When the all the questions about your ability to homeschool have been asked…
When all the inquiries about socialization of your children, and every other homeschooler who has ever lived have been answered…
When your friends and have seen amazing progress in your homeschooled child and starts comparing…
When they have looked into their options and began considering homeschooling their own children themselves…
Your friends and family ask if the government supplies you with homeschool curriculum. The answer to that question is yes, and no.
Some states utilize School at Home programs supplied by the state. While many homeschoolers would say that this is not really homeschooling, it is free curriculum supplied by the state. Currently the states that use K-12 (a national school at home program) includes Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, Washington DC, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. It is up to the homeschooling family to use it or not. (Alaska also uses a school at home program, and there may be others.)
My state (Georgia) however, and many others do not have access to this curriculum, and for the most point do not want it. Therefore, I have to answer NO to my friends and family. I despise the look of loss and confusion that follows that answer. Immediately my brain goes on fast forward and my mouth moves twice as fast spouting out how that is not the end of the world and that it is not really necessary anyway. A few of these people are not scared away and comes back for more information.
While the government does not supply homeschooling curriculum for most, and only school at home curriculum for others, what may do not realize is that the government does in fact supply free access to all the curriculum you need. This may not necessarily be in the form of ‘curriculum’ per se, but in the form of free information.
Stay tuned for a listing of free government supplied homeschool curriculum: