How to Homeschool
What are the laws in my state for homeschool. (Find your state) https://hslda.org/legal
What are laws in Ohio for homeschool? https://hslda.org/legal/ohio
Homeschooling Requirements for Ohio
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Ohio-Education-Options/Home-Schooling
“We recommend that any correspondence with authorities be sent by “Certified Mail—Return Receipt Requested.” Keep copies of the withdrawal letter(ex. of withdrawal letter link. https://iche.org/resources/articles/information-and-sample-letters-withdrawing-children-public-schools ) and any other paperwork or correspondence, and any green postal receipts, for your personal records.” https://hslda.org/post/how-to-withdraw-your-child-from-school-in-ohio
Options for Homeschooling: Four
School Required for Ages: 5–18
Notification Required: Yes
Teacher Qualifications: No
State Mandated Subjects: No
Assessment requirements: No, except option 1
Immunization requirements: Yes
It’s useful and empowering for the homeschool journey to read through the Ohio Homeschool Regulations that govern home education in our state. Become familiar with this document to better understand your rights as an educator.
https://www.cheohome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Revised-Regs-2019-1.pdf
If you live in Ohio, the first thing you want to do is file a Notice of Intent to Homeschool. This is the legal document you need to show that your child is in school.
An annual notification must be completed for your family and submitted to the district superintendent by the first week of school. The district superintendent has a 14-day window to determine if the information provided is compliant with OAC 3301-34-03(A) and must notify the parents in writing that the student is excused from attendance for the remainder of the school year or the parent needs to provide more information.
In OH, children ages 6-18 must be enrolled in some type of school. If your child is under the age of 6, you don’t need to file the NOI until they turn 6 –however, if they are in public school, the school may ask for proof that you are homeschooling before you can withdraw them. Reference back to State Requirements link.
To home educate you need a diploma. If you don’t have a high school diploma, a family member or friend can use theirs. That person will be the administrator of your school but you can still be the teacher of your child.
Notification Form Link & Instructions
https://www.cheohome.org/join-us/get-started/notification/
Home Education Notification Form
https://www.cheohome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Revised-Notification.pdf
Ohio’s Notification Form
You’ll submit a brief outline of intended curriculum and list of intended resources for each student, along with your notification form for your family,.
The outline and list is “for informational purposes only”, states the OAC. The district are not deciding if they agree with your curriculum choices…only that all subjects are covered. Throughout the year as needed for your students, you are open to change or adjust your curriculum.
There is not a specific form/format for the outline,
EX…
It is very easy to meet the legal requirements for homeschooling in Ohio. You are required to:
File a Notice of Intent with Outline
900 hours of home education/instruction (roughly 180 days/5 hrs per day)
Complete an Assessment each year(3 options…Standardized Test, Written Narrative/Portfolio Review & Alternative Academic Assessment)
Make copies of assessment, Send by Certified Mail to the Superintendent
The links below go to the state website to give you more information about each requirement. The only documentations that you send to the district superintendent is the NOI along with the Outline and your end of year Assessments. The rest is for you to keep at home.
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Ohio-Education-Options/Home-Schooling
If this is your first year homeschooling, you DO NOT need to submit an assessment report.
All assessment reports have been waived due to legislation related to Covid-19 issues in Ohio, for the 2021-2022 notification season. For a summary of this waiver: Assessment Waiver
CHEO has more in-depth information on the assessment process in Ohio in the link below.
https://www.cheohome.org/join-us/get-started/year-end-evaluations/
Please make sure to copy all forms to be sent to the District Superintendent and maintain for your own files. Always make copies of paperwork sent out!
Keep your filing system simple and don’t create additional stress for you or your family.
We suggest, sending by certified mail (with a return receipt) to the superintendent of your local school district. This may cost a bit more to send, but it provides added “insurance” that your documents were received within the superintendents office since someone will need to sign and date the receipt.
The district has 14 business days to review your paperwork and send your excusal letter for the school year…or request more information. You DO NOT have to wait for the letter to start your homeschooling journey!
Since you have completed all necessary paperwork, you can begin!
Have a plan and have fun!
The state regulations require 900 hours of home education (roughly 180 days/5 hrs per day). You’re not obligated to submit daily attendance or hour log, but it is helpful to come up with a plan for your year.
If you plan on your child returning to public school, you will want to keep track of the Learning in Ohio. When you re-enroll, your child’s principal will want to know what your child has studied in order to place them in the appropriate grade.
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio
If you plan to homeschool until your child graduates, then use that freedom to teach what you think is important. For high schoolers, you determine what credits they receive and you write the diploma when they have fulfilled your requirements.
Before you choose a curriculum, think about your homeschooling style. There are a range of styles such as Charlotte Mason, Classical Conversations, project based learning, unit studies, and unschooling. This Homeschool Philosophies Quiz might help you find out what would fit your family best. Dreamers Agile Learning Collective does unschooling (self-directed learning), which means we follow the interests of our students instead of guiding them along a standard path of subjects.
Once you know your philosophy, head over to Cathy Duffy’s site to read reviews of different curricula. She has hundreds of reviews and links to buy them. You can also check out the HomeSchool Mom. We do not recommend investing in boxes of curriculum or online courses until you know your child’s learning style and interests. Each child may have different needs, and some programs require more or less parent involvement. Download samples or buy used a curriculum to see what fits best with your family. If your first week with a curriculum is a disaster, try it for one more week and then move on. Homeschooling can be frustrating but it SHOULD NOT add more stress to your family.
