If you are considering homeschooling your children, you just so happen to be in one of the best places to do so! Having homeschooled my children from the get-go, I may have a little bias, but Reno has been an amazing place for my children to learn and grow in the homeschool community.
Here are five reasons why I think Reno is the best place to homeschool.
- There are a lot of us. It is estimated that there are 14,000+ homeschoolers in Nevada. Obviously not all of those are in Reno, but a huge chunk of them are. There are truly so many homeschoolers in our area, that my children have never had an issue finding friends (and lots of them!). We enjoy field trips in large homeschool groups, park play dates, and more.
- Nevada’s homeschooling laws are some of the best in the nation. Nevada is extremely parent-friendly when it comes to homeschooling. You do not have to submit to the authority of a “parent” school or “charter” school, and you are not supervised by a principal from a nearby school. You are not required to use any particular programs or curriculums. You do not have to put your child through assessment test after assessment test, unless you want to do so yourself. You can teach whatever you want, from whatever curriculum you want. In Nevada, the parent is fully in control of their child’s homeschool education.
- There are homeschool programs and classes galore! If you are worried that your kids will be bored or have a hard time making new friends, don’t! There are co-ops offering classes for everything from ballet, to Spanish, to martial arts, to arts and crafts, to science, to writing and language, and more. Local businesses offer homeschool-specific times for ballet, theater, swimming, skiing, martial arts, farming, sewing, and others. There are seemingly endless opportunities for children to learn outside of the home and outside of mom. Reno offers plenty of opportunities for new friends, new sports, and new experiences.
- Reno has four fabulous seasons, all ready to be explored fully. Homeschoolers are able to thoroughly enjoy the summer weather, all the way into September when the weather finally begins to change (Lake Tahoe in late August, anyone?). Homeschoolers wanting to take advantage of skiing and snowboarding in the winter can do so on their own (ahem, yay flexible scheduling!), or with one of the yearly homeschool lesson packages set up for us each year. When the weather is too beautiful in late September to be indoors doing school, you can head outside for play or learning in nature. The beauty of homeschooling is that it is flexible. And with Reno’s wonderful seasons, this means getting to explore outside whenever you want!
- Last but not least, homeschooling in Reno means you have lots of support. By plugging into various groups, or even simply following the Northern Nevada Homeschool’s page on Facebook and posting questions as needed, you have feedback, support, encouragement, ideas, and help right at your fingertips. Homeschooling moms in our area are so eager to help one another out. Ask a question, and we’ll help you as best as we can!
If you’ve been on the fence about homeschooling, I encourage you to join the Northern Nevada Homeschool Facebook page; ask questions, be encouraged, and dive in! There’s no better place to begin your homeschool journey than in Reno!
