Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start mid year or mid term?

You can begin our courses at any time in the year.

If you wish to begin mid-term or mid-year we still recommend you begin at Week 1 of the semester.

Our Semester A (Term 1 & 2) courses include 18 weeks of lessons.
Our Semester B (Term 3 & 4) courses include 18 weeks of lessons.

Each semester is independent and doesn’t rely on the previous semester’s work.

A Flexible Schedule:

4 days of lessons per week (5th day is free)
8 weeks of lessons per term with an optional 9th week for catch-up, review, or a Charlotte Mason–style exam in high school.

This flexible schedule means there is plenty of time to complete the course. Plus there is no time limit on completion of a course.

Can I just buy individual subjects and resources?

Most of our curriculum is not sold individually, however we do sell a range of individual resources sold as physical books in our book store, which you can explore here. All other materials, including lesson plans and course content, are only available through our structured courses.

How much time will this program take? Is there a suggested timetable or daily routine?

My Homeschool courses are thoughtfully structured around the Charlotte Mason philosophy, with an emphasis on shorter lessons, meaningful learning, and no busy work.

Your day will usually include consistent lesson time in the mornings, leaving afternoons free for natural learning and play. You can also get some of your jobs done and pursue other interests.

We’ve designed lessons to be completed over four days per week, leaving the fifth day free. This flexible structure supports deep learning while leaving room for personal interests, reflection and family life. However you’re always welcome to move this schedule around to suit your family best.

Our Suggested Schedule

4 days of lessons per week
8 weeks of lessons per term with an optional 9th week for catch-up, review, or a gentle Charlotte Mason–style exam in high school

To learn how many hours homeschooling takes, see here.

Can I use the same course for another child in future years?

Yes! This is a huge reason so many families love using us. Reusable courses can save you a lot of money in the long run and you’ll find that most other homeschool programs don’t offer this.

If your My Homeschool membership is current you can reuse all of your purchased courses at no additional charge. However, occasionally we do need to update a course in response to a changing syllabus and may require a small admin fee under to upgrade your course to the new one. However we give you plenty of notice so that if you don’t want to upgrade, we encourage you to download all the material from the platform so you can keep using the old course. An active member is defined as someone who has logged on to the learning platform within the last 12 months.

Please see our full Terms and Conditions for more details on this.

What books do you use?

My Homeschool uses living books in many subjects. Some are for your child to read alone, and some are to be read aloud by the parent. We also include some online and audio book options. Books allocated for reading aloud provide an opportunity for families to discuss them broadly. Parents are able to offer the scaffolding and support which will help their child navigate the literature which may be challenging for a variety of reasons.

We do use secular books and these do not always line up perfectly with a Christian world view. This also reflects Charlotte Mason’s approach. Finding a perfect book is almost impossible but our book selection is thought out and many of our books are recommended by others who follow a Charlotte Mason education. We have tried our best to make good choices in our literature and we have read what we recommend. We have rejected many books in the process of writing this curriculum.

We’ve also included culturally significant Australian literature which often highlights what was happening in the era it was written. For this reason, some of the literature may well be ‘politically incorrect’ or old fashioned by today’s standards, but at the time of writing it was not. These books offer an opportunity to teach your child about the culture of the times.

Our books were chosen with the Australian Curriculum in mind, however we understand that you may not want to read all the books we have chosen. Feel free to replace them with a title that suits your family’s needs.

We offer alternatives and extension suggestions in our My Homeschool Reading Lounge. This is our exclusive online library catalogue of book list suggestions and alternatives.

Is this a Christian curriculum? Can it be taught in a secular way?

My Homeschool is written with the intention of supporting families who wish to educate their children within a Christian worldview. We value the education of the whole child and encourage parents to nurture their children spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. While we encourage family devotions, we do not prescribe or set specific devotional lessons within the curriculum.

When selecting resources we aim for quality and suitability, and in many cases the best available option is a secular resource. For this reason, not all materials will explicitly be written in a Christian perspective, however we have read and curated our content very carefully to still support a Christian education.

In science from Year 7 onwards, our recommended resources present both young earth creation and evolutionary concepts, with the author also offering young earth creationist responses. Families are welcome to substitute a secular alternative if that better suits their approach.

