Parents often come to homeschooling assuming that they will have to hire tutors, buy materials and pay for lessons, classes and activities. With just about everything in NYC seeming to have a big price tag, parents naturally ask, “Is it expensive to homeschool?”
The short answer is, it doesn’t have to be. In NYC, there are certainly families spending the cost of private school education (or more!) on tutors, materials, classes and travel. But parents can create rich and rewarding learning experiences for their children using a library card, a MetroCard*, an internet connection and, maybe, a museum or zoo membership. The key to homeschooling on a budget is tapping into what the homeschool community has to offer, knowing where to find great resources and employing a bit of creativity in your planning.
*And note: NYC homeschooled children are eligible to receive a student MetroCard from the NYC Office of Homeschooling after parents file the required paperwork.
As a homeschooling parent, you are free to create any type of learning environment and routine that suits your family. And there is no requirement that you follow any particular curriculum in order to satisfy the NYS Regulations on Homeschooling.
So, where to start?
Before jumping onto Google to search for a curriculum, take an inventory of your child’s interests and your educational goals. These two lists will become your road map, guiding you while you sort through all the resources and opportunities available. Once you have an idea of what you would like your child’s learning program to look like, you can begin searching for low-cost ways to put it together.
In-person activities will eventually resume as we continue to manage our way through the Covid-19 pandemic. But until that happens, many of the programs linked here are running remotely.
NYC is bursting with free and nearly free resources at our libraries, parks and museums, and free educational programs for all ages, including college-bound teens. Visiting local businesses is a free field trip and will help your child connect with the community. Let your child interview the owner of a pizza shop, a bakery or dry cleaners to learn how to run a business. The opportunities abound and are limited only by your imagination.
If you are looking for instruction for your child in a specific discipline, consider posting a query on the email list of one or more of the homeschool membership groups to find a teacher that is willing to teach two or more children and split the fee. Or consider bartering for teaching or tutoring services. If you have an area of expertise and have the time and interest, you can offer your service in exchange for child care, activities or instruction.
As a result of Covid-19, many parents are rethinking the traditional homeschool family co-op, which would include several families, and instead are creating learning “pods,” or small groups of mutually-trusting families sharing learning resources on a regular basis. Some family pods are seeking teachers or college students to work with them, while other parents are doing the teaching themselves. “Podding” families should discuss shared costs, educational philosophy and house rules in addition to any Covid-19- related protocols.
Although homeschooling offers freedom from the typical school curriculum, some parents prefer to align their learning plans with the New York State Standards and curriculum, particularly if they anticipate returning their children to a public school at some point.
If you prefer an all-in-one guide the 2009 book, Homeschool Your Child For Free, is still valuable and relevant (and available used!) even if some of the links are outdated. Authors LauraMaery Gold and Joan M. Zielinski offer dozens of tips for hunting down homeschool discounts along with hundreds of website links in every subject area, and ideas from homeschooling parents across the country.
Of course, you can find an almost unlimited number of free or discounted resources online to support your homeschool. You may already know about Khan Academy, but here are just a few others to get you thinking:
PBS Learning Media offers free standards-aligned videos, interactives and lesson plans.
The Homeschool Diner is a huge compendium of free curricula and ideas for addressing a range of different educational needs.
The Homeschool Buyers Co-op negotiates volume discounts for homeschooling curricula and programs.
The Mom Trotter Resource Guide for Black Homeschooling Families includes group buys sources and discount travel ideas.
No Red Ink offers free writing/grammar lessons.
Mystery Science is a subscription service with K-5th grade science lessons for $69/year.
Storyline Online streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
Time4Learning offers full pre-K-12 curriculum for a low monthly fee.
However, you choose to build your child’s learning plan it’s possible, and sometimes even better, doing it on a budget. You’ll be teaching your children smart money management and when the entire city is your classroom, all the learning is an adventure.
| Joanna Allen Lodin is a New York City native who, along with her husband Jeff, decided to try homeschooling their first child beginning in 1995. All three of their now-grown sons were homeschooled until it came time for college and work. For the past 25 years, Joanna has mentored many families in the joys of homeschooling. And in 2012, she launched Fearless Homeschooling to provide information workshops and support for the NYC homeschooling community. For a copy of Joanna's Homeschooling Resource List or if you have any questions, feel free to email her HERE. |
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