Minnesota Homeschool Required Subjects: The 10-Subject Rule Explained

Minnesota specifies exactly which subjects homeschooled students must cover — and stops there. No required curriculum. No mandated textbooks. No minimum hours per subject. What the state controls is the list of topics; how you cover them is entirely your call.

The 10 Required Subjects

Minnesota Statutes §120A.22, Subdivision 9 lists the required areas of instruction for homeschooled students (operating as nonpublic schools). All 10 must be covered:

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Literature
4. Fine arts
5. Mathematics
6. Science
7. Social studies (history, geography)
8. Health
9. Physical education
10. Government (including US and Minnesota government)

This list applies to students ages 7 through 17. There is no statutory distinction between elementary, middle, and high school — the same 10 subjects apply across the full compulsory window.

What "Required" Actually Means

The statute requires that you provide instruction in each subject. It does not require:

• A specific curriculum or publisher
• A minimum number of hours or days per subject
• A formal assessment in each subject (beyond annual standardized testing)
• Any kind of subject-by-subject reporting to the district

When you file your annual report (the October 1 Letter of Intent), you include a statement that instruction will cover the 10 required subjects. You are not required to describe how you'll cover them, what materials you'll use, or how much time each will receive. You affirm coverage; the specifics remain your business.

How Families Document Subject Coverage

Even though detailed documentation isn't submitted to the district, maintaining your own records is worth doing — particularly for the annual standardized testing requirement and any future inquiries. The most common approaches:

Subject log: A simple document noting which activities, materials, or projects covered which subjects during the year. An hour of gardening can reasonably document science, math (measurement), and health. A read-aloud can cover literature and writing discussion. You don't need an elaborate tracking system; you need something coherent.

Portfolio: A collection of work samples, dated and labeled by subject. This serves dual purpose — it satisfies the "what are they learning" question and creates a record useful for college applications or PSEO enrollment.

Course list: For high school students, a formal course list that maps each completed course to one or more of the 10 subjects. This becomes the foundation of a transcript.

The Minnesota Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes a 10-subject compliance matrix that makes it straightforward to track coverage across a year without building a system from scratch.

The "Fine Arts" and "Health" Edge Cases

Two subjects generate the most questions from new homeschool families:

Fine arts covers a broad range: visual art, music, theater, dance. There is no requirement that this involve formal instruction. A family that regularly visits art museums, learns an instrument at home, or participates in community theater is covering fine arts. The law requires exposure to the subject area, not mastery.

Health overlaps substantially with science and physical education in most homeschool curricula. Human biology, nutrition, mental health literacy, first aid — all of these count. A health unit embedded in a science curriculum satisfies the requirement; it doesn't need to be a standalone health course.

Government is perhaps the most specific: the statute requires coverage of "the United States Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution, and Minnesota government." This comes up at the high school level especially. A US history or civics unit that touches on constitutional principles and Minnesota's governance structure covers this requirement.

Can One Course Satisfy Multiple Subjects?

Yes. Minnesota law requires subject coverage, not subject isolation. A unit on the American Revolution can simultaneously cover history (social studies), government, literature (primary source documents), and writing. A science-through-nature approach can integrate geography, health, and PE. Integrated, project-based, and Charlotte Mason approaches all satisfy the statute — the law doesn't care about course structure, only about whether the subject areas are addressed.

This flexibility is one reason Minnesota's homeschool law, despite having a subject list, is considered reasonably family-friendly. You're not teaching to a scope-and-sequence mandated by the state. You're providing instruction that touches each area in ways that make sense for your family.

Annual Standardized Testing Is Separate From Subject Compliance

Minnesota requires annual standardized testing for homeschooled students ages 7–17. This is a separate requirement from subject coverage — not a way to verify subject compliance. The tests measure general achievement (reading, math) rather than whether a student covered all 10 subjects.

The testing threshold is the 30th percentile. Scoring below it doesn't automatically trigger enforcement, but it can prompt the district to request a review. Maintaining year-round documentation of subject coverage is what protects families if a review occurs.

One exemption: students enrolled in an HBEAA-accredited homeschool program are exempt from the standardized testing requirement. HBEAA accreditation costs roughly $450 per year and involves curriculum review and recordkeeping standards.

What Happens If a District Asks for More

Districts occasionally request curriculum lists, textbook titles, or daily schedules alongside the annual report. None of this is required under §120A.22. The statute specifies what your annual notification must include — and detailed curriculum information isn't on that list.

If your district sends a form asking for information beyond what the statute requires, you are not obligated to complete it. You can submit your own letter covering the five statutory elements (names and ages of children, subjects to be covered, instructor qualifications, curriculum statement, immunization documentation) and note that you're filing pursuant to §120A.22.

This isn't adversarial — it's simply accurate. Most districts accept proper notifications without issue. But knowing the boundaries of what the law actually requires prevents you from voluntarily disclosing information that creates unnecessary oversight.

Minnesota's 10-subject requirement is less restrictive than it sounds once you understand what "coverage" means in practice. The flexibility in method, curriculum, and structure gives families genuine latitude — the statute sets the subject map, but you draw your own route.

See more United States homeschool guides →