Home Schooling
Overview
When overseas, you might be homeschooling your children due to various reasons. Please contact us to let us know if we can be of help to you in locating resources, or if you’d like to talk to someone who has homeschooled overseas and/or is homeschooling in Canada.
When returning to Canada, you might want to continue homeschooling due to issues with curriculum in schools, bullying, or to provide continuity for your children as they adjust or readjust to life in Canada.
Most provinces allow homeschooling and some provinces have very good systems and associations set up for homeschoolers. We have tried to give you some links to associations across the country that can give you more information. There are also many homeschooling networks of parents and teachers that provide support to homeschool families as well as Home Learners Conventions in some provinces.
The Association of Canadian Home-Based Education (ACHBE) provides support, advice and information. It has links to every province and territory.
Homeschooler Blog - If you are a homeschooler and are looking for inspiration from other homeschoolers, then this list is a great place to start. Taken from some of the most popular homeschooling blogs from homeschool students, and from both mothers and fathers, these blog posts provide inspiration on homeschooling, family, God, and even food. Enrich your family’s education with these inspirational words from other homeschoolers.
Leaders In Training International (LITI) LITI is a full semester program for grade 11/12 students delivered in an innovative 3-stage hybrid program. LITI serves as an extension of other leadership experiences. Students who have exhibited a desire to lead in their communities and schools can apply to LITI to further sharpen their skills and develop a global perspective on leadership.
Epi Kardia is another site that can be useful. In particular, their blog has some useful tips. Check out the January 29, 2010 blog post and navigate around the website as well.
The Ultimate Lesson Plan is a great resource for home schooling parents.
Alpha Omega Publications also has a blog with interesting articles in it.
Jelly Telly A fun interactive resource for kids of all ages.
Kids Of Integrity - Tips to developing your child's character.
Geography Games - By playing Sheppard Software's geography games, you will gain a mental map of the world's continents, countries, capitals, & landscapes!
Education.com is a site that has a lot of interesting things you can do as homeschoolers, plus downloadable worksheets.
Home School Bloggers - Home School Nations has information on all provinces and territories.
Home School Corner - This site has a lot of great info.
Homeschool.Com - has all kinds of information. It's a great overall site!
Homeschool Free Stuff - Another homeschool website with lots of free resources.
British Columbia
In B.C., you can choose ‘traditional home learning’ or ‘distributed learning’. In either case, you need to register or enroll your child at a school. In a nutshell, Traditional Home Learning allows you to choose the curriculum you use, without interference. The school you register with might give you around $150 towards books and supplies for each child. This method allows you complete freedom, but your child would not receive the “Dogwood” (high school diploma).
Distributed Learning allows you freedom in choosing curriculum in discussion with the Curriculum Co-ordinator of the school you choose to enroll in. You or your child reports to assigned teachers each week. Three times a year, portfolios are due and report cards are given. The B.C. government gives $3,000 to the school to cover expenses of administration, teachers’ salaries, etc. and $1,000 of that is allocated to you to buy curriculum, books, and to pay for extra-curricular events and classes. This money is not given to you directly but to the school. If you choose DL for your child, the teachers of the school will track “Provincial Learning Outcomes” to ensure your child/ren are meeting the guidelines of the BC government. They will guide you towards the government exams given in Grades 10, 11 and 12 and the end result is that your child will receive a “Dogwood” (high school diploma).
Some helpful websites:
Home School Blogger - a link on one side of this page says “New to Homeschooling in British Columbia?
Find out here where to start, how to register and what the difference is between ‘registering’ and ‘enrolling’.
B.C. Home Learners Association - This is a very helpful website covering laws, options, support groups, etc.
Learn Now B.C. - gives a lot of information and resources about online schools, options for schooling in B.C., etc. You can browse some of the information, especially this section for parents.
Alberta
Home School Blogger Alberta - A post on August 30, 2008 is called, “Homeschooling in Alberta ~ A how-to get started guide”, which lists resource after resource on homeschooling in Alberta.
Saskatchewan
Home School Blogger - Saskatchewan - Saskatchewan is a great place to homeschool. They have a lot of freedom in being able to teach how and what they would like. They receive $500 per child per year and only have to fill their intention to homeschool (educational plan) and an end of the year report.
Manitoba
Home Based Learning in Manitoba - We hope you'll find here all the information you need on homeschooling in Manitoba.
Home School Blogger - Manitoba
Ontario
Ontario has probably the most comprehensive laws and set-up for homeschoolers.
