New to Homeschooling?
This is the time of year when those of you who are new to homeschooling are frantically trying to figure out how to make this work. Your mind is racing. There’s too much curriculum; the options are endless. How do you decide what curriculum will work best for your child? What will your schedule look like? How will you balance work, life, and teaching? You’ve researched; you’ve asked for advice from friends. You have that one person who is passionately concerned that your child will not be socialized enough. Tell all of that negativity to take a hike and relax. It’s going to be great! At times, it will be difficult, but anything worth doing is often difficult and oh, so worth it. Something has brought you to this decision. It may be the atmosphere at school, the curriculum, or a plethora of other reasons. Your children are your greatest accomplishment. You were your child’s first teacher. You taught him or her to walk, talk, eat, ride a bike, and so much more. You can teach them academically. I’ve made a list of some things to consider as you begin this journey.
Pray about it–specific prayers. Pray for a mentor for you. Pray for guidance for the curriculum. Pray for homeschool friends.
Curriculum- If you have older kids, include them in choosing the curriculum. For the littles, keep it simple.
Schedules–Decide if you want to have school 4 days a week or 5. Yes, you get to choose.
Choosing Joy–Don’t critique yourself too much. It’s not going to be perfect.
Reflect–remind yourself why you chose to do this. Coming back to the “why” helps keep you focused on the original goal.
Co-ops
What is a co-op?
When a group of parents get together to help teach each other's kids, you have a co-op. Anyone can create one. You just need willing parents and a place to meet. There are different types of co-ops. The basic ones are organic. Parents want help with a specific subject. A few families meet once a week or every other week and take turns teaching. Here’s an example of this type of co-op.
Mary doesn’t feel confident teaching writing to her 4th grader. Samantha needs help with science labs. Mary loves science, so she teaches the kids once a week. After that, Samantha teaches a writing course. The families are cooperating together, pulling their knowledge and resources to make sure the kids are properly educated.
Are all co-ops the same?
No, they are all unique, created by families who have addressed the specific needs of the children in the group. Some co-ops are much more involved with weekly classes and homework. Prices vary according to the type of co-op. Some allow students to be dropped off for a few hours, while others require a parent to stay and help with classes.
Types of co-ops:
Academic co-ops: These cater to core classes such as language arts, science, history, math, and electives.
Enrichment co-ops: Subjects are endless with these. They can include music, arts, drama, photography, archery, crafting, robotics, physical education, sports, etc.
Basic: (mentioned above) Families get together to help each other.
Twice a month co-ops: These meet every other week. Some have homework. Some do not.
Once a week co-ops: These meet once a week. Some have homework. Some do not.
Hybrid: These groups tend to meet at least once a week, if not more often. They are a cross between a private school and a co-op. The schedule often resembles that of a college where you can pick classes individually.
Nature Schools: These take place outdoors at parks or in personal yards. Children are directed to explore nature and learn as they play.
Some co-ops allow you to pick individual classes while others ask that you take all of the classes.
How do I find a co-op?
A Google search can help you locate some co-ops in your area, but often, due to their organic nature and small size, many co-ops are shared via word of mouth. Here is a short list of a few local groups.
Insert Morrow 1st baptist co-op
Do I need to find a co-op?
Nope. I really don’t encourage those with children below 3rd grade to join any academic co-op. They will probably benefit from an enrichment or nature co-op. Just enjoy this time together. Don’t make it too hard on them or you. As kids get older and subjects become more challenging, I find that parents and their children often benefit from a co-op, but every child and family is different. Seasons in life change. Family needs change. The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility. Don’t paint your family into a corner. Enjoy the freedom. If you want a co-op, go for it. If you don’t, that’s fine. I did not join a co-op until my oldest entered 5th grade.
So you’ve decided to homeschool in Georgia:
If your child was previously enrolled in school, you will need to withdraw from school. Then you will need to complete a letter of intent. The letter of intent is only for grades 1-12. You will need to complete it each year. It’s very simple. Requirements for homeschool are found here.
Qualifications for Homeschool Program Instructors:
Parents or guardians with a GED or high school diploma may teach only their own children. Tutors can be hired to help teach as well.
Length of the School Year:
You need to teach an equivalent of 180 days. I usually complete a letter of intent from August 1 to June 1. That gives me plenty of time to get all the days in. Some families choose to complete one for a year (August 1 - July 31).
Grading and Testing:
You don’t have to keep regular grades for your children; however, I recommend keeping grades for high school as they will be needed for transcripts. Standardized tests are required beginning in the third grade and then every three years. 3rd grade, 6th grade, 9th grade, 12th grade. The GHEA has more information regarding testing and a list of test suppliers. I recommend using the PSAT for 9th-10th grade and the SAT for 11th-12th.
