Homeschooling Resources: Tips for Success

As more parents choose homeschooling for their children, the question arises: what resources and supplies are the most useful for creating a successful homeschool experience? With a little planning, homeschool parents can ensure that their children have access to the right tools to reap the full benefits of homeschooling. Whether you’re starting out a new school year or changing course by beginning homeschooling in the middle of the year, these tips will help you make the most of the freedom that homeschooling provides.

Find Homeschooling Support

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “It takes a village.” When it comes to homeschooling, nothing could be truer. Many parents find that joining a local homeschool support group or homeschool co-op is very helpful in the educational journey. These groups are a great resource for parents who want to swap teaching ideas, provide and receive encouragement, and share homeschool resources. Parents can even pool their intellectual resources and take turns teaching subjects according to their strengths and availability. In addition, being part of a homeschool group can also lead to group discounts on field trips and opportunities for socialization, both for parents and students.

Connecting with other homeschooling families can help to combat feelings of social isolation and get you through the inevitable challenges that come with homeschooling. When you’re ready to find your tribe, here’s how to get started:

1. Search the web for local homeschool meet-up and co-op groups.
2. Check Facebook for opportunities to connect virtually.
3. Research micro-schools and pods in your area for collaborative learning opportunities.
4. Look into groups that cater to your child’s extracurricular interests such as sports or performing arts.

Choose Curriculum to Help You Fill in the Gaps

Not everyone is a born writer or mathematician, and parents are no exception. The good news is that the parent doesn’t have to be a whiz in every subject in order for the child to succeed. Parents can take advantage of high-quality homeschool resources available for every subject and ability level. It is important for parents to consider their own strengths and weaknesses when purchasing homeschool curricula. Most homeschool curricula comes with a teacher’s guide and answer keys to take the burden off the parents.

Outsource Some of the Grading and/or Teaching

Some curriculum companies offer extra supports like video lessons and virtual classes. Parents who dread grading essays should look for a writing curriculum that can be paired with a scoring service, like the one offered by Essentials in Writing, to help with the heavy lifting of evaluating their child’s writing.

Co-op classes dual-enrollment courses offered through local community colleges present more options for parents who prefer to outsource the teaching of some subjects. Parents need not worry that their own academic lapses will hinder their child’s progress in any way. There are plenty of solutions available.

Setting up your Student’s Home Classroom is Essential

Whether you meet under the oak tree in the backyard, at the dining room table, or in a designated home classroom, you want to be prepared. Always consider variables such as your child’s age and which subjects you’ll be teaching as you plan your own personalized lists for your students and yourself.

Check out the sample supply lists for ideas on how to get started.

Homeschool Supply Checklist for Students

1. Lined notebook paper 
2. Graph paper 
3. Colored construction paper 
4. Folders for each subject 
5. Composition or spiral notebooks for each subject 
6. Index cards 
7. Pens 
8. Pencils 
9. Pencil box or bag 
10. Crayons or map pencils 
11. Erasers 
12. Glue 
13. Scissors 
14. Paint 
15. Paint brushes 
16. Mini dry-erase board 
17. Dry-erase markers 

Homeschool Supply Checklist for Parents

1. Grading Pens or Pencils
2. Large Dry Erase Board
3. Dry Erase Markers
4. Pencil Sharpener
5. Stapler/ Staples
6. Large 3 Ring Binders
7. Dividers
8. Hole Punch
9. File Folders
10. Computer
11. Printer/Ink
12. Calendar or Planner
13. Stickers/ Prize Box Items

Finalize your Plan, Goals and Curricula

Now that you have a plan, it’s time to order your curriculum and supplies so that you’ll be ready to go on the first day of school. Don’t forget to consider your own needs as a teacher. Choose curricula that will take some of the burden off of you.

You might consider trying Essentials in Writing for your family’s writing curriculum needs. Whether your child is a 1st grader learning to write a sentence or a senior getting ready for college-level research, EIW’s simple approach featuring short and engaging video lessons that model each skill and excellent customer support will make writing instruction a breeze.

Best of luck! Have a great school year!

Kristy Robins

Kristy Robins is a resource teacher at Essentials in Writing. During her twenty-year Texas public school career, she taught high school English at almost every grade and ability level, including remedial, pre-AP, and AP. Kristy was also a co-author of the Living History Curriculum featured on the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument webpage, for which she was honored in 2017 with the presentation of the President’s Meritorious Achievement Award by the officers of the Vietnam Veterans of America Texas State Council. Kristy is certified to teach middle school language arts and high school English and is passionate about helping students grow in their abilities to communicate effectively through writing. She lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, Buford, and her two young daughters.