Is someone from Homeschool Expert actually there to help me if I have questions?

Yes.  Each purchase of the full video series gives parents access to an exclusive monthly consulting session over Zoom with Anne Crossman (CEO and Founder of Homeschool Expert) as she hosts a monthly online tutorial and Q/A session, at times including expert guests.  Parents are welcome to send in questions in advance to get personalized help during the session.

I’m afraid of messing up my child’s education by homeschooling—will I?

As a professional educator and mom of four, I can absolutely appreciate that feeling.  And, that’s why we made Homeschool Expert--to teach parents how to teach.  You don’t need my background of Stanford, Duke, teaching, and publishing to teach your kids--you just need the tools I have created with the help of experts for my family and yours.  You know and love your child better than anyone.  We built this resource with you in mind--to help you develop the learning environment your child needs and to figure out how to school your child from home successfully.

Can I use Homeschool Expert if my student is remote learning at home while enrolled in our local school?

Yes.  No matter what education model parents use during COVID, they still need to provide flexible structures and accountability at home to create a successful learning environment.  Homeschool Expert teaches parents how to customize flexible structures to their study and work schedule, how to build a supportive learning environment around their student’s learning needs, and how to develop an online social community during the isolation of COVID.  These three core lessons are in Homeschool Like an Expert: Video Series, Lessons 1-3.

Can parents in dual-income or single-parent households actually homeschool?

Yes.  Even before COVID, I knew families homeschooling in both those scenarios.  Oftentimes I have seen dual-income households choose Private Homeschooling (which gives them the most schedule flexibility) and then arrange their work shifts to split subjects or share time with the kids during the week, teaching core content on evenings and weekends.  I have also seen single-moms teach older students from home using online curriculum from the state through Public Homeschooling, asking neighbors or relatives to sit with her students during assigned days of the week while she is at work and checking in on their progress when she is at home.  While it requires some flexible thinking and creative planning, it is absolutely possible for parents from all backgrounds to educate at home.

How in the world am I supposed to get work done from home when I have younger elementary students now schooling at home?

Whether you are homeschooling while employed or simply trying to balance multiple student ages across the kitchen table, this is where the advice of over 100 successful homeschool families is gold (and Lesson 7 in the video series, and Chapter 12 in the book, address this at length.)  One method we consistently heard from experienced parent teachers was to arrange independent play areas around the house that had inexpensive, safe ways to explore and play.  For example, many families created a Rice Box (which only came out during specific times) and in it parents had buried scoops, toy cars, and figurines for kids to discover.  The Rice Bin was placed on a sheet for easy cleanup, and the good news is that the entire project is edible.  Occupational therapists and early childhood development experts both agree that a Rice Bin activity has multiple layers of positive sensory learning and stimulation for kids that is calming and productive.  Plus, it’s pretty cheap to make.  Creating independent play areas around the house, and rotating them throughout the day, will keep your little ones engaged meaningfully and safely so you can get your work done quickly.

Does Homeschool Expert require I have a certain religious or education background?

No.  We built Homeschool Expert to be accessible to all families from any background, and we encourage and equip families to find ways to bring the conversations that matter to them most into the core of their learning together.

What if I don’t have a college education? Can I still teach my child at home?

Yes.  Legally speaking, many states require parent teachers to have a GED or high school diploma (though, not all) so please check our Links to Experts page to look up specific requirements for your state. Practically speaking, we have known many parents provide an excellent education for their children without having their own college degrees--many of their students going on to advanced degrees and even earning Ph.Ds before the mom finished her college education.  What makes this successful is intentional planning on the part of the parent teacher and access to homeschool experts for advice--we make both attainable through Homeschool Expert.

Is this a curriculum?

No.  Homeschool Expert teaches parents how to teach so they can adapt the principles to any curriculum or school model they choose.  We believe parents are making the best decisions they can to educate their children during a pandemic and want to create easy, practical tools to make learning from home successful--no matter where the student officially attends school.  By resourcing advice from expert homeschool families, these teaching tools are tested, trustworthy, and completely doable.

