Before getting started on your homeschool journey, I strongly recommend a simple first step.

Perhaps in your case, your reason may be very obvious to you. Or, you may be like other famlies who have multiple reasons for their decision. Then, it may be more important to clarify for yourselves the reason you are going to homeschool your child.

Brainstorm and write down all the reasons. Then list them in order of importance.

From your list of reason(s), you can develop your goals. These may include any of these or others:

Academic excellence (or grade level proficiency)

Develop independent thinking

Promote positive social experiences (and decrease negative)

Freedom to pursue studies at own pace or depth

Enjoy quality family time

Develop specific skill(s)

Enhance intra and/or inter personal communication

These are broad goals, which are not the same as your educational objectives, which will be more specific.

Do ALL of the reasons stated above sound like your goals? You need to prioritize. While all of these, and others, may have merit, it's impossible to do all at once. Take the time to plan your top three goals.

Here's an example of how it might work. Let's say your #1 reason to homeschool is to develop positive social experiences. You plan and organize accordingly. After several months of homeschooling you feel the academic progress is not sufficient.

What happens then? The priority of your goals has changed a little. There will be change in your priorities over time. Do you have to go out and buy an entire new curriculum? No, don't do that - at least not in the middle of the year. But you may make some adjustments in how you organize your day, and how you grade and evaluate with the curriculum you are using.

We are just getting started here. But your reasons for homeschooling help develop your goals; and your goals will help you choose curriculum as well as organize and evaluate your program.

The How To Homeschool Series