Write a letter of intent and send it to your school district; The Florida Department of Education requires such a letter before you start home education. Simply state that you intend to homeschool your child. You do not need to give your reasons for the request, and you don't need to ask permission of the school district if you are following the proper procedures. Both parents should sign the letter, if possible, but if parents are divorced, the signature of the custodial parent is sufficient. Whether the custodial parent can homeschool against the wishes of the noncustodial parent depends on the divorced couple's court order on custody.
Discover your child's learning style. According to SchoolFamily.com, most students have a combination of learning styles but demonstrate a clear dominance in one. Auditory learners tend to remember from hearing and reciting lessons. Children who are kinesthetic learners learn by physically doing, and they typically remember better when they write something down. Visual learners best understand information presented visually, and they respond well to charts and figures. Understanding the way your child learns will help you develop the optimal homeschooling classroom.
Develop your classroom style and age-appropriate lesson plans. Formulate your learning material to teach to your child's dominant learning style, and find ways to incorporate his interests while focusing on the classic subjects. Incorporate lessons taught with other learning styles, though, so your child can practice learning in different styles. Consider unit study, in which traditional subjects like math, English and history are focused around a central topic or theme. For younger children, schedule down time and keep short attention spans engaged with lots of activities. Allow older children to work more independently, and consider supplementing your curriculum with material designed to help students prepare for high school or college.
Choose from many available resources to help develop your home education curricula. The state of Florida offers instructional materials to homeschooling families at their own expense. Individual school districts provide evaluations for exceptional students free of charge, and may also provide ongoing services to a special needs child. Additionally, homeschooled students may participate in their school district's extracurricular activities. There is also a wealth of information and resources for the home educator online. Joining a home educators organization, such as the Florida Parent-Educators Association, allows you to network with other homeschooling parents.
Maintain a portfolio of your child's education. It is mandatory in Florida as a home educator to keep a log of all educational activities done by the student, including text books or lesson material used, writing and worksheets done by the student, tests and creative materials. You must make a portfolio of classroom materials from the previous two years available for inspection by the school district superintendent within 15 days notice. Such inspection is not mandatory, so not all portfolios will be inspected.