Colorado Homeschool Required Subjects and Curriculum Requirements

One of the first questions new Colorado homeschoolers ask is: "Do I have to teach specific subjects?" The short answer is yes — but the list is shorter than most people expect, and Colorado gives you complete freedom in how you teach them.

Here's what the law actually requires under CRS §22-33-104.5.

Required Subjects Under Colorado Law

Colorado mandates instruction in the following subjects:

• Communication skills (reading, writing, and speaking)
• Mathematics
• History
• Civics
• Literature
• Science

For high school students only: The US Constitution must also be covered. Colorado requires study of the Constitution as part of the high school curriculum — this can be integrated into history, government, or civics rather than taught as a standalone course.

That's the complete list. Colorado does not require physical education, foreign languages, arts, music, health, or technology as standalone subjects, though many families include all of these. The state also does not specify how much time to spend on each subject, which curriculum to use, or how to assess understanding within the year.

What "Instruction" Means in Practice

Colorado law doesn't define "instruction" narrowly. You can use:

• A boxed curriculum with daily lessons
• Online courses and video-based learning
• Unit studies that integrate multiple subjects
• Living books and interest-led learning
• Tutors, co-ops, or outside classes
• Unschooling approaches, as long as the required subjects are touched during the year

The only constraint is the 172 days / 688 hours requirement (see the attendance tracking post for details). Whether you use Saxon Math or teach math through cooking and budgeting, Colorado is neutral on method.

Who Must Provide the Instruction

This is a requirement that surprises some families: under CRS §22-33-104.5, an adult relative of the child must provide at least 51% of the instruction. The law doesn't require a teaching certificate, a college degree, or any specific qualification. It just requires that the majority of instruction come from a relative — defined broadly as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative.

This means you cannot fully outsource your homeschool. A child enrolled in 100% online courses or attending a full-time co-op where non-relatives provide all instruction doesn't meet this requirement. In practice, most families naturally exceed the 51% threshold without thinking about it. But if you're building a schedule that leans heavily on outside instruction, keep this requirement in mind.

Compulsory Age Range

Colorado's compulsory attendance law covers children who turn 6 by August 1 of the school year through age 17. A child who turns 6 after August 1 is technically not compulsory-age until the following school year, though many families start formal instruction earlier.

Once a student turns 16, the NOI requirement drops away — they're no longer covered by compulsory attendance law. Most families continue filing through graduation, but it's legally optional after age 16.

Curriculum Choice Is Yours

Colorado does not have an approved curriculum list, and there is no curriculum approval process. You do not submit your curriculum to the district for review. You choose what to use, change it whenever you want, and are not required to report what you're using.

This flexibility is one of Colorado's genuine strengths as a homeschool state. A family using Sonlight, a family using Khan Academy and library books, and a family doing structured Charlotte Mason all meet the same legal requirements.

The caveat is the standardized testing requirement at grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Your child will eventually be assessed on nationally normed content, so whatever curriculum approach you use, it's worth periodically checking whether your child is familiar with the style of questions they'll encounter on testing years.

What Colorado Does Not Require

Just as important as knowing what's required is knowing what isn't:

• No curriculum approval or submission
• No teacher certification for parents
• No annual progress reports to the district
• No portfolio submissions
• No district review of your instruction
• No minimum grade requirements within the year (only the 13th percentile testing threshold applies)

Districts sometimes send forms asking for curriculum information or annual plans. You are not required by law to provide this information. Many families comply with district requests to maintain a cooperative relationship; others politely decline anything beyond the legal minimum. Both approaches are valid.

Putting It Together

The subject requirements are a starting point, not a straightjacket. Most Colorado homeschoolers find that their natural curriculum choices already cover all six required areas — the law's purpose is to establish a floor of educational content, not to prescribe a particular approach.

The Colorado Portfolio & Assessment Templates include a subject coverage tracker that maps your curriculum choices to Colorado's required areas, making it easy to confirm you've covered all bases at the end of each school year without extra documentation work.

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