NH Homeschool Required Subjects: What New Hampshire Law Actually Mandates

One of the first questions families ask when they start homeschooling in New Hampshire is whether the state dictates what subjects their children must study. The answer is yes — but the requirement is far less prescriptive than most families expect, and understanding the exact wording matters.

New Hampshire requires that home education cover certain subject areas over the course of a child's total education. Not every year. Not in a specific sequence. Not for a minimum number of hours. Over the educational career as a whole.

Here is what the law says and what it means in practice.

The Required Subjects Under RSA 193-A

RSA 193-A, New Hampshire's home education statute, specifies a list of subjects that must be addressed over the course of a child's home education program. The list includes:

• Science
• Mathematics
• Language (which encompasses reading, writing, spelling, and oral expression)
• Government and citizenship (including the U.S. and New Hampshire constitutions)
• United States and New Hampshire history
• Health education
• Reading (explicitly listed as part of the language arts cluster)
• Writing
• Spelling
• Art appreciation
• Music appreciation

Several of these overlap — reading, writing, and spelling are both standalone items and components of the broader language requirement. The statute groups them together rather than treating them as separate discrete disciplines, which is how most families naturally approach language arts instruction anyway.

The Key Qualifier: Over the Educational Career, Not Every Year

This is the part that trips up many families who read a summary of NH homeschool law without reading the actual statute: the required subjects must be covered over the total course of a child's home education, not necessarily during every school year.

What this means in practice is significant. A family that spends a year focused heavily on mathematics and science, with lighter attention to art appreciation or music, is not in violation of the law — as long as those subjects receive meaningful attention somewhere in the child's overall educational experience. A family doing a deep history-centered curriculum year will cover constitutions and government in that context without needing to also run a separate government class simultaneously.

There is no annual subject checklist to submit, no minimum hours per subject per year, and no requirement to demonstrate subject-by-subject coverage in any given portfolio review. The portfolio is meant to show general educational activity, not prove that every subject was addressed every week.

No Required Hours or Instructional Days

New Hampshire law does not impose a minimum number of instructional days or hours, for any subject or in aggregate. There is no 180-day school year requirement. Ed 315 — the administrative rules that implement RSA 193-A — explicitly clarifies that home education programs operate independently of the public school district calendar.

This means families can:

• School year-round on a 4-day week without "making up" days
• Take extended breaks for family travel, illness, or seasonal rhythms
• Operate on a block schedule that covers fewer subjects more intensively at a time
• Use interest-led learning that touches subjects organically rather than discretely

None of these approaches violate the required subjects provision as long as the full list is addressed across the child's educational career.

What "Art Appreciation" and "Music Appreciation" Mean

These two requirements sometimes raise questions because they sound like formal coursework. In practice, they do not require purchasing a dedicated curriculum, hiring an instructor, or producing artistic work. Appreciation at its most basic means exposure and engagement — listening to music, discussing it, attending concerts, visiting art museums or galleries, examining reproductions, learning the names of composers or artists, and similar activities.

Many families satisfy these requirements entirely through normal family life: listening to classical music, visiting museums on field trips, watching documentaries about artists or composers, or working through a library book on art history. There is no test on this material and no minimum level of formal instruction required.

Government, History, and the Constitutions

The government requirement is somewhat more specific than the others in one respect: it explicitly calls for coverage of both the U.S. Constitution and the New Hampshire Constitution. Most families address the U.S. Constitution through standard American history or civics instruction. The NH Constitution is less commonly covered in off-the-shelf curricula, so families should make a deliberate note to include it — even a single unit or a read-through with discussion satisfies the spirit of the requirement.

NH history is also explicitly required. This, too, can be addressed with a single focused unit or integrated into broader American history instruction by including New Hampshire-specific content: the state's colonial history, its role in the Revolution (NH was the first colony to declare independence from British governance), the Granite State's political traditions, and its geography and economy.

Health Education

Health education under RSA 193-A is not limited to anatomy or hygiene. It encompasses physical health, nutrition, safety, and related topics. Again, the statute does not specify a curriculum or a minimum instructional time. Families using any mainstream curriculum typically encounter health topics as a natural part of science instruction; others address it through dedicated materials or through practical life skills education.

Annual Assessment and Subject Coverage

RSA 193-A requires an annual assessment of the child's academic progress, but this assessment is not a subject-by-subject audit. Parents choose from several acceptable assessment methods under Ed 315: standardized tests, evaluation by a certified teacher, portfolio review, or other methods acceptable to the participating agency.

A portfolio review conducted by a certified teacher is a common choice for families who want a human evaluation rather than a standardized test. The teacher reviews the portfolio for evidence of educational activity — they are not checking a box for each required subject, but rather evaluating whether the child is progressing academically in a reasonable way.

Standardized tests cover the academic areas they cover; they do not test art appreciation or music appreciation, and no one expects them to. Families who choose that route are demonstrating academic progress in core academic areas, which is the substantive concern of the assessment requirement.

If you are in the process of withdrawing from public school to begin homeschooling and want a complete walkthrough of the NH notification process — including the participating agency choice, the forms, and how to handle district pushback — the New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers every step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to cover every required subject every year? No. The required subjects must be addressed over the course of your child's total home education career, not within each school year. The statute does not impose an annual subject-by-subject requirement.

Is there a specific curriculum I must use to cover these subjects? No. New Hampshire does not mandate or recommend any particular curriculum. You may use commercial curricula, library books, online courses, hands-on projects, or any combination of approaches.

What if my child has a learning disability and cannot meaningfully engage with one of the required subjects? RSA 193-A does not contain specific provisions for modified requirements based on disability, but the law's flexibility — in terms of no minimum hours, no specific method, and no annual verification — means families can address subjects at whatever level and pace is appropriate for their child. Families with children who have IEPs or significant learning differences sometimes work with a participating private school that can document the child's program in a supportive way.

Does art appreciation require actual art instruction, like drawing or painting? No. Appreciation, as the statute uses the term, means exposure and engagement with art as a subject — not production. Visits to museums, study of art history, and discussion of artworks all satisfy the requirement. Actual studio instruction is a bonus, not a mandate.

Where can I find the exact statutory language? RSA 193-A is publicly available through the NH General Court website. Ed 315 is available through the NH Department of Education's administrative rules portal. Reading both documents — the statute and the implementing rules — gives you the complete legal picture without relying on summaries that may be outdated.

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