Connecticut Homeschooling Information

Homeschooling in Connecticut

Hi, my name is Ponn and I homeschool in Connecticut! I have been honored for my writing, marketing, work with public health and my administration of the website American Muslim Mom, but my biggest pride and joy is being a homemaker to my beloved husband, and homeschooling mother to our three daughters. I am also a devout Muslim. I have a rare brain disorder, but my attitude has always been "I'm living with a disability, but NOT disabled."

If you have questions or comments about homeschooling in Connecticut, check out our homeschooling tools and resources or visit our online Connecticut support group.

To find out more about the legal requirements for homeschooling in Connecticut, articles, and state-specific resources, you can also visit one of these sites:

• Connecticut CMT and CAPT Test Prep resource page
• The Home School Mom's Connecticut support page
• Home Education in Connecticut by Ann Zeise
• Homeschool World Connecticut support groups

Legal disclaimer: This section is one family's story and how they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in Connecticut. It is not intended and should not be used as definitive legal advice. In most states, parents find a variety of legal methods to pursue the educational approach that they prefer for their child.

Our Favorite CT Homeschooling Resources

We have found some terrific resources that help us to homeschooling successfully in our state. We are active members of most of these organizations and recommend them highly:

Great Ways to Home Educate - A monthly newsletter for over 150 families statewide. Typically 10+ pages each month for $10/year membership that includes, annual spelling bee, geography bee, science fair, math clubs, co-ops statewide and regional, homeschooler-specific team sports and much more. For more information, please contact me directly.

I also recommend:

• CT Homeschool Network
• CT Homeschoolers Inclusive
• Greater New Haven Homeschoolers
• Between Counties Homeschool Support
• Homeschool - Muslim - CT
• CT Homeschooler's Community Cupboard

How We Homeschool in Connecticut

We're an eclectic homeschool family and have been homeschooling our three girls, ages 9, 8 & 6 yo since birth, with the exception of seven months. We love to travel domestically and overseas (our oldest trumps me about seven countries). We're a very high-tech family with multiple computers on our own wireless home network.

We strive to utilize all eight Multiple Intelligences (such as Art Smart/Artistic Intelligence, People Smart/Interpersonal Intelligence, Self Smart/Intrapersonal Intelligence, etc.), and use all our senses when we teach and learn. We love exploration, problem-solving, critical thinking and brain teasers, and we like to use as many learning styles as possible so we can integrate hands-on, interactive, and most of all fun in all that we do!

Connecticut Homeschooling Laws

The state of Connecticut requires compulsory school attendance of children between the ages 5 and 18. Connecticut recommends that homeschools operate for 180 school days, and cover the following subjects: reading, writing, spelling, English, grammar, geography, arithmetic, United States history, and citizenship, including a study of the town, state, and federal governments.

Parents are requested to file a notice of intent to homeschool with the local school superintendent within 10 days of beginning their homeschooling. This intent form would include pertinent information about the homeschool such as the name of the teacher, subjects to be taught, plan for assessment, and days of instruction. They will also be asked to submit a portfolio of each homeschooled child's work for the previous year for review. No standardized tests are required of homeschoolers in Connecticut.

My children's favorite part of the day is their time on Time4Learning. This is the easiest and most consistently productive program we've used!

My kids can work independently or with my involvement. Time4Learning has enriched their education and simplified my life!

Regarding Islamic Home Education

We live strict to the Qur'an and Sunnah (actions and saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him). We study the Qur'an based on our obligation to read and recite our Glorious book based on the rules of Tajweed (correct articulation, pronunciation, and enunciation with correct speed of the recitation), with understanding the tafsir (meaning) in order to memorize; not the other way around.

We Love Homeschooling in Connecticut

We love homeschooling in Connecticut. There are no legal requirements for the state of CT, if you opt not to report a letter of intent. However, since birth, I have portfolios (more like a full cabinet) & standardized tests for various (ad-hoc) years just to make sure our children are getting at least "grade" level. Fortunately, they far exceed the average; typical of many homeschoolers.

