tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150128192011-04-21T12:02:22.774-07:00Home School Resources, home school curriculum, home school support, home school FAQ and moreHome Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.comBlogger1111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131517994788059372005-11-08T22:33:00.000-08:002005-11-08T22:33:14.843-08:00<br /><P>Homeschooling --- A Superior Education For Your Child&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Once children become proficient readers, they can then study subjects they love in greater depth. If a child needs help on a special subject, parents can occasionally call in a tutor.<BR><BR>Many studies confirm that home-schooled kids learn more, learn better, and learn faster than public-school children. Christopher J. Klicka, author of "The Right Choice: Homeschooling," cites a nationwide study of more than 2,163 home-schooling families conducted in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute:<BR><BR>�The study found the average scores of the home school students were at or above the 80th percentile in all categories. This means that the homeschoolers scored, on the average, higher than 80 percent of the students in the nation. The home schooler�s national percentile mean was 84 for reading, 80 for language, 81 for math, 84 for science, and 83 for social studies."<BR><BR>Several state departments of education also conducted their own surveys on the academic achievement of home-schooled students. In 1987, much to its embarrassment, �the Tennessee Department of Education found that home-schooled children in second grade, on the average, scored in the 93rd percentile, while their public school counterparts, on the average, scored in the 52nd percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test� (the SAT-9 is a well-respected battery of multiple-choice academic achievement tests for public-school students).<BR><BR>These studies, and many others, confirm the fact that home-schooling parents can give their kids a superior education. This shouldn�t surprise us. Home-schooling parents succeed where public schools fail because parents give loving, personalized attention to their children, use innovative free-market educational materials, and nourish a love of learning in their kids.<BR><BR>Joel Turtel's book, "Public Schools, Public Menace" gives parents a wealth of information about homeschooling and the new low-cost, Internet private schools.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113151799478805937?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131427420892946002005-11-07T21:23:00.000-08:002005-11-07T21:23:40.960-08:00<br /><P>Some Basic Homeschool Information</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Thinking about going the homeschooling route? I�m not aware of any official homeschooling text book for parents that are out yet. So, here are some basic answers that you may have in the beginning. The reasons for homeschooling are as varied as the number of families now homeschooling. So with the reasons for homeschooling now behind us, let�s take a look at some of the benefits of homeschooling as we move forward.<BR><BR>A home school schedule allows for the family to be together a much greater portion of the day and this leads to stronger family relationships and this generally will continue right through the sometimes difficult teen years. Also, when parents spend the entire day around their child they are much more in tune with the child�s thoughts and feelings. Behavioral issues can be intercepted and addressed at a much earlier stage. Also, by using your homeschool schedule and your own homeschool lesson plan, you can spend more time in areas that your child needs more work before moving on. This is a definite drawback of the public system.<BR><BR>One area to explore and become familiar with in the pre homeschool stage is your local state laws. In a nutshell, in some states it is very easy to satisfy homeschooling requirements, while in others it is not so easy. Either way, do a little research on this subject because you must be familiar with whatever the home school mandates are for your area.<BR><BR>When it comes to homeschool curriculum many parents generally try to purchase textbooks and materials they need. There are hundreds of resources available to you on the subject of curriculum. One reminder would be not to overlook the idea of finding what you need in the used books and curriculum arena. A quick search of the internet will find you many resources. <BR><BR>And finally, looking down the road a bit�. What about college? A very large number of home schooled have and are attending colleges. Once you get underway or as soon as you feel you may have a direction on a college, simply contact the college and see if they have any specific rules or requirements concerning home schooled children.<BR><BR>I think the biggest reason to homeschool your child of all is that it is a wonderful experience. The immense amount of pride and satisfaction you will receive from this accomplishment is beyond compare.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113142742089294600?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131340628723274512005-11-06T21:17:00.000-08:002005-11-06T21:17:08.813-08:00<br /><P>The Right Homeschool Program&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For those just starting out, determining the best homeschool program can be, at the very least, a bit challenging. Probably the single most relevant point on this would be to keep in mind that the eventual best home education program for your situation and style may involve pulling home school resources from more than one home school curriculum.<BR><BR>Many homeschoolers start by using a complete curriculum package. And if you are just starting out on this wonderful voyage, this approach will get you more than started and on your way. The key to finding �what is right� is more of a process than just a decision. Ultimately you may settle in with using a complete curriculum package modified somewhat to fit not only your teaching style (which you may not know yet yourself), but even more importantly, your child�s learning style. As you gain more experience and confidence, you�ll see that effective teaching is using a combination of educational resources that are readily available (including online home school programs) that round out your personal program and insure your child�s success. <BR><BR>The key to a good homeschooling program is the �fit�. Both you and your child have to be comfortable with the homeschool unit study on an ongoing basis. If you start out with a good base program as a roadmap, you can then tailor it to fit your needs. <BR><BR>Consider when looking for a curriculum that it will provide for a method to determine not only the current �grade level� of your child, but how your child determined their answers. This helps to determine what type of learner your child is, and their ability to apply their skills. <BR><BR>As you now know, a good home school curriculum will draw from many educational sources and will direct the child to discover and learn the material and not just memorize answers. As the teacher, be sure to take a close look at the provider�s support materials. For example, good detail in the manuals and lesson plans, concepts with examples and details, and suggested outside resources and activities. <BR><BR>And finally, good unit testing will communicate to you, not only if your child has grasped each concept, but will also let you know how well you have presented and taught the subject matter and how solid your homeschool program has been.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113134062872327451?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131254226341669082005-11-05T21:17:00.001-08:002005-11-05T21:17:06.753-08:00<br /><P>Is Home Schooling on the Internet the New Wave of Education?&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Do you have children in school - or are you planning for it soon? <BR><BR>Have you asked yourself if public schools are really doing all they can to improve your child and educate him or her for the real world? <BR><BR>Do you try to stifle desires to send them to private schools because of the cost or the perceived 'elitist' mentality? <BR><BR>Have you ever had a day arrive when your child comes home worn out, agitated and frustrated and thought to yourself "I'd love to keep my child home and teach him myself - if only I had the time." <BR><BR>Now, maybe you can. Here are some of the options. <BR><BR>PRIVATE SCHOOLS COST MONEY <BR><BR>Yes, private schools are sought by the wealthiest and most privileged of society. Although some would likely debate the benefits of private schooling over public schooling most parents probably have considered the option and would jump at the opportunity to give private schooling to their children if it appeared. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, for most families, private schooling is simply not a reality. At a cost of $7000 and upwards, the ability to afford such education is beyond their means. Religious affiliated schools are less expensive, but still not an option for many families with a of cost several thousands per year. <BR><BR>HOME SCHOOLING TAKES PARENTS TIME <BR><BR>Traditional home schooling where the parent is the supervisor of the child's work is another option. With fantastic resources and helpful teachers to assist, it has been a form of education that can be the answer to parents who want the one-on-one education that public schools cannot provide. <BR><BR>Home schooling has been the basis of society for thousands of years - long before schools came about. However, in today's society it can be difficult for parent's to maintain the supervision of assignments that is needed for home schooling. This may become even more of an issue as a child gets into the higher grades and parents are unfamiliar with the curriculum or are working and do not have as much time to assist them. <BR><BR>INTERNET HOME SCHOOLING <BR><BR>A new addition to education, the internet is now providing the ability for parents to give their child an enhanced curriculum, control over education, and online support. This will all cost much less than private school at an average cost of $900 per year. <BR><BR>Older children can benefit from online teachers who are able to supervise the work - a huge benefit for working or single parents. Many accredited Internet schools offer similar courses to those available in private schools. <BR><BR>Joel Turtel, who is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children," says that busy working parents can give their kids a quality, low-cost education at home using the Internet. �K-12th grade Internet schools can take most of the homeschooling burden off parent's backs.� <BR><BR>Perhaps this is the answer you've been looking for. <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Matt Degree involves in Education for almost 15 years. He has also been a consultant for online learning and act as advisor for online learning project. Find more resources at http://onlinedegree.eclicksoft.com</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113125422634166908?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131254226338052932005-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:002005-11-05T21:17:06.753-08:00<br /><P>Is Home Schooling on the Internet the New Wave of Education?&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Do you have children in school - or are you planning for it soon? <BR><BR>Have you asked yourself if public schools are really doing all they can to improve your child and educate him or her for the real world? <BR><BR>Do you try to stifle desires to send them to private schools because of the cost or the perceived 'elitist' mentality? <BR><BR>Have you ever had a day arrive when your child comes home worn out, agitated and frustrated and thought to yourself "I'd love to keep my child home and teach him myself - if only I had the time." <BR><BR>Now, maybe you can. Here are some of the options. <BR><BR>PRIVATE SCHOOLS COST MONEY <BR><BR>Yes, private schools are sought by the wealthiest and most privileged of society. Although some would likely debate the benefits of private schooling over public schooling most parents probably have considered the option and would jump at the opportunity to give private schooling to their children if it appeared. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, for most families, private schooling is simply not a reality. At a cost of $7000 and upwards, the ability to afford such education is beyond their means. Religious affiliated schools are less expensive, but still not an option for many families with a of cost several thousands per year. <BR><BR>HOME SCHOOLING TAKES PARENTS TIME <BR><BR>Traditional home schooling where the parent is the supervisor of the child's work is another option. With fantastic resources and helpful teachers to assist, it has been a form of education that can be the answer to parents who want the one-on-one education that public schools cannot provide. <BR><BR>Home schooling has been the basis of society for thousands of years - long before schools came about. However, in today's society it can be difficult for parent's to maintain the supervision of assignments that is needed for home schooling. This may become even more of an issue as a child gets into the higher grades and parents are unfamiliar with the curriculum or are working and do not have as much time to assist them. <BR><BR>INTERNET HOME SCHOOLING <BR><BR>A new addition to education, the internet is now providing the ability for parents to give their child an enhanced curriculum, control over education, and online support. This will all cost much less than private school at an average cost of $900 per year. <BR><BR>Older children can benefit from online teachers who are able to supervise the work - a huge benefit for working or single parents. Many accredited Internet schools offer similar courses to those available in private schools. <BR><BR>Joel Turtel, who is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children," says that busy working parents can give their kids a quality, low-cost education at home using the Internet. �K-12th grade Internet schools can take most of the homeschooling burden off parent's backs.� <BR><BR>Perhaps this is the answer you've been looking for. <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Matt Degree involves in Education for almost 15 years. He has also been a consultant for online learning and act as advisor for online learning project. Find more resources at http://onlinedegree.eclicksoft.com</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113125422633805293?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131167807690861362005-11-04T21:16:00.000-08:002005-11-04T21:16:47.743-08:00<br /><P>Homeschool Information&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Getting Started With Homeschooling. Before jumping into all the decisions surrounding the actual teaching and homeschooling of your child such as: what curriculum, what books, what materials, the home school calendar, organize this, organize that�. Before you do any of that first get familiar with with this bit of homeschool information.....your state�s home school laws, rules, and other regulations. Some states are quite easy and others require much more work. The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a great place to start. Legally you do have the right to homeschool your child. Just make certain you comply with the individual state�s regulations.