Maryland Homeschool Planning: Creating Your First Year Timeline

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Starting homeschool requires coordination across multiple tasks: deciding, planning, notifying, curriculum selection, space setup, and launching.

A timeline helps you stay organized and ensures you don’t miss critical deadlines (especially that 15-day notification requirement). This guide walks you month-by-month through your first year.

Key Takeaways

Start planning 2-3 months before target start date
15-day notification deadline is non-negotiable
First-year timeline: August start requires May action
Most important months: 2 months before start through first month
Expect major adjustments in September-October

The Complete First-Year Timeline

May (If Starting August/September)

IF YOU’VE DECIDED TO START HOMESCHOOLING IN AUGUST:

Week 1-2:

[ ] Confirm family is committed to homeschooling
[ ] Discuss with spouse/co-parent (major decision)
[ ] Talk to child about the change
[ ] Research Maryland requirements (read this series!)

Week 3-4:

[ ] Join Maryland homeschool Facebook groups or co-ops
[ ] Talk to 2-3 homeschooling families about their experience
[ ] Tour a homeschool co-op if possible
[ ] Look at 2-3 curriculum options (get feel for what exists)

End of May:

[ ] Confirm commitment to August start
[ ] Set specific start date (e.g., August 18)
[ ] Mark 15-day notification deadline on calendar (July 4 if Aug 18 start)

June (6-8 Weeks Before Start)

Official Planning Month

Week 1-2:

[ ] Request Home Instruction Notification form from local superintendent
[ ] Request school records from current school (if enrolled)
[ ] Write and submit formal withdrawal letter (if currently in school)
[ ] Keep copies of all submitted documents

Week 3:

[ ] Choose supervision option: Portfolio (most common), Church Umbrella, or Nonpublic School
[ ] Begin curriculum research in earnest
[ ] Review 2-3 curriculum options for each core subject
[ ] Look at Maryland-specific resources and field trip options

Week 4:

[ ] Finalize curriculum choices
[ ] Place curriculum orders (books arrive in July)
[ ] Join co-op or identify extracurricular activities
[ ] Plan basic schedule on paper

By End of June:

School withdrawal submitted
All records requested from previous school
Curriculum ordered
Supervision option chosen
Timeline confirmed

July (2-4 Weeks Before Start)

Preparation & Setup Month

Week 1:

[ ] Receive curriculum in the mail
[ ] Unpack and organize curriculum by subject
[ ] Read through teacher guides/program overviews
[ ] Make list of what’s missing or needs tweaking

Week 2:

[ ] Set up physical workspace (desk, chair, shelves, file storage)
[ ] Create portfolio organization system (folders, bins, or digital)
[ ] Gather basic supplies (pencils, paper, binders, notebooks)
[ ] Test any online programs or logins

Week 3:

[ ] Refine daily/weekly schedule based on curriculum
[ ] Prepare week 1 assignments/plans
[ ] Take photos of your workspace
[ ] Show student the setup

Week 4 (2 weeks before start):

[ ] FILE HOME INSTRUCTION NOTIFICATION WITH SUPERINTENDENT
[ ] Keep copy and proof of filing
[ ] Confirm receipt (follow up if no acknowledgment in 5 days)
[ ] Make final schedule adjustments
[ ] Do final supply shopping

Critical: This is your 15-day deadline. If starting August 18, you must file by August 3.

By End of July:

Workspace set up
Curriculum organized
Supplies purchased
Notification filed
Schedule finalized
Student mentally prepared

August (Start Month!)

Week 1-2 (Before official start):

[ ] Finalize first week lesson plans
[ ] Print any worksheets or schedules needed
[ ] Do practice run of daily routine
[ ] Brief last-minute adjustments

Week 3 (Official start week):

[ ] BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING
[ ] Expect some awkwardness (normal!)
[ ] Keep first week light and encouraging
[ ] Focus on routine, not content mastery
[ ] Take photos of first day
[ ] Start portfolio documentation

Daily during first week:

9:00 AM: Start time (be consistent)
Follow your schedule loosely
Focus on settling in, not perfection
End on time
Celebrate completing first week

By End of August:

You’ve begun
First week complete
You’re exhausted and exhilarated
Minor adjustments already obvious

September (Adjustment Month)

Your child is adjusting, you’re adjusting, everything is new.

