For parents of school-aged children, a homeschooling program can be an attractive option when compared to public schools and private institutions. When starting the homeschooling process, the parent may explore some options where groups of homeschooled families pool their resources to jointly sponsor a few group workshops on a weekly basis. Parents may be wary of homeschooling due in part to the perception that it will create social isolation for their children, who would "normally" be involved in many group activities during the primary and secondary school years. However, one of the main goals that parents have in homeschooling their children is to challenge popular definitions of normalcy, and in some cases, to avoid modern social norms completely. Even when the parents seek an alternative or counter-cultural education for their children, the daily learning environment can and should include some visits outside the home.

If you have made the decision to homeschool your child, there may be a variety of reasons that the local public and private institutions do not fit your goals. When starting to form your plans for homeschooling, set down those reasons on paper as a reminder to yourself. For example, you might list your dissatisfaction with the morals of the public school environment, the high rate of infectious diseases, high student/teacher ratios, lack of individualized learning plans, low academic standards, arbitrary grading systems, in-school gang activities, or any other situations that you know are not ideal for your own children. Although these are usually negative factors, they are also great motivators. Then list beside each "negative motivator" your own general goal for replacing a better alternative educational curriculum or individualized environment.

The initial brainstorming of your goals can be a reference tool when decisions come up later about joining group activities. For example, if a group of homeschooled children are invited to a weekly "story time" at the local library, revisit your earlier list of motivators to verify if the planned activity is compatible with your goals. Although you may not want more than a few hours per week of the public library setting, most librarian-sponsored activities can fit well into a homeschooling routine. When setting up your homeschooling schedule, remember to plan outings and group activities at least two to three times weekly, to promote some social interaction for adults and children. You may want to inquire at your church if there are other homeschooled families that would be interested in visiting museums or science exhibits, and perhaps jointly hiring a tour guide for the day. Work with your children to tie your field-trips to readings and worksheets before and after these outings, providing reinforcement of their lessons in a variety of environments.

With regard to textbooks and curriculum, there are many online and public sources offering guidance to the homeschooling parent. You will want to research the minimum academic levels for each grade level, as required by your state, and how the state conducts registration and testing of homeschooled students. Although your goal as a homeschooling parent will not be "teaching to the test," an eye towards minimum competency will help to avoid legal challenges. If the idea is to keep your children in a homeschooled environment for several years, they will need to meet or exceed at least one state-administered test per year. Study materials are offered by many private and religious companies to support the needs of homeschooling families. Internet research will reveal many suppliers of test-preparation material for all grade levels, whether for statewide or national achievement tests.

Starting your homeschooling program can be daunting, but the rewards of avoiding those "negative motivators" will greatly enrich the education process for your children. Although you will need to inspire your students to reach and exceed their annual and quarterly learning goals, with homeschooling the flexibility in getting to those goals is refreshing. School does not have to run on a "nine-to-five" schedule, and it does not have to take place in a classroom. You will discover the necessary blend of structure and innovation as you get further into the process. With homeschooling, many parents find that they blossom as teachers, while the children often grow in respect when they glean life's lessons from a parent.