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Home schooling is an alternative to the traditional, classroom-based teaching. Today, home schooling is becoming more common, as more parents and guardians choose to teach their children at home. There are estimated to be nearly 1,000,000 students learning at home currently. Many parents believe that teaching the child at home provides the child with a more detailed education, more than that provided by traditional schools, public or private. The principle benefit of home schooling for these parents is the convenience of customizing the education to the specific need of the child and to suit his aptitude. Every parent, while home schooling the child, is able to choose the method of instruction, most appropriate. The choice of home schooling your child is not an easy decision. There are many considerations to be kept in mind. Given below are some of the things you should find out and prepare for, before starting.

Legality

It is legal to home school a child in the U.S, as well as many other countries. Each state in the US has different laws regarding home schooling. These can be simple guidelines or formal and stricter legal requirements. Each state also has it own home schooling requirements, with regards to the curriculum and adopted standards. The parent needs to ensure that he is qualified to teach the child at home. The parents need to be aware of the specific state requirements. Any local, regional or state home education organization is equipped to provide basic information about the prevalent laws.

Finding Support

For a parent considering home schooling for the first time, a support group can be of immense help. Although it is not a legal requirement to join a support group, it definitely helps to get in touch with other parents who are home schooling in your area. Some home education departments also provide a list of support groups within the local area. Volunteers run the support groups and usually comprise of other parents who are also home schooling their children. Their support enables you to get the encouragement and information required, from experienced people. Some of these home schooling support groups also conduct regular educational field trips and activities. There are private groups that can be extremely helpful too. Their services range from providing books and other resources to the material for testing, as well as distance education programs. These groups not only sell you the supplies and services needed, but also provide helpful information and referrals.

Preparing the Home Environment, schedule, and curriculum:

Some physical rearrangement will probably be needed in the home, to create an area for the schoolwork. You will also need to buy all the study material, stationary and required boards. You will have to create a study schedule for regular lessons and mark time for games. It is also advisable to maintain a book keeping system. This helps to keep track of the tasks assigned and completed. This is also a legal requirement in some states. Finally, and most importantly, you need to select the appropriate method. This choice must be based on the childs aptitude and learning ability. Some of the popular methods are Classic, Montessori and the Charlotte Mason home schooling methods.

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