Home Schooling

The Regional Office of Education must ascertain that all children in the Will County region have the opportunity to attend school.  If you choose to create a Home School education, you are required by law to perform the following:

  1. Create a school calendar of 176 attendance days and a daily schedule of 5 hours or more.
  1. Create and maintain an educational program that is comparable to that of the public schools.  Subjects which must be taught in an Illinois home school are language arts, mathematics, biological/physical sciences, social science, fine arts, physical development and health.

Registration of your home school with the school district, the Regional Superintendent, or the State of Illinois is voluntary.  However, you may wish to notify your local school district and your Regional Superintendent of your intention to home school by filling in this form and providing one copy to your Regional Office of Education and one copy to the State of Illinois.  Otherwise, they may think that your child is truant. 

Please note:

1. If your child returns to the public school, it is the responsibility of the Public School to place the child in the grade it designates (School Code 10-22.5).

2. It is the responsibility of the Will County Regional Office of Education to help maintain school attendance.  The compulsory attendance laws of the State of Illinois hold the parent/guardian responsible for their child’s attendance in school.  The law states:  “Whoever has custody or control of any child between the ages of 7 and 17 years shall cause such child to attend school the entire time it is in session.”  (122/26-2). 

Frequently asked questions

More information from the Illinois State Board of Education

Please call the Will County Regional Office of Education if you require more information.

RESOURCES

Due to the many requests for information about home education, the following list of resources has been compiled. This is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is this an endorsement of these organizations or publications. Home schooling parents are not required to use any of the services or organizations listed below.

Illinois Support Network
(For information about current laws affecting home schooling, contact either organization.)

ICHE HOUSE Special Needs

Illinois Christian
Home Educators
847/603-1259
www.iche.org

 Home Oriented Unique Schooling Experience
847/676-2440
www.illinoishouse.org		 Jean Kulczyk
847/662-5432

Commonly used curricula

Nonsectarian Christian Protestant
Calvert
(K-8)
301-243-6030		 Christian Liberty Academy/Press
(k-12)
847-259-4444
www.homeschools.org
American School
(9-12)
708-418-2800		 Abeka
877-223-5226
www.abeka.org
Clonlara
(k-12)
Illinois Contact: Dorothy Werner
773-338-8330
www.clonlara.org		 Alpha Omega Academy Online
602-438-2717
www.aop.com
Compuhigh
(Secondary)
866-291-7040
www.clonlara.org		 Bob Jones University
1-800-845-5731
www.bjupress.com
Oak Meadow
(K-8)
802-387-2021
www.oakmeadow.com		 Konos
972-924-2712
www.konos.com

Christian Catholic Special Needs
Mother of Divine Grace
(K-12)
805-646-5818
www.motherofdivinegrace.org		 Vast (Special Needs with Christian Orientation)
256-829-1074
www.vastnetwork.org
Our Lady of Victory
(K-12)
208-773-7265
www.olvs.org
Seton Home Study School
(K-12)
540-636-9990
www.setonhome.org

The Angelicum Academy Online
(K-12)
800-664-6209
www.angelicum.net

Books on why to home school

Nonsectarian:

  • How Children Learn by Jon Holt
  • Taking Charge through Homeschooling by Larry & Susan Kaseman

Christian, Protestant:

  • Why Christians are Going Home to School by LuEllen Davis
  • For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley
  • The Heart of Home Schooling by Christopher Klicka

Christian, Catholic

  • A Catholic Homeschool Treasury by Rachel Mackson and Maureen Whittmann

Books on how to home school

Nonsectarian:

  • Homeschooling Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
  • The Homeschool Source Book by Donn & Jean Reed, Publisher: Brook Farm Books

Christian, Protestant:

  • The Three R's by Ruth Beechick
  • Homeschool Curriculum Manual by Cathy Duffy
  • The Heart of Home Schooling by Christopher Klicka

Christian, Catholic:

  • Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, A Guide to Catholic Home Education by Laura Berquist

Journals

Nonsectarian
Home Education Magazine
800-256-5278
P.O. Box 1083
Tonasket, WA 98855
www.home-ed-magazine.com		 Live Learning
1-800-215-9574
www.lifelearningmagazine.com
Christain, Protestant
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
888-718-4663
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com		 Home School Digest
Wisdom's Gate
800-43-1943
www.wisgate.com
Gifted resources
Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families by Lisa Rivero

A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling Web Site-Gifted page http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/weblinks/gifted.htm

Hoagie's Gifted Education: Homeschooling Gifted Children page http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/homeschool.htm