Getting started with homeschooling in the US: what to sort out first
Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, but the requirements differ so much between them that national advice is close to useless until you know your own state’s rules.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your state education department or a state homeschool organisation before you withdraw a child from school.
Find out what your state requires first
This single question determines almost everything else about how you will need to operate.
- Notice of intent: whether you must notify anyone, and when.
- Subject requirements: some states specify subjects that must be covered.
- Days or hours: some states set a minimum number of instructional days.
- Assessment: whether standardised testing or portfolio review by an evaluator is required, and how often.
- Record keeping: whether you must retain attendance records, samples of work, or immunisation records.
- Teacher qualifications: a small number of states have requirements for the parent.
States range from requiring nothing at all beyond your decision, to annual testing and portfolio review. Neither extreme tells you anything about the other.
Withdrawing from school properly
- Check your state process before telling the school, since the order sometimes matters.
- File any required notice of intent within the stated timeframe.
- Request your child’s records from the school, including any evaluations or IEP documents.
- Keep copies of everything you file, with dates. Truancy problems usually come from paperwork gaps rather than genuine disputes.
Choosing an approach
Once the legal side is handled, the method is yours. Structured curriculum packages, interest-led learning, classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling and eclectic mixtures are all in common use, and most families end up combining several.
A common mistake is buying a full boxed curriculum before knowing how your child learns at home. It is often better to start light, watch what works, and commit later.
Records worth keeping even if your state does not require them
In low regulation states it is tempting to keep nothing. That usually causes trouble later, when a child applies to college, a community college, or an apprenticeship, or if you move to a stricter state.
- A dated log of subjects and activities.
- Samples of work showing progression across each year.
- For high school, course descriptions and credits, which colleges will ask about.
- Any external evidence: standardised tests, dual enrolment, community college classes, certifications.
How Different Drums helps here
The app does not assume any one national curriculum, so it works alongside whatever approach or state requirements you have. The learning log records by subject and date, and reports can be generated for any period, which suits both portfolio review and your own records.
Pricing is available in USD, and core practice in arithmetic, maths, calculus, chemistry and physics comes from 200,000+ hand-verified questions rather than being generated on demand.
Common questions
Do homeschoolers need a high school diploma or transcript?
Parent-issued diplomas and transcripts are accepted by many US colleges, particularly alongside standardised test scores or dual enrolment credit. Requirements vary by institution, so check with any college your teenager is seriously considering.
What about homeschooling a child with an IEP?
Withdrawing to homeschool usually changes what services your child is entitled to, and this varies significantly by state. Get specific advice before withdrawing if your child receives support services.
Learning that flexes around your child
Different Drums builds curricula, worksheets, tests and learning records around almost any topic, shaped to your child's pace, interests and your family's values. Core practice in maths and science comes from 200,000+ hand-verified questions. Ages 2-16+, used by families worldwide.
No credit card required. There is also a free guest mode with no sign-up.