How to start homeschooling: a step-by-step guide for families

Homeschooling is legal in every state, but each state sets its own rules, and they vary a lot. Depending on where you live, you may need to:

• notify your school district or state, sometimes by a deadline,
• teach certain subjects, or for a minimum number of days or hours,
• keep attendance records or a portfolio of work,
• have your child take standardized tests or an evaluation at certain grades, or
• meet a basic education requirement as the parent teaching.

Some states require little more than a notice; others ask for regular reports. Start with your state department of education's website, which usually has a homeschool page. The U.S. Department of Education also keeps a state-by-state summary, but check your state's own site for the current rules.

If your child is already enrolled in school, follow your district's formal withdrawal process before you begin, so your child isn't marked absent. This guide shares general information, not legal advice; if your situation is unusual, ask your state education department.

Before buying anything, write down why you're homeschooling and what you hope this year will bring. Your reasons shape every later choice. A family homeschooling for a child who needs more challenge in math will plan differently from one seeking a calmer pace after a hard year.

For each child, jot down a few goals in three areas: learning (read chapter books independently, master multiplication facts), habits (finish tasks, ask for help, keep a tidy workspace) and life (cook a simple meal, care for a pet, explore a new hobby). Keep the list short and look at it monthly.

Homeschool families use many approaches, and most end up mixing several. Here are the common ones:

There is no single best approach. Choose one that fits your child, your schedule and your own energy, and expect to adjust after a few months.

Curriculum choices can be dizzying, and it's easy to buy too much. A few principles help:

• Prioritize reading, writing and math. These build on themselves year after year, so choose clear, systematic programs here. For beginning readers, that means systematic phonics; for math, a program that builds understanding as well as skills.
• Start small. Begin with core subjects for the first few weeks, then add science, history, art and music once your routine is steady.
• Use the library. Libraries are a homeschooler's best friend for living books, nonfiction, audiobooks and programs.
• Try before you buy. Look at samples, borrow from other families and buy used where you can.
• Keep a path back to school open. If your child may return to school, glance at your state's grade-level standards so skills stay roughly aligned.

Homeschooling usually takes far less time than a school day, because there's no waiting in line, moving between rooms or managing thirty children. Young children may need only an hour or two of focused lessons; older students more, especially in high school. The rest of the day is for reading, play, projects, chores, outdoor time and following interests.

Many families find a simple rhythm works better than a minute-by-minute schedule:

1. Morning basket or meeting: a read-aloud, a poem, a calendar check and the day's plan.
2. Core work: math and reading or writing while energy is high.
3. Break and movement: outside if possible.
4. Afternoon projects: science, history, art, music or field trips.
5. Independent reading: a quiet time for everyone.

Plan by the week rather than the day, so a sick day or a great field trip doesn't throw everything off.

Even if your state requires little, a few records protect you and help you see progress:

• an attendance log or calendar,
• samples of work from each subject, a few per month,
• a list of books read,
• any test or evaluation results, and
• for high school, course descriptions, grades and credits for a transcript.

A folder per child and a shared spreadsheet are plenty. Ten minutes on a Friday keeps it current.

Homeschooled children can have rich social lives, but it takes some planning. Look for homeschool co-ops, library programs, sports teams, scouting-style groups, music lessons, park days and volunteer projects. Parents need community too: other homeschooling families are a source of ideas, encouragement and the occasional swap of teaching duties.

Protect your own energy. Many families who leave school find the first month is an adjustment for everyone. Go slowly, keep expectations modest, and remember that you don't have to recreate school at home.

Without report cards arriving every few months, it helps to check progress on purpose. A few simple habits work well:

• Look back monthly. Compare work samples from the start of the month with work from the end. Is handwriting neater, are math problems harder, are books longer?
• Listen to your child read and explain. A short read-aloud and a retell, or explaining how they solved a math problem, shows understanding better than a worksheet score.
• Use a yearly check. Many families use an annual evaluation or standardized test, whether or not their state requires one, to spot gaps early.
• Watch the whole child. Curiosity, confidence, sleep, friendships and a love of learning are progress too.

If your child is struggling with reading, math or attention, don't wait. Talk with your pediatrician, and contact your local public school district: schools must identify and evaluate children who may need special education services, including children who are homeschooled.