START HOMESCHOOLING

Our Start Homeschooling Guide offers 10 steps, covering legal options, teaching approaches, learning styles, curriculum choices, and more.

Welcome!

Are you ready to start homeschooling,
but feel like you're heading into new and unfamiliar territory?

Almost everyone beginning the homeschool adventure feels a bit overwhelmed.

We're here to help!
Our QUICK START GUIDE gives you a brief overview, but this
complete 10-step Start Homeschool Guide provides complete details.

You Can Homeschool Part #1

Would you like to hear some personal stories from real-life families who have chosen homeschooling as their educational choice?

Christy Shipe, who was homeschooled and is now homeschooling her own children, introduces video clips of parents telling why they made the choice to home educate.

What were their reasons for choosing home education?
What benefits have they seen?

Watch and see!

You Can Homeschool Part #2

In Part #2 of the video, you'll learn a bit about the early years of homeschooling.

What was it like for those pioneering families who began homeschooling when it was not legally recognized or culturally accepted?

What about socialization?
Are homeschooled students accepted by colleges, employers, and the military services?

Find answers here.

You Can Homeschool Part #3

Part #3 of the video discusses the importance of working together to defend and retain the homeschooling freedoms that we enjoy today.

A brief background of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which produced this video, is presented.

The closing portion returns to real-life homeschooling parents sharing why they chose home education. Their comments -- along with those of some of their homeschooled children -- will encourage and inspire you to begin the homeschooling adventure with your family!

Why
do families
homeschool?

Home-educated students typically score 15-30 percentage points above public-schooled students on standardized academic achievement tests
- regardless of their parents’ formal education level and
- regardless of their families’ household income.
This academic achievement is not related to
- whether licensed teachers were involved or
- the degree of state control and/or regulation.
Home-educated students typically score above average on SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions

Why Do Families Homeschool?

What about
public school
issues?

Removing a child from public school to start homeschooling is fairly simple.
If you are using a homeschool legal option that requires the filing of a form, you can use that means to notify your school district that your child will no longer be enrolled in the public school.
If you are using a homeschooling legal option that has no initial form filing requirements, we recommend that you send a written notification to your school district. You'll find instructions at the bottom of the next page in this guide.

If you have a high school student and you want a public school diploma, please understand these important factors.
Public schools are not required to recognize coursework completed in a non-accredited setting. Homeschool instruction by a parent without a valid, subject-specific Iowa teaching license is not accredited.
Each public school has unique graduation requirements. If you want to remove a high school student to homeschool while still seeking a public school diploma, or if you want to homeschool a high school student and then re-enroll him/her in a public school, you will need to work closely with public school counselors to create a plan to meet the school's graduation requirements.
Keep in mind that homeschooled high school students can receive diplomas and transcripts certified by their parents. Homeschool Iowa member families can also participant in our annual graduation service.

STEP #1:
SET YOUR VISION

Take a few minutes to think about the reasons you want to start homeschooling.

This list will build confidence and provide vision as you begin this amazing homeschool adventure.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
• Passing on Faith
• Building Character
• Fostering Love of Learning
• Strengthening Family Bonds
• Equipping for Future Service

We hope you agree with us that
homeschooling is the best educational option
to help make your intentions realities.

Continue to the Next Step in StartING Homeschooling

know the law & rules

START HOMESCHOOLING

Why do families homeschool?

What aboutpublic schoolissues?

STEP #1: SET YOUR VISION

Why
do families
homeschool?

What about
public school
issues?

STEP #1:
SET YOUR VISION