Plain-English definitions of 30 terms every homeschool parent runs into eventually. Bookmarkable, linked, and refreshed annually by our editorial team.
Notice of Intent (NOI)
A formal letter or form filed with a school district notifying it that a child will be homeschooled.
Most U.S. states with moderate or high homeschool regulation require a Notice of Intent (NOI), sometimes called a 'Letter of Intent' or 'Affidavit of Homeschool.' It is filed with the local superintendent or state department of education, typically before the start of each school year or within 14 days of withdrawing a child mid-year. The NOI usually includes the parent's name and address, each child's name and birthdate, and a statement of intent to provide home instruction. States like Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Virginia require it; states like Texas, Indiana, and Idaho do not. Templates are usually downloadable from the state department of education website.
A signed letter sent to a child's current public school formally removing the child to homeschool.
The Letter of Withdrawal is a one-page document sent to a school principal or registrar when a child is leaving public or private school to homeschool. It typically includes the child's full name, date of birth, current grade, the date of withdrawal, and a brief statement that the parent will be providing home instruction. Sending it certified mail (or hand-delivering with a signed receipt) creates a paper trail in case of attendance disputes. Most states do not specify the form, but HSLDA and most state homeschool support groups offer free templates.
The age range during which state law requires children to be enrolled in school (public, private, or home).
Compulsory attendance ages vary by state, typically running from 5–7 years old at the low end to 16–18 at the high end. In Texas, compulsory attendance is age 6 to 19; in California, age 6 to 18; in Pennsylvania, age 6 to 18 (with kindergarten optional). Below the lower age, no homeschool documentation is generally required. Above the upper age, the family is no longer legally required to provide instruction (though most homeschool families finish high school regardless). Knowing your state's compulsory range determines when you must file a Notice of Intent and when you can stop.
A private school (often nonprofit) that enrolls homeschoolers as students, handling state filings on their behalf.
An umbrella school — sometimes called a 'cover school' or 'church school' — is a private school that enrolls homeschool students as members, files attendance and other compliance paperwork with the state, and gives the family flexibility to teach as they choose at home. Popular umbrella schools include Seton Home Study (Catholic), CHEF of Alabama, and many state-specific religious cover schools. Tuition typically ranges $50–$500 per child per year. Umbrellas are most common in Alabama, Texas (where they are often the simplest legal path), and Tennessee. They reduce parental paperwork burden but typically require some recordkeeping submitted to the umbrella.
A publicly funded school that supports homeschool families with curriculum, an Education Specialist, and per-child stipends.
Homeschool charter schools (sometimes called 'public school at home' programs) are publicly funded charter schools that enroll homeschool students. The family teaches at home, but the charter provides a credentialed Education Specialist (ES) who meets with the family monthly, a curriculum allotment ($1,500–$3,000 per child per year is typical), and access to enrichment classes. Common in California (Inspire, Sky Mountain, Connecting Waters) and Pennsylvania (cyber charters). Trade-off: parents must follow the charter's calendar and submit work samples; in exchange, the program is free.
An adjustment period — typically 1 month per year of school previously attended — during which a family transitioning to homeschool drops formal school structure to recover.
Deschooling is the period after pulling a child out of public or private school during which the family deliberately rests from any formal academic schedule. The rule of thumb popularized by John Holt is one month of deschooling per year of school previously attended. The goal is to let the child rebuild intrinsic curiosity and let the parent shed the assumption that learning requires school-shaped routines. Deschooling is especially important for older children pulled mid-year. It does not mean doing nothing — read aloud, visit museums, cook together — just that you avoid formal lessons until the family is ready.
An interest-led, child-directed approach to homeschooling that does not use a fixed curriculum or schedule.
Unschooling, coined by John Holt in the 1970s, is a homeschool philosophy that rejects fixed curricula, schedules, and grade-level expectations in favor of child-directed, interest-based learning. The parent's role is to provide rich resources (books, materials, mentors, travel), engage in conversation, and document what is learned. Unschooling is most associated with the work of John Holt, Sandra Dodd, and Pat Farenga. It is legal in every U.S. state, but families in high-regulation states (NY, PA) must put effort into post-hoc documentation to satisfy state requirements.
