By Guest Blogger Laura Simon
In this blog, I’ve attempted to compile a list of some popular resources for Triad homeschooling families. However, the homeschool community is somewhat decentralized, and resources are constantly changing. If you know of a resource you think we should feature in this blog, please email me and we will get it added. It takes a village, and it’s my hope that this blog offers new ideas and perspectives for homeschooling families while continuing to grow into an even more helpful resource. ~ Laura
So you’ve decided to homeschool? That’s awesome! If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent a lot of time pondering the pros and cons of taking this step. It’s a lot of work just to make the decision.
Of course, once you decide that homeschooling makes sense for your family, the real work begins. It’s not unlike starting a college term paper: lots of options and tons of empty space. When I started researching, I quickly reached the conclusion that there are approximately ten trillion ways to homeschool. So where on earth do you begin? I mean, it’s only your child’s future hanging in the balance, right?
I’ve been reflecting on my own family’s transition from public school to home school, and I put together a list of steps that helped me navigate these tough decisions; I hope they’ll help you find your own way. These things take time; try not to begrudge yourself the hours spent analyzing, thinking, considering, talking to other moms, and watching other families. You aren’t wasting time. These early steps are an investment in your children’s education, and they matter. Try not to rush them.
Craft a Vision
Start by taking the time to analyze why your family decided to homeschool in the first place. Those reasons are probably fresh in your mind, so go ahead and write them down. Rank them in order of importance if you want. You are creating a vision – a focus – that will guide you through the decisions that follow.
For example, if you’ve decided to homeschool because the actual physical school situation doesn’t work for your children, but you still want them to be learning the same things as their peers at the same time, your vision might lead you to virtual schools where content is delivered online and a licensed teacher handles the teaching and grading. Some popular options in North Carolina include North Carolina Virtual Academy, North Carolina Connections Academy, North Carolina Virtual Public School, and North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Online. Also, private schools are increasingly offering hybrid options where students spend a day or two in the classroom and complete the rest of the work with their parents.
However, if you have strong feelings about what is taught and when, and if you want your child to have a very different school experience, you’ll need to choose a basic curriculum that reflects your goals. As a former teacher with strong opinions about curriculum and learning styles, I quickly realized the latter was the best choice for me.
Ask Tons of Questions
Your next step, if possible, should be talking to actual people who homeschool. So your husband’s third-cousin’s sister-in-law happens to be your Facebook friend and seems to enjoy homeschooling? Send her a private message. That family at church? Ask if you can chat sometime. The next door neighbors? Knock on their door. I am fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends who are homeschoolers, and every single one I reached out to was more than willing to write me a book on what they do, what they use, what they love, what they don’t, and why. I started to notice some common themes in the responses I got: some curriculum options were clearly more popular than others and some teaching and organization styles were working really well for a lot of people. When I started the process of setting up our own school, I started with the things that came highly recommended. It narrowed my focus and saved me a ton of time and stress.
Attend a Conference
You should also consider attending a homeschooling conference, if possible. There are several in North Carolina throughout the school year, and they feature speakers as well as a wide variety of vendors. This is a great chance to see curriculum in person, instead of researching online. Of course, a conference can easily become overwhelming because, like I mentioned above, there are so many choices. If you’ve done your research with homeschooling families beforehand, you can focus on the curriculum you already think you want to use, instead of trying to look at everything.
If you’re looking for a conference, here’s a quick list to get you started:
- The Thrive! Conference is held every May in Winston-Salem. It’s a fantastic resource for families all over the state and features both religious and secular options.
- The IHM Conference is designed for Catholic homeschooling families. They don’t have one in North Carolina this year, but the national conference is located in Virginia.
- If you’re willing to drive just a bit, the Southeast Homeschool Convention takes place in Greenville, SC in March.
Shadow Homeschooling Families
I was homeschooled myself for a number of years, so I had a good idea what a homeschooling day would look like. If you don’t, or even if you are looking for inspiration, shadowing a homeschool family can be a great way to begin crafting your own vision. Yes, this pretty much involves inviting yourself over to their house. Disregard social norms and do it anyway. Every family does things differently: some are very, very structured to the point of imitating traditional school, and others have a schedule that ebbs and flows by the day. Some families get up to an alarm and start work by 7; others let their kids sleep as long as they wish, take some time to play, and then buckle down to work. My personal schedule depends on how needy my two-year-old is that particular day. If she is exceedingly clingy, sometimes we put off our school work until her nap time. If she is willing to play independently, then we knock the school work out early. Flexibility is my friend.
The more families you can shadow, the more realistic you’ll be when you make your own plans. (Trust me, your initial expectations for homeschooling are probably not very realistic. In retrospect, mine were laughable. Especially the part where I pictured the house being clean.) If the family you’re shadowing is using curriculum that interests you, take this opportunity to try it out with your own kid. Find a printer with a photocopy function; it will be your best friend. I’ve saved myself a fortune by copying a few pages of someone else’s book and letting my kids try them.
