Getting Started on Your Homeschool Journey
There is so much information about homeschooling that it can seem overwhelming. We've gathered information to help you make your homeschooling decision and to inform you about laws and other legal issues. Here you'll find research and statistics that support the notion that homeschooling provides specific advantages to children and families. And we'll help you take the first steps on the road of your own homeschooling adventure.
Why Homeschool?
The first step to homeschooling is making your decision to home educate your child. It is important to become informed and knowledgeable about some of the main concerns you may have. Explore these areas of our website to learn more about the initial decision to homeschool.
How to Begin
You've decided to homeschool your child! But what comes first? For many parents, knowing where to begin in the homeschooling process can be confusing. Although there seems to be so much information available, it may be hard to get your questions answered. We've put together some resources to start you on your journey, giving you the information and motivation you need to successfully begin to homeschool in Nevada.
Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
History of Homeschooling
How did homeschooling start? When did it become legal? Who were the key players in making homeschooling the social movement it is today? The story of the history of homeschooling in the United States is a compelling tale of dedication, innovative ideas, and personal conviction and sacrifice. We have put together a history of this educational and social phenomenon, hoping it will inspire you to learn from the early and more recent pioneers of home education in America.
What's Popular
NAC 392.026 Notification of intent to exempt child: Instruction from licensed teacher.
In addition to the requirements of NAC 392.024, if a child will receive equivalent instruction from a licensed teacher, the notification of intent to exempt the child from compulsory attendance must include:
1. A calendar of the proposed days on which the child will receive instruction from the licensed teacher, as calculated pursuant to subsection 2 of NAC 387.286, which must include the equivalent of at least 180 days of instruction;
2. For grades 1 to 8, inclusive, evidence ...
Nevada Homeschooling Laws & Regulations
Nevada Homeschool Network offers this summary of the current laws regulating home education.
NRS 386.462 Participation by homeschooled children; applicability of provisions to homeschooled children.
1. A homeschooled child must be allowed to participate in interscholastic activities and events in accordance with the regulations adopted by the association pursuant to NRS 386.430.
2. The provisions of NRS 386.420 to 386.470, inclusive, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto that apply to pupils enrolled in public schools who participate in interscholastic activities and events apply in the same manner to homeschooled children who participate in interscholastic activities and...
NAC 392.035 Required instruction: Kind, timing and amount.
1. To constitute equivalent instruction, the kind of instruction to be given a child outside the public schools must include instruction in:
(a) The core academic subjects of:
(1) English, including reading, composition and writing;
(2) Mathematics;
(3) Science; and
(4) Social studies, including history, geography, economics and government.
(b) To the extent practicable:
(1) The arts;
(2) Computer educ...
Nevada Home Schooling
The Nevada Department of Education provides this website with some basic information about home schooling.
Nevada Education Quickstats
A pocket guide to statistical and graphical information about Nevada's public education system.
Nevada Department of Education
This website is provided by the Nevada Department of Education.
Changes to the Law
NAC 392 regulation changes approved by the Nevada State Board of Education
on 10/23/04 and 12/4/04, “unofficial version”.
NAC 392.018 Exemption of child: Duty of board of trustees of school district; written acknowledgement.
1. The board of trustees of a school district in which a child resides shall exempt the child from compulsory attendance at a public school if the parent of the child files with the school district a notification of intent to exempt the child from compulsory attendance that complies with NAC 392.024 and NAC 392.026, 392.028, 392.031 or 392.033, as applicable.
2. Upon receipt of a notification of intent that is complete and complies with the requirements of subsection 1, the school dist...
NRS 392.070 Child receiving equivalent, approved instruction is exempt from compulsory attendance; provision by school district of class, special education program or certain extracurricular activity to homeschooled child.
1. Attendance required by the provisions of NRS 392.040 must be excused when satisfactory written evidence is presented to the board of trustees of the school district in which the child resides that the child is receiving at home or in some other school equivalent instruction of the kind and amount approved by the State Board.
2. The board of trustees of each school district shall provide programs of special education and related services for homeschooled children. The programs of s...
NAC 392.048 Provision of information and documents to parents of exempt children.
1. The board of trustees of each school district shall make available in a timely manner to each parent of a child who is exempt from compulsory attendance pursuant to NAC 392.011 to 392.065, inclusive:
(a) Written notice of the registration dates and examination dates for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; and
(b) Information regarding the millennium scholarship program set forth in NRS 396.911 to 396.938, inclusive.
2....
NAC 392.055 School district not required to provide or compensate teacher, parent or experienced educator.
A school district is not required to provide or compensate a teacher, parent or experienced educator who possesses a teaching license issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and who provides instruction to or consults with the instruction of a child who is exempt from compulsory attendance pursuant to NAC 392.011 to 392.065, inclusive.
NAC 392.065 Duration of exemption.
A grant of an exemption from compulsory attendance at public school is effective for 1 school year. The board of trustees of the school district shall grant an exemption from compulsory attendance at public school for every school year for which the parent demonstrates compliance with NAC 392.011 to 392.065, inclusive.
NRS 385.110 State Board to prescribe and cause enforcement of courses of study for public schools; exceptions.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, the State Board shall prescribe and cause to be enforced the courses of study for the public schools of this state. The courses of study prescribed and enforced by the State Board must comply with the standards of content and performance established by the Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools pursuant to NRS 389.520.
2. For those courses of study prescribed by the State Board:
(a) High schools may h...
NAC 392.022 Notification of intent to exempt child: Development and dissemination of standard form.
1. The Department of Education shall develop a standard form for the notification of intent to exempt a child from compulsory attendance. The form must not require any information or assurances that are not otherwise required pursuant to statute or regulation.
2. The board of trustees of each school district shall, in a timely manner, make only the form developed by the Department of Education available to parents.
Resources
Should I Home School?: How to Decide What's Right for You & Your Child
Have questions about homeschooling? This book has the answers. The information in this book will help you decide if homeschooling is right for you and your child.
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It
Confused and intimidated by the complexities of homeschooling, many sincere parents never get past the "thinking about it" stage. Now Lisa Whelchel - herself a homeschooling mother of three - introduces fifteen real families and shows how they overcome the challenges of their unique homeschooling situations. This nuts-and-bolts approach deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children's age variations, social and sports involvement, learning disabilities, and boredom. Seeing a wide variety of successfully homeschooling families in action will give parents the confidence to make their own dream of home-based education a reality.
The Homeschooling Revolution
A readable, scholarly overview of the modern day homeschooling movement. Includes vignettes from homeschooling families, war stories, research information, media reaction, footnotes, and statistics.
The Exhausted School: Bending the Bars of Traditional Education
These 13 essays, presented at the 1993 National Grassroots Speakout on the Right to School Choice, illustrate how education reform actually works. Written by award-winning teachers and their students, these essays present successful teaching methods that work in both traditional and nontraditional classroom settings. “Gatto’s voice is strong and unique.” — Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul
They're Your Kids: An Inspirational Journey from Self-Doubter to Home School Advocate
For many people, their schooling was uncomfortable, tedious, and sometimes a waste of time and energy. This book offers the idea that the public school system is tragically flawed and that we are able to do better for our own children. Sam Sorbo, mom of three and wife of actor Kevin Sorbo, took the leap into homeschooling and found the joy and success she was seeking. Included are strategies for working parents, those who are scared to take the leap, and anyone who wants the best for their children.
Homeschool Open House
Personal insights from 55 families worldwide about a real day of homeschooling. Includes homeschool illusions, family culture, learning and family style, parenting strategies, chores and organization, family management, personal empowerment, decision making, change flexibility, resources, and questions to consider before deciding to homeschool. A private tour of homeschooling homes and reflective thoughts from families. Also includes five year follow-ups from families in HOMESCHOOLING: A PATCHWORK OF DAYS.
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
This radical treatise on public education has been a New Society Publishers' bestseller for 10 years! Thirty years of award-winning teaching in New York City's public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders as cogs in the industrial machine. In celebration of the ten-year anniversary of Dumbing Us Down and to keep this classic current, we are renewing the cover art, adding new material about John and the impact of the book, and a new Foreword.
Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home
The book that shows homeschooling in action!
What does it really mean when parents say they homeschool their child or children? For Rhonda Barfield -- a homeschooler for the past 10 years -- the definition is as diverse as the 21 families she studies in this eye-opening book.
Real-Life Homeschooling
From the city to the country, apartments to split-levels, you'll enter each household and see education in action. Discover the challenges and rewards of tailoring instruction to each child's needs while catering to his or her inquisitiveness and curiosity. See why the number of children being taught by their parents is growing nationwide -- at home, there are no overcrowded classrooms, no unknown dangers lurking in the halls, and no doubts as to the quality of the education.
Whether you are just contemplating homeschooling or are a veteran seeking fresh ideas and help in overcoming obstacles -- look no further: Real-life Homeschooling shows just how practical and rewarding it is to educate children and provide them with what they need most -- you!
A Different Kind of Teacher: Solving the Crisis of American Schooling
In 1991, shortly after receiving both the New York State and New York City Teacher of the Year Awards, John Gatto resigned to begin a new career as an education reform advocate. In this collection of 16 essays, Gatto analyzes the problems of American education and suggests solutions for revitalizing the system — prescriptions that run counter to current trends.
Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days: Share a Day With 30 Homeschooling Families
From a bedroom community in Nebraska to a farm in Vermont, from families who rely on workbooks to those who have sworn them off, this in-depth examination of the lives of homeschoolers covers a wide range of people and methods. When author Nancy Lande started homeschooling more than 10 years ago, this is the book she wanted that didn't exist. What better way to create your homeschool than reading about others and picking and choosing the styles that appeal to you? Lande has corralled a variety of homeschoolers and, with some deft editing, allowed them to speak for themselves. Every chapter features a different household on any given day. Many of the writers are mothers, but a stay-at-home dad and several children tell their tales as well. Their detailed descriptions start in the waking hours of morning and get down to the nitty-gritty information of everyday life in a homeschool: how moms fit in showers, how chores are divvied up, how reading and research are gently initiated, how parents set aside time for themselves.
These writers invite the reader into their homes and advise, "Don't mind the mess." Their passages are often funny and unflinchingly honest. They aren't embarrassed to tell you they whipped out SpaghettiOs for a hurried lunch or stole a peek at CNN while ignoring the chaos in the playroom. Some of the families have created highly structured school environments within their homes, with desks and sharpened pencils. Others promote freestyle learning, with their children sprawled across the house working on projects or reading in between walking the dog, playing games, and riding bikes. The majority of families here live in Pennsylvania, the author's home state, but one writes from as far away as Scotland, another lives on a mountain in Alaska, and yet another checks in from a college town in Texas. Their learning logs, reading lists, and journal entries, along with family photos, help illustrate the book. The quilt they piece together is a great service to those wondering how to approach homeschooling. --Jodi Mailander Farrell
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Featured Resources
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Homeschooling and Libraries: New Solutions and Opportunities
Homeschools are alwsy looking for alternative ways of schooling that do not necessarily reflect what a typical classroom looks like. Since homeschooling is so diverse across families, information institutions, including public, academic, school, and ...
Flip Over Math Manipulatives
Grades 1-5. Tub of over 500 manipulatives includes Pattern Blocks, Connecting People, Cuisenaire Rods, Coins, and Bean Counters and can be used with the Flip Over Math Books. This 49 page book (others sold separately) is written to NCTM Standards and...
Pass Your California DMV Test Guaranteed! 50 Real Test Questions! California DMV Handbook
This book contains the 50 most common questions and answers to the California DMV Written Test. Written by a former DMV classroom instructor and test creator, this straight forward book tells you the most likely questions and answers that will appear...
Responsible Driving, Student Edition
This easy-to-read book features explanations of safe driving techniques and is used in many states as a textbook for in-class driving instruction. It is a great learning tool for a new driver and a good refresher for the more experienced driver.
Greenleaf Press
Greenleaf Press is a small family-owned and operated publisher and supplier of quality books for children. They are committed to "twaddle-free", living books, and approach teaching history to children using biography and chronology. You will find sec...