Thursday, June 21, 2007

Is Homeschooling Legal?

Is Homeschooling Legal?
State Regulations in the US about homeschooling

In the US, all 50 states (plus DC & Puerto Rico) have mandatory school attendence laws until a certain age (often 16). But, each state has it's own method of defining what constitutes "school attendence".

In some states, parents are free to set up their own homeschool and take full responsibility for their children's education without any reporting or constraints. In other states, the children need to be enrolled full time in an accredited school but the school can provide a home-based distance-learning program. Often, some states require the parents to establish a "school".

In short, each state is different and many states change their rules. And, the rules for school attendence are different than those about who can issue an accredited high school diploma.

Time4Learning has been researching and recording some of these different regulations. While this does not constitute legal advice, here is a collection of information by states about homeschooling....

Alabama Homeschooling & Time4Learning
Florida Homeschooling & Time4Learning
California Homeschooling & Time4Learning
Georgia Homeschooling & Time4Learning
North Carolina & Time4Learning
Ohio Homeschooling & Time4Learning
Texas Homeschooling & Time4Learning
Alaska Homeschooling & Time4Learning
Virginia Homeschooling & Time4Learning
South Carolina Homeschooling & Time4Learning

Grade Level Curriculum

Online Learning - Grade by Grade

Time4Learning teaches preschool, elementary, and middle school curriculum.

We have put ontline a series of grade level summaries for our parents convenience. Take a look!

Preschool
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade

Social Studies Homeschool Curriculum

Social Studies is one of subjects that some kids seem to really like. Here's an overview of Time4Learning's online social studies curriculum.

In first and second grade social studies, students learn about human's basic needs and are introduced to map reading and historical and cultural holidays. Learn more about first and second grade social studies lesson plans.

Map skills are enhanced in third grade social studies and geographic terms are introduced. Students also study Alaska Inuits, Vikings, exploration of the Americas and colonization of North America. Read about the third grade lesson plans here.

Upper Elementary - Fourth & Fifth Grade Social Studies Curriculum

In fourth grade, ancient civilizations, the Incas, Mayas and Aztecs and the American Revolutionary war period are studied in the history lessons. Geography lesson focus on land formations and how people interact with their physical environment. United States civics are introduced. Complete details are in the fourth grade social studies lesson plans.

Early civilizations ranging from the Olmecs to the Phoenicians are the focus of fifth grade history, along with 19th century United States history, including the events leading up to the Civil War, the war itself, and post-war reconstruction. Economics, US and world geography, and government systems round out the fifth grade social studies curriculum. Read here for complete details about the fifth grade social study lesson plans.