You Got This!

Congratulations! You’ve weighed the pros and cons, you’ve made the decision, and now you’re ready to move forward with the challenging and rewarding life of home-schooling. Feeling overwhelmed? That’s okay…and completely normal. Trust me, we’ve all been there. Hopefully the following will give you a place to start:

Where to Start?

1. Decide who will be the educational “monitor”; who will oversee instruction. This is typically one or both parents.
2. Choose curriculum. Nebraska requires “A written description or summary showing the sequential program of instruction designed to lead to basic skills in the language arts, math, science, social studies, and health…” (See Curriculum Tab for suggestions)
3. Begin the Nebraska paperwork. Click HERE to start.
4. Set up a family behavior management system. Determine a schedule, rules, reward/consequence plan, etc. Home-schooling will run more smoothly if the parents and the children are all included in these decisions. (See Management Aids Tab for suggestions)
5. If you haven’t already, sign up for OmahaHAVEN. HAVEN can provide mentoring assistance and opportunities to connect with other home-schooling families in the area through our annual directory of members and mentors, lists of local resources, annual activities, as well as the ability to set up and participate in small group activities. Membership is free. To join, click HERE!  

Choosing Curriculum 

 

This step can feel completely overwhelming due to the vast number of options on the market. We have created a shorter list of recommendations based on our combined experience. There is no one “right” curriculum. Each child is different, learning styles of children and parents differ and one of the great strengths of home-schooling is that you can meet individual needs. Home-school is flexible and that's a good thing! Home- education maximizes our opportunity to use a philosophy that fits our own family culture and the needs of our children.

 

If you'd like an idea of your child's learning style, click HERE to answer a 10 question test. This is not a definitive assessment but to help you get an idea of how your child learns.

 

Concerned about Money? 

 

Home-school does not need to be expensive. There are several programs that offer FREE and low-cost curriculum. Please see our Curriculum tab for these options. 

 

Shifting From Public and Home-school settings

 

From my experience, most children will be able to navigate back to the public system successfully from a home-school experience. The key to success is to nurture a love of learning while encouraging personal responsibility for his/her education. Education should not imprison us; it should empower us. 

 

Need Additional Help?  

 

If you have additional questions or feel you need additional help with any of the above, please contact OmahaHAVEN@gmail.com. Please include an area of need in the subject line. Please include your name and preferred contact method (email/text number/call number) in your email along with a short description of your specific need. A member of the HAVEN community will contact you ASAP.