Making the decision to home school can be very exciting. You may be tempted to immediately begin purchasing resources and diving right into your home school experience. However, before you let your excitement get the best of you, make sure you have properly researched the requirements for your state. Understanding your state requirements will help you design a home school program that is in compliance with your state.
Many parents who are new to homeschooling don’t realize that each state has their own specific requirements for homeschooling practices. Some states require in depth paperwork and progress tracking, while others simply require parents to cover specific subjects with their child. For example, in the state of Texas, homeschooling parents are not required to submit formal paperwork to their School District or the Texas Education Agency; however, home school curricula must include reading, writing, spelling, math, and good citizenship. You will want to check with your state agency to confirm your requirements. You can begin by contacting the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) if you need information about your state. A quick google search can yield helpful information as well. Simply type in “[insert state] homeschool requirements” into the search box.
The more informed you are prior to beginning your home school journey, the better equipped you are to conduct a strong home school program. I began gathering information and researching requirements a full year prior to beginning our home school journey. I’m thankful that I took the time to prepare myself because I was able to identify proper curricula and processes that matched my state requirements. I suggest allotting 6-9 months for preparation including identifying state requirements, determining your daily/weekly schedule, and selecting potential curricula.
What are the homeschooling requirements in your state and how do you manage them? Leave a comment below!
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