Homeschooling in Alberta: How to Get Started

Welcome to Homeschooling in Alberta!

How to Homeschool in Alberta Graphic

If you want to start homeschooling in Alberta, here is some basic information to know. You got this! You have been home educating your child since birth and there is no need to stop now that they have 6 candles on their birth cake. You know your child best. You know their personality, dislikes, likes, interests, temperament and learning style. You are your child’s best and first teacher!

In Alberta, children who are between the ages of six and sixteen years of age on September 1 must attend school. Choosing to home educate is one of the programs as a “school choice”.

In order to receive funding, you need to be registered with a “Willing Non-Resident” School Board by September 30 of the year you are planning to home educate. That is the count date of where your child is being supervised or taught.

If you want to homeschool without the supervision of a school authority, you can do so by choosing the “notification only” option. This option takes away the involvement a facilitator, allowing parents to choose their own homeschool plans, but in exchange, you no longer qualify for funding.

What is a Willing Non-Resident School Board (or sometimes called an associate board)?

A school board that is willing (not all school boards facilitate home education so you need to find one that does, the term that is used for that is “willing”) and non-resident mean it doesn’t need to be in your “school district”, in fact you can register with any board you want to in Alberta. For example, if I live in Calgary, I could register with a Willing Non-Resident School Board that is out of Edmonton. The newer term for these boards is associate board. Each year you can choose any associate board you want.

In Alberta you also need to know these terms; home education, shared responsibility and distance education. The education program is defined not by where the education takes place, but by who controls it – either the school or the parent.

Home Education or sometimes referred to as “traditional” home education is where the parent is fully responsible for procurement of the education of their child. That means they are required to use the 22 Home Education Learning Outcomes to determine and deliver their child’s education plan. The board can provide support but the parent plans, chooses resources, teaches and assesses the entire home education program for their child. The home education program is under the Home Education Regulations for grades 1-12. The parent is in full control of the entire program. The parent can choose to follow the 1400 outcomes per grade of the Alberta Programs of Study or the 22 Home Education Outcomes.

Distance Education is school in the home. It is not home education because the school controls all aspects of the education delivery, instead of the parent. The school plans, chooses resources, teaches and provides assessment and must deliver the 1400 outcomes per grade of the Alberta Programs of Study. Delivery is via a school’s Learning Management System such as Moodle, Powerschool, D2L or similar system. The parent has no control. The parent is a support to the child in the exact same manner as if the child attends a physical school. Because this is a regular school program, it must be taught by Alberta certified teachers and must follow the Alberta Programs of study. Distance education is governed under The Education Act, not the Home Education regulations because it is school, not home education. Other terms for this school-controlled delivery are “teacher-directed”, “online”, “print-based”, “correspondence”, “BlendED (a combo of online and classroom)” etc.

Shared Responsibility describes a division of responsibilities. You can outsource certain subjects or courses to the school to teach and take on several subjects or courses as parent taught. In grades 1-9 the school must teach a minimum of 50% and 20% in high school. For example, you may choose health, science, social studies, and art and music to be under home education and you would take responsibility for that. Then you choose to outsource math and English to the school to teach. You would receive half the home education funding (about $411) because the school would receive half the full public funding (about $3340) to deliver their half.

There is no such term as Fully Aligned in Alberta Education.

For more information on options around homeschooling in Alberta, visit: https://www.alberta.ca/home-education.aspx

To get a better idea of what the Home Education Learning Outcomes and what the Alberta Programs of Study are here is a sample of each:

The Home Education Learning Outcomes is a list (from A-T) that home educators must accomplish over the 12 years (or so) of education of their child. These outcomes are checked off yearly and must be done by age 20.

http://albertahomeschooling.ca/articles/Scheduleoflearningoutcomes.pdf

If your child is registered in distance education, the teacher would deliver the same APS outcomes as children get in physical schools. The Alberta Programs of Study has the same general outcomes as home education, but each subject is broken down to more specific outcomes (about 1400 per grade) and teachers are given even more details about what students need to achieve for that particular subject. Here is a link so you can see what that looks like. http://education.alberta.ca/media/654825/elemsci.pdf these are the Alberta Program of Studies for Elementary Science topics.

When you notify (you do not have to apply which insinuates asking for permission) with your chosen board you will sign the official Notification form that you are going to home educate. You will indicate what subjects you are choosing to take on under the home education program (Home Education Learning Outcomes) and which subjects will be outsourced to a school, if you are planning a shared responsibility program. Any subjects outsourced to the school will be indicated on an additional school registration form.

You then need to submit a Learning plan documenting a) which resources you will use to cover each subject and items you would like reimbursement for, b) method of delivery (including unschooling/self-directed as a method,) and c) type of assessment, which could be photographs, observation, discussion, etc. You do not have to assess everything by exams or quizzes! It is your call!

Then you are responsible to have a minimum of 2 visits with your facilitator (usually these happen at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year). On the school provided portion of shared responsibility, there is no visits other than parent-teacher conferences and report cards issued several times a year.

Who is your facilitator? Your facilitator is a certified teacher who is employed with the board you are registered with. Sometimes she is a home educator herself that happens to be a certified teacher. On your first visit of the year it is customary to put together an “Learning plan” for your child. You can write one up yourself or your facilitator can help you do it. This is a “living” document and you are free to change it anytime along the way as many times as you like. This is simply, a “this is what we plan to do” document. At the end of the year meeting you share what you and the children actually did. Sometimes the facilitator will either take their own notes and/or take samples of your child(ren)s work for their files. Please note this is NOT to be a judgment on their part or is it a test that you fail or pass – they are simply recording what learning took place that year in order to meet the reporting requirements of the government.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW TO HOMESCHOOL IN CANADA?

Some frequently asked questions about Homeschooling in Alberta …and answers.

How much funding do I get and what can I spend my funding on and how do I get reimbursed? The amount of funding you get is determined by how much funding the government gives for public school students. Home education is allocated ¼ of the funding of a basic public school student. Currently, in 2019 that is $1670 or ¼ of the $6680 that a public funded student receives. The willing supervising school authority gets the $1670 and must share half ($835) with the parent to offset the costs of providing home education. It is per child per year.

There is no funding on the school provided programs of distance education and their portion of the shared responsibility program, nor with the “notification only” option.

On home education, the allowable items for reimbursement must be listed on the learning plan and follow the guidelines in the Home Education Reimbursement Standards set forth by the Alberta government.

Do I have use certain curriculum? If you are home education, you can use any resources, curriculum or no-curriculum that you feel will met your goals/objectives. 

By its very nature, distance education will be delivered by the school via workbooks, textbooks and online written assignments.

What if I want to pull my kids out of the public system during the year (i.e. after the September 30 deadline)? You absolutely can do pull your kids out, but you won’t receive any funding because the school you are currently registered with has received that funding and it’s not transferable. Your school “owns” your child for that year until June 30th. However, you can take on the responsibility of home education by filing a home education notification form and a learning plan. Then, you will not be hounded by attendance calls and you will not be required to send in work to the school nor have your child take their exams. You are still with the school authority but are changing programs. You are taking on the responsibility for procuring your child’s education and the school is now just in a supportive role for the rest of the year. You can request to keep the resources the school has been using to continue teaching if you choose. The next year, you can change supervising school authorities.

I’ve done all the legal stuff now what do I really need to do to do this thing called home schooling?

FIND a local support group (this is not usually a part of your school board but can be….). The school board should provide a good listing of local support groups for you. I can’t stress this enough – although this has nothing to do with the “legal” part of homeschooling it will mean the difference between a successful homeschooling journey versus one where you struggle on your own. Check out Facebook or search on the internet that is location specific.

Provincial Associations:

What now? Visit the Getting Started Page.


Originally Compiled by: Lori Desrosiers

Lori Desrosiers has been homeschooling in Alberta for 11 years.  She lives in the middle of everywhere and in the middle of nowhere on her tiny acreage with her husband, two boys and several critters.  She supports home education with her various groups and activities, and she believes in supporting home educators through the laughter and the tears and always having really good coffee on hand!

Updated in 2019 by: Judy Arnall

Judy Arnall began Alberta Homeschooling Association in 2018. She is passionate to support and grow home education in Alberta. She has unschooled her 5 children for the past 20 years and has 3 university graduates, 1 child currently in university and 1 happy teenager. She wrote The Happy Homeschooling Handbook, Alberta Edition, and also Unschooling To University; relationships matter most in a world crammed with content.

Lisa Marie Fletcher
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164 thoughts on “Homeschooling in Alberta: How to Get Started”

    1. You’d have to check with the school that is in your area. Some do allow that. I would give them a call and see if they can help you set something like that up. -Lee

    2. 0My son is registered in kindergarten for September. He is going to go to a charter school. I’m thinking that it might be a bit too strict for him, maybe not. But I was wondering if he doesn’t quite like it after a while. Will I be able to pull him out at any moment and register him for homeschooling for the rest of the year? Or do I even need to register him for kindergarten? Thanks in advanced. 🙂

      1. Hi May,
        As far as I know, you can take your son out of school at any moment you feel it would be best, but if you don’t register for homeschooling by the Sept 30th you won’t be eligible for any funding. I’d recommend connecting with one of the provincial associations or groups to see exactly what they suggest as best for your little guy. Try these: http://aheps.ca/ or https://www.aheaonline.com/
        I hope that helps.
        Lisa Marie.

        1. My children are registered for the 2020-2021 school year home school/unschooling as that is what we have had success with. Even more so now with the pandemic. Regarding the visits at this given moment, am not very keen on it.are the conducting these virtually?

          1. I’m not personally in AB, but from what I understand, this year homeschool parents can choose a new option that allows for no funding / no intervention. You might want to look at that option.

  1. I’m very interested in homeschooling me child. But I would not like to stop when I started. So, for how long will that be aloud homeschooling, I meet be the low. Is there a point or could whe do that for years? Me little one will turn five in two months.
    And second, do I have to be certified?

    1. I think the best thing to do is email us and we can help you better that way. you do not have to be certified. But knowing where you are will help us more.

  2. I am interested in homeschooling my daughter. I need to know what I need to do to get this started.
    My daughter is in grade 4.
    I would like to start teaching her for grade 5.
    How do I go about this.

  3. im in grade nine this year and i am interseted in switching to home schooling… can i do that? and if so how to i go about doing that?

  4. Hi
    We have has a complicated experiance with public schools. I have been thinking about home schooling for a few years and am now giving serious thought on the matter. You see my son is now in grade 2, he has number of disorders where he needs aid of a professinals. Sadly the public schools can not assist properly with his needs. Infact due to these dissorders he has a major behaviourl problems. So the schools have focused on his behaviour and not his academics. He is now in grade 2 functioning at a kindergarden level. I really want to help my son, is it possible to. take him back to kindergarden through home schooling? The public

    1. Sorry it would not let me finish my last sentancs. Which was the public schools keep pushing him forward and he is falling further behind. Any advice would be great, thank you.

    2. Yes Lisa, absolutely. The great thing about homeschooling is you can educate your child at any level that is suited for them. Sometimes I forget what grade my kids are in because we just go with what they are learning and their own individualized level rather then what the government thinks they should be at. You can email me to discuss it more if you’d like.

  5. Are there standardized tests in Canada either per year or per subject students can take.
    I’d like to have an “official certification” on certain subjets (i.e Biology11) to make sure acceptance in university is not jeopardized.
    Something like distance education for adults or the AP college in US for college level subjects. Thanks,

    1. It depends on where you are located Charles but there are different avenues you can take to make sure getting into University isn’t jeopardized. Lots of Universities welcome homeschool students and offer courses to get what you need to go to University. – Lee

      1. It all depends on whether you register with a program, school district or choose to go out on your own without any support. If you email me I can match you up with other Alberta Homeschoolers. – Lee

  6. I’m living abroad and i want my son to join university of Alberta. Can my son do homeschooling from abroad and get a certificate?

  7. I am thinking about homeschooling my child. My question is, am I allowed to homeschool other children besides my own? Some of my friends/neighbours might be interested in having their children be homeschooled by us at the same time. They don’t want to quit their jobs in order to do it so might want us to homeschool their kids as well.
    Is this allowed?

    1. HI Garth, Anyone can educate your child with homeschooling. As long as all the children are registered as homeschoolers it shouldn’t be a problem.

  8. For health reasons, my husband and I are thinking about spending six months in the southern US and the summer months back in Alberta. Are we able to homeschool our children with the Alberta curriculum while we are done in the US?

    1. Hi Tania, just wondering if you did the “snowbird” thing and how it is going as we are considering the same.

  9. I’m a US citizen homeschooling in Alberta (not because I want to but because I’m here on a visitor visa that expires 9/14 and found out a week before school started that my kids can’t attend public school). I’m wondering if I should still register my 4 children with the school board (or if I even can?), just because when I go back to the states I want to be sure they get credit for the year they weren’t in school. Do you have any advice about this?

    1. I am not sure about this situation, sorry Amy. I am wondering if you have to register with a US Program? There are ones set up for families that do travel and maybe this would be one of those situations. I am surprised you can’t put your children into the public school system there being you are there on a Visa. You can email me and I can see if we can find some more information on this. -Lee

    2. Wondering if you ever figured this situation out. My husband may have the opportunity to work in Edmonton thru his job. We are US citizens and homeschool. I’m looking to find out what the rules are for non citizens in Alberta. Thanks!

  10. My 13 year old niece is an AB resident I am a BC resident. Can she do her AB homeschooling if she lives in BC with me for a 6 months?

  11. I have just decided to home school my son for the rest of grade 2 but I’m having issues finding the curriculum information and where I can buy the books he needs. I would like him to leaarn about canada and the metric system so I don’t want to order from the states. Any ideas?

  12. hi i was wondering if i want to home school i alberta can i get someone else to teach me because my parents are working a lot? if possible were could me and my parents contact?

  13. Hi,

    I have no idea where to begin when it comes to homeschooling. I have been thinking about home schooling my oldest daughter for a while. She’s in grade nine and I believe she is really a a grade seven level. The school just kept moving her on to the next grade regardless of what i wanted. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

  14. Hello my name is Heather I recently moved to Edmonton with my two children because of a family crisis! At the moment I am having a hard time finding a home for us to live so we are currently staying with friends. Due to the unseen circumstances my children have been out of school for about two months! Now they are finding it hard to catch up to where the class is and understand the lessons properly. I was hoping you could give me a number to call so I can get information to start homeschooling them!

    1. Hi Heather. I am so sorry to hear of your struggles and sorry it has taken me so long to respond. If you can email me I can get you in touch with some ASAP! Lee

  15. Is it possible for a certified teacher to teach our child and other registered homeschoolers at her home. Our alternative Christian program has been removed from our public school, and we would like to pay our teacher to teach from her home. How many children can be homeschooled at once.?

    1. Hi Tonya, Can you please email me and I can set you up with an Alberta contact who can answer these questions. Thanks -Lee

  16. Due to some family matters and by agreement with his mother , my son is spending the rest of the school year (April-June 2014) with me. He was attending an elementary school in Airdrie -Alberta and he is currently on 3rd grade.
    I AM IN PERU with him, and I DONT WANT HIM TO FALL BEHIND on his education. I know there are about 10 weeks left of school for him. Is there a way that I can home school him so he finishes third grade? Would he be tested on our return to Canada in June? Where would I find the program to be covered for the remaining of the school year?

  17. Hi my 2 children are currently in the public system but with all the issues we have had with other kids and ours interacting my kids are emotionally drained and they really don’t want to go to school anymore. Is it possible for a parent who barely graduated and one who dropped out to home school effectively? 1 is in kindergarten and the other in grade 2…

    1. I want to encourage you not to look at your own schooling experience as a mark of success or failure for homeschooling. Anyone who is willing to put the effort into homeschooling will be able to do it. 🙂 There’s plenty of resources and support to help you along. Plus! A bonus is that you get to learn right along with your child! 🙂

  18. I am exploring the idea of homeschooling my child and I have a couple questions about accelerating his learning. What are the rules around accelorating his learning (in alberta if that makes a difference). For example finishing high schiool a couple years earlier than his peers. Also for transcripts for post secondary, are there final exams for him to complete to prove proficiency in the subject, is he still required to take the diploma? I am just wondering how the homeschooling experience looks for an extremely bright child.

      1. I’m not sure if this is still active or will reach anyone, we are looking for similar information. We are currently homeschooling at an accelerated level and are moving to Alberta. We are just looking for information regarding accelerated homeschooling in Alberta/Edmonton.

  19. Hi I am a parent to a 3 year old and a 1 yr old – seriously considering homeschooling. The oldest is attending a pre school program – How do I get info about homeschooling from scratch – I’m looking at starting it when the oldest is 5 – as I will have to quit my job to do this.

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Tracy,

      Thanks for stopping by my site. I’m going to pop you an email with a contact out in Alberta who will be able to give you some more information about how to homeschool in that province.

      Other than that – I recommending looking into what your child needs to learn and enjoy a lot of play based learning! They are still wee little ones. Just spend time reading and playing as much as you can. <3

  20. OMG, some people are thinking about homeschooling their children, and they can’t even spell or write correct sentences!!! Beaulah G.

    1. Don’t forget, Beaulah, that what you see in comments isn’t always an indication of someone’s ability to provide an education for their children. I, personally, don’t judge people based on their writing or spelling – because I make typos too and occasionally am using my phone where things aren’t always as easy to type as I’d like to be. Plus – people who struggle with spelling and writing can either a) outsource or b) learn right along with their child.

      Thanks so much for stopping by my site.

  21. Hi, I live in Newfoundland with my mom and my dad lives in Alberta. I want to move up there but I do not want to go to a new school, I suggested homeschooling And he said he will look into it and that there is a high chance that it will happen. I was just wondering how would this work, this year I would be starting grade 9. We were looking for an online homeschooling program.

  22. Allison Thomasson

    We have two girls supposed to be in Grade 4 an Grade 6 here in BC. My husband works in Alberta and due to the teachers strike we are looking at moving out to him. The job where he is out in Cold Lake right now will be finished in the next few weeks so we are looking at going out to stay with some family in Edmonton until we find out were in Alberta he will be sent to next. Could we enroll in a homeschooling program now and also our children are and have been in French Immersion since Kindergarten, could we do a homeschool program in French Immersion.

    1. Hi Allison,

      I’m sorry – I somehow missed your comment! There are a lot of questions here. I’m going to pop you an email and see if we can find you someone to connect with in Alberta to help you get started!

      Lisa Marie.

      1. I too would like to find out if I could homeschool the French immersion program to my kids. What are the details? Thanks.

  23. hello i am not sure if anyone can help me with some answers my wife wants to get her highschool diploma unfortunatly due to some bad experiences in life she was never given thee proper help and attention since she has a very hard time learning we have talked about it and it would be great if i could home school her i am just wondering if that is even possible or if this is something available to people under 19 years of age thank you

  24. Hi
    We are considering home schooling. I am somewhat confused as to what the outreach programs are and if they are the same as home schooling or what the differences are?
    As well who do we contact to register and what funding is available?
    Thank you

    1. Hi Val,

      Thanks for stopping by the Canadian Homeschooler! 🙂

      For info on how to homeschool in Alberta, I recommend you visit the AHEA – http://www.aheaonline.com/ – they have a whole section about new to homeschooling with lots of information that might help. 🙂

      Did you have a chance to get a copy of my ebook? https://thecanadianhomeschooler.com/how-to-homeschool-in-canada-ebook/ – you might find some answers and resources in there. 🙂

      If you ahve any other questions, please feel free to email me – thecanadianhomeschooler@gmail.com

      Lisa Marie

  25. Hi, I have a 15 year old step daughter that chose to leave home and live with her 18 yr old boyfriend…long story.
    She is living on her own, working full-time, but she still wants to get her education( grade 10 currently). We enrolled her two weeks ago in Beyond Walls run by the Prairie Rose Division. I received a call last week from the principle and counsellor at her former school, telling me because she is 15 she must be enrolled in a regular school. I am interested in knowing if home schooling could be an option for us, as she refuses to attend conventional school due to her work schedule?
    Her attendance at conventional school the last 3 years( before we were given guardianship) has averaged 255 missed classes per year. Unfortunately we cannot undo the damage done by her prior living arrangement, but we would like her to be successful from this point forward. Enrollement in conventional school is only setting her up for failure in every area of her life.

