curriculum help and support

Curriculum

Q: Must I use approved materials?
Q: Must I use public school materials?
Q: Must I use accredited textbooks?
Q: Must I use common core materials?
Q: Must I use an online program?
Q: Must I use....?
_________
NO!
---------
Florida law allows parents to use any materials that help their children learn.

There is no list of approved materials that homeschool families must use.

Only schools are accredited--not materials.

Pick what works for your child and keep records of the learning.

In Florida, homeschool parents are like principals of their own small private schools. They make their own decisions about curriculum, teaching methods, schedules, etc.

Looking for a math curriculum? Want to choose the best option for your child?
Read here for tips on choosing math materials for your child.

Try this set of quizzes to figure out how well various math curriculum will fit your child's needs. Note that you may have to stop and observe your child for a while to be able to answer the questions accurately.

Math Curriculum Quizzes

Tips on Choosing Curriculum

Child's Interests

Curriculum Reviews

See our notes on using a child's interests to maximize learning. An accompanying webinar was posted in our Facebook group "Homeschooling Florida Style."

And see below about deschooling first and determining a child's learning style to help choose curriculum.

Christian Curriculum

Specifically Catholic

What's the best curriculum?
The best learning materials are those that work for your child. A book or program that's great for one child may not work well for another. The best materials will be those suited to how your child learns, that are at a level that's not too advanced nor too simple for your child--materials that help your child learn. The best materials for your child might be textbooks or workbooks or a computer program or they might be materials that weren't necessarily designed for a classroom.

If a child is struggling or not making progress, homeschool parents can adjust their methods and adapt the materials to make them fit better or choose new materials. No permission is needed to switch methods or materials--just keep records of the learning as required by Florida law.

Parents can take advantage of their child's interests to maximize learning--after all, don't we all pay more attention and learn better when we're interested in something?

Pulling Your Child Out of a School to Homeschool?

We highly recommend taking some time to get away from the school mentality of: sit down, be quiet, only learn what we say, leave curiosity at the door, etc.
Deschooling
(not quite the same as unschooling)
can help tremendously with student attitudes towards learning. Deschooling may involve reading together and talking about what was learned, watching videos and discussing them, learning a hobby, visiting museums or nature centers or other places (even if done virtually), or other learning done without textbooks or workbooks or school schedules. Deschooling often involves asking a child to choose a topic to study and put together a project on to help figure out how the child prefers to learn. Deschooling involves decompressing from school for those who were previously in a school and getting away from the typical school mindset to regain curiosity and an enjoyment of learning.

Deschooling activities or materials can still be recorded in the portfolio.

More info on deschooling

Knowing how your child learns best can help you choose materials and activities that will work best for your child.

Learning Styles Quiz 1

Learning styles quiz 2

Florida has no specific curriculum requirements for homeschoolers. Feel free to use ANY methods or materials that help your child learn--even if they weren't necessarily designed as curriculum.

Have a child who loves, say, sharks? Homeschooling can start with exploring that love:

Read books, articles, or websites on sharks.
Learn about their anatomy and behavior.
Make models of them.
Learn about efforts to study and protect them.
Learn about scientists who've studied them.
Visit an aquarium and see them in person.
Write a report or story about them.
Learn about their habitats across the world.
And so on.

Like adults, children will listen better, remember more, stretch themselves to learn more, etc. on subjects they love. And there's no requirement to use textbooks for learning.

Using a topic your child is interested in as the core of the child's learning is a method called

Unit Studies

Unit Studies and can be a great way to start homeschooling. Most families will include a math workbook or online program, too, to complete their child's studies.

Scouts, 4-H, Youth Group, Civil Air Patrol, Sea Cadets, Young Marines, Fire Cadets, and many other youth organizations involve learning materials that could be a core part of your curriculum.

Q: What about special needs students?
A: At home, parents can choose any methods, materials, and schedules at any grade levels that work for their children. They can hire tutors, find materials designed specifically for special needs, use ordinary curriculum at their child's pace, or whatever works for their children. This often makes learning at home easier.
Florida does have funding through the Family Empowerment Scholarship: Unique Abilities (formerly called the Gardiner Scholarship) available for those with certain diagnoses.
Florida law requires proof of educational progress commensurate with ability; as long as the child is learning and progressing from where he or she began the year, passing the evaluation should not be a concern.

For more information and resources for those homeschooling children with special needs and/or gifted children see:

Special Needs/Gifted

Unschooling
is a term, coined by John Holt in the 1960s or 1970s, that originally meant learning without schools. Over time, it has come to mean a specific type of homeschooling. Though there's no widely accepted definition, this style of homeschooling tends to steer away from textbooks (except, perhaps, for math) and follows the child's interests. Good unschooling parents spend a lot of time helping their child find resources and methods of learning that work best for their child. They strew the environment with books, games, puzzles, activity kits, etc. that the child might want to learn about. They follow
rabbit trails--exploring questions as they arise rather than waiting until later.
Any method of learning can comply with Florida law as long as records are kept.

Note that there is a private school in Florida with the word "unschoolers" in its name. Sometimes this confuses people. A family can unschool without using a private school.

Home educators can use any homeschool methods they choose, including unschooling, as long as the child is learning and the parent keeps records of the learning.

Using a Child's Interests

Unschooling Info

Starting Now?

What should you use if you are suddenly thrust into homeschooling?

Don't buy a bunch of materials in a panic. You're likely to spend too much money on materials that may not work well for you.

Read the section on this page on deschooling.

Consider starting with a few library books and a cheap math workbook and perhaps some fun educational videos. The Brain Quest Workbooks, Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills, or One Big Fat Notebook series can be inexpensive starting options. Or start with a few free online sources. Much can be learned with these.

Then take your time to research methods and materials that will be a good fit for your child rather than choosing randomly.

And you might even find that the free materials give a superior education and stick with them.

Many parents who've pulled children out of public schools want online programs like those in schools but without having to buy an expensive school license.
Want a program for reading literature that gives comprehension questions?
Try BookAdventure.com

Florida's home education laws were originally put in place in the 1980s after changes in Federal tax laws and school funding policies caused many private schools to shut down and homeschooling parents were harassed by local officials. Craig Dickinson of FL Home Education Foundation helped write those laws and his widow, Brenda Dickinson, works today to maintain them.

FL Home Education Facts

Home Education Policies

FL Home Education Laws

Public school teachers and administrators are not required to read Florida's home education laws--which means that they can't be relied on to actually know those laws.
We recommend that all homeschool parents read Florida's home education laws and policies.
Feel free to ask us if you have questions. We have previously helped a number of parents when uninformed over-zealous school district officials over-stepped their bounds. It doesn't happen often, but we offer support if needed.

FL Public School standards

Homeschool parents can use public school standards and resources if they wish but are not required to.

Keeping up with public schools is usually not an issue for long-term homeschoolers who can get more one-on-one attention, have curriculum customized for them, use their interests to increase learning, get questions answered (even if you have to find someone to answer them), etc.

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Q: What if my child's behind in math (or some other subject)?
--
A: Florida law does not require grade levels for home education students, so the child will not be compared to any grade level standards in an evaluation.
Choose materials that fit your child's level and work at improving knowledge and skills and your child will make great progress.

Start with what your child needs to learn and work on learning more.

If your child is regularly learning and you keep records of that learning, passing the evaluation should not be a worry.

Learning Family Style

Teaching several children?
You could use separate materials at separate levels for each child--like the schools do. Or you can instead teach "family style" using some materials and activities for all of them at once. Hands-on educational activities, videos, and materials that can be read aloud and discussed together can work well with mixed age groups. The oldest will get the most from them and the youngest will learn, too. While they may need individualized math, reading, and spelling, a lot can be done together and a variety of published curriculum were designed to use for family-style lessons. Read here for examples.

Free Curriculum?

Are there free materials available for homeschooling?

YES!

There are many sources of free curriculum. Some popular examples include:

library books, apps, videos, etc.
Khan Academy
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool (faith-based)
CPalms.org (Florida public school materials--sign in as a teacher to find some free materials without a paid subscription)
Ambleside Online (Charlotte Mason)
The Good and the Beautiful (faith-based)
Discovery K-12
FLVS Flex (a public school program that homeschool families can use for 1 to 6 classes at a time)
Freedom Homeschooling

Note that there are many, many online options. There are many educational YouTube channels and sites that offer some of their materials for free. Be aware that if you are printing materials, it may be cheaper to buy a book, and used materials can be a great deal. Some public schools even have old books to give away if you ask about their "off adoption" materials.

