How do i homeschool my daughter?

Question

Im going to start homeschooling my daughter. What are the requirments i need to meet? What do i have to buy? What do i tell the school, when i return her books?


I need alot of help on this, please someone clue me in!

Answer 1

This is one of the best one-stop-shops for home school information:

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

As others have said, laws vary from state to state or province to province, so be sure to find a local organziation (the above website has links to all different regions) and they can inform you on the best way to legally pull your daughter out of school, and whether you're required to submit a study plan etc.

If you're that nervous, you really don't have to tell any one person at the school anything. Often the "notification process" is a very impersonal procedure of filing paperwork. I'm sure you probably don't want to get caught up in some kind of confrontation or debate, but you do need to make sure the school knows that your daughter is staying home. Legally, the school is on the hook for knowing your daughter's whereabouts (or at least for covering their own behinds!) until whatever paperwork kicks in, so just remember that their main goal is to live up to that legal requirement, not to harass you or question your choices.

I've known parents who simply "called their child in very sick" for the first week of home schooling, and there's nothing wrong with that if you're at all nervous. All the school needs to know is that she is home with you and you have excused her absence. There's nothing wrong with telling them that you've decided to home school, but you may wish to wait until you feel like you could confidently defend the choice, if you expect any opposition.

Do read up as much as you can before telling the school -- they can smell fear! And, just keep any comments short and simple. "We're home schooling." "We've formally initiated the process and I'm sure you'll get the paperwork from the school board soon." And the best answer to every question, "Yes, we're aware of that issue and we have planned for that." ;) You don't have to give out any details to any one person -- most legal requirements, if they exist in your state, will be to submit information in writing to the school board. So do not feel any need to explain yourself to a principal, teacher, counselor etc. if you don't feel comfortable doing so.

Answer 2

A lot depends on how old your daughter is, and what your state requirements are. You can find out state requirements through HSLDA(Home School Legal Defense Association) online, I believe.

A company that has a wide variety of curriculum as well as helpful summaries of each is Christian Book Distributers. A lot of beginner home schoolers start with packaged curriculum such as Calvert , Sonlight, or Bob Jones. But, if you look into general curriculm distributers, and if you're motivated enough, you can pick and choose curriculum based on how you are comfortable teaching and what works best for your daughter(that is part of the beauty of homeschooling).
I don't know exactly what you tell the school. Mine have never been in public school, so I've never had to encounter that.
Best wishes to you!! And have lots of fun with it!

Answer 3

Requirements are different in each state. You can check out http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp for info on your state's requirements. There is also a page on the website called "getting started" that you may find helpful.

What you have to buy just depends on how you want to homeschool... you can use primarily library books, order a video schooling program, or visit a teacher supply store to buy some books. You might try www.rainbowresource.com - they sell tons of homeschool books.

I believe you really only have to tell the school that you're taking her out to homeschool her. You might want to register her with the truancy office though, so that if she is out and about during school hours, she won't be picked up by the cops.

Good luck!

Answer 4

A good place to begin is the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website. They have information on how to legally homeschool in every state and other information on how to get started in homeschooling; the link is below:

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

When you look on the above site regarding your state's homeschooling requirements, you can read about the requirements you need to meet and how to inform your school district that you will be homeschooling. I would suggest returning the books after you have done whatever is recommended. For example, in my state, Illinois, you have to send the school a letter (preferably certified) stating that you are withdrawing your child from school, will be homeschoooling your child in the branches of education the state requires that you teach them, etc. You are then to send a follow up letter requesting the child's school records. What needs to be done varies from state to state.

There are many ways and methods to homeschool, and many homeschoolers start out with a pre-packaged, "school in a box" curriculum. If you are a Christian, a good, extremely affordable curriculum can be purchased via Christian Liberty Press; the link is below:

http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress

I would also recommend that you check out and read some books on homeschooling from your local library.

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 5

You have to look up the laws for your state.

The program is based on those law it can vary from whatever books you find to having to use an accredited program you must buy and some cost money. As much as $500 a year for some.

There are on-line virtual schools, software in a box, pick and choose software, books you can buy at Amazon or Baranes and Noble, used books from thrift stores.

If you have college as a goal you have to complete Algebra, Geometry, Trig, English each year, History each year, Earth Science, Biology, Math Chemistry or Physics, Arts

If you have PRIVATE college as a goal 2 years foreign langauge.

So all you have to do is masters these with the child

They WILL have to face COLLEGE MATH 1 and 2 which WILL be an overview and expansion of Algebra, Geometry and Trig and it is not easy. And ALL students even Liberal Arts one have to pass this course and the ENTRANCE exam.

In a SCIENCE or MATH major for college there will be Calculus.

Statistics.

If you FAIL the Entrance Exam for Math and English in COLLEGE you HAVE to go to a JC or Community College and re-build your skills and transfer.

Most Colleges that exam is MAKE IT OR BREAK IT and there is NO REFUND of the Registration fee.

In a JC or CC the exam determines what courses you get placed into and they do provide BABY MATH and BABY ENGLISH for those who don't make the grade.

Answer 6

Tell the school that you intend to home educate. Then ask church pastors if they know another home schooling family. Many h. sch. families are Christians who wish to educate the kids in the faith. Not a necessity though.

These families will know if there is a support group locally.

I found the support group in my area and asked 4 or 5 families if I could sit in for a morning with each fam. I asked qu. and took copious notes.

Then I bought about 500 dollars worth of Sonlight curriculum for 2 boys, and 'dug in'. Since then I have used various different curricula over the years.

Some books I got on Ebay, and some from these friends.

It is time consuming and a great delight. I still am h sch my 10th grade son. Go for it.

Answer 7

Just tell the school that you withdrawing her from school, you do not have to give a reason. You can say you are moving if you want to.

Each state has different laws and procedures for what to do and how to go about homeschooling.
Go to www.hslda.org and look for the laws in your state.

Try not to get all uptight and need to be in a hurry. You'll learn that homeschool is not like public school, you do not have to do things in a hurry. You do not have to sit at books and write all day (which is an awful way to learn)

Answer 8

u should just do a online school..i go to one and its been great http://www.thegraceacademy.org/