How to homeschool
To homeschool, first follow your state's legal steps (some states require a notice, some add testing, and some require nothing), then withdraw your child from school in writing if they are enrolled. After that, find your child's actual level in reading and math, choose curriculum for that level, set a weekly schedule you can keep, and save attendance and work samples from day one.
Most families can finish the legal and setup steps in a week or two. The first month is for testing the plan, not perfecting it. This guide walks through each step in order, with a first-30-days checklist near the end.
Step 1: Check your state's homeschool law
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states and DC, but each state sets its own rules. The law decides whether you file anything, when you file it, whether your child must be tested or evaluated, and what records you keep. Read your state's rule before you buy curriculum, because a few states expect a written plan or an approved program before you start.
State laws fall into four rough groups. The examples below come from each state's official education department page, which our homeschool laws by state guide links for all 50 states. Rules change, so confirm the current version on the official page for your state.
| Category | What the state asks | Example states |
|---|---|---|
| No notice | No filing with the state. You still must teach, and keeping records is wise. | Texas, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Alaska |
| Notice only | File a notice, affidavit, or statement, often by a set date each year. No required test. | Arizona (affidavit to county superintendent), Arkansas (by August 15), Mississippi (by September 15), Wisconsin (by October 15), Utah (one-time notice) |
| Notice with assessment | File a notice and show progress through a standardized test or an evaluation on a set schedule. | Florida (annual evaluation), North Carolina (annual standardized test), Virginia (annual assessment), Georgia (testing every 3 years from the end of 3rd grade), Colorado (grades 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) |
| High regulation | Notice plus a written plan, approval, portfolio review, or periodic reports, often with testing. | New York (annual IHIP and quarterly reports), Pennsylvania (affidavit, portfolio, testing in grades 3, 5, 8), Massachusetts (education plan approved by the school committee), Maryland (portfolio review twice a year) |
Your category also tells you how much paperwork to build into the year. A family in Texas mostly needs its own records. A family in New York needs a written instruction plan and quarterly reports on the calendar. Families in Florida and Pennsylvania should set up a portfolio before the first lesson.
Parent qualifications are rarely an obstacle. Most states set none. A few, including Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico, require the teaching parent to hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Step 2: Withdraw from school if your child is enrolled
If your child attends a public or private school, withdraw them before the first homeschool day. Do not simply stop sending them. A child who is still enrolled and absent can be marked truant, and that can trigger calls or a referral before your paperwork catches up.
Send a short written withdrawal to the school, and in states that require it, file your notice of intent with the district or state office. Use the homeschool withdrawal letter template for the school and the homeschool letter of intent template for the notice. Some states set timing: Oregon asks for notice to the education service district within 10 days of withdrawal, and New Hampshire within 30 days. Wyoming requires an in-person withdrawal meeting for a student currently enrolled in public school.
Keep a dated copy of everything you send and any reply. Ask the school for your child's records, including report cards, test scores, and any IEP or 504 plan. You may need them later for placement, a return to school, or high school credits. If you are leaving partway through a term, the guide to starting homeschooling mid-year covers what to do with half-finished courses.
Step 3: Decide what a year looks like
Before you pick materials, decide the shape of the year. Some states specify days or hours of instruction, and your state page lists them. Where the law is silent, you still need a target, because a curriculum is sized for a certain number of lessons.
A simple way to plan is weeks times days. If you teach 36 weeks at 4 days a week, you have 144 lesson days. If a math program has 150 lessons, you either add a fifth math day some weeks or run math through part of the summer. Doing that arithmetic now prevents the spring scramble.
Decide the subjects too, and check whether your state lists required ones. Put breaks on the calendar now; a planned week off is easier to protect than one you hope to find in March.
Step 4: Find your child's starting level
Your child's grade on paper and the level they can actually work at are often different, especially in math. A child finishing 5th grade may be solid on multiplication and shaky on fractions. Starting them in 6th grade math because they are 11 builds the next year on that gap.
Use a placement test before you buy. The free placement test checks reading and math and tells you where to start.
Expect uneven results. Many children place ahead in one subject and behind in another. That is normal, and homeschooling lets you teach each subject at its own level. If your child is behind in several areas, see curriculum for kids behind grade level.
Step 5: Choose curriculum
Pick curriculum after placement, not before. These are the main approaches; the homeschool curriculum guide splits them into six curriculum types. A boxed curriculum gives you every subject for one grade with lesson plans. A pieced-together plan picks a separate program for each subject. An online program delivers lessons on a screen and often grades the work. Classes, tutors, and co-ops cover the subjects you do not want to teach yourself.
The right choice depends on how much time you have and how much you want to plan. A parent working full time usually needs something that runs with little prep. A parent who loves planning can build a cheaper custom mix. Our guide to choosing homeschool curriculum compares the approaches in detail.
Browse by stage once you know the approach: elementary homeschool curriculum, middle school homeschool curriculum, or high school homeschool curriculum. Before you commit, look at the full-year cost, which our guide on how much homeschooling costs breaks down by approach. Buy core subjects first and add extras after the first month, once you know what your child responds to.
Step 6: Set a weekly rhythm
A weekly rhythm matters more than a minute-by-minute schedule. Decide which subjects happen every day, which happen two or three times a week, and when the day ends. Put the hardest subject when your child is freshest, which for most children is the morning.
