Homeschool World Forum

Hello everyone
I am playing around with the idea of homeschooling for the next schoolyear, in Florida. My daughter would go into first grade then.
How would I start it? Do I have to send some paperwork to the schooldistrict, or do I have to ask for permission?
I am completly new to the idea, so please forgive me my questions...
Also, is there a test at the end of the year?
If anyone could give me some starter information, I would very much appreciate it!
Thanks,
Kerstin

Here is Home School Legal Defense Association's analysis of FL law.

Also, here is the link to Florida Parent Educator Association. You should be able to find local homeschoolers who can help you out.

You can easily homeschool your first grader next year. You will just need to check the homeschool laws in your state. If you check with a veteran homeschool mom in your area, they should be able to help you figure out who you need to tell and what paperwork you need to fill out.

Then comes the fun part, choosing what resources you will use. I have a free planner, advice about homeschooling and all kinds of resources on my website. I suggest you focus on reading, writing and math first. We liked Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. For writing you can probably just get some simple penmanship books and have her do drawing and make sure she titles her pictures. There are plenty of math programs out there. Our favorites were Spectrum and Math U See.

Once you have those subjects in place, then you can move on to Science, History, Bible, Music, Art and PE. Don't let the list overwhelm you. There are so many great children's picture books for Science and History that we used. I have lists on my websites. My children learned SO much from just reading these interesting little books. There are places where you can watch science experiments online too.

You will find that so much of what you have already been doing with your child can be considered homeschooling. Just add a little to what you have been doing and you should be fine. Don't switch to teacher-mode. Just be her loving mom and interact with her during the day. Read to her and give her a sense of wonder about the world around her.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions for me.