Homeschooling Kindergarten
New York State Requirements
Filing for kindergarten is not a requirement in New York State.
Compulsory Age for Filing in New York
In New York State, you must begin filing the year your child turns six by December 1st, EXCEPT in New York City where your child must turn six by December 31 instead of Dec. 1. Kindergarten is usually age five, and filing is not mandatory for that age.
Why Some Parents Choose to File for Kindergarten
Paperwork can serve as additional protection against third parties, agencies or individuals more likely to cause concern than the NYC DoE.
Some parents may want additional protection against Child Protective Services (CPS), should an unwanted visit from CPS appear at their door. Sometimes a neighbor who is unaware that homeschooling is a legal choice may call CPS and lodge a complaint without speaking to the family first. This can lead to a surprise visit. (CPS responds to complaints but will never bother a family just because they are registered homeschoolers.) When you submit an IHIP with the DoE, within four weeks they should send you a Letter of Compliance also known as the IHIP Approval Letter. This letter states your child’s name and grade level and is proof that you are in full legal compliance with homeschooling regulations. I advise families to carry a copy with them when they are out with their kids, and to keep one by the door, just in case CPS ever shows up. If CPS shows up, do not let them in! (Sometimes a CPS visit can traumatize children.) Instead, show them your Letter of Compliance, which might satisfy them. If they insist on coming in, tell them they will have to make an appointment with you for a return visit.
A parent in a legal battle, such as a custody case, may want the additional legal protection that filing can offer. The NYC DoE is overworked and understaffed, and doesn’t have to time and workforce to closely read homeschooling paperwork submitted by thousands of families. Their job is to make sure all requirements are stated, and they will skim paperwork submissions to find these requirements, but they might even ignore Kindergarten paperwork since it’s not a requirement. The people who are more likely to scrutinize your paperwork would be a social worker or a judge presiding over a legal case that involves the parent or family. If a legal problem is even a possibility, it is to your benefit to file all your paperwork, submit it on time, make it original (unique to your family) with details, and keep copies of everything sent.
A parent who is having trouble closing the child’s school file, in this case at a pre-school program, may want to submit a copy of an official letter of intent to the school. This can help stop communication from the school. If you file with the DoE, do not expect them to notify the school.
Requirements if you choose to file
If you do choose to file for kindergarten, the requirements are slim: health education regarding alcohol, drug, and tobacco misuse; highway safety and traffic regulation, including bike safety; and fire and arson prevention and safety. These requirements remain every year for K-12 and must be listed in the IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan).
Suggested resources to cover this required content for kindergarten include the following:
For age-appropriate drug education, talk to a pharmacist or pediatrician, perhaps about why you should follow the doctor’s dosage and be careful about medicines, or why cigarettes are bad for you.
Take a trip to a local fire station or visit the FDNY Fire Safety Zone at 61 W. 48th St. in NYC in Manhattan. The NYC Fire Museum is currently closed, but you can see it on a YouTube video that focuses on fire safety (there are plenty of other fire safety videos including Smokey the Bear). Talk about fire safety in your kitchen.
As you walk through the city, point out traffic signs (walk/don’t walk), right of way, bicycle lanes, why cyclists need helmets, etc. NYC Parks has Bicycle and Scooter Safety Regulations in English and Spanish. The NYS Dept. ofTransportation has information on bicycle safety for kids. Share this information with your kids when appropriate, and when there are examples you can point out or experience.
You and your five-year-old are not limited to the content required by the DoE. You can also visit libraries and museums and parks and have as big a learning adventure as you like. See Early Childhood Education Resources.
Legal Steps
Letter of Intent - due July 1 or within 2 weeks of your decision to homeschool
Send a letter of intent by July 1st or within two weeks of your decision to homeschool. In NYC, this letter is emailed to letterofintent@schools.nyc.gov. You can download a form at the NYC DoE Homeschooling page. You must send a separate letter of intent for each child every year they are homeschooled.
