Glossary

Homeschool vocabulary, defined and cited.

124 definitions across ten categories. Every entry links to a primary source: publisher pages, state Departments of Education, statute text, professional associations. The glossary is what a first-year family wishes had existed the week they started reading homeschool forums.

Method

Charlotte Mason: Educational method developed by British educator Charlotte Mason (1842 to 1923), centered on living books, narration, short focused lessons, nature study, and habit training. Codified in her six-volume Home Education Series.; See also: AmblesideOnline, living book, narration, Wildwood
Classical (method): Method organized around the medieval trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy). Modern revival traces to Dorothy Sayers' 1947 essay The Lost Tools of Learning and Susan Wise Bauer's 1999 book The Well-Trained Mind.; See also: Memoria Press, Classical Conversations, trivium, quadrivium
Eclectic: Approach in which the family selects curriculum components from multiple publishers and methods rather than adopting one packaged program. The most commonly self-reported method in US homeschool surveys.; See also: traditional / textbook
Montessori: Method developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori (1870 to 1952), centered on multi-age classrooms, hands-on materials, child-directed work cycles, and a prepared environment. Adapted to home use through Montessori at Home, Trillium Montessori, and similar programs.; See also: Waldorf
Moore Formula: Approach developed by Raymond and Dorothy Moore in the 1970s and 1980s, recommending delayed formal academics until ages 8 to 12 and a balance of study, work, and service. Outlined in their books Better Late Than Early and Home Grown Kids.; See also: delayed academics, unschooling
Online academy: Full or partial enrollment in an accredited online school that delivers live or recorded coursework, issues grades, and produces a transcript. Examples include Liberty University Online Academy, Veritas Scholars Academy, and Wilson Hill Academy.; See also: hybrid school, Veritas Press
Traditional / textbook: Method in which the child works through a graded textbook and accompanying workbook in each subject area, taking quizzes and tests at intervals. Most workbook-and-text publishers (Abeka, BJU Press, Christian Light Education, ACE) serve this method.; See also: Abeka, ACE, Christian Light Education, eclectic
Unit study: Method in which one theme or topic is studied across multiple subject areas (history, literature, art, science) for a defined period. Publishers serving this method include Five in a Row, Konos, Tapestry of Grace, and My Father's World.; See also: Five in a Row, Tapestry of Grace
Unschooling: Approach coined in the 1970s by educator John Holt, in which the child's interests rather than a planned curriculum drive learning. Variants include radical unschooling and life learning; Sandra Dodd and Pam Sorooshian are widely cited contemporary writers.; See also: deschooling, John Holt, Moore Formula
Waldorf: Method developed by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861 to 1925) and first applied in the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette-factory school in Stuttgart, 1919. Delays academic reading until age 7, organizes content in main-lesson blocks, and emphasizes the arts, handcrafts, and Steiner's anthroposophical developmental stages.; See also: delayed academics, Montessori

