Home schooling requirements will vary from state to state and from country to country, so in the first instance, you will have to get specific guidelines from the local authorities where you live.

However, in general terms, you will need to be able to cover the following

• The number of required days of tuition
• Tuition in a number of subjects. These will include (but may not be restricted to), English (or the natural language where you live), Mathematics, Science, Arts, Health and Physical Education.
• Tuition must be from capable teachers
• Tuition must be in the natural language of the country of residence
• Documentation of attendance and registration
• Methods of testing to ensure and prove that your children are meeting the required standards.

You should also be aware of the age requirements for education; when your child should start and when they can stop. This kind of information will be available from your local authority.

You should also be conscious of the need for children to engage and improve in their social skills. They would learn this in a classroom environment as a rule, but when they are being taught at home, then this would be restricted to interaction with siblings, which may not be enough.

One way to get around the last problem is to find other home schoolers in your area, many of whom will have informal social structures anyway, and engage your children in these social circles.

Home schooling is not necessarily about how much you as an individual can teach your children. It's not. It's about learning from home. Your role as a home teacher is really about guiding your children to learn, rather then teaching them specifically. Teach them to read, write and understand, and then how to research for themselves. I think that you might be surprised how bright and resourceful children can be given a chance.

Statistically, home schooled children fair very well by comparison to their peers in normal schools. Not all parents are teachers, but the statistics show that the children still do well.

Home schooling requirements explained with advice on how to home school your child at http://www.teaching-your-kids.com/