Monday, October 26, 2009

Start Homeschooling My Child Online In Texas

Texas allows homeschooling using online resources.








Parents home school their children for a variety of reasons. Whether reasons include concerns about the public school curriculum or a preference for religious instruction, homeschooling can be a viable option for parents who want to structure their child's learning. Texas allows homeschooling as a legal education option for parents with children ages six to 18 and considers home schools as private schools.


Instructions


Getting Started








1. Write a curriculum. Books, websites and homeschooling associations provide resources to help you write a curriculum. A home school curriculum includes, but is not limited to, reading, mathematics, spelling, English grammar and civics instruction such as United States history, Texas history or government. Parents do not need to have home school curricula approved by local school districts.


2. Register with an online home school program. Register with online programs that provide the flexibility, course content, testing and evaluation suitable for your child. Some online programs follow strict deadlines and require students to complete assignments online and others simply provide the curriculum allowing students to study at their own pace. Choose a program that fits your lifestyle and budget. When you register for online home school programs, make note of assignment due dates and acquire any special materials you need to complete assignments.


3. Withdraw your child from school. When you withdraw your child from school, the school district may send inquiries about your plans to educate your child at home. You can respond by sending a letter of assurance to the school which states that you intend to home school your child and that you have a curriculum. Texas law considers the assurance letter sufficient to legally withdraw your child from school. You do not need to notify the local school district of your intent to home school if your child is not enrolled in school (See resources for a sample letter of assurance).


4. Write a daily schedule. Plan your home school activities using your curriculum and your child's needs as a guide. You can divide the curriculum into blocks of time following a traditional school model or you can devote an entire day or week to a single subject.


5. Administer tests to gauge your child's progress. Although some online course providers offer tests to measure progress, Texas does not require children attending home schools and private schools to be tested. Many home school parents, however, administer nationally-recognized achievement tests to their children to gauge academic achievement.

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