Overall, the program is flexible and can be adapted to be taught in a secular way if desired. Parents are free to guide discussions, choose alternative resources, and shape the learning experience according to their family’s values.

You can view a full breakdown of subjects here.

For a deeper discussion, you may also find this article helpful: Is Charlotte Mason homeschooling Christian, and can it be taught in a secular way?

Will this work for teaching multiple children?

To help support families teaching multiple kids, we’ve built choice into the curriculum to give you flexibility to adapt to the needs and interests of your family. Instead of telling you the exact books your child needs to read in each grade, we guide you to our curated books lists where you can choose what books you’d like to read aloud together as a family. We also encourage nature study, handicrafts, art and music appreciation do be done as a group. This helps save time and is a lovely opportunity to learn together!

Here’s a link to our blog post about teaching multiple children, which you may find helpful — Homeschooling Multiple Ages

Can I use My Homeschool if I don't live in Australia?

Yes. My Homeschool offers a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool curriculum founded on the Australian Curriculum. Covering a broad range of subjects and topics commonly found in international curricula, our programs are used by home-educating and expatriate families around the world. For more information, please see our International Homeschooling page. If you are based in the United Kingdom, visit My Homeschool UK for curriculum and educational resources designed specifically for UK home-educating families.

Will I be able to teach this program? It sounds quite academic.

It’s natural to feel a little daunted when we think about teaching our children. We don’t want to intimidate you, we are here to support you. We won’t send you a bunch of downloads and send you on your way. We also teach you how to teach. Our guides and homeschool expertise will help you instruct your children with confidence. You’ll also find that you learn some new things and brush up on old things as you teach your children. It’s a very satisfying experience and many veteran homeschoolers report co-learning as one of the unexpected benefits and joys of homeschooling. And if you ever feel you need some extra support, you can always post questions in our Facebook members group, reach out to us via email or book a free call.

My child has special needs, will this course suit them?

This is a hard question and only one that you can decide. We actually get asked this a lot so we have discussed it further in a blog post.

As the homeschool parent, you are an excellent assessor of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. A living book education works well for many but not for all. If you feel your child needs educational testing then find a practitioner that supports homeschooling. Speech pathologists and psychologists both do this type of testing.

If your child is gifted, you may find adding more enrichment activities is a far better choice than speeding through the content. Give them a broader, richer education, providing more books on topics of interest to go deeper, not faster through subject areas.

For the children who struggle with reading you may want to incorporate more audio books, but continue with consistently teaching them reading with short lessons. The flexibility of this course also allows you to set the pace.

Reading aloud times can be hard at first for the easily distracted child. Give them something to fiddle with while you are reading or suggest they draw. Make sure that they are engaged in the content by asking for short oral narrations or checking their comprehension with a few questions. Gradually increase your reading times rather than expect them to sit for an hour on their first attempt. Also, gauge the best time for a longer read aloud novel in your family rhythm.

Is this an online distance education school?

No! We are not a school and receive no government funding. You are still responsible for your child’s registration and their application to homeschool. Enrolling in our courses does not exempt you from homeschool registration. But our resources and training information will help you.

To read more about our online learning platform and the difference between our Australian online homeschool and distance education see here.

Does My Homeschool offer grading and support?

We are not a school and do not provide teachers for grading and educational support.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with our website or resources we do offer email support. We also do have a members Facebook group where you can find community support with like-minded homeschoolers.

Membership, Payment & Cancellation Questions

How much do your courses cost?

Our course pricing can be found here.

https://myhomeschool.com/homeschooling/programs/

Can I pay in instalments?

We offer PayPal Pay in 4. Payments are split over a 6 week period. Eligibility is determined by PayPal at the checkout.

I want to talk to someone personally. Who can I call?

We don’t offer a telephone support option as a first option.

If you are inquiring about our resources or courses or are having technical problems please email us using our contact form. We will get back to you as quickly as we can.

You can request a call but please be specific about what you want to know.

How do I enrol my child in a graded course?

After you purchase your first course you will become a member. You are then sent login details for the My Homeschool learning platform.

Can I get a refund if it does not suit or my child returns to school?

My Homeschool graded courses are non-refundable. For more information on refunds and subscriptions read our terms and conditions.

How do I cancel my membership or change my payment details?

You do not need to cancel your account. It will automatically be closed after 12 months of inactivity.

See our full terms and conditions here.