“Educating a child is a natural process. Homeschooling is nothing more than an extension of parenting.” – John Taylor Gatto
Overview
Homeschooling is an increasingly popular choice for families in Montana, with nearly 8,000 students being educated at home in the last year.
So, what is homeschooling? It’s the process of parents educating children in the home. Many families choose to collaborate via tutors, co-operatives, and extracurricular leagues to enhance the home education experience.
Montana families homeschool for all sorts of reasons. Some may feel unsafe in a traditional learning environment, some may simply desire to learn together as a family, and others may be looking for a unique, personalized curriculum. Homeschooled students have become actors, artists, inventors, civic leaders, authors, entrepreneurs, and more.
Interested in considering homeschooling your student? We’ve put together this ultimate guide to homeschooling in Montana to answer your questions:
What to Expect
Believe it or not, homeschooling was not always legal in Montana. According to the Montana Coalition of Home Educators, the current legal framework for homeschooling was officially adopted starting in 1983. Today, Montana homeschoolers enjoy some of the most freedoms of any state in the country.
Who Can Homeschool?
In Montana, all parents are free to homeschool their children if they choose, no prerequisite training or certification required. Homes or facilities used for homeschooling must comply with all local health and safety regulations.
Enrollment
Kids in Montana above 7 years old are required by law to receive educational instruction until: (a) their 16th birthday; or (b) the date your child completes their 8th-grade schoolwork. Kids must attend the public school they are assigned, unless your child has formally withdrawn from public school to enroll in homeschool or private school.
To officially withdraw your child from public school, Montana requires that you submit an annual notice of your intent to homeschool to your County Superintendent of Schools. You can find your County Superintendent information here.
Time Commitment
Montana law requires homeschool students in Grades 1-3 to receive at least 720 aggregate hours of organized instruction annually, while grades 4-12 require 1080 hours annually.
Beyond those aggregate requirements, any additional time you choose to dedicate to instruction is up to you!
Many homeschool families utilize curriculums, either for individual subjects or comprehensive grade-level packages, that often include Teacher’s Guides and learning schedules to organize instructional time.
Instruction
Montana law requires nonpublic instruction to include at a minimum the core subjects taught in public schools, including:
- English language arts
- mathematics
- social studies
- science
- health
- arts
- career education
Beyond covering core subjects in organized study, homeschool families are free to provide instruction in whichever way best suits their child’s needs and preferences.
Homeschooling parents don’t need to be experienced educators to provide quality instruction in a given subject to their children. There are countless curriculum options available designed by experts to guide instruction. Some homeschooling families may also pay an instructor for one-on-one tutoring in certain subjects, or utilize an online learning option.
A useful starting point is the Homeschool Resource Roundup, offering PDFs that summarize a wide range of curriculum options by grade, subject, and educational philosophy. Cathy Duffy Homeschool Review is another valuable resource for narrowing down curriculum choices. Additionally, explore educational podcasts where homeschooling parents and educators discuss their experiences with various curricula.
Some homeschool curriculum programs and resources can be purchased while others may be free to use. Check out our compilation of Free Online Instructional Resources.
Learning Environments
Home education doesn’t just have to happen in your home; it can be done anywhere! You also don’t have to do it alone. Montana has a vibrant homeschool community where families help each other and participate in co-ops, clubs, sports, and church. Montana Coalition of Home Educators has a helpful directory of homeschool co-ops and support groups throughout the state. Also be sure to check out our School Finder to connect with group learning options near you!
Some Montana homeschooling families partner together to provide a group learning experience in the form of a learning center or co-operative. Other families combine a few days of in-person learning each week in a brick-and-mortar school with a few days of at-home learning. Learn more about these learning environments in our Microschool Guide.
Homeschooled students can also engage in sports, activities, and classes at local public schools. Check with your local school district for their extracurricular participation policies. Learn more about public school enrollment in our Public School Guide.
Recordkeeping
Keeping good records is incredibly important for homeschoolers. Not only are certain records required to be kept by Montana law, but good records also provide proof of education for your homeschooler once they graduate and move on to adult life.
Montana law requires that homeschooling families keep accurate records of instructional hours and vaccinations (unless you’ve received medical or religious exemption).
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association also recommends parents maintain the following important records:
- Attendance records
- Information on the textbooks and workbooks your student used
- Samples of your student’s schoolwork
- Correspondence with school officials, including annual home education enrollment notices sent to your County Superintendent.
- Portfolios and test results
- Any other documents showing that your child is receiving an appropriate education in compliance with the law
Testing
While you are required to teach the basic subjects taught in public schools, homeschool families in Montana are not required to use standardized tests, however some families choose to include testing as part of their academics.
Graduation
Montana has no specific requirements for homeschool graduation. While homeschool students are required by law to receive instruction until they are either 16 years old or complete their 8th-grade schoolwork, once that minimum requirement is met, parents have the freedom to determine when and how their student will officially graduate homeschool.
