Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I teach my child?

A: Whatever your child needs to learn! Florida has no specific subject requirements. Homeschooling parents are responsible to decide what their child should learn.

Some parents want a guide to help them decide what to teach. Florida's Dept. of Education website CPalms.org shows the current Florida standards for what public school students are supposed to learn at different grade levels. Or try a list from another source. Some parents like the list of "typical course of study" skills listed under the parent resources on https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/html/tcos.htm (the site for World Book Encyclopedia).

Some buy expensive, pre-made curriculum from publishers (or online through sites like Amazon.com or eBay.com). These can be great for parents who want everything laid out for them, or who are unsure of themselves. But they can be expensive, particularly if they are not right for you and your child. Some popular publishers for homeschoolers include Abeka (Christian publisher), The Good and the Beautiful (Christian publisher), Sonlight (Christian publisher specializing in kits for homeschoolers with literature-based and global-based education), BookShark (the nonreligous version of Sonlight), Saxon (secular publisher; particularly for math and phonics materials, designed with lots of repetition and spiral-learning that some love and some hate), Singapore Math (as it sounds, produced by the government of Singapore, has Singaporean and American versions, the difference being the currency and measurements used, uses a bit different order than Americans are used to, but many homeschoolers love it), Math-U-See (secular, a lot of visual learners like this), Oak Meadow (comprehensive secular curriculum; see www.oakmeadow.com or call 802-251-7250), Spectrum Workbooks, and there are many, many more. (Some religious people use secular materials, and some secular people use religious materials, and adapt them to their needs.)

Other parents find books such as The Complete Curriculum series, The Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, Brain Quest Workbook. Some people find these to work on their own while others add a math workbook and additional readings to make them more complete.

Free websites like Khan Academy (free secular website) and Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool (a faith-based option) are another option. Some like subscription sites like Time4Learning or Education.com or Study.com.

Many homeschoolers find Usborne books to be a great resource. Usborne has over 1300 titles on a wide variety of topics. A British publisher, Usborne is dedicated to printing great educational books for children.

Others trust themselves more. They may use "real" books from the library and make lessons around their daily activities, or make up their own lessons or worksheets, or may use games and books and other resources that they already have to teach their children.

Or they unschool (a method of homeschooling) and have the child learn from doing the activities and such which fit the child; they may not set out to teach lessons from books, but rather to encourage the child to do things that will expand the child's horizons, encourage the child to learn more from whatever activities the child is interested in, encourage the child to explore the world around him or her and to learn what he or she needs to know to be able to do the activities that he or she wants to do.

Pick whichever method seems to work best for you and your child. Remember, that there is no "perfect" method nor curriculum and it may take a couple of years to find what fits your family best. Be willing to adapt as necessary for your family.
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For those who are overwhelmed by the possibilities, GO SLOWLY, TAKE YOUR TIME. Don't feel like you have to figure it out overnight. The best thing to do is read aloud often to your kids (research shows that reading aloud is great, even with older children) and have them read a lot (or look at the pictures in books, if they are too young to read). You'd be amazed at how much can be learned from just reading a variety of books and learning to enjoy reading. Then, take some time to research and get ideas about what method will work best with you and your children before diving in. The public library carries a lot of great reference books for beginning and experienced homeschoolers.

Q: What is FLVS? Must we use FLVS?

A: FLVS is a Florida public online school. No one is required to use it, but it is an option. For most homeschoolers it is free curriculum, but those with scholarships such as the Family Empowerment Scholarship: Unique Abilities (aka Gardiner) must pay for FLVS classes. Some people love FLVS classes. Others hate them and move on to other kinds of curriculum--you have options.

There are several versions of FLVS; most homeschoolers use the FLVS Flex version that allows them to take one or more courses. FLVS Flex allows enrollment year-round. The classes are asynchronous, so your child can work on the classes at any time of day that works for you. There are optional live lessons, but those don't have to be done.
Parents should keep records even with FLVS Flex. Copies of their assignment lists can be used as the Log of Educational Activities. Save a few assignments as samples of work--one from the beginning of each class and another from the end can be enough.
Palm Beach County has historically allowed parents to submit a copy of the unofficial FLVS Flex grade report at the end of their year to count for the required evaluation.

FLVS Fulltime is another option and there's a Palm Beach Virtual School version. These are not legally considered homeschooling even though the child is learning at home. The parent does not direct the learning in these. Enrollment can only be done before a semester begins. The school decides the classes to be taken, the schedule on which the classes must be taken, etc.

Q: What if I don't know how to teach a particular subject?

