Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not see the answer to your question below, contact Customer Service by either sending an email to CustomerService@theoldschoolhouse.com or calling 1-888-718-HOME (4663). As always, you can chat with us by clicking the Customer Support box at the bottom of the page.

interactive.SchoolhouseTeachers.com

“iST” stands for “Interactive.SchoolhouseTeachers.com.” The word interactive implies direct engagement and input from the user. Interactive.SchoolhouseTeachers.com provides an interactive, online experience for SchoolhouseTeachers.com members. Courses that have been made interactive still provide the same amazing content found in SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses but in a new, dynamic format. With Interactive.SchoolhouseTeachers.com lessons, students read the content, observe captivating images, watch videos, complete learning activities, and work through the course all within the website. Exercises range from basic multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank type questions to memory games and other picture activities that provide immediate feedback. Interactive.SchoolhouseTeachers.com provides an environment where children can thrive as active learners.
The following brief video explains logging in, enrolling in iST courses, and viewing your student’s iST gradebook: Teacher Video/Student Video. The same information is available in print version within the iST User Handbook: User Handbook.
Image sliders, drag and drop, hotspots, and exportable text are just a few of the dynamic activity types included in iST courses. Learn how to complete each common type of interactive exercise by viewing this video: Interactive Activities Video. The same information is available in print version within the iST User Handbook: User Handbook.

General Questions

Welcome Schoolhouse Families! Watch a video tour from Gena Suarez showing an overview of SchoolhouseTeachers.com and the ST Communities.
Almost all of our videos can be streamed everywhere in the world. A handful of content (mostly children's animated specials) are limited to North American locations only. So if you have a strong WiFi connection, you should be fine. If the connection is terribly slow or intermittent, there could be problems playing the videos or interruptions while you're watching them.
Our courses are not accredited by any agency. Only a school can be accredited. On our site, parents reserve the right to choose what their child learns; we are not an accreditation agency making each course fit inside boundaries.
We have a page just for high school students and their parents! This page has been especially designed for parents of high school students! You will find encouragement, planners, free printables, eBooks and valuable links to other pages on our site. You can check out our high school tutorial to help you get started. There are numerous recordkeeping resources available to our members. You can find a list of classes that can be used for high school credits here.

Everything on our site is self-paced and up to the parent (which classes to choose, what work needs to be done, etc.). Though we we don't have classes specifically marked as being for children with special needs, parents are free to adapt any class anyway they like in order to make it work for their students. And they can even change classes as needed. They aren't locked into one routine or schedule. Many resources have been put on one page just for you in our Special Needs Focused Learning Center.

We have access to eight of the World Book libraries from our site: Early Learning, Kids, Student, Advanced, eBooks, Timelines, Discover, and Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos (Spanish K–4th grade library). As a member, your family has access to all the content in all of those, and you could use it in addition to the SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses or just for family learning. A few of our lessons point kids to specific articles in the content to read. The rest is simply there to enjoy and enrich your school day. For example, there are science experiments, learning games and activities, short videos on select topics, history with primary sources lessons, research helps, and a lot of other great features. You can find out more about the World Book resources here.

No, The Old Schoolhouse® and SchoolhouseTeachers.com are not aligned with Common Core Standards. SchoolhouseTeachers.com has always worked to set the highest standards for homeschool families and provide the needed resources for all of our students to successfully achieve them. As a result, we have not changed any of our classes to align with Common Core, and we believe our classes exceed those standards—which are often confusing and sometimes inappropriate. We believe each child should work at his or her own pace and continue to progress to reach the highest potential possible, without regard to changing fads or stressful testing methods. SchoolhouseTeachers.com helps parents provide just such an individualized education for their children.

No, additional textbook purchases are not required. However, many of our lessons refer to books that are often readily available through the library.

Homeschooling FAQS

DIY Education = Homeschooling

DIY has become a way of life for some folks. From landscaping to minor home repair, there are entire websites and even TV networks dedicated to encouraging people to do it themselves. But what about teaching your children? Could you do that yourself? Today, an estimated 2-3 million children are taught by their parents at home. The reasons range from wanting to provide individualized instruction that builds on a child’s strengths and interests, to health issues or special needs, to avoiding school violence, increasing family time, and many more. One big reason is that the public schools are rapidly descending to an agenda far away from Christian principles. DIY Education happens when you take what you have and put your own brand on it.

In the 1970s, a few courageous parents decided to DIY their children’s education. There weren’t a lot of resources available back then, but with ingenuity and determination, they successfully taught their kids. Today, that generation of homeschoolers is all grown up, and the resources available for them to teach their own children have vastly increased. There are complete boxed curricula, online courses, DVDs, homeschool co-ops, homeschool magazines, and hundreds of companies that cater directly to the needs, learning styles, and varying interests of students and their parents. When you start to think outside the “box,” you’ll see that you really can educate your kids yourself.

