What kinds of people homeschool?
Homeschooling can be beneficial to just about anyone. Homeschoolers are a diverse segment of the population and are racially, ethnically, and philosophically different. They use textbooks and sit at the table, regular books and learn everywhere, they use the world as their classroom. Homeschoolers are moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles... Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, basketball players, landscapers, plumbers, lawyers, homemakers, computer programmers, piano teachers and administrative assistants. They have one child, six children, eleven children. They are Buddhist, Baptist, Jewish, Pagan, Atheist, Agnostic and everything in between. They are rich, poor, middle class. Vegetarian, meat and potatoes, raise goats, raise cain.... you probably get the idea. Homeschooling, while still not the 'norm' (whatever that is) is a viable educational alternative that is working for more than 2 million children in the USA.

What about socialization?
Homeschooling and Hermit both begin with 'h'. That's where the similarity ends. Unless you plan to keep your children home all day, every day, your children WILL socialize! Your children will form natural friendships with people of all ages, based upon common interests. There are several activities for homeschoolers in many areas. Homeschooled kids have bands, choirs, art classes, swimming classes, church activities, scout groups, community volunteering, and friends from their neighborhoods, too. Many homeschooling families arrange play dates, chess clubs, science clubs and field trips. The possibilities are unlimited... and as an added bonus, you can take advantage of school hours to tour museums or visit popular attractions without the
crowds.

Do I have to have a curriculum in place before I start? Don't I need lesson plans and textbooks before I bring my child(ren) home?
NO! If you live in the state of Oregon, you may go to the school right now... today... and bring your child home. You may wake up tomorrow morning and decide never to send your child back to school. You might make a phone call to the school as a courtesy so they won't send a truant officer to your house or harass you with daily phone calls ("Why isn't Sammy in school?") but once you've officially decided to homeschool, GO for it!
It's okay to pull your child out of school today and take some time to decide your general direction and discuss your goals and your children's goals. This is your time for de-schooling.

What is de-schooling?
De-schooling is just a way of saying take time to relax and get away from the institutional mindset. Learning, (REAL learning) doesn't usually look like school. Rarely does anyone learn in depth from sitting still and reading from a textbook. Think back to your own school and life and try to remember the experiences that excited you and awakened your joy in learning. Now imagine having been allowed to learn in that manner every day! The most efficient learning comes when children discover and learn about the world by starting with their own interests and working from them. Sleep in. Read good books. Bake cookies. Take long walks. Get to know each other once again without the pressure of being on the public school schedule. Several homeschooling books and websites recommend a month or even two months of de-schooling time for every year a child spent in institutionalized education. (This writer's personal recommendation is that you de-school at once, and continue to de-school indefinitely. :) )

I have heard that there are different styles of homeschooling. How should I do it? There is only one way to properly homeschool. (bet that's a relief!!) You must homeschool in the way that works best for you and for your family. If you ask ten different homeschooling families how they learn and what a typical day looks like, you will probably get ten different answers. The educational choices you make for (or preferably with) your children have to be based upon your own mutual goals and desires. Many homeschoolers find their style changing weekly or even daily. If what you're doing isn't working, then you can change it and find a way that does work.
Some people bring school home and have a set schedule, curriculum, and grades. There is nothing wrong with that, although it may not be the most efficient way to learn. Some people are very uncomfortable or nervous about leaving something out when beginning to homeschool and want the comfort of a boxed curriculum. Many who begin that way drift into different methods of learning as the institutional example of schooling becomes a memory instead of a daily occurrence. Whatever works for you is fine.
Some homeschoolers use a curriculum for one or two subjects.
Still others use no formal curriculum at all and prefer to let their children learn in a natural way, sometimes referred to as 'unschooling.' undefined

How will I be able to teach my child everything??
You won't.
Before you let that worry you, think about the gaps in your own education. (You DO have some, don't you?) How are you doing so far? No one knows everything, and we're all okay with that. Knowing how to find answers is very important. If you help your children learn how to look for answers and to dig for information, there is nothing they will not be able to learn. If your child wants to learn advanced math or theater arts or basket weaving and all those things are beyond you, then looking in your community for resources is your next step. Community colleges, neighbors, friends, relatives and local interest groups may be able to steer you in the right direction. Many homeschoolers form co-ops for those purposes, too, but that does take time and organization.

How much time does it take to homeschool?
This depends on whether you decide to bring school home, unschool, or work somewhere in between. It takes whatever time you are willing to devote to it. Again, this is your personal choice. There are suggested time guidelines in the state of Oregon but those guidelines were written with public school/public education in mind and you're not required to follow them. Homeschooled children don't have to take time changing tasks, march in a line, wait for the attention of the teacher, or to wait for other children to get serious before beginning a task. Also, they don't have to wait for everyone else to finish before they are allowed to go on. And if they're engrossed in an activity, they don't have to stop what they're doing just because it's ten o' clock or because they must accomplish certain work before the day is over. Many homeschoolers report being able to accomplish in an hour or two what it takes all day to do in school.

