I began homeschooling in 2008 when my oldest child was starting first grade. She’d attended a local charter school in kindergarten. Neither she nor I was thrilled at the experience. Since then, I’ve homeschooled her as well as my two younger children. We became involved in several local homeschool groups and co-ops. We eventually began spending a great deal of time at the Baltimore Homeschool Community Center. My kids were able to take classes along with other homeschool kids, and I started teaching classes. Over the years, in addition to teaching my own kids, I’ve taught homeschool classes in English, science, social studies, math, and critical thinking. For most classes, the curricula used were something I put together, such as History Through Film, Money Matters, and The 51%, a women’s history class.

During this time, I also began working closely with the oversight umbrella, Maryland Homeschool Reviews. First as a reviewer, then as coordinator. I love reviewing other homeschooling families. I’ve gotten to see and learn about dozens of different curricula and how they work for the various families. I have also worked with The Center School (formerly known as The Baltimore School of Independent Learners) in developing their database of pre-approved independent study courses.

I now have two children in college and one heading out next fall. One of the many things I love about homeschooling was researching and preparing my kids’ work for the upcoming year. So, as I prepare my empty nest, I figured this would be a chance to use my knowledge, expertise, and love of research to help other families create their personalized educational plans.



Enid R. Franklin