Welcome! Many people are curious about homeschooling and ask me all kinds of questions, like: Why do you homeschool?  How do you know what to teach?  Here are my answers. Just remember that homeschoolers are a diverse group of people, and my perspective and experience is only one of many.

If after reading this page you would like more information about homeschooling, I've provided some links to tons of information at the bottom of this page.

Why do we homeschool?  We had no plans to homeschool until our son complained repeatedly of being bored at Booth Hill School in first grade.   He found the work too easy and was learning to underachieve.   All children were grouped together and taught together at the same pace.   When we politely brought up the issue, the staff immediately became defensive and antagonistic.  They felt there was no problem at all and refused to make any changes to accommodate brighter-than-average children. 

What are the state requirements?  Connecticut doesn't require very much of homeschooling parents.  My first two years I elected to submit a voluntary "Notice of Intent" form to the Shelton School district and agreed to an annual portfolio review.   Most homeschoolers I've met so far do not submit the Notice of Intent form or go through the portfolio review.  As many homeschoolers predicted I would, I have now stopped filing the Notice of Intent.  The portfolio review seemed to be a waste of time.

In Connecticut, there are certain basic subjects the parent is required to teach, like math and reading, and that's about it.  You're on your own!  No testing or anything like that. CT CURE has a site at www.cthomeschoollaw.com devoted to the legal requirements of homeschooling in CT, and they help homeschooling parents who are harassed by town officials.

The Shelton Public School system does not offer homeschooling parents any assistance in terms of supplies or services.  Homeschooled children are not allowed to take any classes or participate in any events at the public schools. 

What about socialization?   There is, of course, the potential for locking a kid away and never letting him socialize with other people.  Most homeschooling parents, however, schedule a lot of activities and playdates, so it really isn't a problem.   There are many opportunities for homeschool kids to get together with other homeschoolers - weekly ice skating, gym sessions and playground groups; various clubs; church groups; the annual play put on by area homeschoolers; as well as special classes and field trips. Not to mention people just getting together.  The downside is the need to drive to all these places.

Don't you have to be really organized? Apparently not, since I'm able to do it.  

What are the drawbacks to homeschooling?

• I can't have a full-time job outside the home. I do a bit of consulting on the side, but I don't have time for more than that. 
• Because I'm home with both kids all day, they can really get on my nerves. 
• It's time consuming.

Is homeschooling like you though it would be?  For the most part, yes.  But here are some things that caught me by surprise:

• The big feeling of freedom I got, knowing that school officials were no longer intruding into this household (I had been told how often my son should make his bed, brush his teeth, clean his room, when he should be able to tie his shoes, and I was told to keep a daily reading log to be reviewed by the teacher).
• I am surprised at how much I enjoy learning along with my son, and only now appreciate how bad my education was.   For example, I never had ancient history in school.
• I was disappointed that many homeschooler segregate themselves based on religion. There are a lot of Christian groups and a few Jewish and Pagan groups. I think segregation based on religion is about as appropriate and open-minded as segregation based on race.  However, I did find the Connecticut Homeschool Network, an inclusive group with a local chapter called "Between Counties", and they offer play-dates, meetings and news.

Do you think homeschooling is for everyone?  No, I don't. For one thing, some kids like public schools.  For another, some parents don't interact with their kids very well, or don't enjoy teaching them, or don't understand the subjects they would have to teach.  And of course many parent need to work and can't stay home.

Don't you have to have experience as a teacher?  No, not at all.   You're not teaching a whole class of kids.  Any reasonably bright and motivated parent should be able to teach their own children quite well.

Do you use a standard curriculum?   Some people do, but we don't.   We follow an personal eclectic approach, borrowing ideas from both classical education and "unschooling" philosophies.

We have a "skills" portion of each day for learning things grammar, math and foreign language.  We use workbooks and set high standards.

From the "Unschooling" end of the spectrum comes the idea that kids are sponges who naturally want to learn, and they learn best when they are exploring whatever interests them at the moment.    Our "Knowledge" portion of the day is left fairly open and may include history, science, art, music, geography or whatever.  The public library is a major resource for us here.

"Between Counties" - Homeschool support in Fairfield and New Haven Counties
Home Education in the Lower Naugatuck Valley

The Electronic Valley serves the Communities of
Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour