Introduction
Hello everyone!! I’m so excited that you all are exploring the option of homeschooling. I’m also excited because I have never compiled such an extensive list before. I remember when I started the journey over 8 years ago. There was a sea of curriculum and it all seemed so overwhelming. I remember asking a few people here or there some questions, but for the main majority (probably 99.9%), I have researched, tested, and reviewed all of what I’m about to share with you.
The important thing to know is that God has equipped you to be able to teach your children if you desire to do so. Think of how much you teach them every single day without books. They learn with you through conversation, mimicking, and a variety of other ways that we hardly pay attention to. Just with everything else in life, if you apply yourself to this, you will be more than able to teach and learn with your children. If your child or children are coming from a public or private school background then you have to almost forget that prescribed mindset of what school MUST look like. You have to find what works best for your child and your family. Alright, LET’S GET STARTED!!!
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching…” -Proverbs 1:8 (ESV)
Getting Started
So, you have begun your journey in considering homeschooling and it all might seem so overwhelming. There are many factors to consider, but one of the important ones things to look at is the homeschooling laws for your area. For this section, I will primarily address the current laws outlined for the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, I will include a link for those from other states so they can use that to check out laws for their area.
Virginia Homeschool Options
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are four main options to choose from when deciding to homeschool. The first option is to homeschool under home instruction. This is the option that I have homeschooled under for the last 8 years. For this option, you need to provide documents to show you qualify by proving one of the following: (1) you have a high school diploma or higher degree, (2) have a current Virginia’s teacher’s license, (3) provide a program of study or curriculum which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner, or (4) provide evidence that he is able to provide an adequate education for the child.
Once you have decided which one of those you qualify for, you will then file an annual notice (NOI) with your school superintendent. You can use this form: Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction. In addition to that form, you will need to include a list of curriculum that you plan on using. Currently, in Virginia, we are only required to include the course subjects that you intend on teaching and not the actual brand of the curriculum. You can check out here, a more in-depth description of how to complete this portion of the requirement.
Lastly, after you have printed and filled out the NOI, wrote up your list of curriculum, and have gathered copies of your proof to qualify for whichever option you chose then you will mail it all to your local superintendent before August 15th each year. I will include a link for all the Virginia superintendents from the Virginia Department of Education so that you can easily find their address and phone numbers. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association states on their website that you do not need approval to start homeschooling, you just need to file your Notice of Intent.
Once you have completed or are nearing the end of your homeschool year, you will need to provide an annual evaluation which is required by August 1 of each year. There are 4 different ways that you can complete this requirement. The first option is by having each child complete a nationally-normed standardized achievement test. The child will need to score above the 23rd percentile. You can also use tests such as an ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores. I will include a section below of the various testing options that are available.
The second option is to obtain an evaluation letter from a qualified person expressing the child has achieved an adequate level of educational growth and progress. The third option is to provide a report card or transcript from an educational institution, a distance learning program, or correspondence school. The fourth option is one that needs to be discussed with the school system early in the year and that involves another type of evaluation or assessment.
All of the above information describes the requirements of option 1 of homeschooling under the home instruction option. To find out more in-depth information concerning this option, then please click here. Additionally, I will include links below for informaiton concerning the other three options to choose from for homeschool. Since I have not personally explored those avenues, I will not discuss them.
Here are the other homeschool options:
- Option 2: Homeschooling with a religious exemption
- Option 3: Homeschooling with a certified tutor
- Option 4: Homeschooling under the private school option
Curriculum
Each year when I talk with a new friend considering homeschool, curriculum is ALWAYS the main subject. First of all, in my opinion, there is something out there for everyone. Various price ranges, various parent involvement, so many options. In fact, I think sometimes this is why curriculum decisions can become so overwhelming. It’s almost like a buyer’s paralysis. So, I hope this section can help you out some in narrowing down your decisions.
In this section, I will include some of the most popular curriculum choices available. For the most part, these will all be curriculums that I have experienced personally in some way or another. My overviews will solely be from our experience or my perspective from reviews. I highly encourage you to check out the links, explore samples, watch videos, and anything else to help you decide if a particular curriculum would be a good fit.
