Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Homeschool: Teaching Older Children About Business



One of the mental challenges of homeschooling is the process of taking complete and total ownership of your child's education. It can be quite a burden to break out of the molds that society would label "education". The beauty of homeschooling is that you as the parent/educator is that you can weave your child's passions, interests, and abilities into the subjects you bring to the table.

    Why wouldn't I take the time to teach my children something they want to learn, something they see value in, and sneak in a few "educational lessons" along the way.

I currently am teaching 3 of my children how to build an online business. I have their complete and total attention because they are very motivated by the fact that they believe they have something to offer people online. The bonus is that because they believe they can make a few dollars, I have their undivided attention.

    The same way that we might puree carrots and squash to add to a sauce and sneak in nutrition, I sneak my core goals into everything I teach my kids as we research and pursue their passions.

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling High School



All parents have some reservations about homeschooling high school when the concept first crosses their mind. The high school years are important to your child's future, and no parent wants to risk messing up their child's ability to go to college, start a career, or chase other dreams. Teenagers are also more rebellious and challenging than younger children, and if they have special learning needs homeschooling could be a full-time job.

Homeschooling high school is not for everyone, but virtually all parents who do a bit of research realize that it is not as difficult as they thought it was going to be in the beginning. If your child is struggling in public or private school and you believe they would learn better or would be safer at home, this guide to homeschooling will help you decide if this can work for you.

Homeschooling is like anything else in life: you will get out of it what you put into it. Your child will benefit more if you are active in their studies.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Homeschooling and Socialization



Homeschooling, in spite of its growing popularity and acceptance, is still facing some issues. Some of those issues are quite valid, while some are not, and there are also others that are quite debatable. One of those lingering issues is about the supposedly negative effects that homeschooling has on the social skills of children who are educated through this system.

The issue of socialization is a very serious one, considering the importance of proper development of social skills in any individual's life. And when a whole educational system is being questioned about its alleged or supposed negative effects about socializing, it has to be considered very seriously. It is also important to note that this belief has been made and supported by professional educators. However, if it is analyzed any further, it would be proven to be something that's entirely untrue.

What has served as the basis of the belief that homeschooling affects the development of social skills is that those who say so feel that school is the sole place where kids have any chance of learning and developing social skills. To a certain extent, school does help in the much needed development of social skills, but kids who are home-schooled also have opportunities that are not really available to kids who go to a regular school.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Important Preparations for Homeschooling High School



If you plan to homeschool high school soon, it's time to pay attention to your student's college preparations, and get them ready for college level work by the time they graduate. There's a lot of planning at this stage, including selecting courses, keeping good records, and paying attention to important testing dates.

One of the most important courses to pay attention to in high school is foreign language. Colleges like to see two or three years of a single language, so if your student doesn't start in their Freshman year, they'll need to start in their Sophomore year. Don't wait until Junior year to begin!

It's also very important to plan some rigorous classes. That doesn't mean that in Freshman year your student must do calculus. It means that you try to keep your child challenged. Make sure to give them classes that aren't easy. That doesn't mean they should be overwhelming, just not all easy. Keep it rigorous and keep them challenged. Plan your courses, so you'll know exactly what courses you'll cover over the four years of high school

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

3 Reasons to Choose Home Schooling Over Traditional Schooling



Reasons to choose home schooling over traditional schooling may vary from family to family. The three reasons presented in this article concern: (1) design of instruction, (2) small class size, and (3) utilization of resources.

Design of Instruction

"Curricula became as creative as parents chose to be, with choices ranging from printed materials to computer-generated programs, libraries/museums, field trips, resource facilities, networking opportunities, and public school resources (Hanna, 1996). Those who choose homeschooling today have many more choices available" (Hanna, 2012, 613). Parents administering a home school education are free to design the instruction of their students based on their preset objectives and budgets. The limitations of each home school project can be limited only by the time the planner spends on researching the state, its guidelines, its resources and other available resources in material and personnel.

Class size

Homeschooling class sizes can be limited to the students in one family or the class size can involve students from many families. In the latter case, the educational experiences that involve other families and larger sizes can be supplemented by individualized instruction from the educator inside the home. When researching material and instruction providers, also check on options for lesson credits to be recorded, transferred, and managed. Does the provider offer the option to purchase materials without the company's record keeping, instruction online or distant learning packages?

Friday, August 10, 2012

Checking Out the So-Called Disadvantages of Home Schooling



Home schooling is more acceptable today than ever before. You can even go on to say that it is now in vogue and that more and more parents are willing to try it on their children. And this trend will probably not change anytime soon and will only continue until it becomes at par with the more traditional methods of educating children.

There are several reasons for this increased acceptance of home schooling, not the least of which are the benefits that it brings. Evidence has shown that those who undergo it usually perform better when taking standardized tests than their counterparts who were not schooled at home. That alone is a very good reason to favor this right there, and yet there are also the other reasons such as a child getting the kind of education that fits his abilities and personality better, among others.

Enough about the benefits of this, as there have already been plenty of discussion about that. What about its opposite, how about the so-called disadvantages of this? It is probably also worth looking at it, so that people can compare the pros and cons of this, which would allow them to make better decisions about whether to home school their kids or not.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Advantages of Education Games Used in a Home School Environment



The operations manual for the most important piece of equipment imaginable - the brain. There are resources and materials which can assist a child to access and apply their brains' immense powers. Parents can learn with their children.how to assemble and paint their own planetarium model, highlight it to create the glow effect and charge it with any light source. Can you navigate a ball through a mind-bending obstacle course as quickly as you can? LET A CHILD SHOW YOU HOW!

*Teachers and Parents can easily access the Sentence Building and Farmyard Dominoes that teach spelling and counting. Cubes printed with numbers are an interactive and visual way to get to grips with mathematics. This hands-on manipulative kit can be used to teach a range of maths concepts to all ages. The Pizza Fraction Action Snap is a fantastic learning tool where teachers and parents can guide youngsters to experience learning with little formal teaching. These resources are invaluable as they are designed to encourage natural interaction, which gives the child a feeling of great satisfaction.

*Learning Physics with children can be quite exciting: The Sphere is an expanding and contracting ball. It cleverly combines mathematics and geometry to create a surprising motion that fascinates children and adults alike. Can you imagine how a toy such as this could lead to an interest in physics at University level?

*The British Isles jigsaw will test the memory of parents and teachers and enhance the visual and physical skills of young learners. Geography has never been easier. This jigsaw is multifaceted. Youngsters in a short time learn to connect shapes which are linked to counties, towns, rivers and other physical aspects of the United Kingdom. This style of learning lays down strong cognitive schemas which enlarges children's memory processes.