FAQ
Famous Homeschoolers
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Venus & Serena Williams
Dakota Fanning
Jason Taylor (NFL)
Hilary Duff
Chris Brown
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Frankie Muniz
Raven Symone
Elijah Wood
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How to Homeschool
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First, and most helpful, find a support group. If you are in the Northern Shenandoah area of Virginia, the Winchester Area Homeschoolers Association (where you found this info) is a GREAT place to make new friends and get the help and support you need to start your homeschooling journey!
The next most important thing is; you must file your paperwork. This means sending in your Notice of Intent to the Superintendent for your county. If your child is currently enrolled in public school, you will need to withdraw him/her by going to the school office and talking to the Administrator. You may do this before sending in your paperwork, or you can wait until you receive your acknowledgement letter from the Superintendent if it makes you more comfortable. If your child is not enrolled in public school, then you only need to file your Notice of Intent if this is your first year homeschooling and your child is age 5 or older.
Next you will want to think about how you are going to homeschool your child(ren), or what method you will use.
Here is a list of different methods that are popularly used for homeschooling, in alphabetical order:
 The Charlotte Mason Approach
Charlotte Mason was a 19th Century educator and teacher. She developed a literature-based education, founded on reading real ("living") books, short lessons, narration, copywork and dictation, and nature study. She encouraged parents and educators to avoid "twaddle" (graded readers, etc.) and textbooks, and instead use good literature as the basis for the school curriculum.
Classical Education
Many families who want to offer a liberal arts education to their children, including lessons in Greek and Latin, as well as formal instruction in logic, opt for the Classical Education approach. This method is based on the Trivium, an educational philosophy used in ancient Greece and Rome. Education is divided into three stages, Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. Grammar (grades 1-6) is at the heart of the Grammar stage, as well as memorization of facts, figures, and basic skills. The Dialectic stage (grades 7-9) deal with logic, or understanding the why and how behind all the facts they learned in the grammar stage. The final stage, Rhetoric (grades 10-12+) focuses on reasoning and applied logic, explaining and using this learned knowledge to create new ideas and also applying them to real and hypothetical life situations.
Delayed Academics
Dr. Raymond Moore, and his wife Dorothy, pioneers of the modern homeschooling movement, created this approach. The Moore Formula focuses on a balance of Study, Work, and Service. Formal academics are not begun until the ages of 8-10, and once formal study is begun, the child's interests are the focus of unit studies created by the parent to teach basic skills as well as content subjects. Informal learning before the age of 8 happens as the child works and plays within the family.
Eclectic Homeschooling
Eclectic, by definition, means combining different philosophies or styles, and that is what eclectic homeschoolers do. They select whichever materials and methods best fit their children, and frequently adjust to suit the needs of the family and children. Not tied in to only one method or style, they can create a totally unique homeschooling atmosphere based on their children's needs, interests, and strengths.
Unit Study Method
The Unit Study Method of homeschooling, sometimes called thematic units or integrated studies, involves creating units of study which link multiple subjects around a common topic or theme, rather than teaching the subjects as separate courses. This method lends itself very well to hands-on learning, teaching several different ages at once, and creating a natural atmosphere for exploration and learning. Many packaged unit studies are available, and some parents create their own units based upon their children's interests.
 Unschooling
Unschooling is not easily defined. When John Holt, the "father" of the modern homeschooling movement, coined the phrase, he simply defined it as any learning that took place outside of conventional schooling. Since then, it has evolved to encompass many ways of natural learning; trusting children will learn what they need to know as they find a need to know it. Traditional curriculum is usually shunned in favor of following a child's interests. Parents are viewed more as facilitators and mentors rather than teachers, although teaching can be a part of the process, but it is at the initiation of the child rather than the adult.
Waldorf Homeschool Method
Waldorf Education is based upon the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, who developed a philosophy called Anthroposophy. A Waldorf curriculum is based on the developmental stages of the child's awakening consciousness, with a heavy emphasis on the role of the teacher to nurture and guide the children. Steiner believed all children pass through the same three developmental stages at about the same time, with few exceptions. The first stage begins at birth and continues losing of the baby teeth, and education at this stage focuses on fairy tales and archetypal stories, carefully chosen to teach moral principles and are used to introduce alphabet and number concepts. The second stage begins at the eruption of permanent teeth and continues through the onset of puberty, and the focus is on the child's emotional nature. The third stage, adolescence, is when reasoning predominates, and the child develops his independence and own personal way of interacting with the world around him.
Then you will want to gather your resources, supplies and curriculum if you plan to use one.
It is wise to talk to other homeschoolers to see what they use and what has helped them. Many will even advise you on what curriculums have worked and what haven’t. You can even ask to take a look at some of their materials to see if it will suit your family before you spend the money. A good idea is to check out used curriculum swaps to get perfectly good materials, at a reasonable price. Bookstores have great workbooks if you don’t have a particular plan of study for your child. This can be especially good in the elementary years when your child is just starting out and learning the basics.
Start small and go slow. While a schedule is not necessary, it may be helpful to use as a guide for planning how your day will flow. For instance, if your curriculum did not come with a lesson plan, you may find that you have very little time once you and your child(ren) “hit the books” before it is time to start dinner. Or you may find that you were able to breeze through and you can spend the rest of the day at the park making new friends. Be sure to keep a calendar close by to keep track of field trips, activities and other fun things you’ll be doing with your new homeschool group.
A few good points to know about homeschooling in Virginia:
- Home instruction is not considered a "school" under Virginia law.
- You do not need to purchase "legal insurance" to homeschool in Virginia.
- You do not have to keep attendance records.
- You do not have to send quarterly progress reports to the school division.
- We do not have "umbrella schools" to keep our records for us.
- You do not have to work with a certified teacher.
- You do have to file annually with the local school division, unless you file Religious Exemption.
- You do have to test or evaluate the children annually.
- You do have to submit proof of immunization, if asked.
(Excerpt from VaHomeschoolers.org)
Now you are ready to start! Good Luck and Happy Homeschooling!
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