Your First Year of Homeschooling
Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes wild!) world of homeschooling! Whether you're just dipping your toes in or diving right in, we're thrilled for you. Here are our best tips, tricks, and encouragement to get you started.
Know Your Child's Learning Style
How does your child learn best? Think back to baby days:
- Visual learners loved watching things (like mobiles).
- Auditory learners calmed down with singing.
- Kinesthetic learners needed to move and bounce.
Knowing this helps you pick a curriculum that fits. Visual and auditory materials are easy to find; kinesthetic options take a little more hunting—but they're out there and worth it!
Choose Your Approach for This Year
You don't need to plan every year of school today. Start small.
Curriculum Kit or Custom?
A complete curriculum kit makes your first year easier—you'll know everything's covered. Feeling adventurous? Hand-pick each subject! Just don't stress if it feels overwhelming at first.
Think of it like following a recipe: you can whip up your own amazing dish, but it's totally fine to use a meal kit when you're getting started.
Get the Big Picture
Before you start, write down why you're homeschooling.
Your reason—faith? one-on-one teaching? family time?—will anchor you when tough days hit.
Placement Tests and Samples
Use free placement tests, especially for math.
Glance through samples for other subjects. If it feels too easy, move up a level. Too hard? Step back.
Decide, Then Move Forward
Pick curriculum for this year. You can always change next year.
Waffling between two math programs? Choose one now and review later—no need to second-guess every step.
Chat with Your Child
Ask your child what they're excited to learn this year. Astronomy instead of botany? Sculpting instead of painting? Little choices like these make a big difference in motivation.
Plan Your Year
Our curriculum kits come with a free online scheduler (woohoo!).
Or make simple lists:
- Annual Plan: What books you'll finish this year?
- Weekly Checklist: What to tackle each week. Kids love checking off accomplishments—even pre-readers!
Set a Goal
Reward progress. In our family, finishing weekly checklists meant Family Night: games, movies, and fun. No finished list? No party. It taught time management in a natural, painless way (okay, mostly painless).
Have a Backup Plan
Rainy day? Rough morning? Pull out your "Someday Field Trip List."
Visit a fire station, the zoo, a historic site, or even just a scenic hike. Learning doesn't always happen at a desk!
Connect with Others
Find a few homeschoolers (online or local) to laugh, vent, and swap ideas with. You're not in this alone.
Adjust As Needed
If math (or anything else) brings tears every day, pause and troubleshoot:
- Wrong program for their style?
- Missing a foundational skill?
- Need new glasses?
You're not failing—you're problem-solving. That's homeschooling!
You've Got This!
You already taught your child to walk and talk—two very complicated skills!
Focus on teaching your child how to learn; they'll be ready for anything life throws at them.
What If I Miss Something Important?
Relax.
Most adults can't recall the cause of World War I off the top of their heads—and they still survive just fine. If your child knows how to learn, they can pick up whatever they need when they need it.
Ask Questions
We're here to help, even if your questions aren't about Timberdoodle products. Email us at mail@timberdoodle.com any time. Helping families homeschool better is what we love to do!
