FAQs

1. How do I begin?

One of the most common first questions is, how do I get started homeschooling? The answer that must be given first is actually a question: "what are the laws for your State?" Each State has different laws regarding homeschooling and they vary dramatically. Illinois is one of 9 States* that have little or no regulations for homeschoolers. (*According to HSLDA.)
This means that the majority of States have laws that restrict or regulate homeschools. Before you do anything, verify the laws and rules in your home state. If you are lucky, you live in Illinois, or one of the other 8 "free" homeschool states, but check the laws before you do anything: http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

To go directly to the laws for Illinois:
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=IL

For more information on laws, go to the home page of illinoishomeschool.com, choose Links, and then choose Legal/Laws.

2. How do I remove my child from public school?

If your child has been enrolled in public school you will need to notify the school if your child will no longer be attending (failure to properly notify the school may result in a truant officer knocking at your door). A sample withdrawal letter may be found at the H.O.U.S.E site. If your child never attended public school, it is not necessary to notify the school. Remember, your homeschool is a private school. Removing your child from public school (or a private school) and transferring him/her to your homeschool is no different from any other school transfer.
Be very careful about filling out any additional forms or questionnaires as many of these are not legally required and may involve you with the school long after you have removed your child. Only fill out what is legally required and that generally means that a notification letter is the only requirement.

If you want to obtain your child's records you will need to complete a form that states the child's new school (your homeschool) so the school will know where to send them. Many schools have time limits of when you can easily get this records, so it is a good idea to do this promptly. Instructions and additional information are also found on the H.O.U.S.E. link listed above.

3. How do I choose a curriculum?

If you've done the first step, which is to determine what the homeschooling laws are for your State and what, if any, courses and subjects must be taught (this restriction does not pertain to Illinois since the only requirement is: 105 ILCS § 5/26-1. If a child is "attending a private or a parochial school where children are taught the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in public school," and where instruction is in the English language, the child is in compliance with Illinois compulsory attendance law. Home schools that meet these two requirements are considered legal private schools. ) then you're next challenge is curriculum and program.
Now you're ready to choose your curriculum?

Not so fast... first, you must decide what type of home school you want to be. Are you going to replicate a traditional school in your home with start times, scheduled breaks, etc., or are you going to the other extreme and have a completely open setup, sometimes called, "unschooling."

The choice will be up to you and will very much determine your next steps. Some people choose a combination of approaches and others consider a home-based program that is a correspondence or Internet-deliverable type.

Other considerations.... if your child has attended a traditional or public school that there will be an adjustment period. Your child will need to adjust to the new situation and you to it. Some people refer to this period as the deschooling phase. This analogy worked for me to help me understand it: imagine being force fed oatmeal 5 times a day for 5 years. If that force-feeding suddenly stopped, how long would it take for you to recover your appetite? How long would it be before the smell and taste of oatmeal didn't make you gag? Well, that's sort of what your child will go through when you first start homeschooling. They've been force fed a bland diet of subjects. Give them time to recover their appetite and love of learning and don't be discouraged if it takes a few weeks or months for it to happen: it will happen.

You may, like most of your homeschooling parent peers, make a few false starts before you settle on something that works for you and your family. Don't panic about false starts or worry that you're changing directions. I think we all do it in the beginning.

You can find all sorts of curriculum options on the Links page (menu above) and then the Curriculum and Private Schools categories. You might find the choice is difficult because there is too much from which to choose! If money is short, consider E-bay or any of the online auction sites as a source of used materials. You could also make friends with your local librarian (more and more libraries are increasing their catalog of offerings for homeschoolers). There are literally thousands of websites that provide educational content for FREE. You might find you don't need to buy anything!

4. How do I find a support group?

This is, by far, the hardest question to answer.
Many people are looking for peer families. The reasons are many: socialization opportunities, advise and support, camaraderie, etc. The goals are laudable, but it might not be that easy for everyone to find a homeschool group that you like, and a group that likes you.

Some groups are very religious and make up the majority of groups. More and more, secular groups are organizing to appeal to the not-so or non-religious. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of groups out there, but finding a group that has the same goals and values might be more difficult. You might be lucky and find a group that is a perfect match for your family.