Start lighter than you think and add time once the routine holds. Here is one example week for a 4th grader. It is a starting point, not a standard.
| Block | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math | Lesson | Lesson | Lesson | Lesson | Review or quiz |
| Reading and writing | Lesson | Lesson | Lesson | Lesson | Free reading |
| Science | Lesson | Lab or project | |||
| History | Lesson | Lesson | |||
| Afternoon | Outside time | Co-op or class | Library | Music or art | Field trip or catch-up |
Keep Friday light on purpose. It absorbs the lesson that ran long on Tuesday. The homeschool schedule generator builds a printable week from your own hours. If you teach more than one child, read how to homeschool multiple grades before you build the week.
Step 7: Keep records from the first day
Records protect you if your state, a district, or a college asks what your child did. Start one folder, paper or digital, on day one. Filling it in weekly takes minutes; reconstructing a year in May takes days.
Keep a copy of every legal filing, an attendance log, a list of materials used, and a few dated work samples per subject each month. Add test or evaluation results when you have them. In a portfolio state such as Florida or Pennsylvania, the samples are the evidence reviewers read. How to build a homeschool portfolio covers the method.
From 9th grade on, records become a transcript. Track each course's title, credits, and final grade as you go. The homeschool grading system guide explains how to set a grading scale you can defend.
Step 8: Plan how you will know it is working
Pick your checkpoints now. Without them, one bad week can feel like proof the plan failed, and one good week can hide a real gap.
At two weeks, ask whether the daily routine holds and whether the work is the right difficulty. Lessons that take three times as long as planned, or that your child finishes without effort, mean the level is off. At six weeks, compare new work samples with the first ones. You should see fewer errors or harder material. At the end of each term, retake a placement check or use a standardized test. Our homeschool standardized testing options page lists what is available, and several states require one anyway.
If something is not working, change one thing at a time: the time of day, the pace, or the material. Switching everything at once hides which change helped. If a program still does not fit after a few weeks, read what to do when your homeschool curriculum isn't working before you buy a replacement.
Your first 30 days: a checklist
Use this list in order. Nothing on it requires buying a full year of materials.
- Days 1 to 3: Read your state's official homeschool rule and write down every deadline and required record.
- Days 1 to 3: If your child is enrolled, send the withdrawal letter and file any required notice. Keep dated copies.
- Days 3 to 5: Request your child's school records, including report cards, test scores, and any IEP or 504 plan.
- Days 3 to 7: Run a placement check in reading and math and note the starting level for each subject.
- Days 5 to 10: Choose core materials for reading, writing, and math at the placed level. Hold off on extras.
- Days 5 to 10: Set up one records folder with an attendance log, a materials list, and a work-sample section.
- Days 7 to 10: Draft a weekly rhythm and mark your calendar with breaks and state deadlines.
- Days 10 to 14: Run the first full week. Save two work samples per core subject.
- Day 14: Review. Adjust the level, the pace, or the time of day, one change at a time.
- Days 15 to 30: Add science, history, and one activity or class. Save samples weekly.
- Day 30: Compare new work with day one and decide what to keep, change, or buy for the rest of the term.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell the school I am homeschooling?
If your child is enrolled, yes. Send the school a written withdrawal so your child is not marked truant. Whether you also notify the district or state depends on where you live. States like Texas and Idaho require no notice, while Arkansas, Mississippi, and Wisconsin require a filing by a set date. Keep a dated copy of whatever you send.
Do you need a teaching degree to homeschool?
No. Most states set no qualification for a parent teaching their own child. A few, including Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico, require a high school diploma or equivalent. Some states offer an extra legal route that needs a certified teacher, such as Alabama's private tutor option, but those states also offer a route that does not. Check your state's official page for the current rule.
How long does it take to start homeschooling?
The legal steps usually take a few days to two weeks, depending on your state's filing rules and deadlines. Some states, such as Colorado and North Dakota, ask for notice 14 days before you start. Placement and choosing core materials take about another week. You can begin reading and math lessons while you finish setting up the rest.
What supplies do I need to start homeschooling?
Fewer than most families buy. For the first month you need core materials for reading, writing, and math at your child's placed level, paper and pencils, a library card, and one folder or binder for records. Add a device and internet access if you use an online program. Hold off on classroom furniture, wall charts, and full-year bundles, since after a few weeks you will know what your child actually uses.
Can I start homeschooling in the middle of the school year?
Yes. You can withdraw and start at any point, as long as you follow your state's notice rules and timing. Place your child fresh rather than picking up where the school left off, since the class pace may not match what your child learned. Request their records before you leave so you can document partial-year work.
Can I homeschool if I work full time?
Many parents do, but it takes planning. You need lessons that run with little prep, a schedule built around your work hours, and often an online program, co-op, or tutor for part of the load. Unless your state sets days or hours, lessons can happen in the evening or on weekends. Budget your own time as carefully as money.
Do I need to join a homeschool group or umbrella school?
In most states, no. You can homeschool independently under your state's law. A few states, such as Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, offer or require legal routes that run through a church school, umbrella school, or accountability association, and your state's page explains the options. Local homeschool groups and co-ops are a separate question. They are optional, and many families join one for classes, field trips, and friends rather than for legal cover.