How We Homeschool

We are notoriously known as a "not-at-homeschool-family", because we get most of our education outside of our house. We enjoy contests, field trips, games, competitions, etc. mostly for the educational fun of meeting families with similar interests.

This year, we plan on being a bit more "organized", since I'm a co-moderator of two local homeschool Yahoo groups, and active members of the nearly a dozen homeschool Yahoo groups, where I organize coops, math club, invention classes, study groups, playdates, Invention conventions, science fairs, board game days, socials, etc. Additionally, we're using Time4Learning for most of our core courses and keeping the records as "formal" documentation or "grades" finished.

Generally speaking, we get our studies done in the morning, which includes, T4L, Qur'an, Arabic, Islamic Studies, etc. before we go out for our daily activities that start and end between 12 noon and dinner time. Each day we have some social activity, such as math club, science/invention class, playdate, book club, archery/air rifle, museum day Sunday through Saturday. If they did not finish any "work" before our daily outing, they complete it in the evening; which is not typical because we enjoy cooking, eating, and cleaning all our dinners together as a family (with Baba). We like to spend our full evenings as a family with family games, reading circles, documentaries, movies and fun.

The software appealed to me because you can change the grade level of their instruction, to customize it for your child's needs.

1st graders learn about "parts of a whole"
from Sally and Pong in 'The Art of
Fractions' lesson.

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

Time4Learning's experience shows that there is no single, best homeschool material. Rather than feeling torn between homeschool resources, parents should select a diverse blend of materials and activities.

For families with more than one child, choosing a homeschool program can be more problematic. What works for one child may not work for another. What works for one subject may not work on the next. What works one year, may fall flat the very next year.

Some of the features that make Time4Learning so successful include:

• Time4Learning appeals to a wide range of learning styles. Our online learning materials are especially well-suited to children who are visual or kinesthetic learners. These children can take advantage of Time4Learning's interactive, multi-media materials.
• Children like using the computer to learn. It's a convenient, interactive homeschool resource that provides a welcome change each day to paper-and-pencil workbooks and textbook-based lessons.
• Parents like that it tracks progress and helps children advance by clearly presenting and reinforcing each lesson.
• Time4Learning's self-paced, modularized lesson plans allow you to move forward and back through the materials whenever you want. You can skip lessons that teach concepts your child has already mastered and repeat those he or she has not. The choice is yours. With Time4Learning, you are always in control.

Time4Learning is proven effective with homeschoolers, has a low monthly price, is easy-to-use, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your children!

Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.

If you have any more questions or comments about homeschooling in Connecticut, head over to the Connecticut Parents Forum.

Some Helpful Tools and Resources

Welcome to Homeschooling Guide - Are you new to homeschooling? This guide was written by seasoned homeschoolers to answer some of the difficult questions new families often struggle with.

Curriculum Lesson Plans - An overview of the number of lessons that are included for each grade and subject. All students have access to at least 2 (and in most cases 3) grade levels of curriculum for each subject, so they can move ahead or review at their own pace.

Homeschool Portfolio Information - Answers common questions about homeschool portfolios and evaluations. It includes tips on organization methods, what to include and how Time4Learning can be used as part of your homeschool portfolio.

The Lesson Activity Finder - One of the many helpful tools that Time4Learning offers its members. The activity finder is a shortcut that makes it easy for parents to preview lessons or find extra practice for their child. You can visit our hints and help section for more information about the activity finder.

Lesson Planning Worksheet - Wondering how many lessons to have your child do each day? Estimate the number of activities per day using this easy to use, printable worksheet.

Online Parent's Forum - Reach out to homeschoolers in your area, join discussions, ask questions and trade ideas on our online community of homeschooling parents. Having the support of seasoned homeschoolers can really help make your homeschooling journey a success.

Sign up for Time4Learning and gain access to a variety of educational materials, which will engage and challenge your child to succeed. Make Time4Learning a part of your children's homeschool resources.

I want to Learn More about Time4Learning's homeschool curriculum or how to use the program for afterschool enrichment.