There are a variety of groups listed in the Links section, in the following categories: Parent Support Groups, Organizations, Activism, and Newsgroups. Don't rule out the Newsgroups option as there are plenty of online groups that have wonderful memberships and are a good source of information for locating other groups and families in your area.

5. What about Socialization

The first thing someone will ask about homeschooling is, "What about socialization?"
It's also the first thing your friends and family will ask you when you declare your decision to homeschool (after the question, "You're going to do WHAT?").

I joke that everyone is given the same propaganda handbook from the NEA! Jokes aside, it's an important question, but may not be the end-all that others make it out to be. Remember a couple of important things about socialization:

Your family is a social network. Your children aren't going to be home alone all day, they will have you and the other members of your family.

Children are only children for 18 years (even most 16 year olds don't consider themselves "children"). The group a person socializes with for the majority of their lives is adults. A child learning how to get along with adults, seeing them as role models and guides, is not such a bad thing. That is not to say that children don't need or want to play with other children, but it doesn't need to be a goal. All work and no play makes... well, you know the saying. Finding children for your children is a good idea and there are many ways to do that.

You leave the house to shop, etc. You'll come in contact with other people doing this.

If you live in a city or suburb, likely you'll have neighbors and your children can socialize with adults and children from the area.

If you live in a rural area and are cut-off completely from others, how would homeschooling vs. traditional schooling impact your child? There still wouldn't be anyone to socialize with once your child got home from school.

If you want to link up with other homeschooled children, find a support group or organization (Links: Organizations & Parent Support Groups). There are also other options such as 4H, Girl or Boy Scouts, and your local church, temple or synagogue (if you are religious), dance classes, sports leagues, karate or other martial arts classes, etc.

There has been significant research on this socialization issue and you can be confident that you will not be harming your child by homeschooling. There's just as much to risk by negative socialization--but don't take my word for it. If you want to read more about these issues, HSLDA is a good place to start. Go to their main page and in their search box key the word, "Socialization." You might be surprised just how much the Socialization issue is a non-issue... Some of the research is actually beginning to show that public or traditional schooling creates a "negative socialization" and that many home schooled children are actually more social and self-confident.

Now you need only educate your friends and family about these socialization myths. So when your family or friends ask you, "yeah, but what about the prom?" You can answer, "there's more to getting an education and preparing a child for life than attending a prom; besides, just about everyone I've spoken to thought the prom was a nightmare!"

6. What is a typical day in the life of a homeschooler?

A typical day in the life of a home school family would be...
There is no "typical day."

Some families choose to model their school days after a traditional school, starting and ending at a specific time. They will use workbooks and textbooks and the customary methods of instruction.

Some families choose to model their day after a weekend style day. They might wake up when they are rested and practice fractions by doubling a pancake recipe. They might go to the beach, the park, or the zoo. There is no set definition of what a homeschooling day might look like. It really is up to you.

7. Should I keep records?

Each State will have unique record-keeping requirements. In States such as Illinois, no record keeping is required.
Let me re-state that, just in case it wasn't clear: In Illinois, no formal record-keeping is required for homeschooling.

So what about things like High School diplomas, college entry requirements, etc.? Well, that's a separate issue. If your focus is college, then you'll need to keep records. There are several books on the subject, such as And What About College? : How Homeschooling Can Lead to Admissions to the Best Colleges & Universities by Cafi Cohen, Patrick Farenga (Editor)]. This book and others explore the topics of record-keeping for colleges and universities. It is available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0913677116/qid%3D1018357332/sr%3D1-1/ref%3Dsr%5F1%5F1/103-5062606-9099026

Also available are record-keeping kits. They are available from homeschool product websites. Some parents keep a "folder" which is a ongoing catalog of the child's work and a daily journal of activities.

Keep in mind, however, that all of these are optional. Many colleges and universities are changing the way they view entrance requirements because they, well, they like homeschool students. Homeschool students have a self-discipline and love of learning that is unique.

If you live in a State that requires more formal records and a periodic audit of the records, seek out samples from other homeschoolers in your area or from your local school board or homeschool regulation office. Be sure to verify that the records you are being asked to keep are required legally.

Better to be safe than sorry. It's best to study up on what types of records you should keep to keep your child's options as open as possible.