Starting now, not in September

Starting homeschooling in the middle of the year

Almost nobody plans this one. Something happens in October or February, and suddenly the question is not whether homeschooling is a good idea in the abstract but whether your child can stop going on Monday. The good news is that the calendar is a school's constraint, not yours.

Skip to signing up ↓

Withdraw properly, in writing

Most states want a notice of intent, and some want it before you stop attending rather than after. Send it in writing and keep a copy, because the thing that turns a mid-year withdrawal into a truancy conversation is almost always a missing piece of paper rather than anything you did. We publish a plain-language summary of what each of the 50 states asks for, free to read.

Ask for the records on your way out

Request the cumulative file, any evaluations and any current plan before you leave. They are harder to get afterwards, and they are what a future evaluator, a receiving school or your own record keeping will want.

You are not picking up where the school stopped

This is the part that stalls people. A boxed curriculum starts at unit one in September and there is no honest way into it in February. Clareza has no enrolment window and no semester: you set a grade, and your child starts at whatever lesson makes sense. If they were lost since October, start where they were lost.

Read the whole year before you commit to it

All 71 courses are open in full with no account and no card. In an ordinary week that is a nice feature. In week one of an emergency withdrawal it is the only way to answer the real question, which is whether the thing you are about to buy actually covers what your child is supposed to be learning this year.

The hours start counting from day one

Instructional hours log automatically as your child works and a transcript prints in one click. If your state counts days or hours, you are counting from the day you start rather than reconstructing a partial year later.

Deschooling is normal and it is not lost time

Most families who withdraw mid-year need a few weeks where very little formal work happens, especially if the child left because school had become unbearable. There are no due dates and units are not weeks, so a slow February costs you nothing.

What this is not

  • It is not a school and it does not enrol your child anywhere. Withdrawing legally is still your job, and the rules are your state's.
  • It is not accredited and it does not issue a diploma. It prints a transcript of what was taught and mastered, which is the record most receiving schools ask for.
  • It will not decide your child's grade for you. If you are not sure, a short placement check for math and reading in the parent dashboard suggests a starting point, but you choose the grade, and you can change it any time.
  • Nothing on this page is legal advice. Notice requirements, deadlines and record keeping differ by state, and you should confirm yours directly.

Start 30 days free

Or read all 71 courses first. Both doors are open, and the second one needs nothing from you at all.

Look inside all 71 courses firstEvery unit, every skill, every objective. No account, no card.

or start now

What grade(s)? (optional)

Free for 30 days. We take a card now and charge nothing until then. $29 a month after that, for every child in the family. Cancel anytime in a couple of taps. Cancel before day 30 and you pay nothing at all.

Before your child starts: what we collect and why

We collect only what it takes to teach your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers and progress, and their chat with Clara (written by Anthropic's AI, read aloud by OpenAI). Nobody trains AI on it or sells it, and you can see or delete it any time. You create your child's account yourself. Paying by card is how you give consent.

Read what we collect and why

Your consent is needed before we collect anything from your child, and we collect nothing without it. You create your child's account yourself; they never sign up alone.

  • What we collect from your child: the first name and sign-in you choose, their answers, time on lessons and progress, and their chat with Clara. Used to run the lessons, build their transcript and show you how they are doing.
  • Who else handles it: Anthropic (an AI company) receives the chat text and the lesson, with your child's first name but no last name or account details, to write Clara's replies. That is how Clara works, so it is part of the service. If you switch on answering out loud for a child, their voice is turned into text on our own server and then discarded; it is never sent to another company. OpenAI turns lesson text and Clara's replies (which can include your child's first name) into the read-aloud voice. Our email provider sends you reports about your child. Nobody trains AI on your child's data, and nobody sells it.
  • Your rights: see everything collected from your child, have it deleted, or stop further collection at any time, from your account or by emailingour support address. If you refuse the AI sharing above, Clara cannot teach, so the service cannot run. Chats are deleted after 30 days.
  • Safety: if your child writes something suggesting they may be hurt or in danger, we email you and Clareza's owner the same day.

Paying by card is how you give consent. Full details, including how long we keep each thing: Privacy Policy (version 2026-10-05).

By continuing you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Rather see it first? Try a full lesson free

Questions parents ask

Can I start homeschooling in the middle of the school year?

Yes, in every state, though most require a written notice of intent and some want it filed before your child stops attending. Check your own state's requirement and send the notice in writing.

Do I have to wait until September to start a curriculum?

