Homeschooling In Kentucky

Hi, my name is Marcy, and I homeschool in Kentucky! I have been married to Tom for almost 13 years. We have a wonderfully kinesthetic (think moves all the time!) son, Ben, who is 8 years old. Along with homeschooling, I work from home as a telephone triage nurse. My passions include historical fiction, children, and sweet tea!

If you have questions about homeschooling in Kentucky you can contact me at The Kentucky Homeschool Forum .

Kentucky Homeschooling Resources

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

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

Resources for Homeschooling in Kentucky

Kentucky is a wonderful state for homeschooling. There are many homeschoolers, which has resulted in incredible opportunities for enrichment. From co-ops to field trips to homeschool sports, Yahoo groups and clubs, we have it all here in Kentucky. We also have a lot of resources, both locally and nationally, to help us. I have many favorite resources for homeschooling. I'm always keeping our budget in mind, so I'm constantly on the look-out for free and cheap quality resources. Here are a few of my favorite resource links:

Home for His Glory is a Christian ministry to homeschoolers in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. Offering co-ops, field trips, support group meetings, playdates, graduation for K, 5th, and 12th grade, and many other opportunities, it's where many things happen in the Christian homeschool community.
Christian Home Educators of Kentucky is the Christian state organization for Kentucky. They sponsor the only homeschool conference in the state.
Bluegrass Homeschool Learning Cooperative is a secular group in the Lexington area, providing co-op and field trip opportunities to all homeschoolers.
Kentucky Department of Education provides a more thorough explanation for what is required of Kentucky's homeschooling families.
A listing of field trip opportunities all over the state of Kentucky can be found here.

How We Homeschool

I homeschool one child. He's currently in the second grade and VERY active, distractible, and has difficulty focusing. So the key to successful homeschooling in our house is fun, hands-on, short lessons. We generally begin school at 9:30am after morning chores are completed, and we are usually finished by 2:30pm. I use Sue Patrick's Workbox System to keep us organized and on schedule. Since I'm pretty easily distracted and unorganized myself, this system has revolutionized our homeschooling. Some programs that we use include:

We use Time4Learning math and language arts as well, to supplement or solidify learning, or for days when I need my son to work more independently.

I have to say we use our library system A LOT as well. It's not unusual for us to have 50-60 books checked out most of the time. We love learning that is literature-based.

How to Meet Homeschooling Requirements in Kentucky

In Kentucky, homeschools are classified as "private schools," which makes the basic legal requirements simple. Each year, you must notify the superintendent of pupil personnel in your county of your intent to homeschool. You are required to keep a record of 175 instructional days, along with scholarship reports.

Subjects taught should include, but are not limited to: reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics, and civics. There are no educational requirements for parents who homeschool. Student compulsory age is 6 years old. I simply checkmark the days we homeschool on my planner, which also serves as my record of what I'm teaching.

Choosing Curriculum for Your Homeschool

Families new to homeschooling quickly discover a dizzying array of choices when it comes to selecting homeschool curriculum. There is no more popular discussion on the web than homeschool curriculum reviews by homeschool families. 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 program can even 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 not work the next. 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.

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, multimedia 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. Quizzes and tests are graded by the computer, saving valuable time and effort for parents who would be happier concentrating on other areas.
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 Kentucky, head over to the Kentucky Parents Forum.