by Michelle Hozey

Created on: March 26, 2009

Before you begin the investigation process about homeschooling laws, you must first examine yourself. Will you be consistent? Will you become easily distracted and put off teaching your child for a shopping trip or an outing with your friends? And most importantly, will you be home to teach your child? If you decide homeschooling the children should be a joint effort because both parents work, make sure that your schedules do not allow for the children to be alone during school time.

It is too easy to get fired up about homeschooling your children and then fall off the wagon. Children need a consistent education. I've known homeschooled children that are brilliant and far ahead of their peers. On the other end of the spectrum, I've known homeschooled children whose educations have been neglected. These children don't have learning disabilities, they are simply not being taught. You cannot expect your child to motivate himself and get all of his work done on his own. If you cannot afford the time it takes to give your child a proper education, then don't do it.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to teach your children. However, you should have a basic knowledge of the things your child needs to know for a well-rounded education. Obviously you aren't going to remember everything from school, but make sure that when your child gets to a certain tough subject that you know how to explain it. Homeschooling is not easy and it's not for lazy people. You must be willing to learn so you can teach.

The next thing you should do when considering homeschooling your child is to look into your state's laws. Homeschooling laws vary by state. Some states require homeschooled children to take standardized tests once a year or once every two years. Other states do not require standardized testing for homeschoolers at all. Also, find out if your state has a law about the minimum number of days a child must be in school per year.

Then you must decide upon curriculum. If you want to homeschool your children because your religious beliefs aren't being taught in school, there are several curriculums that teach religion alongside basic studies. There are also many secular curriculums available. Make sure that the curriculum you choose will challenge your child. It may take some time to find the curriculum that is just right. When my mother first started homeschooling me when I was in the fifth grade we discovered that not all curriculums are created equal. I raced through my first

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