Homeschooling in TN
Registration Options:
Local School District- Free of charge, but requires TCAP (state standardized) testing in 5th, 7th & 9th grade.
Umbrella- Charges a fee to manage your homeschooling records and state accountability. Some require testing, others don’t.
The state of Tennessee’s official homeschool requirements can be found here. However, I find this site to be a bit unclear, so I have detailed the requirements and enrollment options below.
Per the above mentioned site you may withdraw your child from public school in TN at any time during the year.
To withdraw simply inform your child’s school (preferably in writing via an email to the Principal) when his last day at the school will be.
District: The forms necessary for enrollment are found on the TN State Homeschool site.
In addition, you will need to provide the documents mentioned on our Umbrellas page. This information will be sent to your district’s Homeschool Coordinator, who is a person employed by the district responsible for receiving and verifying all homeschooler registrations and associated documentation.
A list of local districts can also be found on our Umbrellas page. However, not all districts publish homeschool information on their site. So, if your district doesn’t you can find a list of Homeschool Coordinators on the R-hand side of Tennessee’s Official State Homeschool page.
Umbrella: Depending on which umbrella you choose the documentation needed will vary but will be similar to that which you provide to the district. Please find a list of umbrellas on our Umbrellas page.
Umbrella: Depending on which umbrella you choose the documentation needed will vary but will be similar to that which you provide to the district. Please find a list of umbrellas on our Umbrellas page.
Please see information on our Curriculum page to help navigate this process.
Note: If registering with your local school district you do NOT need to tell them specifically which curriculum you are using. Rather you can simply provide a list similar to the following: English, Math, Reading, Bible, etc.
Per state requirements, you must instruct your child:
Here are a few more tips that I hope will help you as you’re starting out:
1. DO NOT try to recreate public school at home! Let me say it again…DO NOT try to recreate public school at home. There’s a reason you left the public school system, so don’t emulate their model.
2. Focus on the basics (initially), especially with elementary and middle school-aged children.
Elementary- just do the Three Rs: reading, ritin and rithmatic. These are the foundation for EVERYTHING else and therefore providing your child with a solid foundation in being a strong reader, clear communicator and having a solid grasp of the basics of math will benefit them in all the learning the do going forward.
Jr. High- While it is beneficial to continue the three Rs (especially if a child has a significant weakness in one of these areas that could impact him greatly in high school) this age is ripe with opportunities to learn practical life skills and start to explore their strengths as they relate to career possibilities. If you want to delve into history or science you can do it as a family with Charlotte Mason style learning or unit studies.
3. Don’t buy anything (or spend as little as possible)- When I was starting out with my boys in Pre-K and 2nd Grade, I changed curriculum after 2 weeks and again at 6 months. This is quite common because you’re trying to figure out what works for both you and your children. So, it may be best to start with something free (EasyPeasy is a great option), buy used curriculum (you can get previous editions at a fraction of the cost of the current edition, see my Curriculum tab for great places to buy used) or use a learning site that has online and printable options for a low monthly cost (I like education.com).
If you do end up buying curriculum you don’t use just throw it on FB Marketplace or eBay and get some of your investment back. Even if the first few pages are written in people will buy it. Just be clear about the condition.
4. Don’t join a Co-op or a bunch of homeschool groups in your first 6-12 months. You need this time to establish your homeschool culture and schedule with your children, enjoy the slower pace of life you’ve been afforded and just cherish this time with your kids. We didn’t join a co-op till our 3rd year and even then, it wasn’t the best use of my or my boys’ time, so we’re no longer involved.
5. Get in touch with veteran homeschool parents, you can learn from our mistakes. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that we can tell you “how to homeschool.” This is a journey each family must navigate themselves and that does include a good bit of trial and error with many bumps in the road. Don’t worry, it will get better!
6. Be patient with yourself and your children. You’re experiencing a big adjustment in your family culture (especially if you were previously in public school) and you need to allow yourself the time to learn your new routines and dynamic.
My favorite thing about homeschooling (and the primary reason I started) is the time I get with my boys. Even though there are tough moments and challenging days, I will never get this time back, and it’s so very precious! Enjoy your children and the time you’ve been blessed to be with them. Homeschooling is an amazing opportunity that very few in the world have, cherish this season, it will go by way too fast!
- 180 days per year
- 4 hours/day
Here are a few more tips that I hope will help you as you’re starting out:
1. DO NOT try to recreate public school at home! Let me say it again…DO NOT try to recreate public school at home. There’s a reason you left the public school system, so don’t emulate their model.
2. Focus on the basics (initially), especially with elementary and middle school-aged children.
Elementary- just do the Three Rs: reading, ritin and rithmatic. These are the foundation for EVERYTHING else and therefore providing your child with a solid foundation in being a strong reader, clear communicator and having a solid grasp of the basics of math will benefit them in all the learning the do going forward.
- Reading: Initially children learn to read, the rest of their life they will read to learn. So, having a strong reading ability is essential.
- Ritin: It doesn’t matter what you know if you can’t communicate it clearly to others. Being able to write both legibly and clearly is foundational to all of life.
- Rithmatic: Also, very foundational to all of life (think about the last time you went to the grocery store Mama!).
Jr. High- While it is beneficial to continue the three Rs (especially if a child has a significant weakness in one of these areas that could impact him greatly in high school) this age is ripe with opportunities to learn practical life skills and start to explore their strengths as they relate to career possibilities. If you want to delve into history or science you can do it as a family with Charlotte Mason style learning or unit studies.
3. Don’t buy anything (or spend as little as possible)- When I was starting out with my boys in Pre-K and 2nd Grade, I changed curriculum after 2 weeks and again at 6 months. This is quite common because you’re trying to figure out what works for both you and your children. So, it may be best to start with something free (EasyPeasy is a great option), buy used curriculum (you can get previous editions at a fraction of the cost of the current edition, see my Curriculum tab for great places to buy used) or use a learning site that has online and printable options for a low monthly cost (I like education.com).
If you do end up buying curriculum you don’t use just throw it on FB Marketplace or eBay and get some of your investment back. Even if the first few pages are written in people will buy it. Just be clear about the condition.
4. Don’t join a Co-op or a bunch of homeschool groups in your first 6-12 months. You need this time to establish your homeschool culture and schedule with your children, enjoy the slower pace of life you’ve been afforded and just cherish this time with your kids. We didn’t join a co-op till our 3rd year and even then, it wasn’t the best use of my or my boys’ time, so we’re no longer involved.
5. Get in touch with veteran homeschool parents, you can learn from our mistakes. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that we can tell you “how to homeschool.” This is a journey each family must navigate themselves and that does include a good bit of trial and error with many bumps in the road. Don’t worry, it will get better!
6. Be patient with yourself and your children. You’re experiencing a big adjustment in your family culture (especially if you were previously in public school) and you need to allow yourself the time to learn your new routines and dynamic.
My favorite thing about homeschooling (and the primary reason I started) is the time I get with my boys. Even though there are tough moments and challenging days, I will never get this time back, and it’s so very precious! Enjoy your children and the time you’ve been blessed to be with them. Homeschooling is an amazing opportunity that very few in the world have, cherish this season, it will go by way too fast!
Local District: At the end of your school year (i.e. before the start date of your local district’s new year) submit the attendance sheet found on the above-mentioned TN State Homeschool site, to your Homeschool Coordinator.
Umbrella: Submit whatever paperwork they require to indicate that you followed the state’s and their guidelines for homeschooling.