Study the Tennessee state requirements for home schooling each year, as laws and requirements may change from year to year. Register you children with your Local Education Agency, or a church-related school, to avoid violating truancy laws. Keep detailed records of your home school, including attendance records, in order to be prepared if you are asked to provide the records to your school district. Maintain a school schedule that includes at least four hours per day for 180 days per year. Ensure you have the education required by law to oversee your children's home education.
Gather craft supplies and obtain a library card, and you will have the resources to home-school your elementary and middle school student for basically no cost at all. Use your computer with Internet access to find endless free educational material. Acquire a printer to use with your computer and you do not need workbooks, because you can print most of the material you need as you need it. Joining some education sites for a small annual fee can make lesson planning more time efficient and less stressful. Hands-on activities such as walks in the park, a trip to the beach, visiting local historical sites or even your own backyard provide many fun educational opportunities for little to no cost.
Begin your high school program with an annual evaluation of Tennessee state requirements. Holding a baccalaureate degree or obtaining an exemption from the Tennessee Department of Education each year is necessary to have a home school high school program as of 2011. Providing your local education agency with a list of subjects is required; however, as of 2011, it is not necessary to provide detailed information about your curriculum choices or lesson plans. Testing your student either at no cost through your local education agency, or at your own expense using a professional testing service, is required each year for high school students. Instructing your high school student at a low cost to you is possible, especially with the internet. Obtain a list of subjects that should be covered each year, and use this list to plan your student's high school years. Trading, borrowing or buying used books can cut the costs on textbooks. Teaching math and science for high school students can be a challenge; however, there are courses online that can help overcome these challenges.
Create a budget for your school year and stick to it. By using the library, the Internet and used books from bookstores, many costs can be cut when teaching your children. Many field trips and extracurricular activities can be free, and you can find discounts for others with a little effort. Home school parents qualify for teacher discounts at many bookstores and office supply stores.