How do I figure out which curriculum or school situation is best for my student and my family?

There are so many great resources available to homeschoolers, it can sometimes feel overwhelming.  We devote all of Lesson 4 in the video series (and Chapter 8 in the book) to narrowing the search easily.  In short answer, the key points to consider are timing, budget, and learning style.  With timing, consider what is required of the parents work schedules and where/if there is flexibility to teach the kids.  For work schedules that occupy parents full-time and cannot be flexed, an online learning option may be best; for work schedules that can be flexed slightly, textbooks and more traditional methods can be used if families are able to educate on evenings and weekends--especially because working 1:1 helps get schoolwork done much faster.  Secondly, consider budget; a great education does not need to be expensive.  I have seen families provide a solid education with little more than a math book, library card, reading list, and internet access--and other families provide a customized education that includes international learning experiences and private tutors--and everything in between.  Thirdly, consider your student’s learning preferences--is he an auditory, kinesthetic, or visual learner, and how do you find curriculum to match those learning needs?  Please visit our video series and book, where we discuss this third question in depth.

I don’t have a lot of time, how long does this video series take?

If you could watch a video for 163 minutes (which is shorter than Avengers: Endgame) that would save you countless hours of work, stress, and research about your child’s education during COIVD and would result in a successful school year, would you?  We think so too.  We designed Homeschool Expert to be fast-paced, condensed, and practical--distilling decades of advice from over one hundred experts and successful homeschool parents into a singular resource that will help make your school year great.  If you are setting up a classroom at home in a hurry, start with the bonus Quick Start Guide video--which has everything you need to set up survival school structures in less than half an hour. Each video is 7-20 minutes in length and packed with super helpful information so that parents can grab quick expert advice when it is convenient for their schedules.  The full video series also includes all the handouts and printables, so parents have tools in hand the moment the video ends.

How expensive is homeschooling?

Much like weddings, homeschooling can cost as little or as much as you want to spend.  I have seen families provide a solid education with little more than a math book, library card, reading list, and internet access--and other families provide a customized education that includes international learning experiences and private tutors--and everything in between.  Many studies estimate parents spend at least $400 a year per student on curriculum--sometimes less, if curriculum is shared between siblings.  For families who find that figure unaffordable, Public Homeschooling is a state-sponsored model of learning from home, where parents have shared authority with the state in selecting and administering school work; the state  is often willing to reimburse parents $1000 per student or more for learning materials.

How are students supposed to socialize during COVID while schooling at home?

Unfortunately, every student in America is facing this challenge--whether doing distance learning through their school at home or traditional homeschooling.  Staring at a group of classmates on a zoom screen while listening to the instructor is not the same as hanging out with friends over lunch.  Families can either pair social online with academics or provide social online apart from academics.  I have seen parents do both.  For some families--especially dual income households or single parents--the online curriculum option is best since that requires the least amount of hands-on teaching time.  For other families--even working couples--they find the 1:1 ratio of parent teacher to student enables them to get work done a lot more quickly in person than online.  Regardless, many families are finding creative means to help their students engage with friends socially online outside of schoolwork, such as arranging a weekly playdate for kids to play charades or pictionary over Facetime, organizing a teen book club to discuss a work of historical fiction over Zoom with friends, or reserving online, kid-safe escape rooms with friends to meet-up and play.  There are creative alternatives beyond video games for connecting with friends online during COVID.

If I get a whole group of families together through a co-op, blog, or school to buy these videos, would you give us a wholesale discount code?

Yes.  Please email contact@homeschoolexpert.com and let us know how many families would need to purchase the videos, what dates the code is needed, as well as the needs of the group making the request, so we can adjust the discount code accordingly.

What is the refund policy for Homeschool Like an Expert?

For the book, please see your store for return details.  For the video series, given the nature of our video products, they can only be available for refund within 48 hours if you haven't attempted to watch or download it.   If you have watched any paid video, the entire purchase is no longer available for refund.  To request a refund, email contact@homeschoolexpert.com and we will process your request.