Homeschooling in New York – Year Two FAQ
Hi there! As I write this post, the lights on our Christmas tree are twinkling behind me. The radiator below my desk is keeping my toes toasty. It’s been a cold week here on Long Island, and it certainly feels like Christmas is right around the corner.
Another week of homeschool is in the books! We just have next week and then we are off on Christmas break. And, for Christmas this year we are taking a road trip to visit friends. I just so happened to book our hotel rooms for our drive this morning. Our first stop is in Indianapolis, and then it’s off to Topeka (Kansas) before heading to our final destination. Any guesses on where we could be off to?
I’ve never been to Indiana or Kansas, and I’m pretty sure I can say the same for Justin as well. The girls are especially excited to visit Kansas after reading some of the books from the Wizard of Oz series. Needless to say, the anticipation is killing us over here! We booked our VRBO in January 2021, and pretty soon we will all be piling into the car to head out on one epic adventure.
What about you? Where is Christmas taking you this year?
HOMESCHOOL UPDATE
Boy, what a difference a year makes! Our first quarterly report was submitted in November and accepted (commence happy dance). I remember tirelessly pouring over each quarterly report last year. Wondering if I was accurately portraying everything we accomplished…
Don’t get me wrong, I still put the same amount of effort into the quarterlies but, I am more confident in the systems I have in place to capture our efforts. Alright, here’s what I mean…
To completely erase any self-doubt I felt in year one, I created two simple activity logs documenting each lesson we cover, and the length of time spent on each lesson, as well as a reading log to keep track of read aloud books and independent reading. That’s right, I did not do that in year one. Let’s just call it a newbie mistake, okay?
That simple step has alleviated so much anxiety.
HOMESCHOOLING FAQ
What's homeschooling in New York like?
New York is one of five states that have the strictest homeschool laws in the country but, don’t let that scare you. When you first decide to jump in, the process can seem overwhelming. However, once you get into the swing of things, it does get easier.
1. Submit a Letter of Intent to your district for each year you decide to homeschool. If it’s your first year, that letter can be submitted at any time. If you are a returning homeschooler, your letter of intent must be submitted by July 1st of the upcoming school year.
2. Submit your IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan) after receiving a response to your letter of intent from the district. This letter will outline the curriculum you plan to use in the upcoming year. Keep in mind that the district can approve or deny your selection. Your IHIP will also include the dates you would like to submit your quarterly reports, which may also be revised by your school district.
3. File your quarterly reports by the deadlines agreed upon in your IHIP noted above. Your district will send a letter approving your quarterly report. Any correspondence with the district is typically kept in the front of our daughter’s portfolio each year. Do not lose these approval letters.
4. Submit an annual assessment. Due to COVID the annual assessment was waived for the 2020-2021 school year. So, this year will be the first in which I will have to submit an annual assessment. Here in New York, standardized testing is required (every other year) for grades 4-8, and every year in high school. Alternatively, you may submit a written narrative but, this must be approved by your district prior to submission.
Which Homeschooling Curriculum Do You Use?
Here at home, we are using the Oak Meadow curriculum. We chose this curriculum for first grade and continue to use it for second grade. Not only can you choose to purchase their curriculum and homeschool independently but, they are an accredited distance learning school as well. I appreciate that the Oak Meadow curriculum is secular, and Waldorf inspired. As a parent, I truly enjoy how the arts are woven throughout each lesson, and how they provide a weekly assessment after each lesson for you to compete. Perfect, for keeping you on track for those quarterly reports!
How Many Hours a Day Do You Homeschool Your Child?
It truly depends. Some days are better than others and we can spend 4-5 hours engaged in school work. Others, we may get 2 hours of work done. Ideally, I try to have the girls sit around the table by 8 am for our first lesson. Then, our school day ends by lunch at noon. But, if you or your children are not morning people, then you can shift your lessons to the afternoon or whenever works best for you. That’s part of the beauty of homeschooling – flexibility and freedom. The goal is to hit the required hours each quarter. Here in New York that’s 225 hours of instruction. And, yes that can seem like a lot but you also must keep in mind through homeschooling your child is receiving constant 1:1 instruction they could never continually receive in a traditional school setting.
