Homeschooling in Missouri
Need some help educating yourself about homeschooling in Missouri? We hope this
page will help you by providing others' experiences with homeschooling.
Time4Learning has recruited a state rep from Missouri to help new homeschoolers
in the state get started. Her role is to help you connect with online and local
Missouri homeschool resources.
If you have any more questions or comments about homeschooling in Missouri, visit our online Missouri support group.
Missouri Homeschooling Resources
To find out more about the legal requirements for homeschooling in Missouri, articles, and state-specific resources you can also visit one of these sites:
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Legal disclaimer: This section is one family’s story and how they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in Missouri. 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.
One of the Most Homeschool-Friendly States
I think Missouri is one of the most homeschool-friendly states. We have very little in the way of requirements and anyone can "teach". For some, this is troubling but I love the freedom that this gives us! One of the reasons Missouri is so friendly is due to the large homeschooling population here. Just recently there was a bill introduced in to the legislature that would potentially negatively affect homeschoolers. A message was sent out over various lists and a day or two later thousands of homeschoolers flooded the Capitol building!
Missouri requires that children between the ages of 7-16 be "enrolled" in some type of school; homeschooling can be one of those forms, or in combination with others. Each year, a child must have 1000 hours of "school", 600 of which must be in the five required subjects , and 400 (of the 600) are supposed to be in the home or wherever they regularly do "school". The state school year runs from July 1 to June 30, so the hours can be filled any time during then. I interpret the law to say I should have examples of school work, but not necessarily a detailed record of hours. I used to keep a database program, written by a Missouri homeschooler, that logs hours, keeps grades, and makes monthly reports. Currently, I simply keep all the written and printable work my kids do in a binder for the year. Just from looking at the pages in the binder, it's quite obvious the children do a lot!
How We Get Involved Locally
Locally, our family attends a weekly homeschool playgroup. There are a few different groups in our area, and there are many across the state. A Google search for Missouri homeschool, or similar wording, turns up quite a few resources. We are starting a co-operative for the older children to get a feel of classroom settings and to give them the experience of other teachers (besides mom and dad). In addition, my kids attend a weekly sports program for homeschoolers when the public schools are in session. Statewide, the best resource I've found is Families for Home Education (FHE). They keep us up-to-date on legal issues as well as offering support.
No Two Days Alike
It's very rare we have two days that are alike in this household, but I will give you a rough estimate of our day: In the morning, the kids take turns at the computer. To start the day off, we have the Time4Learning website. Depending on how long they spend on that, a site of their choosing follows. Another website we really like (although my 10 year old is out-growing it) is Enchanted Learning. This year, we're also adding in the Learn at Home books for grades 1, 2, and 3. These are great books that help the non-organized parent have a plan. It includes plans for the day but also leaves time/room for expansion or changes. We also read at least an hour every day.
Homeschooling with Time4Learning
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 Missouri, head over to the
Missouri Parents Forum.
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