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Getting Started Homeschooling

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More and more families these days are opting for homeschooling--taking (or keeping) their children out of public and private schools and educating them at home. Why? Some think they can do a better job academically than the schools do. Some have kids who've been labeled learning-disabled or disruptive, and think the labels and the treatment their children receive as a result are inappropriate. Some choose homeschooling for religious reasons. Some want to shield their children from negative peer influences.

Whatever the reason for choosing homeschooling, the Internet offers a wealth of information and support. If you're thinking about starting, or wondering what homeschooling is all about, here are some sites that can help:

Many larger parenting sites have sections devoted to homeschooling. Moms Online, one of my favorite sites, offers a Homeschooling Center among its Vital Communities. You'll find interesting articles, message boards and live chat here. Another of my top sites, Sgt Mom's, The Internet Site for Military Families, has a homeschooling area featuring information, discussion, lots of links, and access to homeschooling web rings. (Web rings, by the way, are connected groups of Web sites devoted to the same or similar topics.) There's no need to be concerned about "military" in the name of this site--there's plenty of information relevant to both military and nonmilitary families.

You also might want to visit the American Homeschool Association Web site. This site, sponsored by Home Education Magazine, offers articles on a variety of homeschool-related topics, sent to you by (autoresponder) e-mail. (You'll find these in their resource list.) They also have three mailing lists and a monthly online newsletter available. The lengthy resource list contains listings of books, catalogs, software, correspondence programs, support groups, legal information, and more.

Another Web site to try is Jon's Homeschool Resource Page. This award-winning site includes sections on "getting started", "support groups, and "curriculum help", among their offerings.

The National Association for Child Development Web site offers information on the NACD approach to education and neurological development. NACD offers individualized home education programs apparently mainly for those with special needs. If you have an interest in homeschooling for someone with a learning disability or some other special need, this site might be of interest to you.

For those of you starting out with homeschooling, good luck and have fun! If you're already homeschooling, why not check out some of the many Internet resources available to help and support your efforts? And if you know of a great resource that you'd like to share with others, let us know via the Discussion area! Remember to check back next month for another parenting-related article. Happy Spring!

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