CHECKLIST: How to Get Started Homeschooling in Alabama
This list will help you get started!  If you need more assistance, schedule a call with our HelpLine! 


  1. Write out WHY homeschooling is important to you and your family right now. This will be extremely helpful on those “hard days” that occur, as they do with anything valuable and worth doing. When you start to ask, “Why am I doing this?”, come back to this so you can remind yourself!  

  1. Choose the legal option for enrollment that you prefer.  For more info on your options: https://alhsa.net/page/laws

  1. Follow the procedures needed to legally enroll your students (as dictated by your chosen church school or by filing the needed form to form a private school in your home). https://alhsa.net/page/forms 

  1. Determine the subjects/courses needed for each student according to grade level. (One difference in homeschooling is that a student can work on a subject according to their learning needs rather than having to stick to the same grade level for all subjects. Often a student will need to begin by reviewing a lower grade of math to enable them to adequately learn the grade level they were taking in the public school setting.) Your church school may require certain classes. Core classes are generally Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Many people choose to also include PE, Bible, and Enrichment or Elective classes. Many times a curriculum will offer diagnostic or placement tests to help you determine what your student needs. 

  1. Determine the method (or methods) of schooling that you would like to use. Many families begin with a format that feels familiar to them (textbooks and/or workbooks), but then later move to a format that fits their family better. Check out some of the options for Homeschool Methods here:  METHODS (alhsa.net)


  1. Order, buy or subscribe to your chosen curriculum for each subject and student.  Some programs can be used with multiple students in multiple grades at one time. Need help with this?  Schedule a call with our HelpLine!  HelpLine (alhsa.net
Note: Some curriculum providers offer an accredited curriculum (which does not necessarily mean your student’s work will be accredited). Even when these are used, a student is still required to be “locally enrolled” through one of the legal options for enrollment (see above). 


  1. Determine your school-days and school year calendar. Some parents choose to follow the public school calendar. Some prefer to schedule school for more months of the year with only 4 days of academics per week. Other families work for 6 weeks and then take shorter (1-2 week) breaks and homeschool year-round. As the parent, YOU get to determine what fits your family best (unless your chosen church school dictates a certain schedule for you to follow). Some church schools do have a required number of days that is similar to the public school’s 180-day requirement. Make sure you have a way to track days as they are completed. 

  1. If your curriculum does not schedule daily assignments for you, divide the lessons in the curriculum by the number of school days for the year to determine daily assignments. You do not always have to finish all of the assignments in all subjects–just like classrooms often don’t. Many times the first and last units are reviews–if you don’t have a long break for summer, for example, both may not be needed. 

  1. Take a day or so to acquire the school supplies you need and determine a place to do the schooling in your home. (This can be as simple as a desk or table to spread out and work or as complex as a setting up a room. Make it easy on yourself to begin, though!

  1. Set up a tentative school-day routine or schedule–it will probably take far less time than the typical classroom school day when you work one-on-one. Remember–you can always change it to accommodate your family as you go along!

BONUS STEP:  Many families plan something special for the first day back to school each year. You can do the same thing for your 1st day of homeschooling–whether it is at the beginning of the school-year or in the middle.  This is a great time and way to remind yourself that things are different now AND cheer yourself on because you’ve made it through some of the hardest parts already!  

Take time to get to know your student's interests, learning style, and more, so that you set yourself up for a successful year!  (But remember--the end goal is up to YOU!)