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The first step to homeschooling is understanding the applicable laws and regulations of your state. Every state has different requirements related to what subjects must be taught and how parents must track progress or how students must demonstrate academic achievement.

As a homeschooling parent, you must research your state’s laws to ensure you follow them and stay within any applicable regulations. You can easily access these through the .

If you fail to follow your state’s laws, there could be consequences. Depending on the severity of the violation, you may face fines, suspension of rights to homeschool or even criminal charges.

Balancing the legalities of this role are the responsibilities. It’s crucial to understand that when you homeschool your child, you are taking on the role of teacher. As a homeschool teacher, you will have certain duties aside from instructing the curriculum. These may include:

• Choosing curriculum and subjects to be taught
• Evaluating student progress
• Planning educational activities and a general schedule
• Assisting with research projects
• Providing support and guidance as needed

Before homeschooling, you might , since it can be new territory to assume such roles as disciplinarian, counselor and coach. Those roles, however, are not optional as a homeschool teacher, and it’s important to have a plan for how to enact them effectively.

Expand your skill set

In addition to the above credentials, other skills may be useful when homeschooling. These fall into two categories: soft and hard skills.

Soft skills include things like:

• Communication: Understanding communication styles and how to listen to students enhances any interaction.
• Patience: There will be good days and bad days when homeschooling. Patience is a crucial skill to have as a teacher in the classroom or at home.
• Problem-solving: Identifying problems and coming up with solutions is essential in education.

Hard skills refer to tangible knowledge like:

• Research methods: This refers to approaches that can help you gather data and resources for effective teaching.
• Curriculum creation: Knowing how to create and adapt a curriculum according to your child’s individual needs is key when homeschooling. (Educational degree programs review curriculum development and design.)
• Subject content knowledge: Depending on what you’re teaching your child, you may need subject-specific knowledge in certain areas, such as math or science. An education degree program can fill in the gaps for necessary content knowledge and also help you learn how to structure it in a way that’s appropriate for the student.

These are a few examples of soft and hard skills that may be beneficial when homeschooling. Other necessary qualities of a good teacher include organization, self-discipline and the ability to motivate students. The most successful homeschool educators hone these skills to provide their students with an engaging and enriching education.