Illinois Homeschooling - Registration, Requirements, and Resources

Sep 18, 2026

Illinois Homeschooling provides guidance for families considering home education in Illinois, focusing on decision-making and practical steps before withdrawing a child from public school. It outlines a process that starts by exhausting local public school options, then reviewing an overview of homeschooling, learning from other homeschooling families, and finally studying Illinois-specific information. The document explains Illinois subject-area requirements, notes that homeschooling has no required class list and no set number or length of school days, and advises aligning coursework with college expectations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Not sure if you should homeschool? Start here

Step 1– Exhaust all options with the local public school

Step 2– Start with an overview

Step 3– Learn from other homeschool families

Step 4– Review the information specific to Illinois

Step 5– Make the choice

Requirements

Required subject areas

Required classes

Number/length of school days

Illinois Homeschooling Welcome to the Illinois State Board of Education’s webpage on homeschooling, where you will find information on registration, requirements, resources, and more. The information is divided into several topics, which you can click on to learn more. Not sure if you should homeschool? Start here The information on this page may help you make a decision if you are unsure about whether homeschooling is the right choice for your family. Before you begin, ask yourself the following question,“What am I trying to achieve or accomplish by homeschooling?” Make a few notes about your answer and keep them until the final step. Step 1– Exhaust all options with the local public school Make sure you’ve exhausted all options regarding your child’s attendance at a public school before withdrawing them to pursue a homeschool education. This should involve expressing your concerns to the entire chain of command: Teacher > Administrator > Superintendent > Local School Board > Regional Office of Education > Illinois State Board of Education. As you work on solving your issue, keep the following things in mind: • Your school district’s website will have the dates of board meetings and contact information for members of the board. You can also attend a meeting and make a public comment or speak in a closed session if you have a complaint about a specific school employee. • All school districts are required to have a policy manual, bullying policy, and accelerated placement policy that have rules and regulations they must follow. Make sure you have reviewed these policies and refer to them in your conversations. • If your child has special needs, make sure you know the rights you have has a parent. Step 2– Start with an overview There are a variety of websites that provide an overview of the homeschool process. A good first step as you make your decision to homeschool would be to search the questions below in your internet browser. Be sure to look at a variety of websites to get multiple opinions and perspectives. • Should I homeschool? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling? • What can I expect if I homeschool? Step 3– Learn from other homeschool families Now that you have an idea of what to expect, try getting in touch with other homeschool families to learn from their experiences. If you don’t know anyone who homeschools, you might try asking your local librarians if they know any homeschool families that might be willing to speak with you. If you’re unable to talk to someone in person, you can read about the experience of homeschool families online. Make sure to read successful and unsuccessful stories to get a balanced view of what to expect. Step 4– Review the information specific to Illinois Return to the main homeschool page and read through the specific information for each topic. Each topic has several questions and answers that should provide you with a full overview of what to expect if you homeschool in Illinois. Remember, every state has different homeschool laws so be cautious of information on other websites about homeschool requirements in Illinois. Step 5– Make the choice By now you should have a general idea of homeschooling, learned from the experiences of others, and familiarized yourself with all the information specific to Illinois. Go back and look at your answer to the question “What am I trying to achieve or accomplish by homeschooling?” Based on what you have learned, can you achieve or accomplish your goals by homeschooling? If so, it may be the right choice for your family. If not, you may want to reconsider other options. Requirements Homeschool requirements vary greatly from state to state. In Illinois, the only specific requirement is that certain subject areas be taught. (See A below. ) Therefore, as you explore the questions in this section, instead of looking for a list of requirements to comply with, it is better to ask yoursel

FAQs

What should families do before withdrawing a child to homeschool in Illinois?

Families should exhaust all options regarding the child’s attendance at a public school, including addressing concerns through the chain of command from the teacher up to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Which subject areas are required for homeschool instruction in Illinois?

Illinois requires instruction in English in language arts, mathematics, biological and physical science, social science, fine arts, and physical development and health.

Are homeschool students required to follow specific classes and a fixed number of school days in Illinois?

There are no specific required classes and there are no requirements for the number of school days or the length of a school day; instruction can occur any day and at any time during the day.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver Hayes