Pedagogy / Philosophy

Copywork: Charlotte Mason practice in which a student transcribes a short passage of well-formed prose or poetry by hand to internalize spelling, grammar, and style. Typically paired with dictation in upper grades.; See also: Charlotte Mason, dictation, narration
Deschooling: Transition period during which a child recently withdrawn from conventional school decompresses before formal homeschool instruction begins. Common guidance from John Holt and unschooling writers is one month of deschooling per year of prior school enrollment.; See also: John Holt, unschooling
Dictation: Charlotte Mason practice in which a parent reads a prepared passage aloud and the student writes it from memory or live, training attention, spelling, and punctuation. Builds on copywork at upper-elementary and middle-school ages.; See also: copywork, narration
Mastery (vs spiral): Curriculum-sequencing approach in which one concept is taught to proficiency before the next is introduced, contrasted with spiral curriculum that revisits topics across years at deepening levels. Math-U-See and Singapore Math are mastery-oriented; Saxon Math is spiral.; See also: Saxon, scope and sequence, Singapore Math
Morning time: Family practice popularized in Charlotte Mason and classical circles by Cindy Rollins of the Morning Time podcast. Gathers all ages each morning for shared readings, hymns, poetry, prayer, and discussion before individual subject work.; See also: Charlotte Mason, schole
Narration: Charlotte Mason practice in which the child retells, in their own words, a passage just read or heard. Oral narration is introduced at age 6 and written narration replaces it gradually beginning around age 10.; See also: Charlotte Mason, copywork, living book
Otium: Latin term meaning restful leisure devoted to study, contemplation, and worship, distinguished from idle leisure and from negotium (business). Frequently invoked in classical Christian education writing alongside the Greek term schole.; See also: Classical, schole
Pedagogy: The art, science, and method of teaching. In homeschool conversation, often used to refer to a method's underlying assumptions about how children learn (Classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Waldorf, traditional textbook, unschooling).; See also: Classical, Charlotte Mason
Quadrivium: The four upper liberal arts of the medieval curriculum: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Studied after the trivium and oriented toward the mathematical and contemplative sciences.; See also: Classical, trivium
Schole: Greek term meaning restful learning, the root of the English word school. In contemporary classical-Christian writing it refers to an unhurried, contemplative approach to study contrasted with industrial schooling pace.; See also: Classical, otium, Schole Sisters
Socratic: Discussion method modeled on the dialogues of Socrates, in which the teacher leads through questioning rather than lecture. Central to Acton Academy, Great Books seminars, and many classical-Christian rhetoric-stage courses.; See also: Acton Academy, Classical
Trivium: The three foundational liberal arts of the medieval curriculum: grammar, logic (dialectic), and rhetoric. In modern classical homeschool writing, often mapped onto developmental stages of grammar (ages 6 to 10), logic (ages 11 to 13), and rhetoric (ages 14 to 18).; See also: Classical, Memoria Press, quadrivium

Curriculum format

LightUnit: Soft-cover worktext booklet used in Christian Light Education programs, typically ten LightUnits per subject per grade level. Students complete lessons, self-check with answer keys, and take an end-of-unit test before advancing.; See also: Christian Light Education, PACE, workbook
Living book: Charlotte Mason term for a book written by an author with passion for the subject, in narrative prose, as distinct from a textbook compiled by committee. Used as primary curriculum across AmblesideOnline, Build Your Library, Sonlight, and many Charlotte Mason curricula.; See also: AmblesideOnline, Charlotte Mason, narration
PACE (Packets of Accelerated Christian Education): Soft-cover self-instruction booklets used in Accelerated Christian Education programs, typically 12 PACEs per subject per grade level. Students complete a goal-setting Goal Chart and a checkup before taking the PACE test at the end.; See also: ACE, LightUnit, workbook
Parent kit: Bundle from a publisher containing the teacher's materials a parent needs to deliver a grade level: teacher editions, curriculum guides, answer keys, and assessment materials. Sold alongside a separate student kit at most major publishers.; See also: scope and sequence, student kit, teacher's manual
Scope and sequence: Publisher document listing every topic taught in a curriculum and the order and grade level at which each is covered. Used by parents to evaluate fit, to map placement, and to identify gaps when switching curricula.; See also: mastery, parent kit, teacher's manual
Student kit: Bundle from a publisher containing the consumable materials a student uses for a grade level: workbooks, worktexts, readers, and test packets. Sold alongside a separate parent kit at most major publishers.; See also: parent kit, workbook
Teacher's manual: Volume in a curriculum's parent kit that provides scripted lessons, scope-and-sequence references, discussion prompts, and answer keys for a grade level or subject. Distinct from the student's workbook or textbook.; See also: parent kit, scope and sequence, student kit
Workbook: Consumable student book containing exercises, practice problems, and review questions to be completed by writing in the book. The dominant student-facing format in traditional textbook curricula such as Abeka, BJU Press, Christian Light Education, and Rod and Staff.; See also: LightUnit, PACE, student kit, worktext

Publisher

Abeka: Workbook and video curriculum publisher founded 1972 at Pensacola Christian College. Sells parent and student kits across K4 through grade 12 with young-earth creationist science and an evangelical-Protestant Statement of Faith.; See also: BJU Press, Pensacola Christian College
ACE (Accelerated Christian Education): Workbook-based Christian curriculum publisher founded 1970 by Donald and Esther Howard. Uses self-paced PACE booklets (Packets of Accelerated Christian Education) across K through grade 12, sold under the School of Tomorrow imprint.; See also: PACE, School of Tomorrow
All About Reading: Orton-Gillingham-influenced reading program from All About Learning Press, founded 2010 by Marie Rippel. Pre-reading through level 4 covers phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension with multisensory tiles.; See also: Logic of English, Orton-Gillingham, Spalding
AmblesideOnline: Free Charlotte Mason curriculum maintained since 1999 by a volunteer advisory committee. Covers years 0 through 12 with a literature-driven booklist organized into 12 yearly sequences plus High School Extension.; See also: Charlotte Mason, narration, living book
Apologia: Christian science and apologetics publisher founded 1994 by Jay Wile, now owned by Davis & Davis Family Holdings. Sells young-earth creationist science textbooks for elementary through high school plus worldview courses.; See also: young-earth creationism
Beast Academy: Comic-illustrated mathematics curriculum from the Art of Problem Solving for grades 2 through 5. Pairs a guidebook with a practice workbook and emphasizes problem-solving over computation drill.; See also: Art of Problem Solving, Singapore Math
BJU Press: Curriculum publisher of Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina. Sells fundamentalist-Protestant textbooks for K through grade 12 with young-earth creationist science and offers HomeWorks distance-learning video courses.; See also: Abeka, young-earth creationism
Blossom and Root: Secular nature-study curriculum by Kristina Garner covering preschool through grade 8. Combines Charlotte Mason habits of narration and observation with a literature-rich, project-based weekly rhythm.; See also: Build Your Library, Charlotte Mason, Wildwood
Brave Writer: Writing and language-arts program founded 1997 by Julie Bogart. Sells the Brave Writer Lifestyle, Writing Projects, Arrow and Boomerang language-arts guides, and online classes through grade 12.; See also: copywork, dictation, IEW
Build Your Library: Secular literature-based curriculum by Emily Cook, structured year-by-year through grade 12. Pairs read-aloud and reader booklists with history spines on a four-year cycle.; See also: Blossom and Root, Sonlight, Torchlight
Catholic Heritage Curricula: Catholic homeschool curriculum publisher founded 1993 by Theresa and Nancy Nicholson. Sells lesson plans and texts for K through grade 12 aligned with traditional Catholic faith and academics.; See also: Kolbe Academy, MODG, Seton Home Study School
Christian Light Education (CLE): Mennonite curriculum publisher founded 1969 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sells worktext-style LightUnits for grades 1 through 12 in math, language arts, reading, science, and Bible at low per-unit cost.; See also: LightUnit, Rod and Staff
Classical Conversations: Christian classical community network founded 1997 by Leigh Bortins. Operates weekly local Communities for Foundations (ages 4 to 11), Essentials (ages 9 to 11), and Challenge (grades 7 to 12) programs.; See also: Classical, co-op, trivium
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool: Free online Christian curriculum created 2011 by Lee Giles. Provides daily lesson plans for preschool through grade 12 with embedded links to public-domain and free online resources.; See also: Ambleside Online
Five in a Row: Unit-study curriculum founded 1994 by Jane Claire Lambert. Each weekly unit selects one picture book read aloud five days in a row, with cross-disciplinary activities in social studies, language arts, art, math, and science.; See also: unit study
Good and the Beautiful, The: Non-denominational Christian curriculum founded 2015 by Jenny Phillips, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sells language arts, math, science, history, and electives for preschool through grade 12.; See also: Latter-day Saint, Master Books
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing): Writing curriculum publisher founded 1993 by Andrew Pudewa. Sells the Structure and Style writing method, Phonetic Zoo spelling, and Fix It! Grammar for elementary through high school.; See also: Brave Writer, Spalding
Kolbe Academy: Catholic homeschool program founded 1980 in Napa, California. Offers enrolled and independent course plans for K through grade 12 based on the Ignatian Ratio Studiorum and classical liberal-arts tradition.; See also: Catholic Heritage Curricula, MODG, Seton Home Study School
Logic of English: Phonics and spelling curriculum founded 2010 by Denise Eide. Sells Foundations (preschool through grade 2) and Essentials (grades 3 through adult), built on the 75 phonograms and 31 spelling rules of English.; See also: All About Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Spalding
Master Books: Christian curriculum imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group, based in Green Forest, Arkansas. Sells young-earth creationist science, history, and language arts for K through grade 12 with curriculum lines from Charlotte Mason and Principle Approach traditions.; See also: Apologia, young-earth creationism
Math Mammoth: Self-teaching mathematics curriculum founded 2002 by Maria Miller. Sells the Light Blue (full curriculum, grades 1 through 7) and Blue (topical worktexts) series as inexpensive PDF downloads.; See also: Beast Academy, Saxon, Singapore Math
Memoria Press: Classical Christian curriculum publisher founded 1994 by Cheryl Lowe in Louisville, Kentucky. Sells K through grade 12 curriculum centered on Latin, classical literature, and Christian studies, plus the Highlands Latin Cottage School model.; See also: Classical, Latin, trivium, Veritas Press
MODG (Mother of Divine Grace): Catholic homeschool program founded 1995 by Laura Berquist in Ojai, California. Offers enrolled and consultation services for K through grade 12 with a classical, liturgically Catholic curriculum.; See also: Catholic Heritage Curricula, Classical, Kolbe Academy
Rod and Staff: Mennonite curriculum publisher founded 1958 in Crockett, Kentucky. Sells inexpensive textbook-based curriculum for grades 1 through 10 with a conservative Anabaptist worldview and limited use of color or illustration.; See also: Christian Light Education, Mennonite-Plain
Saxon: Spiral mathematics curriculum developed in the 1980s by John Saxon and currently published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Covers K through Calculus with incremental development and continuous review of previously learned material.; See also: Math Mammoth, mastery, Singapore Math
School of Tomorrow: Imprint and brand identity used by Accelerated Christian Education for its homeschool product line. Sells the same PACE-based curriculum used in ACE-affiliated Christian schools worldwide.; See also: ACE, PACE
Seton Home Study School: Catholic homeschool program founded 1980 by Anne Carroll and Robert Carroll in Front Royal, Virginia. Offers enrolled K through grade 12 with grading, counseling, and accredited diploma services from a traditional-Catholic perspective.; See also: Catholic Heritage Curricula, Kolbe Academy, MODG
Singapore Math: Mathematics curriculum based on the Singapore Ministry of Education sequence, brought to US homeschoolers in 1998 by Singapore Math Inc. Emphasizes concrete-pictorial-abstract progression and bar-model problem solving.; See also: Beast Academy, mastery, Math Mammoth, Saxon
Sonlight: Literature-based Christian curriculum founded 1990 by John and Sarita Holzmann in Littleton, Colorado. Sells boxed history-based programs for preschool through grade 12 with read-alouds, readers, and an evangelical missions emphasis.; See also: Build Your Library, Tapestry of Grace
Spalding Method: Integrated phonics, spelling, writing, and reading method developed in the 1940s by Romalda Spalding, described in The Writing Road to Reading. Currently maintained by Spalding Education International and used as a foundation by All About Reading and Logic of English.; See also: All About Reading, Logic of English, Orton-Gillingham
Tapestry of Grace: Classical Christian unit-study curriculum founded 2000 by Marcia Somerville, organized as a four-year humanities cycle covering history, literature, geography, church history, philosophy, government, fine arts, and writing.; See also: Classical, Sonlight, unit study
Torchlight Curriculum: Secular literature-based curriculum founded 2018 by Cara Engelbrecht and Christy Sermons. Covers preschool through grade 8 with a strong booklist and a multicultural, scientifically mainstream content base.; See also: Blossom and Root, Build Your Library, Wildwood
Veritas Press: Classical Christian curriculum publisher founded 1996 by Marlin and Laurie Detweiler in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Sells the Self-Paced Bible, history, and Omnibus humanities programs and operates the Veritas Scholars Academy live-online school.; See also: Classical, Memoria Press, Reformed
Wildwood Curriculum: Free secular Charlotte Mason curriculum maintained by a volunteer team since 2017. Covers years 0 through 8 with a literature-driven booklist explicitly inclusive of Buddhist, Jewish, Pagan, secular, and non-Western contributors.; See also: AmblesideOnline, Charlotte Mason, secular

Worldview / Tradition

Evangelical: Protestant tradition centered on personal conversion, biblical authority, the cross of Christ, and active mission. Many of the largest US homeschool publishers (Abeka, BJU Press, Sonlight, Apologia, Master Books) write from an evangelical worldview.; See also: Reformed, Christian-fundamentalist, young-earth creationism
Jewish (homeschool): Homeschool tradition spanning Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular-cultural Jewish families. Curriculum providers include Ani Ve-ami (Charlotte Mason method), Mosdos Press (literature anthologies), and Torah Live (Torah and Talmud video).; See also: Charlotte Mason, Mennonite-Plain
Latter-day Saint (LDS) homeschool: Homeschool tradition among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Curriculum providers self-identifying or widely used in the community include The Good and the Beautiful and Latter Day Family.; See also: Good and the Beautiful, The
Mennonite-Plain homeschool: Homeschool tradition among Old Order and conservative Mennonite, Amish, and Brethren families. Primary publishers include Christian Light Education (Harrisonburg, VA), Rod and Staff (Crockett, KY), and Pathway Publishers (Aylmer, ON and LaGrange, IN).; See also: Christian Light Education, Rod and Staff
Reformed homeschool: Homeschool tradition rooted in Calvinist and confessional-Presbyterian theology, working from the Westminster Confession or Three Forms of Unity. Curriculum lines and academies in this tradition include Veritas Press, Logos Press, and Veritas Scholars Academy.; See also: evangelical, Classical, Veritas Press
Secular homeschool: Approach in which the curriculum does not promote religious doctrine and treats science, history, and ethics on a non-religious basis. Curriculum providers self-identifying as secular include Wildwood Curriculum, Build Your Library, Blossom and Root, Torchlight, and Oak Meadow.; See also: Build Your Library, Wildwood
Young-earth creationism: Theological position that the Earth and life were created in six 24-hour days roughly 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, based on a literal reading of Genesis. Curriculum publishers writing from this position include Apologia, Master Books, Abeka, and BJU Press.; See also: Apologia, BJU Press, evangelical, Master Books

Legal / Regulatory

Affidavit (Private School Affidavit, California): California Education Code §33190 form filed annually between October 1 and 15 with the California Department of Education to operate a private home-based school. Filing replaces public-school enrollment for compulsory-attendance purposes.; See also: Notice of Intent, umbrella school
CRHE (Coalition for Responsible Home Education): Nonprofit advocacy organization founded 2013 by adult homeschool alumni. Publishes state-level legal references and policy briefs and advocates for greater regulatory oversight of homeschooling.; See also: HSLDA
DNPE (Division of Non-Public Education, North Carolina): Office within the North Carolina Department of Administration that registers home schools and conventional non-public schools. Receives the Notice of Intent under G.S. §115C-563 and verifies the chief administrator's high-school diploma.; See also: Notice of Intent, portfolio review
HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association): Christian legal-defense and advocacy organization founded 1983 by Michael Farris and Michael Smith. Provides legal representation, state-by-state legal references, and lobbying on homeschool policy.; See also: CRHE, Notice of Intent
IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan, New York): Annual New York filing required within 28 days of the Letter of Intent under Commissioner's Regulation §100.10. Lists the subjects to be covered for the year and the materials to be used.; See also: Letter of Intent, portfolio review
Letter of Intent (New York): New York filing required from a parent intending to homeschool, sent to the local superintendent annually by July 1 or within 14 days of the decision to begin. Triggers the requirement to submit an IHIP within 28 days.; See also: IHIP, Notice of Intent
Loi 2021-1109 (France): French law passed August 24, 2021, replacing the prior declaration regime for home instruction with a prior-authorization regime effective September 2022. Authorization is granted on four enumerated grounds including the child's situation and the family's educational project.; See also: Schulpflicht, Section 7
NHERI (National Home Education Research Institute): Nonprofit research organization founded 1990 by Brian D. Ray, focused on data on homeschooling worldwide. Publishes the widely cited Research Facts on Homeschooling and the Home School Researcher journal.; See also: HSLDA
Notice of Intent: Filing in which a family declares to a state agency or local district the intent to operate a home school for the coming year. Required in approximately 26 notification states; specific form, agency, and timing vary by state.; See also: affidavit, DNPE, Letter of Intent
Schulpflicht (Germany): German compulsory-school-attendance law (literally school duty) requiring physical attendance at a recognized school. Home education is generally not permitted in Germany; exceptions exist only on medical or diplomatic grounds.; See also: Section 7
Section 7 (Education Act 1996, United Kingdom): Provision of the United Kingdom Education Act 1996 placing the duty to provide education on the parent. Permits home education without prior local-authority permission for children not currently enrolled in school; deregistration is required if the child is enrolled.; See also: Schulpflicht
Third-option school (South Carolina): South Carolina homeschool framework under §59-65-47, in which a family enrolls in a state-approved association (such as SCAIHS or Palmetto Independent Education Association) that handles compliance, recordkeeping, and an annual standardized test or evaluation.; See also: affidavit, umbrella school
Umbrella school: Cover school that enrolls homeschool families and assumes recordkeeping, transcript issuance, and state compliance on their behalf. Examples include Tennessee's Category III church-related schools and South Carolina's third-option associations.; See also: affidavit, third-option school

Funding / ESA

ClassWallet: Education-payment platform that processes Education Savings Account purchases and reimbursements in several states including Arizona, Iowa, Utah, and Missouri. Acts as the marketplace and compliance layer between the state and approved vendors.; See also: Empowerment Scholarship Account, ESA, Odyssey
EMA (Education Market Assistant): Step Up For Students proprietary platform used by Florida families enrolled in the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and Personalized Education Program (PEP) to direct ESA funds to approved vendors and reimbursements.; See also: ClassWallet, FES, Odyssey
Empowerment Scholarship Account (Arizona): Arizona Education Savings Account program originally enacted 2011 and expanded to universal eligibility 2022. Provides approximately 90 percent of state per-pupil funding (about $7,000 base, higher for special-needs categories) to families opting out of public school.; See also: ClassWallet, ESA, universal eligibility
ESA (Education Savings Account): State-funded account from which parents pay approved education expenses including private-school tuition, homeschool curriculum, tutoring, and therapy. As of 2026, 19 states operate ESA-style programs at varying eligibility tiers.; See also: ClassWallet, Empowerment Scholarship Account, Odyssey, universal eligibility
FES (Family Empowerment Scholarship, Florida): Florida ESA umbrella that includes the Educational Options (EO) track for private-school tuition and the Personalized Education Program (PEP) track for homeschoolers. Expanded to universal eligibility in 2023 under HB 1.; See also: EMA, ESA, Step Up For Students, universal eligibility
Hope Scholarship (West Virginia): West Virginia ESA enacted 2021 (HB 2013) and ruled constitutional 2022. Provides approximately $5,200 per student in 2025-26 to families opting out of public school, with universal eligibility phasing in by 2026.; See also: ESA, universal eligibility
Odyssey: ESA-administration platform from Merit International that processes Education Savings Account marketplaces and reimbursements in Wyoming, Florida (PEP), and several other states. Competes with ClassWallet for state contracts.; See also: ClassWallet, EMA, ESA
Parental Choice Tax Credit (Oklahoma): Oklahoma refundable income-tax credit enacted 2023 (HB 1934) for private-school and homeschool expenses. Provides up to $1,000 per child for homeschool families and a sliding $5,000 to $7,500 per child for private-school tuition based on household income.; See also: refundable tax credit, ESA
Refundable tax credit: Income-tax provision that returns the credit amount to the filer even when the credit exceeds tax liability, in contrast to a non-refundable credit. Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit and several other state homeschool credits operate as refundable credits.; See also: ESA, Parental Choice Tax Credit
Step Up For Students (Florida): Florida nonprofit scholarship-funding organization founded 2001. Administers the Family Empowerment Scholarship (EO and PEP), the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, and the Hope Scholarship through its EMA platform.; See also: EMA, FES
Students First Act (Iowa): Iowa ESA program enacted 2023 (HF 68) under Governor Kim Reynolds, expanding to universal eligibility for the 2025-26 school year. Provides approximately $7,800 per student in 2025-26 through the ClassWallet platform.; See also: ClassWallet, ESA, universal eligibility
Universal eligibility (ESA): ESA program design in which every school-age child in the state is eligible regardless of income, prior public-school enrollment, or disability category. As of 2026, Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma (via tax credit), and Indiana operate at or near universal eligibility.; See also: Empowerment Scholarship Account, ESA, FES, Students First Act

Testing / Assessment

AP (Advanced Placement): College Board program offering college-level courses and end-of-course exams to high school students. Scores of 3 to 5 (on a 5-point scale) can earn college credit at participating institutions.; See also: CLEP, dual enrollment, SAT
CAT (California Achievement Test): Nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading, language, spelling, and mathematics for grades K through 12. Accepted as the annual standardized test in several portfolio-review states.; See also: IOWA, Stanford 10
CLEP (College-Level Examination Program): College Board program offering 34 exams covering introductory college-level material. Passing scores can earn credit at approximately 2,900 US colleges and universities.; See also: AP, dual enrollment
CLT (Classic Learning Test): College-admissions test launched 2015 by Jeremy Tate, oriented around classical and great-books reading. Accepted by approximately 300 colleges as of 2026, including the Florida State University System for in-state admissions.; See also: ACT, Common App, SAT
Evaluator review: Year-end review of a homeschool student's work by a certified teacher or licensed psychologist, accepted as an alternative to standardized testing in Pennsylvania, Florida, and several other states. The evaluator certifies that appropriate education is occurring.; See also: portfolio review, standardized achievement test
IOWA (Iowa Test of Basic Skills): Nationally normed standardized achievement test for grades K through 12 published by Riverside Insights. Accepted as the annual standardized test in many portfolio-review states; administered by homeschool parents in some states and by approved proctors in others.; See also: CAT, standardized achievement test, Stanford 10
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress): Computer-adaptive interim assessment from NWEA covering reading, language usage, mathematics, and science for grades K through 12. Commonly used by online academies and microschools for progress monitoring.; See also: standardized achievement test, Stanford 10
NCAA Eligibility Center: Office of the National Collegiate Athletic Association that certifies academic eligibility for student-athletes seeking to play Division I or II sports. Maintains a homeschool-specific checklist requiring transcript, course descriptions, and SAT or ACT scores.; See also: SAT, transcript
Portfolio review: Annual review of a homeschool student's work samples by a certified teacher or evaluator, required in Florida (one of five evaluation options), Pennsylvania, Vermont, and several other states. Demonstrates that academic progress occurred during the year.; See also: evaluator review, IHIP
PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment): Pennsylvania's state standardized test for grades 3 through 8 in reading, math, and science. Homeschoolers may sit for the PSSA voluntarily through the local district as one option for the standardized testing requirement in grades 3, 5, and 8.; See also: evaluator review, standardized achievement test
SAT: College Board college-admissions test scored on a 1600-point scale. Required or recommended by many four-year colleges, by the NCAA Eligibility Center, and by some scholarship programs.; See also: ACT, CLT, NCAA Eligibility Center, PSAT
Standardized achievement test: Norm-referenced test that compares a student's performance to a national sample of same-grade peers. Commonly accepted tests for homeschool annual assessment include the IOWA, Stanford 10, CAT, TerraNova, and MAP.; See also: CAT, IOWA, MAP, Stanford 10
Stanford 10 (Stanford Achievement Test, 10th Edition): Nationally normed standardized achievement test for grades K through 12 published by Pearson, accepted in many portfolio-review states. Administered by approved proctors and certified teachers; not parent-administered for accreditation purposes.; See also: CAT, IOWA, standardized achievement test

College / High School

Carnegie unit: Measurement of high-school credit equal to 120 hours of instruction across a school year, or roughly 150 to 180 class periods of 40 to 60 minutes. Most US college admissions count high school credits in Carnegie units.; See also: GPA, transcript
CCP (College Credit Plus, Ohio): Ohio program allowing students in grades 7 through 12, including homeschoolers, to take courses at participating public colleges for both high school and college credit at no tuition cost.; See also: dual enrollment, PSEO, Running Start
Common App: Shared undergraduate admissions application accepted by more than 1,000 US and international colleges. Includes a dedicated section for homeschool applicants to upload parent-issued transcripts and counselor letters.; See also: GPA, transcript
Dual enrollment: Arrangement that allows a high school student to enroll concurrently in college courses, earning both high school and college credit. State-funded variants include CCP (Ohio), PSEO (Minnesota), Running Start (Washington), and Move on When Ready (Georgia).; See also: AP, CCP, Move on When Ready, PSEO, Running Start
GPA (Grade Point Average): Numerical summary of a student's academic record, most commonly on a 4.0 scale. Homeschool parents calculate and report GPA on the parent-issued transcript using a published grading scale and credit weighting.; See also: Carnegie unit, transcript
Move on When Ready (Georgia): Georgia dual-enrollment program allowing high-school students, including homeschoolers, to take credit-bearing courses at public colleges with state funding covering tuition, fees, and books up to program caps.; See also: CCP, dual enrollment, PSEO, Running Start
PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options, Minnesota): Minnesota program allowing students in grades 10 through 12, including homeschoolers, to take college courses with the state paying tuition, fees, and required textbooks for participating public and private institutions.; See also: CCP, dual enrollment, Move on When Ready, Running Start
Running Start (Washington): Washington program allowing students in grades 11 and 12, including homeschoolers, to enroll tuition-free at the state's community and technical colleges for dual high-school and college credit.; See also: CCP, dual enrollment, Move on When Ready, PSEO
Transcript: Document listing a high-school student's courses, credits, grades, and grade point average. For homeschoolers it is parent-issued and accepted by the Common App, the NCAA Eligibility Center, and most US colleges.; See also: Carnegie unit, Common App, GPA

Community / Co-op

Acton Academy: Network of independent microschools founded 2009 in Austin, Texas by Jeff and Laura Sandefer, organized around Socratic discussion, hero-journey framing, and self-paced mastery. Affiliate campuses operate under license.; See also: microschool, Socratic
Co-op: Homeschool cooperative where families meet weekly or biweekly to share teaching, classes, and group activities. Structures range from informal parent-led rotations to fee-charging programs with paid tutors.; See also: Classical Conversations, hybrid, microschool
Hybrid school: School model in which students attend a campus two or three days per week and homeschool the remaining days, with the family receiving lesson plans for at-home work. Examples include Veritas Press Scholars Academy partner schools and many university-model schools.; See also: co-op, microschool, university-model school
Microschool: Small private or homeschool-adjacent school enrolling typically 5 to 25 students. Variants include Acton Academy affiliates, Prenda learning pods, and Wildflower Montessori schools.; See also: Acton Academy, co-op, hybrid school
Schole Sisters: Network of mother-led classical-Christian study groups affiliated with the Schole Sisters podcast and conference. Local groups meet to discuss great-books readings, develop teacher knowledge, and practice the contemplative classical posture.; See also: Charlotte Mason, co-op, schole
University-model school: School format in which students attend classes on a campus two or three days per week and complete teacher-assigned work at home on alternate days. Coordinated nationally by the National Association of University-Model Schools (NAUMS).; See also: co-op, hybrid school, microschool

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The glossary grows with reader submissions.

Send the term, a one-paragraph definition, and a primary source URL to editor@everyhomeschool.com. Editorial review within three business days.