    Thank you,
    Jodi

    1. Hi Jodi,

      I’ve sent you an email to connect you with someone in Alberta who might be able to help your situation. I’m sorry for the late answer!
      Lisa Marie.

  26. Hi,
    I am planning to home school my children next year. Will I be able to register all 4 for the same year?
    Their ages range from 11 down to 4.5.
    Thanks

    1. Hi Tracy,

      I think you are free to take all your kids out whenever you’d like and start homeschooling as you want! However, I popped you an email to connect you with a homeschooling expert in AB.

  27. Maria M. Sulistiantini

    Hi, I am an Indonesian and my husband is Canadian (he’s from Alberta), we live in Indonesia. We have 2 boys, 5 and 2 years old and they both have Indonesian and Canadian nationalities. I have a desire to do homeschooling in 2015, my oldest is attending a Kindergarten class this year. I am wondering how to do homeschooling with Canadian curriculum from Indonesia. And what support that we possibly can get from here? This is all new to me, I really need help to understand more about homeschooling my kids. Your help will be appreciated… Thank you.

  28. I have been Homeschooling my daughter through the same Board here in Calgary for the last three year. This year would be year four. I was informed that the last day for returning student to re-enrol for the 2014-2015 school year is September 30, 2014. I attempted to re-enrol my 9 yr. old daughter on September 30th online, but was unable to do so because the “Parent Locker Accounts,” from last year were deactivated too early, as I was informed the following day (October 1st) via email by someone from the technical support Help desk, which I contacted minutes after attempting to access my account. This individual informed me that all I need to do is create a new account online and register my daughter. So that’s exactly what I did. I received a call 5 days later (October 6th) informing me that my child’s registration was not approved because it was created on October 1st, and that the application would be deleted.I was also given contact information for the principal to appeal to. I spoke to the principal today (October 7th) which informed me that they will not accept my daughter back because the registration was completed on the 1st of October. I pleaded with him and explained that it was not my fault the accounts from last year were deactivated too early, but he maintained that there’s nothing he can do. What would you say is the best action for me to take now? Can a School Board refuse to re enrol a child even though we did nothing wrong? I am concerned about my daughter not be “registered.” Any feedback or suggestion would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks in advance.

  29. Thankfully the principal’s assistance just called on his behalf to notify me that my daughter’s registration has now been approved. I am relieved that I don’t have to take any further action at this point to resolve the issue. Thank you for all the help and support you give to those with Homeschooling issues and concerns. I am glad I discovered this site even though my issue was resolved before you had an opportunity to respond. Thanks again!

  30. I see as posted above that a child has to be 6 on September 1st to qualify for funding with a HS board. What happens in the case where a child turns 6 in October or November of the current school year? Do they have to wait until the following school year when they will be turning 7 to start register with a board and begin legally homeschooling? I am in Edmonton Alberta.

    1. Hi Wen,

      I asked about this in our facebook group and got the following answers:

      “Legally you have to register a child if they are 6 by September 1st. If your child doesn’t turn 6 you can wait until the next year to register them (which we did with our oldest) but you can get funding for them if they are registered in grade 1.”

      “Funding is cut off on September 30th by the Alberta government. That is the last day schools will receive funds from the Alberta government for the families enrolled and therefore they will not have further funding to disperse to late registering families. There are no exceptions. I believe children must be 6 years of age by February 28th of the school year to register with a board for grade 1.”

      I hope that helps.

  31. I am excited to find this page and want to congratulate all of you on your homeschooling decisions. We are in year three of homeschool and love it. My best advice is this: 1) find a good school board. For example, The Centre for Learning at Home is fantastic and very academic based, whereas Argyll is a better fit for those who choose to unschool.
    2) View curriculum if you can, prior to ordering it. It is very difficult to tell online how a program will be set up.
    Happy homeschooling!
    (I am starting a blog: Perfectly Hapy in an Inperfect World on blogspot. Would love to see you there!)

  32. My husband and I are planning on leaving Canada to live and travel the world on a sailboat. We are going to be homeschooling our children during this amazing journey. Where do I start, who do we report to, and how can we accomplish this seeing that home visits/testing won’t be possible?

    1. Hi Rhonda! AHH! What an amazing sounding adventure! I first of all recommend connecting with one of the Alberta support groups to get their advice. They will know the ins and outs of homeschooling from AB better than I will.
      I also posted your question on my Facebook page and got several responses. Hopefully something here can help too! https://www.facebook.com/thecanadianhomeschooler/posts/801831986529348
      If there’s anything else I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.

