Once your kids hit middle school or so, the age-old socialization question gives way to the “how are they going to graduate high school” question. The big difference is, most homeschooling families recognize the socialization question as a non-issue, but graduation is something to be seriously considered for those who intend to homeschool through high school.
Know the law.
Most importantly, you need to make sure that you are familiar with the homeschool laws governing your state. My go-to site for understanding homeschool law is HSLDA. I also like to reference my statewide homeschool support website, GHEA. If you’re not sure where to find your state’s homeschool support group, HSLDA maintains a listing of homeschool support groups by state.
In speaking with homeschooling parents from other states and reading up on homeschooling laws on HSLDA, I feel confident in saying that, as of the time of this writing, most states do not maintain guidelines for graduating a homeschooled student. Some possible exceptions to that are Pennsylvania, New York, and North Dakota, so be sure that you are familiar with your state’s laws so that you and your student don’t have any unpleasant surprises.
