State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Illinois and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Summaries and Explanations of Illinois Homeschooling Laws
Required Record Keeping
Lists records that should be kept by homeschooling parents in Illinois.
Driver's Education & the Home-Schooled Student
An examination of the driver's education laws and their effect on homeschoolers in Illinois.
Illinois Home School Laws
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Illinois. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Illinois.
How and Where to take Classes
Covers taking classes at community colleges, constitution tests, and part time attendance of pupils enrolled in nonpublic schools in the regular education program of the district.
Illinois Statutes Pertaining to Home Education
Illinois Statute 105 ILCS 5/Article 27
This statute details required courses of study, including language arts, biological and physical science, mathematics, social sciences, fine arts, health and physical development.
Public Act 093-0858
Regulations concerning education of students by parents.
Illinois Statute 105 ILCS 5/ Article 26. Pupils--Compulsory Attendance
Statute regulating compulsory attendance, including ages of students, and regulations concerning private schools.
Illinois Statute 820 ILCS 205, Section 11 Child Labor Law
Regulates the employment of workers under the age of 16. Addresses the use of employment certificates.
Home School Laws from HSLDA
Find the laws pertaining to home education for all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Public Act 093-0859
Record keeping is discussed in this statute.
Case Law and Legal Opinions
Pierce v. Society of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
In Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state."
People vs. Levisen
In People vs. Levisen, (1950), The Supreme Court of Illinois reversed the conviction of homeschool parents. The appellants were Seventh Day Adventists and, according to Justice Crampton who delivered the opinion of the Court, "believed that the child should not be educated in competition with other children. The Supreme Court did not agree that the homeschool parents had violated the compulsory attendance law. Further, the Court defined a private school as: "a place where instruction is imparted to the young... the number of persons being taught does not determine whether a place is a school." These findings indicate that the parents' right to control their children includes the right to provide an education for them at home.
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Featured Resources
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Choosing & Using Curriculum: For Your Special Child
Homeschooling a child with special needs can be challenging. This book lays out a discussion of different reading and math programs, how to adapt materials for special situations, resources for blind, deaf and speech/language, and curriculum types and styles. It will help you find the resource you need to make your homeschooling successful.
A Child's Story of America
This text reads like a story book more than a history textbook. This book has a decidedly Christian bent. Students are given a comprehensive overview of U.S. history from Columbus to the present. Review questions are included throughout, as well as helpful maps. The text contains numerous pictures and large print. An optional test packet and answer key is available.
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It
Confused and intimidated by the complexities of homeschooling, many sincere parents never get past the "thinking about it" stage. Now Lisa Whelchel - herself a homeschooling mother of three - introduces fifteen real families and shows how they overcome the challenges of their unique homeschooling situations. This nuts-and-bolts approach deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children's age variations, social and sports invol...
The Letter Factory Game
Teaches Phonics! The race is on! With two games in one, children play together and learn letter names and sounds with actions and music. Wacky Professor Quigley guides players every step of the way so no reading is required! Games automatically adjust to skill level, to keep children learning at just the right pace! 2 Games in 1: Counting Colors & Letters: Learn letter names and sounds by matching color cards to move around the board. Leaping Letters: Listen to the name or sound and then find th...
The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life
The nine habits of highly organized people Organizing consultant Kathy Waddill demonstrates how the simple act of being organized can improve your quality of life. In The Organizing Sourcebook, she presents nine organizing principles that can easily be applied to any situation, activity, or environment. The book gives you the tools for managing time; decreasing stress; and dealing with cultural, personal, and emotional change. Case histories illustrate how each strategy solved a specific proble...