End of Year Progress Assemesment:
At the end of the year, you need to write a summary of your child’s progress. I recommend making notes throughout the year in a notebook and then keeping that as the assessment. It does not need to be a novel, just observations for each subject.
Curriculum Recommendations:
K-2nd: Keep it simple. These formative years focus on reading and math. Everything else falls into place. You DO NOT NEED all of these. Pick one from each heading.
Reading/spelling/writing:
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons–cheap and straight forward. See our previous article on this one. I’ve seen this one at Goodwill lately.
PALS–a little pricey and takes a minute to put together, but worked great for my kid. Use their chat option to help pick out the correct materials.
All About Reading–also a little pricey but well put together. They will also chat with you and help you with your selection.
Math:
Math U See–also a bit pricey, but you can find used blocks easily. Great for building a concrete foundation to mathematical concepts.
Christian Book Store has a great selection.
Rainbow Resource has basically the same selection as above . One may have a sale or free shipping, so check both.
Science:
Library books. Nonfiction section 500-600. Let your kiddo pick out what they are interested in, and go with it. There are no rules, specific topics, or requirements. Have fun!
History:
Library books. Nonfiction sections 300 (Social Sciences) and 900 (History and Geography). Like science, the choice is up to you.
Bible works great for this subject too!
3rd-12th: Things can get more involved at these ages, but it’s still not over the top. There’s not a contest to make the day so full of work that you forget to live.
Reading/Writing/Spelling: (Recommended grades in brackets)
IEW (3rd-12th) is my go-to, straightforward, learn how to write well curriculum. All of the sets are great. I did not know how to teach writing when I began homeschooling, and this curriculum made me feel confident. I did not watch all the videos and do all the “stuff.” I just followed the directions in the teacher's manual.
Reading: (3rd-12th) Sonlight has sets of novels to read throughout the year with work and discussions.
Spelling: Natural Speller is an easy, cheap book that can be used for grades K-12th.
Literature: Dual Enrollment: (11th-12th)
Math: (Recommended grades in brackets)
This one is tricky because kids learn math so differently. Shelby struggled with math, so I opted for a hands-on curriculum for a few years, and it helped. There is a math curriculum library at Gordon College in Barnesville. You can check out the curriculum for the semester free of charge.
Math U See: (3rd-6th) This one is a bit of an investment at first, but you can find used options. This provided a concrete understanding of math. There is a placement test on the website to help you determine the correct starting point with the cooks. It’s not rigorous enough for high school in my opinion.
Saxon Math: (3rd-12th) I personally have never used this, but many moms love it. Used books seem pretty easy to find.
Teaching textbooks: (3rd-12th) This is nice because you don’t have to be in charge. Your child works independently online. It’s great for younger grades, but not rigorous enough for 7th grade and above. You can find old CD-ROMs for this for really cheap; you just have to have a computer with a CD player. I’m old, so I have that.
ALEX: (9th-12th) Rumor has it some colleges use this format for online math classes.
Dual Enrollment: (11th-12th) I recommend having your student take college algebra as the 4th math.
History:
Notgrass History. (3rd-12th)
Mystery of History Volume 1: (3rd-8th) I learned so much from this book. I love that it begins with Genesis 1. It has crafts and activities (in a separate book) to go along with each lesson, but a lot of times, we just read it and discuss it. It’s set up for three lessons a week, so you have time to add in the activities without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. You can find these used.
Dual Enrollment: (11th-12th)
Science:
Library books: Go to the nonfiction 500s or 600s and let your child pick out whatever topics she wants to learn about for a couple of weeks. This freedom to choose their own topics is fun and teaches them to take ownership of their education.
BJU Science : (3rd-6th) If you want a well-rounded curriculum that focuses on a variety of topics (more like public school books), this is a great curriculum. Don’t worry about the tests or TE. Just read it and Google activities if you want something extra. You can find these books for $10 or less.
Berean Builders: (7th-12th)Everything Dr. Jay Wile writes is amazing. It’s a lot of information, but so very thorough. I am not a confident science teacher, but I have loved using his books. I would not recommend buying this entire set. I would just pick one book and activity book for the year and take my time. These books are new, so more difficult to find new.
Dual Enrollment: (11th-12th)
Grammar:
Easy Grammar: (3rd-9th) These are easy to follow and understand.
IEW: (7th-12th)
Southeast Homeschool Expo: Cobb Galeria; July 23-25, 2026. This expo offers classes as well as an exhibit hall full of vendors to help you pick the correct curriculum.
Homeschool 101: This is a great course to take before you begin homeschooling.
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