<BR><BR>Homeschooling does require a huge time commitment on your part. And that commitment depends on the level of homeschooling you do. The subject that is being taught and even the ages of the children involved. One question that always seems to come up, particularly from outside influences, is whether the parent is<BR><BR><BR>qualified to teach or not. If not the parent, then who? Who better to teach and homeschool the child? No one wants their child to be successful more than a parent. Plus, nobody would argue against a one to one teaching relationship between teacher and pupil and for the vast number of cases this is exactly the teaching environment in the homeschool classroom. <BR><BR>There is no right or wrong curriculum you can choose to homeschool. You have choices of anything from text books to home school computer software packages. The learning tools that you choose can be based on the children�s ages or even the subject matter that is being taught. You can get text or software directly through the publisher, or at book fairs, or even flea markets and garage sales. Homeschool learning material is everywhere. And don�t forget your public library. It�s free!<BR><BR>Although the cost of all the materials you will need and use does require a significant investment, I think, however, that you�ll find that homeschooling demands more of your time than it does your pocket book. <BR><BR>Be creative, and use your resources. Homeschool information is plentiful. Get out on the internet a just do some basic searching on homeschooling. You will find more information, ideas and support than you could ever need to use.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113116780769086136?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1131081043521375292005-11-03T21:10:00.000-08:002005-11-03T21:10:43.526-08:00<br /><P>Home Schooling in Your Motorhome</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>At first glance the terms �hitting the road� and �hitting the books� might appear mutually exclusive. But if you home school your children and have access to a motor home, read on.</P><br /><P>Your one room school house on wheels.</P><br /><P>One of major concerns of parents who decide to home school their children is that their child is not exposed to the wide array of mental stimuli encountered by children who participate in a more conventional education. Children who go to public and even private schools are exposed to many different cultures, personalities and diverse beliefs. However, children schooled in the home sometimes are not exposed to a wide variety of other children. Co-operative home schooling, which brings a number of families together to share the work in educating their children, helps somewhat but home schooled children still, may not experience the plethora of mental stimuli experienced by their more traditionally schooled counterparts. One way to ensure that your child has access to these stimuli is to pack up your motor home and hit the road.</P><br /><P>Math Class</P><br /><P>As you head down the highway in your one room school house on wheels, opportunities for teaching abound. In addition to the regular daily lesson plan, you can incorporate trip specific lessons into the daily work. For example, the math lesson begins when you stop at the neighborhood filling station to top off your tank. Consult the owners� manual of your motor home and find out the capacity in gallons of your fuel tank. If age and grade appropriate have your young student convert this measurement from gallons to liters. For younger children, a fun activity is to let them watch the pump through the RV window and count the gallons or even tenths of gallons that pour into your motor homes fuel tank. Of course with the current price of gasoline, this activity will be much more fun for them than for you.</P><br /><P>Once you�ve filled your tank, get out the map and sit with your student to study your route. Consult your motor home�s manual again and find how many miles per gallon you can expect to get. Help your young student compose a formula to find how far down the planned route you�ll be able to travel before your motor home requires fuel again. You can help your child use the map to help navigate as you travel along. Plan a side trip at the spur of the moment. Ask your child to tell you how this side trip will affect your timetable and fuel bill?</P><br /><P>History Lessons.</P><br /><P>Plan your trip so that you follow an historical route. Follow the Trail of Tears, maybe the Oregon Trail. Travel the dusty path the cowboys rode in cattle drives from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. If you�ve got the time, follow the route of Lewis and Clark or, explore the vast expanse of the Louisiana Purchase. What ever path you choose to follow, make sure you have plenty of supplemental materials for your young student to study. Many motor home parks have high speed internet available to their campers. At the end of each day, have your child connect to the Internet and gather information about the history of the places you�ve visited.</P><br /><P>Social Studies</P><br /><P>Take a trip through Appalachia. Venture some distance from the Interstate into the heart of some small town. Stop at a small store or local diner. Observe the people who live and work there. Listen to their accents or, eavesdrop on a conversation. There is no better way to discover how other people live than to explore these microcosms of America. You might even want to contact local parents who also home school their children and arrange a visit to learn more about each other and compare home school curriculums.</P><br /><P>Other Destinations</P><br /><P>Many home schooling co-operatives hold events at various motor home parks to compare and refine home school curriculums and provide new experiences for their home schooled students. An Internet search for these home school meet ups will yield many entertaining and informative events. If you choose to make one of these trips, be prepared to have a good time and be sure to bring your favorite covered dish.</P><br /><P>Exercises such as these are entertaining and exciting to your child and if properly presented, your young student may not even realize he is in school. But remember, as entertaining, exciting and educational as these road exercises are, they are not a replacement for the well planned curriculum and lesson plans available to parents home schooling their children.</P><br /><P>Article Submitted by Rooster B. <BR>Rooster privately runs several News and Blog sites related to <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>Homeschool Education</A>. Interested in the latest Home School curriculum visit his site at <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>http://www.homeschoolzine.com</A></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113108104352137529?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130994483997666082005-11-02T21:08:00.000-08:002005-11-02T21:08:04.073-08:00<br /><P>Homeschool Schedule</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>When you are ready to sit down and ponder and map out your home school schedule for the upcoming academic<BR>year. A good calendar is an ingredient not to be forgotten as part of your overall homeschool schedule<BR>and homeschool lesson plan.<BR><BR>Since you will be homeschooling your child, careful thought needs to be given not only to your home<BR>school schedule, but your family schedule will need to be integrated into the mix as well. Also make sure<BR>that your lesson plan coincides well with your educational calendar. After taking a high level look at<BR>your home school calendar integrated with your family calendar, you may decide that the traditional<BR>school year calendar of end of summer through early spring may not be the most advantageous. Also the<BR>homeschool day does not necessarily need to start say at 8am. There is no stringent time schedule that<BR>you must adhere to as is the case in public schools.<BR><BR>As with your home school lesson planning, your scheduling should take into careful consideration your<BR>child�s learning style and determine what will work best. As a homeschooling family, you have the option of planning trips at<BR>other times of the year when for example, air fare is cheaper and the lines are shorter! If vacations<BR>aren�t a part of your plans, there are probably other reasons (such as birthdays) for tailor making your<BR>own home school calendar.<BR><BR>While mapping a home school yearly schedule is an excellent idea, remember to allow for flexibility in<BR>the schedule. Any school year, especially since the school year is taking place also centered around your<BR>home and your family, will have the need for unforeseen breaks and absences. Not to worry, just as there<BR>are unforeseen missed hours and even days in public school so will there be with your at home education.<BR><BR>Just remember it may take a while to sand off the rough edges of your home school schedule to where you<BR>feel you have best optimized it. As the year goes by, if you have kept good records and used your lesson<BR>plan as your guide you will see that your child is indeed learning all along the way.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113099448399766608?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130908005900094482005-11-01T21:06:00.000-08:002005-11-01T21:06:48.216-08:00<br /><P>Teaching Preschool Color and Shape With Family Games</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>My kids just can't get enough of playing games with Mom and Dad--can yours?<BR><BR>Sometimes we all take a break in the middle of the day and play a game together. Most of the time, I just make sure we play games so that we all have fun together. I can get so caught up in things that I'll go from one task to the next and forget to have a little fun.<BR><BR>Today, after several pleas from my kids, I got out the Uno cards. Today I would be playing with six-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Maegan. In the past, Maegan would sit on my lap and help me with my cards; but today, she wanted to be her "own team".<BR><BR>--------------------Advertisement----------------------<BR>How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School<BR><BR>The first two years of home school can be extremely difficult! It seems that new home school Moms all go through the same set of doubts, snags, and discouragements. <BR><BR>But no longer! Now there is the survival kit for any home school Mom. From deciding if home school is right for you to over coming your first snags, there is now a system to get through it all without stress.<BR><BR>After quickly selling out, this course is now back in stock. Get your the How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School Knowledge System before they sell out!<BR>http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=126404 <BR>-------------------Advertisement----------------------- <BR><BR>Not feeling sure how things would go, I dealt seven cards to each of us. Maegan picked up her cards and held them in her hand.<BR><BR>I flipped over the first card and asked Maegan to go first. "Do you have a yellow card to put down?"<BR><BR>"Yep," she answered and put down a yellow card on top of the pile.<BR><BR>Round and round we went, with Maegan putting down the correct color on her turn all by herself. Then finally a turn came that she didn't have the right color.<BR><BR>"Do you have a card," I asked, pointing to the large symbol in the middle of the card, "that has a circle like this one?"<BR><BR>While I still had my finger next to the symbol, she went through each card, one a time. She carefully checked to see if she had a "match" - and when she found one, she put it down on top of the pile.<BR><BR>The game was a great success--especially since she won the first round!<BR><BR>"That's one point for the team 'My Little Pony' (as she had named her team)," I congratulated her. She beamed with pride. She had won and she had done it all by herself.<BR><BR>As I sat there admiring her accomplishment, I realized how easy it is to miss opportunities like this that are educational in nature. This game taught her taking turns, sorting, colors, and shapes.<BR><BR>It's always a great asset as a home school parent to have one more way to help our kids learn and practice what they've been learning. So, "Uno away"!!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: Homeschool Cooking in a Box and the Homeschool Cookbook. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit her website http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113090800590009448?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130821605591450642005-10-31T21:06:00.000-08:002005-10-31T21:06:46.086-08:00<br /><P>First Day of School</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>By the first of August, you can?t open a newspaper without seeing ads for Back to School supplies. The stores are filled with displays. My daughter, Katherine is always asking if she can buy something from the ads. All the emphasis on starting school is creating some feelings of regret with our choice to home school.</P><br /><P>Don?t get me wrong, I do think we?ve made the right choice for our family. I don?t have any doubts about the advantages of home schooling. I think our kids will get a better education and have the chance to grow without the overwhelming influences of peer pressure. My regret comes from suddenly realizing my daughter will not have a ?First Day of School?.</P><br /><P>I can?t say that I really remember my first day, but there is a picture of me in a pretty pink dress holding a flower to take to my teacher. That photo is a permanent reminder of what must have been a terrifying and exciting day for me. It is a day my daughter will never experience.</P><br /><P>Katherine turns five this year and could be starting kindergarten in Sept. We could be picking out back packs, school supplies and her own ?First Day of School? outfit. She could be wondering about the kids in her class. Would she find a best friend in the group? What would her teacher be like? We?ll never know.</P><br /><P>As parents we have to make lots of choices for our children, and hope that we are making the right choice. The choice to home school takes lots of thought and research. It is not a choice made by most families. Fortunately we live in a community with many home schooling families. Their support has made it much easier for us. There?s even a newsletter filled with activities, sports, field trips and local resources.</P><br /><P>In fact, we?ve started a Learning Group that meets once a week. We have circle time, show and tell, games, activities, crafts, snacks, and lots of fun. There?s a different topic each week and the kids come up with their own stuff some times. As they get older, they will be taking more responsibility for planning the activities. Katherine loves the group and would be heart broken if I told her she had to give it up to go to school.