South Dakota Homeschooling Information

Homeschooling in South Dakota

If you have chosen to homeschool your children in the state of South Dakota, then you may be looking for information on legal issues, resources, and curriculum. This page aims to provide you with the facts and links to help guide you through the process of homeschooling in the Mount Rushmore state. So take a few minutes and read through all of the following info, and feel free to share this page with other new homeschoolers in your state.

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

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

• South Dakota STEP Test Prep resource page
• The Home School Mom's South Dakota support page
• Home Education in South Dakota by Ann Zeise
• Homeschool World South Dakota support groups

Legal disclaimer: This section is one family's story and how they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in South Dakota. 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.

Discovering Resources and Support

There are many types of resources and support for homeschoolers in South Dakota.

• South Dakota Christian Home Educators
• The South Dakota Home School Association
• The Natural Learning Network of South Dakota

There are also homeschooling conferences at various times and locations throughout the year.

The web provides plenty of opportunities for support as well, with many information pages targeted to SD homeschoolers, as well as Yahoo groups, online forums, and email lists.

Within the state, homeschoolers will find even more opportunities. Many counties in South Dakota offer local homeschooling support groups. Home-School.com includes a full list of homeschool support groups by county. South Dakota is full of great field trip options, including the NASA Education Resource Center, Siouxland Heritage Museums, the Great Plains Zoo, and the Washington Pavilion.

South Dakota Home School Laws

Legal disclaimer: This section 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.

In order to begin homeschooling in South Dakota, parents must complete a form requesting exemption from public school attendance and return it to their local school district. This form can be obtained from the SD Department of Education. Other state requirements for homeschooling state that parents may not instruct more than 22 students, and that they must administer standardized tests to students in grades 2, 4, 8, and 11. Results need to be submitted to the local school district.

South Dakota does not require parents to be certified as teachers, but does require that they teach a minimum number of educational hours and that they include the subjects of language arts and math into the instruction. Of course there are a variety of ways and methods that individual homeschooling parents in South Dakota interpret and fulfill these obligations. Homeschooling styles and preferences vary widely from family to family, and no one method is the "right" way to follow the state guidelines.

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

South Dakota 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 a 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 South Dakota, head over to the South Dakota 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.