By Camille Rodriquez

For the homeschool family it is important to think about the choice of curricula in your program. If you offer your services to others, you will want to ensure that your curriculum teaches solid skills in all of the primary core subject areas including learning skills. You want to have identifiable tracking systems in place to document where each student is in their course work, where their assignments are kept, and the standards for grading, testing, and moving forward. If you plan to charge tuition, you will want to do a market survey to determine the value of your program in your local market. Related to this, you will want to identify what is “unique” about you, your homeschool program, and your niche in that market. Finally, you will need to verify local codes for homeschooling in your area to guarantee that you are meeting all state and local regulations with both the curricula you are using and the space you are offering.

For the family seeking a homeschool family to work with their child, they should consider a few questions as well. Beyond the obvious school hours and tuition schedule, these questions would include such things as space for your student to work, activities that might be available to your student, and ages of other children in the homeschool program. Remember there is so much more to be gained from a variety of ages in a school setting. A mixed age school group is much more like the “real world” of offices and businesses, and it is important for students to learn to find common ground in spite of age differences. The age of your students, both for the homeschooling family and the homeschool-seeker, will dictate some of the other pertinent questions, but these few will get the conversation started.

Certainly there are other unique factors to consider if you plan to create a homeschool program in your home that benefits other families too. But consideration of this option can make a difference for you, as a homeschooler, and for others in your community who could benefit from a specialized program unlike anything they could receive in the public school system. Not only this, but the financial options can become an empowering source of income for the homeschooling family.