Compiling Curriculum
Before I started listing out the various curriculums, I like to take a moment to explain how parents may choose to make up the complete curriculum. As the teacher, you can fully decide to piece together your curriculum from different homeschool providers or use what is known as a “boxed-curriculum, ” which refers to choosing a company and do all that same curriculum. Let me give you a couple of examples. Let’s say that my child is in first grade and I know that I will be teaching bible, spelling, handwriting, math, science, P.E., music, and history. If I was going to piece his curriculum together it might look something:
- Bible – Christian Light Education Bible
- Spelling – BJU Spelling
- Handwriting – Handwriting Without Tears
- Math – A.C.E.
- Science – A Reason for Science and Nature Walks
- P.E. – Playtime outside and Karate Class
- Music – Piano Lessons and Music for Little Mozarts
- History – Master Books “America’s Story”
However, If I was going to choose a boxed curriculum, then I would decide which company I was going to go with and then order that complete curriculum for all subjects at the child’s grade level. Make sense? The decision is truly yours and what works for you.
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
Curriculum Choices (Complete Curriculums)
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission when you click on and purchase something through my links. There is no extra cost to you and my opinions are 100% my own! Read more in my full disclosure for more information.
Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.) – Currently, this is the core of our curriculum. I have discussed in a previous blog how I was very concerned to use this curriculum because of scary reviews. However, most of those reviews come from those that no longer or never aligned with a biblical worldview perspective or had a bad experience in an A.C.E. school. This curriculum uses a gentle approach in younger levels to ensure mastery of foundational educational requirements. It provides smaller bits of information and over time builds upon the prior lesson of the subject at hand. My son has done extraordinarily well with A.C.E. As with most curriculum providers they have an assessment test that can be taken for free to determine where your child may need to begin when using their curriculum.
Here are the links for A.C.E.:
A.C.E. Curriculum- A.C.E.
- A.C.E. Placement Assessment
- Purchase and see samples A.C.E. (Christianbook.com)
- Another site to purchase curriculum
- Lighthouse Christian Academy (A.C.E. Academy)
Abeka Curriculum – This is a solid curriculum. My experience has been that this is very in-depth and age-appropriate. I have only used this curriculum as support material or electives. The greatest complaint that I have heard people that leave this curriculum is the workload. This curriculum can be teacher-led and they also have a video option with an accredited or unaccredited possibilities.
Here are the links for Abeka:
Abeka Curriculum- Abeka
- Another source to purchase and see samples (Christianbook.com)
Alpha Omega Publications – AOP has a couple of different curriculum options under their parent company: LifePac (student-led), Horizons (teacher-led), Monarch (online) and Switched on Homeschool (digital). This company also has the options of teacher/child-led or an academy option.
Here are the links for AOP:
Alpha Omega Curriculum- Alpha Omega Publications
- Alpha Omega Academy
- Another source to purchase and see samples (Christianbook.com)
BJU Press – This is also a very solid education. They offer options of teacher-led as well as a distance-learning option. They also offer payment options. It is a bit pricier than other curriculums. We have enjoyed many courses from BJU.
Here are the links for BJU Press:
BJU CurriculumChristian Light Education – I absolutely love Christian Light Education. I feel that it is rather advanced in many areas. Subjects are made up of booklets called “light units.” We used this for a large portion of our homeschool journey and it’s the curriculum that my son grew to love learning more about the Bible. The publishers of this curriculum are Mennonite; therefore, some Mennonite belief (Anabaptist doctrine) may be apparent. However, I never found a problem with this and in fact, I welcomed the clean simple presentation of life. However, my son prefers curriculum with color and this was one of the reasons we moved away. This curriculum can only be purchased on their website or either at their bookstore located at 1066 Chicago Ave, Harrisonburg, VA 22802.
Here are the links for Christian Light Education:
- CLE Curriculum
- CLE Homeschool Plus (oversees grades and transcripts)
- CLE Diagnostic Test
Master Books – A lot of people LOVE Master Books and rightfully so. This curriculum is very gentle in its approach but is packed with so many amazing creative ways to learn. The books are very inviting and filled with wonderful stories and facts that allows a child to enjoy the process of learning.
Here are the links for Master Books:
https://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool/master-books?navcat=Homeschool|Curriculum-Index|Master-Books- Master Books
- Another Souce to purchase and see samples (Christianbook.com)
Timberdoodle – This is a company that pieces together various curriculum brands for you that will ultimately give you a complete year’s worth of work. It’s primary focus is that it is more geared to a hands-on approach to learning. Oftentimes, I have visited this site to buy or find pieces to add a little something extra to our work for the year. Unlike the curriculum, I listed above, Timberdoodle offers curriculum kits for secular or biblical viewpoints.
