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I am Ann Zeise, your guide to the best and most interesting and useful sites and articles about home education on the web.

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Apple Homeschool Store

Slash your insurance costs! Learn how at DriversEd.com.
 
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Make Way for Ducklings
Make Way for Ducklings
by Robert McCloskey
It's not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to bring up their ducklings, but during a rest stop in Boston's Public Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard think they just might have found the perfect spot -- no foxes or turtles in sight, plenty of peanuts from pleasant passers-by, and the benevolent instincts of a kindly police officer to boot.
 
A Journey to the New World : The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower,1620
A Journey to the New World : The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower,1620
(Dear America)
by Kathryn Lasky
Mem's story is one of incredible courage in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, but it is also a story of real people with all their foibles, who refuse to give up no matter what happens. In the course of these inspiring events, Mem herself almost gives up, but a sense of humor and her hopes for the future carry her through the worst of them.
 
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
A high-spirited teenage girl rebels against the narrow-minded ways of Puritan Connecticut and befriends a lonely old woman who is subsequently accused of being a witch. "Strong plot, fully realized characters, and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative."
 
The Borden Tragedy : A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892
The Borden Tragedy : A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892
(Geary, Rick. Treasury of Victorian Murder.)
by Rick Geary
The Borden Tragedy is a helpful reference for anybody who is studying Lizzie Borden and needs help visualizing how the murderous events on August 4, 1892 likely took place. The story is told in comic book format with black and white drawings, but don't laugh; you won't find material like this in the Sunday morning comics.
 
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christopher Bing (Illustrator) (Hardcover - October 2001)
Imaginations will soar as children examine historical objects, and re-creations of maps, military orders, and other documents, that appear officially sealed, and can be opened and read. This adds to the drama and excitement of the poem, and brings Longfellow's words to life.
 

Massachusetts Homeschooling

Associations

Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts
AHEM is working to foster a population of informed and active homeschoolers empowered to be their own best advocates.

Massachusetts Home Learning Association
MHLA is an inclusive homeschooling organization that provides a quarterly newsletter and will email you contacts in your town.

Massachusetts Homeschool Organization of Parent Educators
MassHOPE is the Christian support group in Massachusetts. Java & frames.

Events

See also: Past Events in Masssachusetts

Field Trips

Massachusetts Field Trips
Educational places to visit in Massachusetts.

Legal Information

Advocacy for Homeschooling in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Home Learning Association provides advocacy for homeschoolers in the Commonwealth.

Brunelle Decision by the Supreme Judical Court
This concern (as well as others) dictates, as we said in the Curtis case, that home education proposals can be made subject only to essential and reasonable requirements.  The home visits sought to be imposed on the education proposals of the plaintiffs are not essential.

Care and Protection of Charles
MHLA presents the turning point legislation that is the homeschooling law for Massachusetts.

Care and Protection of Ivan
In the present case, it was always open to the parents to work out an accommodation of their interests along the lines suggested by school authorities and to resolve the matter by agreement. However, the judge found that the parents never filed educational plans that were minimally adequate within the guidelines set forth in Charles.

Getting Started Homeschooling in Massachusetts
Good advice on what you need to be aware of and do in your state. From MHLA.

Guide to Homeschooling in Massachusetts
An 11-page booklet to print out for your own use or to distribute to those just learning about homeschooling. From MHLA.

Information for Superintendents
On these pages we offer a common sense explanation of Massachusetts regulations, based on our understanding of the court decisions and our organizations' experience (more than 25 years combined) with the ways these regulations actually work in real life across the Commonwealth.

Official Requirements for Homeschooling in Massachusetts
Don't be put off by what you may have heard about Massachusetts being one of the most difficult states for homeschooling! From MHLA.

Sample Education Plan
AHEM's sample that has been accepted as written by school districts in Massachusetts.

Thirteen Points for Getting Started
We urge you to become thoroughly familiar with Charles, to know its provisions and language. We also strongly suggest that you read between the lines to discover what is NOT included.

Tips for Writing Your Education Plan
The Charles court recognized that certain factors may be considered by the superintendent or school committee in determining whether or not to approve a home school proposal.

