How to Start Homeschooling

Leaving behind a traditional brick-and-mortar school behind for the incredible freedom of a completely customized and personalized home education? Welcome!

Maybe you’re ready to take the leap into homeschooling, or maybe you’re just beginning to research. You probably have a lot of questions, such as

• How do I find the materials I need to teach my kids? (Keep reading!)
• What are the homeschool laws in my state? (It’s legal in all 50 states.)
• Do I have what it takes? (Spoiler alert: you do!)

I know it can be overwhelming trying to sift through the enormous glut of information, but you can absolutely do this!

Homeschool-curious? Join my FREE Facebook group, The Oaxacaborn Homeschool Community. A group of very friendly homeschoolers from all over the world are ready to answer your questions.

How to find materials to teach your kids

Below, I’ve listed my top homeschool curriculum recommendations from several solid, established companies. This is stuff I’ve actually used, loved, and can whole-heartedly recommend to you.

And many of these companies offer homeschool support, too — live, engaging, online classes you can use to supplement or scaffold your at-home education in a way that’s absolutely nothing like covid-era online learning. Of course, you can absolutely homeschool successfully on your own, but it’s nice to know that option is there.

Let’s get started!

A quick disclosure: many links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. But I've made sure to only recommend resources from curriculum I've actually used.

As you read, if you have any questions about anything you see here, please ask! (The fastest way to get a response is to join my free online homeschool support community and post a question there.)

Here are my top 7 favorite homeschool resources

1. Sonlight

Request a catalog for this excellent literature-based program! Sonlight offers complete, per grade, homeschool curriculum packages. So easy to use, it’s literally open-and-go.

Don’t miss Sonlight’s How to Start Homeschooling Guide!

Here are my reviews of Sonlight kindergarten, Sonlight American history, and, coming May 24, Sonlight pre-kindergarten.

Use my Sonlight referral link to save $10 off your first Sonlight purchase of $100+!

Can’t wait for the catalog? Join Sonlight Connections FREE, and ask your questions there.

2. Timberdoodle

Request a catalog for this fun well-rounded program which integrates lots of hands-on STEM. Timberdoodle also offers all-in-one curriculum kits with daily schedules to make it easy for you. They have an option for non-religious curriculum kits, too.

Here are my Timberdoodle reviews.

You can also use my Timberdoodle referral link when you order.

Can’t wait for the catalog? Join Timberdoodle’s Homeschool Community, FREE, and ask your questions there.

3. Veritas Press

Request a catalog from this classical Christian homeschool provider. Veritas offers full-grade curriculum sets and engaging self-paced classes, and complete lineup of live online classes. Also has a diploma program for high school.

Here’s my review of Veritas Press self-paced history classes.

Can’t wait for the catalog? Join Veritas Press Homeschoolers, FREE, and ask your question there.

4. Classical Academic Press / Scholé Academy

Request a catalog from this classical Christian homeschool publisher. Classical Academic Press offers partial-grade packages to get you started, engaging online classes via Scholé Academy, as well as local groups via Scholé Communities (find one near you.)

5. Memoria Press

Request a catalog (actually a magalog) from this classical Christian homeschool company. All Memoria Press materials were developed in conjunction with a private Latin prep school, and offers complete homeschool curriculum sets for each grade, as well as live online classes. Memoria Press also has an excellent special needs curriculum called Simply Classical.

6. Evan-Moor

Request a catalog from this standards-aligned non-religious publisher. Evan-Moor offers print and e-book workbooks for all subjects, and has complete, per grade, homeschool curriculum bundles.

Need more help getting starting homeschooling?

Remember, there’s a friendly FREE homeschool community waiting for you, even if you haven’t started homeschooling yet. JOIN NOW!