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Any tips on getting started? It sounds interesting but I wouldn't know where to start.

We have a great homeschool group that provides a lot of high quality social time combined with sports and other activities. We also participate in a co-op that is a lot of fun and provides some variety. The oldest is in a leadership program that has benefited him greatly.

We are very loose curriculum wise and follow a self-education approach[1] loosely. The Robinson Curriculum is awesome, and I highly recommend it.

[1] http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

Google homeschooling resources, and begin talking to the homeschooling groups in your local area. Homeschooling has a network of families that support each other generally. It's the easiest and best way to get started. Plus, you'll get a lot of guidance on what resources are good and which are a waste of time.

Having been homeschooled, this is a great suggestion. It's pretty easy to get too isolated, and homeschooling groups help a lot. Also check with your local schools - I was able to take 2 classes while still being classified as 'homeschooled', for free (since it's part of taxes already), which can give access to tools that are otherwise way too expensive.

> Having been homeschooled, this is a great suggestion.

Agreed. I was homeschooled as well, and homeschool groups were absolutely vital to making the experience a success for me. I did great teaching myself at home, but especially in high school, I needed outside classes and outside social activities. The city I grew up in had a huge homeschool community, so it was easy to find classes on a wide variety of subjects.

My son was in a great group this past year that was a Shakespeare deep dive. They gave a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the end of the year. It was a great experience.

Seconding this. I was also allowed to take two classes at the local high school free while being homeschooled. Useful for classes that benefit from in classroom interactions (foreign language) or expensive equipment (science labs).

I'm so jealous! My parents homeschooled me for nine years, but put me in public high school because they weren't sure how to teach language classes and science labs effectively, and they wanted me to have more opportunities for social development. I was miserable and ignored the opportunities for gaining social confidence until college (when I finally put effort into making friends and realized what I'd been missing out on).

I wish I could have gone your route; it seems like you got the best of both worlds! Oh well, I know what to look into for my own kids : )

It's nearly a guarantee that you have at least two homeschool groups in your area: one explicitly secular, one explicitly religious. Don't be afraid to go wading in the pool of the "other" group.

we haven't had much luck with the more religious groups (as heathens). The mormons are actually really cool, so I agree, cross the fence. It doesn't always work out, but it is worth the effort because we live in a broad world and everybody has something to offer.

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