How to Start Homeschooling: 8 Steps From Legal Check to First Week

How does homeschooling work?

Homeschooling means you, the parent, are legally responsible for your child's education instead of a public or private school. You choose what to teach, when and how. You can teach every subject yourself, hand some subjects to online classes or tutors, join a co-op, or mix all three.

It is legal in all 50 states. NHERI, a homeschool research group, estimates about 3.4 million K–12 students were homeschooled in 2024–25, roughly 6% of school-age children. You will not be alone, and it is easy to find help.

What changes from state to state is the paperwork. Some states ask for nothing. Others want a yearly notice, a list of subjects, a test or a portfolio review. That is why the legal check comes first.

Step 1: Check your state's homeschool law

Before you buy anything or tell the school, read your state's rules. You need to know four things:

1. Do you file a notice, and when? Some states require it before you withdraw.
2. What subjects are required? Many states list core subjects; some list none.
3. Is there testing or assessment? A few states require a yearly test or evaluation.
4. What records must you keep? Attendance, a portfolio, test results or nothing.

Here is how a few states compare, from our state guides:

Find your state in our homeschool laws by state hub. Each page lists the exact notice, subjects, hours, records and deadlines, with links to the statute. If your state isn't written up yet, HSLDA's state law summaries are a reliable starting point.

How to withdraw from school the right way

If your child is enrolled, do things in this order:

• File your state's notice, affidavit or declaration (if one is required).
• Wait for confirmation if your state sends one (North Carolina does).
• Send the school a short, dated withdrawal letter saying your child is leaving to be homeschooled under your state's law.
• Keep copies of everything in a folder.
• Ask for your child's records, especially any IEP, 504 plan or test results.

Don't just stop sending your child to school. Without a withdrawal letter, the school may record absences, which can lead to truancy calls.

Step 2: Take a breather (deschooling)

If your child is coming out of school, especially after a hard year, you don't have to start lessons on Monday. Many families take a few weeks to read together, visit the library, cook, build things and get to know how their child learns. This is called deschooling. It is also a good time for you to read about methods without the pressure of a lesson plan.

Check your state's attendance rules before you take a long break. Most states let you set your own calendar.

Step 3: Choose a homeschool approach

You don't need a label, but knowing the main approaches helps you shop for curriculum.

Step 4: Pick curriculum for the core subjects

Start with the subjects that build on themselves: reading and language arts and math. Add science, history and extras once your rhythm is working. Not sure where your child lands? Our what grade is my child tool maps age to grade, and most publishers offer free placement tests.

Three ways to buy:

1. All-in-one. One publisher covers every subject for a grade. Simplest for beginners. Examples: Sonlight, Memoria Press, Time4Learning online, and the free Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool.
2. Subject by subject. Choose the best math, the best phonics and so on. More choice, a little more planning. Compare picks in best homeschool math curriculum and best homeschool language arts curriculum.
3. Free and library-based. Use free programs and library books. See best free homeschool curriculum.

Browse by grade and approach: kindergarten, secular, Christian and open-and-go homeschool curriculum. Our best homeschool curriculum list is the place to start if you want a short list.

Tip: Buy one level at a time, and use free samples first. Your first choice won't always be your last, and that is normal.

Step 5: Set up a simple schedule

A routine matters more than the clock. Pick your school days, a start time and an order for subjects. Do the hardest work when your child is freshest, usually in the morning.

A first-week schedule for a 2nd grader might look like this:

That is under two hours of focused work, which is plenty at this age. See our homeschool schedule guide for sample days by age and for families with several kids, and try the free homeschool planner.

Step 6: Keep records (even if your state doesn't ask)

Simple records protect you if you move, if you're ever questioned, or if your child returns to school. Keep:

• A copy of every notice and letter you file.
• An attendance log or calendar, if your state requires days or hours.
• A list of curriculum used each year.
• A few work samples per subject per term.
• Test or evaluation results, if required.

For high schoolers, start a transcript in 9th grade. Our guides to homeschool high school and making a homeschool transcript walk through credits, GPA and diplomas.

Step 7: Find your people

The fear most new homeschoolers have is socialization. In practice, the challenge is usually choosing among too many activities. Look for:

• Co-ops: families share teaching, often one day a week. See homeschool co-ops.
• Support groups and park days: free, informal meetups.
• Classes: library programs, museum classes, sports leagues, music lessons, and online classes on Outschool.
• Hybrid schools and microschools: a few days in a small class, the rest at home. See microschools.

Step 8: Budget, and check funding first

Homeschooling can cost almost nothing or several thousand dollars a year per child. NHERI estimates families spend an average of about $600 per student, but your total depends mostly on whether you buy boxed curriculum or online school. Our homeschool cost guide breaks it down by approach, and the homeschool cost calculator lets you build your own budget.

Before you spend, check what your state offers. As of 2026–27, several states fund homeschool expenses:

• Texas: Texas Education Freedom Accounts include a $2,000 award for homeschooled students. See Texas scholarships.
• Alabama: the CHOOSE Act offers $2,000 per homeschooled student, up to $4,000 per family. See Alabama scholarships.
• Florida: the Personalized Education Program (PEP) funds students who are not enrolled full time in a school. See Florida scholarships.
• Utah, Arizona, West Virginia and others have ESAs or grants with their own rules.

Our homeschool funding guide lists every program and its rules. Each program decides what it covers, and some legally treat ESA students differently from homeschoolers, so read the fine print before you file.

Programs that help

• The Good and the Beautiful: free K–8 language arts PDFs, with low-prep printed sets for families who want them.
• Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool: a free, complete online curriculum, a good way to try homeschooling before spending money.
• Time4Learning: online lessons that teach and grade for you, one price for any grade.
• Simply Charlotte Mason: open-and-go Charlotte Mason plans with family-style subjects for several ages at once.
• Khan Academy: free math and more, useful as a spine or a supplement.

Save the programs you're considering to your wishlist. If your state has a scholarship or ESA, you can apply once and share your list with the programs that fund families.

Your first-month checklist

• Read your state's law on our homeschool by state pages.
• File your notice and send a withdrawal letter, in that order.
• Take a few weeks to deschool if your child is coming out of school.
• Choose math and reading curriculum; use placement tests.
• Draft a weekly schedule with short lessons.
• Start a records folder.
• Find one co-op, park day or class.
• Check scholarships for your state before buying.
• After four weeks, review what's working and change one thing.