Oklahoma Homeschooling Information

Homeschooling in Oklahoma

Hi, my name is Lynette and I homeschool in Oklahoma! I have been married 18 years. I have one son that will be 8 in April, three step-adults, and 7 grandchildren. I tell everyone I was a grandma before I was a mom. We live in the country and raise chickens. We are also beekeepers and gardeners.

If you have questions or comments about homeschooling in Oklahoma, check out our homeschooling tools and resources or visit our online Oklahoma support group.

To find out more about the legal requirements for homeschooling in Oklahoma, articles, and state-specific resources, you can also visit one of these sites:

• Oklahoma Test resource page
• The Home School Mom's Oklahoma support page
• Home Education in Oklahoma by Ann Zeise
• Homeschool World Oklahoma support groups

Legal disclaimer: This section is one family's story and how they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in Oklahoma. It is not intended and should not be used as definitive legal advice. In most states, parents find a variety of legal methods to pursue the educational approach that they prefer for their child.

Oklahoma Makes Homeschooling Easy

Both new and veteran homeschoolers can benefit from the wealth of Oklahoma homeschool resources available online. I've listed a few of the best here to get you started:

• Home Educators Resource of Oklahoma - Network for homeschoolers in OK
• Homeschool World - National site with articles and information as well as state-specific links
• OCHEC - Oklahoma Christian Home Education Consociation
• OKhomeschooling - Yahoo group for home educators in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has some of the most lenient homeschool regulations in the country. I feel this is great, but, I wouldn't mind more. Our only regulation is that we have to take a record of 180 days attendance. Although the state doesn't require it, I keep a journal and all the work that my son completes.

Making Homeschool Work for Us

In order to stay involved with other homeschoolers, we belong to a homeschool group. We attend P.E. once a week, co-op once a month, fieldtrips, and occasional "get-togethers." We have monthly meetings for the parents, and I also attend the yearly OCHEC convention once a year.

You might like to know what an average homeschool day looks like for our family, so here goes: We get up, eat breakfast, then Caleb will read his Bible, get dressed and feed his turtle. He then writes in his journal. At that time I will get his schoolwork ready; it may be math, worksheets covering a wide variety of things, reading, history, science. But if I am busy with other obligations, I will have him get on Time4Learning for about one hour. I will either tell him what subject or he can have his own choice. That afternoon, he will check for eggs from the chickens and we will go over what we did in the morning and probably read a book and/or go outside for exercise and fresh air. We ALWAYS read something before he goes to bed, usually a "Boxcar Children" or "Wishbone" book (that's what he's into right now, I'm sure it will change).

Time4Learning is vibrant, engaging, educational, and funny. It sure beats our previous homeschool curriculum which was textbook/workbook based.

Time4Learning is so effective that very little intervention is required. This works great if you're homeschooling multiple children.

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

Oklahoma homeschool law includes the freedom for families to pick and choose their own curriculum based on what works best for their child. However, families new to homeschooling quickly discover a dizzying array of choices when it comes to selecting homeschool curriculum. There is no more popular discussion among homeschoolers on the web than the pros and cons of various homeschool programs. After sifting through the homeschool curriculum reviews, most parents end up mixing and matching homeschool programs, trying to create the best match for their child.

Time4Learning's experience shows that there is no single, best homeschool material. Rather than feeling torn between homeschool resources, parents should select a diverse blend of materials and activities.

For families with more than one child, choosing a homeschool program can be more problematic. What works for one child may not work for another. What works for one subject may not work on the next. What works one year, may fall flat the very next year.

Some of the features that make Time4Learning so successful include:

• Time4Learning appeals to a wide range of learning styles. Our online learning materials are especially well-suited to children who are visual or kinesthetic learners. These children can take advantage of Time4Learning's interactive, multi-media materials.
• Children like using the computer to learn. It's a convenient, interactive homeschool resource that provides a welcome change each day to paper-and-pencil workbooks and textbook-based lessons.
• Parents like that it tracks progress and helps children advance by clearly presenting and reinforcing each lesson.
• Time4Learning's self-paced, modularized lesson plans allow you to move forward and back through the materials whenever you want. You can skip lessons that teach concepts your child has already mastered and repeat those he or she has not. The choice is yours. With Time4Learning, you are always in control.

Time4Learning is proven effective with homeschoolers, has a low monthly price, is easy-to-use, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your children!

Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.

If you have any more questions or comments about homeschooling in Oklahoma, head over to the Oklahoma Parents Forum.

Some Helpful Tools and Resources

Welcome to Homeschooling Guide - Are you new to homeschooling? This guide was written by seasoned homeschoolers to answer some of the difficult questions new families often struggle with.

Curriculum Lesson Plans - An overview of the number of lessons that are included for each grade and subject. All students have access to at least 2 (and in most cases 3) grade levels of curriculum for each subject, so they can move ahead or review at their own pace.

Homeschool Portfolio Information - Answers common questions about homeschool portfolios and evaluations. It includes tips on organization methods, what to include and how Time4Learning can be used as part of your homeschool portfolio.

The Lesson Activity Finder - One of the many helpful tools that Time4Learning offers its members. The activity finder is a shortcut that makes it easy for parents to preview lessons or find extra practice for their child. You can visit our hints and help section for more information about the activity finder.

Lesson Planning Worksheet - Wondering how many lessons to have your child do each day? Estimate the number of activities per day using this easy to use, printable worksheet.

Online Parent's Forum - Reach out to homeschoolers in your area, join discussions, ask questions and trade ideas on our online community of homeschooling parents. Having the support of seasoned homeschoolers can really help make your homeschooling journey a success.

Sign up for Time4Learning and gain access to a variety of educational materials, which will engage and challenge your child to succeed. Make Time4Learning a part of your children's homeschool resources.

I want to Learn More about Time4Learning's homeschool curriculum or how to use the program for afterschool enrichment.