You’ve done the research. But you still don’t know where to start.
Here’s a clear plan.
The Homeschool Starter System gives you everything you need to go from research → ready.
A 200+ page Beginner’s Guide and companion Workbook, built so you can finish your research in a weekend and start your school year with a clear plan.
You’ve been researching for weeks. You’re overwhelmed. You still don’t know where to start.
Tabs you’ll never close. Reddit threads from 2019. Three different mom influencers who all say something different. A folder of curriculum PDFs you keep meaning to read. A YouTube history full of “day in the life” homeschool moms. The more you read, the worse it gets.
You’ve put in the hours. You’ve read the blogs and the books and the threads. And somehow you are more overwhelmed than when you started.
Your child’s first day is getting closer. Or you’ve already pulled them out and the days feel longer than you expected.
Underneath all of it is the fear you don’t say out loud.
Here’s the thing: the problem isn’t that you can’t homeschool. The problem is that you don’t have a starting plan. And that one is solvable.
What changes with a starting plan
You stop opening new tabs.
You know what to teach: reading, math, and language arts at your child’s level. You know what curriculum to consider and what to skip. You know what your first eight weeks look like, what to do when your child resists, and how to handle the question your in-laws are about to ask.
You start to feel you can really pull this off.
What you get
Two products that work together. Buy them as a bundle or separately.
The Beginner’s Complete Guide to Homeschooling
200+ pages. Your reference for the whole first year and beyond. Includes a clear starting plan, a non-preachy, evidence-based explanation of how children actually learn, and practical chapters on reading, math, language arts, socialization, motivation, and homeschooling multiple kids. Curriculum recommendations cover both secular and faith-friendly families.
The Homeschool Starter Workbook
The companion to the Guide. Worksheets, flowcharts, and curriculum-picking quizzes that turn the Guide’s ideas into decisions you make for your family. Includes the 15-Minute Reading Plan, Math Placement Quiz, Language Arts Flow Chart, and weekly schedule templates.
Both are digital downloads (PDF). Read on any device. Print what you want. Yours forever, plus all future updates free.
Everything in the Homeschool Starter System
Two books, built on the same five parts. The Guide is 36 chapters and 200+ pages. The Workbook is 33 worksheets (plus a bonus) that turn the Guide into your plan.
The Guide — 36 chapters
Part I
Getting Started
Part II
Setting Up Your Homeschool
Part III
Choosing Your First Curriculum
Part IV
Teaching & Learning
Part V
Common Questions & Concerns
The Workbook — 33 worksheets
Part I
Getting Started
Part II
Setting Up Your Homeschool
Part III
Choosing Your First Curricula
Part IV
Teaching & Learning
Part V
Common Questions & Concerns
Wrap-Up
Putting It All Together
Try a free sample
From Chapter 32 — Will My Child Fall Behind?
This is the question every homeschool parent gets from a relative within the first six months. It is also the question that wakes some parents up at 2 a.m.
“Behind” usually means underperforming on standardized tests or grade-level standards, but it can also mean behind on the unspoken expectations of family or community.
In the available research, homeschooled kids do as well as or better than classroom kids on standardized tests. But the real picture is more nuanced, and more reassuring, than the headline numbers suggest.
The full chapter is in the free sample, along with the Introduction, a math curriculum comparison, and a workbook worksheet. Enter your email and it’s yours.
What other moms are saying
“Without this guide, I’d have had to watch anecdotal YouTube videos about each curriculum and do extensive research. This is the single best resource for me.”
“It isn’t prescriptive. These are the options, for you to make the most informed decision on what’s best for your family. The charts and recommendations made it easy to choose.”
Who this is for. Who it isn’t.
This is for you if you are:
- Considering homeschooling and want to understand what it actually looks like before you commit.
- A mom pulling your child out of school mid-year and you need a plan ASAP.
- A working mom or WFH mom trying to homeschool around your work, not instead of it.
- A parent whose child needs more flexibility than school can provide.
- Religious or secular. The Guide offers faith-friendly and secular curricula because it's faith neutral.
- Someone who has been researching for weeks or months and just wants a structured plan to follow.
This is not for you if:
- You are an experienced homeschooler. You have already figured this out. The Guide is for the first year.
- You want a video course you can watch on autopilot. This is a written System (at least for now). It expects you to read and to plan.
- You want every curriculum on the market reviewed. The Guide describes and recommends the most common and well-respected curricula in a curated, digestible way. It is not an encyclopedia.
If you have already bought a curriculum and still do not feel ready to start, the System is the missing layer.
