When parents are considering homeschooling, they need to count the cost because there are many expenses to consider when contemplating educating their children. The costs are not just financial, but also emotional and physical.

The homeschooling community is wide and diverse, yet there is one question that almost every parent has been asked during the years they school their children at home. “What about socialization?” We are led to believe that if we don’t put our children in public school, they will be missing out. They will become social misfits. Homeschooling means they will be stuck inside all day, having no opportunity for socialization. But true socialization comes from interacting with the world around them and having the freedom to explore and make true friendships.

Launched in 2000, Homeschooling Parent is a bi-monthly publication focusing on stories of interest to homeschooling families, products, and ideas that assist parents teaching their children at home. Individual subscriptions are offered, as well as free group subscriptions for support groups or libraries.

Teaching your preschooler at home can be accomplished several ways. There are three options: 1) Purchase a program from one of the preschool curriculum providers, 2) Read to your child from great books, and explore the world together paying attention to what interests your child or 3) Design your own curriculum for free using the internet and the library. Any one of the three options should work fine. But if you prefer a plan laid out in writing and you are on a tight budget, option three is the way to go.

Use old bottles and pom poms for simple counting and sorting maths games and motor skills fun! With lots of ways to play and learn, these are a great addition to the maths area at home or school.

Once considered just for christian fundamentalist, homeschoolers today cite many different reasons for their home education choice. Everyone who homeschools has a different reason. Not everyone does it for religious reasons. One parent shares her reasons for homeschooling her special needs son.

Although you want to jump right into your curriculum search, it will benefit you to slow down and take a good look at your expectations and goal in choosing a curriculum for your family.

A compilation of content standards for K-12 curriculum in both searchable and browsable formats.

A homeschooling mom travelled 3500 miles cross-country with her son and found educational experiences in some unexpected places. Drives home the point that learning can happen in many different ways and that we cannot always plan how our children will learn.