Illinois doesn’t require you to initiate notification with your school district when you decide to homeschool, and it’s easy to follow Illinois homeschooling laws. There’s no specific home school statute in Illinois, but you can legally homeschool via an alternative home school statute. Check out the Home School Legal Defense Associations’s (HSLDA) website for credible information on homeschooling. There you’ll find lots of state homeschool resources; Illinois law states the following:

“If a child is ‘attending a private or a parochial school where children are taught the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in public schools, and where the instruction of the child in the branches of education is in the English language’ the child shall not be required to attend public school and the child is in compliance with Illinois compulsory attendance law.” Home schools that met these two requirements are considered legal private schools (Illinois law: 105 ILCS § 5/26-1).

Although both the HSLDA and Homeschool Legal Advantage (HLA) have summaries of homeschooling laws on their site, you should ask your librarian to help you find a copy of the Illinois homeschooling law. Yes, the HSLDA and HLA have summarized the law for you, but it’s their interpretation of the law–not the actual law. Do your research and after you read your state’s homeschooling statute/provision, then read the HSLDA’s or HLA’s interpretation of the laws. If you find the homeschooling laws on the internet, make sure it’s the actual law and that the site is a credible one.

If your child is in school, and you decide to homeschool, you should write a letter to the school principal, so no one will think he’s a truant. But if your child has never attended school, you don’t have to inform any one that you’re homeschooling him.

What you need to know has been outlined here. There are no heavy duty rules or regulations, and no standardized tests or teacher certifications are required. Now that you know the law, decide what curriculum you’re going to use, and go for it!

Well today my T4L went dormant…Three of my students will be returning and I let the other 2 accounts drop.

As I was printing out the records last night and looking at the average scores of their activities, I found myself so grateful that I did t4l, esp. for the neighbor’s grandson. Here was written proof of what he had accomplished.

And for my son with special needs, when I meet w/ professionals about his strengths, weaknesses and school performance, I know what grade level he is doing and what kind of “grades” he makes.

It is such a relief to have these measurements of this school year!

I already miss t4l even though it hasn’t been dormant for 24 hours yet! It is quite a motivation to have everything ready to go for school. No one has to hunt for books or pencils, I don’t have to prepare anything…

Actually, I am glad for the break. I think I will continue to do 3 months of T4L and then breaking for a month to do special things that don’t get done.

Today I had everybody make up some spelling words pertaining to their special projects on spellingcity.com.That is a great little site! Normally I use Sequential Spelling. I started making lists on spelling city w/ those words, too.Now that everyone won’t be on the computer doing t4l, we will have more time for it.

I’d like everyone to brush up on typing. I have a typing program and the kids found a great typing game that looks just like guitar hero!

Also on the agenda is math drill sheets.

I’m probably repeating myself, but t4l really did give me a much needed boost just when I needed it! It’s good to have something to fall back on.

Since we missed some weeks from dh’s broken ankle I am going to continue on for probably one more week. But pretty much, we are finished with the school year!

I am so pleased to end on such a good note. This has been my best year yet!

I thought I’d blog a few of my random thoughts this morning!

As we’re winding down the school year, I’m having a hard time concentrating.  I keep planning next year in my head!

I have to decide who will use T4L.  You know, it would be great if you could do T4L ala carte….   My older son does great on his own, actually he does better on his own,  in everything but Math.  I have yet to hit the right combination for him for Math.   Since our budget is so very limited, it would be great if I could have two kids in the full program and just have Math for one….

Going dormant…..anyone?  We decided to go dormant for June and July and start back with T4L in August.  It looks like our 2 year old may be headed for open heart surgery this summer… (A personal note and prayer request here!)

I’m planning on some nature study, art classes (putting it together myself) and some light phonics and math drills using flashcards and fun workbooks.  It’ll be fun for a while, then we’ll be back on T4L!

We’ve been doing yard work and gardening.  I hope to plant a couple of tomato plants, some green beans, jalapeno peppers, etc. this week.  My boys love to see things growing.

Oh, and I know it’s late but…. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!  I hope you all were treated like queens!

What do you like most?

ds13: It’s fun, not boring, usually funny.

my “extra” student a boy, age 12: math

ds10: doesn’t get boring

dd9: It’s on the computer, it’s easy

dd7: not so hard

What do you like least?

ds13: I don’t hate anything about it.

12yo boy: Peddy Parrot

ds10: When it freezes during a lesson and you have to restart the lesson over.

dd9: some lessons are boring, like science and Social studies

dd7: math

Favorite character:

ds13: Mr. Nesterton

12yob: Jack Riley

ds10: Jack Riley, Vern

dd9: Bongo

dd7: the puppets

Favorite T4L subject: 

ds13: LA

12yob: Science

ds10: LA

dd9: math

dd7: LA

We have done very little school for 2 weeks now. My husband had surgery Thursday. It has been a LONG journey and it has been a very painful recovery time for him. My kids have spent alot of time at my mother’s house while I tend to my husband.

Now that he has finally had the surgery, I feel like I can start scheduling more of our days.

I decided today that we must do something over the weekend. I do not have the energy to oversee each one do his/her time4learning on the computer, so I printed up worksheets (from t4l)for each child to work on as a review.