Two products. One System.
The Guide tells you what to do and why. The Workbook is how you do it.
Where the thinking lives.
Reading methods. Math sequencing. Pedagogical approaches. State laws. The research on how children actually learn. By the end of it, you understand how to homeschool and how to pick a curriculum.
Where the doing lives.
Worksheets that walk you from “I think I want to homeschool” to a written plan for your year. Schedules drafted. Curriculum chosen. Goals on paper. Records set up.
One System. Read the Guide. Fill in the Workbook as you go. By the end, you have a homeschool, on paper, that you can actually run on Monday.
Pick what you need.
One-time purchase. Instant access. No subscription.
Workbook
$29
Best used alongside the guide to put the system into action.
- Level placement worksheet
- Daily schedule templates
- Subject planning framework
- Curriculum evaluation checklist
Guide
$39
The full step-by-step guide. Everything you need to understand the system, make the right decisions, and move forward with confidence.
- Reading level placement system
- Subject breakdown by age
- Curriculum selection framework
- Daily schedule structure
- Teaching approach guide
Bundle
$49
Save $19 vs. buying separately
Everything you need to start — without gaps or guesswork.
- Full step-by-step guide
- Complete workbook + templates
- Reading level placement system
- Subject breakdown by age
- Curriculum selection framework
- Daily schedule templates
Founding price for early customers. Price will increase later this year.
Hey, I’m Val. Background is chemistry. I was on the PhD track, then went into tech sales. Now I’m home full-time with my twins.
I’d been curious about homeschooling for years before I had anyone to teach. The homeschooled adults I’d met were noticeably more thoughtful and prepared than most people I knew, and I wanted to understand why.
I wrote this Guide to prepare myself for homeschooling my own kids. Months of reading. Articles, blogs, books, forums, and a folder of bookmarks no one should have to make. I couldn’t find the clear starting plan I wanted, so I made one.
I am not a veteran homeschooler. I am a mom who got curious early and wrote down what I learned so the next mom doesn’t have to start from scratch.
One thing I want you to hear, mom to mom: you are not going to mess this up. You are reading a page for a homeschool guide. You are showing up. You are doing the work to do this thoughtfully. That is most of the job.
My husband Matt handles the back-end and odds and ends.
I built this for my own family. I hope it helps yours.
“I pulled Tashi out in the middle of COVID. I wanted so badly to make it work but I had no idea what I was doing. Most days I felt like I was failing him. I wish something like this had existed then. This is exactly what I was desperate for and couldn’t find.”
Common Questions
Do I need teaching experience?
No. The Guide is written for first-time homeschool parents. No background required. The whole System assumes you’re starting from scratch.
What ages does this cover?
From the time you start thinking about homeschooling. The Guide and Workbook focus on the K–8 years, with a dedicated chapter on pre-K and kindergarten for moms starting earlier, plus chapters on high school transition and college admissions for older kids if you need them.
What format is it?
PDF. Both the Guide and the Workbook arrive as PDFs you can read on any device, print, or annotate. No proprietary app, no subscription. A weekend to read front to back, or jump straight to the chapters you need.
Is this for religious or secular families?
Both. The Guide offers religious and secular curriculum options. It doesn't take a stance on which worldview is correct. Its purpose is to help you choose what options are aligned with your family's values.
Can I use this if I’m pulling my child out of school mid-year?
Yes. Chapter 4 is specifically about the transition. The Quickstart Checklist gets you started in days, not months.
Does it work for multiple kids?
Yes. Chapter 8 is dedicated to multi-child households, and the Workbook has worksheets that adapt to multiple children.
Does it cover homeschool laws in my state?
The Guide covers what records to keep and what most states ask for. For specific state-by-state requirements, the easiest reference is hslda.org — they maintain a current state law database. State-by-state coverage in the Guide itself is coming in ongoing updates.
Will the Guide be updated over time?
Yes. Ongoing updates as the homeschool space evolves and based on buyer feedback. Buyers get all updates free.
How does the refund work?
Read the first three chapters. If it doesn’t help, email me within 14 days and tell me what you needed that wasn’t there. I’ll refund you in full.
Ready to start?
The Homeschool Starter System is a 200+ page Guide and a 33-worksheet Workbook. Built for moms just starting out, written so you don’t have to feel overwhelmed and unsure after months of research.
Get the System for $49 Founding price for early customers. 14-day refund: read the first three chapters, email me if it doesn’t help and tell me what you needed that wasn’t there, and I’ll refund you in full.Not ready? Start with the free Reading Assessment — see where your child is reading first.