Familiarize yourself with the statutes of the Virginia Code that regulate home education. [See The Law.]

Comply with either the certified-tutor statute, the religious-exemption statute, or the homeschooling statute.
Be aware of any deadlines you must meet. For example, under the homeschooling statute, you should file your “Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction” with your superintendent of schools by August 15—unless the decision is made after the deadline, in which case you may send it in as soon as practicable; also, you must submit proof of progress by August 1 of the following year.

Keep copies of any paperwork you send, and it’s a good idea to mail everything “certified; return-receipt requested.” Be sure that any paperwork you submit is free of spelling or grammatical errors (and coffee stains).

Set Goals

Why are you homeschooling? What is your idea of an education?

Determine where your child is now—academically, spiritually, physically, and emotionally/socially; this is your starting point.
Set measurable, attainable goals for each child. Discuss with your spouse and your child (if appropriate) how these objectives fit into the “big picture” of his future.
Set personal and family goals.
Evaluate activities and curriculum against goals.

Choose Curriculum

By definition, your curriculum is your “course of study.”

Look through catalogs, magazines, curriculum guides, and books. [Curriculum]
Talk to other homeschoolers about what worked for them and why, as well as what didn’t work and why.
Attend state-convention workshops/exhibit halls and local curriculum fairs.
Go to used-book sales and used-curriculum shops.
Evaluate your child’s learning styles.
Decide which method(s) seem to fit your family best at this point in time (you may overlap—methods are not mutually exclusive!).
Keep evaluating all your choices against those goals you have set for your family and for each child.

Purchase Supplies

Homeschool resource books.
Basic home reference materials.
School supplies such as paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, rulers, pens, notebooks of some sort (and the proverbial red pen!).
Filing or organizational supplies to keep your paperwork in order.
Bookshelves and/or storage cabinets—designate “a place for everything.”
Other necessary items as specified in your curriculum.

Establish a Schedule

Decide on your school year (at least 180 days). For example, we homeschool for eight weeks on, one week off, August through June, taking a four-week break in December and again in July. My reasoning is that I can do anything for eight weeks at a time, and then I have a week to re-group for the next session! Taking only one month off in summer keeps the girls on their toes academically.

Have at least a framework for academic and character progress during the year.
Have a family chore schedule in place, or a plan to keep the house manageable.
Write out daily/weekly plans so you know that your expectations are realistic!