What is Necessary to homeschool your Child?

Currently it is legal to homeschool in all fifty states.  The requirements to homeschool legally vary from state to state.  Some states expect nothing from the homeschooling family. The homeschoolers are not even required to notify the state that their children will not be entering the public school system, or the private or parochial system.  Other states are much more hands on, requiring portfolios, and reviews, and annual standardized tests.
However, the legalities are not the only things to consider if you decide to homeschool.  So what else is required to successfully homeschool?  Let’s consider   three things above and beyond the legalities, those three being consensus, commitment, and curriculum.
Consensus.  It is important that the both parents agree that home education is what they want for the children.  Homeschooling can be difficult, and it can be made even more so if both parents are not in agreement.   A support system is always helpful when homeschooling and this support system is not isolated to homeschool support groups or co-ops.

If the extended family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, also approve of and participate in homeschooling, then homeschooling seems far less isolating than if it is done without the agreement of others.  Don’t be discouraged if others do not seem to want to support your decision to homeschool.  As long as there is consensus within the home, it is possible to successfully homeschool.  And consider that when your family sees how well the children are doing with their school work, they will be more likely to come around to the idea of homeschool.

Commitment.  It is important to know that homeschooling is not just an educational choice.  Homeschooling is a lifestyle choice and because of this, it is more of a commitment than simply sending children off to be educated by others.  Homeschooling requires commitment not only to education, but to the sacrifices that need to be made to make that education happen.  The parents must plan the lessons, teach the lesson, grade the lesson, and watch and educate other children in the home as well.  Additionally, parents who choose to homeschool are also taking on the responsibility for field trips, extracurricular activities, and socialization.
The homeschooling parent finds that they are putting on another full time hat, that of teacher, on top of the other hats they may already have.  And because learning is not confined to the hours during the school day, but spills out into the rest of the day, it is easy to see that homeschooling goes beyond a simple educational choice.
Curriculum.  It is important to have a homeschool curriculum that works for each child within a homeschooling family.  One of the true beauties of homeschooling is the ability to customize each student’s education.  There are many choices available in homeschool curricula.
One of the most obvious choices for homeschool curricula are the all-in-one boxed curriculum.  Generally these are more expensive and include not only student materials but also teacher manuals, and sometimes even personalized support from the school or company offering the curriculum.  Another choice for homeschool curriculum is the online curriculum where internet access provides the student with all learning materials.  Online curricula are great for tech savvy families who want a more interactive aspect to their curriculum.
There are as many choices in curriculum as there are students and families who homeschool.  With a little research each family can find a curriculum that will appeal to the learning style of the student, as well as world view.  Because there are so many choices, and so many combinations, each family should be able to find a curriculum that will also meet the financial considerations of the family as well.  Homeschooling can be as inexpensive or as expensive as each family’s budget calls for.
Homeschooling is not for every family, or even every child in every family.  With careful commitment, and curriculum, it is possible to successfully educate children at home.