Start by checking to see if your state has specific laws involving home schooling. Some states, such as New York and Vermont, tightly regulate home schooling, and require detailed record-keeping by parents. Other states, such as Texas and Missouri, require no notice from parents who wish to educate their kids at home.
Once you are familiar with your state's laws and expectations, you should be ready to discuss the home schooling option with your kids, if they are already in school. The Home School Legal Defense Association's website offers the latest news and status of home schooling laws as well as links to academic and legal resources for home schooling families, regardless of religion. For an annual membership fee, you have access to even more information and services.
Detailed lesson plans help new home-schooling parents confidently and effectively educate their children. There are websites offering Jewish textbooks and other educational materials for all grades and levels of religious observance. A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling is a comprehensive site for all home schoolers, and lists resources for Jewish curriculum, mailing lists, online lessons and news articles. Chaya.com has book recommendations and a Jewish holiday calendar.
Another option, which can be used in conjunction with public home-schooling charter schools in some states, is to use non-Jewish curriculum to cover the basics. Contact a synagogue for advice on activities with a Jewish flavor, and supplement your lessons with Jewish literature and music. Also, look for ways your level of religious observance can help you meet home-school requirements, such as health or history. For example, a family that keeps kosher can expand on that via lessons about a diet that leads to a healthy life both spiritually and physically.
Seek out support from other home-schoolers. The Chevra Jewish Homeschooling List is open only to Jewish families. The Jewish Home Educator's Network offers a quarterly newsletter. Parents also can search Yahoo Groups to find a home-schooling group in their community, or start one. The Department for Jewish Zionist Education gives information from an Israeli perspective for students and the parents who are educating them.