Consider a Co-Op
Homeschooling is very popular in North Carolina, which means there are plenty of co-op options available. You do not have to join a co-op; in fact, our state is relatively lenient in that there’s not a whole lot that you have to do. However, I’ve found that our co-op is not only good for my kids, it’s a great source of support and encouragement for me. Homeschooling is best done in community, however you decide to create it.
Co-ops are like curriculum: you’ll find wide variety in terms of purpose and price. Some co-ops – like Classical Conversations and Charlotte Mason – are aligned to a specific curriculum, meaning strict standards apply to instructor training, scheduling, and general operation. There’s less risk in choosing a co-op like this, but often the price-point is higher. The other option is an independent co-op, formed by like-minded parents who want to leverage the collective strengths of the moms within the co-op. These co-ops tend to be much more affordable, but they require you to put more trust in the parents running them. When you talk to other homeschooling families, ask them about their co-op, if they have one. If possible, arrange to visit. Homeschooling Facebook pages can be a great way to find smaller, lesser-known co-ops. Here are some local homeschooling pages and co-ops:
- Winston-Salem Homeschoolers
- Piedmont Homeschoolers
- Christian Homeschoolers Network NC
- Triad Homeschool Activity Group
- Triad Family Homeschoolers
- High Point Home Educators
- Forsyth Home Educators
- Stokes Home Educators
- Greensboro Home Educators
- Classical Conversations
- Charlotte Mason
- Cornerstone Enrichment
- Impact Classes
- Twin City Homeschool Co-Op
- STEM Classes of the Triad
- Tinkergarten
- Friendly Educators
- EMMA
- Faith Academy
- GIFTS Catholic Co-Op
- The Secular Homeschool
Don’t Overdo It
The more research you do, the more amazing opportunities you’ll find. If you aren’t careful, you’ll wind up with three extra-curricular activities per kid, per day…and no actual time to teach! Especially if your kids are little, give yourself a few months to see how much spare time you have – and how much you are willing to give up – before you register for anything. Just because something is good doesn’t mean it’s good for your family. Choose carefully.
Consider Joining a Home Educators Organization
These organizations support homeschool families with information, activities, sports programs, and other resources typically provided by local school districts.
North Carolinians for Home Education advocates for homeschooling families at the state level. They’re also a wealth of information. Need to know how to build a transcript for your high schooler? They’ve got a template. Need info on registering your homeschool? They’ve got that, too. Pretty much everything you need to know is on their website, and you support that mission when you join.
Depending on your location, you might also want to join Forsyth Home Educators, Greensboro Home Educators, and High Point Home Educators. These organizations host sports teams, high school proms, field trips, and activities for kids of all ages.
Earthwood Forest School offers a homeschool group for ages 5-11 from 1:30 to 4:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Winston-Salem. Details HERE.
Give Yourself Freedom to Change Your Mind
When you begin to make final decisions, remember that you aren’t marrying the choices you make. If you aren’t happy with your co-op after a year, you can always try a new one. The same goes for curriculum choices. In fact, you might find that what works for one of your children doesn’t work at all for another. One of the tremendous benefits of homeschooling is that you can constantly make adjustments based on your child’s needs. Take a breath and make the best decision you can with the knowledge that you can always change your mind.
Our family loves the choices we’ve made. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but our kids are learning and thriving. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
Additional Resources on Homeschooling
National membership:
Curriculum stores:
Guillion’s Christian and Homeschool Supply in King and Statesville
The Homeschool Room in Matthews and Huntersville
The Gathering Place in Raleigh
Websites available for resources:
www.wildwnc.org (membership for AZA and ASTC museums nationwide)
Discounts available for home school instructors:
OfficeMax/Office Depot/Staples
Barnes & Noble stores
www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org (ID)
Carson Dellosa Publishing Warehouse Sale
Aquariums
Field Trip groups:
Triad Homeschool Activity Group
Piedmont Triad Nature Nuts Homeschool Group
Homeschool Days:
Level Up, LLC posts times/dates for their monthly homeschool events on their Facebook page.
Homeschool PE: This is a long-running program that meets at several churches throughout the school year. Click the link to email Matt Kimel for more information.
Bethabara Park: Check their Facebook page; they offer homeschool days at least twice per year.
Yearly Testing Services:
Click HERE to go directly to TMoM’s Homeschool category that features articles from local moms and professionals!
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Hello I am currently pondering the idea of having my daughter homeschooled since we do not feel that she is getting the proper attention and educational guidance necessary for her to succeed in public school. My husband and I do not feel qualified to provide this education to her ourselves with our work schedules and looking for information or possible homeschool groups/teachers that are available to take new students. She is currently in the 6th grade and has been in a Spanish Immersion school tract since Kindergarten.
