SCENEfaqs

How do I start? One of the most common questions....

Discuss homeschooling with your immediate family. Ask yourself some questions. Am I willing to put the time and effort into homeschooling? Am I willing to be with my children 24/7? What are my goals for homeschooling my child? Are my children for or against being homeschooled? Do I have the support of my spouse/partner? Now say to yourself, "We are a homeschooling family!" I bet you are scared now, huh? Okay, take a deep breath and relax. You are now a homeschooling parent! Many homeschooling parents have concerns about if they are smart enough (you are!), about if they will be prepared enough to begin (you are!) and about how will they ever teach (fill in your worst subject in school here)! You can!

In Oklahoma, we don't have as many restrictions and laws as many states do. You decide to homeschool, and you DO. It's that simple. (Laws and requirements will be discussed more below with a link.) Once your family has made the decision to homeschool, you should head to the library. Check out a few books on homeschooling. Read about homeschooling styles, curriculum, learning styles....whatever you think will help you to be more confident in your decision. Let your child(ren) choose as many books as they like. Read, read, read to your children! Discuss EVERYTHING! Research EVERYTHING! There, now you are starting to get your feet wet.

Find a local support group for moral and emotional support. This will give you a foundation and a group of people to talk to as well as giving your child(ren) other homeschooling children to socialize with. If SCENE does not fit your family, that's okay, find another group that does! Often homeschooling families are involved in more than one group!

If your child has been in school, you'll want to notify the school that your child will not be coming back. By doing this in writing, you'll ward off inquiries about truancy. HERO (Home Educator's Resource Organization) of Oklahoma has written a sample letter for withdrawing your child from school that quotes specific laws that affect homeschooling rights. You can find this letter at http://www.oklahomahomeschooling.org . In fact, you will find the Oklahoma Laws there, and a truly excellent, and more in depth FAQs page than this one. SCENE highly recommends spending as much time as you can reading the HERO website!

If your child has never been enrolled in your school district, no notification, registration, or reporting to anyone is necessary. In fact, if you think about it, didn't you teach your child to walk, to talk, to use eating utensils? Didn't you potty train your child? Did you teach them silly songs or their ABCs? How to write their name or tie their shoes? Well, then you have already been homeschooling! Great job!

Is homeschooling legal in Oklahoma?

Yep. The HERO website states, "The legal right to homeschool was written into the State Constitution; granting an exception to compulsory education if "other means of education" were provided. Our state's founders were forward-thinking people who recognized the right of the people to direct the education of their children. Oklahoma's laws pertaining to homeschooling are detailed on our Oklahoma Laws page. Homeschoolers are encouraged to read them and know their rights and responsibilities, but they may be briefly stated as this:

Legal requirements for homeschooling in Oklahoma consist of providing an education for children ages 5 to 18 that is in good faith and equivalent to that provided by the state for at least 175 days per year."

Please be sure you go to their laws page and read the laws thoroughly! Be informed. Educate yourself about the law and your right to homeschool.

What about socialization?

Okay, so your parents are against you homeschooling, or your neighbor is a public (aka government) school teacher and is dead set against this "crazy idea of yours". They ask you, "What about socialization??" Well, what about it? You don't plan to lock your children in a closet! You are homeschoolers! You will be attending homeschool support group meetings and play dates, field trips and sporting events. Your family may volunteer at a local nursing home or wildlife rehabiliation organization. You will go to the library and to museums. It won't take you very long before your extended family's or friend's concern of your child getting enough socialization becomes your concern that you and your children simply cannot fit everything offered into your schedule!

Homeschool author, John Holt, wrote this about socialization:
"As for friends, you are not going to lock your child in the house. I think the socializing aspects of school are 10 times as likely to be harmful as helpful. The human virtues -- kindness, patience, generosity, et cetera -- are learned by children in intimate relationships, maybe groups of two or three. By and large, human beings tend to behave worse in large groups, as you find in school. There they learn something quite different: popularity, conformity, bullying, teasing -- things like that."

An excellent article on how harmful much public school socialization is called, "No Thank You, We Don't Believe in Socialization".
Children learn to get along with others through relationships with people of all ages. Children learn manners, patience, trust, the correct verbal cues for communication, etc from YOU, their parents, and from the myriad of people they will see every day while you homeschool. Most people who are concerned about your children's socialization don't mean "socialization". They mean "socializing". They are concerned that your children will miss out on the social aspects of public/government school like class parties, best friends, show and tell, recess, competitive sports, musical performances, plays, and eventually dating, prom and graduation. Your local support group will meet most, if not all, of these socializing needs. Ask around, someone is probably put together a homeschool prom locally and you can have the joy of planning your own graduation ceremony or party for and with your homeschool graduate! Think of how proud you will both be.

How do I teach subjects I don't know well?

Perhaps you should ask yourself "How can my children learn subjects that I don't know well or did not excel at in school?" Fortunately, homeschooling does not restrict our children to their parents knowledge (or memory!), nor does homeschooling mean that we are confined to our homes. You can consider other options for subjects you aren't confident of. Utilize tutors, start study groups with homeschool friends, join co-ops, seek attendance at vo-tech, utilize neighbors, family, or friends who excelled at a subject, watch videos, or your child could even take online or correspondence courses offered by universities. Many parents learn the subject right along with their child!

How do homeschoolers graduate?

Again, the HERO website tells us, "Subject to Oklahoma laws concerning homeschooling, you will decide when your child has graduated. Since homeschoolers must be provided an education "equivalent to that afforded by the state," parents may find it helpful to look at Oklahoma Requirements for High School Graduation for public school students. There are no tests to undergo, no forms to complete, and no homeschool agencies to report to, thanks to our Oklahoma constitution and the many vigilant homeschoolers across the state who keep a close watch on legislation that might erode our liberty.

When you decide your child is ready to graduate or move to a new phase of life, if you would like to mark the occasion, you have several options. Some homeschool support groups offer graduation ceremonies for seniors, and you're always free to hold your own special family ceremony or party, or join with others in your area to create a group graduation ceremony. Some dispense with graduation ceremonies altogether.

There are several ways that people can seamlessly move into the next phase of their lives. Some ideas for those approaching nest-leaving time are: taking college classes part-time, or while still completing high school work; working part-time or full-time; volunteering; or serving as an apprentice. "

In conclusion:

This should at least get you started. Go to the HERO website and review their FAQs, Laws, Resources and Field Trips pages for more information! You may want to visit the Tulsa Public Library to see what they have to offer at well!

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