Anderson Home School Association
HOMESCHOOLING: HOW TO GET STARTEDSo you're thinking about homeschooling? Much prayer should accompany your decision to home school. Then, it is often helpful to write down the reasons you want to home school your child. What would you like to accomplish this year? Some families need to focus on academic concerns while others are targeting character training. Establishing goals will be useful in evaluating your year and encouraging you when the going gets rough. The next step is to become legal. Prayerfully consider Options 1, 2 and 3 (below) and determine which suits the needs of your family best. Then request the appropriate paperwork, fill it out and submit it along with any fees. It is strongly suggested that you join a support group. A support group will give you an opportunity to learn different ideas or to share with the group. Either way, you won't feel like you are in this alone.The next major decision is what curriculum to use. Again, spend much time in prayer about this. Try to identify the learning style of your child. Is he an active learner, one who likes to do projects and handle things? Or perhaps your child likes to read and loves workbooks. Does your child learn best when he hears the information presented instead of reading about the subject? There is curriculum to suit every learning method. Consider, also, your teaching style. If you hate to do projects a curriculum that requires a lot of teacher preparation and participation will not work.
Also, what is your philosophy of education? Home school curriculum tends to be divided into categories. There is the traditional or textbook approach, (Bob Jones, Abeka, Alpha Omega), the classical approach (Calvert, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Latin), the unit study approach (Konos, Valerie Bendt), and the living books/Charlotte Mason approach (Learning Language Arts through Literature, Greenleaf). See our Homeschooling Resources section for more information.
Options There are three options to legally home school. In order to be recognized under state law in South Carolina, you must choose one of these three options:
Option 1: School District – Parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is approved by the district board of trustees of the district in which the children reside. A district board of trustees shall approve home-schooling programs which meet specific requirements. Option 2: SCAIHS (South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools, (803) 454-0427, www.scaihs.org) – Parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of SCAIHS. Option 3: Parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of an association for home schools that has no fewer than fifty members and meets the requirements. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of the association exempts the home school from the further requirements of Option 1 or Option 2.AHSA offers a legal option to home school under the SC Laws, Option 3. This legal option is known as HEART. HSLDA provides complete details on Home Schooling Laws in South Carolina
. South Carolina State Laws • Compulsory Attendance Ages: “five years of age before September first until . . . seventeenth birthday or” graduation from high school. Any parents whose child is “not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child” not to attend kindergarten, and then must sign a written document with the school district. S.C. Code ' 59-65-10. • Required Days of Instruction: 180 days. S.C. Code ' 59-65-40(A)/ ' 59-65-45/ ' 59-65-47 • Required Subjects: Reading , writing, math, science, and social studies; (grades 7-12) composition and literature. S.C. Code ' 59-65-40(A)/ ' 59-65-45/ ' 59-65-47 • Home School Statute: There are three options to legally home school: • Option 1 - S.C. Code ' 59-65-40. Parents “may teach their children at home if the instruction is approved by the district board of trustees.” The boards “shall approve” (they have no discretion) if: • The parent has either: • at least a high school diploma or GED (The basic skills exam was struck down by the South Carolina Supreme Court. See below.); • or earned a baccalaureate degree; • The instructional day is at least four and one-half hours, and the year at least 180 days; • The curriculum includes the required subjects listed above; • The parent presents a system of maintaining records as evidence of regular instruction including: a) a plan book or other record of subjects taught and activities, b) a portfolio of the child's work, and a record of academic evaluation, with a semiannual progress report to be submitted to the school district; • The student has access to library facilities; • The student participates in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program; • and the parents release the district from liability regarding their child's education. • Parents may appeal school district decisions to the State Board of Education within ten days. They may appeal State Board decisions to the Family Court within 30 days. • Option 2 - Or parents may teach their children at home by becoming members of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS) under S.C. Code ' 59-65-45 (effective April 8, 1992). “In lieu of the requirements of ' 59-65-40, parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools exempts the home school from the further requirements of ' 59-65-40.” Under this option parents or guardians must meet the following requirements: • Hold at least a high school diploma or GED; • The instructional year is at least 180 days; and • The curriculum includes the required subjects listed above. • Option 3 - Or parents may teach their children at home by becoming members of an association from home schools which has no fewer than fifty members under S.C. Code ' 59-65-47 (effective June 20, 1996). “In lieu of the requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45, parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of an association for home schools which has no fewer than fifty members and meets the requirements of this section. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of the associations exempts the home school from the further requirements of Section 59-65-40 or Section 59-65-45.” Under this option parents or guardians must meet the following requirements: • hold at least a high school diploma or GED; • an instructional year of at least 180 days; and • the curriculum includes the required subjects listed above; and • educational records maintained by the parent include: • a plan book or other record of subjects taught and activities; • a portfolio of the child's work; and • a semiannual progress report
More information If you have more questions about whether homeschooling is right for you and your child, and how to get started, contact us at ahsainfo@gmail.com or (864) 225-2121. We also offer "How to Get Started in Homeschooling" meetings (see our calendar). If you decide to become a member of AHSA, our membership offers support, a new member's program, and many group activities to help you along the way. May God bless you on your new homeschooling journey!
Anderson Home School Association - P.O. Box 2382 - Anderson, SC 29622 - (864) 225-2121 email: ahsainfo@gmail.comAnderson Home School Association, Anderson, South Carolina |
