Resources:
New Homeschoolers
Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO)
The Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO) is a statewide, nonprofit service organization. Its mission is to serve the diverse interests of home-based education in Washington State. WHO is nonpartisan, nonsectarian, and nondiscriminating in its views of homeschooling and participation in its activities. WHO sponsors an annual convention and is a valuable resource as an advocate for homeschoolers in Olympia.
A-Z Home's Cool
Offers comprehensive homeschool information - legal, resources, curriculum, articles, and much more.
Home Education Magazine
Home Education Magazine is an excellent resource for homeschoolers.
Life Learning Magazine
International Magazine of Self Directed Learning. Excellent resource.
Advocacy
WHO Advocacy
WHO's page about current legislation.
Homeschool Legal Defense Assn.
Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Through annual memberships, HSLDA is tens of thousands of families united in service together, providing a strong voice when and where needed.
NHELD (National Home Education Legal Defense)
National Home Education Legal Defense is a national organization open to all who wish to join that seeks to protect and defend the rights of families who wish to educate in freedom.
Testing and Assessment
Homeschool Test Service
This is a testing agency that offers the FULL SAT battery.
Magazines and Newsletters for Adults
EduGreat
Offers local Homeschool Parent Qualifying Classes, Annual Homeschool Assessment Testing (Stanford Achievement Test, 9th ed.), and Individual Teacher Assessments.
Family Learning Organization
Offers standardized tests for homeschooling families. Tests may be obtained by parents to administer to their children. They offer standardized achievement tests (California Achievement Test, 5th ed. & Wide Range Achievement Test, expanded ed.) as well as Teacher-Reviewed Assessments.
Qualifying Courses
Academy Northwest
Family Academy offers parent qualifying classes through several colleges in Western Washington. In addition to their current class (a traditional, on campus classroom format) they are beginning a new hybrid online/distance learning course. This course meets the Washington State requirements for parent qualifying courses.
EduGreat
Offers homeschool parent qualification classes as well as annual homeschooler assessment testing throughout Washington state.
WHO's List of Parent Qualifying Courses
WHO's Listing of qualifying course instructors, contacts and phone numbers.
OPTions for Parent Teachers
OPT's Director and Instructor Paula Harper-Christensen is the mother of four children who have all been schooled at home. She holds a B.S. degree in Human Development from California Polytechnic University and a M.S. degree from Pepperdine University in Early Childhood Education and has years of teaching and administrating experience on all educational levels. For over twenty five years Paula has counseled and trained homeschooling parents as teachers. She is the founder of OPTions for Parent Teachers, co-founder of the Teaching Parents Associations and has served as lobbyist, advisor and board member to the Washington Homeschool Organization. Paula believes, "Parents are a child's first and best teacher."
Planning and Organization
Homeschool Tracker (software)
Homeschool Tracker software is a complete planning, reporting, record keeping, and tracking software system by TGHomeSoft. The software offers a complete solution to organize your lesson plans, assignments and reports. Plan and record assignments, attendance, reading lists, field trips, High School Transcripts and more. Available in a free Basic Edition and a purchased Plus Edition.
Donna Young Printables & Resources
A huge collection of planning tools, calendars, lesson planners, forms, printables, tips and aids for homeschoolers at Donna Young's website.
Homeschool Forms by Cindy Downes
A healthy-sized list of curriculum planning tools, handwriting forms, schedules, timelines, unit studies, lesson plans, writing projects, homeschooling resources, and much more.