Veteran homeschoolers recommend that you take time to deschool once you leave traditional school. Deschooling is the process of changing your mindset about what schooling should be. Deschooling looks like summer vacation, where your children have time to relax and explore their interests. You can suggest reading or fun activities, but avoid setting up a strict schedule and drilling them on what they know. Take your time and don’t worry about “getting behind.” Read more about deschooling here & here.
When you give your child the time and space to be themselves, they become more confident about what they want to learn, and they come to trust you to be there for them as a parent. During deschooling, your child may spend more time than you’d like on a device, but when was the last time they had 6 hours to spend the way they wanted to? Children who face strict restrictions on screen time may look like “addicts” when those restrictions are taken away, but trust them to find balance and to listen to your concerns when you approach the discussion with love and care. Peter Gray has written several articles about screen time and its benefits for children in the age of technology.
Once you’ve deschooled for a few months, try introducing some of the curriculum you’ve chosen. Veteran homeschoolers do up to three hours work each day, and much less for children under 7. Why so little time? Your children are not spending time standing in line, transitioning between classes, taking out and putting up supplies, or waiting for the teacher to answer questions. You and your child can work much more quickly than teachers with 20+ students. Take advantage of that and give your child plenty of time to digest knowledge and explore their interests.
If your child has a disability, homeschooling is a great option for them. With homeschooling, you don’t have to worry about your child being ahead or behind. No one is measuring your child based on arbitrary standards. If they need more time on a subject, give them more time. It’s ok to do reading and math at different grade levels. Focus on mastery instead of trying to completely cover every subject plus specials.
You may feel disappointed to realize that your child, even though they are in a certain grade level, has not mastered concepts at a lower grade level. The unfortunate reality is that children in public school are promoted based on age and not achievement. Even if your child is in an Exceptional Children classroom, they will have gaps in their knowledge. Don’t panic. You can take the time you need to fill in those gaps or even skip them if they do not serve your family’s needs.
If your child received school based disability services, it is unlikely that your child will continue to receive those services as a homeschool student. Ohio IEP process only applies to public schools and charter schools. The public school is not required to provide services to your child once they withdraw, though some schools do allow students to come in for speech therapy.
This is a great time to look into private providers for speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and social skills classes. Private therapy is usually much more comprehensive than school based services. If your child has a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, or learning disability based on their IEP, you will want to pursue a medical diagnosis to get more information about the disability and to access private services. Speak to your child’s primary care doctor for a referral.
Ohio State IEP
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Students-with-disabilities-guidance
IEP Ohio
https://hslda.org/post/special-education-provisions-for-ohio
IEP Resources
IEP Resources for Home Education
If you are a parent who has to work during the day, you can still homeschool! Lean on your support network to find a place for your child to be during the day. Home daycares are a great option.
Choose a curriculum that is self-guided so that you and your child can spend time at home bonding instead of rushing through school work. Your child can also use Dreamers Agile Learning Collective and/or/in conjunction with Outschoolto take live classes during the day or evening.
Do not feel pressured to take time off work to attend co-ops, field trips, or other activities with homeschool families. Simply making the choice to homeschool means you are already giving your child many opportunities to explore and learn. Use the weekends to go to the library, museums, and the park.
Homeschooling also does not have to cost much. There are many curriculum choices that are free (such as Easy Peasy Homeschooling or Khan Academy) or low cost.
If you don’t have $100 to spare on workbooks, don’t buy them. Use sites like Education.com and K5Learning to print worksheets and activities. Check out books from the library to cover specific topics. YouTube has whole courses online for all ages and subjects. Public schools don’t use textbooks anymore, so why should you?
You can homeschool your child! You’ve got this! It may feel like a daunting task, but you can do it. Knowing that your child will learn in a way that works for them and that honors your values is very rewarding. Traditional schools are a good fit for many families, but if you’ve been looking for something different, take the plunge!
It is legal in the state of Ohio to remove your child from public, online public or private education at any time during the school year in order to home educate.
It is legal in the state of Ohio to remove your child from traditional public, private or online education at any time during the school year in order to home educate.
If withdrawing from a traditional public or private school, CHEO recommends that you notify the principal, in writing, that you are withdrawing your child from school for the purposes of home education. Then simply follow the steps above within one week of withdrawing from school.
If withdrawing from an online public school, CHEO recommends that you first notify your child’s teacher and then take the steps suggested for withdrawing from traditional school. Your child is not required to take an assessment before withdrawing. You will be required to return computers and learning materials provided by the state.
Withdrawal from traditional public or private schools:
Notify the principal, in writing, that you are withdrawing your child from school for the purposes of home education. Send your letter certified mail (return receipt requested) and keep a copy on file.
A notification form, available here, needs to be filled out and sent certified mail (return receipt requested) to the superintendent of your city, county, or exempted village school district within a week of withdrawing from school. Keep a copy of your original paperwork on file.
Begin educating your child at home.
You should receive an excused absence letter in the mail within fourteen days after the school receives your notification letter. Keep this formal excuse on file. ( CHEO Christian Home Educators of Ohio website) https://www.cheohome.org/join-us/get-started/withdrawal-from-school/
When withdrawing your child from school in Ohio.
“We recommend that any correspondence with authorities be sent by “Certified Mail—Return Receipt Requested.” Keep copies of the withdrawal letter(ex. of withdrawal letter link. https://iche.org/resources/articles/information-and-sample-letters-withdrawing-children-public-schools ) and any other paperwork or correspondence, and any green postal receipts, for your personal records.” https://hslda.org/post/how-to-withdraw-your-child-from-school-in-ohio
Notification Form Link & Instructions
https://www.cheohome.org/join-us/get-started/notification/
Ohio State Requirements for Home Education
https://www.cheohome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Revised-Regs-2019-1.pdf
Home Education Notification Form
https://www.cheohome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Revised-Notification.pdf