How to Start Homeschooling in Nashville
Nashville is the capital and most populous city in Tennessee. Commonly known as “Music City”, homeschooling in Nashville has become so popular that even the Country Music Hall of Fame offers programs. In addition, there are many historical places that families can visit to expand their children’s educational experience, such as Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. Imagine exploring the grounds and mansion as you learn about the man who grew up as an orphan, and later became the President of the U.S.!
There are many other opportunities for parents to combine homeschool’s flexibility and the great educational resources Nashville offers. But before you begin homeschooling in Nashville, there are certain steps you should take. Please review the following information.
- How to Homeschool in Nashville
- Time4Learning Curriculum for Homeschooling in Nashville
- Field Trips in Nashville and Beyond
- Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Tennessee
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 Nashville
Parents in Nashville have a few different homeschooling options per Tennessee home education laws. For example, some parents choose hybrid homeschool in Nashville, where they attend a school a few days a week and then homeschool for the remaining days. Other options include umbrella schools and independent homeschooling.
The following information is for independent homeschoolers who wish to take charge of their children’s education. By choosing this option, you will have the chance to provide a safe and dynamic school environment. To get started, Nashville homeschoolers should follow these rules:
- Parents must possess a high school diploma or GED.
- Provide annual notice to the local director of schools prior to each school year of the parent-teacher’s intent to conduct a home school.
- Maintain attendance records and submit these records to the Director of Schools at the end of each school year.
- Submit proof of vaccination and receipt of any health services or examinations as required by law.
- Although not a requirement, you should investigate Nashville homeschool groups, which are valuable resources for new an veteran homeschoolers.
- Choose a curriculum that best suits your children’s learning styles.
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.
Time4Learning Curriculum for Homeschooling in Nashville
Since you are expected to keep attendance when homeschooling in Nashville, it’s recommended that you find a curriculum program that helps with your other essential administrative duties. Time4Learning offers an automated system that grades lessons, tracks progress and keeps reports for homeschool portfolio usage.
Your children will also benefit from core subjects that meet national standards and multimedia lessons presented in a computer game-like fashion. This makes it easier for children of all learning levels to master more difficult concepts.
Some of the reasons why families in Nashville continue to choose Time4Learning as their main homeschool curriculum include:
- A wide array of foreign language courses/a> as well as 14 additional online electives for high school students, which allows them to investigate different subjects.
- Access to virtual labs, interactive projects, guided notes, and much more to help improve material, bring concepts to life, and allow students to apply what they’ve learned to real-life situations.
- Lessons that include rich graphics, charts, diagrams, animations, and interactive tools, which help students relate to and learn more difficult subjects .
- Activity planners and curriculum calculators that keep your students organized and working independently.
- An online environment that improves your child’s technology skills and computer awareness.
- The super fun gamified math fact fluency curriculum, Time4MathFacts, is included in the monthly membership for elementary students.
- An affordable monthly payment plan that offers a 14-day money back guarantee.
Field Trips in Nashville and Beyond
When you’re homeschooling in Nashville, you and your children have so many options to explore the wonders that are waiting outside the classroom. You can head out on your own or with other Nashville homeschool groups. It’s your call. You have the flexibility to turn off the computer or close the textbooks and go out on an adventure! Many parents integrate their field trips into their curriculum. So go ahead, visit a museum, a historic monument, a musical landmark and more.
Nashville homeschoolers can start out with these outings:
Country Music Hall of Fame – This landmark goes beyond country music legends, they offer homeschooling and virtual learning programs, the Taylor Swift Education Center, which provides a videoconference lab, an interactive gallery, and more to create an exhilarating learning environment for all ages. Kids can also learn about the lyric writing process, music listening technologies and more.
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage – Located on a 1,000 plus acres, you and your children will not only learn about the man but also his mansion, the grounds and how, after the Civil War, Jackson converted from plantation to farm, adding vegetables, fruit, and livestock. The Hermitage offers educational experiences for all ages and a homeschool program that teaches everything from learning military drills to celebrating the holidays at The Hermitage.
Adventure Science Center – How would you like to add a 44,000 square foot science and technology resource to your classroom! This Center features more than 175 hands-on exhibits focused on biology, astronomy, physics, earth science, energy, weather, sound, and space and is home to state-of-the-art Sudekum Planetarium. Learning opportunities are abundant and field trips are led by educators with degrees in the sciences.
Cedar Crest Environmental Education – Located under an hour from Nashville, this educational center offers field trips, virtual learning and homeschooling lessons. Their focus is on the Cumberland River Basin, one of the top three most biodiverse regions in the world. Classes and hands-on activities focus on creek ecology, water pollution, clean water solutions, biodiversity, best practices for gardening and more.
Nashville Zoo – The zoo offers homeschool field trips, guided tours, virtual classroom learning and more. You can learn about tigers and their habitat, visit an authentic, indigenous village featuring a Peruvian lodge where you’ll view Andean bears and southern pudu, one of the world’s smallest deer, measuring just 14-17 inches in height at the shoulder. Now that’s a different classroom experience.
The Parthenon – No, you aren’t visiting ancient Greece. This recreation of the iconic building also includes the 42-foot statue of Athena just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. The park offers educational tours and guided field trips.
For more amazing field trips for homeschoolers in Tennessee check out this post and make sure to read the comments section. Many parents share their ideas there too!
