How to Start Homeschooling in Rhode Island

Required hours

About 990 hrs/year

School days

180 days/year

Required subjects

9 subjects

Notice

Approval required first

Testing / evaluation

Not required

Recordkeeping

Required

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

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Rhode Island's homeschool law

   Rhode Island requires approval before you begin homeschooling. Families must provide at least 5.5 hours per day over 180 school days, and the plan goes to your local school district.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   To withdraw your child from public school in Rhode Island, send a written withdrawal letter to the principal or registrar, then file a notice of intent with your local school district so the transition is on record before instruction begins. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, and Rhode Island goes further than notice: your program has to be approved before instruction begins. Filing is not by itself permission to start. Approval comes from your local school district. A plan goes in again each school year.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   Rhode Island requires instruction in reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, us history, rhode island history, principles of government, civics, and health and physical education. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   Rhode Island requires at least 5.5 hours of instruction per day over 180 school days, which works out to roughly 990 hours per year.

6. 6

   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 Rhode Island-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free Rhode Island printables

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

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

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Rhode Island sets days and a daily length that work out to roughly 990 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Rhode Island

The records Rhode Island asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 990-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records Rhode Island asks you to keep
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking
• High school transcripts

More Rhode Island guides

• Rhode Island Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Rhode Island Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Rhode Island What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Rhode Island The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to Rhode Island What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in Rhode Island Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in Rhode Island The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in Rhode Island The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• Rhode Island Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.