Terry Neven, Sunland – The Home School Program, Principal
The simplest way to home school your child is to enroll them in a school or program which will assist you every step of the way, from pre-school through senior graduation! This includes decision making concerning curriculum, record keeping, ID cards, work permits and the list goes on.
FIRST, let us answer all your questions! How home schooling works, what to do to get started, how to disenroll them from their school, what to do first, etc. Call us at 1-880-525-4419 or directly at 818-523-6791 and we will explain everything. When you are ready, we will walk you though each step, either by phone, or by setting up an appointment through Zoom, a FaceTime conversation, or at our office (Southern California). Or, you could fill out an enrollment application online and we will call you.
SECOND, once enrolled we will request your child’s records from their previous school. It is important to finalize things with your child’s current school. Have them turn in any final or outstanding work so they receive the best grades possible from the school. Return any books or materials which belong to the school to avoid any delays in releasing your student’s records, or fees for books not returned. You will be encouraged to contact the school and let them know your child is enrolled in Sunland, so they won’t continue to pursue you concerning your child.
THIRD, we will discuss different means of instruction: workbooks, textbooks, online courses, informal studies, even concurrent college courses for high schoolers! It helps to obtain a copy (unofficial is ok) of their report cards or transcripts. This will allow us, the home school program, to confirm in which grade and courses your child should be enrolled. This is most helpful for high school students. This way we can map out your child’s course of study for graduation from high school. If formal curriculum is to be used, purchasing the curriculum becomes an issue of time. During the end of August some publishers become back-logged or run out of stock, delaying your student from beginning all their studies in a timely manner.
FOURTH, we will give you a school binder which has the school calendar, lesson plan instructions, record keeping forms, a sample school schedule and much more. At any time you are unclear about the steps, have questions about your child’s cooperation with school, do not understand how the curriculum works, or have any question relative to a successful home school experience, we are here to help! You can call, text, email or set up an appointment to discuss your concerns. We never want a family to struggle because they failed to ask for help.
NEXT, the journey begins! We suggest you look at the first year as a learning process for you and your student. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, talk with your child about how things are going, or think that it should be a smooth journey without some work. But you can find it to be a very meaningful experience, even helping to improve how your and your child communicate, changing in positive ways how your child sees themself and their future! Even as parents we can begin to understand how education really works, and how it can work for our child. Sometimes we gain more insight about our child and what they need in order to learn.
FINALLY, if for some reason homeschooling doesn’t seem to be working for you and your family, you can try different things to find something that works, or you can always return your child to a private or public school. Don’t be afraid of trying home schooling, we won’t ruin your child, but you might be glad you tried something to help them in their education!
THE STORIES WE HEAR. In most cases, the students and parents are surprised how well this works, how it eliminates some of the struggles their child was facing. Students have told us they learned more in the first three months at home then they did all year long at their last school setting. Many children discover the study skills they were lacking through the help of their parent/teacher. Some students even end up graduating early, discover their interests and passions, find themselves to be more at peace with less anxiety, then in the previous dysfunctional social setting!
Give us a call and let us help you get started!
1-800-525-4419 / 818-523-6791