Identify your child’s learning style and your teaching style. In order to choose the right homeschooling program, you should first be familiar with how your child learns and processes information, and you should also be aware of your teaching style and methods. This information is important because there are a variety of homeschooling programs which focus on different teaching approaches (such as the unit study, workbook, mix and match, and literature based approaches) and you need to make sure that the homeschooling program that you choose is one that can benefit your child.
Talk to current home school teachers. Spend some time networking with home school teachers and see if you can learn some valuable information from them. Perhaps they can talk to you about the homeschooling curriculum and resources they use with their children. Be sure to take notes and ask plenty of questions, too.
Verify whether your state has any homeschooling laws. Before you can actually begin homeschooling your child, you must check to see if your state has specific laws like testing or curriculum requirements for you and your child to follow. See the Resources section for links to websites that will identify your local laws.
Locate a homeschooling support group in your area. A homeschooling support group consists of parents who home school their children. This supportive group can provide you with the proper guidance and support that you need to become a successful home school teacher. You can check with local schools and churches to find a support group or visit websites like Home School Central that is listed in our Resources section.
Choose an appropriate homeschooling program for your child. Once you have researched the various homeschooling programs and evaluated each one, you should then decide which program to use to home school your child. Consider each program's advantage and disadvantages.