Here is the link for Timberdoodle:
Veritas Press – This publisher offers a variety of curriculum, including all subjects. However, we have primarily focused on languages and the Bible. In the last two years, we have used the self-paced bible course and my son has LOVED it!! I highly recommend it. As of today, June 12th, they are running a sale online that allows you to save $125 on any Self-Paced Course and Cards or Omnibus Course or Kit.
Here is the link for Veritas Press:
Other Complete Curriculum Publishers:
- Sonlight
- Time4Learing.com
- EasyPeasy (This is a FREE curriculum)
- Classical Conversations (Typically, you will have local groups that meet once a week.)
Search for Other Options on Christianbook.com
Curriculum Choices (by subject)
Reading Curriculum:
- Reading Eggs (I feel this is more of a supplement, but some use this as the core class. I have heard it helps with those needing extra help.)
- Hooked on Phonics
- Phonics Pathways and Reading Pathways
- All About Reading
- Explode the Code
Math:
- Math-U-See
- Diveintomath.com (Rigorous and highly rated.)
- Life of Fred
- Teaching Textbooks
Science:
- Apologia or purchase at Christianbook.com
- Answer in Genesis or purchase at Christianbook.com
History:
- Mystery of History or purchase at Christianbook.com
- Story of the World (not from a biblical worldview)
Handwriting:
- A Reason for Handwriting or purchase at Christianbook.com
- Handwriting without Tears or purchase at Christianbook.com
Keyboarding/Typing:
- Keyboarding without Tears
- Typing.com (Free program)
Online Writing Help:
Southwest Virginia Local Support Groups/Co-ops
While I have never joined a co-op group myself, I have researched various ones in my area. We have always had so much other stuff going on, we have never had time to add anything extra. However, I have considered starting a co-op for gatherings and outings. Let me know if you are interested. For those that are interested in this option, I’m providing you with a link that has some (not all) the co-ops for our area.
Homeschool Transcripts and Other Services
- Home Educator’s Association of Virginia Transcript Services (HEAV)
- Homeschool Legal Defense Association Transcript Service (HSLDA)
- Bridgeway Academy
- HEAV Membership
- HSLDA Membership
Homeschool Facebook Groups
- Homeschool Events Around Roanoke (Virginia)
- Virginia Homeschool Events
- Christian Homeschool Families
- Christian Homeschooling Moms
- ACE Homeschool Moms {A.C.E. PACES}
- ACE Homeschool Mom’s lounge
- Moms of Master Books
- Abeka Homeschool Moms Chat Group
- Christian Light Education Families
- Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV)
- HSLDA
- World of Gervase (This is my blog FB page, which will be relaunching primarily as a homeschool and homemaking site.)
“I always wanted to be a hero–to sacrifice my life in a big way one time–and yet, God has required my sacrifice to be thousands of days, over many years, with one more kiss, one more story, one more meal.” ~Sally Clarkson
Homeschool Testing
Homeschool Perks
This is one cool thing that some homeschooling parents are unaware of…discounts!!! Of course, if you become a member of HEAV or HSLDA then they have their own perks just as rewards and discounts at various places, but I’m talking about discounts for just being a homeschooler. Many museums, educational attractions, and aquariums offer a homeschool rate. Typically, all you have to show is proof of homeschooling such as your letter you received back from the superintendent to show they have received your NOI.
I have received deep discounts with savings up to $60 for just one attraction. Additionally, a lot of places such as various amusement parks, historical sites, and Great Wolf Lodge will offer various times throughout the year for a homeschool rate. A few years ago, we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge at about 65% off the normal rate when using the homeschool rates. So, be on the lookout for these discounts, because they really do add up.
Let’s Wrap this Up
I know this was A LOT of information, but it really is to be best informed before jumping into a decision as crucial as your child’s education. Feel free to ask questions in the comments, I’ll answer them to the best of my knowledge or I will point you in the direction to where you can get the answer if I don’t know it. To wrap this post up:
Can you do it? Yes!!
Will it be difficult some days? Of course!!!
Will it be incredibly rewarding? Absolutely!!
Here’s my encouragement to you: Take it one moment at a time, breathe, relax, enjoy it, and be in awe at the amazing creation God has formed in your children, you as a parent, and the beauty of learning together.