The list of topics a curriculum covers (scope) and the order in which they are covered (sequence).
A scope and sequence is a curriculum's plan for what is taught and when. For math, it might list 'Place value (weeks 1–3), addition with regrouping (weeks 4–8), introduction to multiplication (weeks 9–12),' and so on across the year. For history, it might list the chronological order in which civilizations are studied. Scope and sequence documents are usually free downloads from publishers (Singapore, Saxon, Memoria Press all publish theirs). Useful when shopping for curriculum, when checking gaps after switching programs, and when documenting what was covered for state evaluations.
See also:
Narration
A Charlotte Mason teaching method where a child tells back, in their own words, what was just read aloud or read independently.
Narration is the central composition method in the Charlotte Mason approach. After reading a passage of literature, history, or science, the child tells back what was read in their own words, either orally (oral narration, K–4) or in writing (written narration, 5+). The practice builds attention, comprehension, vocabulary, and composition skill simultaneously, without separate writing instruction in the early years. By high school, written narrations evolve into essays. Narration replaces both 'comprehension questions' and early writing curriculum in pure Charlotte Mason homeschools.
The Charlotte Mason practice of having a child write out by hand a passage from great literature, scripture, or poetry.
Copywork is the daily practice of writing out a few lines from a great writer — typically 3–5 lines for elementary, longer for older students. The child copies the passage exactly, attending to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and beautiful sentence patterns. Copywork serves multiple purposes simultaneously: handwriting practice, spelling practice, grammar absorption, and exposure to fine writing. It replaces both formal handwriting drill and grammar workbooks in the Charlotte Mason method. Children typically progress from short single sentences to longer multi-sentence passages over years.
An activity where the parent reads a passage aloud one phrase at a time and the child writes it down.
Dictation is the bridge between copywork and original writing in the Charlotte Mason and classical methods. The parent reads a passage aloud, phrase by phrase, and the child writes it from hearing alone (typically the child has studied the passage in advance, so spelling is reinforced not tested). Dictation practices spelling, punctuation, and listening attention. By upper elementary, students do dictation from passages they have not pre-studied, which becomes a more rigorous spelling test.
The classical three-stage developmental model: grammar (K–4), logic (5–8), and rhetoric (9–12).
The trivium is the foundational framework of classical education. **Grammar stage** (K–4): the child absorbs facts and memorizes — math facts, history dates, foreign vocabulary. **Logic stage** (5–8): the child learns to argue, analyze, and connect ideas across subjects. **Rhetoric stage** (9–12): the child learns to express thought eloquently in speech and writing. The trivium reflects developmental psychology — children of different ages naturally do these things. Classical homeschool curricula like Memoria Press, Veritas, and the Well-Trained Mind structure each subject across these three stages.
An educational approach organized around the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric), great books, Latin, and a chronological 4-year history cycle.
Classical education in the modern homeschool movement was popularized by Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Trained Mind (1999). It organizes K–12 around the trivium developmental stages, a four-year chronological history cycle (ancients → medieval → early modern → modern, repeated three times), Latin instruction starting in 3rd or 4th grade, and primary-source 'great books' rather than textbooks. Classical curricula include Memoria Press, Veritas Press, Tapestry of Grace, and Classical Conversations (a co-op model).
A homeschool method developed by 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason, emphasizing living books, narration, nature study, and short focused lessons.
The Charlotte Mason method centers on Mason's principle that 'children are born persons' — that is, they are full human beings who deserve real ideas, beautiful art and music, and respectful instruction. Practices include short lessons (15–30 minutes), narration after reading, nature study with weekly outdoor time, picture study and music study, and copywork. Free curricula like AmblesideOnline implement her method authentically; paid options include Simply Charlotte Mason and A Gentle Feast.
