Vermont Homeschool Info by Time4Learning

Are you a new home school parent looking for information on Vermont home school laws, Vermont support groups, or homeschool curriculum? If so, you've come to the right place. As you consider or begin homeschooling in Vermont, you should become familiar with the following:

1. Vermont home school legal requirements  -- information about starting up your homeschool, curriculum and testing guidelines, and other state-specific homeschooling laws. 

2. Homeschool resources and support groups -- Information about Vermont home school conferences, associations, and support groups for finding other homeschoolers   who share similar interests or face similar challenges (such as gifted or special needs children)
3. Homeschool curriculum -- finding an educational approach and accompanying materials to suit your family.

 

Vermont Home School Laws

Summary: The state of Vermont requires compulsory school attendance of children between the ages 6 and 16, or until completion of tenth grade.  Vermont has no requirements for specific number of days or hours of instruction, but recommends a minimum course of study including reading, writing, math, citizenship, history, United States and Vermont government, physical education, health, English, American and other literature, science and fine arts. ( Homeschooled students 13 years and older are not required to take physical education, health, or fine arts.)

 

Vermont's home school operation, usually called "home study program," requires that parents send in a written enrollment notice to the commissioner for each child they plan to homeschool. Then, they are asked to file an annual notice, anytime after March 1 of each year, which will include the following information:

• The name and age, by year and month, of the child
• Names, mailing addresses, town of legal residence, and phone numbers of parents or guardians
• For each child enrolled in the previous year, an assessment of progress
• For each child not previously enrolled in a Vermont public school or Vermont home study program, “independent professional evidence on whether the child has a disability”
• Names, addresses, telephone numbers, and signatures of all persons providing ongoing instruction in any required subject other than physical education, health, and fine arts
• Signatures of all custodial parents or guardians who are legally authorized to make educational decisions for the student

Parents must also submit an outline of each course of study, which covers the content of that course for the year. Assessments for students can be handled in one of several ways:

• A report in a form designated by the commissioner, by a Vermont certified teacher
• OR “a report prepared by the parents, the student’s instructor, or a teacher advisory service report from a publisher of a commercial curriculum together with a portfolio of the student’s work that includes work samples to demonstrate progress in each subject area in the minimum course of study” (not including physical education, health, or fine arts for children over 12).
• OR the complete results of a standardized achievement test on a list approved by the commissioner, administered in a manner approved by the testing company, and scored in accordance with the law.

For more information on specific homeschooling requirements in Vermont, visit one of these sites:

• Vermont Homeschooling Laws by NHEN (National Home Education Network);
• Home-Ed Magazine’s NY resource page -with information, articles, and state-specific resources
• Home Education in Vermont by Ann Zeise.

 

Vermont Home School Resources

Both new and veteran homeschoolers can benefit from the wealth of Vermont homeschool resources available.   Although Vermont does not currently have a statewide homeschool association, many counties in Vermont have at least one local support group for homeschoolers. We've listed a few of the starting points for finding out more about homeschooling resources in Vermont:

• Vermont Homeschooling Information – About.com's site for information, resources and support for all VT homeschoolers  
• Vermont Christian Homeschool Mothers – A Yahoo Group connecting Christian homeschool moms across the state
• Home Instruction in Vermont – The VT State Education Department’s page of homeschooling information

To add your group, please send an email to info@Time4Learning.com.

 

Choosing homeschool curriculum

Vermont homeschool law includes the freedom for families to pick and choose their own curriculum based on what works best for their child.  However, families new to homeschooling quickly discover a dizzying array of choices when it comes to selecting homeschool curriculum. There is no more popular discussion among homeschoolers on the web than the pros and cons of various homeschool curriculum.. After sifting through the homeschool curriculum reviews, most parents end up mixing and matching homeschool curricula, trying to create the best match for their child.

For families with more than one child, choosing a homeschool curricula can even be more problematic. What works for one child, doesn't 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.

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.

 

The benefits of using Time4Learning's curriculum

Time4Learning is used by homeschool parents both as a primary curriculum and as a supplemental program to other materials such as Saxon, Alpha Omega, Five in a Row and A Beka. 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, multimedia 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 the each lesson. Quizzes and tests are graded by the computer, saving valuable time and effort for parents who would be happier concentrating on other areas.

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, risk free! Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.

I want to learn more about Time4Learning's Homeschooling Online program.