Online

In Harmony Homeschool Network
A network for homeschoolers in MA who are inspired by Nature and who strive to live in haromny...with each other and with the Earth.

MAhomeschoolers
This is an inclusive list for homeschooling families in Massachusetts.

Masshomelearningassoc
This is your connection to MHLA, the Massachusetts Home Learning Association. We are the Commonwealth's oldest statewide homeschool organization.

New England Jewish Homeschoolers
This list is for Jewish homeschoolers in the New England area. Most of us are in the Greater Boston area, but since we know homeschoolers in CT, NH, VT, and ME (and maybe even in RI) who are interested in some of the activities we are planning, we figured we should be as inclusive as possible.

Resources

Massachusetts City Maps
Welcome to Massachusetts MapSite and our collection of 509 Massachusetts city maps.

North Star, Self-directed Learning for Teens
(Formerly Pathfinder Center)
Supporting unschooling teens and their families since 1995. North Star offers free consultations and hosts occasional informational meetings to help families investigate teen unschooling.

Support Groups

Click on the county that interests you for finding homeschool support groups.

Click to see a larger map of Massachusetts from the Census website.

Barnstable County

Coastal Free Learners
All types of home educators are welcome, regardless of religious or political preference. There is no membership fee.

Berkshire County

Berkshire Area Christian Homeschoolers
This is a Christian Homeschool Group for homeschooling mothers living in (or relocating to): Western Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, Eastern Upstate New York or Southern New Hampshire.

Berkshire County Homeschool Community
A group of families that organizes activities, shares resources, helps new homeschoolers, and creates community together. The group is non-exclusive and tolerant with regards to race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, eating habits, political affiliation, media habits, schooling choices, developmental challenges, age, etc.

Berkshire County Homeschoolers
If you are a homeschooler in Pittsfield,Lee, Lenox, Lanesborough, Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Dalton and any other Berkshire County town join us. We are a small group but will hopefully grow into a great support network.

Berkshire Mountains Homeschool Co-op
We are a secular homeschooling group in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Family Educators Resource Network
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.

Bristol County

Attleboro Area Homeschoolers
An inclusive homeschooling group open to all homeschoolers and prospective homeschoolers. We serve families across the diverse spectrum of homeschooling styles and philosophies.

Berkley Area Homeschoolers
Primarily serves Taunton, Dighton, Berkley. This is where we set up cool field trips, discuss pertinent subjects and just hang out together in cyber space.

Southcoast Homeschoolers
We are a support group that spans the South Coast of Massachusetts. We are centered out of New Bedford, but have members as far east as Wareham and as far west as Tiverton, RI. We are not politically or religiously affiliated.

Essex County

Community of North Shore Homeschoolers
We are an inclusive group of homeschoolers on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Our families are from Marblehead through Newburyport, including the Cape Ann area. We tend to meet in the Wenham/Beverly area to be in central location to as many people as possible.

Essex County Inclusive Homeschool Group
The only requirement for the group is to want to be a part of an inclusive homeschooling group. Open to all homeschoolers in Essex County, Massachusetts and beyond (including Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem, Beverly, Danvers, Manchester, Magnolia, Gloucester, Ipswich, Topsfield, Methuen, Lynn, Nahant and Peabody etc.)

Haverhill Area Homeschoolers
A Christian (nondenominational) group affiliated with the state organization, MASS HOPE.

Merrimack Valley HomeLearners
We are a group of homeschoolers that is based northwest of Boston, in the Lowell area (we have members from as far away as southern NH, Westboro, Medford, and Andover). We welcome all homeschoolers regardless of religion, method of homeschooling, race, etc.

Methuen Area Homeschooling Network
Through the internet, contact lists, fieldtrips, and events we hope to create a broad support system and a means of spreading homeschooling news, information, and parent to parent support and advice.

North MA /South NH Home School Meetups
This group is for homeschool families who would like to meet up year round with other home schoolers in the Merrimack Valley & North Shore area (Northeastern MA & Southeastern NH).

Unschoolers Coffee Talk
A place for North Shore ( MA) unschoolers to come together to discuss our adventures and experiences,share resources and information. This email group is directly related to the North Shore Unschoolers support group.