Every year
FPEA,
the Florida Parent Educator Association,
sponsors a large conference with vendors displaying curriculum options.

They also offer trips, seminars, a huge high school graduation ceremony, discounts, advice and support, etc. for homeschoolers.
Use the coupon code CT19 for a discount in joining.

FPEA

Florida Homeschool Association
is a newer statewide homeschool support group offering a conference in central Florida in May with homeschool curricula on display for those looking for a nonreligious option.

Florida HSA

Keep records of the student's learning.

See our page with information and examples of portfolio records for details on the information to keep.
Most likely no school district official will ever see these records (though they can ask in writing to see them), but all homeschool parents should keep records.

Portfolio/Records

Q: How do you keep a portfolio for online curriculum?
---
A: Online programs generate records for you. Most online programs and apps have some kind of report feature; save screenshots or printouts as the log of educational activities. Save a few screenshots or printouts of lessons done or websites used for samples of work. The website, program, or app name can serve as a title of a reading material. If the program gives a score or report about progress, keep it as proof of educational progress.
Cheryl

Q: Do I need to wait for the district to confirm receiving my child's evaluation form before I move my child up to the next level?
---
A: No, you can move you child to a new level whenever you feel that he's ready. You're in charge of his home education program.

Unschooling is a homeschool method that often does not use textbooks nor workbooks to learn. Unschooling may involve a lot of hands-on activities and the student's interests to promote learning.

Questions about what to keep? Ask us.

Q: How do unschoolers keep a portfolio?
---
A:Even for unschoolers, the log of educational activities could be a calendar with brief notes on it, a list of activities, a blog, or other record of what the child has been learning. The unschooler may not have a lot of worksheets or textbook work, but samples of work can also be photos of projects or activities, screen shots of programs used, photos or scans of a page or two from the table of contents pages from books used, etc. Titles of reading materials can be of anything read by (or with, or to)the child--even if the child chose it.
Cheryl

The Trzasko Family

Cheryl & Mark Trzasko
(pronounced Trahs-koh)
have homeschooled their own from the start. Two have graduated high school as homeschoolers with college credit earned already. One is now a public schoolvteacher, and the other has served our country. Our youngest is still learning at home. Cheryl was homeschooled for part of her early education. We are passionate about helping others homeschool and protecting their rights.

Discover us on social media!

Online support Group

We offer a free support group on Facebook for those who want more information.(This is not for advertising.)
Answer the questions fully to join.

Download to print and use a convenient set of optional portfolio forms

What homeschooling parents have said...

I have found FL Homeschool Evaluations to be very efficient and accommodating. Very knowledgeable in Florida law regarding home education. Non-judgemental and encouraging, allowing parents to maintain control of their child's education. Fairly priced, prompt, good communication. Quick turn around on completed forms. We have been well pleased with our experience" Michelle L.

"Mrs. Cheryl is absolutely amazing. Always there to help answer any questions and helps me and my daughter feel comfortable during evaluation. I recommend her to anyone in Florida." Yesenia

"I am so glad I chose Cheryl to evaluate my children. We finished our first homeschooling year in October, and Cheryl made the process painless, and has made me even more excited to homeschool my kids this year. I was so nervous leading up to the evaluation. But Cheryl is great, and is very informative and to the point. I am so thankful I found her. And will definitely be using her again. Thanks again Mrs. Cheryl!!" Mary

"This was our first year homeschooling in Florida. Cheryl and Mark were very helpful answering questions and helping us through the process. I highly recommend FL Homeschool Evaluations."
Jeremy J.

"I highly recommend Cheryl and Mark Trzasko for your evaluations. We have used them for the past 2 years. They make the whole process so much easier and stress free. They are happy to answer any questions you may have. They are great about getting your evaluation done in a quick and timely manner." Amanda M.
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book showing a yacht with family onboard

Around the World in a Cement Boat is available from online booksellers and tells the story of Cheryl's childhood adventures, complete with homeschooling.