  33. Hi my daughter is 7 and is in French emersion school. She is struggling with the class having 31 kids in her class. She needs more one on one help I want to home school her but I’m scared of screwing things up I want her to get the best education possible and where she is, is not receiving it. I don’t know where to start. Please help

    1. Hi Peggy,

      It sure can be scary to think of homeschooling. Have you checked out my “how to homeschool in Canada” ebook? (https://thecanadianhomeschooler.com/how-to-homeschool-in-canada-ebook/) It’s got some information you need about getting started. I’m also going to recommend checking out the AHEA (http://www.aheaonline.com/). I’ve popped you an email to connect you with my Alberta contact. Hopefully between all these options, you’ll get the answers you need. Let me know if you need anything else!
      Lisa Marie. 🙂

  34. I have been considering home schooling for a few years and would like more information please. My daughter is in half kindergarten and half preschool to fill the week at a public school so I can work. I didn’t jump into it before because I was worried about finances and cost. Could you send more information about this program and who I can contact to get started?
    Thanks for your time,

    1. Hi Trish,

      I’m not actually a program, but a reference website. Homeschooling can be as cheap or as expensive as you choose – there are many many free online resources that you can use, places that you can buy used books, community resources like the library and homeschool groups, and other options if you are looking for a cost-effective way to go. On the other end of the spectrum are boxed curriculum sets that can be very costly but include everything you need. It sure doesn’t need to cost a lot – especially in the early years.

      Since you are in Alberta, I recommend checking out the Alberta Home Education Association (http://www.aheaonline.com/) – they will have all the information you need, or at the very least be able to direct you to it.

      Thanks so stopping by!

  35. HiMy situation has changed and I am considering homeschooling my son who is in grade 2 French but probably for only a short term until I know where we will be living. Can I move him from classroom instruction to homeschool and back within a two-four month time frame

  36. My 8 year old twin girls were the victims of an a random assult in our neighborhood, and are now too scared to go to school. I don’t want them to fall too far behind at school, but I also don’t wanna push them into going back too soon. I am very interested in homeschooling them asap, but I’m really not too sure where to start! Any help would be great! We’re in Central Alberta.

    1. Hi Kim,
      I’m so sorry to hear about your daughters. I’ve sent you an email to connect you with someone in Alberta who hopefully can help you find what you need. All the best!
      Lisa Marie.

  37. My daughter currently in Grade 1 is well above everyone in her class and isn’t being challenged. I am interested in alternative schooling for her; I am wondering if there is a way I can hire a certified teacher and she can be homeschooled. I am unsure of how that would work, or if it is feasible.

    1. Hi Kristen,

      I’ve popped you an email to connect you with someone in AB who might be able to answer your question. Let me know if I can help with anything else. 🙂
      Lisa Marie.

  38. Hi, my son is having problems in his grade one class and I think the best thing for him would be to pull him out and home school. Can you send me the information I need to set this up? Thank you.

  39. I have a 4 year old son who is significantly autistic. He can barley make it through 2 of the 3 hours of the EASE program at Aspire, and we worry that he wont be comfortable in a typical classroom setting. He is non verbal, and doesn’t use sign language (May never do either). We are thinking that some form of homeschooling may be best for him. How do we go about that process for a mentally disabled child?

    1. Hi there,

      I’d recommend you connect with someone in the AHEA – the Alberta Home Education Association, as they might be best able to offer insights into what you need in terms of homeschooling there. http://www.aheaonline.com/ – they do have a Facebook page as well.

      In terms of how to homeschool your child with their special needs, you are probably going to have to research what specifically your son is going to need and how you are going to be able to teach that to him. It sounds like your son has significant enough challenges that you might just need to work on developing whatever life skills he needs before you consider any additional education programs.

      Please let me know if there’s something else I can help you with,
      Lisa Marie.

  40. I am planning on educating my children at home for this one upcoming year, as we are moving mid-year to Alberta. I am considering traditional homeschooling but wondering about requirements for transitioning back into the public school system the year after. What are the requirements or process for re-entry into public system after traditional homeschooling?

  41. We live in Edmonton. My son has special needs: down syndrome and autism. I want to homeschool him from September 2015 as he is going to grade 1. Can anyone help us with some ideas about the curriculum and about places for field trips, connecting with other parents? Where do I register him and when is the deadline for registering him in order to qualify for the funding? Thank you
    very much.

  42. My daughter is in Grade 8 and we are pulling her for home schooling. She would like to fast-track her education. Is it possible for her to do grades as she’s ready versus following the school year time frame? Thank you!

  43. Antoniya Panayotova

    Hello
    My family lives part time away from Canada because of my husband’s work
    I’m considering homeschooling instead of always being separated during the school year
    Will I need a permanent address here that the facilitator must come and what if we don’t have one and just rent for the few months we are in the country
    And what if we are away from the country when the facilitator wants to schedule a visit , also is there any testing at the end of the year or anything like that , or all the grades are up to the parent ?
    Thank you for your time

  44. Hi there I live in Calgary Alberta my daughter has just recently shown an interest in online schooling or homeschooling. She has been registered in the public school system since kindergarten and is now finishing up grade grade 8. I would like to arrange online schooling or homeschooling for her for the start of grade nine however i’m not completely certain where to start. If you are able to guide me it would be a blessing. Thank you so much

  45. I’m planning on homeschooling my daughter this fall. She’d be starting grade 2. She really wants to homeschool 🙂

    How do I get started?

  46. I am currently working at a camp and i am to far from town. My son will be starting primary in September. I want to home school him from where we are. Where do I start and what am I suppose to do to get started?

  47. Hi there, my son just finished public school grade 1, and he really wants to try homeschool next year. What I need to do for start ?

