- When families decide to homeschool, their first step is to learn their state laws. Requirements vary from state to state. Some states require an educational plan, logging hours, quarterly reports and annual evaluations, while some states require only written notification to the school board; a few states don't even require that. Once the state laws are learned, a homeschooling parent should proceed with following the laws to the letter, and to contact the local board of education when they are having problems.
- Support groups offer a great opportunity for children to socialize or studying subjects cooperatively, and for parents to meet other homeschoolers and exchange ideas and information. Even if you can't find a homeschooling group in your area, try to find one online so that you can network with other homeschoolers, whose advice and reassurance can be invaluable to a beginner.
- Homeschoolers have a number of options when it comes to how they will choose to educate their children. Some families opt for umbrella schools through which all the lesson plans and materials will be provided for the parent. As work is submitted and courses completed, the child will be provided with grades and transcripts. Other parents prefer to take the reins themselves and purchase prepackaged curricula that they feel best suits their child's ability level and learning style. Still others prefer to construct their own curriculum, use unit studies or simply follow the child's interests with an unstructured model of education. Finally, homeschooling co-operatives, or co-ops, are groups that families can join with other local homeschoolers. Classes are offered for children to take with their peers, sometimes taught by the group's parent volunteers, sometimes by professionals who charge a fee.
- Unless they go through an umbrella school, homeschooled children are not supplied a diploma by an institution. The actual paper diploma, however, is rarely necessary, and is more for ceremonial and decorative purposes. For homeschoolers seeking jobs, employers will ask for some kind of confirmation that the child completed their education. This can be in the form of a letter from the school board noting that the child completed homeschooling meeting all the state requirements. The vast majority of colleges and universities will accept parent-created transcripts outlining the child's studies, or a portfolio demonstrating the child's educational pursuits and achievements. Most colleges also will expect some form of standardized test scores, either in the form of their college entrance exam, the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). One final option for students going directly into trade schools or the work force that requires a high school diploma is for the student to take an exam to earn a general equivalency diploma (GED).
