MICHN: Michigan Christian Homeschool Network

Passing on Faith, Promoting the Family, Protecting our Freedoms

Is homeschooling legal in Michigan?

Homeschooling is completely legal in Michigan!

We encourage all of our members to become members of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). For a detailed analysis of the homeschooling law and regulations regarding homeschooling in Michigan please visit the HSLDA site: https://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=MI

I’m new to homeschooling. What should I know?

Congratulations on the decision to consider homeschooling!  Here are some of words of wisdom.

  1. Know and understand your state laws. It is LEGAL to homeschool. A great help in understanding your state laws is…..Local Support Groups!!!
  2. READ, READ, and did we mention READ? There are so many great books available on homeschooling!! Here are some favorites:
    • Answers for Homeschooling: Top 25 Questions Critics Ask by Israel Wayne
    • Education: Does God Have an Opinion? by Israel Wayne
    • The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell
    • Help! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom by Todd Wilson
    • The Heart of Homeschooling by Christopher Klicka
    • You’ve Decided to Homeschool by Marsha Hubler
    • 102 Top Picks for Homeschooling Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child’s Learning, by Cathy Duffy
    • The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide by Heidi St. John
    • IndoctriNation DVD & Book, by Gunn & Fernandez
    • The High School Handbook by Mary Schofield
    • Just to name a few!
  3. Take the time to learn how your children learn best. This is a benefit that homeschooling offers us…to tailor our children’s education to fit THEM! There are 3 primary styles of learning: Visual Learners (seeing), Auditory Learners(hearing), and Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners (doing). A great book on learning styles is called In Their Own Way by Thomas Armstrong …read anything by him! Also check out books by Cynthia Tobias and Still Teaching Ourselves by Agnes Leistico.
  4. Know that there are many different styles of homeschooling….there is NO right or wrong way to go about it. It is about what is RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD and you!! Here are some “terms”:
    1. Deschooling: a period of time after a child has been in public school to get out of the mode of ‘school’ . You may find that if you try to go right into homeschooling you will have a battle on your hands.. so if you take time to have some fun, go to museums, out to lunch etc.. things you could NOT do during ‘school’ before.. it might help. The loose rule of thumb is…for every year spent in schools, they will need a month to readjust…to relearn that learning can be fun!!! To love it again.
    2. Curriculum based homeschooling: it is just as it sounds, you buy a prepackaged curriculum that comes with all the ‘bells and whistles’. There is such a wide variety to pick from. Some of the larger suppliers include: Alpha Omega, A BEKA, Bob Jones, A.C.E. (School of Tomorrow), Master Books, Rod & Staff & Christian Light Education.
    3. The Principle Approach has been called “reflective teaching and learning.” It is America’s historic method of Biblical reasoning which places the Truths (or principles) of God’s Word at the heart of education. Each subject is predicated upon God’s Biblical principles and students are taught to think and reason from principles and leading ideas using The Notebook Method to Research, Reason, Relate and Record. (www.FACE.net)
    4. Classical Education is sometimes called “leadership education” because it builds skills needed for leadership: logic, debate, public speaking, clear reasoning, researching, writing, and communicating. These skills are practiced in every subject (math, science, history, geography, Latin, fine arts, and more), which prepares students to become leaders in any field they pursue. (www.ClassicalConversations.com)
    5. Eclectic homeschooling: An eclectic curriculum is where you pick and choose resources, books, textbooks, etc. for each subject to be taught from different curriculum publishers. So rather than purchasing your entire curriculum (prepackaged) from the same publisher or provider you build your own curriculum from a variety of publishers/resources. For example: A 1st grade English curriculum might use Hooked on Phonics , Pathway Readers , Spelling Power , and Writing Strands, all from different publishers. Similarly, you could choose Making Math Meaningful, Math-U-See, or Saxon Math for your 1st grade Math Curriculum based on how your child learns. And then read aloud the Little House in the Big Woods series by Laura Ingalls Wilder for your Social Studies: History, Geography, Economics, and Government curriculum, all in one set of books!!! You are still using books and workbooks but from different sources that meet your child’s interests and needs.
    6. Unschooling: Child led learning; Natural learning; Delight-led learning. Originally founded by John Holt in 1977, unschooling has generally attracted parents who take an “attachment parenting” approach to child-raising. Most unschoolers do not approach education from a Christian perspective, however, there are leaders like Mary Hood, who uses the term “Relaxed Homeschooling” to describe a laid-back, non-textbook approach to homeschooling that still incorporates a Christian approach to parenting.
    7. Unit Studies: Unit studies is like.. you are studying horses. You do your math with horses, (age appropriate.. like counting them, percentage of white and brown, etc) your history of horses, biology of horses, etc. You study one thing that encompasses everything. Many people use this when they have many different levels in the household…it is easy to provide for all grade levels. Also, it works well with special needs children because you can focus on what they want to learn about.
    8. Love your kids. Hug them, learn with them, have fun!