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Strategies that can help new Homeschoolers

Homeschooling can get extremely overwhelming for newbies. Here are six strategies that will help you get started in the right direction. 

  1. Research about different types of curriculums. The choices can be overwhelming, so make sure you give yourself enough time to research. Make notes.
  2. Join a support group. Do not homeschool alone. If you do so, you may get bored, lonely, and burned out. Stick together with people who have taken the same path as you. There is a lot you can learn from your support group.
  3. Attend seminars and conference. Make notes as you listen to inspirational messages and practical advice from experienced homeschoolers. Subscribe to newsletters. Look at the curriculum closely.

  4. Follow blogs on homeschooling Canada. From e-books to free printable and newsletters, everything an educator needs is only a few clicks away. Recharge your batteries through blog hopping while your students are out on recess. However, try not to compare your journey with others. Everybody has their own set of problems and challenges.
  5. Order curriculum. After attending conferences and support group meetings you will have a fair amount of idea about what you want. Fill up your shopping cart but do not buy too much. Newbies have a tendency of buying more than needed.
  6. Plan the entire school year. Use a homeschool planner or a simple calendar to make a plan that you can stick to. Begin where you are and with whatever you have. Deduct a month for sickness, field trips, catching up, and testing from the 180 days of homeschool. This will leave you with 150 days of teaching time. Take all your textbooks and make sure you divide the pages by 150.
There is no order to these strategies, but it is best if you keep the planning part for later stages of the research. It is also a good idea to speak to a counsellor for guidance and to help you with the whole task of homeschooling.

 For Horizons math visit LearningHouse

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