Best way to go about homeschooling myself?

Question

I would like to homeschool myself, and athough accredited online programs seem to be interesting they don't fit my budget.

is it possible to homeschool myself?

if not,

was is the cheapest, yet effective way to homeschool?

i have really bad attendance (and in effect bad grades) in school right now and going to court and staying after school to redeem my credit is too much of a hassle (i'm an otherwise really great student)

i'm currently in 11th grade..

any ideas on where i can start?

Answer 1

The best way to homeschool yourself is to study that which interests you. If you are headed to college, then focus on what you will need for college. If college isn't your bag, then study what you wish.

We are  a family of unschoolers. This means we do not do school, but we do what interests us when it interests us. My kids have total freedom to study or read or do whatever they want to do when they want to. We have been doing this their entire lives and they are smart and intelligent people who have a vast amount of knowledge in many areas. Two of them have graduated from our unschool and they have jobs and work and live in their own house. One is married.

If you are interested in cooking, then watch the Food Network, take out cook books from the library, and cook. Learn to make breads, cakes, cookies from scratch. Learn to make appetizers and main dishes. You can do it.

If you are interested in Finland, get a pen pal from Finland, learn to cook Finnish foods, read about their country, study their artists, and immerse yourself in that country. If you have money saved (from a job), plan a trip there (f you can).

Love to read? Then try reading different genres. If you only read science stuff, then begin to read politcal commentaries, westerns, and biographies. Become diverse. Expand your horizons.

And don't forget to get out and about in the community. Some of your best resources are grandparents, other older adults in the community, volunteer opportunities at a soup kitchen or a camp or a community theater, or get a job and learn the ropes from hands-on experience. This is where all of your learning happens for a lifetime. This is how most adults continue their educations throughout life.

School is a farce as it is fake about what happens in real life. But when we live real life, we learn about everything as we need to know about it. When you are not in school, you are in real life, and real life is where things happen. Just keep those things legal and above board. :) There are some really good books out there about people who do not go to school but who do things with their lives. A really good book to read is "How To Quit School and Get a Real Life", by Grace Llewellyn. She has another about 11 teens who didn' go to school , but who had real lives. Look her up on-line.

Some other good resources to look up on-line or to read:

John Taylor Gatto (anything and everything!)

John Holt (ditto!)

Home Education Magazine

Look up "unschooling" on-line for tons of resources

Live Free, Learn Free Magazine

Life Learning Magazine

Join a nature walk at a state or local park. Join 4-H (they have all kinds of programs, not just animals). See if there are any spots open (volunteer or employment ) at the zoo, the science museum (we have COSI~Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio), an art museum, a local smaller museum, or the Salvation Army (I have made sandwiches on a volunteer basis for their summer camp program). There are hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, and other places that would just love to have you volunteer. And while you are volunteering or working, you will be learning.

Your parents will have to legally remove you from school to homeschool. This is a fairly easy process. Have your parents locate a local homeschool group (go to library and ask if they can tell you who the local homeschool group(s) are) or look on-line for a state group (each state has a state group). Laws vary in each state, so make sure you comply with state law so you are not labeled as truant.

If you are wanting to get your GED, then see what is available in your area. Go to the library and get a book on GED for your state and take the practice tests so you will know what areas you will need to study in, if any.

If you do not want to go this route, then finish out your years of homeschooling and have your parents make you a diploma (on the computer). You can buy special paper at Best Buy or Staples for diplomas, awards, etc. I made all my kids their own diplomas.

The sky's the limit! Take responsibility of your own education and make it work for you. If you want further help or information, then please feel free to contact me personally. I have been homeschooling four kids for the past 15 years and unschooling myself for the past 33 years.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

Self-homeschooling is known as Unschooling.  If you know how to read and to use the Internet, you should be able to unschool yourself provided that you are interested.

Answer 3

Check at your local community college, they usually have secondary education programs.

Answer 4

The library. They have books on almost every topic you could wish to study, and they won't charge you unless you return the books late ;) If you find you need a curriculum for a specific subject, look at http://www.homeschoolreviews.com for other people's experiences. Sit down and think about your educational goals, what you want to accomplish before you finish your high school education. Find out what your parents want you to learn, then get started.

What "effective" is depends on you. We may all say a curriculum is fantastic, but if you don't like it, don't care for the subject or can't be bothered to do any work, it won't be effective. We may loath a book/curriculum/topic with a passion, and you might love it. It's all personal. What you are willing to do will be effective. Education is something you aquire for yourself, not something that happens to you while you sit there passively.

Answer 5

Well i live in Cali and im homeschooled...and i LOVE IT!! Pretty much i do everythign by myself all i need is a parents signature...and im in 11 grade too but im graduating early, u can do that...and this program i'm in is free and it's acredidted by WASC...plus all there class's are college prep..check it out..

www.Pacific Coast High School.com

Answer 6

The laws of homeschooling are different for every state.  Unschooling is NOT homeschooling ones self, rather a form of homeschooling.  I believe that all forms of homeschooling require a parent to be in charge and certified in some way.  

Check out the laws here:

http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.as...

Another thoughts for you...

Does your school district offer alternative schooling?  

Are you self supporting?  

What does your State say the age requirements are for going to school?  (Example: My State is age 8-16)

Have you looked into a GED?