How do I start homeschooling in Connecticut?

Withdraw your child from the school, choose your materials and begin. The Department of Education suggests telling your superintendent's office, keeping an attendance log and keeping a portfolio; it calls these suggestions, not requirements.

Do I need to withdraw my child from public school?

Yes, by telling the school. The in-person withdrawal form in the 2026 law does not apply until the school year beginning July 1, 2027.

Are standardized tests required for Connecticut homeschoolers?

No. The statute sets no test, portfolio review, hour count or teacher qualification.

Can I homeschool kindergarten in Connecticut?

Yes. Compulsory attendance begins at five, and a parent may delay a child's start until six, or from six until seven, by signing an option form at the district office; a child taught at home is receiving instruction elsewhere, as the statute allows.

What homeschool forms will Connecticut require later?

From July 1, 2027, a withdrawal form signed in person when a child leaves a public school for home instruction; from July 1, 2028, an intent-to-educate form each year. The Department publishes both, with its guidance, by July 1, 2027.

2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements

How to Homeschool in Connecticut

Yes, you can homeschool your child in Connecticut. For the 2026–2027 school year you do not need a teaching license, a filing with the state or an approved curriculum; you choose your materials and your schedule. The law asks only that you can show your child is receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools. A 2026 law adds a formal withdrawal step from the 2027–2028 school year and an intent-to-educate form from 2028–2029.

Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026

Free printable guide

The Connecticut homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027

One page to keep: what Connecticut requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.

Download the PDF (310 KB)

What Connecticut homeschool law requires

The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from the General Statutes, the State Department of Education and Public Act 26-37:

Connecticut: homeschool requirements at a glance
Requirement	What Connecticut asks	Where it says so
The duty	A parent whose child is not in public school must be able to show that the child is receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools, elsewhere. Nothing is filed with the state in 2026–2027.	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184
Suggested, not required	The State Department of Education's guidelines suggest telling your district superintendent's office that you are instructing at home, keeping an attendance log, and keeping a portfolio of your child's work. The Department calls these suggestions.	CSDE, Homeschooling in Connecticut
Tests, hours, teacher	No test, portfolio review, hour count or teacher qualification is set by statute, and no curriculum approval.	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; CSDE
Leaving a public school now	Tell the school you are withdrawing your child and begin. The new withdrawal procedure does not apply until the school year beginning July 1, 2027.	Public Act 26-37; CSDE
Ages	Compulsory attendance from five to eighteen. A parent may delay a child's start until six, or from six until seven, by signing an option form at the district office.	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184
From July 2027	A parent withdrawing a child from public school to teach at home appears in person at the district office to sign a withdrawal form, effective once the superintendent, after a records check with the Department of Children and Families, says so. From July 1, 2028, families teaching at home complete an intent-to-educate form each year. The Department publishes the forms and its guidance by July 1, 2027.	Public Act 26-37, An Act Concerning the Provision of Parent-Managed Learning

CSDE: homeschooling in Connecticut General Statutes § 10-184

How to start homeschooling in Connecticut

Tell the school you are withdrawing your child and begin. In 2026–2027 nothing is filed with the state; the Department's guidelines suggest telling your district superintendent's office that you are instructing at home.
Choose materials that cover the studies the public schools teach: Faith Schooling's reading, language arts and mathematics programs are sequenced textbooks, and you add science, social studies, the arts, health and physical education.
Plan the year. Connecticut sets no days or hours; the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan and the attendance log the guidelines suggest.
Keep a portfolio of dated work. It is the one thing the law can ask you to show (equivalent instruction), and it is what the intent-to-educate form will describe from the 2028–2029 school year.
Know what changes: from the school year beginning July 1, 2027 a parent withdrawing a child from public school signs a withdrawal form in person at the district office, and from July 1, 2028 families complete an intent-to-educate form each year.

How Faith Schooling covers Connecticut's requirements

Connecticut sets no days or hours. A year of 36 weeks with four or five mornings a week is the common shape, and it is yours to set.

Connecticut's one test is a question you must be able to answer: is your child receiving instruction equivalent to the public schools' studies? Faith Schooling answers it in print for reading, language arts and mathematics: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency, Grammar Garden and Building Number Sense are sequenced textbooks with teaching guides, and their dated, finished pages are the portfolio the Department's guidelines suggest you keep. Science, social studies, the arts, health and physical education are yours to choose.

Connecticut asks for no records; its guidelines suggest an attendance log and a portfolio. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.

Reading: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency K–5 reading textbooks in four quarterly volumes a year, with complete teaching guides
Language arts and writing: Grammar Garden K–5 language and writing coursebooks, four a year, with Preceptor Guides
Mathematics: Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
Everything else: Your choice Connecticut names no subjects; science, social studies, health and the arts are yours to choose
Bible: The Apostolic Academy not something Connecticut requires; free: Scripture memory, Bible study and printables for the family

The curriculum map Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency Grammar Garden Building Number Sense HARVEST placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder

What Connecticut does not require, and you should still do

Place your child. Connecticut tests no homeschooled child; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math.
Plan the year. The Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan and an attendance log, which is exactly what the state's guidelines suggest.
Keep a portfolio, dated. The pages are the answer to the one question the law can ask, and they will be the same pages an intent-to-educate form describes from 2028.

HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy

Common questions

What is required to homeschool in Connecticut?: For 2026–2027, only this: a parent whose child is not in public school must be able to show that the child is receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools. No filing, no test, no hours and no teacher qualification.
How do I start homeschooling in Connecticut?: Withdraw your child from the school, choose your materials and begin. The Department of Education suggests telling your superintendent's office, keeping an attendance log and keeping a portfolio; it calls these suggestions, not requirements.
Do I need to withdraw my child from public school?: Yes, by telling the school. The in-person withdrawal form in the 2026 law does not apply until the school year beginning July 1, 2027.
Are standardized tests required for Connecticut homeschoolers?: No. The statute sets no test, portfolio review, hour count or teacher qualification.
Can I homeschool kindergarten in Connecticut?: Yes. Compulsory attendance begins at five, and a parent may delay a child's start until six, or from six until seven, by signing an option form at the district office; a child taught at home is receiving instruction elsewhere, as the statute allows.
What homeschool forms will Connecticut require later?: From July 1, 2027, a withdrawal form signed in person when a child leaves a public school for home instruction; from July 1, 2028, an intent-to-educate form each year. The Department publishes both, with its guidance, by July 1, 2027.

Official Connecticut homeschool resources

Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The General Statutes and the State Department of Education are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.

Homeschool laws in nearby states

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