How Homeschooling Works - FAQ

Comments

1. Hello. I went to Gardendale Christian academy during 2003-2005 and I graduated. I have lost my diploma and it seems that the homeschool has closed. How can I get a replacement copy of my diploma if the homeschool I attended doesn’t exist anymore?

   • Hi Stefanie,

     One idea is to see if you can find anyone who was formally associated with Gardendale Christian who can shed light on where they might have sent records or who might have them for safekeeping.

     Another is to check with Parchment to see if records available there.

     If you were legally homeschooling in your state and the academy you attended was not a private school but more like a homeschool co-op, you could consider having your parent re-create a homeschool diploma or give you a copy of your transcripts. Rules about diplomas and graduations vary from state-to-state, but in many places, a parent-generated diploma is legally valid.

     You may also want to explore whether transcripts that document your high school learning can be used in lieu of a lost diploma, which is commonly the case.

2. After I mail in my letter of intent to homeschool how long do I have to wait to remove my child from school? Do I have to wait for a letter back or can I remove them when I send the letter?

   • Hi Billie - As we mention above, homeschooling is regulated by the state, so the answer to your question depends of the laws of your state. The best way to find the answers to questions related to state requirements are 1) to read the homeschooling statute and 2) to get connected with local homeschoolers who are familiar with the law.

3. My daughter has had many conflicts in PE and I’m wondering if I can keep her in school but homeschool her for PE? We live in Idaho and she participates in parkour outside of school but I don’t know that she would be able to get PE credit for it?

   • Hi Charmayne,

     Specific questions about what a school will accept for credit can only be answered by the school a child is attending, not by anyone in the homeschooling community.

     If your child were homeschooled full-time and completely by you, parkour could be a great PE credit (unless Idaho law has specific PE requirements for homeschoolers. Every state homeschool law is different). I have given my kids PE credit for ice skating, playing soccer, cycling, hiking, and more.

     Schools typically do not have to accept classes or credits earned outside of the school or earned while homeschooling, so public school parents do not have the same flexibility to create courses and credits as homeschool parents.

     I recommend talking to the school's guidance counselor or principal about possible options for PE and/or how to resolve the challenges. In some cases, getting an IEP at school helps with specific needs to customize education, though it may not be as common for PE classes. Some school administrators can be helpful in making school a more positive experience for kids. Others will be concerned about treating all children consistently.

     Of course, the other option is to withdraw to homeschool your child according to Idaho law. Then you can customize your child's education in the ways that works best. I realize that may not be an option you are seeking.

     And as a practical matter, I encourage you to look as far "upstream" from your child's problems with PE to see where help might improve things. For example, if there is a certain kid in PE she does not get along with, maybe she can switch PE to a different time. If she hates to wear the required clothing, maybe an exception can be negotiated. If the structure of the class (or lack thereof) leaves your child at loose ends, perhaps you can request accommodations. Sometimes parents can do some detective work to get to the root of a problem, whether their child is homeschooling or attending public school.

     Good luck in creating the best situation possible for your child.

     Jeanne

4. My residence is in the state of Georgia but I would like to homeschool my children while I do contract/travel work. Would I need to follow rules of homeschooling for the state of Georgia or whatever state I am currently working in?

   • Claire,

     You will homeschool according to the laws of Georgia, where you are a legal resident. Homeschoolers regularly work and travel in other states without problems. If you need a resource to tell you about your state homeschool laws, consult our local and state resources and find your state homeschool organization, which is your best source of information about the rules you need to follow.

     Best,
     Jeanne

5. I’m curious about field trips to the Minnesota Zoo. Are there any funding options or specific programs for homeschooling?

   • That would be a great question for the zoo—I'm sure they have contact information on their website. If you talk to them, you could even let them know that they are welcome to submit a listing for any homeschool activities so that other homeschoolers can find the info.

6. I am trying to find a list of suggested homeschool curriculum for kindergarten. I am having difficulty and was wondering if you could help me find some lists of recommended options. I prefer to have physical work for my child so they are not having a ton of screen time for school. Some screen time is fine. I read the how to pick a curriculum but finding actual lists is difficult.

   • Danielle, we liked your idea of having a list of kindergarten curriculum options, so we wrote an article Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum: A Complete Guide. The specific curricula mentioned are examples of popular curricula many parents choose. Each family's experience will vary.

     Hope this helps!

     Looking forward,
     Jeanne

   • Hi Danielle,

     We don't have a list of recommended curriculum options by grade. You could browse our Curriculum Reviews, though.

     I'd also recommend you read our popular article, What Curriculum Should I Use for My 4 Year Old? You have a kindergartener, but many of the ideas and the list of supplies will work for most K-2 kids as well, alongside any curriculum you do decide on. New homeschoolers may not have thought of how much kids can learn from these kinds of resources and activities.

     Looking forward,
     Jeanne

7. Hi, our son is a rising ninth grader who, though already accepted into Cary High, has decided to homeschool.
   We're wondering, can he do tennis for PE by playing with us at the local courts and occasionally having a
   lesson from a pro teacher? How can we prove that we've done this and do we also need to use a textbook?
   Is PE for Grade 9 only or for 4 years and how many credits total?

   • Each state has its own laws and regulations around homeschooling. Your best bet is to find your local and state homeschool organizations and look for state-specific information on their website, or ask them for info that addresses your question. In most states, any course can be done any way a parent wants, including PE. My kids played soccer and took ice skating lessons for PE, for example, and did not have to use any textbooks—although when they got interested in something, they did tend to read and do research. As far as how many years to do PE, if your child plans to attend college, you can look at some college websites to find their high school requirements. In most states, homeschoolers don't have to have the same credits as public high school grads, but you could check your state department of education website to see how many credits of PE they recommend or require.

     Lessons from a tennis pro sounds like fun!

     One other caveat—be aware that re-entering public high school after homeschooling can make transferring credits challenging no matter how the credit was earned. Read the linked article for more info.

     Looking forward,
     Jeanne

8. Hi, I have been using your homeschool transcript for years now. I cannot get it to let me unprotect the document to print the pages or to change it to A-I for the print task. How can I go about this? Is there a password that I can put in to make changes here? I am trying to do an official transcript for my son who will be taking college courses this fall.

   • Hi Carla - The password is letmein, which is noted on the transcript page under Troubleshooting/Customizing. Best wishes to your son as he enters college!

9. ok...love the website but HATE the name. as a DAD who homeschools, kind of a terrrrrrrible name (like 1950's attitude to assume Mom teaches)
   Anyway, the site is great aside from that.
   One thing that would be cool is if we PARENTS could find info on discounts offered for local activities (zoos, museums...etc.) I didnt see this info on the site. If i am incorrect let me know.
   Thanks!

   • The site was started by a homeschool mom (me) 22 years ago to help others like me. I didn't know any homeschool dads then, but I'm thrilled more dads are homeschooling now. I also think it would be cool if parents could find info on discounts offered for local activities. Since this site serves homeschoolers nationwide, we depend on organizations and individuals to submit local information like you describe. If you know of discounts for local activities, please feel free to use the "update this resource" link on its resource page in our local listings on our site or submit a new resource if there isn't an existing one.

10. Hi,
    I am a public school teacher in Idaho and I am looking into homeschooling my two daughters next year. My husband and I will need to supplement my loss of income since I will be moving out of the district. I thought that something that I would love to do is support homeschool students and parents with courses or support. I have no idea if there is a need for this amongst homeschool families or how much I should charge. Obviously I will not make my current teaching salary by teaching homeschool courses, but I really would need to find a way to make some income while I homeschool my own kids. What do parents do in this situation? Thanks in advance.

    • Hi Becky - You might find interest in local homeschool groups, or you could take out an ad in the newsletter of your state's homeschool organization. You could also think outside of the box regarding yours and your husband's schedules and how working and homeschooling might work. You could use the site search function to find our articles about homeschooling while working as they might be helfpul.

11. Thank you for this site: I use it and recommend it often. Today I looked at comments about a virtual product and now and am very happy that I didn't buy it 🙂 I appreciate your work.

12. I have two children enrolled in the Idaho Connections Academy. I love the school, but during the year, I have traveled to Alaska to be with my adult daughter having her first baby. One of my two students went to Hawaii to spend time with her brother who is stationed there. She is currently on an IEP. Because we are not in the state of Idaho, even though we are permanent residents, the school is withdrawing her due to funding conflict. They gave me a date to be back in Idaho by, but I cannot make it. No online schools in Hawaii are accepting transfer students. I cannot afford tuition of the private schools, nor can I put her in brick and mortar, due to distractions and her inability to socialize properly. Currently, she is in 10th grade. Do you have suggestions?

    • Hi Annie - As a homeschooling resource, TheHomeSchoolMom team is not well-versed in IEPs nor public school policies. I can, however, empathize with you - this is a difficult situation. Since state virtual academies are online public schools, they have strict rules about residency (just as brick and mortar public schools do).

      If your daughter was in elementary or middle school and you were able to do so, one solution might be to homeschool her for the rest of the year and let her return to virtual school at the start of the next school year. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to transfer credits back into public school at the high school level. Because of that, we usually recommend committing either to homeschooling or public schooling for the entirety of high school to avoid unpleasant surprises.

      Since you cannot afford private school and high school credits may or may not be accepted by public schools should your daughter return to school, you are in a situation with no good answers short of friends or family in Idaho who could let your daughter stay with them under the policies of the virtual school she attends until you can return.

      I wish I had a helpful suggestion for you. You have my best wishes for a positive outcome.

13. I need help. I started homeschooling my 13 and 15 year old sons. My 10th grader will not a willing participant and I need help getting him more excited for this " new normal". Any suggestions?

    • Hi Sarah - What you are experiencing is not unusual. I think you will find Jeanne's post about resistance in homeschooling helpful.

14. What are the ways in which homeschooling can be introduced alongside formal schooling?

    • Hi Lanny,

      We would generally consider this enrichment rather than homeschooling. One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is flexibility, which allows us to meet current needs now, deschool, and adjust things that aren't working for us.

      It is important to understand the limitations of trying to add to full programs offered by public schools, since they may not give you the curriculum, flexibility, customized learning, or reasonable workload that your kids need. This often results in extra pressure rather than an enriching experience.

      With all of that said, one of the easiest ways to add enrichment to your child's formal schooling is to embrace delight-directed learning by following rabbit trails (without pressure) as areas of interest come up. You can explore any topic for any length of time—just follow the child. Best wishes to you and your child(ren)!

15. Hello,

    My child attends a regionally accredited virtual school and plans to apply to UH manoa. We were looking over their requirements for homeschoolers and saw that they require their applicants to submit a minimum of 3 SAT subject test. We contacted the school via email regarding this matter, but it has been a week and they have not responded. I have took it upon myself to research if submitting the SAT subject tests is necessary if my child is going to receive a high school diploma through an online school, but nothing has answered my question. Do online high school students still need to submit such requirements despite the accreditation of their programs?

    • Hi Maria,

      The answer to your question depends on the circumstances of the online program your child is in. If it is an accredited virtual public school, then your child is actually a public school student and will be a public school graduate. Virtual schools funded by the state are not homeschool programs—they are online public school programs. If that is the case here, your child will be a graduate of the public school system and should apply to the college as such.

      If the online school is not state-funded, then the question becomes whether the student is enrolled full-time at a private institution offering an online program or is a homeschooled student taking some classes online. The entity issuing the diploma/transcripts is the determining factor in whether the student applies as a homeschooler.

      Taking a combination of homeschool classes and classes from an online institution usually means the diploma is issued by the parent, in which case they would be a homeschool graduate. If the courses are from an accredited institution, you could request that the SAT subject test requirements be waived (there is sometimes flexibility in the admissions process), but the decision of whether to waive the requirement would be entirely up to the college.

      If your child is graduating from a homeschool, these articles will be helpful to you as you navigate the admissions process:
      College admission requirements for homeschoolers, a discussion of outside evidence in college applications, all about high school transcripts (free template included), and homeschool to college resources.

      In short, colleges can impose whatever admission requirements they choose on applicants—there is a difference between state homeschool requirements for graduation and college admission requirements. The question that is most pertinent in your case is whether your child is homeschooling or attending online school as a public or private school student. If your child's diploma and transcripts are issued by a public or private school, the requirements for homeschooled applicants should not apply to them.

      • Thank you so much for replying!

        So if my child attends an online private school that issues a diploma and transcripts (I have little involvement whatsoever) she would be considered as a private school graduate rather than a homeschooling applicant? Also, when colleges mention non-traditional programs, what are they referring to exactly? Are they talking about homeschooling students who take part in an online homeschool program or just all online programs in general? Another thing, on this college application it is required to provide information about the applicant's high school counselor. However, my child has not met any and has been doing the college application process solo. What can she do if there is no counselor information to give.

        • Hi Marie,

          I do not want to give a definite yes or no about your child being considered a private school graduate since there is always the small possibility that a college could have an unusual standard for determining that, but typically that is the way colleges look at enrollment.

          Non-traditional learner is a catchall term that may be defined differently by different institutions, so you should look on their website for specific information if you cannot get in touch with them. I would try email, phone, and even snail mail to try to get answers to your questions. Another resource is the college admission forums at College Confidential. They are a huge help and you can often find information from admissions counselors who frequent the forums. There are tags for different colleges on the right; if you don't see the school listed, just type it into the search bar.

          Regarding the high school counselor issue, I would contact the school your child is enrolled in and ask about that. If there truly is no counselor on staff, that would be a question for the college to which they are applying. Even online schools have school counselors, so just because you haven't heard from one doesn't mean one isn't on staff. If you absolutely cannot get an answer back from the high school, consider who might give the same outside evidence as a high school counselor and try to get a letter from someone offering that kind of perspective.