FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How will homeschooling affect my family?
Homeschooling can be life changing. Ideally, it creates personal growth for both parents and children. As a parent, you get a second chance to discover your own special genius while helping your child discover theirs. Nothing else that you do will have a more profound impact on your child and your family's future.
2. Am I qualified to homeschool?
You are qualified to homeschool your children if you love to read to them, love to spend time with them, love to explore the world with them, love to see them learn new things, and most important - just love them.
3. How will I know if my child is learning?
Children love to learn. It is as natural to them as breathing. They have an inborn hunger to explore the world, examine what is interesting and absorb new information like a sponge. They learn by following their interests, with one interest leading to another. This is the way we all learned as younger children and how as adults we learn after we leave school. Homeschooling families learn together and know that learning is a life-long process. We also encourage yearly evaluations to reassure you that they are “on track” academically!
4. Is homeschooling legal?
Homeschooling is legal everywhere in the United States, but homeschooling laws vary from state to state. The best way to find out what Florida State laws have to say about homeschooling is to contact a local support group or your FPEA District Director.
5. How many hours a day must I teach my child?
It does not take six to eight hours a day to homeschool your child. Most of the time children spend at school consists of waiting. Design a plan that works for your family and be prepared to scratch it several times and start over. There are many ways families homeschool; find what works for you and your family.
6. What about socialization?
Your child will not become a social misfit. Quite the opposite, children do not need to be socialized in a large group of same-aged children to become well adjusted socially. Most parents want their children to learn their social graces from adults, not other children. Homeschoolers have healthy relationships with people of all ages from the retired couple next door to their soccer coach. They can enjoy friends at 4-H, scouting, dance, martial arts or any other activity.
7. What if I don't know how to teach a subject?
You will not have to teach higher-level academics unless you really want to. It is not necessary to teach pre-algebra, biology, or chemistry to ten year olds. When your teen decides to become a scientist or is ready to explore the requirements of college admission, together you will explore the ways they can learn the necessary higher-level academics. A community college class, Florida Virtual School, a tutor, or textbooks are just a few of the options available.
8. My kids won't listen to me. How can I do this?
You will question yourself a lot, maybe several times a day in the beginning. This is normal. Find a fellow homeschooling friend and support each other. Tell each other that it's okay to sometimes feel that your children didn't seem to learn anything on a given day. In actuality they learn new things everyday and so do you!
9. Can I afford to homeschool? Isn't curriculum expensive?
Homeschooling materials have come a long way in the past few years. Our options now extend beyond private school curricula and used textbooks. Packaged curriculum can cost a few dollars to many hundreds of dollars. Used products are often available at used curriculum sales, online or from other homeschool families. There are many options and resources available if you just look around!
10. Can children really learn outside a classroom?
Trust in your child. They learned how to love, smile, crawl, walk, talk, run, dress themselves, and understand their world before starting school, and they can continue to grow and learn outside a formal classroom setting.