Indiana Homeschooling Info

New homeschooling families contact us daily asking what they need to do to begin homeschooling. Instead of directing them somewhere else we've decided to have a place of our own they can come to where all questions can be answered. So we found an experienced homeschooling parent located in Indiana. She will be your state rep that will explain:

If you have questions or comments about homeschooling in Indiana, contact the Indiana Parent Forum.

Homeschooling in Indiana for over 10 Years…

I am so happy to be able to share information with other homeschoolers or new homeschoolers. I hope some of my experience can help you in some way.

I have always homeschooled our children. Our oldest is 12 and our youngest is almost 10. I consider it a great privilege to teach and mold our children. I used to look down on homeschooling. I didn't know any homeschoolers and thought it was a very strange idea. Little by little I felt God directing me to read about homeschooling so I started by looking on the internet. If you google 'how to homeschool' you will find more than enough information to get started. Little by little I learned and was eventually convinced that homeschooling was for us.

Is homeschooling for me?

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1
http://www.eho.org/why_homeschool/default.asp

I am a firm believer that a parent's influence in a child's life is the key. No matter which curriculum you use, they will be watching you as the ultimate teacher. There is a Bible verse that says: Students are no greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. (Luke 6:40 NLT) In life, the parents teach the children; it may be on purpose or unintentional. Either way, they are taught.

I tend to be eclectic when it comes to a homeschooling style. I mix curriculum and anything else I can get my hands on. I like to do things in an unconventional way. Some of the things that we use to teach our children are: Time4Learning, Switched On Schoolhouse, Abeka Math Workbooks, Wrap Ups, the Bible, the History Channel, movies, books, and I make worksheets on the computer.

Homeschooling approaches

For my 4th grader: We use Time4Learning for Math and Language Arts. After that he does math flash card games online, Times Attack or Wrap Ups to practice his multiplication and devision. For a math workbook (I like him to use a pencil once in a while!) I use Abeka Math. I like to use a lot of variety with him to keep his interest. He's not the textbook type! If he needs extra help in one particular area, I like to make a worksheet from the internet.

LINKS:
Flash Card Games
Times Attack
Wrap Ups
A beka Math
Math worksheets

For more reading, I like to purchase books on Amazon. I can often get books for $0.01. :-bd (Yes, I said one cent.) The shipping for media mail is always $3.99 so my total for a book is $4.00. I usually pick books that teach history, science or just general facts. Also, I like to read to our children. I once heard that this is a good (and strange) thing to do even as they reach upper grade levels.

Read alouds:
Lamp Lighter Publishing
Chronicles of Narnia

For my 6th grader: For Language Arts we use Switched On Schoolhouse. (Alpha Omega Publishing) This is a CD Rom program. It is good because it teaches (I help for further explanation if needed), gives schoolwork, quizzes, tests and keeps track of grades. SOS also has Math, Science, History, and Bible. For math he uses Abeka workbook. Abeka has a whole line of curriculum, a homeschool acadamy and is a little more advanced than most.

Links:
Alpha Omega (SOS)
A beka

I really like the idea of schooling both kids together for some subjects. We like to do Bible, manners, cursive, Science, History and Geography together. I found some great resourses for that. Also, some people do unit studies together.

Links:
Christian Books
Manners
Cursive
Science
History
Geography
Unit Studies

We don't do all of these subjects every single day. Things we do everyday are: Bible, Cursive, Reading, Math and Language arts. We do Science, Geography, History and manners once a week.

Homeschooling does NOT have to be expensive! You can purchase plenty of used or discounted hsing books or products on the internet. Ebay, Amazon and Half.com are just a few places that you can get used books.

Of course, Time4Learning has a very low monthly price.

Meeting the Indiana State Home School Requirements

The legal requirements for Indiana are quite simple. We have to take attendance in our homeschool and attend school 180 days out of the year. (If your local school superintendant or state superintendant contacts you, you have to show proof of your children's attendance. (As of right now, this doesn't happen often.) In Indiana, you do not have to submit any records unless asked by the superintenants.) I have a calendar that I make on the computer each month and I mark the attendance every day. If we go on a field trip or do something out of the ordinary, I mark that also. If a child is sick, I mark it. We often go over the 180 days a year because we like to refresh the children's memories during the summer. Time4Learning is a wonderful tool for summer learning, too!

Summary: The state of Indiana requires compulsory school attendance of children between the ages 7 (or the fall of their 7th birthday) and 18 (or when they graduate). Indiana requires that homeschools operate for the same amount of school days as their school corporation is in session, but they do not regulate what courses of study or curriculum is used. It also does not have any mandated teacher requirements or standardized test requirements.

Indiana Homeschool Laws

Also, a great way to protect yourself no matter which state you live in is to join HSLDA. (Homeschool Legal Defense Association)

Indiana Homeschool Contacts

IHEN (Indiana Home Educators Network) : You can find info on homeschool groups, state representatives, book recommendations, and much more.

Statewide Homeschool Support & Resource Directory

IHEN

You will also find:
• IHEN COUNTY CONTACTS
• HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT GROUPS
• LOCAL E-MAIL DISCUSSION LISTS
• REGIONAL NEWSLETTERS
• LOCAL LIBRARIES
• and HUNDREDS OF HELPFUL RESOURCES

Indiana Homeschool Convention

Other Indiana links:
In Home Educators
Homeschool Blogger
Homeschool Central
Historic Landmarks

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact me on the homeschool forum where there is a thread focused on homeschooling in Indiana. My username on the forum is: hsindiana

Choosing homeschool curriculum

Indiana 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 curriculum.. After sifting through the homeschool curriculum reviews, most parents end up mixing and matching homeschool curricula, trying to create the best match for their child.

For families with more than one child, choosing a homeschool curricula can even be more problematic. What works for one child, doesn't 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.

Curriculum reviews:
Homeschool Reviews
Cathy Duffy Reviews

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.

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, risk free! Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.

If you have any more questions or comments about homeschooling in Indiana, why not contact me on the Indiana forum at: hsindiana.