The Eden Institute Biblical Herbalism Education

What Do I Need to Homeschool? Laws, Paperwork, Supplies and Paying for It

By Camila Johnson · October 29, 2026

To homeschool, you need to follow your state’s homeschool law, formally withdraw your child if they’re in school now, and keep a few simple records. You don’t need a teaching degree, and you don’t have to sign up with a school. You’re also far from alone: according to EdChoice, nearly 1 in 20 students in America is now homeschooled.

Yes. In HSLDA’s words, “Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states.” But every state sets its own rules, and HSLDA sorts them into four groups:

  • No notice. You don’t have to notify anyone.
  • Low regulation. You send a notice to your local school district.
  • Moderate regulation. You send a notice plus test scores or a professional evaluation of your child’s progress.
  • High regulation. You send a notice or test scores or an evaluation, plus other requirements, like curriculum approval, teacher qualifications for parents or home visits.

Find your state on HSLDA’s legal map and read exactly what it asks of you before you start.

What is homeschooling, and do I have to enroll somewhere?

Homeschooling is parent directed and primarily home based. You’re the one ultimately responsible for your child’s education, and the learning doesn’t have to happen only at home.

You don’t enroll in homeschooling the way you enroll in a school. You follow your state’s homeschool law, which might mean sending a notice to your school district, or nothing at all. Your state’s page on HSLDA’s legal map spells out what’s required.

One thing that trips up new moms: an online public school or virtual charter school isn’t the same as homeschooling. It’s a public school program your child does at home. Even HSLDA limits its legal help to private homeschooling and says disputes involving public charter programs are “not within our focus.”

How do I take my child out of school?

If your child is in a public or private school now, HSLDA’s order is:

  1. Meet your state’s legal requirements first. Send any notice your state requires to set up your homeschool.
  2. Then formally withdraw your child. HSLDA recommends sending correspondence with school officials by certified mail with a return receipt requested.
  3. Keep copies of everything: the withdrawal letter, your notice and any other paperwork.

If you’re starting after the school year ends, HSLDA suggests withdrawing before the next school year begins.

Do any states pay you to homeschool?

Some states will help pay, through education savings accounts (ESAs). An ESA puts public education money into an account your family spends on approved expenses. EdChoice counts 21 ESA programs in 18 states, and the rules vary a lot:

  • In Texas, homeschooled students can take part, but their accounts are capped at $2,000, while most participants get about $10,500.
  • In Iowa, students must enroll in an accredited private school, and homeschoolers can’t take part.

There’s another side to weigh. HSLDA opposes ESAs for homeschoolers and supports an education tax credit instead, warning that “the person who provides the funding will want to control how it’s used.” So read your program’s rules before you sign up, and decide what’s right for your family.

Look up your state on EdChoice’s ESA page. If you already have an ESA, Eden’s Table is an approved or registered vendor in seven programs, and the ESA page shows how buying works in each state.

What records and supplies do I need?

Records

Your state may require specific records, so check its law first. HSLDA suggests keeping:

  • Attendance, if your state requires it. Attendance days are the days your child is actually doing school.
  • A list of the curriculum and books you used.
  • Work samples, often kept in a portfolio. HSLDA suggests a three-year cycle: this year’s work plus samples from the two years before.
  • Test scores from any required tests.
  • All correspondence with school officials, including notices of intent.
  • Birth certificate and immunization records.

Keep test scores or portfolios from state-required end-of-year assessments, and all correspondence with school officials, permanently.

A dated notebook in your child’s own handwriting covers a lot of this. The Eden’s Table Student Notebook works that way: by the end of the year it’s a full year of drawings, lab observations, copywork and review, in order.

Supplies

It depends on which curriculum or style you end up with. Think of it as a sliding scale, and start at the minimal end.

Minimal, mostly freeThe middle: one open-and-go programFully stocked
What you buyA printer, paper, pencils, crayons and notebooksEden’s Table and the herbs, plus the minimal basicsA boxed curriculum for every subject, with textbooks, workbooks and tests
Where the rest comes fromThe library, free curriculum, and Khan Academy from about 5th gradeThe same free basics for math and readingThe publisher’s materials, and a longer supply list
What a day looks likeYou follow your child’s interests and build as you goYou open the guide, teach the day and check it offA detailed plan for every subject, every day
Styles it fitsUnschooling, relaxed, or Charlotte Mason with library booksUnit studies and hands-on learningSchool at home, or a very structured classical program

The most popular homeschool supply lists start with the same basics: paper, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and notebooks. BJU Press calls a reliable color printer “a must-have.”

Eden’s Table sits in the middle. You buy one thing, the herbs come from your pantry, your garden or the herb list, and you use it as your science and nature study or add it alongside what’s already working. Week 1 is free, nine weeks are $39 as a download, and the printed year is $249 plus $12 shipping.

What are the homeschool styles, from least to most structured?

  • Unschooling. Child-led learning. You follow your child’s interests and help them dig in, without a set curriculum.
  • Charlotte Mason. Living books instead of textbooks, narration, short lessons and plenty of nature study.
  • Unit studies. One topic carries several subjects for a stretch of time. In Eden’s Table, the topic is one plant a week.
  • Eclectic. A mix of methods, picked for what each child needs.
  • Classical. A rigorous approach in three stages: memorizing the basics when kids are young, reasoning in the middle grades and expressing ideas well in the upper grades.
  • Very structured programs and school at home. At the far end are very detailed programs that lay out every week for you, some meeting weekly with other families, and school at home, built on the classroom model with textbooks, workbooks and tests.

You get to decide what works for your family and what doesn’t. Sometimes it’s going to be trial and error, and that’s OK. Start minimal, and add as you go.

Sources

Questions families ask

Is homeschooling legal in all 50 states?

Yes. HSLDA says homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but each state sets its own rules, from no notice at all to notice plus test scores, evaluations and sometimes more.

Do I have to enroll my child somewhere to homeschool?

Homeschooling is parent directed, so you follow your state's homeschool law rather than signing up with a school. An online public school or virtual charter school is a public school program done at home, which is different from homeschooling.

How do I withdraw my child from school to homeschool?

Meet your state's legal requirements first, then formally withdraw your child. HSLDA recommends sending correspondence by certified mail with a return receipt and keeping copies of everything.

Do any states pay you to homeschool?

Some states have education savings accounts (ESAs) that can pay for homeschool curriculum, but rules vary. Texas caps homeschool accounts at $2,000, and Iowa's ESA does not allow homeschoolers. Some homeschool groups, like HSLDA, oppose ESAs because public money can bring public rules.

What supplies do I need to start homeschooling?

Start minimal: a printer, paper, pencils, crayons and notebooks, plus free resources like your library. Add a curriculum and more supplies as you learn what works for your child and your homeschool style.

What records should homeschoolers keep?

HSLDA suggests attendance records where required, a list of curriculum and books, work samples, any required test scores and all correspondence with school officials. Keep test scores from state-required assessments and school correspondence permanently.