If I homeschool my child, how much of the teaching role is my responsibility?

How much of a teaching role a parent takes when homeschooling their child depends on each family. If you look at how much time is actually spent on educating your child in the public school while they are in a group setting, that time can be condensed because it’s 1:1 with the parent. However, it’s very different for each family.

Some people are academic and want to make sure to keep up with things. They use curriculum and work on each subject for 20 minutes for a few hours a day, for example. Some families do one subject a day. Some do projects or learn on field trips. Some take classes. It also depends on what the child’s needs are and what they can handle, and if they need breaks.

On top of that, it’s also a matter of how people educate their children. Some people have books, workbooks, and online materials. Others are more project-based, and they’ll come up with a theme based on what the child wants to learn about. Others are more experienced-based, e.g. go to an aquarium and then read books and watch videos on it.

It’s so open-ended on how you can do it, and it can be overwhelming. Sometimes, going into a charter where you have a teacher or educational specialist to guide you can be helpful.

You can also go on YouTube to explore parents reviewing homeschool curricula for different subjects. Undivided has a report on popular homeschool curricula, so ask your Navigator for a copy if interested.

If your child needs more support than you can provide as their teacher, it would be up to you what you do. Some families hire a teacher or specialist to do some tutoring. Others might trade subjects with other parents and teach it that way. Learning and enrichment centers also have classes. There are also books and videos that parents can use to walk through the subjects as well.

There are different places where kids can take classes. Some might be co-op where parents are highly involved, and others are more drop-off style. Some go up through high school. There are some more for fun, others academic. There is a Facebook group called Homeschooling in Southern California that has a list of learning centers, park days, and charter lists. Undivided also has a list of enrichment centers and learning centers in LA County that you can ask your Navigator for. If you're not in LA County, you can do an add-on service for the Research Team to help find resources.

Charter homeschool programs like to see that you hit state standards at about 80%. They're not necessarily looking to see that your child understands it all but to make sure what you’re teaching is in line with where they should be at. You submit samples monthly per subject.