Beginning Homeschooling

29 Jan 2019 12:25
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Im new to homeschooling in South Carolina. What do I need to do?

First, read the law that covers Third Option homeschooling (this is the option the vast majority of homeschoolers in SC use).

Next, read through all the sections in this FAQ and the other links in the Homeschool FAQs drop-down menu. They will answer many of the questions you have.

Decide on the resources and methods youd like to start out with, but keep in mind that its perfectly fine to make adjustments as you go along. Methods range from a school-at-home approach (textbooks and tests), to a completely relaxed unschooling method where students decide what to learn and when. Most homeschoolers fall somewhere in between the two extremes. You can use documentaries, videos, field trips, experiments and projects, magazines, library books, and any other resource available. Ask homeschoolers in our forums for advice and recommendations.

Register with a Third Option association. Narrow your list down to three or so, then email your choices with specific questions to see which one is the best fit for your family. Complete the required paperwork, and make your payment. (For more information about Carolina Homeschoolers services, visit our membership area.)

If youve already registered with your local school district, or you decide to begin homeschooling mid-school-year, youll need to officially withdraw your students. Take a copy of your association membership letter with you in case they ask for proof of homeschooling. You dont need to notify the SC Department of Education (or any other state organization) that youre homeschooling.

If your children have never attended a SC school, you dont need to notify the school district, SC Department of Education (or any other state organization) that youre homeschooling.

Read the Record-Keeping FAQ section to learn how to document your childrens work during the school year.

Join our forums so you can get help and support as you go along, and subscribe to our mailing list to keep informed about new events and trips.

Do I need to notify my local school, district, or the SC Department of Education that Im homeschooling? Do I send a letter of intent to anyone?

South Carolina is not a notification or letter of intent state. You dont need to notify the school district, SC Department of Education (or any other state organization) that youre homeschooling.

If youve already registered with your local school district, or you were enrolled in the public schools and decide to begin homeschooling mid-school-year, youll need to officially withdraw your students. Take a copy of your homeschool association membership letter with you in case they ask for proof of homeschooling.

If your children have never attended a SC public school, then theres no need to officially withdraw your students (since they were never registered to begin with). Just register with a homeschool association.

If your children were previously enrolled in a private school, or youre transferring to SC from another state, then you dont need to notify anyone. Just register with a homeschool association.

If officials from your local district call to ask why your children arent in school, politely explain that youre homeschooling. If they ask for proof, get their name and address, and tell them youll mail a copy of your homeschool association membership letter. Send it via trackable mail so youll have proof that you sent it and that it arrived.

Can I start homeschooling any time during the year?

Yes, you can begin homeschooling even after school starts in your area. Talk to the director of the association you choose about the best way to withdraw your child with the least hassle.

In my experience, most school districts are respectful of a parents decision to homeschool. Remember that SC law mandates that you teach for 180 days each year. Count the days spent previously in public school as part of your attendance total for the year you dont need to start over.

Can I homeschool on weekends? At night? In the summer? Do I have to keep a regular school schedule?

You can follow a traditional school schedule, if you wish, or you can school year-round, 3 weeks on and 1 week off, four days per week, include weekends, incorporate a second- or third-shift schedule, or whatever best meets the needs of your family. Keep in mind that learning happens 365 days a year, but youre only legally required to document 180 of those days.

My child is in kindergarten (he/she doesnt turn 6 on or before September 1st). What are my options?

You can sign a kindergarten waiver through your local school district. The waiver is a simple statement that releases the school district from any educational deficiencies that occur due to the absence of your child from kindergarten. If you sign the waiver, you dont have to register with a homeschool association for oversight, count attendance, or do any record-keeping.

Many parents choose oversight by a homeschool association for their kindergartener in order to avoid contact with their local school district. resources for homeschooling parents in SC is 5 years old (or 6 years old with a kindergarten waiver) before September 1 until the child reaches 17 or graduates from high school.

Are there certain requirements for each grade level?

According to state law, you must cover reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, and in grades 7-12, literature and composition. This is usually understood to mean that in grades 7-12, reading becomes literature, and writing becomes composition. I recommend listing the subjects as Reading/Literature and Writing/Composition once they reach 7th grade and just keep learning as you were.

What you teach within those general subject areas is up to you. There is no requirement that a child must learn geography or earth science in a specific grade. A lot of experts disagree about what children should learn and when. Schools in different states, different counties, different districts, and even different classrooms in the same school often disagree, so I wouldnt worry too much about trying to meet someone elses standard.

