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SOMD HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT GUIDE

The Playful Parent

Whether you are new to embarking on your homeschool journey, or are a veteran; it is important to have support, resources, and information at hand so you can embrace the full scope of homeschooling. After five years of homeschooling my three boys; the most important thing to know is that you are not alone in your homeschooling adventure! There are a plethora of supplemental tools including: co-ops, umbrellas, tutors, community programs, and more. This article is here to help SOMD families navigate the many options available, so that you can tailor and design a learning program that works best for your child.

HOME SCHOOLING

Here are two important questions to address before diving into homeschooling… What is home schooling? What are the benefits? And How do I get started? Homeschooling simply put is when the parent(s) take full responsibility for educating their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or private school.  The homeschooling community began flourishing in the 1970’s, and has grown over the years to become a well established and popular choice. Interestingly, it is estimated that about 3.7 million students grade k-12 homeschooled in the 2024-2025 academic year. There are a number of reason why parents and youth decide to homeschool; according to the NHERI here are some common reasons given for homeschooling:

GETTING STARTED

Now that I have your attention for why. The next step is how to get started. Each state has different rules put in place regarding a parent’s ability to homeschool their children and all the laws that they must follow. For Maryland you will want to read over the rules of COMAR to better understand the standards for homeschooling in our state. Here are the links to local homeschool instruction programs by county:

Since my kids are in Charles, I can speak on this district. You will need to complete a form of intent with the local board of education to inform them of your decision to homeschool any child age 5 until they turn 18. It is a simple process that does not require much time or information. The form only requests basic information regarding name, age, grade  and place of residence of the child you are enrolling in home instruction. In the fall you will complete a simple review form indicating which subjects your child will study and submit it to CCBOE. In the Spring you the choice to have your student take the state assessment, or complete a Spring portfolio review which is usually in person. Don’t be fearful of reviews, you simply show 2-3 samples of work or proof of each subject studied to a review panelist. A Spring completion form will be filled out and you will be given a copy. You can skip the stress of reviewing and join an umbrella. Umbrella’s are an alternative resource to presenting a portfolio review to the county. There are a handful of options in the state of Maryland. A complete list Umbrellas can found here.

CURICULUMS

I want to note that utilizing a curriculum is not a requirement. However, curriculums can be helpful so many homeschool families use them. When choosing a curriculum to use, it is important to know what educational pedagogy and learning style work best for your family. There are a lot of great curriculums out there, so it can be overwhelming to pick the right one. I highly recommend going to a conference or curriculum store to get an idea on which ones to purchase. If you have any homeschooling friends, you could ask them to look at their books. Some companies offer trails or free online versions of their curriculum so you can test them out before making a large investment. Here are a few curriculum choices by type:

CHARLOTTE MASON

The Charlotte Mason style of learn is based on the philosophy of 19th-century British educator, Charlotte Mason. The method emphasizes study of the natural world, the use of oral narration (retelling a story in your own words) and “living books” (high-quality, well-written works of literature, biography, and other writing that engages the reader in a story or narrative) over tests, comprehension questions, and workbooks. Charlotte Mason focuses on providing a wide and deep education in all subjects, with an emphasis on gentle, natural learning progression at the child’s pace. This method values self-paced learning, usually delaying introduction of formal lessons until at least age 6.

CLASSICAL EDUCATION

Classical education gets it roots from the ancient Greek philosophy of the Trivium, meaning three. This style of education is divided into three major sections: Grammar (Elementary), Rhetoric (Middle School), and Logic (High School.) Classical education incorporates memorization and songs into learning for early ages to help them explore subjects, and integrates more discussion and thinking skills as students progress into older grades. An understanding of classic literature, memorization, and Latin are the hallmarks of a Classical education.

TRADITIONAL

This style is what many of us think of when we say “school.” Traditional homeschoolers might lean more towards using textbooks by major publishers, tests and exams, worksheets and workbooks.

UNIT STUDIES

Unit Studies is a style that focuses all subjects around a single theme, concept, topic, or element. Unit studies are sometimes called “thematic units” and this style focuses all subjects on a theme. Unit studies use multisensory learning centered around a single theme, concept, topic, or element. The objective of unit studies is to allow students to delve deep into a topic to obtain mastery of it.

ONLINE PROGRAMS & DISTANT LEARNING

Online and distant learning program vary from program to program. In some cases the student and parent are more responsible for managing the content; while other distant learning programs offer more than just electronic lessons, some offer online instructors who deliver the content and provides grading and progress reports.

FREE

The following are online curriculum resources that are free.

 

CO-OPS

A homeschool Cooperative aka Co-Op is a group of homeschooling families who come together regularly to share educational responsibilities and resources. Simply put, Co-Ops help fill the gaps of homeschooling by providing enriching educational activities or aiding in socialization for homeschooled children.

ANCHOR CHRISTIAN COLLABORATIVE

CALVERY GOSPEL HOME EDUCATION

CLASSICAL CONVERSATIONS

HARBOR CHRISTIAN COOPERATIVE

IMAGINARIUM HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY

P.A.C.E

SCBC HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP

SOUTHERN MARYLAND HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY

SPEAR

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CREATIVE ARTS CENTER – EFH CO-OP

WONDER AND BLOOM

TUTORIALS, DROP-OFFS & SUPPORT PROGRAMS

ANCESTERAL KNOWLEDGE

BREATHE TURORIAL SERVICE

CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY – ART & SCIENCE CLASSES

COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND – KIDS COLLEGE HOMESCHOOL 

HUMANE SOCIETY – HOMESCHOOL DAYS

OUR TOWN TUTORIAL

NEWLIFE TUTORIAL

READING GARDEN

ST MARYS CITY – HOMESCHOOL DAYS

UPWARD THRIVE ACADEMY

LEARNING AND SOCIAL PODS

CHARLES COUNTY SECULAR INCLUSIVE

HOMEGROWN POD

SOMD SECULAR HOMESCHOOLERS

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

The following resources are a list of associations, Facebook pages and websites that are useful.

***The Playful Parent is a 501(C)(3) Non-profit created to advocate learning through play and promote family bonding. All content is intellectual property of TPP and information shared is to help provide a non-biased resource to families. If you have questions about home organizations or programs, be sure to contact the business directly. The Playful Parent isn’t affiliated with any of the associations or businesses listed.***

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