Young Homeschoolers on the North Shore
This inclusive, secular group is open to all young homeschoolers on the North Shore of Massachusetts (Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Peabody, Gloucester, etc). Our activities are geared towards the preschool and early elementary set, but younger and older children are welcome.

Hampden County

Homeschool Explorers
We welcome you to join our group of secular home schooling families! People in our group currently come from the following towns... Westfield, Agawam, Belchertown, Ludlow, Springfield, Athol Florence, Southampton, Feeding Hills.

Homeschool Quest Trekkers
A fully inclusive secular group, with membership spanning all styles of homeschooling. Our group's mission is to meet the targeted needs of intermediate through high school aged students and the adults who support their development.

Pioneer Valley Homeschooling Group
We are an inclusive, eclectic support group for homeschooling families in western Massachusetts.

Western Massachusetts Homeschoolers
Subscribes to Biblical Christianity. An organization that exists primarily to encourage and support homeschool families.

Hampshire County

Hilltown Families
A grassroots communication network for families with grade school children living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.

Middlesex County

Billerica Homeschool Association
BHA is a resource and support group for new and experienced homeschooling families in and around the Billerica area. Our goal is to connect families with each other and the communities we live in. BHA Yahoo Group.

Chelmsford Homeschoolers
Membership is only open to anyone who is homeschooling or contemplating homeschooling in Chelmsford.

Homeschooling Together
An inclusive, loosely organized group of families in the Arlington/Belmont, Massachusetts area who have home-based learning in common.

Newton HS
This email group is for people homeschooling or considering homeschooling, in Newton MA. Admission to the group is subject to moderator approval.

North Suburban Home Learners
An inclusive group whose primary focus is providing educational and social opportunities for our children and support for ourselves as homeschooling parents.

Voyagers
An all-volunteer, non-profit organization that seeks to provide resources and a sense of community to support homeschooling families in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

Norfolk County

Learning Enrichment Active Fellowship
LEAF is a network of home learners that welcomes all homeschoolers in many communities in south-central Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and northeastern Connecticut.

Plymouth County

Freelance Learners
A homeschool support group serving Bridgewater, Massachusetts and the surrounding towns.

Just Live Life
A homeschool support group for unschoolers living on the south shore.

South Shore Home Learners
We believe in home-based learning. As a group we do not endorse any one resource, method or philosophy of home-based learning over another.

Suffolk County

About Our Kids
A-OK exists to foster friendships among Greater Boston area home learners through shared activities, exchanges of skills and resources, and on-line communication.

Boston (West) Home Learners
We are a group of families in the Boston Area (mainly Roslindale, Hyde Park & West Roxbury) that home educate our children.

Hub HomeSchool Network
We are a Boston-area (mostly JP, Mission Hill/Roxbury, South End, Dorchester, Roslindale etc.) homeschooling group. Our purpose is to share ideas and build relationships. Most families have a child born circa 1998.

Metrowest Homeschoolers
A group of homeschoolers from a wide variety of backgrounds in the Boston Metrowest Area. Everyone is welcome at all group events and activities. We do not support any particular method of homeschooling.

Worchester County

Athol and Orange Homeschooling
This list is for Homeschoolers from Athol and Orange Massachusetts. Also, Warwick, Erving, Gill, Royalston, New Salem, Wendell, Petersham, Phillipston, Winchendon, Gardner and Templeton are also welcome. If you see yourself as a homeschooler, unschooler, eclectic, part of the homeschool community - you are welcome on this list.

Co-op Homeschool Support
We are a functioning support group open to homeschooling families in Gardner and surrounding towns.

Homeschool Connect - North Central Mass
This group is being created for homeschool families of older kids (let's say 11 and up)in the north central Massachusetts area to find others, connect, share ideas, answer questions, organize and create structure, if that's what you're looking for.

LEAF Home Learners Network
An inclusive, participant-directed network that welcomes all homeschool families in south-central Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and northeastern Connecticut. Members share resources and talents, field trips and events, learning enrichment opportunities, and overall fellowship with others.

Living and Learning
Providing a forum for exchanging information on local events, online educational materials, and places of interest for homeschooling families in the greater Milford, MA area.

