How to Homeschool Yourself

Learn about homeschooling in general. Find out about the benefits of homeschooling, like socialization, efficiency, and individualization, as well as the different methods, such as unit studies, notebooking, unschooling, and school-at-home. Think about your learning preferences, level of motivation, and decide what would work best for you. Read Grace Llewellyn's Teenage Liberation Handbook. It should awaken the autodidactic spirit in you.

Read up on the homeschooling laws in your area. Your region may require as little as a notice of intent or as much as quarterly reports and annual assessment. Find out exactly what is required of you and decide whether or not you're still up to it.

Talk to your parents about your ideas. They will need to help you set up your homeschool legally. It's also important for them to understand what you'll be doing and why you want to self-school.

Decide upon what you want to learn about. Take into account that there may be mandatory subjects by law in your region or things you have to study for college admissions. Once you have those bases covered you are free to add the subjects of your liking, from vegetable gardening, to meditation, history of art, European royalty, Asian studies, all sorts of languages, the sky is the limit! If you find that your interests aren't compatible with homeschool, think again! How about you brush up on the history of video games? Or learn to write in gothic calligraphy?

Plan out what you would do for each subject. For math, borrow or purchase a used textbook, and work through the problems. For English, write stories and essays on topics that interest you. Go to the library and check out some books. Even if you hated the classics in school, try to read them on your own. Often you only thought you hated them because you were frustrated with school. Use the library and the internet as much as possible because they are wonderful resources. Look at Cafi Cohen's Homeschooling: The Teen Years for ideas. Ideally, you'll have a list of goals to accomplish in each subject and then act on it.

Talk to your parents about your plans, and if they're in, ask them to help you deal with the legalities. They may need to write letters to the district and/or explain what you're going to study for each subject. If they're hesitant, agree to conduct a trial period. Then, impress them by demonstrating your version of self-directed education.

Once you're legally self-schooling, keep up the good work! Don't slack off because you will suffer in the future. Work hard, but enjoy the learning process and the freedom of self-schooling. Plan time for friends, fun, and creative activities.

Keep detailed records of your self-schooling. Keep track of the assignments you do, photographs of you doing projects, volunteering, and having fun, and anything else that documents your experience in a scrapbook or portfolio. Be extremely responsible and mature by remembering this step. It is especially important if you're planning to go to college. Read the Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts and search the internet for information about homeschooling into college, maintaining portfolios, and creating transcripts. Read the Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook by Cafi Cohen.