Homeschooling has no fixed curriculum, which offers considerable flexibility.
Homeschooling in Indianapolis is easier than in many other places. Although the law mandates that you notify the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) of your intention to home school your child, there are no specific guidelines about the curriculum you need to follow. This provides for considerable flexibility in structuring your lessons. This, however, may also mean more confusion about where to begin and what to include and exclude. Therefore, it is important for homeschooling parents to seek help from local support groups. Indianapolis has many such homeschooling organizations that provide training and useful resources.
Instructions
1. Log on to the website of the Indiana DOE and notify the department regarding your intention to home school your child. Fill out the Home School Enrollment Report Form with your name, phone number, mailing address, email ID and the grade level of your child. Make sure you verify all details before submitting this online form because no changes are possible later. Complete this procedure only once, when you start to home educate; you need not report this every year.
2. Prepare a time table for home schooling your child and decide the days on which you will be instructing your child. Maintain an attendance record where you mark the days on which your child took classes. Indiana law requires your child to have completed at least 180 days of instruction. Keep the attendance record safe and easily available to produce if the local public school superintendent requests the information.
3. Refer to the grade level standards for Indiana schools from the DOE's website. Use this as a guideline to decide the curriculum. If you are not happy with these standards, create your own syllabus by browsing through the website of the American Homeschool Association. The state of Indiana does not specify a particular curriculum to follow; therefore, you have the freedom to explore topics that are off the beaten track but of interest to your child. Ensure the curriculum you prepare includes basics such as reading, writing and math, along with other subjects such as history, science and social studies. Include topics on health and moral values to ensure the holistic development of your child.
4. Join local homeschooling support groups such as the Indiana Association of Home Educators. Browse their website and participate in seminars and workshops they conduct to hone your homeschooling skills. Interact regularly with other homeschooling parents you meet at these workshops and get tips on incorporating newer ideas with your child's education. This Association also publishes a bimonthly magazine called the "IAHE Informer," which provides information regarding the laws, events and links to resources for homeschooling parents. Sign up for this free magazine on the website.
5. Allow your home-schooled child to take standardized achievement testing at regular intervals. Contact institutions that carry out such testing such as Indiana State University, Indiana University Institute for Child Study, University of Evansville or Bob Jones University. Although such testing is not mandatory under Indiana law, the DOE recommends you perform such testing to keep yourself informed of the progress of your child.
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