First of all, let me say that homeschooling is not for everyone. Before you begin this adventure, you need to do two things.
1) PRAY. Make certain that this is the direction the Lord has for you, your spouse, and your children. 
Homeschooling is not hard, but it is not for everyone. You must be strong in and certain of your conviction to homeschool or you will tormented and tossed about by every critic of homeschooling that falls in your path.
2) EDUCATE yourself on homeschooling. Ask questions, read, go to seminars. Find out everything you can about the subject and the state laws pertaining to it. There are almost as many opinions of homeschooling as there are homeschoolers. Don't take just one person's opinion, find out for yourself.
You will also find helpful information on our High School page using the link to the left.
After you have prayed about the decision to homeschool and know this where the Lord is directing you, and you have thoroughly checked it out, take some time to investigate the various curriculums available. Discover your learning style and your child's. Do you want a traditional textbook type of curriculum or unit studies. Maybe you want a combination of the two. Try something, and if it doesn't work or you are beginning to feel overwhelmed or you kids absolutely hate it, you have the freedom to put it aside and try something else until you find what works best for you and your children. Don't be afraid to try different approaches or feel like a failure if something doesn't work. Almost all beginning homeschoolers change curriculum more than once before they find what works for their children. Sometimes you may have to use different approaches for each child. That's ok too.
I mentioned earlier about discovering your's and your child's learning style. You may be thinking, "What difference does it make what MY learning style is?" or even, "What is a learning style?" Your learning style is simply the way you learn and retain information the best. For example, some people learn best by seeing something done or having it demonstrated to them. They just want to be shown what to do and they will remember it and understand it. They are Visual learners. Others want to read the directions. Don't show them, it just confuses them. They are more Auditory learners. They learn and retain by reading or hearing. Then you have the "let me get my hands on it" person. These are Kinesthetic learners. Now, you can see how that might be helpful to know about your child, but what does it have to do with you, as their teacher? Simply this, you will teach the way you learn. If you are a visual, hands-on learner, you will be better equipped and most effective to teach using that method. However, if you are an auditory learner who just wants to read the book and answer the questions, then hands-on experiments may drive you nuts! This is good to know when you are choosing a curriculum.
The most important thing to keep in mind is your children and how they will learn best. It is much easier for you, as an adult to adjust your teaching style to the child rather than have the child struggle through and not retain any of the information you have worked hard to present. You can find information about learning styles at the following sites.
So how do you find out your child's learning style? It is really simple . . . observe your child. What does he seem to like to do best? Why does he like that best? Notice his habits and behaviors. Take notes if you have to and compare all your observations with the following information.
Auditory Learners:
An Auditory Learner remembers things that he hears. Your child might be an auditory learner if:
She repeats things out-loud to herself.
He easily joins conversations that are in the same room even if he was not a part of the conversation.
She remembers the words of songs easily.
He talks to books when he is reading and movies when he is watching.
She understands instructions better after they have been read out-loud.
Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners:
A Kinesthetic/Tactile Learner remembers things that he can touch and feel. Your child might be a kinesthetic/tactile learner if:
He constantly has some part of his body moving.
She finds it hard to be still.
He enjoys a lot of physical activity.
She likes to touch and feel things.
He is really good at tinkering and fixing things.
Visual Learners:
A Visual Learner remembers things that he sees. Your child might be a visual learner if:
She remembers things better when she has seen them written down.
He is really good at reading maps, charts and tables.
She understands instructions better when she can read them herself.
He likes a lot of color and design.
She can easily recall what she has seen.
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your children is to find a good support group. Oklahoma has many groups available. It is ok to try several until you come upon one that is most suited to your family. Some of them offer Coops, Field Trips, and other activities. This link has an extensive list from which you can choose.
Something else you might want to consider is joining HSLDA. Home School Legal Defense is an organization that protects the rights of homeschoolers. It has a yearly membership fee of $115, but you can save 15% by being a member of GPCHE and using our affiliation number (299919). You can also use the number affiliated with OCHEC. The links for HSLDA and OCHEC are below.
Finally, have fun with your children. The beauty of homeschooling is that we have the privilege (and responsibility) of making learning fun for our children and being there to see their expression when that light of understanding comes on. You don't have to set up a formal "classroom" in your home (even though most beginners try this their first year). Be creative. Use your imagination. You can make a learning environment out of almost any situation. This will help your kids to see that learning is more than just something they have to do to get a grade. By implementing the concepts they have learned through their curriculum into everyday life, they will begin to see the correlation without even realizing is is all a part of education.
For example, we are farmers. When we first began the homeschooling adventure our son was in second grade. One afternoon he went with his Dad and Grandpa to build fence. While they were gathering posts my husband and father-in-law were discussing how far apart to put the posts and how many they would need. My husband got our second grader involved in the conversation and without realizing he was doing math, he had figured out how many posts to get out. Needless to say, Grandpa, who moments before was not an advocate of homeschooling, was now beginning to see it's merits.
Do I have all the answers? No. Does anyone? Probably not. Each homeschooling family is unique and will have a different approach. That is ok. If you are called to homeschool your children then He will give you the wisdom to "teach your children in the way they should go."
Here are some great links that you will find helpful. It is easier to just post these links as they have already done all the research for you. Don't get overwhelmed by all the information. Take things one step at a time, one day at a time and have fun looking.
