Submit your Notice of Consent (fka Notice of Intent) to your county school district

15 days prior to beginning home instruction, you must notify your county Board of Education. You are only notifying them - they are not approving your request. Many BOEs have begun requesting online registration. This is not required by law. It is your option whether to use this or not. Some of the information requested in the online form may not be legally requested, but if you volunteer it, they may use it.

That's It! You are officially a home educating family!

No. The State and County do not provide any assistance in selecting or purchasing curriculum. And most home educators are very happy with that arrangement because it gives us the freedom to choose the teaching methods that work best with our child's learning style. 

With that being said, there are an overwhelming number of options to choose from. How do you begin to narrow it down? 

METHODS:

School-at-Home (Traditional): This method closely mirrors a conventional school setting, using textbooks, workbooks, quizzes, and a set schedule.

Classical: Based on the trivium (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stages), this method focuses on teaching children how to learn through a structured, literature-based approach that emphasizes logic, analytical thinking, and persuasive communication.

Charlotte Mason: This method emphasizes a broad and rich education using living books, short lessons, nature studies, art and music appreciation, and habit formation.

Unit Studies: In this project-based approach, all subjects are integrated into a single, overarching theme or topic (e.g., "Ancient Egypt" or "Rainforests").

Montessori: Adapted for home use, this method focuses on self-directed, practical, and hands-on learning using specifically designed materials in a prepared environment.

Unschooling (Child-Led Learning): This is the least structured method, where learning is driven entirely by the child's interests, natural curiosity, and daily life experiences.

Eclectic (Combined Approach): The most common approach, eclectic homeschooling, involves blending elements from several different methods to create a customized education plan that best fits each child's individual needs and the family's lifestyle.

IN THE END, MOST OF US ARE ECLECTIC. We choose from a variety of methods and curriculum that best fit our values and needs.

Here are a few resources to get you started

Keep a portfolio of your student's work. Regardless of oversight method, keeping a few samples of work from each subject, each month of the school year is a great way to demonstrate these qualities.

Our umbrella requires the portfolio as part of our review process. Our advisors can help you find methods of documenting subjects that don't lend themselves well to paperwork. We have reviewed electronic portfolios, video portfolios, and large stacks of workbooks as a portfolio.

1. To attend our orientation in late August/early September. It is required for first-year members, and for transcript-level members each year
2. To submit a list of the subjects you plan to teach and the methods/curriculum you will use to teach them
3. To keep a portfolio of your students' work
4. To meet with your advisor to review that portfolio and have the opportunity to ask questions/discuss concerns

Our advisors provide answers to questions year-round. There is some variation in the paperwork level between the Standard and Transcript levels - the transcript requires more, as we provide a diploma and transcripts you may use as official documentation.