Can working parents homeschool?
There are 168 hours in a week. Most people who work full time use up 40 of those. That leaves you 128 hours to use as you see fit. Of course you will need time to sleep, do the grocery shopping and maybe a load of laundry, but learning can (and usually does) happen 24 hours a day.
Many parents who work full time during the day find that two to three hours a few times a week are sufficient for academic pursuits, leaving many more hours for free learning. If you have adequate child care for the times you will be away from home, there is no reason you can't work and homeschool, too, if you really want to.

What about doubters?
You have made decisions for and about your child(ren) every day since you had them. Some of those choices have raised eyebrows with your parents or others ("Well I never did it that way!") Your decision to homeschool may also cause that reaction. Friends may make disparaging remarks, and find your choice a perplexing or even threatening one. You can follow the old advice about stepping aside when someone throws a bucket of water at you so you can stay dry, or you can just stand there and let it hit you. Not everyone should homeschool, and not everyone wants to. But if homeschooling is what you and your family want, then smile, thank those well-meaning people...(yes, most of them mean well) and proceed to do what's best for you and yours. Your children will be the best example of why homeschooling is a good choice for you. You will probably find many supportive friends as you meet people who homeschool

What about sports or music or the prom?
In Oregon, homeschooled kids are allowed to participate in interscholastic activities in the public schools. There are specific rules about grades and testing, so it's possible that you would have to submit yearly test scores if participation in sports is high on your list. Some districts allow homeschooled kids take journalism classes or math or music or art or whatever they are interested in. Check with your local superintendent's office for specific information. Some homeschool groups hold their own proms if they decide it's important, and some homeschoolers attend the local high school prom with a date who attends school there. Some skip the entire experience.

How much does it cost to homeschool?
Homeschooling doesn't have to be a major expense. Many families utilize the resources from the public library and the internet. There are used curriculum sales, rummage sales, thrift stores, garage sales. Sometimes friends and family have books just sitting around that they aren't using.
Learning doesn't have to come from a textbook, and you don't have to use only school-approved materials to learn from. When you begin to homeschool, you have infinitely expanded your learning opportunities, because you can learn from anything, anywhere. (and anytime!)
If you decide that curriculum is the way to go, here are some links to search for affordable textbooks and homeschooling materials.
http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com/
http://edexbooks.com/
All Used Homeschool Curriculum Board
VegSource: HomeSchool, Selling Used Books! Swap and talk...
Ebay also has a homeschooling section.

Won't a diploma be required for college?
Colleges are actively recruiting homeschoolers, they come with a desire to learn and serious minds. College admissions officers don't usually require a diploma. According to the following, they look at a LOT of factors. Some may surprise you!
- Homeschool.com - Your Virtual Homeschool
Here is a link with some information about colleges that accept homeschoolers. New Colleges

What are the legal requirements to homeschool in the state of Oregon?
Children must begin school attendance in Oregon the year they are 7 on September 1. If your child is not yet seven, there is no reason to notify anyone of the child's status. Some ESDs send out a 'grade placement' chart when they receive your original notice of intent because they believe they have the right to decide grade level for you, but this is incorrect. As the child's parent, you make the decision when your child is seven to place your him or her in first grade or higher.
It's important to stick with your grade level placement for testing purposes. You should not skip back and forth with grade levels to avoid testing, because someone with more power than we have could decide to remove our option of deciding when our children are ready for first grade!
The State of Oregon requires you to notify your local ESD in writing within 10 days of removing your child from school.
Click here for ESD Interpretation of the law by reading the PDF file sent to us by Debbie Hawkins of the Harney ESD office
Note: When you contact the ESD, they may send you an 'information packet'. Depending on the ESD, there may be some incorrect information in this packet. You are not required to fill out and submit any forms or carry a homeschooler ID card. If your intent is to comply with the Oregon Administrative Rules regarding homeschooling all that is required in your notification letter are the following pieces of information:

1. Parent's name
2. Child's name, address, and birth date
3.the name of the school the child is being withdrawn from or the name of the school district in which the child lives.
That's all. You do not have to specify a grade level. Unless you move to a new county, notification is one time only. You will receive a letter of confirmation from the ESD which you should keep in case you are ever asked for it. If your homeschooler is in third, fifth, eighth or tenth grade, Oregon requires a standardized test by August 15th to assess educational progress. *IF the ESD notifies you that they want your test scores, you are only required to submit the composite score. OAR 581-021-0026 (1) (a) (combined math and verbal) No assessment is required for the first 18 months after a child leaves school, so if your child is in grade 3,5,8 or 10, but has not been out of school for at least 18 months, then you won't have to test. You would then test at the next required assessment date. If your child's test results show him or her testing in the fifteenth percentile or above, you're finished for this round, and not required to test again until the next regularly scheduled date. If the test score is not at least in the fifteenth percentile. If your child has been professionally diagnosed with a disability (described in OAR 581-015-0051), your educational progress may be assessed with a privately developed plan (PDP) or according to the child's IEP. (OAR 581-021-0029) *The ESD may ask for your test scores. If they do not, just keep them as a record.

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