A: If you begin homeschooling when your child is very young, you'll likely learn along with your child and by the time your child reaches the tough subjects, you'll have a better education and may be prepared to learn it along with your child. If that doesn't happen, there are other options. Florida law does not require the parent to teach all the subjects; the parent must direct the education but can hire a tutor, or send their child to co-op classes, or join forces with other parents and trade teaching duties. There are lots of online virtual classes that can help with teaching. Our homeschool support group can help you find some options.

Q: What about socialization? Are homeschoolers social misfits?

A: Many homeschool parents come to realize that schools create an artificial environment unlike the rest of the world. Where else in life are people segregated by age, not allowed to speak most of the time, not allowed to go to the bathroom or get a drink or snack, etc. without permission? Homeschoolers learn to deal with people of all ages and typically have more supervision to help them learn to deal appropriately with social situations. "The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling" by Rachel Gathercole is an older book that covers this topic extensively.

Our homeschool group offers opportunities to mix with other children in a variety of situations such as informal park meetings, park activities such as kickball or field day, clubs, field trips, some classes, talent show, science day, and more.

Q: What's the biggest mistake most beginning homeschoolers make?

A: Surveys show that many veteran homeschoolers feel their biggest initial mistake was spending too much money on resources and materials that they ended up not using because they didn't work for their child's learning style or situation.

Others say that their biggest error was not starting to homeschool sooner.

Q: Can my child use an online school program from another state?

A: Yes and no.

Parents can use any learning materials they wish with their children. As long as they learn from the material, it works for homeschooling.

On the other hand, if you enroll your child in an out-of-state school, it will not meet Florida education law even if it's an accredited school. The online school can count as curriculum (learning materials) but the child will also need to be registered in an official Florida educational program either by sending in a Letter of Intent telling the district that you are home educating your child OR by enrolling in a Florida private school that is registered with the state and has a homeschooling option (i.e., a FL umbrella school).

Q: Who can join PBC Homeschoolers?

A: Anyone 18 or older who lives in Palm Beach County and homeschools their child (or is interested in homeschooling) is eligible for membership in our group. Membership allows the entire family the right to participate in group activities and events as well as gives access to our PBCH website.

Q: How can I join PBC Homeschoolers?

A: 1. Fill out our online membership application form and pay our annual dues. Membership application forms are available on our website. https://www.homeschool-life.com/3475/signup

2. Potential members must be known to a Board member, or meet a Board member such as by meeting at a park day or another PBC Homeschoolers event which is open to nonmembers.

3. The membership is approved by addition to the group's website and databse.

Q: What kind of homeschool group is PBC Homeschoolers?

A: PBC Homeschoolers is an inclusive volunteer-run homeschool support group open to local Palm Beach County, Florida homeschoolers regardless of beliefs, ethnicity, or homeschooling style. Our focus on homeschooling with an aim to provide low-cost friendly support with social and educational opportunities for all.

Q: How much are your dues?

A: a. Dues are $21 per school year and are due by September 15th for continuing members. If dues are not paid by October 1st, the member will be considered delinquent and may be dropped from the group's website.

b. If a member leaves or is removed from the group, no dues will be refunded unless the member leaves voluntarily within five weeks of joining.

c. The Board of Directors may choose to waive dues for one year for a member who was a member in good standing the previous year and is now undergoing financial crisis.

d. New members who join after May 31st will have their dues applied to the next school year.

Q: How do I officially start homeschooling in Florida?

A: 1. Home Education--the most popular method for homeschooling
The parent should send a "letter of intent" to the Home Education contact within 30 days of beginning to homeschool. A special form is not required; just send a written letter, signed by the parent, stating the plan to homeschool. Include the names, addresses, and birth dates of all children who will be home-educated, your address, a parent's name, and signature (actual signature--not a digital one). A scan or photo of it can be emailed to the district's Home Education liaison at homeed@palmbeachschools.org

Note: In Florida, each county is its own school district.
CC'ing the school (if your child is currently in a Florida public school) can help speed up the withdrawal process--the school cannot legally require a parent to come in person or to fill out a specific form to withdraw the student.
Florida Dept of Education policy requires school districts to confirm receipt in writing.
Parents must keep records of the child's learning and once a calendar year, submit an evaluation yearly to confirm that the child has been learning.

OR

2. The new Personalized Education Program (PEP) through the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship
Apply for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship through a Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO):
Either Step Up for Students or AAA Scholarships.
(There's one application for both the FTC and the Family Empowerment Scholarship: Educational Options; then choose the PEP option.)
This option requires submitting a Student Learning Plan to the SFO and annual testing around the end of the public school's school year; the testing can be public school testing OR private testing with a qualified administrator using one of the many tests on the FL Dept of Education's website. (This option is new as of July 1, 2023.)

