Where Do I Start With Homeschooling a 6th Grader Around Broken Bow or Idabel?

Oklahoma is one of the easiest states to homeschool in. The state constitution allows schooling by other means, and the Attorney General has said a parent can teach at home without a certified teacher, as long as it's done in good faith and is comparable to what the public school teaches.

The State Department of Education's guidelines, which are recommendations rather than law, are: notify the principal of your school that you're homeschooling, keep to about 180 days a year (around six hours a day, as fits the child's age), follow a defined curriculum, and keep track of academic progress.

A simple folder of finished work, a reading list and a calendar of school days is enough for most families, and it helps if your child ever goes back to public school.

There's no required curriculum, so you can buy a full boxed curriculum, use an online program, or put together your own. A good free checklist is the Oklahoma Academic Standards for 6th grade, posted on the State Department of Education website, which shows what public school 6th graders cover in each subject.

If your child might go back to public school later, know that the school will give a standardized test when they return and can use the results for grade placement. Keeping work samples makes that easier.

Want curriculum and teachers provided at no cost? A statewide virtual charter school is another option, but that's enrolling in a public school that happens to be online, not homeschooling, so the school sets the lessons and testing.

Both libraries are part of the Southeastern Public Library System of Oklahoma, and a card is free. You get books, e-books and audiobooks, public computers and Wi-Fi, printing and copying, which covers a lot of homeschool needs.

Broken Bow Public Library is at 404 N Broadway, open Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 6 PM, Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 2. Call (866) 218-6582.

Idabel Public Library at 103 E Main St runs free programs that work well for homeschoolers, including Craft-Tech Connect STEM sessions for kids and teens and a chess club. Call (580) 286-6406 or check the events below.

The Oklahoma Christian Home Educators' Consociation (OCHEC) has helped Oklahoma homeschool families since 1982. It has getting-started help, a directory of regional support groups, field trips and the biggest homeschool convention in the state each year.

McCurtain County 4-H is open to all kids ages 8 to 19 who live in McCurtain County, and it's a great way for a homeschooled 6th grader to do projects, contests and meet other kids. Call the OSU Extension office in Idabel at (580) 286-7558 to find a club.

To find a local co-op, ask at the library desk, at your church, or at the Extension office about homeschool families who meet nearby.

Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit includes a refundable credit of up to $1,000 per homeschooled student for qualified expenses, like tuition for non-public online learning programs and academic tutoring. It's run by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, and the homeschool money is capped statewide.

The legislature changed the program in 2026, so check the Tax Commission's Parental Choice Tax Credit page for the current amount, the application dates and the full list of expenses, and keep your receipts.

The Museum of the Red River in Idabel is free and open Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 10 to 3. The free Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park covers forest and timber history, and Wheelock Academy near Garvin is a Choctaw school that opened in 1832.

Our Hochatown history guide has hours and phone numbers for all three.

This map shows cabins and vacation rentals around Broken Bow with prices. Add your dates to see what's open.