Learn How to Start Homeschooling – Step by Step Guide
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Homeschooling is gaining in popularity at record speed. For a variety of reasons, families are deciding that homeschooling might be the right educational choice for their family. It can feel overwhelming in the beginning, though. I can help with this step by step guide on how to start homeschooling.
How to Start Homeschooling
Research the laws for your state
The very first step when you are learning how to start homeschooling is to research your local homeschool laws.
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but the requirements vary a bit for each state, so it is important to research the laws where you live.
Check for things like:
- how to register your family as homeschoolers
- is there a minimum number of days or hours required
- will you need to administer standardized tests
- are you required to teach specific subjects
- do you need to submit any documents proving yourself fit to be a teacher
Some states have a lot of rules and regulations concerning homeschooling and some have almost no homeschool laws.
This information will be on your state department of education website and should also be available on your school district website. State-specific homeschool groups and google searching are also usually full of helpful information.
Do not depend on your local public school system to have accurate homeschool law information or know how to start homeschooling. Homeschool laws and public education laws are different and it is not uncommon for a public school to give out incorrect homeschool information.
My favorite resource for researching homeschool laws by state is the HSLDA homeschool laws map. It gives you a quick overview if you are comparing several states, but also gives you accurate in-depth information by choosing a state.
Officially withdraw your child from their current school
You can skip this step if and only if your child is not enrolled in school yet.
After you have researched the homeschool laws in your state, the next step in learning how to start homeschooling is completing any required paperwork to withdraw your child from their current school.
If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, you will need to officially withdraw them or they will be considered truant (which can cause big legal problems).
This might vary a bit with each state, but I think it is generally a pretty simple process. Hannah was enrolled in a Virginia public school when we decided to homeschool and it was pretty easy to withdraw her.
Once I knew the Virginia homeschool requirements, I sent a certified letter explaining my decision AND a copy of our official Notice of Intent to our county school board office and local elementary school notifying them of our decision to homeschool.
I highly recommend sending a certified letter because you will have proof that you complied with the law.
Remember, many public school employees know nothing about what the law requires of homeschoolers and may give you incorrect information. This is why it is important to know the law yourself.
I gave the school board and elementary school an official withdrawal date. I also emailed my daughter’s teacher to make sure everyone was on the same page.
This step might not be legally required, but is a courtesy that can save everyone a headache.
Remember, you are the parent. You are NOT asking for permission. You are merely notifying them of your choice.
Decide what to teach
After you understand your legal requirements and any paperwork has been taken care of, it is time for the second phase of learning how to start homeschooling.
Choosing curriculum.
Choosing a curriculum can seem overwhelming. There are so many choices!
You will need to consider a few things before you decide on any particular curriculum:
- Age of your student
- Budget
- Learning style
- Teaching style
- State requirement
Age of your student – You already know this, but educational needs vary by age for most subjects. There is a lot more time for free play with young children, while teenagers are preparing for the independence of college.
Budget – You can spend almost no money on homeschool curriculum or you can spend thousands each year. It is important to know your budget before you start searching for a curriculum, otherwise, you might fall in love with something that is completely out of your budget. Don’t worry if your budget is small (or nonexistent)!
Related: 21 Tips to Save Your Homeschool Budget
You can piece together a free curriculum through Pinterest ideas and the library. I use a mix of prepared curriculums and free plans to create a curriculum that is personalized for my family. This approach takes a little more time, but it saves money.
Learning style – Do your kids learn best through hands-on activities? Or do they prefer reading lots of books? Maybe video courses are right for your family? Here is a great online quiz to help you determine your learning style.
Teaching style – Don’t forget to consider your own needs as you think about how to start homeschooling. Some curriculums come with detailed teacher guides that will allow you to just open the book and start teaching. Others require a fair amount of prep time.
Taking a few minutes to think about what you want your homeschool to look like can save a substantial amount of frustration down the road.
State requirements – Many states do not dictate what you need to teach, but a few states do require certain subjects to be taught each year. These are generally subjects you would teach anyway, such as reading and math, but it is good to be aware of your state’s legal requirements.
Once you have taken all of these things into consideration, check out Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. This book contains some of the most popular homeschool curriculums. Each page notates the learning style and price range of a particular curriculum.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Find a homeschool group or two
Once you have started researching curriculum options, it is time for the next phase of learning how to start homeschooling. Begin looking for a local homeschool community.
Homeschool groups are certainly not necessary, but they can make the homeschool experience more enjoyable. At a minimum, they provide a chance for kids and parents to socialize with other families.
Homeschool groups can be a few families gathering for field trips and park days, a few families team-teaching a subject such as geography, or an official co-op with bylaws and declarations.
Try a few to determine what is right for your family.
There are lots of options and you may find that different options work better in different years. Many groups will allow you to try a meeting or two before requiring you to pay and officially join.
To find homeschool groups in your community, ask around. It is quite possible that someone you know already homeschools their kids and would love to introduce you to other homeschool families.
Googling your city and homeschool groups can also turn up results. Many states have homeschool organizations that keep lists of homeschool groups. It seems like every town has a mom Facebook group or two. Try asking those groups for help finding a homeschool community.
To find your state homeschool organization, look to see who hosts homeschool conventions in your area. In VA, that will be either VA Homeschoolers or HEAV. In WA, check out WHO.
Testing?
Testing isn’t something you need to worry about at the very beginning of figuring out how to start homeschooling, but you should be aware that many states do require some sort of assessment at the end of the year.
This is yet another reason to know the homeschool laws for your state.
Many new homeschoolers stress over testing, but it really doesn’t need to be intimidating.
Depending on your state laws, you may be able to administer the test at home. You would simply order the test from a testing company (I like Seton Testing), administer the test following the enclosed rules exactly, and mail the test booklets back for scoring.
Some standardized tests are even available online!
We test every year, although alternative forms of assessment are allowed in some states. The tests are not as high stakes as they are in public schools so there is no stress on my kids.
It gives my kids practice taking standardized tests (which they may need for college entrance or professional exams), and most importantly, gives me an idea of how they are doing.
For example, last year, my kids had no problems in our weekly grammar lessons, but they struggled on that part of the test. This led me to choose different grammar curriculums this year.
Use the information to help you find educational gaps, but don’t let it overwhelm you.
Do you have any questions about how to start homeschooling?
Feel free to ask questions about how to start homeschooling in the comments, post them on my Facebook page, or email me! I am happy to help!
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