Guide For New Homeschoolers

If you’re just starting out homeschooling the articles here will help you get your feet under you and be confident in your choices moving forward. You’ll want to start with Karen’s Guide for New Homeschoolers. The articles will lead you step-by-step to set up your homeschool.

Guide for New Homeschoolers

Welcome, New Homeschooler! I’m Karen. I’m the little sister in the Layers of Learning duo. I remember feeling like I was lost at sea when I was a brand new homeschooler. I want to help you have a smoother start! I know how absolutely terrifying and overwhelming it can be to start a journey at […]

Step 1: Where Do I Even Begin?

In short, you begin homeschooling at the beginning. Your beginning may be a different place than mine. I began when my oldest was starting kindergarten, which will look very different from the homeschooler that is beginning in the middle of 2nd grade when a reading disability is discovered, or during 5th grade when a difficult […]

Step 2: What’s My Homeschooling Style?

When I started homeschooling it seemed like everyone I spoke with and every book I read talked about homeschooling styles. Everyone wants to know what “style” of homeschooler you are. Well, I wasn’t sure what style I was until I tried each one on for a bit. Here are a few that you might “try […]

Step 3: How Do I Choose A Curriculum?

Buying homeschool curriculum and supplies is a big commitment. It’s hard to know where to begin. Your choices will depend on your homeschool style and your budget, so please keep those in mind with every single purchase. So let’s walk through the process of planning and purchasing curriculum for your homeschool. Get basic supplies. Buy […]

Step 4: How Do I Plan A Homeschool Year?

Hopefully by now you’ve thought about your overall homeschool vision, decided what your homeschooling style is, and purchased your curriculum. {Did you feel as excited as I do when I open the boxes of shiny books?} Now it’s time to get right down to the business of planning out THIS YEAR in your homeschool. Before […]

Step 5: How Do I Cover Everything? (& Other Questions From Homeschool Parents)

Over and over I hear the same several questions from homeschool parents, and I want to put your mind at ease a bit as you begin homeschooling by answering them right upfront. Here they are: How do I cover everything? Can I teach things I don’t know? How do I homeschool when life is hard? […]

Step 6: How Do I Keep Records?

Making a homeschool portfolio is one of the easiest ways to track and record kids’ progress in school. Before we get into it much further though, I want to encourage you to find out the laws and requirements in your state or country. You also need to be aware of requirements for any charter school […]