Week 1-2:

[ ] Continue with established routine
[ ] Note what’s working
[ ] Note what’s NOT working
[ ] Keep a simple log of daily instruction
[ ] Add portfolio samples regularly

Week 3-4:

[ ] Evaluate curriculum (is it working?)
[ ] Evaluate schedule (realistic?)
[ ] Evaluate pacing (too fast? too slow?)
[ ] Evaluate your own teaching (confident? overwhelmed?)
[ ] Make informal adjustments

Watch for:

“I miss my friends” — Normal; add co-op or activities
“This is boring” — Adjust curriculum or approach
Difficulty with specific subject — Might need different material
Student resistance — May need more time to adjust

By End of September:

Initial adjustments made
Routine established
You have 4 weeks of experience
First month portfolio samples collected

October (Evaluation & Adjustment Month)

This is your real adjustment point. Make changes NOW for rest of year.

Week 1:

[ ] Full honest evaluation of first 6 weeks
[ ] What’s working? (Keep doing this)
[ ] What’s not working? (Fix this)
[ ] Is student keeping up academically?
[ ] Is schedule sustainable for you?

Week 2:

[ ] Make curriculum changes if needed
[ ] Adjust schedule if needed
[ ] Tweak approach to difficult subjects
[ ] Add missing extracurriculars
[ ] Join co-op if considering one

Week 3-4:

[ ] Finalize adjustments
[ ] Confirm new approach works
[ ] Set expectations for rest of year
[ ] Organize portfolio for semester end

By End of October:

You’ve made real adjustments
Second iteration of homeschool is working better
You’re settling into sustainable rhythm
One quarter complete

November-December (Fall Semester)

You’re in your groove. Use these months to:

[ ] Continue solid routine
[ ] Prepare for holiday breaks
[ ] Collect portfolio samples (semester 1 review)
[ ] Plan for January adjustments if needed
[ ] Assess progress informally
[ ] Plan enrichment or travel if desired

Portfolio Check (End of Fall Semester):

[ ] Compile work samples from all 8 subjects
[ ] Organize by subject
[ ] Include curriculum overview
[ ] Label dates
[ ] Add brief summary of semester
[ ] Keep organized file for potential superintendent review

By End of December:

First semester complete
4 months of homeschooling done
Fall break happened
You have clear routine
Portfolio collected for potential review

January-May (Spring Semester)

Establish sustainability for years 2+

January:

[ ] Return from winter break
[ ] Re-establish routine
[ ] Fine-tune any remaining issues
[ ] Plan for standardized testing (if choosing to test)

February:

[ ] Keep consistent routine
[ ] Add any enrichment (spring activities, field trips)
[ ] Assess progress mid-year
[ ] Make small adjustments

March-April:

[ ] Continue strong routine
[ ] Plan for potential superintendent review (if Portfolio option)
[ ] Prepare second portfolio if review is expected
[ ] Stay organized

May:

[ ] Complete spring semester
[ ] Finalize any remaining coursework
[ ] Collect final portfolio samples
[ ] Evaluate full year

June-July:

[ ] Summer break (if taking one)
[ ] Reflect on first year
[ ] Plan for year 2
[ ] Decide what to keep, change, adjust
[ ] Start year 2 planning

Adjustable Timeline (If Starting January or Other Time)

January Start (Half-Year Adjustment):

October: Plan and research
November: Notify superintendent
December: Set up, prepare curriculum
January: Start

Any Time Start:

Count back 8-10 weeks from target start date
That’s when you begin planning
6-8 weeks: Research and decide
2-4 weeks: Prepare and notify
Week 1: Begin

Critical Dates & Deadlines Summary

Success Markers by Month

If you see these, you’re on track:

By End of August: You’ve started; chaos is normal By End of September: Routine established; adjustments underway By End of October: Major problems fixed; sustainable rhythm found By End of December: 4 months in; you’re confident this works By June: First year complete; you’re planning year 2

If You’re Behind

If you’re reading this late and want to start soon:

You can still do this. Just compress the timeline:

Week 1: Research, decide, notify superintendent immediately
Week 2-3: Gather curriculum, set up workspace
Week 4: Begin homeschooling

It’s not ideal, but thousands start without perfect planning. You’ll figure it out.

Plan, Launch, Adjust, Sustain

Your first year is:

50% planning (get it right before you start)
30% adjusting (September-October fixes)
20% sustaining (November+ stability)

Don’t skip planning. Don’t be rigid about adjustments. Don’t expect perfection.

This timeline gets you started. The rest is showing up.

Related posts:

Maryland Homeschool Planning: Creating Your First Year Timeline

Key Takeaways

The Complete First-Year Timeline

May (If Starting August/September)

June (6-8 Weeks Before Start)

July (2-4 Weeks Before Start)

August (Start Month!)

September (Adjustment Month)

October (Evaluation & Adjustment Month)

November-December (Fall Semester)

January-May (Spring Semester)

Adjustable Timeline (If Starting January or Other Time)

Critical Dates & Deadlines Summary

Success Markers by Month

If You’re Behind

Plan, Launch, Adjust, Sustain

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