Is Homeschool Right For You?

Minimum Education Requirements/Certification. Barring any certifications from your state, don’t feel bad or inadequate if you don’t think you know the difference between a factor and a multiple (keep in mind that these were taught to you by certified teachers and you forgot – so much for certifications being required to teach, especially if you can’t retain any of it) – that’s what planning the lessons are for. You will use this time to refresh your mind with key concepts and you will also have the answer key. Also, when was the last time you heard that you needed certification to raise your child? What really matters is that you are motivated to teach and you can explain the key concepts to your child.

Minimum Income Requirements. Some of you may have read that U.S. Senator John Edwards homeschools his children and that his wife, Elizabeth, takes them to all these exotic places around the world to learn about fascinating spots which we don’t think we’ll ever get a chance to visit in our lifetimes. Kudos to them in their decision to homeschool and for their support for homeschooling overall. However, I wouldn’t say that their multi-million dollars are required to successfully homeschool children. In fact, studies show that the amount of money spent on a home school curriculum doesn't seem to significantly affect student achievement scores (see my article, "How Much Does Homeschool Cost?" for more details). Still, I would say that you will most likely have to sacrifice income potential from one spouse to engage in homeschooling. But rest assured, you can (and will) get by on a single family budget if you have proper motivation.