Homeschool Resources

Helpful Resources

State/National

Local

Learning Tools

Learning Styles

Getting Out of the House

College

Online Communities

Virginia Homeschool Requirements

Helpful Resources

External Link Disclaimer: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they are resources that homeschooling families have found helpful, but their presence on this site does not mean that THEA has reviewed and approved of all content contained on each external site. We hope these resources will bless you, but also that you will exercise your own judgment in using the information contained in these links.

State/National

- Home Educators Association of VA - www.HEAV.org
- The Organization of VA Homeschoolers - vahomeschoolers.org
- Homeschool Legal Defense Association - www.HSLDA.org
- VA Law Requiring Compulsory Attendence - § 22.1-254
- VA Law Declaring Requirements for Home Instruction - § 22.1-254.1
- North Carolinians for Home Education - www.nche.com
- Seton Testing Services - www.setontesting.com
- Common Sense Media - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ (For help determining whether movies, games and other media are appropriate for your child.)

The National History Bee - https://www.aceqb.com/historybee

Local

- Rawls Art Museum - www.rawlsarts.com
- Paul D. Camp Comm College - www.pdccc.edu
- Moore Expressions - http://mooreexpressions.com/ - Curriculum store in VA Beach, buys + sells, new + used
- Blackwater Regional Library System - www.blackwaterlib.org

Learning Tools

- Ambleside Online - www.amblesideonline.org
- Bible Gateway - www.biblegateway.com
- Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool Curriculum - allinonehomeschool.com
- Five in a Row - fiveinarow.com
- Khan Academy - www.khanacademy.org
- Rainbow Resource - www.rainbowresource.com
- Starfall - www.starfall.com
- Storyline Online - www.storylineonline.net
- Storynory - www.storynory.com
- Hello Poetry - http://hellopoetry.com/poets/
- Playdough to Plato - http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/start-here/
- Moving Beyond the Page - http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/
- Quiet YouTube - www.quietyoutube.com View any YouTube video without comments/suggestions by adding the word "quiet" in front of "youtube" in the video url.

Homeschool Den - A Homeschool family with TONS of free printable resources, unit study packets and more! http://homeschoolden.com/

Math:

- - Math Mission - a game Angela Draughn's kids love - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=math+missions
  - Making Math Meaningful - Christy likes for elementary ages, low cost, from Cornerstone Curriculum - http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/Curriculum/MMM/MMM.htm
  - Math U See - DVD w/ workbook, self taught, also has a teacher book, Christy didn't like for elementary ages - http://www.mathusee.com/
  - Teaching Textbooks - self taught, lots of good reviews, 3rd grade through high school - http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/
  - McRuffy Press - good manipulatives, good for younger grades - http://mcruffy.com/
  - Math Antics - mathantics.com - Free online tutorials with printable worksheets for basic arithmetic. Low cost subscription ($20/yr as of fall 2015) unlocks more advanced topics.
  - Multiplication Drill Game - Damult Dice http://mathforlove.com/2010/10/a-game-to-end-all-times-tables-drills-damult-dice/

- www.math-drills.com - free printable worksheets for any math topic
- Times Table Rock Stars - www.ttrockstars.com A low cost subscription based program for drilling times tables that kids love and helps solidify multiplication and division facts.

Reading:

- - Reading Eggs www.readingeggs.com
  - Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (book, check amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985
  - Shurley Instructional Materials - https://www.shurley.com/

Writing:

- - Time4Writing - http://www.time4writing.com/

History:

- - Teaching History CSI style - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/teaching-history-csi-style/
  - American Girls Book Series
  - The Story of the World - same author as the Well Trained Mind - http://www.susanwisebauer.com/books/the-story-of-the-world/

- www.americaslibrary.gov

Anatomy:

- Treasure's Anatomy page is full of resources -Human Anatomy & Physiology Course

Chemistry:

- - Treasure's Chemistry page is full of resources - Chemistry Lab Course

Foreign Language:

- - Muzzy language cartoon - a fun way to teach language to littles. They have a 30 day free trial for the online materials.
  - Rosetta Stone - http://www.rosettastone.com/
  - DuoLingo - a free online language learning service https://www.duolingo.com/

Driver Education

- - Let us know what you use for driver education by email so we can post it here. treasuredirector@gmail.com