As a substitute for official graduation, many Montana homeschool families opt to have their student receive a High School Equivalency Diploma by taking either the GED or HiSET tests offered by the state, but this is not necessary for college entrance.
Parents should review the graduation requirements for Montana Public Schools as a baseline to compare your student’s academic plan. If your student plans on attending college or university, reviewing the entrance requirements are essential as they require more coursework for admission than the state minimums for high school graduation. As homeschooling has grown in popularity, many colleges and universities have included a section for homeschoolers on the admission website.
The minimum graduation requirements established by the Montana Board of Public Education is found in ARM 10.55.905. A student must complete 20 credits with 13 of the credits to include:
- 4 credits of English Language Arts
- 2 credits of math
- 2 credits of social studies (½ credit to include Civics or Government)
- 2 credits of science
- 1 credit of health enhancement and physical education
- 1 credit of art
- 1 credit of career or technical education
- ½ credit of economics or financial literacy to be included in either social studies, math or career education
Parents can create their own high school diploma and transcripts for their homeschool students. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has a transcript template available for members, and there are other templates available online. These documents can be used for college applications or employment purposes.
How much does home education cost?
Home schooling can be more affordable than you may think, but homeschoolers should budget for anticipated expenses like tutoring, exams, curriculum, textbooks, software, or other instructional materials/supplies. Some estimates say parents should expect to spend around $700 to $1,800 per year per student on average.
Recently, the State of Montana created Education Savings Accounts that can help families that wish to homeschool their special needs child cover instructional expenses. Read more in our Education Savings Account Guide.
How to Switch to Homeschooling
Review state guidelines
To start, familiarize yourself with Montana’s homeschooling guidelines. The Home School Legal Defense Association has an excellent guide on how to homeschool legally in Montana. The Montana Coalition of Home Educators also has helpful guidance.
Withdraw and inform
Second, if your child is currently attending a public or private school, you should notify the school district of your decision to withdraw, though this is not required by law. This can be done by sending a withdrawal letter or contacting the enrollment office directly. The Montana Coalition of Home Educators provides a sample notification letter that you can use as a guide when notifying the county superintendent your intent to homeschool. Keep a copy of the letter for your records and you may also want to request transcripts, IEPs or 504 Plans from your child’s current school at the time of withdrawal.
Choose how you’ll learn
Then, begin outlining your plans for how learning will unfold in your home. Determine your preferred start time in the mornings and schedule outings for learning throughout the week. Reflecting on your educational values and observing how and when your children learn best will guide your choices.
In choosing a curriculum, consider whether you prefer hands-on activities, online programs for daily engagement, or traditional workbooks. You can opt for selecting courses in individual subjects or comprehensive grade-level curriculum packages. Be sure to check out the curriculum resources listed below!
Keep track
As you embark on homeschooling, prioritize staying organized. Utilize a planner or syllabus to document weekly activities and lessons with your child. Many curricula include integrated planners within their teacher’s manuals for your convenience. It’s essential to keep accurate records.
Homeschool Hacks & Tips
Start With Your Why
Let’s face it, some days just feel like a disaster: your oatmeal boiled over, the kids have been less than compliant, and you have a headache. On days like these when you’re wondering why you took on home educating your kids, you need to remember your WHY. Plan an afternoon with your spouse and maybe include your kids, and make a list that you can come back to on tough days. You can include things such as:
- Your top three reasons why you chose to homeschool
- Your desired goals for your kids’ character
- Academic goals for each child
- A pre-planned list of enjoyable go-to learning activities that your students can do fully independently (the homeschooling disaster plan!)
Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie is a wonderful little book that can help you when you are second-guessing your ability as a homeschooling parent. She offers down-to-earth solutions and tips on homeschooling that can be a great help when you’re feeling like you aren’t measuring up.
Plan out a weekly schedule, a daily start time, and remember to have fun. The amount of flexibility homeschooling offers is endless, but following a schedule will provide structure and clear expectations that your children will need to succeed.
Socialization is a topic of consideration for families thinking about homeschooling. However, homeschooled students grow up to be well-adjusted, positive members of society. Homeschooling does not necessarily lead to isolation from society, as many families participate in homeschool co-ops, clubs, sports and church. Socialization happens in many different ways, not just in a classroom setting while 25 students are together to learn academically. Social skills are attained through interactions with siblings, parents and other adults, playdates with friends, and while doing extracurricular activities like karate or soccer. Being intentional about developing and maintaining friendships and participating in clubs, music or sports will be key to developing well-rounded, socialized kids.
More Resources
School Terms Glossary
A list of free and inexpensive curriculum
Montana Coalition of Home Educators
Homeschool Legal Defense Association
Free custom book recommendations to read to your children
Homeschooling with Special Needs:
