Homeschooling has been a common practice in the military for a long time. Frequent deployments and moves can cause the school year to be thrown off, so parents see homeschooling as a way for them to meet the needs of their family.
COVID-19 news and the stop-moving order for military families have led many people to switch to homeschool or use the district’s online learning to supplement their homeschooling or use the district’s online learning.
The good information is that there are a lot of resources to help you start teaching your kids at home. The best thing is that you can do it when and how you want. Organizing lessons with your military kids can be fun, interactive, and a group effort, even though it can be hard to do on your own.
Here’s how to start:
Before you decide to homeschool, think about what you want to do with your kids and what
You’ll need to check your state’s rules before you start. Some states don’t need a lot of supervision, but others have a lot of rules.
A child must be old enough to do certain things when living in a certain state. This age varies.
For example, if your child is of age and in a public school, you will need to contact the school district and file an affidavit stating that you want to teach from home. The district will let you know if any more letters or documents need to be sent to you. Different states may have different ways to get out of debt. Make sure to find out what your state needs.
Before you start, ask yourself these questions.
Is there enough time for me to get the curriculum and materials? Are there enough hours in the day so that I can homeschool my kid?
The superintendent sets rules for children who are homeschooled. There must be reasonable proof that they did to show how many hours a student worked during the school year.
In general, young children need about two hours of set time each day. Add an hour of study time for each grade level as the years go by.
For us, what is the cheapest way to do this?
Homeschool costs more than public school but less than private school, so it costs more than public school.
How structured do I want my life to be?
This is the best thing about homeschooling. Your child’s needs come first.
Does the content reflect my values?
Some curricula are made to fit in with your family’s beliefs.
Credentials for the parent who homeschools their child
Generally, most states require parents to have at least a high school diploma or GED to homeschool their children. Other states might ask for a qualified teacher or tutor to supervise your child’s education.
Basics of homeschool
California will be used as an example because it’s important to keep in mind that the specifics of each state are different from one another. They must fill out a private school form to show the state that their homeschool is their school of record. If you take your child out of public school, you don’t need to tell them that you are homeschooling. You can say that you are going to a private school instead.
As the owner of a private school, you can use any resources you want to teach your kids as long as you keep the right records. They don’t get money from the state, and it isn’t tax-deductible. Because there are no school costs, you have a lot of freedom regarding the curriculum. People still use their state’s education standards as a guide.
Some families who choose to homeschool choose to use a charter school instead of a public school. Many charter schools are public, state-funded schools even though most of their students do most of their work at home. Transferring to an independent school does not require you to fill out this form. If you plan to homeschool your child between schools, you will need to fill out this form and send it in with your child.
As a member of one of these charter schools, families may get some money to help pay for educational resources, classes, and other things. However, the state decides what acceptable use of the money is. They also want you to send in examples of your work, and you’ll have regular meetings with an educational consultant who will keep an eye on your child’s progress.
Different ways
Now that you’ve decided to teach your kids, what do you need to do next? Find a method of teaching that fits your child’s needs, then use it.
Each nation has its own set of requirements for getting a diploma, and they’re not the same. As a general rule, your child will learn about math, reading, and language arts as well as science and social studies.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. You can select to follow a traditional textbook model, focus on field trips, co-op learning, or mix them all.
Traditional
The traditional way to learn is to read a book mostly. States often require a written curriculum, and there is a lot of curriculum out there that has been written down.
A new homeschool parent who needs a lot of help, in the beginning, can use the traditional method. Using this method, even students who do best with structured lessons can benefit from it.
Co-op
Military communities may already have a homeschool co-op set up on the base. Parents work together to plan field trips and short lessons to help their kids with their studies at home. It’s a good choice for military kids who want to socialize and learn about different things.
Online Learning
Virtual academies also meet academic requirements and focus on a specific subject. As technology improves, online teachers and content adapt to meet the needs of students. The experience can be beneficial and meet the state’s “written curriculum” requirement to be a good idea.
The district programs
Sometimes, public school districts can offer different types of home instruction. The advantage here is participating in sports, extracurricular, and support programs. Every neighborhood is different. Ask the superintendent or someone else in the district for more information.
