Ohio requires that a child either be registered as a private school or be tested annually and registered with the superintendent of schools for the district and notify that office annually with all the child's personal information. Plus, a letter of assurance that all required subjects will be taught to students -- language, spelling, reading, writing, geography, history of the U.S. and Ohio, government, science, math, health, P.E., fine arts (including music), first aid, fire and safety. Some of these subjects, such as Ohio history would only need to be taught at specific grade levels. Check with your school area for more information. This should also include an outline of what curriculum, teaching materials and textbooks will be used each year. An assurance of qualifications and hours should also be included. To read all of the law check out the Homeschool Legal Defense Association website.
The best way to understand Ohio's laws is to find out what resources are available and find the best options for your family, is to check in with a local homeschool group. The group should have already compiled everything you will need to get you started. State or regional groups are more widespread than a local support group and usually offer things such as homeschool conventions and curriculum fairs. The groups also commonly have liaisons in the courts to aid in the fair treatment of home educators and to keep track of changes to the law. Christian Home Educators of Ohio is a state group and Ohio Home Educators is an example of a regional group.
A local homeschool support group offers a place to meet with families of like mind. Support groups are a good place to start when seeking one-on-one assistance or when trying to grasp different ideas as a new home educator. These groups offer support, field trips, parent's nights out and sometimes co-ops. Ohio offers many groups, some with websites, some without. A couple examples of a local group would be groups such as, Pearls Homeschool Mom's Support Group and the Heart of Mary Homeschool Group. Homeschool Central's website contains lists of other local groups, just look for one nearby your town or county to contact.
Parent-taught co-op classes are quite popular and allow the skills of one family to be passed on to another. Perhaps math is a parent's weak point or the child wants to learn a foreign language, these classes allow that to happen without seeking help from sources outside of homeschooling. Co-ops generally meet either weekly or monthly during the school year. They may even offer extra field trips or weekly events. For instance, Beth Yada Home School Group and Co-op offer weekly roller-skating. They do not have their own website, but their information is available at the Homeschool World website.