I am considering home schooling my daughter, how do I get started? Can anyone tell me about the legality?

Answer 1

Welcome to the wonderful life known as Homeschooling.
You need to investigate the laws of your State, because some states make it harder than others to Homeschool. You can call your local School Board (or drive over there). While Homeschooling is LEGAL in all 50 States, there may be some extra things (or not) to comply with YOUR state laws (Alabama makes you join a Umbrella School, while Florida does not).
Now you need to fill out a form called 'Notice of Intent' and deliver it to the proper department of the School Board. When you visit the School Board ask for the Homeschool Packet as it will have the papers you need (intent,termination,evaluation *** make copies of this one for yearly use***).
Ok, hard part is over...here's the 'extras'...
1. A portfolio (this is what you keep her work), which is simply a legal sized plastic file box and legal sized file folders (this size is easier on the work). You must keep this for up to 5 years and produce it on a 10 to 15 day written notice from the School Board for review.
2. A calender for keeping track of attendance (it must add up to 180 days).
3. a learning area away from distractions (mainly the TV).
4. A curriculum-----you can create your own or buy prepackaged.
5. School supplies (pencils,paper,crayons,pens,markers, etc). Just stock up when the 'Back to School' specials pop up.
6. A lesson plan book for keeping track of what you do on the different days of school.
Now, how does your daughter learn? Visual,Auditory,Tactile?
There are a lot of FREE curriculums out there, just be patient in your search. You should know what your State Standards are and use them as a BASIC guide. What you teach and how you teach it are up to you (unless you go with an Umbrella School), so be creative. Also, Field Trips are your friend and can count towards school days (Zoo,Park,etc), just take a camera for picture documentation and have her write about what she saw or did.
As a regular Homeschooler, your daughter is not subject to the 'Regular' school laws (unless she goes back into school at a later date), because she will sit for a GED instead of a normal High School Diploma. Also check into local Homeschool groups as they can guide you on your journey.
The HSDLA (Homeschool Defense Legal Assoc.) is fine for some things, but they will ask you to join ($100 yrly) to access all that they can do. Because you don't say which state you live in, I can't give you specifics. I live in Florida so I know their laws and requirements ( I almost moved to Alabama, so I know what they want too).
Good luck to the both of you.

Answer 2

Hslda.org is a place to start to see what the requirements/regulations are for your state --although I do not support the organization--they do have the most comprehensive site as far as each state law goes.

My suggestion is to google homeschool and your city or area together...like homeschool New York....or go to Yahoo groups and type in the same to see what comes up. also try HS homeschoolers home school etc.

The best way to find out about homeschooling is to talk to those who have been homeschooling in your area. Go to park days to see the families in action. You can read about it til your eyes fall out in books and on the internet...but for me it learned so much more talking with other parents at park days.

There are so many ways to homeschool that no 2 families educate in exactly the same way. It is an ever evolving process and changes as your families needs change.

Your state probably has a state group online that can also direct you to your local area or at least point you in the right direction.

If your daughter has already been in school you may also consider deschooling for awhile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deschooling
Just type deschooling into a search engine and tons of info will come up.

There are also online schools that you can use as well.

t

Answer 3

I've answered this question on this very site not two days ago, so you might want to read through some of the older questions! Check out http://www.nhen.org/leginfo/state_list.asp for information on USA state laws.

Go to the library, and look up homeschooling books. Anything by John Holt is a great place to start. Read, read, read.

If you get tired of learning about it, researching it and talking to real life homeschoolers, you probably aren't cut out to do it. Homeschooling parents must be very self motivated - there is no "easy" way, you do it yourself and you seek what you need for your child(ren). This is awesome for people like me who are self starters, but doesn't work for someone who wants all the instructions and activities pre-arranged for them. Think about that too and be honest about it!

Good luck, we love homeschooling!

Answer 4

Homeschooling laws vary from state to state. The best way to get up to date with homeschooling laws for your state is to visit the website for your state's Department of Education. They will outline what you are required by law to teach your child, what programs you, as a taxpayer, may opt into and are entitled to from the public schools (such as special needs and certain sports programs), and other important information, such as when a social worker is allowed to come into your home.

As for starting with a curriculum, many different publishers offer a homeschooling curriculum. A BEKA and Bob Jones both offer curriculums from a Christian perspective, though it is a rather conservative perspective. These publishers often have book fairs to show their products to parents, so you can examine them before you buy to see if it would be a proper fit for your child.

There are secular homeschooling textbooks out there that one can buy, and you can organize your own curriculum. There are many books out there offering many different approaches. Depending upon your daughter's age, you may want to sit down with her and ask her what she wants to learn (on top of the basic requirements). It may take a while to find a proper fit--don't be discouraged! One of the great things about homeschooling is that it gives you a chance to individualize the learning experience for your child.

Getting in touch with the state homeschool association or the state chapter of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) can also bring you to homeschoolers in your area. They can give you valuable resources and tips on homeschooling, and possibly materials that they no longer need. There is also a plus in this; your daughter can meet other homeschoolers her age who are sharing the same experience she is. A local homeschooling co-op may also offer cooperative classes taught by a local parent who is stronger in one particular area than another (my friends' father, a chemist, taught the physical sciences to a large group of us).

Best of luck with the homeschooling experience. It was truly a valuable one for me (homeschooled from sixth to twelve grade, and now a master's student!).

Answer 5

simply call your school district and they will have all the information you will need. some states require a lesson plan, or a program and possibly testing. others like texas give full control to the parents. the best place to homeschool is texas! i simply checked my child out of school and that was it! also consider what you want to teach your child. a religous based education or a special needs education or a classical education...there are so many options.take a look at this! good luck!
homeschooling mother of four

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/curriculum/Homeschool_Curriculum_Choosing_Homeschool_Curriculum_Resources.htm

Answer 6

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Answer 7

though the law in every state is different my wife and myself are inrolling our two sons in abeka books there are something like 700,000 students in it right now so you need to check with your local laws and check in to it