Up until about 150 years ago, all children learned at home. Having and loving your children qualified you to raise and teach them. Compulsory public school and teacher certification are fairly new ideas. In the 1960s, John Holt began a revival of homeschooling. During the 60s and 70s, grassroots homeschooling movements were growing and lobbying for parents to be able to legally homeschool no matter what their qualifications were.
Homeschooling is legal in every state, and there are few government-regulated qualifications for homeschooling. But each state has different laws regarding homeschooling and it is important to be familiar with your state's laws.
In some states, homeschoolers are are only required to register with the state, while other states also require homeschoolers to take the same standardized tests as their public school counterparts. A few states have extra requirements, such as curriculum approval or home visits.
While there may be few legal requirements for parents who choose to homeschool, parents should consider unoffical requirements such as time, flexibility and dedication. Homeschooling will require parents to assume responsibility for all aspects of the child's life.
Although it is legal for anyone to homeschool, parents and caregivers will find it beneficial to read as many books as possible about homeschooling, participate in local homeschooling groups or activities, find out what is generally expected to teach at each age and be willing to learn and grow with the child.