Homeschool guides for real parents
Long-form, plain-language articles written by a homeschool parent — not a marketing team. Bookmark them, share them, come back to them. Everything here is free and stays free.
A calm, honest guide to starting homeschool
What the first month really looks like, how to deregister from your local school, the supplies you don't actually need, and the four questions every new homeschool parent asks.
Read the guide →How to plan a flexible 180-day school year
Why 180 days is the default in most states, how to lay out 36 weeks across four quarters, and how to build in margin for sick days, field trips, and the inevitable bad week.
Read the guide →Teaching a child to read at home, without the panic
The difference between phonics and whole-language, what 'science of reading' actually means for a homeschool parent, and a gentle Grade 1–3 reading routine you can copy.
Read the guide →Homeschool recordkeeping that actually holds up
Attendance, grades, work samples, and progress notes — what to keep, how long to keep it, and how to turn it into a clean end-of-year report your district will accept.
Read the guide →Grading homeschool work without making anyone cry
When grades actually matter, how to grade reading and writing fairly, why percentages aren't the only option, and a simple rubric you can use across every subject.
Read the guide →What a real homeschool day looks like (Grades 1–8)
Sample schedules for one kid, two kids, and a working parent. How long lessons should actually take by grade — and why finishing in two hours is not cheating.
Read the guide →Want all of this organized for you?
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