This is what I wrote for my letter of intent: << This letter states my intention to homeschool my child, [name], for the current school year [dates}. (signed and dated by the parent, with contact information) >> I included a heading with the child’s name, age, grade level, and Letter of Intent. If your child is not currently in the NYC DoE system, they will also need proof of the child’s age (such as a birth certificate) and proof of residency (lease or utility bill).
IHIP - due within 4 weeks of submitting the Letter of Intent
Every IHIP must include the child’s name and age, grade level, parent’s or legal guardian’s name and address, the dates of the school year, date of the IHIP, and dates for quarterly reports to be sent. I suggest using the standard dates when most people send in their quarterly reports: Nov. 15, Jan 30, April 15 and June 30.
Since this IHIP is voluntary, and since kindergarten testing is not required, state that you will submit a narrative annual assessment with the 4th quarterly report. You can include this statement in the IHIP or in the 3rd quarterly report.
In your IHIP you can use the phrases “may include” or “materials planned” and “we reserve the right to make changes.”
For a child-led or “unschooling” IHIP, you can state that approach. For example: << We will explore each required subject as it comes up in daily life and in the news, for example discussing questions such as “Why is the sky blue?” >> (Replace this question with a question your child has asked recently or might ask in the near future.)
Resources listed can include books, magazines, newspapers, comics, movies and videos, fliers and interviews at doctors’ offices and other locations, field trips, classes and group activities.
Grade level content is not a requirement. You do not have to use standardized curriculum or following the Common Core or New York State standards. (In my experience, we can do better!)
Find Early Childhood Education Resources here that you can use in your educational plan (IHIP).
Examples of Kindergarten IHIPs accepted by the NYC DoE
Kindergarten IHIP Example #2 (shorter)
Kindergarten IHIP Example #3, submitted midyear (generalized paragraph)
Quarterly Reports - due four times a year
Include the child’s name and age, grade level, parent’s or legal guardian’s name and address, the date, and Quarterly Report.
In the IHIP you must include dates when you will submit the quarterly reports (see above under IHIP). If you are starting midyear, you only need to submit reports for the remaining quarters.
In quarterly reports, list topics in the IHIP with activities and resources used. Only list things you actually did or used. Don’t worry if the quarterly report doesn’t match the IHIP in content.
I suggest writing “225 hours of instruction were completed in this quarter.” Even though there is no required number of hours of instruction for kindergarten, the quarterly report for any grade is technically supposed to include the number of hours, so I suggest using the same number required for grades 1-6. (Or you could omit the number of hours entirely.)
State that your child’s progress has been good in all areas.
Include the guardian or parent’s name and contact info.
Forms for the IHIP and Quarterly Report can be downloaded from the NYC DoE Homeschooling page, or you can make your own, or use the IHIP templates that I created.
Kindergarten Quarterly Report Example
Kindergarten Quarterly Report example
How to Access your Child's DoE Records
To gain access your child's DoE file, go to the Homeschool Office in person and ask for your ARIS Parent Link password. Call the office first to make sure they will be able to see you (hours should be 9am-3pm on non-holiday weekdays). The contact number on the NYC Homeschooling DoE Page is (718) 935 -2343. When you go, bring official NYS photo I.D. (such as a driver's license). Make sure your paperwork is up-to-date and has been filed. Just in case, bring copies of everything you filed for the current year, IHIP and quarterly reports. Someone in the office should be able to give you an ARIS password which will allow you to check your child’s records and make sure the grade level and information is accurate, from the comfort of your own computer.
If you find any inaccuracies in your child’s records, notify the DoE in writing, and be patient and persistent about asking for your child's records to be corrected. If your child decides to apply to a NYC public school at some point in the future, having accurate grade levels (past and present) on his or her record will be important.
Thanks to the late, great Elsa Haas, for her intelligent and thoughtful input on the Kindergarten IHIP and reasons for filing..