Getting Started

             North Star Independent Homeschoolers             

                    Independent Homeschooling in Alaska: Getting Started                           

            Section One: What our group offers to help independent homeschoolers get started.

Section Two:  Getting started as an independent homeschooling family in Alaska without our group. 

Section One: We our group offers to any Alaska family considering independently homeschooling, all for 100% free: 

• Handouts, a loaner DVD, loaner books, and information on getting started homeschooling or independent homeschooling in Alaska.  Our group leader can either bring these by your house, meet you somewhere, or mail this information to you.  She can sit and talk with you about this or just drop the information off (or mail it) and be available for questions via phone or e-mail if you should have any.  This includes information found in section two of this page. 

• A mentorship program in which veteran homeschooling families (those who have homeschooled for five or more years) offer families new to homeschooling information on getting started, friendship, non-financial support, and encouragement.  New homeschooling families, if they'd like, can be matched with a veteran homeschool family from our group who can keep in contact with them during the first year of homeschooling, help them by answering questions and sharing resources, and just being there.  The mentorship method has been very successful among U.S. homeschoolers for many years. 

• Our group offers an annual You Can Homeschool! class to the public.  This class is for any Interior Alaskan citizen who is considering homeschooling.  We watch a DVD, information is presented on getting started, and handouts and sometimes even books are given out.  We also have loaner books available at this class.  The class is scheduled, God willing, to take place in North Pole during the month of June, 2008.

• We offer prospective independent homeschoolers the opportunity to be our guest(s) at our bi-weekly get-togethers.  This is a chance for those considering joining our group to meet us and ask homeschooling questions.  This can be arranged by calling (907)-488-3784.  

• These offers are also good for those who are moving to or have just moved to Alaska.

Section Two:  Getting started as an independent homeschooling family in Alaska without our group:

• Prepare as many months as possible ahead for homeschooling as you can.  This is the golden key!

• Know our state homeschool law, print a copy of it out, and keep it on hand.

• Seriously consider becoming a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association.  H.S.L.D.A. as it is called, provides legal protection to its member families - all of whom homeschool - for a very small yearly fee (which can be broken down into monthly payments of approximately $9.00 a month).  Being a member of H.S.L.D.A. is basically like having "homeschooler's insurance", these homeschooling lawyers will assist your family if homeschooling becomes a legal issue for your family, our state, and even our nation and beyond!  Please learn more about them at www.hslda.org . 

• Read and study about homeschooling.  Homeschooling is a serious committment and responsibility.  It is so much more than just "yanking them younguns out of public school to homeschool 'em", it is teaching them the vast amount of things that they'll need to know to thrive in our world, not just "get by".  There are so very many methods of learning and teaching, so many choices concerning curriculum, so many and much more things to be taught and learned than meets the eye; please read and study about these things so that you can make the very best choices for your family's homeschool.  There are also so many more things that come with homeschooling than just teaching school subjects.  There are so many realizations that come with homeschooling that are often just not realized until a family has already begun that would be better worked-on before, such as scheduling, child raising issues, marital issues, planning, etc.  Our lending library offers many books that can help in all of these areas, please, feel free to borrow them from us, elsewhere, or purchase them, but please, most of all, read and study.

• After reading and studying, come up with a realistically workable plan.  The first step in planning your homeschool is to work with your husband on your family's personal "Philosophy of Education".  Your philosophy of education is simply what you believe about the education of your children.  Here is a link to more information on general homeschooling philosophies, which may be helpful in coming up with one's own: http://www.homeschool-curriculum-for-life.com/Homeschool-Philosophy-Reviews.html .  Write out your philosophy and begin planning your schedule, your teaching/learning styles, your curriculum choices, and other things you will need.  What you have learned by reading and studying will have given you the information you need to plan.

• When you've made a solid plan, the next step is to prepare to homeschool.  At the appropriate time for you, suggestions are given below, prepare to actually homeschool:  Two months before beginning - order homeschool curriculum and materials, look thoroughly through them and get a good idea of how you are going to use them.  Don't plan to do this all in one day, but spend time daily for a while doing this.  You can use this time to write out plans for the curriculum, get additional resources if you need them, and get a feel for the materials.  If what you have ordered doesn't look like it will work for your family, you have time to return it and try something else.  Set a day for school to begin and make a list of items you will need (pencils, art goods, folders, papers, etc.). One month before beginning - totally clean and declutter every room in your home.  Do this one room at a time and clean walls, floors, baseboards, ceilings, and all.  Throw useless clutter out or give what can be used by others away.  While you are doing this, take notes on how you can set-up a system to maintain your clean home so that it stays clean and uncluttered, and when you're done, devise a workable system for this.  You can believe veteran homeschoolers when they tell you that cleaning and decluttering a home before beginning homeschooling is a golden nugget of advice.  To try to teach and live in a mess is frustrating and not conducive to learning.  Try hard to maintain your home according to the system you have planned and devised and work out the kinks as you go along.  Get the neccessary items to begin homeschooling (pencils, art goods, etc.).

•  Keep records.  If you are a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association, you have agreed to keep records of your homeschooling.  Here in Alaska, as independent homeschoolers, we do not have any set record forms or items required by the state.  If you are not a member of H.S.L.D.A., you don't have to legally keep records as independent homeschoolers in Alaska.  It is a good idea, though, to keep records and examples of your child or children's schoolwork.  Records can help you plan and keep track of your children's progress and the are invaluable in the case that you are legally questioned about your homeschool, along with many other things.  One of the great things about independently homeschooling in Alaska is that you can create your own record and planning sheets or choose from a HUGE variety that are already created.  Please see our lending library for record keeping/planning books and links to them or just look in a search engine (www.google.com, for instance) using the words "homeschool record keeping planning worksheets" in the search box.

• Seriously consider joining an independent homeschool support group or the finding the friendship of at least one other independent homeschooling family.  Veteran homeschoolers consider this another golden nugget of advice.  It can get very lonely and stressful being "all alone" as a homeschooling family.  It becomes very easy to think that all one goes through is unique and that no other homeschooling family has felt or feels or goes through such things, but this is usually very wrong.  We, as independent homeschooling families, have very much in common, we have most all shared similar ups-and-downs and are there to listen with understanding and even offer to share what we've done that's helped in situations.  It is not good to be alone - it's lonely, and it can make homeschooling unpleasant or not nearly the good experience that it could and should be.  Even if you're not a "people person" and your children are shy - we cordially invite you to join our group and just ask that you give us a try.  We also cordially invite you to call our group leader at 488-3784 or e-mail her at NSIH@northstarindependenthomeschoolers.com if you would like to just talk to or meet another independent homeschooling family or two.

• Enjoy homeschooling!  Homeschooling is one of the most exciting, life-enriching, and family building adventures that many families take.  If you plan, seek support, and really give it a good try, odds are your family will find a richness and quality of life that is unmatchable and not to be found in any other way.  Just take your time, ease into it and go with your heart, and enjoy!