Questions Asked About Homeschooling

Questions Asked Homeschoolers in Maryland

When you’re a homeschool family, you quickly learn that other people are curious about how your family functions. Below I am sharing answers to questions asked about homeschooling. Please note, we follow the homeschool laws in our state. Therefore, my answers to these common questions are specific to homeschooling In MD.

Questions Asked Homeschoolers in Maryland

If you’re interested in learning more about How to Get Started Homeschooling In Maryland, please check out my previous post.  This post will provide which steps to take in order to make homeschooling a reality for your family.

Questions Asked Homeschoolers in Maryland

The 5 Most Common Questions Asked About Homeschooling

 

Q – Can I hire someone else to teach my student while homeschooling in MD?

Surprisingly, the short answer is yes. Also, read: How to Get Started Homeschooling In Maryland.

According, the FAQ section the organizers have approved the following:

Q2: Must the parent/guardian be the teacher or can a tutor be hired to take care of instruction?

A: As the provider of the home instruction program the parent or guardian may choose to teach his or her child directly at home or may arrange for individualized instruction to be delivered by another person inside or outside of the home. The parent or guardian may utilize traditional curriculum, textbooks, unit studies, online courses, and other instructional materials or delivery methods chosen by the parent or guardian that do not conflict with COMAR.

A home instruction program cannot be implemented through a co-op arrangement, except on a supplementary basis, because daily instruction provided to a group of unrelated students by someone other than their parent or guardian may constitute an unapproved non-public school. Supplementary is defined as one or two courses. 

The parent/guardian is to be the provider of the instruction. [However], other adults can assist with a special area of interest, but cannot replace the parent. Supervision of Home Schooling can only be provided by the public school system or by Maryland State Department of Education registered non-public schools or correspondence courses.  Individuals cannot be hired for this supervisory function if they are not with MSDE for this purpose. (“Frequently Asked Questions“)

Questions Asked Homeschoolers in Maryland

Q – Do you sit at home and teach your children all day?

Arguably, this question is almost laughable. No, we rarely sit home all day and do work. For the most part, many of the educational experiences my children enjoy often take place away from home. For instance, they take swimming, Judo, piano, and rock climbing, with other children and have different certified teachers. They also visit local museums and centers that provide classes and other types of learning involvement for children.

Learn more about our homeschool adventures by reading my post Our TOP 10 Favorite Homeschool Adventures This Year

[clickToTweet tweet=”Parents who homeschool are often intentional about socialization, so stop asking if their children have friends.” quote=”Tweet this: Parents who homeschool are often intentional about socialization, so stop asking if their children have friends.” theme=”style5″]

Q – How do you provide social interaction for your children?

My children interact regularly with other children in a variety of ways. Some of which are through our homeschool co-op, church groups, Parks and Recreation classes and other extracurricular activities they participate in.

Learn more by reading my post 20 Ways to Socialize Your Homeschool Child

[clickToTweet tweet=”Answers to common homeschool questions like how to make a portfolio” quote=”Tweet this: Answers to common homeschool questions like how to make a portfolio” theme=”style5″]

Q – Maryland requires a homeschool portfolio. Is it difficult to fulfill this requirement?

For the most part, no, keeping a portfolio is similar to a school binder. People who are not a part of an umbrella organization need to present a portfolio of their child’s work. By the way, an umbrella organization may be a school or church group that you may pay to keep track of your child’s compliance with state requirements.

Regarding the MD portfolio requirement, the parent/guardian meets twice a year, with a reviewer from the state’s superintendent’s office. The reviewer is not trying to drill or scrutinize the parent, the goal is to make sure the student is receiving consistent and regular instruction. I appreciate the level of accountability the meeting encourages and I am glad that students have someone looking out for their best interest. In my county, in addition to having a binder with samples of my children’s work, I also have to complete a form that shows that I met and provided educational instruction in the required 8 subjects. 

Learn how to make an amazing portfolio by reading my post How to prepare a homeschool Portfolio

Questions Asked Homeschoolers in Maryland

Q – How do you know which curriculum to choose?

The answer varies. Therefore, I believe in tailoring the curriculum to your child and what information you’re comfortable teaching. Online there are several articles that can give you greater insight on how to choose the right curriculum

Personally, I choose different curriculums for different subjects based on my kids learning styles. We use Classical Conversations, Apologia, Abeka, The Institute of Writing Excellence, and Spectrum workbooks.

Reader Question:

Are you still curious about homeschooling? Then, please share your question below and I’ll try to provide a part 2 of answers to questions asked about homeschooling via video or blog post.

Bibliography

(1) “Frequently Asked Questions.” Ektron.pgcps.org. N.p., 2018. Web. 14 Jan. 2018.

Scroll to Top