Homeschooling in New Jersey: Your Friendly Guide

Is homeschooling right for your family?

If you're even a little curious about homeschooling, you're in the right place. Maybe your child isn't thriving in a traditional classroom. Maybe your family wants more flexibility, more time together, or an education shaped around who your child actually is. Whatever brought you here, take a breath. Thousands of ordinary families start homeschooling every year, and you don't need to be a certified teacher or have it all figured out.

At Altered Course, we believe kids don't have to fit the mold, and neither does their education. Homeschooling isn't about recreating school at your kitchen table. It's about learning differently, celebrating the way your child grows, and gathering with a community that gets it.

And you don't have to do it alone. Co-ops, classes, clubs, and other local families are everywhere once you know where to look, and right here in Sussex County, Altered Course offers daytime classes, social clubs, and enrichment built for homeschool families. Use this guide to get your footing, then come find your people.

Popular homeschool curricula

The number of options is overwhelming at first. The good news: you can switch anytime, and most families blend or change. These are starting points, not endorsements. Explore a few and see what clicks for your child.

Where to buy. Many faith-based curricula, including Saxon Math, are available in one place at Christianbook.com, or directly from each publisher's site linked above. Secular programs are mostly online subscriptions.

What kids learn at each age

One of the first worries new homeschoolers have is "am I doing enough?" Here's a gentle guide to what kids typically work on at each stage. In New Jersey, homeschooling is parent-directed (you are not required to follow the public-school scope and sequence), so treat this as a map, not a mandate. Kids move at their own pace, and that's the whole point.

What a homeschool day can look like

There is no single "right" schedule. Here are two honest examples.

Younger child (age 6): Breakfast and a read-aloud · 15 minutes of phonics · a short math game · outside play · a library trip or craft · free play and audiobooks. Total sit-down time: under an hour, spread across the morning.

Older child (age 11): Morning math and writing · a read-aloud or history chapter together · lunch and a break · independent reading or a project · an afternoon co-op class or activity. Most academics wrap by early afternoon, one of homeschooling's quiet perks.

Homeschool law: how to start in New Jersey

Every state sets its own homeschool rules, from "no notice required" to "notify, test, and keep records." New Jersey is one of the easiest states to homeschool.

• No notice required. You don't have to register with the state or your district, file paperwork, or ask permission to homeschool in NJ.
• No testing or portfolio required. NJ does not mandate standardized testing or record submission for homeschoolers.
• Your job: provide an education "academically equivalent" to what's offered in public school. That's the standard, and it's parent-directed.

If your child is currently enrolled in public school, send the district a brief written withdrawal letter so they don't mark your child truant. You don't need their approval. You're simply informing them.

If your child has never been enrolled (for example, they're reaching school age now), you don't need to do anything at all. Just begin.

Sample NJ withdrawal letter

Keep a copy for your records, and send it by a method you can confirm was received (email with a read receipt, or certified mail).

Homeschool law: how to start in Pennsylvania

For families in Pike County and northeast PA. Pennsylvania has more paperwork than New Jersey, and a yearly portfolio review, but thousands of families do it every year.

• Ages: 6 to 18. Filing for kindergarten is optional.
• Who can teach: a parent or guardian with a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Affidavit: file a notarized affidavit (or an unsworn declaration, no notary needed) with your district superintendent before you start, then by August 1 each year. Your program begins once you file; no approval is needed.
• Days: 180 days, or 900 hours (K to 6) / 990 hours (7 to 12).
• Subjects: for K to 6: English (spelling, reading, writing), arithmetic, science, geography, civics, US and PA history, health, PE, music, art and safety education. Grades 7 to 12 add algebra, geometry, literature, composition and world history.
• Portfolio: a running log of reading materials plus work samples. In grades 3, 5 and 8 it also includes reading and math scores from an approved standardized test (a parent may not give the test).
• Yearly evaluation: a qualified evaluator (not you or your spouse) reviews the portfolio and talks with your child, then certifies the year. That certification goes to the superintendent by June 30.
• Diplomas: two state-recognized options: a diploma issued by the home education supervisor on the PDE form, or one from a PDE-recognized diploma-granting organization.

If your child is currently enrolled, file your affidavit with the superintendent before your child stops attending. There's no separate state withdrawal form, so many families also let the school know in writing.

Stay connected

Homeschooling is better with people around you, and so is Altered Course. We share class openings, homeschool meetups, party ideas, market days, and real moments from our space.

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Questions? Text us at (862) 314-0905. We're happy to help you get started, whether or not you ever set foot in our building. If this guide helped you, the best thank-you is a follow and a share with another family who's homeschool-curious.