Homeschool Resources
The Chapel Hill Homeschoolers do not specifically endorse each individual site. These sites are provided solely as a convenience in locating homeschooling information. It is up to each individual family to deem and discern the appropriateness of the material provided at each site for their own personal use.
Start Here
Useful Websites:
North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education
If you are new to homeschooling in North Carolina, you should familiarize yourself with the laws. The North Carolina Department of Non-Public Education can get you started with all of the information you need with regards to legal requirements.
You can also find:
Frequently Asked Questions
Testing Information
Student Driving Information
Curriculum and Online Education Information
North Carolina State Board of Education
The North Carolina State Board of Education can provide you a brief legal history of home education as well as keep you up-to-date on current legal requirements in North Carolina statutes.
North Carolinians for Home Education
North Carolina’s state wide support group (NCHE) strives to protect the freedom to educate children at home, to provide encouragement and support to families choosing home education for their children, and to promote home education as an excellent educational alternative.
Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina
The Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina (HA-NC) is a grassroots network of independent homeschooling families who embrace a myriad of approaches to education, spirituality and lifestyle. You can not only find information regarding legal requirements and bills that may affect homeschoolers, but also information about self-advocacy to make your voice heard regarding existing and possible future homeschooling laws.
HA-NC also hosts the Love to Learn homeschooling conference that includes a variety of homeschool and education experts.
Discussion Lists
THEA is an informal collection of homeschooling families that does not exclude on the basis of race, religion, spiritual path, family structure, culture, political view, or academic choice. It is our desire to create a welcoming haven in which families may exchange ideas, share materials, and develop lasting friendships with one another.
North Carolina Secular Homeschool Network
This list is provided as a means to share homeschooling information and to connect with other homeschoolers in NC. Spiritual beliefs as well as educational approaches are varied.
This group is offered as a means of disseminating news and information of interest among homeschool families residing in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina.
This is a mailing list for people who homeschool or are thinking of homeschooling in the state of North Carolina. Here you can exchange ideas, support, share links and more.
Spice-line is a fully moderated, Christian based loop which provides information and encouragement to homeschooling families in the Triangle area and surrounding counties of NC.
CM-MothersNC is a homeschool support group in the Raleigh and surrounding areas of North Carolina for mothers who are utilizing Charlotte Mason’s teachings in home education. We are a Christian homeschool group, but welcome anyone who aspires to provide a Charlotte Mason style home education for their children. You must be a support group member to join our email list.
Christian Home Educators of Greater Durham
CHEAGD is an ethnically diverse group that is open to all homeschool families, regardless of religion, who agree to honor the Christian principles in our Statement of Faith.
Home Educators Association of Roxboro
HEAR is a Christ-led homeschool support group in Roxboro, NC, that serves Person County and the surrounding areas. Our goal is to support, nurture, and encourage the homeschooling family.
Homeschoolers of Color is a group based in the piedmont of North Carolina, dedicated to supporting homeschoolers of color and their families! We recognize that homeschoolers of African, Asian, Latino, and Native American heritages have a very real need to connect with one another. Our children need a homeschool group with peers and role models who can guide them in many ways, including growing in their racial and cultural identities. We hope to provide many occasions for folks to meet, gather, play, explore, learn together, and form bonds of friendship and mutual support! We gather weekly on Wednesdays. The time and activity vary from week to week and is posted on our yahoo group. We have active members in the following counties: Wake, Orange, Durham, Chatham, Lee, Johnston, and Alamance. Our group has members which currently represent homeschoolers of African, Asian, Latino and Native American heritages. Our activities most often take place in the Triangle Area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) but we do travel to all the counties of our membership at some point during the year. As new people join us, our meeting locations for our various activities will reflect the locations of the participants. Inter-racial families are welcome! If you are not homeschooling, but are considering homeschooling or just want to learn more about it, we can tell you about our experiences and put you in touch with other homeschooling resources. Please get in touch with us! Please spread the word about our group!
We are a homeschool support group for families of all faiths, but with a Christian emphasis. Our support group provides opportunities for educational field trips, service projects, and support for mothers. We have a leadership team which oversees activities; however, the group depends on the help of all families for the planning of those activities. Currently, approximately 80-90 families are members.
Additional Resources
Homeschooling the High Schooler
Information on homeschooling the high school student.
Thrive!
The North Carolinians for Home Education sponsors an annual homeschool conference in Winston-Salem, NC. You can find more information about this conference by visiting the NCHE website.
Local Homeschooling Friendly Stores
The Homeschool Gathering Place
5204 Hollyridge Dr.
Raleigh, NC
(919) 571-8106
Hours: Tues-Sat 10-5:30
Tues & Thurs 6-8:30 for adults & nursing babies only
The HSGP sells new and consigned curricula, and other homeschool and family resources.
Stone’s Education & Toys Superstore
210 Hampton Woords Ln.
Raleigh, NC
(919) 821-7210
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-8
Fri-Sat 10-6
Sun 12-5
Stone’s Education & Toys is an independent retailer of unique educational toys, games, books and teacher supplies. We believe in the power of discovery for children. Where education comes first, and play follows right behind.
An Overview of Homeschooling Approaches
These approaches are taken from Homeschool Life.
Traditional Approach
This method is a “school-at-home” method of homeschooling. You can read more about the traditional homeschool approach and find resources to traditional homeschool curriculum by visiting Homeschool-Curriculum.org.
Classical Approach
Children are taught tools of learning known as the Trivium, which is divided into three parts: Grammar Stage: Elementary Age that focuses on reading, writing, spelling, Latin, listening, memorization and observation skills. The goal is develop the framework of knowledge and to acquire basic language arts and math skills. Classical Conversations is a good resource for exploring this homeschooling approach.
The Unit Study Approach
Takes a theme or topic and delves into it deeply over a period of time. It integrates some or all subjects into one study around this common theme. Many prepared unit studies are available. Example: Unit study on Birds – language arts would be reading and writing about birds, habitats, food, feathers, etc. Science & Math would be studying the parts and functions and life cycles, Social Studies would be determining migration paths, habitats, ecological impact, Art would be sketching, coloring pictures, identifying, building feeders and birdhouses. You can read more about unit study homeschooling at Homeschooling In The Woods.
The Charlotte Mason Approach
Based on the writings of Charlotte Mason (late 1800s-early 1900s). She was appalled by modern educators who treated children as containers to be filled with pre-digested information instead of as human beings, and the way they broke knowledge into thousands of isolated bits of information to be fed into that container and their artificial learning experiences. Mason’s approach was to teach basic reading, writing and math skills and expose the children to the best source of knowledge for all other subjects like, nature walks, observing and collecting wildlife, art museums, and reading real books with living ideas. Simply Charlotte Mason is an excellent resource for learning about this style.
The Unschooling Approach
Less structured learning that allows children to pursue their own interests with parental support and guidance. Children do well in this who are surrounded by a rich environment of books, learning resources, and adults who model a lifestyle of learning and are willing to interact with children. Formal academics are pursued when the need arises. John Holt The Foundations of Unschooling is the best resource to begin your journey with unschooling.
The Eclectic Approach
Eclectic homeschoolers use a variety of curricula and resources for what seems needed at the moment. They rarely buy a full curricula and use it exactly as is, but tweak it to fit their students’ needs. They are known to build their own curriculum. More homeschoolers probably use this approach than any other. Curriculum for each child may change year to year, and what works for one child may not work for the other children in your family. There are many, many resources for this style of homeschooling, but you can start with the blog Eclectic Homeschooling: Raising Global Kids.