Homeschoolers have a lot of choices available to them. Please take the information you find useful from these pages and ignore the rest.

Many people, including me, will give opinions on the PA homeschooling law.  I believe that
everyone should read the law for themselves, read a few opinions about it, and decide for themselves what approach makes sense for their family.

Read The Law Yourself!

I might be wrong! I am not a lawyer!  Please double-check legal information with appropriate sources, most reliably the PA Department of Education's Homeschool Liaison

This Web Page by Pauline Harding for Art Nurk, askpauline@comcast.net.

Brand New to Homeschooling?  Start here.

Overview of the PA Home Education Law

• Compulsory School Age

• Affidavit - All you need to know, including links to print-and-use affidavits.

  • Special Ed

  • Objectives - Including samples to help you write your own.

  • Immunizations & Medical Requirements

• Required Days/Hours - Don't stress about this, OK?

• Required Subjects - Don't stress about this either.

  • Fire Safety Resources - Links to coloring pages and other portfolio fodder, plus some actually useful and interesting links.

• Log of Reading Materials - There's some controversy about what the log is required to include. Lots of info here to help you decide how you want to proceed.

• Portfolios - What to include, etc.

• Testing - When to test, where to get a test, and generally what to expect.

• Evaluations - Who can do them, what to look for in an evaluator, etc.

  • Evaluator List - A list of evaluators - you can also find one locally through word-of mouth or use a friend who qualifies.

• Useful Forms - All kinds of forms you may find useful for personal record-keeping and complying with PA law ~ log forms, portfolio helps, affidavit forms, etc. ~ plus links to record-keeping software and an emergency birthday card to print and use.

• Moving to, from, or within PA  - What you need to do and when, legally speaking.

Alternatives to the Home Education Law

• Private Tutor Option

• Public Cyber Charter School

• Public Homebound Instruction

• Umbrella School

• Church School

• Religious Exemption (RFPA)    ~    RFPA News

• Underground (illegal) Homeschooling

Homeschooling High School

• PA Diploma Programs

• PHEAA issues

Handling School District Problems

• Contact info for the PA Department of Education's Homeschool Liaison - These folks are very helpful and will usually back up home educators when a school district asks for something not required by law.

• The PA Home Ed Law (at the PDE’s site) - Read it. Then you'll know what is and is not required by law. It's kind of convoluted, but not impossible to understand.

• Homeschooling Statistics - Reported annually by the PDE.

Finding Community

• Listing of Support Groups & Co-ops (PA & DE)

• Delco-Homeschool: A Virtual Support Group for Delaware County, PA

• Homeschooling Gifted Kids in PA (Yahoo Group)

Teaching and Learning

• Curriculum sources (new & used) + Conferences

• Homeschoolers in Public School Extracurriculars (Sports, Clubs, Music Groups) - It's not for everyone, but it's an option for home educated students here in PA thanks to a fairly new law.

• Teaching Reading - Lots of info to peruse if you are in the midst of teaching your children to read.

• Ready for Algebra? - A basic checklist of things a student should know before tackling an algebra course. Helps you know where you're headed in the younger years too.

• Math & Food - It's math! It's food! It's fun!