How to Start Homeschooling: A Practical Guide to State Requirements and Planning

Homeschooling is legal in every US state, but the requirements vary a lot from one state to the next. Before you start, spend an hour on your state's rules - it will save you headaches later. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Step 1: Check your state's requirements

States differ in what they ask of homeschooling families. Depending on where you live, you may need to:

• File a notice of intent with your state or school district.
• Teach certain required subjects.
• Keep attendance or instruction-hour records.
• Submit periodic assessments, such as a standardized test or a portfolio review.

Step 2: Decide your approach

Some families mirror a traditional school day; others use a relaxed, interest-led approach. Many land in between: a structured core (reading, writing, math, science) plus projects driven by your child's interests. Using your state's academic standards as a checklist helps you cover what matters and makes it easier to return to school later.

Step 3: Plan the year, then the week

Sketch the year by quarter or semester - which units in each subject - then plan week by week. Keep it flexible: some topics will take longer, others will click fast.

Step 4: Keep simple records

A short weekly log of what you covered and a few work samples per subject are usually enough to show progress, and many states require some record. They're also rewarding to look back on.

How LessonHQ helps

Home-School Plus creates full lessons in about a minute - a lesson plan, slides, a worksheet with an answer key and a study guide - aligned to your state's standards, with 100 lesson packs a month plus worksheets, slides and more, a year planner and plain-English notes on how to teach each lesson. It includes the Student Portal for guided practice.