How to Start Homeschooling in Illinois

Required hours

No state minimum

Required subjects

7 subjects

Notice

Not required

Testing / evaluation

Not required

Recordkeeping

Recommended

Jump to the full Illinois requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Illinois's homeschool law

   Illinois is one of the most flexible states for homeschool families with no mandated hour or day minimums.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   Illinois doesn't require a formal withdrawal letter or notice of intent to move a child from public school to homeschooling. Even so, a short written notification to the current school is a good idea so the district can close out attendance records and avoid truancy follow-ups. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

3. 3

   Plan your subjects

   Illinois requires instruction in language arts, math, science, social studies, fine arts, health, and physical education. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

4. 4

   Set your hours or days target

   Illinois does not mandate a specific number of instructional hours. Families have flexibility in determining their own schedule and pace of learning.

5. 5

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a Illinois-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free Illinois printables

Two ready-to-use PDFs for Illinois homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Illinois doesn't set a minimum. If you want a personal target, 900 hours/year is a common one. Enter your end date to see the pace.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Illinois

Illinois leaves the records to you. Keep them in one place anyway. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Required subjects
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking
• High school transcripts

More Illinois guides

• Illinois Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Illinois Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Illinois What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Illinois The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to Illinois What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in Illinois Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Required Subjects in Illinois The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.