This is another of those super-old articles that has really been made obsolete by the proliferation of other, better, articles on the same subject. So consider this an extremely basic, designed-not-to-overwhelm introduction. 😉 And then, for more information, head over to HSLDA’s The Early Years Getting Started page.

If you’re just getting started, the first thing you’ll want to do is find out the homeschooling laws in your state. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 US states, but the requirements that surround it are different in each. I believe that Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has information available for each state. (I’m not sure if it’s on their site, or linked.) It’s also not a bad idea to join HSLDA at the very beginning.

Then you’ll need to choose your curriculum. Mary Pride’s Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling
is a good resource for this.  [The difficulty with any book about choosing curriculum is that it quickly becomes out-of-date, as far as what curriculum options it describes.  For some terrific curriculum-choice principles, see the information provided at HSLDA’s The Early Years.  If you still need help, you can give Vicki a call, and she will provide you with one-on-one assistance.]

There are many different types of curriculum – textbooks, video programs, software, unit studies, unschooling (trusting that the children will learn on their own if you let them), and eclectic (a mixture of methods). Not all children learn best in the same manner and they all learn at different rates. The same curriculum may not be the best fit for every child, so these all have their advantages.  (For that reason, most families would probably benefit from an eclectic curriculum, to one degree or another.)

Check around and see if there’s a homeschool support group in your area. These can be a wonderful resource. Most charge a modest fee (in the neighborhood of $15-25/year) and provide field trip opportunities, playgroups and other fellowship times, moms’/parents’ meetings, co-ops, etc.