classes, parties, and field trips.
We welcome families
regardless of religious belief or educational
philosophy.
Find out more
and then join us at an upcoming activity.
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