Quabbin Regional Home-schoolers
This is an inclusive home-schooling resource group for families in the general Quabbin Regional District area. We meet weekly at the Woods Memorial Library in Barre, MA.

Worcester Home Educators' Network
WHEN is a group of Worcester area home educators who meet for support, activities and discussion.

Support Group Lists

Massachusetts Support Groups
List from Home Education Magazine. To be listed, email .

Support Groups - AHEM
List of support groups and contact information. To update links here, contact AHEM.

Support Groups in Massachusetts
List of contacts, with email address links when available. From MHLA.

Site Sponsors
 
WriteShop
WriteShop
An Incremental Writing Program for Teens.
 
Homeschool Buyers Co-op
Click here to join the Homeschool Buyers Co-op now!
 
Time4Learning
Time4Learning
Online interactive homeschool curriculum.
 
Bridgeway Academy
Bridgeway Academy
Pre-K-12. Easy setup.
 
Global Village School
Global Village School
K-12 diploma program, teacher support. Peace, justice, diversity.
 
UExcel - Earn 3-6 College Credits by Examination.
UExcel
Earn 3-6 College Credits by Examination.
 
Time4Writing 8-week online writing courses for 2nd-12th grade taught by certified teachers.
Time4Writing
8-week online writing help for 2nd-12th grade. Meet their certified teachers..
 
Recommended books to help you Homeschool
 
Top 10 and Recently Published
Homeschooling Books
 
100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style
100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum:
Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style
by Cathy Duffy
Cathy will give you her top choices from every subject area, approaching everything through a Christian worldview perspective.
kindle edition
 
Homeschooling : The Teen Years
Homeschooling : The Teen Years:
Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- To 18-Year Old
by Cafi Cohen
This book reveals the adventure and rewards as well as the special challenges of working with this age group.
 
First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: our Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start
First Year of Homeschooling Your Child:
Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start
by Linda Dobson
Many of today's families are opting to teach their children at home. The first hurdle these families face is getting started.
kindle edition
 
The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12
The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas:
500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12
by Linda Dobson
Kid-tested and parent-approved techniques for learning math, science, writing, history, manners, and more for your homeschooling needs.
kindle edition
 
The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom
The Unschooling Handbook:
How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom
by Mary Griffith
Unschooling is a homeschooling method based on the belief that kids learn best when allowed to pursue their natural curiosities and interests.
kindle edition
 
Home Learning Year by Year
Home Learning Year by Year:
How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
by Rebecca Rupp
A structured plan to ensure that your children will learn what they need to know when they need to know it, from preschool through high school.
kindle edition
 
The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had
The Well-Educated Mind:
A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had
by Jessie Wise, Susan Wise Bauer
Solid, step-by-step advice on how to read some of the world's great books with discipline and comprehension.
kindle edition
 
The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology
The Complete Home Learning Source Book:
The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology
by Rebecca Rupp
This ambitious reference guide lives up to its name. It is packed with titles, ordering information, and Web site addresses.
 
Home Schooling Children with Special Needs (3rd Edition)
Home Schooling Children with Special Needs
(3rd Edition)
by Sharon Hensley
Do you need help locating the best resources for home schooling your child with special needs?
 
Homeschooling The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8-Year-Old Child
Homeschooling The Early Years:
Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8-Year-Old Child
by Linda Dobson
The formative years are the most critical to a child's education. They lay the foundation for developing learning skills that last
 
The Homeschooling Handbook: From Preschool to High School, a Parent's Guide
The Homeschooling Handbook:
From Preschool to High School, a Parent's Guide
2nd Edition
by Mary Griffith
Whether you homeschool or not, you will find many fresh ideas for working with children.
kindle edition
 
Making the Grade: Everything Your Kindergartener Needs to Know
Making the Grade:
Everything Your Kindergartener Needs to Know
by Daniel A. Van Beek
These titles for Gr. K-6 will help parents give their children a smart start and keep them up to speed.
 
Homeschooling for Dummies
Homeschooling for Dummies
by Jennifer Kaufeld
This friendly, well-informed guide is a valuable resource for parents considering homeschooling.
 
Learning All The Time
Learning All The Time
by John Holt
Holt is widely considered the father of the modern-day homeschooling movement.
 
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