Frequently Asked Questions

K-12 in all subject areas.

Our learning model utilizes the research supported practices of project-based learning, choice/quest based learning, and literature based learning. Currently, we are using Portals original content, Sonlight, Berean Builders, Apologia, and Math-U-See as our primary curriculum resources. These curriculum resources were selected with regards to the following criteria: Christian faith - No matter what discipline, the search for Truth is a search to understand God’s Word, God’s Creation, God’s Plan, and God’s Will. We study tough issues and other perspectives openly, and without fear, alongside the wisdom God has given us. Free market proven - Curriculum is established and has proven successful over time within the marketplace. Multi-age integration - Curriculum written with a topical approach that allows for multiple ages to study and work together.

We include all classes expected of typical entrance qualification. Colleges generally require a specific number of years in particular subject areas and Portals will match or exceed each. You can view the Portals Scope & Sequence on the "Scope of Learning" page of the website. We also support and encourage high school students to begin taking college level courses when ready, so they have a proven track record with college courses. This along with standardized test scores are sufficient for admission to higher education institutions. Portals has partnered with Crown College to offer high school junior and seniors college dual enrollment options. Students must apply to be considered. In regards to accreditation, Portals is built on the premise that parents and school administrators are the final ‘accreditor’ of education. National and/or State accreditation has not produced viable schooling systems for our children. Current government requirements are at times contrary to our beliefs and expectations for a robust and reason-based education. We see secular accreditation processes as a tool for government control of learning and part of the problem with government schools. Accreditation is a non-system to enforce worldview and compliance without popular vote or public discourse. Accreditation assumes that the accreditors matter, with school choice options outperforming public schools consistently, state accreditations simply don't matter as much as they may have in the past. See https://www.masterygenius.com/homeschooling/how-do-homeschoolers-get-into-college/

Yes! Portals is committed to the core tenets of the Christian faith and we are passionate about teaching the Gospel and modeling what it looks like to have a personal relationship with Christ. Our curriculum resources are chosen with respect to the worldview. We are non-denominational and willing to work with any families and churches that share our core beliefs. See Portal’s Beliefs to learn more.

Yes! The Portals team members are all committed Christians. Site instructors and staff are required to be professing Christians and agree to our Statement of Faith. However, being a Christian is not a requirement of registering and using our resources.

We value all areas of learning that allow our students to gain knowledge about God, the world and themselves. We want to give our students the opportunity to develop skills in areas outside the essential subjects and glorify God through their exploration and mastery. Therefore, we fully integrate art and stem into our projects and activities and will continue to add resources and options as we grow. Review our Project Planning Guide on the Project Integration page of our website. For families that want to emphasize an area of interest or study that is beyond the projects included in the Portals curriculum, we encourage you to do so! Portals is flexible enough in scope and time for you to be able to incorporate additional learning.

Portals resources are delivered through an online educator dashboard. You will need at least one computer and access to the internet to use these resources effectively. The lesson plans typically include links to online resources that your student(s) may need to access for supplemental learning. For this reason, it is recommended that you also have a computer available for your student(s) to use.

Ultimately, the amount of time spent on digital platforms will be determined by the educator. The desire and goal of Portals is to prepare students for a tech savvy world, so we do suggest exposure and opportunities to develop technology based skills as students advance through our program. The total amount of time spent online depends largely on the age group and the project they are working on. We don’t support technology being used for it's own sake though, so any tools or materials that are not enhanced by being online will be provided offline as well.

Portals includes 144 days of lesson plans and 36 days open for exploration and extension of learning through activities such as field trips, projects, guest speakers, internships, and community and ministry opportunities. This covers a typical 180 day school year, however, you are welcome to set your own pace and progress through the lesson plans as it's best for you and your student(s). Lesson plans for the upcoming year are published each summer in July.

One of the most significant barriers to parents having their children attend a non-public school is the tuition. One of Portals’ founding goals is to provide a high-quality Christian education option to students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. Through scholarships, fundraising, and resource trading Portals ensures that no child will be turned away due to finances. You can learn more by reaching out to Portals through the contact form, or by filling out the homeschool scholarship application.

Student driven pacing on Language Arts and Math are both accommodations for special education. We also suggest a number of sites like: https://www.homeschool.com/how-to-homeschool-special-needs/ and will work with sites to find and identify support for special needs. Support systems are readily available to families. Also, note that a number of more recent behavioral special needs designations are the outcome of grading systems, high population spaces, age segregation, and standardization in government schools and over time are minimized or ‘cured’ in micro-school or homeschool settings.

We suggest that educators review every project and product with the student, noting areas of skill, creativity, and areas where the student can either improve next time, or edit and revise now. Immediate feedback systems work much like performance reviews or seeing the reaction of others to our work. These produce both motivation as students know all work is seen, and reflection as students think about how to grow. Traditional grading systems are both inconsistent and differ based on the person doing the grading. They are useful in sorting processes for mass-schooling and are used to divide ‘high’ ability and ‘low’ ability students, but have nominal impact on student learning. In other words they serve adults more than learners. Grades have been shown to 1) Create risk avoidance in work, 2) Create an unwarranted sense of completion, and 3) often don’t provide clear direction for growth. Where grading provides a false sense of success or failure, it is not success or failure in itself - which is generally the outcome when a learner follows up assessment. Grading does not aid or help students to master content or progress through material more quickly. Instead of assuming grades are important, we strongly encourage educators to simply review work and provide feedback to students. Trust that joy, intention, and solid curriculum will provide a better educational foundation for learning. We do not require sites to use grades, nor do we collect ‘grades’.

We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. For some subjects, students are separated by level (not age) such as in math and reading. For subjects like science and history, students within the same developmental stage are easily grouped together. Bible curriculum is aligned across all ages. For many projects, fieldtrips, and exploratory activities all the students work and learn side by side even though they are gaining knowledge and skills specific to them. For homeschooling, this allows for segments of the day to be done together as a family and differentiation at other times.

Portals has developed it's own daily Bible curriculum with the intent that it equips parents/teachers to share their faith in their own way. Our common ground is the scripture, so we stick to that primarily. Our Bible curriculum... is the Bible. YEARLY: Over the course of three years, your learner will get an overview of the entire Bible. High School students will read it in it's entirety over three years, and then are given the challenge to read the Bible in a year before graduating. WEEKLY: We provide one verse for memorization or recitation each week. These are selected as an overview of a theme for the year (Teachings of Jesus, Hope from the Psalms, etc.). DAILY: As in every other subject, we follow the Read, Think, Do approach. We provide daily readings (Read) with prompts for questions to ask to draw out the main ideas (Think) and we have age appropriate projects for each of the main levels to allow time to absorb and/or use the text in life (Do). By the way, GREAT question! This is the most important aspect of any child's education - do they know God's Word or not?

No, Portals is under the umbrella of private education, so whether you are using Portals with your own children or setting up a cohort, you or your instructors do not need to be licensed. Also, Portals provides qualified teachers that will provide quality curriculum and support the instructors.

Ultimately each site or family decides what is acceptable conduct, but Portals will help with training staff and parents and offer mentoring as desired.

STEP 1: Register by Purchasing 'Home Education Hub Support': Choose your start date as well as your preferred pricing plan, monthly or yearly payment. On your selected start date, you will be granted immediate and full access to lesson plans for all subject areas for all four levels of education. Each Portals Learning Level has unique curriculum, reading materials, and project ideas that change each year to best support the developmental stage of each learner. You can learn more about each Portals Learning Level on the Learning Levels page of the website. Know the homeschool laws in your state. You may be required to notify your district that you are withdrawing your child(ren) from school. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a great resource for understanding the laws and regulations of each state. ​ STEP 2: ​Set Levels for Math and Reading: After registering for Home Education Hub Support, you will need to determine math and reading placement for your child(ren). We provide instructions on how to do this, as well as provide an on-call teacher to help answer any questions you have through the process. Math and Reading are not connected to age level, (or Portals Levels), they are based on competency. You will be able to customize your lesson plans based on which levels of Math and Reading your child(ren) needs. STEP 3: Arrange for Curriculum Materials: After Step 2, you'll know what math and reading materials you need, and you'll be ready to take your book list and start searching. We do not include print materials with hub support as some families prefer to save money by purchasing used books or using the library. Some families prefer the convenience of having Portals send it all to their home by using the Portals Book Order. Material purchases are time sensitive - Depending on which point in the year you purchase your curriculum materials, you may experience delays in shipment due to high demand or back-ordered items. Typically Portals Book Orders are shipped to you within 7-10 days of receiving your order. STEP 4: Educator Training: An educator training series was created to provide an in depth review of the Portals philosophy of learning, and to provide you with insights and examples on how to teach each subject area. Based on the time you have available and the comfort level you have teaching each subject area, you can select which videos you would like to watch. If there are any additional topics we can cover in order to ensure you have the information and support you need going into the school year, please let us know and we would be happy to create a video resource to share with the whole Portals community. ​ STEP 5: Start Learning: Log-in to the Educator Dashboard to set up your lesson plans preferences and begin teaching using the lesson provided.

Private Christian Schools must schedule a consultation with Portals so we can learn more about your school, and design a partnership strategy that works for your school vision and plan. More information is available on the Christian School Registration page of the website.