Written By itscoolmom Founder Sara Edgar
HOMESCHOOL IN AS LITTLE AS 14 DAYS!
Are you looking for homeschool information for the state of Ohio? Then you are in the right place. Here is a breakdown of all the important information that you need to know to get started with your homeschool journey!
WHERE TO BEGIN
I was there. I didn’t feel comfortable putting my kids into the public school system when we moved across country.
It was scary, I was afraid of not teaching them adequately and failing. I quickly realized that it’s almost impossible to fail with the right support, the right resources, the right information, and the right curriculum.
HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
I’ve spent the last several years gathering information, researching resources, and building partnerships with others in the homeschool community. The information on this page is based on National Homeschooling Standards and Ohio Homeschool Laws.
STEP 1: DECIDE TO HOMESCHOOL
So, you’ve made the decision to homeschool. I’m sure you’re nervous about your decision. It’s a big one. The good thing is, if things don’t go how you want them to, you can always choose a different route! Or, maybe you’re waiting to gather information first and then you will make the decision and that’s cool too!
STEP 1 & 2: INTENT TO HOMESCHOOL FORM AND INTENDED OUTLINE/EDUCATION PLAN
The first thing you must do once you’ve made the decision to homeschool is to fill out the paperwork.
Per Ohio Law, you must notify your superintendent a week before withdrawal (if during the school year) or a week before school starts.
You do this by filling out the intent to homeschool form and mailing that in with an intended outline of curriculum and supporting resources. It is important to get these filled out and sent in immediately. This keeps your child from being considered truant. It also shows that you have a plan and you know what information is supposed to be taught to your child.
If after the first year of homeschool, you decide to continue, you must re-submit an intent to homeschool form, the intended outline form, and an academic assessment report. This assessment is just to make sure that your child is staying on track.
You have 2 choices for your assessments. You can choose between the 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 or the 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 (this is something you DO NOT have to worry about right now if this is your first year of homeschooling). If you choose to go back to the public school system, the superintendent will have the right to do an assessment and decide based off of the results, where the child should be placed as it pertains to their grade.
AFTER YOU HAVE SENT IN ALL THE PROPER FORMS AND INFORMATION
The superintendent will have 14 work days (after receiving) to review your paperwork and respond in writing to you either excusing your child from public school or requesting more information.
If you are excused, you should receive a letter stating that your home education plan complies with requirements of Ohio law; that your child is excused from public school attendance; and the letter must be signed by the district superintendent. You should definitely keep this document in a safe place for your records.
NOW THE FUN BEGINS...
You are now in charge, don’t be scared or overwhelmed, get excited and go with the flow. Every new adventure takes time to learn. It took us a good 3 weeks to get into a work flow together and to really start feeling comfortable with the transition. Give yourself and your child some grace. If the first few weeks are difficult, adjust your curriculum and work into it slowly.
Per Ohio Law, you are required to work together 900 hours on the school year. So, don’t panic if the first few weeks you fall short on your hours, you can always adjust later. If you do those hours over 180 days (traditional number of school days) that ends up being about 5 hours a day.
One thing you must keep in mind is that those 5 hours do not have to be strict instruction. Especially if you have a K-3rd grader. Your days will be set based on your child’s grade and their requirements but also giving them time to play, explore, and develop skills on their own!
STEP 4: WHICH CURRICULUMS, WHICH RESOURCES, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO CHOOSE?
There are a lot of great resources, educational platforms, and curriculums out there. It just depends on you and your child’s needs and what you’re looking for. Here at It’s cool MOM we will be building a curriculum for your children to use, but in the mean time, we will also be offering information to other platforms and resources to get you started.
The 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 has some great resources to jump start your journey (all of which are free).
Keep your eye out for our Curriculum Outline which will go into detail about the standards for each subject and grade so that you know EXACTLY what your child should be learning. This outline will be back in stock soon, it is going through a revamp!
STEPS 5, 6, & 7: SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND MUST HAVE ITEMS
The last thing you will need to do is gather your school items and designate a space in your house for school work.
I’m a super organized person so naturally I gathered the agendas, calendars, and fancy pens I could find to keep us organized. I would recommend getting something that allows you to plan your week, your day, track your school schedule, and allow you to document your child’s grades for their portfolio. Check out our 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝘁 that is simple and easy to use. It includes everything mentioned above plus a couple bonus sheets to help keep you on track and organized throughout the year!
The other thing you need to do is identify where your child will do their school work. Our first year we had a work space set up in our loft which is right outside the girls room. This summer we turned our spare downstairs bedroom into their “office”.
Creating space between their “living space” and “work space” was super important because otherwise their days just ran together. We even talked about walking around the block before we start school to signify leaving the house and “going to school” 🙂 The girls loved this idea!
Keep in mind, the space does not have to be anything fancy, the most important part is that it is free from distraction and is efficient.
Lastly, getting your supplies together truly depends on what you have planned for the year. You do not necessarily have to have everything purchased for the first day of school. Just the basics would be fine. Here is a list of some items that I always make sure to have on hand!
STEP 8: YOU'RE ALL SET!
The last thing you have to do is pick your start date. It doesn’t matter what day you start or what time of day you do the work. All of that is completely up to you!
If you haven’t made your decision yet and are wondering if you even have enough time, you can get this done and be ready to start, in as little as 14 days. And the best part is that you are not alone!
If you haven’t already, join our It’s cool MOM community where we will be starting a live support group and provide information sessions just for you! You can also contact me directly with any questions that you have at itscoolmom@gmail.com. As always, I’m here for you and I look forward to getting to know and work hand in hand with you! Don’t hesitate to reach out!
𝙭𝙤𝙭𝙤,
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙈𝙊𝙈