school or extracurricular activty?

[BlooBird]

I am new to homeschooling and I want to make sure I am doing it right.

I am wondering how you interpret this part of the law...

115.001(3g)       
(3g) Home-based private educational program. "Home-based private educational program" means a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child's parent or guardian or by a person designated by the parent or guardian. An instructional program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based private educational program


I take that to mean that things like group activities, sunday school, and scouts can not be counted toward your homeschool required hours.  Yet many homeschool parents I meet in wisconsin use these things for many of their hours.

Is there something I am missing in the meaning of this law?

Can we or can we not use group activities or lessons for homeschooling?

Thanks! 

[hjfern]

No, that is not correct.  What that means is that you can't get together with a bunch of other home school families - or people who want their kids homeschooled but don't want or can't do it themselves, and start a mini-school, homeschooling other people's kids too.  You can only home school YOUR OWN CHILDREN.

Actually, WI law states that home schoolers are very much allowed to participate in extracurriculars, including taking a few classes at the local public school if they so desire.  I know many people who do this as we speak.  And yes - most definitely these are all considered hours counted toward home school credit.

[sophiebelle]

I think the other to keep in mind is what you consider school.  Maybe school for you is the number of hours you are at the kitchen table immersed in book studies or the time your kids spend on the computer working on assignments or whatever.  But some people consider other things to be school--like play, meal prep., etc...  I do participate in a weekly co-op and I do count it as school.   However, I don't drop my kids off.  I stay and we truly co-op so that means that although I am helping to teach other kids, I am also teaching my own and the moms of the other kids are there teaching my kids and their own kids too.  
I do think the previous poster had it right in terms of the spirit of the law--WI just doesn't want you to open your home to the kids in the neighborhood and teach them without having their parents involved or offer to teach your sister's kids or something like that.