Not with a self-paced one. Clareza has no enrolment window and no semester structure: you set a grade and your child starts at whatever lesson fits, including going back to where they first got lost.

What should I ask the school for before I withdraw?

The cumulative file, any evaluations, and any current IEP or plan. Request them in writing and keep copies, because they are much harder to obtain once your child is no longer enrolled.

How do I know what grade to put my child in?

Read the courses, which are open in full with no account or card, and pick the grade whose material matches what they can actually do. You can change the grade at any time, and you can mix grades by subject.

What if we need a few weeks off first?

That is normal after a mid-year withdrawal and it costs nothing here. Nothing is scheduled, there are no due dates, and lessons are units rather than weeks.

Also written up

Secular homeschool curriculum →What a homeschool curriculum costs →Using Arizona ESA funds for homeschool curriculum →Is there a free secular homeschool curriculum? →Where can I find free printable homeschool math lessons with answers? →What is a good secular kindergarten homeschool curriculum? →Is there a complete secular homeschool curriculum for grades 1 to 5? →What is a good secular homeschool curriculum for middle school? →Is there a secular homeschool curriculum for high school that gives a transcript? →What is a good secular homeschool math curriculum from kindergarten through high school? →Is there a secular homeschool science curriculum that follows NGSS for every grade? →What secular homeschool English curriculum goes from phonics to Grade 12? →Is there a secular homeschool history and social studies curriculum for every grade? →What is a good homeschool phonics curriculum for teaching my child to read? →Does an online homeschool curriculum include art, music, PE, Spanish and electives? →Is there a homeschool curriculum that covers all my kids for one price? →What homeschool curriculum helps a child who is behind grade level? →What if my child is ahead in one subject and behind in another? →How much screen time is an online homeschool curriculum? →Is an AI tutor safe for my child, and can I see what it says? →What does an AI homeschool curriculum do with my child's data? →How can I try a homeschool curriculum before I pay for it? →What does a homeschool day look like with an online curriculum? →How do I keep homeschool records, hours and a transcript? →Is there an open-and-go homeschool curriculum with no lesson planning? →Is there a homeschool curriculum aligned to Common Core and NGSS? →How do I switch my child from public school to homeschool? →Is an online homeschool curriculum accredited, and does it need to be? →How do I choose a homeschool curriculum? →Is there a homeschool curriculum my child can do on their own? →Is there a homeschool curriculum that reads lessons aloud for a child who struggles to read? →Does Clareza have learning games, and can I turn off the timers? →Can I pay for an online homeschool curriculum with ESA funds? →Is there a homeschool curriculum that does the grading for you? →What homeschool curriculum works for a child who is ahead? →Is there an online homeschool curriculum with a teacher built in? →What writing curriculum works for a reluctant writer? →What spelling program works for a child who reads well but can't spell? →Is an online school like K12, Connections Academy or Acellus Academy the same as homeschooling? →How do I know if my homeschooler is on grade level? →What should I be doing with my 3 or 4 year old? Do I need a pre-K curriculum? →My child refuses to do homeschool. What do I do? →I'm overwhelmed homeschooling. Am I doing enough? →Can I homeschool a subject I'm bad at, like math? →How do I homeschool with a toddler or baby in the house? →What do I need to buy to start homeschooling? →How does a homeschooled child go back to public school? →Should I unschool, use unit studies, or follow a structured curriculum? →How do I homeschool a child with a learning disability? →How do homeschooled kids get socialization? →Who gives a homeschooled teen a diploma, and how does dual enrollment work? →Can I homeschool while working full time? →Can a single parent homeschool? →How do you homeschool while traveling? →How do I help my public school child at home after school? →How do I keep my child learning over the summer? →Should we homeschool year-round? →What is the best homeschool math for a child who hates math? →What homeschool math should my middle schooler do before algebra? →What is a good Algebra 1 curriculum for homeschool? →What is a good homeschool geometry curriculum, with proofs? →How do I do high school lab science at home? →What is a good reading comprehension curriculum for homeschool? →How do I know if my child is ready for kindergarten at home? →What homeschool curriculum works for a child with dyslexia? →How do I homeschool a child who can't sit still? →Do I need a homeschool co-op, and how do co-ops and outside classes fit in? →How do I homeschool an anxious child? →How do I teach computer science and coding at home? →How can I teach Spanish at home if I don't speak it? →What should a homeschool health curriculum cover? →Is there a homeschool psychology course for high school? →How do I teach creative writing to a homeschooled teen? →How do I teach handwriting and cursive at home? →Should I teach my 4 year old to read, and how? →My child mixes up b and d or can't blend sounds. Is that normal? →Should I teach sight words or phonics? →How do I teach my kindergartner or first grader to write a sentence on their own? →How do I do read-alouds at home, and what if my child won't sit and listen? →How do I find books at my child's reading level? →How do I teach grammar at home, and does my child need a separate grammar program? →How do I teach my 4th to 8th grader to write an essay? →How do I teach geography at home? →When and how should my child learn to type? →How do I teach my child a second language other than Spanish, like ASL or our family's language? →How do homeschooled kids learn music or an instrument? →How do I plan a homeschool year? →What should a weekly homeschool schedule look like? →How do I keep homeschool materials and paperwork organized? →How do I keep up with housework and meals while homeschooling? →Can I mix different homeschool curricula, and how do I keep it from getting messy? →Which learning apps are worth using for homeschool? →Should I hire a tutor for my homeschooler? →What is a hybrid homeschool or microschool, and is it right for us? →Should I use ChatGPT or other AI for homeschooling? →How do I do hands-on science with young kids at home? →How do I teach life skills and chores as part of homeschool? →How do I handle video games, and can games like Minecraft count as learning? →Is homeschooling right for my family? What are the pros and challenges? →What do I say when family or a doctor disapproves of homeschooling? →How do you homeschool five or more kids? →Can I homeschool if my child or I have a chronic illness? →How do I homeschool a child with a speech delay? →My teen is years behind in school. Can they still catch up? →What is Charlotte Mason homeschooling, and how does it compare to a structured curriculum? →What is classical homeschooling? →How do I use Montessori at home? →How do I help my child learn math facts and times tables? →Can you start a homeschool curriculum in January? →Is it OK to switch homeschool curriculum in the middle of the year? →What is deschooling, and how long should it last? →What grade should my child do when we start homeschooling mid-year? →How do I get homeschool going again after winter break? →Can I homeschool just for the rest of the school year? →Should I homeschool my child because of bullying? →Can my teenager start homeschooling in the middle of high school? →What should the first week of homeschooling look like? →Do you need a curriculum to homeschool? →Boxed curriculum or online curriculum: which is better for homeschool? →How can I homeschool on a tight budget? →Is it a good idea to homeschool an only child? →Can grandparents homeschool their grandchildren? →Can homeschoolers play sports for the local public school? →Do homeschoolers have to take standardized tests? →What goes in a homeschool portfolio? →How do I give grades and report cards in homeschool? →Should homeschoolers take the SAT or ACT? →What do I do when my homeschooled child hates reading? →How do I teach fractions at home? →Should I choose homeschool curriculum by my child's learning style? →How do I teach logic and critical thinking at home? →How can homeschoolers practice public speaking? →How do I teach civics and government in homeschool? →How do I teach personal finance and economics in homeschool? →How do I teach vocabulary at home? →How do I teach my child to tell time? →How do I teach my child to count money? →Is there a homeschool statistics course for high school? →Can I pay for Clareza Academy with Alabama CHOOSE Act ESA funds? →Can I pay for Clareza Academy with Arkansas EFA funds? →Can I pay for Clareza Academy with New Hampshire EFA funds? →Can I pay for Clareza Academy with South Carolina ESTF funds? →Homeschooling a child with autism or ADHD →Homeschooling in a military family →Homeschooling while you work →Homeschooling a child who is ahead →Homeschooling a child who had an IEP →

What your state asks for

Plain-language summaries of the notice, subjects, records and testing rules in all 50 states. Free to read, and not legal advice.

Texas →Florida →California →North Carolina →Georgia →Ohio →Pennsylvania →Michigan →Arizona →Tennessee →New York →Virginia →Washington →Missouri →Kentucky →Alabama →Alaska →Arkansas →Colorado →Connecticut →Delaware →Hawaii →Idaho →Illinois →Indiana →Iowa →Kansas →Louisiana →Maine →Maryland →Massachusetts →Minnesota →Mississippi →Montana →Nebraska →New Hampshire →New Jersey →New Mexico →North Dakota →Oklahoma →Oregon →Rhode Island →South Carolina →South Dakota →Utah →Vermont →West Virginia →Wisconsin →Wyoming →Nevada →

This page is a plain-language summary and is not legal advice. Withdrawal and notice requirements are set by your state. Confirm yours before you act.