3. Private school with a homeschooling option (aka Umbrella School or 600 School)
Find an official Florida private school that agrees to oversee homeschooling. Registration will require the child's birth certificate, a recent (less than 12 months old) physical and immunization records (or official FL health dept. waiver forms). Such students are private school students and fall under a private school laws. Attendance must be kept. If the school doesn't keep academic records, the parent should keep records of the child's learning. The private school officials should provide guidance in meeting Florida law.

Q: Is my child old enough to be officially homeschooled?

A: All children who'll be six by Feb. 1st of a school year up to those who are age 16, living in Florida, are required to be in an official educational program--home education is one way to meet this requirement. (Grade level does not determine whether a child must be registered or not. Age is what sets the requirement.)

If a child will turn six by Feb. 1st of a particular school year, the child is required to be in an education program from the beginning of that school year.

If a child is five and won't turn six until AFTER February 1st of this school year, the child is not required to be enrolled in an official educational program this school year. A Florida school district may choose to accept a Letter of Intent for such a child but is not required to. The parent can opt to wait until the following year to register the child.

If a child is under age five, that child is not yet REQUIRED to be in an official educational program. A child this young does not have to be registered, but a parent can still educate the child even if done unofficially.

A child who is old enough to enter a public school kindergarten class may not legally *have* to be registered in an official educational program. Requirements about officially registering a child in an educational program are not based on a grade level but on age.

Q: Can I officially homeschool my child who's younger than 6 (and won't be 6 before Feb. 1st)?

A: Only if the student is "school age."

To be an *official* home education student, a Letter of Intent must be sent to the school district's Home Education Dept. stating that the parent plans to homeschool the child and must include the child's full name, date of birth, address, parent's name, and parent's signature. If the child is younger than 6 and will not be six until after Feb. 1st, then the parent is not required to submit any official paperwork.

Our county has typically accepted paperwork early, if the child is "school age," meaning old enough to be registered in at least kindergarten. So, they have accepted Letters of Intent for 5 year olds, if a parent wants to officially register the student at a younger age than is required.

Note that if a Letter of Intent is sent early and the school district accepts it, the parent is required to abide by all the requirements for home educated students and must keep a portfolio and submit an annual evaluation before the anniversary of the Letter of Intent.

Q: How many days and/or hours must a child be homeschool for? What kind of attendance records must be kept?

A: Most homeschool parents use Florida's Home Education Laws. These laws state that home education students are exempt to the requirements of a school day and attendance documents are not required.

Most homeschoolers find that they accomplish more learning than the average public schools manage in a fraction of the time because a lot of wasted time can be cut out, the methods and materials can be geared to the learning style, level, and needs of the individual student. Also much of public school time is wasted on administrative tasks, group management, discipline of others, repeating topics already learned, repeated practice for tests, etc.
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Some parents homeschool through private schools using official Florida private schools that agree to oversee homeschooling and are unofficially called "umbrella schools." These students are officially private school students and must follow private school laws. Private schools must follow the minimum attendance requirements set by Florida law. The officials of the private school should be able to explain the current number of days and hours (which vary by grade level) required by Florida law. Attendance must be kept by the Florida private school.

Q: Does Florida law require certain textbooks or particular subjects?

A: Florida laws do not require particular curricula or teaching materials or methods for either home education or private school students. (If using a private school, the school may add its own requirements.)

There is no prescribed list of subjects that homeschoolers must use. Parents who run a home education program make decisions about what's appropriate for their children. So, for example, a parent may decide that a young child who is learning to read should focus on learning to read and basic math and may wait to add additional subject areas. If a parent wishes to "unschool" (teach the student using life experiences, and/or following the child's interests and needs, and/or using resources other than textbooks or workbooks, this is fine as long as the child is learning and the parent keeps records of that learning. Research shows that homeschooled students perform better on tests than schooled students regardless of the materials used.

Q: How must I grade my child's work and make report cards?

A: You can assign grades if you wish, or if your child works better when graded, or if it reassures relatives or friends, but grades and report cards are not required. Most homeschool parents focus instead on learning and have children re-do work until it's done right or until the child understands the subject, rather than focusing on grades.

If your child is done homeschooling and will be entering a school or college, putting together a report card can be helpful. There are samples and templates online to help you put such documents together. Grades can be determined wholistically and estimated based on the amount of learning the student has shown.

Q: Will someone from the school district check on what I'm teaching?

A: Probably not.

It is possible for the school district to ask to see the child's portfolio (aka records of learning), but the district must give 15 days' written notice to see records. District officials don't do this often; they are typically too busy to bother.
The district is supposed to check in the beginning if the child previously showed a pattern of nonattendance (was possibly truant). The district will check if someone pushes them to such as sometimes happens in a custody case.
The district would not be evaluating the teaching done or the methods used. The parent has the right to choose the type of evaluation and (unless choosing public school testing) the evaluator. The district only has the right to check that the parent is keeping records as required.

