Homeschooling in Alabama
Hi, my name is Rhonda and I homeschool in Alabama. I am a homeschooling mom of three children. Some of my favorite hobbies and interests include water and vegetable gardening, sewing, painting, and finding new and exciting ways to educate myself and my children. I also blog about my homeschooling experiences in Alabama at Homeschool Blogger.
Hi, my name is JoAnn, and I also homeschool in Alabama! I have three children and one grandchild. I homeschool our youngest while. I keep a busy schedule and never have a dull moment!
If you have more questions about homeschooling in Alabama contact us at the Alabama State Forum.
Alabama Homeschooling Resources
For more information on specific homeschooling requirements in Alabama, 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 Alabama. 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.
Homeschooling Laws in Alabama
Alabama's statutes do not explictly address homeschooling. Homeschoolers in Alabama can teach their children at home under one of two conditions: As a private tutor, in which case they have to have a valid Alabama teaching certificate; or by affiliating with a church school (also called a "cover school" or "umbrella school"). In order to meet the need, many church schools have been formed for the express purpose of supporting home-schoolers.
Homeschool Resources in Alabama by Rhonda
I have a few "favorites" that aid me in getting homeschooling information. CHEF, or Christian Home Educators Fellowship, is the leader in providing the annual homeschooling curriculum fair and conference in Alabama.
On a local level in Marion County, Alabama, a new co-op has just been formed called "FLIP", or Future Leaders In Progress and serves anyone in Alabama, but is located in northwest Alabama. This group offers teacher support as well as many different structured activities and field trips for homeschooled children in northwest Alabama.
And of course, if you are here, you know that Time4Learning offers valuable information for new and seasoned homeschooling parents which includes the individual forums for each state, and the free Welcome to Homeschooling guide.
Alabama is Homeschool-Friendly by Rhonda
I have found that the laws in Alabama regarding homeschooling are "homeschool-friendly", especially as compared to some of the other states. It is easy to find a wide variety of homeschooling support groups and co-ops, although if you are new to homeschooling, it is helpful to find out where to search out what is best suited to your family's needs. In addition to groups, there is a major homeschooling conference at least once each year in a major location in which literally thousands of homeschooling families meet, get new ideas, review curriculum from vendors and hear a variety of speakers regarding homeschooling.
For the state of Alabama, the primary homeschooling parent(s) is required to have a teaching degree or be represented by a church cover school. There are many church cover schools and their requirements vary to a great extent. Alabama does not have a required curriculum for homeschooled children, nor do they have a required number of attendance days. However, whether you have a teaching degree or are covered under a church cover school, an attendance record is required to be sent to the superintendent of education in the county in which you live. At the very least, a cover school will require an attendance record, which they will typically forward on your behalf.
Rhonda's Typical Homeschooling Day
There may be some of you new to homeschooling, or considering it, that may wonder what a homeschool day consists of. Of course, this widely varies among different families, but here is typically how our day unfolds. My three children are usually up by 8:00 a.m., have breakfast and do a few chores while breakfast is prepared. We typically begin our homeschool curriculum by 9:00. I have two second-graders and one fifth-grader. It's easy to incorporate a few of the subjects with both grades and we can work together as a group. When it's necessary to split up, I work with one grade while the other works on their Time4Learning curriculum online and then we later switch.
The children love their Time4Learning experiences and quite often, I find that they learn a new concept only after covering it on Time4Learning! The second graders are usually finished with all curriculum by noon and my fifth grader usually finishes by 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. depending on the day, as we cover more subjects on some days. We typically review spelling in the evening and make time for more reading before bedtime. So, there you have a typical homeschool day in our household!
If you have any more questions or comments about homeschooling in Alabama, why
not contact me on the AL forum at: five_blessed.
Alabama HomeSchooling Resources by JoAnn
Both new and veteran homeschoolers can benefit from the wealth of Alabama homeschool resources available online. We've listed a few of the best here to get you started:
How JoAnn Homeschools
We belong to North Alabama Christian School out of Valley Head. We meet once a week for PE, weather permitting. We also schedule several field trips throughout the year. As far as an average homeschooling day for us, I don't have a strict schedule that I go by. I incorporate everything as a learning skill or experience. Breakfast by 9:00 a.m. and reading is always after.
With dyslexia, reading is our most difficult subject, so I get it done early. We generally do Bible study next, along with music. By 2:00, my son is ready for Time 4 Learning, where we do more reading and language arts, math, science and social studies. By 4:00 we are done and usually out the door to the park!
Alabama Makes It Easy To Learn At Home
Homeschooling in Alabama has been quite easy for us. There is plenty of information to get started if you are a first-timer, or if you are relocating from another state. The latter describes us - - we relocated two years ago. The state website is pretty clear about the legal requirements for homeschooling in our state, and with a good cover school we didn't have a problem. I make sure I keep all my records along with some, not all, of the work we have done. I turn in my grades twice a year to my cover school administrator.
How Jo Ann Chose A Homeschool Curriculum
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 more questions about homeschooling in Alabama, or want to learn more
about our experiences in the state, you can contact us in the Parent forum at The Alabama Homeschool Section.
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