How to Start Homeschooling in Philadelphia
In recent years, the trend toward homeschooling in Philadelphia, PA has grown exponentially. More and more families are recognizing that home education allows them to not only customize their child/teen’s learning, but add flexibility to their curriculum and schedule. If this sounds appealing, then continue reading to get the basics on how to start homeschooling in the City of Brotherly Love.
This information should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under.
How to Homeschool in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania is a state with more homeschool regulations than most, so it is important to do your research to understand what is required of you. In general, however, you have several steps to follow when getting started homeschooling in Philadelphia.
- Research the Pennsylvania homeschool laws.
- Download and complete the Philadelphia Homeschool Starter Packet from the school district of Philadelphia. (Be sure to submit by the yearly target date).
- Once you are notified that your home packet is complete and accepted, you can officially withdraw your student from his/her current school (if enrolled).
- Choose the best homeschool curriculum that fits your student and family needs.
- Make note of the deadlines for your upcoming homeschool year including dates for your renewal affidavit, standardized testing, evaluations, and documentation you must submit at the end of each homeschool year.
- Seek out Philadelphia homeschool groups for advice, collaborative learning opportunities, and socialization.
- Start having fun learning together!
Time4Learning Curriculum for Homeschooling in Philadelphia
Although there are specific course requirements in Pennsylvania, homeschoolers in the state have plenty of latitude to choose their own curriculum to fulfill those. Time4Learning has become one of the most popular homeschooling programs in Philadelphia because of its ease of use and ability to produce portfolio-ready reports at the click of a mouse.
Here are just some of the reasons why more and more Philly families are choosing Time4Learning as their main homeschool curriculum.
- Time4Learning’s comprehensive curriculum for grades PreK-12 includes many of the subjects required by PA homeschool law, including English Language Arts, Arithmetic, Civics, History of the U.S., Health Education, Science, and Geography.
- Time4Learning gives parents complete control of their child’s education. It can be used with a broad array of student types, learning styles and homeschooling methods.
- The multimedia lessons combine video and animation to keep students engaged. Concepts are taught in short chunks and are followed by interactive software exercises for reinforcement and discovery learning.
- Students simply log in when they are ready to learn and have complete access to all their work. Lessons are laid out in a suggested sequence and families can utilize as much or as little of the program as they see fit.
- Each grade’s curriculum is aligned to state standards and can help prepare homeschoolers for required standardized testing.
- Virtual labs, interactive projects, guided notes, and much more help enhance material, bring concepts to life, and allow students to apply what they’ve learned.
Time4Learning is accessible to kids with widely varying learning aptitudes. Because of the flexibility of the curriculum, and how each student can move at his or her own pace through the lessons, T4L works well for kids who are gifted, kids with special needs, and kids with all learning aptitudes!
