When transitioning from School to Home, or if you are starting straight from home, there are a few steps you can follow to maximize your family's home education experience:
- Get involved in your local Home Education Support Group HBLN (Home-Based Learning Network)
- HBLN have a quarterly magazine, Learning Matters, which enables families to communicate regarding various events, excursions and learning experiences that are happening around WA.
- There is an annual membership fee. To join, call 0422 264 822 or sign up online here.
- HBLN also has a yahoo group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HBLNPerth HBLN also has a well stocked library to borrow from, again information about the library can be found on this site or in the Learning Matters. Magazine.
- Perth Home Education Network (PHEN) is a yahoo group for fellow educators to share information on what's going on in Perth - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PHENetworking
- Perth Homeschoolers - online forum
- Join other Home Educators online by going to Yahoo Groups and type in Home Education or Home Schooling and join as many of those groups as you need to establish a support base. Even if you don't write anything, it's good to read what others are writing about their experiences.
- Read "How To" Books about Home Education
- Search the internet for great resource sites for researching methods, types and 'how to's' of home education. Just type in 'home education' or 'home schooling' into your browser and you'll be amazed at how much information is out there!
- Locate Curriculum Providers
- If starting home education after being in mainstream schooling for a period of time, it is generally recommended that there is a time of 'de-schooling', which is a time of adjustment and transition for both the child and the parents. The general rule of thumb is, one month of 'de-schooling' for every year the child attended mainstream school.
- Look into the learning environments in your home and ask yourself "is this a place which is conducive to learning?"
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