How do I start homeschooling my child in South Dakota?
If you are interested in homeschooling your child in South Dakota but don’t know how to start, the following list may be useful.
- Know and understand the South Dakota homeschool laws.
- Find a homeschool group or association. These organizations provide information about state requirements and will put you in touch with other homeschool families in places like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, or anywhere else in SD.
- Choose a curriculum.
- Withdraw your child from public school.
- Set a daily schedule and follow it.
- Be vigilant about record keeping by carefully tracking attendance and grades.
- At the end of the curriculum, use a formal evaluation of learning or standardized assessment such as the South Dakota English-Language Arts and Math Assessments (SD ELA and Math Assessments).
Is homeschooling free in South Dakota?
Homeschool is not free in South Dakota in the sense that an effective curriculum requires the purchase of certain materials for your child’s education. The good news is that parents throughout the state - from Brookings to Watertown to Mitchell - can make their money go a long way by choosing options like an online math curriculum that builds all of the instruction into the lessons.
Do parents get paid to homeschool in South Dakota?
Parents do not get paid to homeschool. However, in some cases, tax deductions, tax credits, or stipends may be available. Learn the homeschooling laws in South Dakota to find out if any of these apply to your situation.
What are the laws for homeschooling in South Dakota?
For the most recent information about the laws for homeschooling in South Dakota, visit the SD department of education website. Some procedures, like keeping attendance records, test scores, and samples of completed work are a good idea whether they’re legal requirements or not.
Is South Dakota a good place to homeschool?
The Mount Rushmore State is as good a place as any to homeschool. While certain states are considered particularly “friendly” for K12 homeschooling, such as Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Alaska, and Missouri, the number of homeschoolers is growing everywhere due in large part to the availability of great online resources.