How to Start Homeschooling in Austin

How to Homeschool in Austin

There is wonderful news for you: Texas is one of the least restrictive states in terms of homeschool regulations. To get started on your Austin homeschool path, you’ll simply need to:

1. Research Texas homeschool laws, including what subjects to include in your instruction.
2. Withdraw your child from his/her current school, if enrolled. (The Texas Homeschool Coalition has a form to help with that.)
3. Choose the best homeschool curriculum that will help you reach your individual goals, match your preferred homeschool style, and fulfill your child’s specific learning style.
4. Seek out resources that will support you in your homeschool journey such as Austin homeschool groups, the Time4Learning Families Facebook group, and Texas state homeschool associations.
5. Start having fun learning together!

Time4Learning Curriculum for Homeschooling in Austin

Of all the homeschool programs available in Austin, Time4Learning has become one of the favorite ones to use. Parents in Austin can concentrate on showing their kiddos how to become good citizens and enjoy learning, while Time4Learning takes care of the administrative part of homeschooling.

Our low monthly subscription cost, the fact that we take the guesswork out of planning your day, and the fun, multimedia learning approach that appeals to kids and teens are just some of the reasons why Austin homeschoolers prefer us.

Time4Learning helps you succeed in homeschooling in Travis county by:

• Offering award-winning curriculum in PreK-12 as well as time-saving automated grading and reports that automatically track and record your student’s progress.
• Including comprehensive learning in each of the subjects required by Texas homeschool law: reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and good citizenship.
• Combining video and animation in each lesson to keep students engaged. Concepts are taught in short chunks and are followed by interactive software exercises for reinforcement and discovery learning.
• Giving parents access to many tools that help them schedule and organize their homeschool year.
• Using virtual labs, interactive projects, guided notes, and much more help enhance material, bring concepts to life, and allow students to apply what they’ve learned.
• Making our curriculum accessible to kids with widely varying learning aptitudes. Because of the flexibility of the curriculum, and how each student can move at his or her own pace through the lessons, T4L works well for kids who are gifted, kids with learning differences, and for kids with a variety of learning styles!
• Providing affordable membership backed by a 14-day money-back guarantee. You can start, stop, or pause your membership at any time without penalty.

Being flexible enough to use as a full curriculum, as a supplement to other programs, or as part of a hybrid homeschool in Austin.

Field Trips in Austin and Beyond

You won’t be far into your homeschool journey when you realize that this education model offers unlimited opportunity for hands-on learning. And homeschoolers in Austin have so many options to explore history, science, art, and literature in this beautiful city.

Many families build homeschool field trips into their curriculum on a regular basis. Not only do they provide an intermission to day-to-day learning, but they give students the chance to experience the subjects they are learning about first-hand.  Let’s explore just a sampling of the homeschool field trips you may want to experience in the wider Austin area.

Austin Aquarium – You don’t have to be studying oceanography or conservation in your homeschool science curriculum to appreciate a visit to this family entertainment center–but your kids may ask to start afterward! Featured exhibits include a wide variety of amphibians, a parakeet aviary, and a rainforest vivarium filled with hundreds of reptiles. Students will widen their understanding of the earth’s different ecosystems and increase their appreciation for the planet’s oceans, rainforests, and deserts.

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms – This living history museum introduces students to the histories and cultures of Central Texas during the 19th century. Educational guided tours are available to larger groups, but one day a week the museum is also open for self-guided exploration. There are six themed areas to visit: an 1841 Tonkawa Encampment, an 1853 Walnut Creek Greenbelt, an 1868 German Emigrant Farm, an 1873 Texian Farm, an 1887 Cotton Planter’s Farm and an 1899 Sprinkle Corner rural village. Check their calendar, too, for dedicated homeschool classes in Austin.

Zilker Botanical Garden – When your homeschool needs a stretch-break, head over to Zilker Metropolitan Park and explore the 28 acres of pathways, streams, ponds, and plants that comprise the Botanical Garden. It is open to the public year-round, seven days a week and offers multiple themed garden areas including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, and even a Prehistoric Garden where students can learn about the creatures that inhabited the area during the Cretaceous Period.

Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center – The whole outdoors becomes a classroom with a visit to this educational learning center. With a hike to the bottom of the canyon, your homeschooler will get to see thousands of years of geologic formations, then get an understanding of the water cycle by visiting the grotto at the bottom. Additionally, a separate Uplands area offers miles of hiking trails through savanna with opportunities to view wildlife and a variety of birds.

Inner Space Cavern – Who doesn’t want a chance to go exploring underground? Just about 30 miles outside of Austin is this limestone cave in Georgetown, TX that is open to the public. Three different tours are available, depending on your specific interests, and you will see large room formations, stalactites and stalagmites, and even prehistoric animal bones. Inner Space Cavern is also a part of the Texas Cave trail, so you can pick up a “passport” at the cavern for the opportunity to visit the three other caves.

Blanton Museum of Art – Did you know that Austin is home to one of the largest university art museums in the U.S.? Blanton Museum of Art (BMA) includes  over 18,000 works in its permanent collection. It hosts a spectacular collection of 20th century American artists and the country’s largest collection of Latin American art. Allow at least a couple hours to explore the whole museum, but you can also continue your learning adventure from home with the many digital art resources for students available on their website.

Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Texas

• Homeschooling in Texas
• Texas Homeschooling Laws
• Texas Homeschool Associations
• Texas Homeschool Groups and Co-ops
• Homeschool Field Trips in Texas
• Texas Unit Study for Homeschoolers