FAQ about homeschooling

Before you contact us with your question, please check to see whether we have answered it in the FAQ list below. Thanks so much!

• FAQ 1: Help – we don’t know anyone who homeschools or where to start! Could you give us a crash course on homeschooling?

Of course – many of us began in exactly the same situation!

Go to our “Homeschool Now” section and read all the information there, especially if you are living in either Kansas or Missouri.

If your child is already attending school, it’s wise to formally withdraw them from the school and request their student records. Sample template letters that you can personalize are on the Homeschool Now section.

You must do this before starting to homeschool, especially if you’re withdrawing your children from public school, or you are technically truant from the school system.

We also recommend you connect with other area homeschoolers as soon as you can. Once you become a member of MPE, you will have access to a list of support groups and coops or homeschool enrichment programs in the local area, and you can choose which ones you would like to visit. These groups will supply you with local information, activities and opportunities, encouragement from veteran homeschoolers, field trips, and more.

You’ll also receive our newsletter 10 times a year, with many activities and opportunities available to homeschoolers in the KC metro area.

• FAQ 2: Can you give me some advice on curriculum and what a typical day looks like for you?

The beauty about homeschooling is that every family is different, and one family’s “typical day” will be completely different from another. But take heart! Although it may seem overwhelming at first, you’ll find out what works best for you over time.

Attending our homeschool conference can help you sort out the different curriculum options available.

If you’re starting in the middle of the school year, resources like Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum can help you identify your child’s learning style, so that the curricula you choose will best help your family.

Often the best advice about curriculum and homeschooling comes from area families. That’s why we recommend joining one of our support groups as soon as you become an MPE member.

You can also post a question on our Facebook page or message us privately, if you prefer.

• FAQ 3: If I homeschool my children, how do I make sure they don’t miss out on extracurricular activities?

In the elementary school years, homeschooling families find that most of the important school work (language, math, science, social studies) can be done in the morning, leaving the afternoons for art, music and extracurricular activities.

Many homeschool enrichment and athletic programs exist locally where your children can learn subjects like PE, music, Spanish, art and computers with other homeschooled students.

• FAQ 4: Do you offer achievement testing to homeschoolers?

Yes. Two main achievement tests are offered nationally in public and private schools: the Stanford Achievement Test and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, for grades K through 11. After that, the college bound homeschooler can take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or the American College Test (ACT).

MPE has been offering the Stanford Achievement Test consistently since 1991 in April each year. Homeschooling families register for the test so we can obtain the bulk discount rate.

Tests are administered by certified testers, the only people allowed by the organization to administer them.

Tests are collected, mailed to the organization, then graded. Results are emailed back to the homeschooling families.

FAQ about MPE

• FAQ 1: How do I advertise with MPE?

The best way to reach the local homeschooling community in the Kansas City metro area is to advertise in our newsletter, The Parent Educator, which is mailed 10 times a year to over 1,000 homeschooling families.

For more details such as sizes, costs and deadlines, please see our ad rates.