  48. Hi, I’m planning to have both of my daughters do homeschool. They both really want to do homeschool and which seems like a great idea to me since I feel like they’ll focus more on their education then they would going to a public school. I work and so does my husband, so I really can’t stay home and teach them. Is there a service that can teach them? or an online school? I’m also wondering if we choose any online school or the government recommends some. And what do they need in order to homeschool?
    Please help.

    1. Hi there Sageda,

      I am absolutely sure that there are plenty of options for you in Alberta. Sadly, I’m not 100% familiar with all your options, but there are programs like https://www.adlc.ca/courses/ that might work, depending on the grade you need. I’d check out the AHEA website (https://www.aheaonline.com/about-home-education) for more information on what you need to do to get started with homeschooling in Alberta.

      I hope that helps get you started!

  49. My child is currently doing grade 8 online. Would we be eligible to be reimbursed for the cost of buying the computer and other computer accessories we’ve had to purchase?

    1. Hi Jennifer,

      Since I’m in Ontario (where we don’t get any funding at all), I’m not 100% able to answer your question. BUT – if you scroll down to the bottom area on this page from THEE -they have a link to a list of is eligible for reimbursement: https://thee.ca/how-it-works/funding/ – it looks like computers are included.

      However, it would probably be best to contact your homeschooling board or an association like AHEA for the most accurate information. 🙂

  50. My student has complex medical needs that put him at risk in a typical school environment. He currently has access to PT OT and SLP through school. If he is homeschooled is there any funding to access these services in Alberta. The family income is limited since Mom is a single parent and needs to stay home due to the child’s 24/7 care needs.

  51. Hi, I would like to pull my son out of public school ASAP, and start the homeschooling process. At this very moment I feel at a loss. He has been struggling since he started and is now in grade 7. Not at his grade level and gets suspended for every little thing. I need help with getting started and how to get the work he needs. Thank you.

  52. Hi. I’m in Calgary. I’m wondering if I homeschool my son in Grade 1 starting in September 2020 when he will be 5 (born March 12 2015), will he be able to go into Grade 2 at a public school in September 2021? Thanks very much.

  53. Hello, I would like to know how I can homeschool my child that has learning disabilities. He is in grade 4 but is at a grade 1 level. How can I start? Thanks

    1. As Alberta has different options to homeschooling than I am personally familiar with, it might be best to try and connect with one of the associations to see what they recommend for how to get started. Try AHEA or http://albertahomeschooling.ca/ as a place to start. Hopefully they can help you get some sort of plan in place!

  54. Hello, Do you know of an associate board in Alberta which does NOT require schooling via Google? A lawyer informed me that approx 90% of school boards in Alberta now require schooling, registration, reporting, etc using Google (because it’s “free” to them) but that means Google and the US govt can access your and your child’s data (that’s how they make money). Alberta’s FOIP Act allows this. Even if it didn’t, Google repeatedly breaches privacy laws (France fined them $75 million for this recently). Anybody else want to homeschool without Google watching and using our children?

    1. Uh, I honestly don’t know? I’m from Ontario so I haven’t had to deal with that directly. Can you talk to the school board and see if they would consider other options?

    1. Unfortunately, as I’m not in AB, I don’t think I can best answer your question. It might be best to connect with one of the provincial associations to see if they can answer that for you! 🙂

  55. Hi There,
    I am thinking about homeschooling my daughter, who is in grade 4. I understand that there would be no subsidy provided to us if we were to begin homeschooling our daughter, part way through the school year. And I understand that parents who begin to homeschool in September, receive $835 per student/year. However, I am wondering if our situation is any different. I am a certified Alberta teacher and my daughter has 1 academic code and 1 social emotional code. Do either of those factors affect our yearly subsidy amount?
    Thank you for your time!

  56. Hi,
    I would like to know if I can enroll my kids for the homeschooling if they are out of the country.
    I appreciate your help.
    Thank you,
    A. T.

  57. So I am in grade 11, but I am moving about an hour away. Could I transfer the second semester of my 11th year to homeschooling?

    1. Hi there,
      I’m sure that you can start homeschooling whenever you would like. I would advice connecting with a homeschooling association or someone who knows specifically about homeschooling in AB so that ou can get the best advice on the steps to take.

  58. I am considering homeschooling my oldest daughter she is currently in her second semester of grade 8, is it possible to home school for the remainder of the school year to finish grade 8 and possibly grade 9 as well so that she starts back in the fall in grade 10?

  59. Natasha Wierenga

    I am looking into shared responsibility schooling for our eight year old who is currently in full time school.
    I’m wondering, when I talk to the school about this, is it something that every parent has a right to in any school in Alberta? Or do they have a right to turn me down if they are not a school that supervises home education?

    1. Hi Natasha,

      I’m not from Alberta myself, so I don’t think I could offer some official advice. I think your best bet is to connect with one or some of the associations to see if they can offer you insight!

      Lisa Marie.

  60. Diane Stopforth

    In your article there is a link to the Distance Education Program of Studies for Science you list one of the links for specific criteria by grade. I am interested in the literacy and math POS links. Can you send those to me? And it how to access all categories of these POS listed criteria.
    “The Alberta Programs of Study has the same general outcomes as home education, but each subject is broken down to more specific outcomes (about 1400 per grade) and teachers are given even more details about what students need to achieve for that particular subject. Here is a link so you can see what that looks like. http://education.alberta.ca/media/654825/elemsci.pdf these are the Alberta Program of Studies for Elementary Science topics.”

