Depending on the state you live in, you might have to follow a state approved curriculum. In my state, homeschooling families have relative freedom about what to teach, but there is a certain amount of surveillance that goes on so that even though there are no strict guidelines, if you get reported by some nosy neighbor or indignant school district employee, it's possible you can be penalized for not having your curriculum up to the standard of public schools. I've also heard of parents getting in trouble for offering too few hours of instruction per week...the state wanted them to do 6 hours a day, 5 days a week just like public schools. This is ridiculous since most of a student's time in public school is eaten up with getting ready for class, packing up to leave, walking from class to class, listening to instructions, waiting for classmates to settle down, etc. It takes far less time to learn the same material in a homeschool environment.