Homeschooling is becoming a very popular educational choice. Many parents, for many different reasons, make the decision to homeschool their children. Homeschooling allows for a specific educational experience designed to suit your child's particular needs, and in many cases goes above and beyond what can be achieved in a public or private school system. If you make the decision to homeschool your children, it is important that you do so legally, and understand the laws in your area. It is absolutely crucial that you do this, because if you fail to meet legal standards when homeschooling your children you will inadvertently rob your children of postsecondary educational opportunities. Homeschooling laws vary from state to state, so parents need to carefully look up the specific laws in the State they reside. The basis of state laws on homeschooling is the result of truancy laws that require children to attend school.

Besides familiarizing yourself with the particular laws of your state you should also consult a homeschooling association for advice. In some cases parents will be dealing with school officials who want to discourage them from homeschooling, and in these situations it is important that you understand your rights. In the state of New York, for example, parents are not required to meet with school officials. School officials may request a meeting with the parents in order to discuss homeschooling, but the state may not revoke the right to homeschool if the parents refuse this meeting. It is also required that your child take standardized tests. This is so the state can legally assign your child to a given grade level. The laws vary from state to state but in most cases you will have a certain amount of leeway in non-standardized tests. New York allows for non-standard tests every alternate year between grades 4 and 8, for example.