SESSIONS

Are you wondering if homeschooling can work for you? 

Do you know that you don’t need to be a certified teacher in any state in order to help your children learn at home and in your community? 

Are you seeking personalized, bold education options that build on your children’s strengths rather than conventional curricula? 

Come and learn how you can empower your family to succeed with homeschooling through this online series presented by Patrick Farenga, president of www.johnholtgws.com. Pat shares his 30-plus years of fieldwork, advocacy (he published Growing Without Schooling magazine from 1986 to 2001), and personal experience (he and his wife homeschooled their three daughters) to help you and your children learn in their own ways. 

"Starting to Homeschool" is a series of six webinar recordings for those interested in starting the journey to homeschooling, or just learning more about homeschooling. Each session has a half-hour presentation by Patrick Farenga, and is then followed by a half hour of questions and answers with attendees who attended live. These were originally offered as a paid course and are now being offered for free. Please join the "Starting to Homeschool" community to participate with others in forum discussions and to receive email updates.

  • Webinar #1: Why Should I Homeschool?

    Are you wondering if homeschooling can work for you? Do you know that you don’t need to be a certified teacher in any state in order to help your children learn at home and in your community? Are you seeking personalized, bold education options that build on your children’s strengths rather than conventional curricula? 

    Come and learn how you can empower your family to succeed with homeschooling through this new online series presented by Patrick Farenga, president of www.johnholtgws.com. Pat will share his 30-plus years of fieldwork, advocacy (he published Growing Without Schooling magazine from 1986 to 2001), and personal experience (he and his wife homeschooled their three daughters) to help you and your children learn in their own ways.

  • Webinar #2: The Elementary-School Years

    How do I start homeschooling? What are my state’s requirements for homeschooling and how do I meet and report them?

    Learn how to find reliable information about the homeschooling laws in your state and how to read and use them. Topics also include what you need to consider for homeschooling if your children has special needs, is currently in school, or has other issues. Also, the attitude of the parent embarking upon homeschooling for the first time will be examined.

  • Webinar #3: What Will We Do Now That We’re Learning at Home?

    We will explore types of curricula, classroom options for nontraditional learners, learning by doing, and unschooling as ongoing teaching and learning activities. We will also discuss favorite online resources, books, and activities for learning, with a focus on materials that empower learners to work things out on their own. A strong push for unfettered play and free time for children will also be presented.

  • Webinar #4: Challenges and Concerns: What Are YOUR Challenges and Concerns for Parents and Children While Homeschooling?

    Let's talk about scheduling, supporting children’s independence, making friends, insecurities our children (and ourselves!) harbor about self-directed learning, and more. Pat will present some common challenges most homeschoolers face to start, and then open the floor up to discuss issues participants face right now with their homeschooled children.

  • Webinar #5: The Teenage Years

    How can a teen's needs best be met by homeschooling? Let's talk about unschooling and homeschooling high school, how to decide if college is right for you, and how to take on internships, apprenticeships, work, and travel.

    We will explore the many different ways teens and young adults can join the adult world and make their way into meaningful work with or without a college degree. We’ll explore the college admission process for homeschoolers and present resources for creating successful applications. We’ll also talk about Uncollege and DIY College, among other options that are available.

  • Webinar #6: Year-Round Learning Opportunities

    What unique travel and learning opportunities are available for homeschoolers and unschoolers? 

    A great advantage of homeschooling is the ability to travel during the school year. We’ll look at all sorts of ways that homeschoolers have leveraged local, national, and international traveling for families on a shoestring budget. We’ll look at how travel and experiences can be better than lectures and grades for active teenage learners, with attention to the work of Maya Frost, Lainie Laberti, Blake Boles and others in this area.