That said, a general guideline is often helpful to new homeschoolers, and to more experienced homeschoolers who want new ideas. I recommend World Books Typical Course of Study for this purpose. If you decide to use it, remember its just a guideline feel free to deviate from it as needed. High school may work a little differently, depending on your students goals. See my Homeschooling High School FAQ for more information.

What counts as learning? Do (summer camps, scouts, online classes, field trips, etc.) count?

Yes, all learning counts. Its important to get out of the mindset that learning only happens when its planned, scheduled, directed, or approved by someone else. Children learn the most, and retain what theyve learned much longer, if theyre the ones who initiate it, take ownership of it, and have input into what theyre learning. I dont know of any research that doesnt support this fact.

Traditional schools cant allow student-led (or interest-led) learning because teachers dont have time to facilitate a class full of students if each of them are learning different things, and it would be too expensive for them to provide the resources for each individual student even if they did. (And because all the materials would first have to be passed through committees to make sure theyre suitable however they define it.)

As homeschoolers, we dont have any of these constraints. Just remember that children (and adults!) learn 365 days a year. Itll be your job to document 180 of those days if youre a SC homeschooler.

Can you recommend materials? Do you provide curriculum counseling?

Each family is different and each child within the family may learn differently. Its difficult to recommend specific resources unless I know more about the age and ability levels of each child. Please read the suggestions about how to find appropriate resources in the Methods and Resources section of this FAQ, and consider joining our forums for tips and advice from other homeschooling families.

What are the advantages of enrolling in a Third Option association?

The main advantages of an Option 3 association are less record-keeping, no mandated testing, less intrusion, and less cost. Families also benefit from the mandate written into the law that gives parents the responsibility of maintaining student records, ensuring a higher level of privacy for enrolled families.

Most Option 3 associations provide extra services such as online classes, field trips, transcripts, diplomas, graduation ceremonies, regular office hours, bookstores, resource centers, special needs counseling, curriculum counseling, scholarship guidance, and more. Check with the different associations to see which offer the services that are important to you. Heres what Carolina Homeschooler offers.

I heard that my children may not be accepted into college unless we homeschool through Option 1 or Option 2. Is that true?

No, it isnt. Regardless of what option you choose (1, 2, or 3), their primary purpose is to provide the mandated accountability for your homeschool. Thats it. They dont provide the materials or the education you do. They also dont provide a state-accredited diploma. The SC Department of Education only accredits diplomas that are distributed through their public schools. Private school diplomas, homeschool association diplomas, and parent-made diplomas are all outside of the states purview.

In any case, the most important aspect of the college application, admission, and scholarship process is your childs transcript and SAT or ACT scores, not diplomas. A transcript provides details about what your student has accomplished, a diploma doesnt. Colleges and scholarship committees most likely wont even ask for a copy of your childs diploma.

Many associations have boasted Palmetto, LIFE, and college-specific scholarship recipients. Students from every association have been admitted to colleges, started careers, or have gone on to achieve great things, regardless of the association they graduated from.

Choose an association which provides the level of expertise and assistance you need to navigate the college admissions and scholarship process. Ask them questions about their experience before choosing the one thats right for you.

The information I received from the SC Department of Education says I have to homeschool for 4.5 hours each day and fill out forms for my local school district. Is that correct?

The paperwork you received tends to confuse many prospective homeschoolers. The 4.5 hour per day and forms are requirements for those who homeschool under section 59-65-40 (through the oversight of the local school district, otherwise known as Option 1). They are not requirements for those homeschooling under section 59-65-47 (Option 3). For exact requirements for Third Option homeschoolers, read the text of the law for yourself.

My children are enrolled through one of SCs online virtual charter schools. Are we homeschoolers?

No, your children are public school students and must follow public school requirements (curriculum, testing, schedules, etc.) You cant choose your own curriculum or schedule, and youll have to answer to a certified teacher who will monitor their learning and administer the required tests.

Homeschoolers are governed by SCs homeschool law and have much more freedom to choose our own curriculum, subjects, methods of assessment, and days/hours of attendance. Our children are not considered public school students, can learn at their own pace, and dont have to answer to a certified teacher.

All that said, were not saying (nor implying) that homeschooling is better (or worse) than virtual charter schooling it is a legal distinction that must remain clear in order to protect our rights as homeschoolers. We believe that the focus should be on whats best for the children, not on which method is better.117118How do I meet other homeschoolers?

Visit our forums to connect with other homeschoolers in your local area. If you enjoy traveling, consider joining us on one of our local field trips and events, and on our national and international group trips featured at our sister site, Traveling Homeschoolers.

Still have questions? Email me.

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