  61. carolyn jackman

    Hi I’m just wondering if there are any programs out there to help the kids get a computer or a laptop that is going into grade one that doesn’t have one so he can do his online schooling he is having troubles learning is it is so he should be doing his online schooling all summer long

  62. Hi,
    I am looking into homeschooling my kiddos for the 2020/2021 school year. My daughter will be 7 in September and would have been starting grade three, and my son will be 5 in September and would have been starting Kindergarten. We are in Alberta and I am wondering if my son would qualify for funding based on his age, he will turn six in early February. I can’t seem to find information on what the funding is based on. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Brianna

    1. From my understanding, funding depends on a few things – which homeschooling option you make (distance ed, shared, aligned or the new independent one) is the biggest one. Different school boards offer different amounts, too. Be aware that from what I hear, funding has been cut for homeschoolers this year somewhat – so it won’t be as much as it was in the past.

    2. I would like to enroll my 2 boys, 12 and 10 years of age into homeschooling before Sept.1/20. I have no previous experience with this. Are you able to assist me to begin the process?

      Thank You

      Daniel W Bouchard

  63. Hi,
    I just wanted to note that even thought this page is several years old, it could use an update as it still pops up as top hit on google but has incorrect information. Children are not required to be six by September 1st in order to attend first grade. This has never been the case in Alberta. As of this year, children must be 5 years, 8 months by September first (thus children must turn six by January 1st, 2021) in order to attend grade one. If they needed to be 6 by September 1st, there would be a lot of children born in the final four months of the year that would need to repeat kindergarten a second time in order to meet legal requirements.

    Thanks,
    Kirstin Lehmann

    1. Hey Kirstin,
      This post was updated last year by Judy Arnall. I’m sure it was a miswording. Thanks for the information.
      We’ll be needing to update it again as the new homeschooling option becomes available as well.
      Lisa Marie.

  64. Hi my name is Tom. I live in Calgary. My wife and daughter live in South America. My daughter is 6 this year and I would like to know if she could get home schooled until she comes here in a year or after the coronavirus situation is over. Thank you for your time , Tom

    1. Hey Tom,
      From my understanding, you will need to find out what the homeschooling regulations and requirements are for the country she lives in and follow them. If they allow homeschooling – then you are all set to do what you would like. IF not, then you will have to wait until she can come to Canada and then begin your homeschooling adventures.
      Hope that helps.
      Lisa Marie.

  65. Greetings. I have a son who is going into grade 10’and has been a part of the catholic school system his whole life. We are thinking about homeschooling. Is grade 10 too late to start? What option do you see best for someone who has only ever attended school? If he wanted to consider a program like RAP…is that possible if homeschooled?

  66. Stefanie Naidoo

    Can a student with a 44 code be accepted by a homeschooling body to do the Alberta Program of Studies, and if so, which boards accept them?

    1. I’m sorry – I have no idea what this means, other than it sounds like it’s related to special needs. It might be best to connect with an association like aheaonline.com or albertahomeschooling.ca for more specific advice. As far as I know, anyone can homeschool their child if they decide to.

    1. Hey there.

      For Alberta, I recommend connecting with one of the organizations (aheaonline.com or albertahomeschooling.ca) to make sure that you get the best step-by-step advice for what to do to get started. There are several different options to pick from so you will need to figure out which one will be the best choice for your family.

  67. Hello,
    I have recently moved to Alberta from Ontario. My daughter did grade 8 homeschooling. No regulations no intervention, nothing.
    We moved to Alberta an enrolled her in online for grade 9 through the local school. We are wanting to switch back to what she is use to but are not sure if they allow that here in Alberta. We don’t want to be part of a school board or have visits or be checked up on an don’t want funding. Is that possible here?

  68. hi is it possible to sign up for homeschooling in the summer, my kid wants to do school over the summer so she can jump a year when the actual school year starts?

  69. Hi there I purchased a computer and a few other things with this school That I am home schooling with they say if for any reason I decide not to home school anymore I have to give them back the things I got with Funding is this true

    1. Hey Pamela,
      I’m honestly not sure on this. It sounds unlikely but it would be best to connect with your school board or the Alberta associations to confirm exactly what the regulations are around funding.

  70. Hi! My 4yo is turning 5 by March 2022. I am planning to homeschool, I also have a Day Home here in Calgary AB, is it doable? Can you help me how , when and what to start doing? Thank you for the help!

    1. Lots of people work and homeschool. It will take some planning and juggling, but you can do it. 🙂 ) In good news, your kidlet is still young so it’s not going to require you to do countless hours of learning. 🙂 If you use the resources and advice in this post, you should be able to learn about how to start homeschooling in AB.

  71. Am I able to leave my child at a register day care Center in Alberta and commit a few hours to self-planned home education kindergarten learning in the afternoon or early morning? Daycare said they can’t watch him if he is suppose to be in school. Is this all daycares in Alberta? Trying to find options as a single mom!

    1. Hi Allison,
      I’m sorry – I can’t speak to the regulations regarding child care in Alberta. It might be best to reach out to one of the homeschool associations in Alberta and see if they know.
      LM

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