Q: What is the portfolio that's required?

A: The portfolio is the legal name for the records that must be kept of the home-educated child's learning. The portfolio doesn't have to be a fancy scrapbook but could be a stack of workbooks, papers in a box, records kept online, or in a database or on a social media account, or some combination. The portfolio should include a LOG OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES and SAMPLES OF WORK.

The Log of Educational Activities could be a calendar or planner with notes about what your child is learning. Or a lesson plan book. Or a publisher's lesson plans marked to show what's been done. Or notes in a spiral notebook. Or details on a computer spreadsheet. Or forms with check marks to indicate what's being done. Or table of contents pages from materials used with dates or check marks or such added to show what was done. Or a blog on a website or social media account. Organize it however makes sense to you.

Florida law gives the parent the right to decide the amount of detail to be included in the Log.

Titles of reading materials are to be included--they could be within the Log of Educational Activities or some keep a separate list. Be sure to have at least two titles. Titles could be from textbooks or workbooks, but could also be titles of library books, stories, websites, magazines, or anything else that can be read. (Don't worry if you forget a few titles.)

Samples of work can be samples of work generated by the student or samples of materials used by the student. Workbook pages are great samples, but there are other options, too. Screenshots of webpages or apps used, photos of projects done, brochures from programs attended, copies of pages read, and/or links to websites used are all options for keeping samples of work.
The law doesn't specify a number of samples to keep. It's smart to keep at least one sample from each subject area early in the year when you've begun homeschooling, a few more samples in the middle of the year, and a few more closer to the end of your year. Keep enough to help show that your child is learning and making educational progress.

Q: How long should the portfolio (homeschool records) be kept?

A: At least two years.
If your child is in high school, you should keep them longer.

Q: Must my child be tested?

A: Not necessarily--it depends on the option chosen for homeschooling.

Florida law requires an annual evaluation for home education students, but that doesn't have to be a test. The annual evaluation is due by the anniversary of your Letter of Intent. So, if someone began homeschooling in March, the evaluation would be due every March (or within 30 days of telling the district that you're done homeschooling).

There are five options for home education evaluations. Three of these are testing options.

1. Florida mandated testing. Contact the public school to which your child would be registered or the Testing Coordinator at the school district headquarters to be added to their testing list. Such testing is free. Scores above the 35th percentile are considered passing.
2. A nationally-normed achievement test administered by a Florida certified teacher. Tutoring centers may give such tests or sometimes a homeschool support group will set up group testing. This may cost $55-$70 or more per student.
3. Testing with a FL licensed psychologist or educational psychologist.

Another option is not testing.
4. A Florida certified teacher with professional-level certification to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level can look over the records (portfolio) the parent keeps of the child's learning to see that the child has been learning. This option is not a test and should be a low-stress form of evaluation.
Portfolio review evaluations cost typically between $35-$50 a student.

The fifth option allows for any other evaluation method that the parent and district agree on. Under this option, our county will accept grade reports from accredited school programs such as Florida Virtual School or various online schools as the evaluation.

The choice of evaluation is up to the parent if using home education--the most popular homeschooling option in Florida.
If using the new PEP option, testing is required to renew the scholarship for the next school year.
If using an umbrella school, private school laws apply and it will depend on the private school's policies.

Q: I'm not a teacher. Can I teach my child?

A: Florida law specifically says parents do not have to be certified in order to homeschool their children.

If a parent has taught a child to walk or talk or speak, the parent is already the child's teacher. Teacher training programs train people to deal with large groups of students; most homeschool parents aren't teaching 20 to 30 students and don't need such training. Often, trained teachers have to unlearn much of their training when working one-on-one with their children. Also parents know their children better than any teacher and can use that information to help educate their children.

Any parent can homeschool. If you get stuck, come to one of our support group meetings to learn ideas, get advice, and ask questions, and we'll help you figure it out.

Q: If I homeschool my teen, will my teen be able to get into college?

A: Yes! Most homeschool students who want to go to college, do. Colleges love homeschooled students who often have a better educational foundation, are often self-starters, and more actively involved with hobbies and interests that will enhance the college campus. Homeschoolers can earn scholarships including the state's Bright Futures scholarship.

In fact, many homeschooled high school students take free dual-enrollment classes at a nearby community college or university. These classes will count as high school classes and also as college classes at the same time. These classes can help demonstrate to a college or university that the student can handle college courses and help get admitted. Contact the local community college for more information--or ask us and we can share our experiences with you.