Ontario Christian Home Educators Connection - OCHEC is a province-wide volunteer organization that seeks to connect, support, and equip all those involved in home education in the province of Ontario. OCHEC endeavours to provide encouragement, ideas and resources to all our members through research and dissemination of information at meetings, conferences, conventions and in a regularly published newsletter. Loads of information on this website, including how to get started.
Home School Blogger - Ontario - this page has lots of links to other sites that are helpful for homeschoolers in Ontario.
Quebec
Home School Blogger - Quebec - excellent articles and links on this site.
Under the link, Homeschooling Laws in Quebec, you will find types of home based education, plus links that directly affect you, such as the laws pertaining to home based learning, the various school boards in our region, articles on homeschooling, and much more.
Nova Scotia
Home School Blogger - Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Home Educators Association
Prince Edward Island
PEIHomeSchool.com - A member-driven homeschool resource site. If you are a homeschooler or are considering it, come and join our community. If you are a veteran homeschooler, we value your input.
New Brunswick
Home School Blogger - New Brunswick
Home Educators of New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Home School Blogger - Newfoundland & Labrador
Education Act - Part 3, Yukon Department of Education
31(1) A parent of a student may provide, at home, a home education program for the student if the parent complies with this section and if the program meets the goals and objectives outlined in subparagraph 4(a)(i) of this Act.
Yukon Home Educators' Society
Founded in 1989, YHES provides activities, catalogues of home school books, support group meetings, and welcomes all enquiries about home-based learning.
Northwest Territories
Department Directive Home Schooling
The new Education Act was passed in June of 1995, and came into force July 1, 1996. It recognizes home schooling as one of the ways in which parents may choose to access the education program for their children.
Home School Blogger - Northwest Territories - excellent articles and links on this site.
Nunavit
We could not find much information on homeschooling in Nunavut, but there was an encouraging link to a newspaper article.
Other Resources
Calvert Homeschoolers' Discussion Board
For Canadian homeschooling parents who are either using the Calvert Home Study Curriculum, or thinking about doing it. If you want to find out more about Calvert, ask questions, exchange ideas, or share your expertise and fellowship with other Canadian Calvert users, you are welcome to join us.
Canadian Homeschool Mail List
Living is learning. This list is the place chatting about anything and everything! Join us to share ideas and information with other Canadian home based learners.
Homeschool in the Canadian Territories
Supports families homeschooling in Canada's territories: the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Homeschoolers in northern BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario may also be interested in participating in the discussion on this group.
Unschooling Canada
A list for those who have chosen to unschool their children in the child-led learning fashion.
Parenting Today's Teens Newsletter
A list for those who have chosen to unschool their children in the child-led learning fashion.
www.heartlightministries.org Mark Gregston is an author, speaker, radio host, and the founder and executive director of Heartlight, a residential program for struggling adolescents. Mark's books and tapes can be found at www.markgregston.com
Join the discussion on Facebook...http://www.facebook.com/parentingteens
Publications
Canadian Homeschooling Books
Books by Canadian authors about homeschooling provided by CHRP.
CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials
An electronic reviewing journal. Reviews of books, video and audio tapes and CD-ROMS produced for young people. Also publishes news, feature articles, interviews, and web reviews.
Homeschooling Horizons
Encouragement for home educators.
Yes Mag
Canada's Science Magazine for Kids. Lots of projects for kids.
Resources
Canada College
Offers a rigorous Ontario curriculum in an environment that is encouraging and motivating to students, empowering students to embrace global traditions and cultures while becoming conscientious citizens and leaders of their communities.
Canadian History
AN A TO Z RESOURCE - From the Children of Eagle and Raven to modern times. Resources for Canadian children and others to study Canada.
Canadian Homeschool Fellowship Lending Library
I hope to offer the best Christian home education, creation science and learning disabilities resources. Use the library to preview books before you purchase them, or just read a book you don't want to pay full price for.
Home and School Solutions
Connie Lacelle offers a lot of help with the Canadian version of the Weaver Curriculum and its sections for Canadian history and British/Canadian spelling.
Maple Leaf Home Ed Resources
Canadian used curriculum swap site. Free listings. Newsletter so you can be notified of new listings.
The Learning Centre - Library and Archives Canada website called ‘’ with free downloadable resources for teachers, students, homeschooling families.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is giving away 2 free e-books on Classical Education.
A Canadian homeschooling resource site with some excellent, practical resources:
DonnaYoung.org Homeschool Printables and Resources - great resources!
