Massachusetts Homeschooling

Get to know more about homeschooling laws in Massachusetts as you explore our website devoted to the needs of home educators in this state. Connect with other homeschoolers for support and socialization, learn how to incorporate different ideas and homeschooling methods into your approch to homeschooling, and read out dealing with special challenges you may face. We offer all this and much, much more!

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Family Educators Resource Network FERN (FERNetwork)
FERN is an informal networking group for home educators in the areas of Columbia, Rensselaer, and Albany counties in New York and in Berkshire county in Massachusetts. FERN operates as a computer-based "newsletter" for activities, resources, and information to support homeschooling families and those interested in home education.
Buttonwood Park Zoo
The Buttonwood Park Zoo is located in New Bedford. On your journey through the Berkshires to the Sea exhibits you'll encounter black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, river otters, bald eagles, seals, and many other animals. They also have Asian elephants, North American bison, and one of the finest rare breed, farm animal collections in the United States.
Boston National Historical Park
Boston National Historical Park is an association of sites that together give the visitor a coherent view of the city's role in the nation's history. Each site brings to life the American ideals of freedom of speech, religion, government, and self-determination. Most of Boston National Historical Park's sites are connected by the Freedom Trail, a 3-mile walking tour of 16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and Charlestown. In addition to the sites along the Freedom Tr...
How to Comply with Vermont's Homeschool Law
Vermont law specifically refers to homeschooling in 16 V.S.A. § 11(a)(21) and 16 V.S.A. § 166b. To homeschool under this statute, you’ll need to follow these guidelines. Necessary steps include sending in a written enrollment notice, submitting a narrative describing the content to be provided in each subject area, obtaining acknowledgement of compliance, teaching the required subjects and assessing your child annually. 
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem Maritime, the first National Historic Site in the National Park System, was established to preserve and interpret the maritime history of New England and the United States. The Site consists of about nine acres of land and twelve historic structures along the waterfront in Salem, Massachusetts, as well as a Visitor Center in downtown Salem. The Site documents the development of the Atlantic triangular trade during the colonial period, the role of privateering during the Revolutionary War, ...
Boston Fire Museum
Located in an old firehouse, the Boston Fire Museum displays antique fire apparatus, fire alarms and artifacts, photos, and firefighting equiment.
Commonwealth v. Frank Roberts (1893)
As this decision indicates, Frank Roberts sought to have a private day school approved in Fitchburg. The school committee refused approval of the private day school. Subsequently, it seems, Mr. Roberts taught his daughter, Mary, at home. He was prosecuted for not causing his child to attend school. When his case was heard before the superior court in Worcester, Mr. Roberts was not allowed to introduce evidence that Mary was, in fact, receiving an education. Upon appeal, the Supreme Judicial Cour...
Adams National Historical Park
Adams National Historical Park is located in the City of Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, approximately ten miles south of Boston. The Park comprises 11 historic structures and a cultural landscape totaling almost 14 acres. The story encompasses five generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927) including two Presidents and First Ladies, three U.S.Ministers, historians, writers and family members who supported and contributed to the success of these public figures. The site's main hi...
Learning Enrichment Active Fellowship (LEAF)
LEAF is a network of home learners that welcomes all homeschoolers in many communities in south-central Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and northeastern Connecticut. Offers support and information, along with field trips, events, learning enrichment opportunities, park and beach days, and more.
Homeschool Policies in Massachusetts: An Overview
AHEM offers this clarification of the role of homeschool policies in towns in Massachusetts.
New England Jewish Homeschoolers
This list is for Jewish homeschoolers in the New England area, including CT, NH, VT, ME, RI, MA. Members include Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews, Reform Jews, Reconstructionist Jews, and secular Jews. 
Getting Started Homeschooling in New York
New York State LEAH (Loving Education at Home) provides this guide to getting started with homeschooling in New York. This list of common questions and straightforward answers will help prepare you for this new adventure!
Charlotte Mason in Massachusetts
A group for Homelearners in Massachusetts who are inspired by a Charlotte Mason philosophy.
Charles Decision: Care and Protection of Charles (1987)
The 1987 Care and Protection of Charles decision of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (SJC) provided parents and school officials with guidelines for the process of approval of home education. The town of Canton filed a petition for care and protection, with respect to education, of two homeschooled children. The details of the case are spelled out in the decision itself. The Court, after providing guidelines by which school officials might evaluate home education plans, required Canto...
Boston Children's Museum
Learn through playing at the Children's Museum in Boston. With interactive exhibits, displays, and performances, children of all ages can learn about history and science.
Upcoming Events
Not Back to School Camp - Vermont
September 17-26, 2021
Farm & Wilderness, Plymouth, VT
Not Back to School Camp is a non-denominational, non-religious homeschool camp. The camp offers workshops, spontaneous events, and special evening gatherings, bringing together campers who are excited about life and willing to be themselves and to reach out and connect with the others. 
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Featured Resources

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Pass Your New York DMV Test Guaranteed! 50 Real Test Questions! New York DMV Practice Test Questions
This book is written by a former DMV classroom instructor. He shares the 50 most common questions and answers to the New York DMV written test. A great guide to help your teen pass the DMV test on their first try.
H. A. Guerber's Histories
Helene A. Guerber wrote histories for grammar school children in the 19th century. Published in 1896 by the American Book Company, ‘Guerber’s Historical Readers in the Eclectic Readings Series’ were used to introduce children to the histories of the ...
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America's Spectacular National Parks
The concept of the national park is an American contribution to world civilization, and it remains a defining characteristic of our country. From the rocky shore of Maine's Acadia to the barren crater and lush rain forest of Hawaii's Haleakala, Ameri...
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Smart Mouth
Ages: 8 years and up; For 2 or more playersSmart Mouth is a quick-thinking shout-it-out hilarious word game that helps build vocabulary skills. It includes variations of the rules for category play and for younger players. Players slide the Letter Ge...
Life in America
Life in America was designed by home schooling parents to meet the needs of families. Features unit studies in a box, with all resource material supplied.
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Quote of the Day

Education at school continues what has been done at home: it crystallizes the optical illusion, consolidates it with book learning, theoretically legitimizes the traditional trash and trains the children to know without understanding and to accept denominations for definitions. Astray in his conceptions, entangled in words, man loses the flair for truth, the taste for nature. What a powerful intellect must you possess, to be suspicious of this moral carbon dioxide and with your head swimming already, to hurl yourself out of it into the fresh air, with which, into the bargain, everyone round is trying to scare you!

 

Alexander Herzen
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