FIRST STEPS
Where To Begin
The very first step you need to take is to notify your local school board, either the Public Board or the Catholic Board, even if your child has never been to school yet, or has always been attending Islamic School.
This protects you from being challenged in your decision to homeschool. It displays your intention to homeschool; a Letter of Intention to Homeschool needs to be submitted to either board, through the local school of either of those school boards in your area, (the school your child presently attends or would have attended if they had been to either of these public or Catholic schools). Each school has this letter, you only need to walk into the front office and ask for one, take it home and fill it out and return it.
Homeschooling is legal in Canada, and there are no regulations nor interference from the Ministry of Education. So don't be wary of submitting this Letter of Intent to Homeschool. It actually protects you as a homeschooling parent, and demonstrates that you know your rights and are taking all responsible steps to ensure your child is being educated.
CAUTION:
Do not suddenly switch to homeschooling as a response to a dispute with the school or a protest against the curriculum. If you do so, the school can then ask for your homeschooling preparations and curriculum, supplies, testing and grading systems, all to be examined and only then decided upon whether you can withdraw your child from their school.
In this circumstance, the school can make an accusation that you are not prepared or able to homeschool because you are only acting out of spite to punish the school and are not acting in the best interest in your child's education or sexual health rights.
During summer break, at the end of the first semester in February, or even the Winter or March breaks, are the best times to make this move to homeschooling. A sudden withdrawal from classes may give the school or a specific teacher a chance to ask the Ministry to begin an investigation if there has been a recent event such as a disciplinary action, or your objection to a teacher, a book, or some other school event.
Many Homeschooling Options
There are many models families can choose from to homeschool their children. There is no set way to homeschool, it is your complete choice and freedom how you will set up your own teaching environment, which subjects you will teach, your curriculum, even your location, (such as here in Ontario or any other place on the planet, or many other places on the planet) as long as you are still considered a resident of Canada.
Some families use online tutors, some use online courses, some families teach all subjects themselves, and some families co-op with other families to create family pods and share the teaching, the curriculum and lesson plans, text books, workbooks, and resources.
There are many interesting arrangements and methods, it is all up to you; you are the school board, the principal, and the vice principal. Take your time to explore all possibilities and find what is comfortable and affordable for you.
The purpose of these workshops is to introduce you to all of these possibilities and to network with other mothers in your area. Maybe you will create a family homeschooling pod, or just have recreational activities with them to keep your children socialized. Many local families take daytrips together for outings and learning opportunities, such as the Toronto Zoo in Scarborough, nature tours, museums, or just a fun day at a water park and playground.
Curriculums, Text Books, Workbooks, and Supplies.
There are many curriculums you can choose from, I will teach you about curriculums in the workshops, and then you can even do some research and create your own. You can find free resources online, or purchase them by school year, or subject. The Ontario Ministry of Education's curriculum is available online, (link in the Resources page), and you can look through it and get an idea what your children should generally know by the end of each school year, by subject. I will also teach you how to search that website to find the base core of each subject and grade.
You can simply modify any of these curriculums to your needs, or just use them as a comparison when choosing other resources. You will probably find your child will learn the material faster at home because they are not waiting for the majority of the class to finish, you will not be wasting time using several different teaching methods so that all students are able to comprehend the material. You will only be using different methods until you find which style your child learns better from. You may even find that you can teach 2 grades in one year if you keep a consistent schedule throughout the year, if your child is quick to pick up the concepts and memorize the necessary materials.
You can also modify all subjects for children with learning disabilities; you will quickly figure out how to work within your child's abilities and needn't worry about them fulfilling all of the expectations of a busy classroom of children who are able to finish the work and homework expected of them at that age.
You know your children best, and understand what is difficult for them and what is not challenging enough. And not all subjects need be at the same grade level at the same time. You can modify each subject to fit your child's ability in each subject.
Consistency and routine is the key. A well planned curriculum makes lesson planning easy. We will also discuss how to do this: how to identify the concepts which you want cover, how to divide them into blocks of time, and then how to create the lesson plans and set up the materials to complete them, hopefully in the time frames you are trying to accomplish.
Remember, your child's comprehension and your ability to keep them (and yourself), on task is what makes homeschooling successful. Homeschooling is not a field trip here and there and some interesting books and documentaries. Just imagine your child being tutored in the 13th century, (when very few children acquired an education at all). They learned from a young age subjects such as tajweed, tafseer, fiqh and balagha, astronomy and chemistry, and even languages, (plural!), on top of mathematics and biology, geography and history, and trade, and diplomacy, and ...
So understand this isn't an easy road, it's a safe road. And you are the driver.
