Instructions
This is not a test! These questions are for you to think about your new adventure in home education. Take your time and be honest with your answers. This will help you and your family make this a great experience. There are no right or wrong answers.
Part 1: How Are You Feeling?
Starting something new can bring up a lot of different feelings. Let's explore yours.
1. Circle any words that describe how you're feeling about starting home education. You can circle as many as you like!
Excited Nervous Happy Worried Curious Unsure Confused Hopeful Sad
2. What is the one thing you are MOST excited about?
3. What is one thing you are most worried or nervous about?
4. If you could ask any question about home education, what would it be?
Part 2: Designing Your Learning
One of the best parts of home education is that you can have a say in how you learn.
5. Imagine the perfect school day at home. What would it look like? (Think about when you start, what you study, what breaks you take, and where you learn.)
6. What are some of your biggest interests or hobbies right now? (e.g., video games, art, building things, animals, history, coding, sports, etc.)
7. How could we connect those interests to your school subjects? Brainstorm one idea.
(Example: If you like video games, you could learn coding or write a story based on your favorite game.)
8. Is there a skill you've always wanted to learn, like cooking, playing an instrument, or woodworking? What is it?
Part 3: Looking Forward
Let's think about your goals and hopes for this year.
9. What is one thing you hope to be better at by the end of this school year? (This can be a school subject or something personal, like being more organized).
10. Besides learning from books, what are some other ways you'd like to learn? (e.g., visiting museums, watching documentaries, doing science experiments, talking to experts, etc.)
11. What are you most looking forward to about NOT being in a traditional school?
12. Is there anything else you want your parent/educator to know as you start this journey?
Answer Key
A Note for the Parent/Educator
There are no "correct" answers for this worksheet. Its purpose is to open a positive and honest conversation with your child about their transition to home education. Use their responses as a guide to help you plan a learning journey that is engaging, supportive, and tailored to them.
- Review Together: Sit down with your child in a comfortable setting to discuss their answers. Listen carefully and validate their feelings, especially any worries or fears.
- Address Worries: Pay close attention to question #3. If they are worried about things like friendships or missing school events, brainstorm solutions together. This might involve looking for local homeschool groups, co-ops, sports teams, or extracurricular classes. Reassure them that their concerns are important and that you will work on them as a team.
- Incorporate Interests: Use the answers from Part 2 to customize their learning. If they love animals, plan a unit study on biology or schedule a trip to a nature center. Tying education to their passions is a powerful way to foster a love of learning.
- Set Goals: The answers in Part 3 can help you and your child set meaningful academic and personal goals for the year. This gives them a sense of ownership over their education.
- Keep the Conversation Going: This worksheet is a starting point. Plan to check in with your child regularly about how they are feeling, what's working well, and what they might like to change.