You do not need to be certified to homeschool your child. Homeschooling is not only legal in all 50 states, but parents are legally entitled to do the teaching, either by doing it themselves or hiring someone else like a tutor. It is up to each state to decide how much freedom parents have within the homeschool parameter.
Some states require the homeschooling parent to keep detailed records of all the activities and subjects learned during the school year, others require you to do nothing in terms of documentation; Home School Legal Defense Association has a map that shows what is expected of a homeschooling parent in each state. That a parent does not need to be a certified teacher reflects the fact that homeschooling is fundamentally different from institutional schooling--a parent is not expected to teach like a trained teacher.
Step 1
Go to the library and read up on the subject of homeschooling. You should be sure you really want to do this. Be honest about your motives and abilities to homeschool. Listen to what other parents have to say about it by joining online homeschooling groups or even go to one of their monthly meetings.
Step 2
Contact your local school district and talk to the department devoted to homeschool education. Look them up online; K-12 schools all have their own websites, and they all have a link to their homeschool office. They will direct your next administrative steps.
Step 3
Get to know your child's/children's learning style as explained on A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling website before you purchase a curriculum or decide on a particular method of homeschooling. There are many from which to choose, but not everything works for everybody.
Step 4
Keep careful records of all that you do in your homeschool. Some states require you to show a portfolio at the end of the school year, but even if your state does not, you will want to document everything, if only for the very real possibility of your child returning to school the next year or the year after. Showing the next school that your child is on the same level as the rest of the class will make it easier to reintegrate him into the school
