Know Your Homeschool Laws: What constitutes home-based instruction (the legal name of homeschooling in WA)?
There are 11 subjects to cover under the WA homeschooling laws.
But how you go about it, and what you use to cover them is completely up to you.
RCW 28A.225.010
(4) For the purposes of this chapter and chapter 28A.200 RCW, instruction shall be
home-based if it consists of planned and supervised instructional and related educational
activities, including a curriculum and instruction in the basic skills of occupational
education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading,
writing, spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music, provided for a
number of hours equivalent to the total annual program hours per grade level established
for approved private schools under RCW 28A.195.010 and 28A.195.040 and if such
activities are:
(5) The legislature recognizes that home-based instruction is less structured and more
experiential than the instruction normally provided in a classroom setting. Therefore, the
provisions of subsection (4) of this section relating to the nature and quantity of
instructional and related educational activities shall be liberally construed.
RCW 28A.200.020
Home-based instruction — Certain decisions responsibility of parent unless
otherwise specified.
The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-
based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum
state laws and regulations which are necessary to insure that a sufficient basic educational
opportunity is provided to the children receiving such instruction. Therefore, all decisions
relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum,
and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction
shall be the responsibility of the parent except for matters specifically referred to in this
chapter.