My daughter is doing online school from home and is currently a sophomore. I am looking for a homeschool group that gets together for outings. She misses the interactions with her friends. Any suggestions?
Hi Cathy, I’m not sure which county you’re in, but Forsyth Home Educators is really great for this sort of thing. They host everything from skating parties to sports teams to a homeschool prom. The teenagers in our co-op are very active in FHE. I would assume that the surrounding counties have very similar offerings. Church youth groups and organizations like Young Life also provide a lot of social opportunities. If none of those options work, I’d suggest starting with her hobbies and researching opportunities where she’d be learning alongside other teens (art classes, etc.) The good thing about homeschooling is that it gives her more time to invest in extracurricular activities.
Hi Laura, we are relatively new to the community and are looking to home school our soon to be two and half year old. We are considering hiring a qualified teacher to home school our son as neither my wife nor I feel qualified.
Do you have any advice on how we might network to find a potential candidate? If this person had, for instance, K-6 experience, we would consider hiring them for that number of years. Spanish speaking is a big plus but not mandatory. Thank you, Patrick
Hi Patrick, I did some digging and most folks suggested starting with the homeschool associations – like Forsyth Home Educators – or even the area homeschool Facebook pages. That’s where you’re most likely to get connected with the right people.
Patrick- I would be interested in helping your family. I am an elementary school teacher (15 years of experience) looking to leave the classroom to home school my kids, and maybe another 1 or 2. I am licensed in multiple areas, have a Master’s Degree, Post Master’s, and National Board Certification. Feel free to email me if you want to chat further. ankfaf@aol.com April
Laura, do you know if any local private schools are offering the hybrid option around here? I’m very interested in that model for my boys.
The Covenant School in Greensboro offers this model. At one point, Calvary Day School was offering exploratory meetings, although I didn’t find anything about it on their current website. I’ve also heard that they offer a la cart classes for homeschooled high schoolers. My own kids aren’t that old, but I’d definitely suggest that you call and talk to them directly. If your children are younger, Redeemer is a Charlotte Mason school, and while it isn’t a true hybrid, the school days are far shorter than a traditional school. It could definitely give your schedule more of a homeschool feel.
As you mentioned, Redeemer School is not a homeschool, but they practice Charlotte Mason principles and students grades TK-2 only attend school from 8:30-12noon daily. Third grade is a ‘transition year’ , when students attend MWF 8:30am-2:45pm and T, TH 8:30am- 2:45pm, prior to attending all day 8:30-2:45pm daily for grades 4th – 8th grade.
Hi, Laura. Any secular, hybrid schools in the area?
I have a bunch of A Beka books that I’m giving away now that all my kiddos have graduated. Do you know of anyone who’d like them? I can be contacted @ vicki.schroemer@gmail.com
Just an update as all the books have been claimed. Thanks to everyone who took them off my hands!
Just now seeing your comment..do you still have the Beka books?
I live in Greensboro NC and am now a “retired” homeschooler. I have both the Dr Jay L Wile Chemistry and Physics textbooks as well as the solutions and tests book for both. These are the 2000 edition but being chemistry and physics, I am thinking these subjects don’t change too much.
I also have the Bob Jones US History student text along with the teachers edition to go with it, however I do not have the tests. This is the 1999 edition.
I am looking to give these to anyone who could use them. Contact me via email: hepzibah43@yahoo.com.
Thank you so much for mentioning our homeschool group!!! So heartwarming!! That means a lot to us! We don’t offer any co-ops yet but we do have a lot of field trips planned and more coming! We are based in Greensboro and most our trips are in Greensboro.
What group are you specifically part of? We just moved to Greensboro last year and need to meet more people that homeschool. We have no homeschool community at all right now :-/
Very well thought out post! Thank you so much for the link and mention of Classical Conversations. We appreciate it 🙂
– Sarah Iddings,
Classical Conversations Team
I really,want to homeschool my two teens. They delve deeper into subjects than their class time allows for. I am just not sure how this affects their college application process.
Thanks for asking this question! A lot of families have the same concerns, but the short answer is that most colleges accept homeschooled students. While individual colleges vary, most rely on standardized tests, such as the ACT, in lieu of traditional transcripts. Many will also ask for letters of recommendation from adults who aren’t family, so it is wise to keep your kids involved in extracurricular activities. In general, colleges are looking for students who are well-rounded, with a wealth of experiences outside the classroom, and most homeschooled kids fit this description
Our daughter in SC homeschools using the classical conversation model and I love what I see there. Our son and his wife chose The Covenant School in Greensboro. It’s a hybrid homeschool and we love what we see there. If you haven’t taken a look at that I highly reccomend it!