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For new homeschoolers

For your first year of homeschooling

The first year is mostly decisions: what to teach, how many days, what to keep, and whether you are doing enough. A planner should take some of those off your plate, not add a setup project to them.

In short

Homeschool Up gives a new homeschool family one screen for the day: each child, each subject, and the lesson that is next. You tick lessons as you teach, and attendance, hours, a learning log and a portfolio build from those ticks, so you have a record ready whenever someone asks for one.

What a first-year week tends to look like

  • A stack of curriculum, half of it unopened, and no clear picture of what Tuesday should hold.
  • A plan made in August that is out of date by the third week, because one subject runs faster and another stalls.
  • Days that were clearly school (the library, a museum, an afternoon of baking fractions) but do not fit a lesson plan.
  • A quiet worry about records: what to keep, and whether you will be able to show it later.

How Homeschool Up handles each one

  • Today shows every child and the lesson due in each subject. You teach from your own materials and tick it off. On an ordinary day, one tap marks the whole day done.
  • Plans move with you. Nothing about a future lesson is fixed to a date: a missed day means the same lesson is due on the next school day, so the plan is never out of date.
  • The learning log takes the days that were not a lesson: a title, a subject area, the minutes and a photo if you want one. Logged learning counts toward days and hours on your reports.
  • Records are a by-product. Attendance, hours by subject area, a portfolio of work samples and a year-end packet come from the same ticks. Nothing is typed twice.

Starting small is fine

You do not need a full sequence for every subject on day one. A subject can be an open log with no lesson list at all, and you can add lessons later by typing them, pasting a list, importing a CSV, or copying a sequence another family shared. Most first-year families start with two or three subjects in detail and log the rest.

If your state publishes a number of days or hours, set it once and the reports show how far along you are. If it does not, the record is still there for your own peace of mind, for an evaluator, or for a school if your child ever enrolls.

Starting homeschooling mid-year · State requirements

Questions people ask

Do I need to plan the whole year before I start?
No. Add your children and the subjects you are sure about, then start teaching. Lessons are handed out in order on the days a subject meets, so you can add more lessons or more subjects at any point without replanning.
Which curriculum does Homeschool Up come with?
None. Homeschool Up has no lesson content of its own. You bring the curriculum, books or plans you already use, and it keeps track of where each child is and what you did.
What if we school four days a week, or year-round?
Set the days you teach and the dates of your school year, then add breaks. Any weekday pattern works, and a break can apply to the whole family or to one child.
Does Homeschool Up make sure I meet my state's law?
No. Homeschool Up keeps the record and counts days and hours against the number you set or a published state preset, each with a link to the official page and the date it was checked. Requirements depend on your state and the option you file under, and Homeschool Up is not legal advice.
How much does it cost?
Family is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year for up to 5 children, and Co-op plans start at $19.99 a month for 10 children. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial, and you can cancel any time from Plan and billing. Current prices are always on the pricing page.

Set up your first week tonight

Add your children and two or three subjects. Tomorrow's lessons will be waiting on Today.

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