Books written by a single passionate author — as opposed to committee-written textbooks — that bring a subject alive through compelling narrative.
The term 'living books' was coined by Charlotte Mason. A living book is one written by a single author who deeply loves the subject — Genevieve Foster on the world of Augustus, James Herriot on rural veterinary medicine, David Macaulay on Cathedral construction. A living book holds a child's attention because it is genuinely interesting, uses excellent prose, and offers ideas rather than dry facts. Charlotte Mason and unit-study families use living books as the spine of nearly every subject; classical and unschooling families also draw heavily on them.
A Montessori principle: a carefully designed physical space where every shelf and material is accessible and self-correcting for the child.
The 'prepared environment' is the foundation of Montessori practice. Materials are arranged on low, accessible shelves; each material isolates one concept (one color of cube, one operation in math); and most have a 'control of error' built in — a way for the child to know whether they did it correctly without an adult's help. At home, the prepared environment can be a single shelving unit in the living room rather than a full classroom. Common Montessori materials include the pink tower, sandpaper letters, and golden beads.
A child-led educational approach developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in early 20th-century Italy, centered on hands-on materials and the prepared environment.
The Montessori method, developed by physician Maria Montessori starting in 1907, organizes learning around uninterrupted work cycles, hands-on self-correcting materials, mixed-age groupings, and the prepared environment. The teacher (or parent) observes more than instructs. Most Montessori homeschoolers focus on the 0–6 plane (the absorbent mind), with materials and methods evolving for elementary (6–12) and adolescent (12–18) planes. Authentic materials are expensive; many home-Montessori families DIY or buy used.
A group of homeschool families that meets regularly so children can take classes together and parents can share teaching.
A co-op is a group of homeschool families that meets weekly or biweekly so that children can take classes together (often led by a parent with subject expertise or a paid teacher), and so that parents share community and load. Co-ops vary widely: some are casual park days; some are full academic days with formal classes (Classical Conversations, Wilson Hill, etc.); some are skills-based (drama, robotics, art). Tuition varies from $0 (parent-only run) to $4,000+ per child per year for academically rigorous co-ops.
A collection of student work samples, attendance logs, and curriculum records maintained as evidence of homeschool instruction.
A homeschool portfolio is a binder, folder, or digital archive containing samples of the child's work, attendance records, curriculum used, books read, and any test scores or evaluations. Many states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, others) require portfolio review by a state-approved evaluator each year. Even in states that don't require it, a portfolio is invaluable for college applications, in case of state inquiry, and as a memento. Apps that auto-tag photos by subject reduce the documentation burden significantly.
A yearly review of a homeschooled child's progress, often by a state-approved evaluator, required in some states.
Some states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, others) require an annual evaluation of homeschooled children's progress. The evaluation is typically done by a certified teacher who reviews a portfolio of work, may interview the child, and signs an assessment that the child is making 'sustained progress.' Other states (Vermont, Colorado, Hawaii) accept standardized test scores in lieu of portfolio evaluation. Cost: typically $25–$100 per child per year. Lower-regulation states (Texas, Idaho) require no evaluation.
Norm-referenced or criterion-referenced tests (CAT, Iowa, Stanford 10) used to assess homeschool student progress.
Some states require homeschool students to take standardized tests in specific grades (typically 3, 5, 8, 11). Common tests include the California Achievement Test (CAT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10), and the Terra Nova. Tests can be administered at home by the parent (untimed CAT) or in proctored group settings. Many states require results submitted to the state; others require parents only retain them. Even where not required, standardized testing provides a useful check-in.
A document listing all high school courses taken, credits earned, grades, and GPA, used for college admissions.
A homeschool transcript is a one- to two-page document parents create showing the high school work their student completed: course names, year taken, credits awarded (typically 1.0 per year-long course), letter grade, and cumulative GPA. Most colleges accept parent-issued transcripts when accompanied by SAT/ACT scores and (often) course descriptions. Free templates are available from HSLDA, Donna Young, and Lee Binz. The transcript starts in 9th grade — every course taken counts. High school courses taken in 7th or 8th grade (algebra 1, foreign language 1) typically also appear.