So, when it comes to your child’s education, there’s no reason you can’t Do It Yourself, especially since it’s completely legal to do so in all 50 states. And with an estimated 2.5 million children currently being home educated in this country, an enormous homeschooling community is standing by to help. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is one such resource of support: it’s the curriculum site of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the trade magazine for homeschool families. Now is the time to bring your kids home, and we’re glad you’re here. Come explore homeschooling!

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” Luke 6:40.

If you’re looking to homeschool one or more of your children, your first stop should be the website of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA.org) where you can check out legal requirements for your state. Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, but there are different requirements in each state. For example, South Dakota requires parents to fill out an annual exemption form, do standardized testing in certain grades, and teach at a minimum the topics of “language arts and math” for “an equivalent amount of time” as the public school. If you are planning to withdraw your student from public school after the school year has already started, you should certainly join HSLDA and follow their instructions. While withdrawing during the school year is legal, you must make certain to follow the correct notification process so you aren’t accused of truancy. HSLDA keeps an eye on state and national bills that may affect homeschooling and advocates on behalf of its members if they ever come into conflict with local school districts, which unfortunately still happens on occasion. Your peace of mind and legal support is well worth the $10-12 month that a membership costs.
We are a curriculum site that provides a wide variety of choices for your family. We have developed a Scope and Sequence that lists the academic goals traditionally held for each grade level and where to find that information on SchoolhouseTeachers.com as well as areas where you may wish to supplement.
Unlike the days when parents had to pull together a curriculum from whatever resources they could find, today’s parents are blessed with many resources to choose from. Textbook companies now offer complete boxed curriculum by grade level (with optional DVDs) designed for homeschoolers, such as Abeka and Saxon. Companies such as Veritas Press, Memoria Press, and Classical Conversations (CC) offer products that follow the Classical style, with CC having weekly co-ops for students to meet together one day per week. Memoria Press and Veritas Press also offer select online courses in addition to their independent homeschool courses. Sonlight and Living Books Curriculum follow the Charlotte Mason method and provide books you can purchase individually or with detailed lesson plans based on grade level. Another possibility is www.SchoolhouseTeachers.com. It’s an online one-stop resource that can be used for your entire family at one low monthly price. You don’t have to purchase additional books, just access online and print off what is needed for the lessons your child needs to do. Many families use this as their sole curriculum, but it can also be used to supplement other programs. Members have access to almost three hundred courses (preschool through 12th grade), from core subjects like math, science, history, and language arts, to classes like computer programming, Shakespeare, foreign language, fitness, and even filmmaking. Take a look at all the courses by visiting our All Courses directory. Cathy Duffy’s http://cathyduffyreviews.com/ has hundreds of curriculum reviews and even an online tool to help you choose books that fit your style and meet your children’s needs. Your public library most likely has a section with books on homeschooling that could also help direct you to the style or curriculum that would work for you. And don’t forget, some people homeschool using library books almost exclusively! Talk with homeschool parents in your area, or online, and find out what has worked, or not worked, for them. The biggest thing to remember is that if you find yourself or your child frustrated with a particular curriculum, you don’t have to stick with it! Don’t torture yourself or your kids with a book you don’t like. Sell it or pass it on to a friend. Someone else may like it just fine.
There are many different styles of homeschooling. You will likely find a style that fits your family’s needs, or you may decide on a blend of two or more styles. In some families, you may see that one style works great for one child, but another child responds better to a different style. Knowing your particular style is not required to homeschool, but it can help narrow your search for curriculum and provide structure as you are becoming more comfortable with homeschooling. Just remember that if you start with one style, you are not bound to stay with it forever. The beauty of homeschooling is that you are free to adjust to the varying needs and interests of your children. Below are some of the styles to research further:
  • Charlotte Mason: Based on a method introduced by nineteenth-century educator Charlotte Mason, this approach includes nature studies, journaling, narration, and living books.
  • Classical: Based on Dorothy Sayers’ The Lost Tools of Learning, in which child development is broken up into three “stages” of learning commonly called “the Trivium.”
  • Delight Directed: This puts the learning in the hands of the child based on his or her interests. Parents help facilitate this type of learning with appropriate instructional materials.
  • Eclectic: A mix of philosophies and curricula to accommodate each child’s abilities and interests. Parents choose from any method or style only those components that fit their specific needs.
  • The Principle Approach: An approach based on the principles of our Founding Fathers and an emphasis on God’s Word as the basis for every subject.
  • Traditional Textbook: Normally uses a full-range, packaged, textbook-type curriculum that also may include a scope and sequence, testing, and recordkeeping.
  • Unit Studies: All, or most, important subjects are covered while studying any one topic or unit of study, using a variety of resources and supplemental activities.
  • Unschooling: A relaxed setting where learning is directed by the child. Parts of this philosophy are based on research by John Taylor Gatto and John Holt.

There are many blogs and websites that focus on homeschooling families. One such site is TryHomeschooling.com, where you can download articles on organizing your homeschool, issuing report cards, creating high school transcripts, keeping a portfolio, dealing with special needs, and much more. The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is considered the “trade magazine” for homeschool families and is available for free online at www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com. It provides dozens of encouraging and valuable homeschool articles with each issue.

 

Almost every state has annual homeschool conventions where vendors, speakers, and parents get together to swap books, ideas, and encouragement. Search “homeschool convention [your state]” online.

Many states also have state-level homeschool organizations that can offer guidance on state laws, direct you to local support groups (sometimes called co-ops), and advocate on behalf of homeschoolers in your state legislature.

Even if your state doesn’t have an overall homeschool organization, small independent groups can be found within driving distance of just about every family in the country. Our local all-volunteer group serves a wide range of families from up to an hour away. We have field trips, “Friday Classes,” holiday parties, and public service events. Many of our members found us via our Facebook® page or a Google® search.

SchoolhouseConnect.com, HomeschoolNowUSA.com. and hslda.org may also help direct you to local homeschool organizations and events near you.

You can also find some information on different speakers here: homeschoolspeakers.com.

 

Membership FAQS

Our business hours are Mondays-Fridays 9am-5pm EST. If you’re unable to access your membership outside of these hours, you can still leave a message through our online chat or email us at customerservice@theoldschoolhouse.com, and we’ll get back with you in 24-48 hours.

Go to your Member Dashboard and click on the "Getting Started" tab for more information.
We look at this as a family membership. Anyone living in your home may use the program 24/7. You don’t need a separate subscription for each child you’re educating; the entire package will have such versatility that it should meet many or all of your children’s needs.

Please remember that your SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership is for your immediate family's use.

If you would like to use or present our materials in a group or co-op setting, we ask that each participating family purchase their own account if they haven't already, which will also give them access to other SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses. The Ultimate Quarterly membership is especially useful for co-ops, since it works well with the typical co-op schedule. Joining one of our Schoolhouse programs may interest you also. More information on that can be found here: https://schoolhouseteachers.com/church-schoolhouse-co-ops/.

One of our staff members is set up to help you do just that. Contact customer service at customerservice@theoldschoolhouse.com for details.
Yes, you may cancel at any time. Please contact Cancel@SchoolhouseTeachers.com to cancel the payments. You can also click the chat button in the bottom right of your screen to cancel with a chat representative. (FYI: Current members are locked in at their current rate as long as they keep their membership. We would hate for you to cancel it now and decide later to come back and have to pay more.)
You can easily find the expiration date of your subscription on the Account Information tab in your Member Dashboard. Can't find the Member Dashboard? Find the Member Dashboard link in red at the top of the page. If you have any questions, please contact customer service at CustomerService@TheOldSchoolhouse.com or drop us a note in the chat box.
All Schoolhouse Teachers members have access to a whole collection of recordkeeping resources, including a free Silver membership to Applecore for course tracking, grade reporting, attendance tracking, and more.

Technical Questions

SchoolhouseTeachers.com has no specific system requirements. We suggest Chrome and Firefox as the best browsers for accessing the website. The site can be accessed on computers, tablets, and mobile devices. This includes Chromebooks and Kindle devices.
If a video isn’t playing, check for any ad or pop-up blockers that may be on your device. System updates may change the settings, so be sure that Vimeo is allowed. Try a different browser, if possible. If any issues continue, please reach out to Customer Service and we’ll check to be sure the video is functioning correctly on the website.
Check to be sure your password is correct. If your password was updated recently, try refreshing the page before logging in. Use the Forgot Password link to receive a reset email. This email may go into your spam folder Contact Customer Service for any ongoing issues.
Check your browser. Chrome and Firefox work best for the SchoolhouseTeachers.com website, as well as for RightNow Media and World Book. Is the browser up to date? Has there been an update recently that may have altered settings? Is ST.com on your virus protection white list? Is there an ad blocker installed?
Please contact Customer Service with any ongoing issues. We may ask for a screenshot of what you are seeing, so that we can see what you are looking at from your end. Knowing the specifics of what is causing the problem helps us to more quickly and effectively check into your questions and resolve the issue. Please take note of the course title, lesson name, PDF title and page number, and/or video title. If you have that information ready when you contact us, it will be greatly appreciated.