Learning Styles

- Project Based Homeschooling - project-based-homeschooling.com
- Charlotte Mason - simplycharlottemason.com
- The Well Trained Mind - www.welltrainedmind.com
- Educational Philosophies in the Home School - www.homeschool-life.com

Getting Out of the House

- Field Trips of VA - via http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/field-trips/homeschooling-virginia/
- Paul D. Camp Community Kids College - http://www.pdc.edu/workforce-development/kids-college/ - a summer program geared toward grade schoolers full of enrichment classes on a multitude of topics ranging from entymology to Harry Potter and more. Registration opens each spring and classes fill up quickly, so keep an eye on the site and be ready to enroll early. Costs for classes vary, locations in Franklin, Smithfield and a few "on location" spots like local waterways and farms.

College

- Unbound (aka College Plus) - http://getunbound.org/ - An online degree program that coaches students through taking exams that earn them credits at specific universities, thereby earning a bachelors degree from an accredited university with far less time and money than traditional college enrollment.

Online Communities

- Techie Homeschool Mom - techiehomeschoolmom.com
- Gentle Christian Mothers - www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community

Virginia Homeschool Requirements

Disclaimer: These resources are compiled from the personal experiences of Treasure families and publicly available web resources. We are not lawyers, nor do we have any legal training, nor are we able to provide any legal advice. Please be diligent in doing the research necessary to be sure your family is complying with state and local laws, and seek advice as needed from a qualified professional.

The Commonwealth of Virginia gives four options to comply with state law:

Opt Out - for children under age six as of September 30th of the school year in question.
Certified tutor - if either parent or a separate tutor holds a VA teaching certificate.
Religious Exemption - exempt from compulsory attendance if parents and pupil are conscientiously opposed to school attendance because of a bona fide religious belief.
Homeschool Statute - Send a notice of intent to homeschool to the local school board. At the end of the year, send the results of an achievement test, evaluation, or portfolio by August 1st.

State Law

- VA Law Requiring Compulsory Attendence - § 22.1-254
- VA Law Declaring Requirements for Home Instruction - § 22.1-254.1
- Homeschool Legal Defense Association - www.HSLDA.org

Click here for HEAV's VA Laws Flowchart in pdf form
Click here for HEAV's resources on VA Homeschool Law

Testing or Evaluation

"(i) A composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT test.
(ii) An evaluation or assessment which the division superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress, including but not limited to: (a) an evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master’s degree or higher in an academic discipline, having knowledge of the child’s academic progress, stating that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress; or (b) a report card or transcript from a community college or college, college distance learning program, or home-education correspondence school."
- Seton Testing Services - www.setontesting.com
- VA Homeschoolers list of testing service providers: Test Providers

The testing process takes several weeks to complete, so please allow time to choose a test, prepare for it, administer it, return it, and receive a grade. You may also want to leave additional margin in case you encounter issues along the way and need to redo your testing. Test results are sent directly to parents, and parents are then responsible for reporting those results to the school board.

Religious Exemption

Virginia Law states: "B. A school board shall excuse from attendance at school:
- - 1. Any pupil who, together with his parents, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. For purposes of this subdivision, "bona fide religious training or belief" does not include essentially political, sociological or philosophical views or a merely personal moral code..."

- Requires notifying the school board once for each child in the family, with no further testing or oversight from local government
- Families who choose religious exemption are not required to complete annual testing. Many still choose to participate in testing occasionally for their own edification, and can do that at any time during the school year. Once you have submitted your letter informing the school board in your locale of your bona fide religious belief, you do not have to submit further information about your family or your homeschool practices. You should expect an acknowledgment from the school board of the fact that you are claiming exemption from compulsory school attendance.

Sample Letters

- Letter of Intent to Homeschool - coming soon
- Religious Exemption Letter - coming soon

Dates to Remember

- August 15th - Letter of Intent due
- August 1st - Testing results from recent school year due

What if I have problems?

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a well known legal advocacy resource for homeschooling families. A yearly membership helps support their efforts, and a group discount is available to Treasure families. HSLDA experts have dealt with many legal issues in and outside of the U.S. and can offer advice and aid to families who are facing legal threats regarding their homeschooling rights.

Working out the logistics and finding out what others have done is one of the ways parents help each other at Treasure. Don't be a stranger to the Moms Meeting room or park days through the summer. Those of us who have been doing this a while are happy to share and walk you through what it's like to interact with our local school boards. Happy Homeschooling!

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