A 1–2 paragraph summary of a high school course, including the curriculum used, topics covered, and major assignments.
Course descriptions are typically required alongside the homeschool transcript when applying to selective colleges. Each course on the transcript gets a paragraph or two describing the curriculum used (e.g., 'Apologia Exploring Creation with Biology, with the optional advanced experiments'), the topics covered, the textbook(s) used, and major assignments or papers. Course descriptions help admissions officers translate homeschool work into terms they understand. Programs like Lee Binz's HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution generate them; many parents simply write them themselves.
When a high school student takes courses at a college (community or 4-year) for credit that counts toward both high school graduation and a future college degree.
Dual enrollment lets a high school student (typically 11th or 12th grade, sometimes earlier) take courses at a community college or 4-year university for credit that counts toward both their high school transcript and toward a future college degree. Dual-enrollment courses appear on a real college transcript that most universities accept for credit transfer (more reliably than AP credit). Many states subsidize tuition for dual-enrolled high school students. Popular for advanced math, foreign language continuation, and core sciences with lab.
An Advanced Placement exam administered by the College Board that awards college credit at most U.S. universities for high scores.
AP (Advanced Placement) exams are subject-area exams administered each May by the College Board. A score of 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) earns college credit at most U.S. universities, though selective schools sometimes accept only 4s and 5s. Homeschool students can self-study for AP exams (no AP class is required) and take the exam at a local high school or AP testing center. Popular AP exams for homeschoolers: APUSH (American history), AP English Language, AP Calculus, AP Biology. Each exam costs about $98.
A legal document, written under federal special education law, specifying the educational supports a student with disabilities will receive.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a federal document required for any public school student receiving special education services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). When a family withdraws to homeschool, the IEP is suspended — federal IEP rights generally do not extend to homeschool. However, some public schools (and most charter homeschool programs) will continue to provide IEP services on a 'dual enrollment' basis. Families with significant special needs should check their state's specific provisions before withdrawing.
A one-page document listing each subject's planned topics by month or week for an entire school year.
A Year-at-a-Glance planner sketches the homeschool year in advance: which subjects are taught, the major curriculum used in each, and a rough month-by-month or unit-by-unit pacing. It is not a daily lesson plan — it is a high-level map. Useful for state portfolio submissions, for the parent's own planning sanity, and for explaining what is being taught to grandparents. Many homeschool curriculum publishers provide a year-at-a-glance for free on their website.
A scheduling approach where subjects are listed in a rotating order, and the family does the next one regardless of what day of the week it is.
Loop scheduling is a flexible alternative to a strict daily timetable. Instead of 'Monday: art, Tuesday: science,' the family lists subjects in a rotation (art → science → music → handicrafts) and simply does the next one whenever it's time. If a day is interrupted, no subject gets behind — the loop just resumes where it left off. Especially useful for the 'extras' (art, music, geography, handicrafts) that are easy to skip when over-scheduled.
A scheduling approach where each subject is taught for a longer block (often 6–12 weeks) at a time, then set aside for the next block.
Block scheduling concentrates a subject into a sustained block, then moves on. Instead of doing all subjects every day, you might do an intensive 8-week block on chemistry, then switch to physics for the next 8 weeks. Common in middle and high school for science (one science deeply per term, not three lightly throughout the year) and history. Reduces context-switching cost and lets students dive deep. Less common in math, which usually needs daily continuity.
A state program that gives homeschool (and private school) families an annual stipend per child to spend on qualified education expenses.
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are state programs that provide homeschool and private school families an annual per-child stipend ($1,500–$8,000+, depending on state) to spend on qualified expenses: curriculum, tutoring, online classes, therapies, lab supplies. As of 2026, programs operate or are launching in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and several others. Eligibility, stipend amounts, and qualified expenses vary widely by state. Check your state law page for current details.