</P><br /><P>Truthfully, I?m the person who will miss my daughter?s first day of school. As I?m thinking about it, I realize that I?m not alone. Many of the other Moms in the area must have had the same thoughts. Now, I see one of the reasons for a tradition they started years ago. On what would be the first day of school, all the home schooling families meet at a local beach for the "We?re not going to school" picnic. The kids play in the sand, swim, eat sandy sandwiches and have a great time.</P><br /><P>Katherine will have more fun at the beach, and may even have memories of this day thirty years from now. She definitely will have a picture of herself in a pink bathing suit playing in the ocean on what would have been her first day of school.</P><br /><P>Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine (who is now 9y) and her brother Duncan (6y). She has developed a home-based business that lets her combine her skills and business background with full-time parenting. Her company, Creative Kids at Home, encourages children to have fun while being creative. (1-877-853-6788 or <A href="http://www.ckah.com/" target=_new>http://www.ckah.com</A>)</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113082160559145064?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130644960600718472005-10-29T21:02:00.000-07:002005-10-29T21:02:40.673-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Basic Benefits&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Why should or would I homeschool? <BR><BR>A big decision for you and should not be taken lightly. However, with some basic preparation, it isn�t as mind boggling as you might think. The reasons to homeschool are as varied as there are families that participate in homeschooling. Many parents aren�t impressed with the education that their child is receiving at the public school, and expensive private schooling isn�t an option. Safety can also be an issue or maybe your child is struggling and you feel that they could benefit greatly with more one on one instruction. Whatever the reason, homeschooling today is growing by leaps and bounds and the resources available to those making the school at home decision are abundant.<BR><BR>Be clear in your mind at to why you have decided to embark on homeschooling. Write your motivation, your purpose, and your goals for your homeschool down. This will keep you focused and motivated throughout your school year. Also, with a clear concise purpose and reasons for homeschooling will arm you with conviction when you run up against those friends and family members who are less enthusiastic about your decision to homeschool. Put together your homeschool mission statement and write it down and live by it as you homeschool your kids.<BR><BR>The benefits of homeschooling are many. Educating your child at home certainly gives the family more together time. Something that, more and more in these modern times has proven to be on the decline. As the child grows and moves into the pre adolescent and the teen years the child feel closer to their parents and have the security and confidence in a solid parent child relationship that will enhance the child�s maturity level in this complex world.<BR><BR>As an at home teacher you�ll be directly in touch with the areas that your child excels and those in which they don�t this will give you the advantage of spending more time on the areas that need more attention. In the traditional classroom the teacher has a fixed amount of time available to each are of study then they must move on. Learning at home gives the child the ability to fully master each subject before moving on giving them confidence to build on that they can learn difficult subjects for them.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113064496060071847?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130557948024751232005-10-28T20:52:00.000-07:002005-10-28T20:52:28.100-07:00<br /><P>Home School Decisions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isn�t it?</P><br /><P>Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isn�t really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.</P><br /><P>An old pair of shoes</P><br /><P>Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesn�t matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you can�t wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Won�t you be my neighbor?</P><br /><P>I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.</P><br /><P>A new pair of shoes.</P><br /><P>Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bought my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didn�t even have to wind him up.</P><br /><P>Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.</P><br /><P>The decision to homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.</P><br /><P>If homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.</P><br /><P>No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.</P><br /><P>Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.</P><br /><P>Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.communicationspeaker.com/" target=_new>http://www.communicationspeaker.com</A></P><br /><P><A href="mailto:steve@stevebrummet.com">steve@stevebrummet.com</A></P><br /><P>972-548-6048</P><br /><P>214-578-4172</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113055794802475123?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130471534322000512005-10-27T20:52:00.000-07:002005-10-27T20:52:14.386-07:00<br /><P>Are Public Schools Anti-Parent?</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Some public schools try to turn children against their parents with scary classroom stories or lessons about child abuse. Public school authorities have increasingly decided that they are children�s first line of defense against child abuse. This new attitude falls under what is now known as "protective behavior curriculum."<BR><BR>The assumptions behind this curriculum are that every child needs to be warned about and prepared for possible dangers of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse because allegedly every child is a potential victim, not only of strangers but of his or her own family.<BR><BR>Increasingly, school authorities instruct teachers to ask children questions about their parents� behavior and actions toward them at home. The questions amount to asking kids to spy on their parents and report incidents that make them feel �uncomfortable.� Some school authorities use such tales by children to investigate or file charges of child abuse against parents who often did no more than yell at their children or spank them lightly.<BR><BR>In effect, to allegedly protect children, some school authorities now consider all parents as potential abusers, use children to invade parents� privacy, or make kids afraid of their parents. Often, children are disturbed and emotionally traumatized by the insinuations school authorities put into their heads.<BR><BR>The following incident described by Charles J. Sykes, in his book "Dumbing Down Our Kids," illustrates this disturbing anti-parent campaign by many public schools across the country:<BR><BR>�I first became aware of the protective behaviors curriculum when a mother called me to tell me of an experience she had with her daughter. Her child, an elementary schoolgirl, had come home in tears. When she saw that her mother was home and waiting for her, she rushed to her in relief. AI wasn�t sure you�d be here, she told her mother. Her mother reassured her that she would always be there for her. In school that day, her daughter told her, her class had discussed �bad� touching including spanking.<BR><BR>"In the course of the discussion, children had been encouraged to share with the teachers and classmates whether they had ever been touched in that way and the girl had said that her mother had spanked her. The children were also told that people who engaged in bad touching would be taken away and put in jail. For the rest of the school day the girl was terrified that her mother who had spanked her would now be taken away and locked up for her bad touching."<BR><BR>Parents, it might be wise to periodically ask your children if their teachers ask them personal questions about your family or how you discipline your children. Turning children into spies against their parents or making them afraid of their parents is not what parents pay school taxes for.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113047153432200051?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130380398862719962005-10-26T19:33:00.000-07:002005-10-26T19:33:18.913-07:00<br /><P>Students Worldwide Are Learning How To Excel In School From Home&nbsp;&nbsp;<EM> </EM></P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Today, children are expected to earn high grades in all of their classes, in spite of the failing public school system. Parents can still remember when an education was essential in preparing children for their livelihood.<BR><BR>Now what many public school systems offer is overcrowded classrooms. Teachers are being grossly underpaid for their skills and overworked. Outdated learning material, metal detectors, violence, cuts in federal spending for education...<BR><BR>Remedial help is sorely needed for some students so they can keep up. If a child can't receive the education they deserve, how are they expected to prosper in society? Parents, students, and the public school systems already know that this is a hugh problem, but who can they turn to for help?<BR><BR>More and more parents are turning to tutoring to supplement their children's education and to further their children's abilities to be successful in the future.<BR><BR>Tutoring is a $4 Billion business that is growing steadily. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, supplemental educational services are funded by school districts with a portion of their allocation from the U.S. Department of Education.<BR><BR>The Federal Government allocates as much as $1800 per eligible student, but so far, less than 10 percent of eligible students are electing to participate, according to providers' estimates.<BR><BR>One of the toughest challenges is simply convincing parents that the service is free to them. Parents will often hang up when sales reps for tutoring firms call to explain the program.<BR><BR>They think it is a scam because "free" usually means too good to be true. And sometimes parents simply don't want to acknowledge that their child needs help. Parents have been known to ask "What's wrong with my child that he needs to be tutored?"<BR><BR>In spite of these challenges, online tutoring, or Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate. IDL is where a student receives live, one-on-one tutoring in a virtual classroom setting or in large group sessions over a video conferencing system.<BR><BR>Students who have access to a computer at home or in school can log in to the system and have a live tutor help them day or night. Subjects like Math, English, Calculus, World History, Latin, French, Chemistry, Physics and many others can be taught to them by certified tutors/teachers.<BR><BR>And there are online tutoring systems that even supply their own courseware library, featuring some of the finest programmed learning courses in computer sciences, management and academic subjects.<BR><BR>Children who receive one-on-one remedial tutoring have been known to have increased self-esteem and self confidence, increased focus and lengthened attention span.<BR><BR>My advice to parents everywhere is to find an online tutoring system that focuses on academic remedial courses for ages K-12, as well as for college students.<BR><BR>Why not give your child the best chance at passing each class with the help he or she needs? There's federal money allocated for the parents to provide online remedial help for their children. Also, parents are able to schedule tutoring sessions to fit into their time schedule.<BR><BR>In the long run, everyone shares in the child's accomplishment.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David M. Rolle', a Online Tutoring Franchise Owner, believes passionately in interactive distance learning for students that need remedial courses. Parents, students, school systems and entreprenuers worldwide interested in receiving information on on-line tutoring, visit <A href="http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8">http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8</A>. </P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113038039886271996?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130290942853113142005-10-25T18:42:00.000-07:002005-10-25T18:42:22.903-07:00<br /><P>School Days - Top 10 Tips For Establishing A Good Routine</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines, boundaries and rules. Unfortunately, parents often forget it! And yet by establishing good routines and encouraging children to help you maintain them, you have an opportunity to set a pattern and a discipline that will stay with your children for the rest of their lives. You will make school days easier and far less stressful, reduce the chances of starting your day late or dragging on forever with the homework, put an end to nagging and shouting, and have happier, more relaxed kids.<BR><BR>Here are 10 tips for establishing a solid, school day routine.<BR><BR>1. Lay the breakfast table the night before<BR><BR>Put everything out apart from perishables. If you keep all your breakfast things in one cupboard or one area of the kitchen this routine will be easier to establish, and older children can take it in turns to do it.<BR><BR>2. Put out your clothes the night before<BR><BR>Lay out a complete set of clothes for each child, checking them as you do it. Older children should do this themselves - you can double check when you say goodnight. Then if something is missing (or shoes need polishing) you have time to put it right. Lay your own clothes out too!<BR><BR>3. Brush teeth at the kitchen sink<BR><BR>Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste for each child in the kitchen and brush teeth at the kitchen sink immediately after breakfast. It may not be perfect for the house-proud, but if you send your child out of your sight to do a chore in the morning, you lose control. If you lose control, he may start dawdling.<BR><BR>4. Set up base camp<BR><BR>Establish a "base camp" where the children keep all their school things. You will need room for kit bags, satchels, swimming bags, sports equipment, ballet bags, library books and whatever else the kids need! Provide at least one hook per vhild for their coats (in our house kids must hang coats up as soon as they take them off) and a basket or box for school shoes (in our house kids must put shoes in the box as soon as they take them off too - sometimes they do!) Another basket or box for each child can be used as a place to put anything that needs to go to school - gloves, letters to teachers, music, library books etc. Everything is in its place and ready to go out the door first thing in the morning without any fuss.<BR><BR>5. Make a list<BR><BR>Fill out a schedule of what is needed at school on each day and pin it up at "base camp". Check each morning before you walk out the door that you have the appropriate kit. You will find a school week planner to print here: <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm</A><BR><BR>6. Nail up a notice board<BR><BR>Keep a notice board at "base camp" so that you can pin up reminders, invitations, school menus or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.<BR><BR>7. Do it now!<BR><BR>If anything comes home from school that requires your attention, do it immediately. Fill out forms and put them straight back into the satchel. Write dates into your diary there and then, and reply the same day too. If you postpone it, you will forget it!<BR><BR>8. Give homework a home<BR><BR>Establish a place and time for doing homework and stick to it. Keep dictionaries and other necessary books nearby, as well as a spare set of pencils, rulers and other stationery you might need. Make sure that homework is put back into satchels as soon as it is completed and that satchels are returned to "base camp" straightaway. Get out a kitchen timer if kids are reluctant to start (or finish!)<BR><BR>9. Be prepared<BR><BR>If your car is running short of petrol (gas), fill it up on the way home from school in the afternoon rather than panicking the following morning! As you drive home, run a mental check on whether you have the necessary supplies for dinner, and breakfast. Nothing makes kids more miserable in the morning than an empty fridge.<BR><BR>10. Get ahead<BR><BR>Set your alarm to wake you up 10 minutes earlier than usual. You will be amazed at how much more in control that 10 minutes will make you feel. And finally, leave for school 5 minutes early. Arriving early takes away an enormous amount of stress and will put your children in the right mood for school.<BR><BR>Are you convinced? Start initiating some routines in your school days and you and your kids will feel the benefits very quickly. Making sure that your kids feel comfortable and in control before they get to school gives them the best possible start to a school day. And once they get used to afternoon and evening routines for homework and preparation for the day ahead, nighttimes become more peaceful too.<BR><BR>"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." ~ John Dryden<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of Activity Village - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit the website at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/">http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk</A> and subscribe to the free newsletter at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm</A></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113029094285311314?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130203727926097752005-10-24T18:28:00.000-07:002005-10-24T18:28:48.006-07:00<br /><P>Public Schools Can Waste 12 Years of Your Child�s Life&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For over fifty years, public-school officials and politicians have tried one education fad after another. They have all failed. Children should not be turned into victims and educational guinea pigs by public-school authorities. <BR><BR>Here's why public schools can waste 12 years of your children�s lives and destroy their love of learning:<BR><BR>1. These schools teach children to read with the whole-language method, which cripples children�s ability to read. That is why after 12 years, millions of graduating high-school students have poor reading skills, and some students can barely read their own diplomas.<BR><BR>2. Public schools teach the �new� or fuzzy math which can cripple a child�s ability to do math and destroy their self-confidence. A child who is afraid of math won�t have the confidence to pursue a career in science, computers, or engineering, thereby cutting them off from these rewarding careers.<BR><BR>3. Because these schools cripple children�s ability to read, they must force children to read dumbed-down textbooks in English, History, and many other subjects. These textbooks are geared to the slowest learners in the class and water-down the subject matter. These dumbed-down courses therefore waste children�s time.<BR><BR>4. Most �teaching� in public-schools consists of students having to memorize facts from dumbed-down textbooks, only to regurgitate these same facts on dumbed-down tests. John Holt, in his book, �How Children Fail� points out that most students forget the facts they memorized within a few weeks after the test. So most children learn little from their classes except how to cram their heads with useless facts which they soon forget. This goes on for 12 years.<BR><BR>5. Public schools force children to study subjects they hate, can�t do, will never use in their lives, or which bore them. For example, many schools force students to study geometry and trigonometry, French or another foreign language, or world history. Children should be studying subjects they love and are good at. When they have to study subjects that bore them, the only thing children learn is to hate learning.<BR><BR>6. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Edison, and Mark Twain all went to a formal �grammar� school for less than two years. All were home-schooled by their parents or self-taught after they learned to read. Author John Gatto, in his book �Dumbing Us Down� said that most children can learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic in only 100 hours of intense study. Yet our public schools keep children locked up for 12 years, yet can barely teach them to read.<BR><BR>7. Once children learn to read and write well within two years of intense study, they doesn�t need a public school at all. With their parents� help and guidance, they can direct their own studies and education at home. Over two million children do this right now�it�s called homeschooling.<BR><BR>8. Public schools are a government-controlled monopoly. Bad schools don�t close down because compulsory taxes prop them up. Incompetent or mediocre teachers aren�t fired because tenure laws protect them. That�s why public schools will never improve and will always waste children�s precious time.<BR><BR>9. A study by the National Education Commissiion on Time and Learning found that middle-school and high-school children spent on average only about 50 percent of their school day on core "academic" subjects. The rest of their time is spent on classes about sex-education, personal safety, family life, consumer affairs, AIDS and drug prevention, save-the-environment, multiculturalism studies, "cooperative-learning" projects, study halls, electives, homeroom, counseling, sports activities, or pep rallies (high school).<BR><BR>If parents value their children�s time, passion for learning, and future success in life, then they should consider taking their children out of public school, permanently.<BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."<BR>Website: www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, <BR>Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, <BR>Phone: 718-447-7348. <BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR>NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel�s email address and website URL, www.mykidsdeservebetter.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113020372792609775?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130117107868736592005-10-23T18:25:00.000-07:002005-10-23T18:25:07.926-07:00<br /><P>7 Things to Teach Your Kids About Money</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Did you know that many people retire broke?<BR><BR>It's true. After a lifetime of hard work and having earned<BR>literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, they end up with<BR>nothing.<BR><BR>So where did all their hard-earned cash go? The answer is,<BR>it passed right through their fingers.<BR><BR>While schools are great at teaching algebra, calculus, and<BR>geometry... how many of us learned about the basics of<BR>personal finance and creating financial security for<BR>ourselves?<BR><BR>The truth is, the earlier you learn to handle money, the<BR>more likely you are to manage it properly and live a<BR>prosperous life.<BR><BR>So why not provide a little home schooling for your family<BR>and teach them the basics? Here are 7 important lessons to<BR>instill in your kids about money:<BR><BR>1. Save something of what you earn<BR><BR>Acquiring the savings habit is one of the smartest things<BR>you can ever do.<BR><BR>If you're reading this now as a middle-aged parent, imagine<BR>how much you'd have in the bank today if you'd saved 10% of<BR>everything you'd ever earned.<BR><BR>(It's almost scary to think about, isn't it?)<BR><BR>Teach your kids to save a little of everything they earn.<BR><BR>2. Don't borrow what you can't pay back<BR><BR>Debt is one of the greatest social diseases of our time. The<BR>price to pay for the "have now, pay later" philosophy is<BR>that you certainly will pay later.<BR><BR>Debt imprisons you in a job you don't like, creates stress<BR>and anxiety in your life, and erodes your wealth creation<BR>program.<BR><BR>You will never become rich while you're in debt. Period.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of delayed gratification. "If in<BR>doubt, go without".<BR><BR>3. To give is to get<BR><BR>Managing money doesn't mean hoarding it and locking it away<BR>in its own purpose-built high security jail. It simply<BR>means being careful, spending wisely, and acquiring a<BR>regular savings habit.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that donating money to worthwhile causes is<BR>a noble thing to do, and that the money returns to you in<BR>more ways than you can imagine.<BR><BR>4. Money isn't evil<BR><BR>"Money is the root of all evil" and "filthy lucre" are<BR>phrases you'll hear banded around.<BR><BR>Ignore them.<BR><BR>Money actually brings enormous good into the world. For<BR>example:<BR><BR>- Creating wealth helps create jobs for others<BR><BR>- Investing in business helps to bring solutions into<BR>people's lives by way of innovative products and services<BR><BR>- Acquiring a great fortune allows you to donate more money<BR>to charity - or even start your own trust fund<BR><BR>Teach your kids that money is neither good nor bad - it's<BR>what you do with it that makes the difference.<BR><BR>5. If you don't spend much, you can't lose much!<BR><BR>One of the oldest wealth-creation maxims is, "It takes money<BR>to make money".<BR><BR>Unfortunately, it also takes money to lose money.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of caution when entering into<BR>financial affairs. And let them know that many self-made<BR>millionaires started with literally nothing.<BR><BR>6. Get the best price for everything you can<BR><BR>Your financial health is really the difference between how<BR>much you earn and how much you spend. It therefore makes<BR>sense not to pay any more money for something than you have<BR>to.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that bargain-hunting doesn't make you a<BR>"miser" - just a sensible individual.<BR><BR>7. The fast buck is your last buck<BR><BR>Sooner or later everyone gets offered a "surefire" method of<BR>making a fortune, whether it's the three-card trick, a<BR>once-in-a-lifetime investment plan, or some time-limited<BR>business opportunity only available to a select few...<BR><BR>Don't fall for too-good-to-be-true scams.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that wealth creation is a simple and<BR>timeless process based on common sense.<BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>If you had learned the above principles when you were 10<BR>years old, and had applied them every day of your life,<BR>would you be financially healthier today?<BR><BR>You betcha!<BR><BR>Teach your kids the timeless truths of acquiring and keeping<BR>wealth.<BR><BR>Knowledge truly is the most precious gift you can give.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Paul Davis writes for Debt Elimination 4U, showing ordinary people how to get out of debt and stay out! Visit the site at: http://debt-elimination-4u.com<BR></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113011710786873659?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1130030347492533452005-10-22T18:19:00.000-07:002005-10-22T18:19:07.536-07:00<br /><P>Author Interview - Mommy Come Home</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Author Interview: Mommy Come Home<BR>The New Trend to Tradition: <BR>Bringing Up Your Own<BR>Interview with Sandra Gillmore conducted by Lisa Hendey<BR><BR>In her new book Mommy Come Home, author Sandra Gillmore strongly advocates the role of ?full-time motherhood?. Some may disagree with the book?s premise that mother should eschew career and stay home with children (in lieu of day care or even dad or a relative providing in home care). I found the value of this book to be for readers who have chosen the ?stay at home? route and are seeking support and encouragement in this decision. Sandra Gillmore shares a veteran?s experience and perspective and has so many wonderful tips and suggestions to share. Women choosing to voluntarily walk away from careers to pursue the vocation of motherhood are often met with resistance, financial concerns and a lack of support. A new mother may find herself isolated and uncertain as she attempts to ascertain her new identity in life. Mommy Come Home is a great tool for women facing or considering such transitions. Sandra Gillmore gives readers many pearls of wisdom to aid them in the journey of parenthood.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra Gillmore, author of Mommy Come Home, thanks for your time and for participating in this Book Spotlight feature. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about your background and your family? <BR><BR>As a single person, I worked in various office positions, and prayed for the Lord to send me a devoted Christian husband. God powerfully answered my prayers to the point that I wrote a song for Dave entitled, "You are the Answer to My Prayers." Dave and I have been married for 20 years and we have been blessed with ten children, ages 19 down to 1 year in age. We both shared the vision for a large family and grew into the homeschool lifestyle. Over the years we've opened our home to exchange students, foreign refugees, college renters and the mentally ill. Currently our quiver is full of our own family members! Our children are very active in sports, music and scouts. I get involved with fundraisers and love to cheer them on in their activities. I enjoy singing for church which occasionally includes weddings and funerals.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra, what is the main message of Mommy Come Home and what prompted you to write the book? <BR><BR>Mommy, Come Home is my love letter to all moms! I've heard you stress-out on the soccer fields. I've seen you cry at church from the pressure. You told me I was lucky I could stay home. I've tried to console you through the rat race. I've prayed for you. But I never wanted to hurt your feelings. I never had the courage to tell you what was on my heart through the Holy Spirit's leading. The message of Mommy, Come Home is that God is calling each mother to embrace her vocation to motherhood. This is your call that no one else can replace as God intended. (Not even grandma or daddy.) You have been given special gifts to share with your children in a most generous way. This world is not family-centered. The world wants to pull you away and make you too busy to effectively mother your children. Picture yourself ordering your favorite dessert in a restaurant only to have the waiter bring you one small bite! Wouldn't you want more? 'But it's the highest quality of this dessert on the market, 'the waiter tells you. Our children want and need more - not more stuff - more of our time. There is a way out of this madness. You have a choice.<BR><BR>LH: For families who have become reliant upon two incomes, can you offer some creative suggestions to help ease the financial transition when Mom decides to stay home full time with the children. <BR><BR>By eliminating, in large part, the extraneous expenses of working outside the home (such as more gas, wear and tear on your vehicles, or even the need for an additional vehicle, business attire, fast food, childcare) and adding an enormous tool called flexibility to your schedule, you will be set up for a new way of thinking and spending. The focus is on saving instead of earning. Simplicity is the key. Try asking yourself, 'Is this a need or a want?' whether it's a new home, car or a toothbrush. (i.e.: do you really need the $5 variety or will the 88 cent version do the job?) Try drinking filtered water (from your own filter if possible.) Milk, juice and soda are quite costly and don't offer much in the way of nutrition. Good quality vitamins can prevent a lot of expensive and time-consuming trips to the doctor. Consider shopping at various discount stores and make home-made cooking a top priority. Nothing has to be fancy. Instead of buying ingredients for a recipe, just buy whatever is on sale and then cook accordingly when you get home. If we need fresh produce, for example, I come home with whatever fruit is on sale for that week. This is a great way to keep more variety in your kitchen too. <BR><BR>For vacations, state and national parks are a treasure to behold. If you bring your own food you've already saved a bundle of money. Just pack the cooler(s) and you can make great day trips or camp, or even rent a housekeeping cabin. It's incredibly less expensive than motels and amusement parks. And what could be more exciting than exploring 'God's playground?' For other entertainment, don't forget the library. Many libraries offer free concerts and other entertainment. Also, local museums and zoos almost always offer a family membership. This is usually a wonderful bargain for a family. Make use of this and you won't fall prey to the lure of the expensive entertainment industry, which is usually full of negative messages that conflict with our Christian faith anyway. <BR><BR>Don't be afraid to accept hand-me-downs, shop at thrift shops or garage sales for clothes or other items. There are some great discount stores around too if you make it a point to scout them out. I personally don't enjoy shopping because it is so time-consuming. However, I make a point to shop during low-traffic times and that makes a huge difference. It's the flexibility factor that will prevent you from feeling rushed all the time and missing out on bargains.<BR><BR>LH: Many "Stay at home" moms feel isolated and lonely. What proactive steps can they take to help themselves overcome these feelings? <BR><BR>Satan loves Christians to become isolated. Then he can trap you into thinking 'no one understands me,' etc. Don't even give him a chance! REACH OUT! Whether you are new to a community or have just been pulled out of a huge social circle in order to stay home, you simply must find ways to be involved. For example, I have hosted lady's Bible studies and support groups just by listing an ad in our church bulletin. Sometimes only one mom has called - but that was all I needed to make a new friend at the time. Then it would grow. You can join a group like I started, or find a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers,) La Leche League (breastfeeding support group,) or volunteer for something at church that may be just a few hours per month. Read your local newspaper; look on the internet for local church or community activities. Get involved in politics. You may be nervous at first but reaching out is essential and will bring you many blessings in new friendships. But remember that God and family come first. We don't need to be supermoms and burn ourselves out. But we definitely need to be supported by and supportive to other moms and people in general.<BR><BR>LH: What role has your Christian faith played in your decisions to be home full time and to homeschool your children? <BR><BR>?so that they (the older women) may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, busy at home?Titus 2:3-5 (New American Bible) <BR><BR>I think the Lord says in His word that he prefers mothers to be busy at home. Other versions of the Word say 'Keeper of the home' or 'good homemakers.'<BR><BR>The decision for me to stay home came when my husband and I became engaged. He felt very strongly that my role in the home was essential for a strong family to take hold. He felt that God would bless us if we honored him by this devotion to the mother's role. We both loved the prospect of having a large family and I couldn't see the point of bearing a child and giving birth only to leave the child entrusted to someone else's care. It didn't make sense. The entire pregnancy is a bonding experience for an important purpose. It is a beautiful beginning to a lifelong relationship with your child.<BR><BR>Although we do not currently homeschool all of our children, I do believe home schooling gives us the most generous opportunity to fully instill our values into our children's hearts and minds. Homeschooling was still a relatively new idea when we started about 11 years ago. Dave had close friends he admired who homeschooled their children. I thought it all sounded very strange at first. Another family took our advice to home school (even though we didn't do it yet!) and we were amazed at how intimately peaceful and joyful their home had become since starting.) Then we attended a large home school convention and it was very evident that these hundreds of families were bringing up their children to serve the Lord in a very powerfully practical way. It is more than just an educational movement. It is a way to bond with your children; to have the time and flexibility to demonstrate the faith on a daily basis. And for those naysayers who think the home is not 'real world', I say, 'What is real within our families becomes real within our world." Currently we have three high schoolers in the public school system who are thriving with prayer clubs and evangelizing when opportunity arises. We home school our four middle children and two of them also attend a church preschool three mornings a week for 3 hours a day. Our toddler is also home full-time. <BR><BR>LH: Congratulations of the publication of this, your first book! What a tremendous accomplishment! Are you currently working on any new writing or creative projects? <BR><BR>Thank you so much. It has been truly exciting to watch the Lord open doors on what otherwise would seem impossible or just plain ridiculous. I have felt called to write a book about special needs families. We have not been blessed with a special needs child, but I have a friend who is legally blind and the mother of nine children. Her family includes two sets of twins, one autistic child, one nearly deaf child, and four vision-impaired children. The book will be about her and some other families that share their experiences and faith-growth through their special needs situations.<BR><BR>LH: What resources can you recommend for new moms? <BR><BR>I highly recommend 'Family Foundations,' a publication of the Couple to Couple League. (http://www.ccli.org/) So many moms are told that the number one priority after giving birth should be birth-control. I do believe in child-spacing but so often mothers are discouraged from having more than two children these days, the 'accepted norm.' If we truly open our hearts to another child, we have more reason to want to stay home because more souls are depending on us. We also are being more open to our husband, accepting both the potential for life and the pleasure of the marriage act. This method of 'natural family planning' automatically builds mutual respect and self-giving in the marriage, which is so much-needed today.<BR><BR>Catholic Familyland (http://www.familyland.org/Home.htm)- an awesome family vacation/retreat experience, an apostolate devoted to teaching the true faith by way of books, tapes and videos from top authorities such as Cardinal Arinze, Pope John Paul II, Scott Hahn, Mother Teresa, etc. In addition, they have their own TV network which is on a satellite with many other Christian stations and costs only $11.99 per month. We love this place. I can't say enough good about it. <BR><BR>Focus on the Family (www.family.org) is a wonderful resource for all sorts of parenting tips. And don't forget the Bible. It's full of proverbs and other parental advice for the finding.<BR><BR>LH: Thank you again Sandra for your time and for sharing your book. Are there any closing thoughts you'd like to offer?<BR><BR>The revival doesn't begin only at church. It begins in the home. Home is not an escape from the world. It's a foundation to build the values of our faith. Then we must share that faith with the world. One family at a time. Thank you, Lisa for this opportunity to share from my heart to other moms. I pray the book will be used as an instrument of hope and healing to every family's mother that reads it. <BR><BR>For more information or to order Mommy Come Home visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594675627/digitalcropper-20 <BR><BR>Copyright 2004 Lisa M. Hendey <BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, (including http://www.digitalcropper.com http://www.christincoloring.com, http://www.catholicmom.com) and an avid reader.<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-113003034749253345?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129928628999129542005-10-21T14:03:00.000-07:002005-10-21T14:03:49.056-07:00<br /><P>Your Young Men Shall See Visions...</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P><STRONG><EM>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself...<BR><BR></EM></STRONG>As is usually the case, when given the opportunity for free time, my boys elect to go outside and play. We don't watch any TV in our house, and we don't own any video games. It is my wife Nancy and my belief, that the less toys we own, the more our children will be encouraged to use their imaginations and participate in creative play. The old saying goes..."Bordom is the mother of invention." This has proven to be true. Case in point...<BR><BR>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about, and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself.<BR><BR>I walked over to see Teddy, my 6 year old son, (soon to be 7) whacking away, teeth clenched, at an old downed tree with the claw end of my Estwing hammer, wood chips a flyin'. You see, everyday when Teddy wakes up, his apparel has a theme. One day he's Davy Crockett, the next it's a WWII soldier. How he chooses to dress is usually directly affected by what he is reading or has recently been exposed to. We have been studying "The Corps of Discovery" adventures of Lewis and Clark, so I suspect Teddy and the other boys (I have 4) became inspired to carve out this dugout canoe as a result. <BR><BR>I look on this scene with delight, knowing this kind of "play" is the precursor to what will someday become a young man's work upon envisioning and planning his dreams and goals in life. Thinking back on it now, that delight and warm feeling was rooted in a deep sense of fulfillment... What I was in fact observing, was a realization of a vision and a dream for Nancy and me. We envisioned a home rich with opportunity for imagination and good old-fashioned play. And we set out... selling our big house in the burbs to live in a smaller house on land and home school our children... <BR><BR>Our dreams have come true.<BR><BR>Proverbs 29:18...Where there is no vision, the people perish...<BR><BR>Joel 2:28...And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions...<BR><BR>Praise the Lord. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David Lingner is founder of Christian Outdoorsman, an organization with the purpose of building a worldwide community of Christian outdoor enthusiasts, in order to use God's Creation to "Bring men closer to the Creator."<BR>http://www.ChristianOutdoorsman.com<BR>You can email Dave at: dlingner@ChristianOutdoorsman.com</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112992862899912954?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129841273071836972005-10-20T13:47:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:47:53.136-07:00<br /><P>Why Public Schools Hate Home-Schooling Parents</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling is a great success. That�s why many public-school authorities hate home-schooling parents.<BR><BR>Home-schoolers are a direct challenge to the public-school monopoly. This monopoly makes it almost impossible to fire tenured public-school teachers or principals. As a result, tenure gives most teachers life-time guaranteed jobs. They get this incredible benefit only because public schools have a lock on our children�s education.<BR><BR>If public-school employees had to work for private schools and compete for their jobs in the real world, they would lose their security-blanket tenure. That�s why school authorities view home-schooling parents who challenge their monopoly as a serious threat.<BR><BR>Many school officials also can�t stand the fact that average parents who never went to college give their kids a better education than so-called public-school experts. Successful home-schooling parents therefore humiliate the failed public schools by comparison.<BR><BR>Home-schooling parents also humiliate school authorities who claim that only certified or licensed teachers are qualified to teach children. Most home-schooling parents thankfully never stepped foot inside a so-called teacher college or university department of education. Yet these parents give their children a superior education compared to public-school educated kids.<BR><BR>Also, many public-school officials resent home-schoolers because the typical public school loses about $7500 a year in tax money for each child that leaves the system. Tax money is the life blood of the public-school system. Tax money pays for public-school employees� generous salaries, benefits, and pensions. Is it any wonder why school authorities don�t want to lose their gravy train?<BR><BR>For these reasons, until fairly recently, most state legislatures either outlawed homeschooling or tried to strangle it to death with regulations. In 1980, only Utah, Ohio, and Nevada officially recognized parents� rights to homeschool their children. In most other states, legislators continually harassed or prosecuted home-schoolers under criminal truancy laws and educational neglect charges.<BR><BR>By 2004, however, pressure from parents, Christian home-schooling organizations, and recent court rulings pushed all fifty states to enact statutes that allow home-schooling, as long as certain requirements are met. These requirements vary for each state.<BR><BR>In spite of these statutes, many states and school authorities still harass home-schooling parents. That is because the Supreme Court slapped parents in the face when they gave local governments the right to regulate home-schooling. As a result, many home-schooling parents are still harassed by local school officials.<BR><BR>If you are a homeschooling parent, you must know how to protect your legal rights. To do this, you should seriously consider joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983, HSDLA provides its members with legal representation against local school officials who might harass you, demand to supervise your home-schooling, or demand to periodically test your home-schooled children. You can join at their web site, <A href="http://www.hslda.org/">http://www.hslda.org</A>.<BR><BR>The Rutherford Institute is another well-known organization dedicated to protecting parents� rights and providing legal help to home-schooling parents. Their website is <A href="http://www.rutherford.org/">http://www.rutherford.org</A><BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A> Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112984127307183697?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129754515763221742005-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:002005-10-19T13:41:55.823-07:00<br /><P>Facing the Homeschool Super Mom</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus she tutors several other children that are dropped off at her house. AND she's a Pastor's wife. AND she's working on fixing up the fixer-upper they just moved into. Whenever I've been in her house, it's been immaculate. Her children all have perfect manners. They all seem to be way ahead of their grade level. She's definitely gotta be a Homeschool Super Mom. <BR><BR>You're probably thinking of someone like this too, right? Someone that made you think, "Man, my son isn't reading as well as hers." or "My house isn't as clean as hers." Or a million other things.<BR><BR>And you probably discovered her when you were new to homeschooling. When you were <BR>already feeling uncertain in your new endeavors. You were already putting high expectations on yourself. You were constantly analyzing to be sure you were doing everything right. And as a result, you tend to be a little over-sensitive about what other's are accomplishing around you without giving enough credit to yourself.<BR><BR>So, it's really important that you remember (as a new homeschooler or a seasoned one) these basic principles that we all so easily forget:<BR><BR>"The 4 Basic Principles That Conquer the 'Super-Moms' Syndrome"<BR><BR>Principle #1: We always see other's through glasses that make them larger than life. When I was a teenager, there was this lady in our church. Her hair and makeup was always perfect. She lived in a big, expensive home. She was very stylish and her kids were so cool. I always wanted to grow up and have that.<BR><BR>But I don't anymore.<BR><BR>I'd rather have my house that gets messy 5 minutes after it gets picked up, my hair that falls down into my eyes as I pick up my children, and my face that only gets makeup on Sunday. Why you may ask? Well, here's why. I'm happy. I love my family, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.<BR><BR>The lady I had idolized as a teen? She still has her perfect home and impeccable style. But, she has a marriage without love and children who are stuck up adults who ignore her totally.<BR><BR>I had seen her through glasses that made her larger than life. In the end, she's not any bigger or greater than me. In fact, she probably wishes that she had my life!<BR><BR>So, if you start to think about someone else who seems to have the life you want, STOP LOOKING! Instead, sit down and make a list of 100 good things in your life--from the air you breathe, to the heat in your home, to the kisses from your child. I guarantee that you'll feel better about yourself that you ever have before.<BR><BR>Principle #2: Everyone has their own unique gift. Everyone has their own unique ability and we tend to notice in other's the abilities that might be our "weak" ones.<BR><BR>For instance, if you think you're house is always messy, you'll seem to know all these people who have perfectly neat homes.<BR><BR>For an example from my life, I have a son who struggles with speech and it seems like every other parent within a 100 mile radius have children with perfect diction. But you know that's not the way it is. My son might not pronounce every phonic sound correctly--yet!--but he has so many other gifts that hardly make that one seem important.<BR><BR>For instance, no one notices his speech. They always comment, though, how loving he is. Just running up to people and giving them hugs. And he has fun no matter what he does. Can you believe one day I actually heard myself saying, "Ryan. Stop that. Not everything is supposed to be fun." I had to step back and slap myself. Then I said, "Never mind. Mommy was wrong. Have as much fun as you can." And I learned a lesson from that.<BR><BR>So, forget about what the homeschooled Jones' are doing. Discover your child's unique ability and relish in it and develop it and learn from it. <BR><BR>Right now, at the end of your list of 100 things that you're grateful for, list 10 wonderful qualities or abilities for yourself and each of your children. Work on acknowledging, praising, and being thankful for all of your gifts. And don't forget to thank God that you got the greatest kids ever born on this earth.<BR><BR>Principle #3: It doesn't matter what others think. I know, it seems easier said than done. But I guarantee that if you've actually taken the time to write down your list of 100 things that you're grateful for and 10 wonderful qualities of your child, that you won't care what other people think because you will know and appreciate what you have.<BR><BR>And, see, it really doesn't matter what other people think. <BR><BR>What matters is what's important to you. Your core values. Your beliefs. Your ethics. How do you want your children to be as adults? Hey, write it down right now. 5 things you want your child to be as an adult.<BR><BR>Okay, I'll do it right now too for Ryan who is 6 years old--but do yours before you read mine: <BR>A loving husband and father<BR>An honest, ethical entrepreneur<BR>Faithful in service to God<BR>Kind, thoughtful, and helpful to those less fortunate<BR>Thankful and content for what he can do and what he has<BR>Now, I'll bet that you had similar types of things. Not, "makes $1,000,000 by age 30" or "wins he Miss America contest". <BR><BR>Focus on developing and rearing your child to have those 5 qualities, and I'll guarantee that the fact that Mrs. Smith's daughter who is 2 years younger than yours is reading book three times as difficult. Geez, that's a real life skill. You see what I'm getting at?<BR><BR>Principle #4: When you say "yes" to one thing, you are always saying "no" to something else. Have you ever heard that before? I heard that from an owner of a successful multi-million dollar business. That was the simple rule that he used to prioritize his life. When he sat at his desk with phone messages to return, he would literally think, "If I say 'yes' to calling this person, what will I be saying 'no' to?" When someone would asked to do something, he was able to say "no", knowing that if he said "yes" to that project, that he would be saying "no" to extra time with his family.<BR><BR>This principle applies to everyone whether they are conscious of it or not.<BR><BR>Mrs. Smith who is working so hard to have her child advanced in reading is saying "no" to some other educational area. Or, Suzie Homeschool Super Mom up the street who has her immaculate home is saying "no" to time with her kids or family or something else.<BR><BR>The same applies to me. I've said "yes" to this homeschool site, so I've had to say "no" to things like having a perfectly neat house, laundry always done and put away, and a 5 course home-cooked meal on the table by 5:00 every night.<BR><BR>Only say "yes" to the things that are important to you. <BR>(See, you don't know it, but I've been gone for 20 minutes. My daughter came downstairs crying, and I stopped to take care of her. And I've also acquired a set of ear muffs made from pipecleaners and pom-poms.)<BR>So, as I was saying, say "yes" ONLY to the things that are most important to you. And know ahead of time what you'll be saying "no" to before you say "yes"!<BR><BR>Principle #5: Take advantage of every possible tool. That's right. I don't lift a finger (well, hardly a finger) to clean my home as I have cleaner's come twice a week to take care of that responsibility for me. And to solve my meal preparation dilemma? I purchase items that can be thrown in the oven and get side dishes that are quick and easy. <BR><BR>You can do similar things. I have a homeschooling friend who takes one day a month and cooks all day to makes meals for 30 days that she freezes and uses one at a time. And I thought she cooked from scratch every night!<BR><BR>Having difficulties organizing? Don't fight it. Buy something that organizes your stuff or forget it. It really isn't that important to waste time stressing over!<BR><BR>Use all the tools you can, and leave everything else to collect dust.<BR><BR>So whatever happened to that super mom?<BR><BR>Hopefully by now you've done the exercises or at least skimmed enough here and there to know that there is no super mom except the unrealistic giant you've created in your mind. Instead, you should have a full, realistic view of the gifts and treasures that you possess and a new appreciation for all you get done and how you can enjoy doing what you do a little more! If you've done that, than I wasn't wrong in saying "yes" to this project!<BR><BR>Release your worries and enjoy life!<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: ?Homeschool Cooking in a Box? and the ?Homeschool Cookbook?. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com </P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112975451576322174?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129668088729303942005-10-18T13:41:00.000-07:002005-10-18T13:41:28.800-07:00<br /><P>The Gift of Teaching</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Parents are truly the first teachers that their children encounter. They are there in those very vital formative initial years of life, when the most basic functions and abilities are taught and practiced. Values, behavior, and living skills are in the process of forming and the child's environment and the examples of parents weight so heavily in this very delicate balance of becoming a fully functioning adult. <BR><BR>When a child matures and reaches the age of attending school, something magical takes place. Interests expand, social skills are just beginning to blossom, and imagination and creativity are being explored and tested. Whether a child attends a home school or a local school (public or private) the next vital components in development are being put to the "max." <BR><BR>Science, math, language, history, and all the other subjects that make up a curriculum are vying for the attention and abilities of the child. From printing their name for the first time to solving a complicated math process all add to the qualities and essence that will evolve, expand, and let them become a wonderful asset to the entire world. No longer is it correct to assume that this boy/girl should only fit in comfortably and capably in the goegraphical area he/she calls home, but with the advance of computers and <BR>other technological achievements, this child is most definitely a citizen of every other continent and country, and in the future, possibly of other galaxies and planets. <BR><BR>With the approach of a new upcoming school year, may all the teachers (parents, educators, neighbors, writers, etc.) brace themselves for the wonderful task at hand. To further the education of any child is the richest, most rewarding experience in life. There can be no more noble undertaking than to lead a child to investigating, challenging themselves and their surroundings, attempting, and succeeding at skills and subjects that will let this child open doors to his/her future. From a parent giving an example of honesty, a neighbor pointing out the beauty of a newly born kitten, a teacher who brings a subject or book to life, and a writer who paints a "word" picture of a sunset, all these individuals play such an important role in the formation and the future of this child. <BR><BR>When a child's environment is rich with caring, loving people who want only to bring the sunshine of knowledge and capability into this child's world, then the possibilities are endless, the potential without limit. A book contains written words, a fanciful tale, the recorded experiences of an individual, or the peculiarities of a location, but a "teacher" can infuse life and reality into the material. History becomes a wealth of evolvement and ancestry, science is a world of not-yet-discovered solutions, and the realm of language is transformed into building blocks to reach the stars. <BR><BR>To a wonderful new school year <BR>ENJOY! <BR>?Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 August <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Arleen M. Kaptur has written numerous articles, mini-books, fiction/non-fiction books <BR>http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com <BR>http://www.arleenssite.com <BR>http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving </P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112966808872930394?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129563492672540522005-10-17T08:38:00.000-07:002005-10-17T08:38:12.730-07:00<br /><P>School Issues - When Should an ADHD Child Be Held Back?</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't mean to suggest that my comments here are the definitive thoughts on the subject. For a parent to even consider the issue, things have to be pretty problematic at school. So, even though these thoughts may be inadequate to cover your individual situation, I will share them with you anyway... </P><br /><P>Consider these things: </P><br /><P>1. How old is your child? If you child is 4 or 5 years old (especially with males) and is struggling in Kindergarten, he may simply be too young for structured learning. Not a big deal. Bring him home and work with him for another year. I usually recommend that parents start their sons in Kindergarten at age 6 anyway. And many kids with ADHD are just so neurologically immature that they are not going to really be "ready" for a classroom setting until they are 8 or 9 or 10. So consider homeschooling the young ADHD kids.</P><br /><P>2. If the child is older, and the reason cited is "immaturity," then ask yourself these questions: When did the "immaturity" become apparent? Did it just begin this year? Are there emotional issues, or learning disabilities, that need to be addressed? Or is it really "immaturity?" How long has the teacher felt that this was a problem? What other options exist to deal with the situation? Would your child benefit from being with students who were a year younger than himself if the problem is immaturity? </P><br /><P>3. If the reason given for retaining the child is lack of academic progress, then ask yourself these questions: Why didn't my child learn more? Were there problems in school behavior? Poor attention span? Poor work ethic? Poor work skills? Too much TV watching? Too little parental supervision? Too much parent supervision? </P><br /><P>Would any of these problems be fixed by holding him back, or would you just repeat the same situation over again? </P><br /><P>Are there other options, such as tutoring, home schooling, summer school, school interventions and accommodations? </P><br /><P>Look at all of your options first. There are dozens of things that can be done besides holding a student back a grade in school. Just some simple thoughts. Hope they help. You can learn a lot more about <A href="http://www.add101.com/" target=_new>Attention Deficit Disorder </A>in children and teens at the ADHD Information Library.</P><br /><P>Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including <A href="http://www.newideas.net/" target=_new>http://www.newideas.net</A>, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112956349267254052?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129473901451488532005-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:002005-10-16T07:45:01.493-07:00<br /><P>Preschool Activity Ideas&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>One of the better approaches, when trying to think of preschool activities or preschool lessons for you and your child to do for home school activities, is that you don�t get bogged down trying to be too structured. There is plenty of fun, educational, and informal preschool activities that you and your child can get involved in.<BR><BR>The top of the list when it comes to preschool activities and child learning would be reading. Getting the child involved early in learning to read, establishes good reading habits and a foundation that the child can learn from for a lifetime.<BR><BR>Learning to read for the child certainly doesn�t have to limited to books. You should also include poetry, songs (while singing together); reading the boxes of their favorite toys, or anything that they are drawn to could be included in their homeschool preschool activities. Just be creative.<BR><BR>Preschool age is a wonderful learning time for the child. They are naturally full of wonderment and curiosity at the preschool age. Take advantage of this trait. Use everyday tasks around the house for learning activities. Sorting clothes by color for laundry, dishes by color or size, if you are doing some organizing around the house, use this opportunity to relate different shapes and sizes to your preschooler. When you�re out and about in the world, always use this time as an educational moment. All the shapes sizes and colors you come across just at the grocery store alone make for a wonderful preschool activity. Its homeschooling and you�re not in your home!<BR><BR>If, you run across a question you are unable to answer, don�t just say that you aren�t sure or that you don�t know and leave it at that. Take the opportunity to begin to instill another great learning skill into your child. That of looking something up for an answer to which you don�t know. Even though the child can�t search for the answer yet, they can, witness and be a part of this valuable information seeking procedure. I can�t tell you what a valuable skill you will be instilling into your preschooler if you help them in developing this type of problem solving skill and attitude if you incorporate this into their daily preschool activities. <BR><BR>Preschool activities are limited only by your imagination.....child education is a wonderful experience, just relax, be informal, be creative.<BR><BR>Learning activities are indeed everywhere.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112947390145148853?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129386999384703352005-10-15T07:36:00.000-07:002005-10-15T07:36:39.623-07:00<br /><P>Preschool Activity Ideas&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>One of the better approaches, when trying to think of preschool activities or preschool lessons for you and your child to do for home school activities, is that you don�t get bogged down trying to be too structured. There is plenty of fun, educational, and informal preschool activities that you and your child can get involved in.<BR><BR>The top of the list when it comes to preschool activities and child learning would be reading. Getting the child involved early in learning to read, establishes good reading habits and a foundation that the child can learn from for a lifetime.<BR><BR>Learning to read for the child certainly doesn�t have to limited to books. You should also include poetry, songs (while singing together); reading the boxes of their favorite toys, or anything that they are drawn to could be included in their homeschool preschool activities. Just be creative.<BR><BR>Preschool age is a wonderful learning time for the child. They are naturally full of wonderment and curiosity at the preschool age. Take advantage of this trait. Use everyday tasks around the house for learning activities. Sorting clothes by color for laundry, dishes by color or size, if you are doing some organizing around the house, use this opportunity to relate different shapes and sizes to your preschooler. When you�re out and about in the world, always use this time as an educational moment. All the shapes sizes and colors you come across just at the grocery store alone make for a wonderful preschool activity. Its homeschooling and you�re not in your home!<BR><BR>If, you run across a question you are unable to answer, don�t just say that you aren�t sure or that you don�t know and leave it at that. Take the opportunity to begin to instill another great learning skill into your child. That of looking something up for an answer to which you don�t know. Even though the child can�t search for the answer yet, they can, witness and be a part of this valuable information seeking procedure. I can�t tell you what a valuable skill you will be instilling into your preschooler if you help them in developing this type of problem solving skill and attitude if you incorporate this into their daily preschool activities. <BR><BR>Preschool activities are limited only by your imagination.....child education is a wonderful experience, just relax, be informal, be creative.<BR><BR>Learning activities are indeed everywhere.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112938699938470335?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129300154844462042005-10-14T07:29:00.000-07:002005-10-14T07:29:14.983-07:00<br /><P>Internet And Homeschooling&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>In today�s internet world there are products available for just about anything you may have on your mind. Finding a myriad of internet homeschool based curriculums on the web is certainly no exception. If you are relatively new to searching for information on the internet or new to homeschooling in general here are a few thoughts on what to look for if you are considering a web based home school curriculum. <BR><BR>First of all I am not a big fan of adding more �in front of the computer� time to any child�s day. We need to be very careful about this and the habits we ingrain into our children. There will always be a battle for the child�s attention when it comes to watching TV or surfing the net. I believe that today, far too many children�s reading and comprehension skills suffer from too much visual high level learning and not nearly enough lower level reading and comprehending what you have read.<BR><BR>Other questions concerning a homeschool internet curriculum that need answers would include things like:<BR><BR>When is the course available on the internet? <BR><BR>Can I access it at anytime that I want? <BR><BR>How much, if any, set up is involved on my end? <BR><BR>How much does this course cost and is this per child? <BR><BR>What about technical support? <BR><BR>It is available to me and when and do I talk to an actual person? <BR><BR>How is the testing done? <BR><BR>How do I get the results of the testing? <BR><BR>Am I required to get any additional materials in order to complete this curriculum?<BR><BR>Even with all of these questions (and you will probably have even more) answered, probably the best advice is to see if the internet homeschool curriculum allows for a try it before you buy it. Any type of a 30 day free trial or some type of demo that you can download is very helpful. If you do get a trial download or trial online offer make sure that you�re not just getting a sales presentation and that you are seeing the actual product. <BR><BR>Internet based homeschool curriculums have tremendous potential and with some good well thought out questions before you purchase you can increase your chances of your money well spent and success for you and your child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112930015484446204?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129213495424954662005-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:002005-10-13T07:24:55.503-07:00<br /><P>Parents Rights Violated By Public School Compulsory Attendence Laws&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Compulsory attendance laws are school authorities� first assault on parental rights. These laws force almost forty-five million children to sit in often boring classes six to eight hours a day for twelve years. Compulsory attendance laws force parents to hand over their children to state employees called teachers, principals, and administrators, whose competence they must take on faith.<BR><BR>Compulsory attendance laws show contempt for parents� rights because they are based on the notion that the state owns our children for twelve years, and that parents should have little say in the matter.<BR><BR>In effect, these laws allow state officials to legally kidnap millions of children, allegedly to benefit the children by giving them an education (in the opinion of these officials). �Kidnap� may seem like a harsh word, yet wouldn�t you apply that word to someone who took your child by force against your will?<BR><BR>Unfortunately, most parents voluntarily send their kids to the local public school. These parents believe they are doing the right thing or have no alternative, so they might not believe that school authorities kidnap their kids. However, millions of other parents are so disgusted with public schools that they either homeschool their kids or send them to private schools.<BR><BR>Every year, school authorities and social service agencies harass or threaten hundreds of home-schooling parents who remove their child from public school. If parents refuse to send their child to the local public school, and do not strictly follow a state�s home-schooling regulations, school authorities can file child abuse or neglect charges against the parent. They can then call in social service agencies that threaten parents with jail or threaten to take away their children and put them in foster homes.<BR><BR>The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) claims to represent �approximately 365 home-schooling families a year who are wrongly charged of some form of child abuse or neglect� because they chose not to comply with compulsory attendance laws.<BR><BR>School authorities� harassment of home-schoolers reveals the nasty compulsion underlying our public schools. Thankfully, parents in this country have the right to homeschool their children. For their children's sake, parents should take advantage of this right.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst. He is also the author of "The Welfare State: No Mercy For The Middle Class." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348, <BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112921349542495466?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129126598355878172005-10-12T07:16:00.000-07:002005-10-12T07:16:38.450-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Questions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>A huge decision it is � homeschooling. Now that you�ve made this decision to teach at home, the many questions you thought you had now seem to have doubled. Doubled at least! Now one question just seems to lead to three more. Questions will need to be answered on curriculum, on testing and assessing. What about the style of teaching and curriculum. <BR><BR>Have you check out and become familiar with all of the state and local mandates concerning operating a home school in your area? As a parent you want the best for your child�. But what is the best? And on and on.<BR><BR>When you think about it, the driving force behind all of this is one word�. Learning. Ask yourself. How does my child learn? Have you just taken the time to really observe how your child learns? If not, do so. Think about yourself. How do you learn? What type of learning technique really sticks in your mind? Visual? Hands on? Reading? Do you learn better in a small group or left more alone to figure it out?<BR><BR>No matter the type of learning environment or technique that works best for you, there is one underlying principle to learning and that is motivation. For you, the homeschool parent, creating nothing could be easier. Placing the child in a caring, loving environment, with the natural encouragement of their parent directly addresses the element of motivation. Every child loves to please and hear the praises of the parents.<BR><BR>As a parent your child�s well being and educational success are naturally at the forefront. As the child�s primary educator and parent, your success is already on a successful track. Read and research, then read and research some more. Your teaching at home style will come�� actually you already own a patent on the style�. Your love for your child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112912659835587817?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1129040120531284592005-10-11T07:15:00.000-07:002005-10-11T07:15:20.623-07:00<br /><P>The No Child Left Behind Needs to Go Virtual</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>The No Child Left Behind can work if the Federal Government will put up content on the website and allow for those who are; Behind in studies, about to miss a grade level advancement, perform poorly on general tests, at home schooling students (when parents have no knowledge in subject matter), are in Juvenile Hall, live in areas very rural, have disorders, or have injuries which prevent attendance or need Summer School catch up work.</P><br /><P>By putting up this information on the web in short quick exercises we will be able to insure that these credits or online courses can in fact be counted in all schools. This is a way we can control and insure that no child is left behind but not take control from the local schools. Because then all we will have is local VS Central control and hard feeling will ensue and feelings hurt. Children and teaching must be non-partisan and not be lost in bureaucracy and infighting.</P><br /><P>We must move towards a future environment in education and also this helps those who do home schooling too. It takes stress off state budgets too. If the system is built correctly it will be great. Teachers can teach at a good pace without over review. Because this makes smart kids lazy and unchallenged and not wanting to learn. Also those kids who mess around in class can be expected to do the work at home online. Or after hours or during recess in the computer lab room? Can this program be instituted by the federal government, yes. Short term will there be issues? Yes, lots of controversy as anyone who has ever volunteered for teachers assistant, PTA, or served on a board of an educational institution or school board. This will work better and help all.</P><br /><P>Websites are not hard to build and once the content is up, it is up for ever. Many online educational resources put up content. It would be nice if the content was standardized and easy chewable programs to match the attention span of a young American. It is essential that this first step is not lost in the shuffle for political will or in the power struggle between parties. And we must not ever put the process ahead of the kids. I urge all leaders to be sure to keep in mind the mission above all, educating our kids for the future of our nation and the betterment of mankind. The Federal Government can assist all children by putting online all necessary programs for kids to know the basics and essentials. Everyone wins. And you know, there are some adults out there too, who might need a freshening up on some of the fundamentals which make our country so great and perhaps even learn how to balance their check books, budget for their family, learn the five food groups and conserve water resources.</P><br /><P>This would be a most excellent and inexpensive way to turn the "No Kid Left behind" into a virtual reality learning system for US. Care to comment or send hate mail? The President of the United States is committed to "No Child Left Behind" and we have the political climate right now, to make it happen, all we need is to agree to move the ball forward.</P><br /><P>By Lance Winslow</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112904012053128459?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128951323959801992005-10-10T06:35:00.000-07:002005-10-10T06:35:31.126-07:00<br /><P>The No Child Left Behind Needs to Go Virtual</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>The No Child Left Behind can work if the Federal Government will put up content on the website and allow for those who are; Behind in studies, about to miss a grade level advancement, perform poorly on general tests, at home schooling students (when parents have no knowledge in subject matter), are in Juvenile Hall, live in areas very rural, have disorders, or have injuries which prevent attendance or need Summer School catch up work.</P><br /><P>By putting up this information on the web in short quick exercises we will be able to insure that these credits or online courses can in fact be counted in all schools. This is a way we can control and insure that no child is left behind but not take control from the local schools. Because then all we will have is local VS Central control and hard feeling will ensue and feelings hurt. Children and teaching must be non-partisan and not be lost in bureaucracy and infighting.</P><br /><P>We must move towards a future environment in education and also this helps those who do home schooling too. It takes stress off state budgets too. If the system is built correctly it will be great. Teachers can teach at a good pace without over review. Because this makes smart kids lazy and unchallenged and not wanting to learn. Also those kids who mess around in class can be expected to do the work at home online. Or after hours or during recess in the computer lab room? Can this program be instituted by the federal government, yes. Short term will there be issues? Yes, lots of controversy as anyone who has ever volunteered for teachers assistant, PTA, or served on a board of an educational institution or school board. This will work better and help all.</P><br /><P>Websites are not hard to build and once the content is up, it is up for ever. Many online educational resources put up content. It would be nice if the content was standardized and easy chewable programs to match the attention span of a young American. It is essential that this first step is not lost in the shuffle for political will or in the power struggle between parties. And we must not ever put the process ahead of the kids. I urge all leaders to be sure to keep in mind the mission above all, educating our kids for the future of our nation and the betterment of mankind. The Federal Government can assist all children by putting online all necessary programs for kids to know the basics and essentials. Everyone wins. And you know, there are some adults out there too, who might need a freshening up on some of the fundamentals which make our country so great and perhaps even learn how to balance their check books, budget for their family, learn the five food groups and conserve water resources.</P><br /><P>This would be a most excellent and inexpensive way to turn the "No Kid Left behind" into a virtual reality learning system for US. Care to comment or send hate mail? The President of the United States is committed to "No Child Left Behind" and we have the political climate right now, to make it happen, all we need is to agree to move the ball forward.</P><br /><P>By Lance Winslow</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112895132395980199?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128864085982042802005-10-09T06:21:00.000-07:002005-10-09T06:21:26.080-07:00<br /><P>Hints on How to Encourage Children to Read</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Hints from Ruowen Wang</P><br /><P>? Keep a small basket filled with joke books, magazines, short stories, books of questions and answers, and books like Ripley?s Believe It or Not in each bathroom of your house.</P><br /><P>? Put a map of the solar system, a map of the world, or a map of your local community on the wall. Refer to them often whenever possible, and create map quizzes or games to play with your kids.</P><br /><P>? Take your children to the bookstores regularly. Make visiting bookstores your family recreation and eventually part of your ?family culture?. Get books on many subjects and make them accessible for your children at all times.</P><br /><P>? Secondhand bookstores, Salvation Army stores, Value Villages, yard sales and Book Events are the best places to fine inexpensive books.</P><br /><P>? When it comes to teaching some ?boring stuff?, like Math, Phonics and Grammar, a car is often the best place. Kids in car seats have nothing better to do than to pay attention and work out abstract lessons.</P><br /><P>? Play with words and letters to explore word formation in the English language. Ask children to identify compound words like ?playground?, ?bathtub?. Or add ?dis-? before some words, and ?-less? after others to show the function of prefixes and suffixes.</P><br /><P>? Always ask questions on a given subject to raise your child?s interest or inspire their curiosity before teaching something new.</P><br /><P>? If your child declares that he or she does not want to learn, you can ?play? instead. Incorporate your teaching into your play activities or game rules, and let your child win. This will increase their confidence.</P><br /><P>Learning involves exploring and risk-taking; it is therefore exciting to a child if presented in the right way. With a good teacher, all children can learn to achieve.</P><br /><P>Academic Achievers was founded by Ms. Ruowen Wang, a high school teacher and an English as a Second Language specialist. Ms. Wang taught for both Toronto Board of Education and North York Board of Education from 1988 to 1998, when she switched to a career into business administrations.</P><br /><P>In 2001, Ms. Wang decided to become a full-time mother and started part-time home schooling her two young children, Kevin and Robin. Under Ms. Wang?s coaching Kevin?s book reports have earned him a great deal of respect from his English teacher. Robin started reading chapter books independently in Senior Kindergarten. (To read about Kevin and Robin?s academic achievements, please see Kid?s Press and Our Family Story on our web.)</P><br /><P>Ms. Wang?s interest in home schooling fueled her plans to open a quality learning center for kids of all ages. Ms. Wang believes strongly in the concept of education as a lifetime investment. Early childhood education sets the stage for life.</P><br /><P>Since there is no one-size-fits-all in teaching and learning, each child needs to be assessed as a unique individual. To discover, respect and follow a child?s own interest and learning style makes teaching and learning ten times more effective.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112886408598204280?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128777425196565632005-10-08T06:17:00.000-07:002005-10-08T06:17:05.353-07:00<br /><P>Learning My Child's Way</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Home schooling. What is it? What does it mean to you? How do you home school? These were just some of the questions I had when we started thinking about home schooling our children.</P><br /><P>While our daughter was a baby, I started reading articles in the paper about the local schools. Our school district was in financial trouble. They were cutting services and staff over and over again. The elementary schools were eliminating librarians, day time janitors, band, and the parents were fund raising for a crossing guard. That?s when I realized that the local public school would not be anything like the school I went to.</P><br /><P>Our first step was checking out the private school options. There are three Montessori schools within a 20 minute drive, a variety of Christian schools, and a Waldorf school about 45 minutes away. As I went and sat in classrooms, I realized that I didn?t want my daughter spending most of her childhood in those classrooms. Nothing seemed to fit what I saw as her needs for education.</P><br /><P>It didn?t take me long to realize that home learning could be the best choice for Katherine. She is an intelligent child who does things in her own time. She didn?t start talking until she was about 2.5 years old. About a year latter, we went through a speech assessment to find out if there were any long term problems. She could say all of the sounds of a 2 year old, less than half of the sounds of three and four year olds and almost all the sounds of five and six year olds! The final assessment was that her speech development did not fit the norm, but was OK. What if they hadn?t tested her for the more advanced sounds? The results would have been very different.</P><br /><P>This test echoed the developmental patterns we had seen with Katherine from the beginning. Any time I tried to compare her to a chart, she was fine at the levels below, had some of the skills at her current level, but quite a few from the level above. While I think she might like all the kids in the classroom, I am afraid that she will be labelled as ?below average? because she doesn?t fit their standard tests. I do not want her public schools. Home learning was no longer a choice, but a very firm decision.</P><br /><P>Fortunately, we live in a popular home learning area with some of the best legislation for home learners in Canada. I had never planned to home school, and wasn?t quite sure what it meant. I did know people whose children learned at home, and it seemed to work for their families. I subscribed to one of the two local newsletters and started listening to conversations about learning at home.</P><br /><P>I liked what I read, saw and thought about. Most of my remaining doubts were about me as a teacher. I love my children, our 6 year-old daughter Katherine, now has a 3 year-old brother Duncan. I feel priveledged to be spending their childhoods with them. However I do get impatient, need my own space some times, and don?t have a teaching background. Could we home learn? We would try and see what happened.</P><br /><P>An experienced home learning parent had told me about a great activity they did tracing coins and learning about money. Although Katherine was only 4y at the time, she loved coins and it sounded perfect for us. I picked a time when she and I wouldn?t get interrupted, gathered the materials, and sat down to teach her about money. ( Experienced home learning parents are probably having a great laugh at this point. )</P><br /><P>We started to trace the coins on paper to show how five pennies make a nickel, and two nickels make a dime. Much to my surprise, Katherine was not enjoying herself. She refused to count the number of pennies with me, wouldn?t help trace circles, and became generally difficult. Finally I was so annoyed I just put everything away. She came up and hugged me and said ?I still love you Mommy?. My heart melted, but the doubts in my abilities remained.</P><br /><P>A week latter, Katherine was watching TV and told me which three shows which shows were listed on the screen. She had never even watched one of the shows. I sat in stunned silence. She was right. Was it a good guess? Had she memorized them or could she read? I hadn?t planned to ?teach? her how to read until she was 7 or 8. We hadn?t even started any language lessons. What was going on? This event was not part of the plans I had been making for her home schooling education.</P><br /><P>Truthfully, I don?t think she could read that day, but I?m not certain about that statement. She is quite capable of selectively answering our questions when it suits her. We knew she could sing the alphabet song, and recognize some letters. I have been able to discover that she knows what all the letters look like, and can correctly tell us which letter starts most words (?My grandmother?s name is Margery, what letter does Margery start with??), even when she has never seen or heard the word before.</P><br /><P>My husband and I have talked about this situation a few times. When she choses to answer our questions, we find out she knows way more than either one of us thought she did. She has correctly found a show she would like to watch listed in the TV Guide, much to my amazement since the look of the words in the TV Guide is very different from the logo with the show?s name on TV. It?s not just sight recognition. We don?t know where or how she has learned these skills.</P><br /><P>What has become clear is that Katherine doesn?t need me to ?teach? her or have a master plan for her education. I do have to provide a good learning environment, answer her questions, help when she asks, and watch her learn.</P><br /><P>I knew she would learn to walk, talk, and all those hundreds of other things babies are suppose to learn in their first few years. There is no reason to create an artificial line between life learning and academic learning. For me, that was one of the reasons I thought home learning was great. Yet I still fell into the trap of trying to artificially set-up a teaching situation. No wonder Katherine wanted nothing to do with my planned lesson.</P><br /><P>I have to remember to trust her. She loves learning in her own way, at her own pace. Now if I can just stay out of her way, she will to a great job all by herself. I am looking forward to having a wonderful time watching her grow and learn in the coming years. I just hope I can remember what I learned from our first home lesson.</P><br /><P>Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine who is now 9y and Duncan who is 6y. Her business, Creative Kids at Home (<A href="http://www.ckah.com/" target=_new>http://www.ckah.com</A>) lets her combine her skills and business background with full-time parenting, and is a lot of fun for her kids.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112877742519656563?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128690812695197162005-10-07T06:13:00.000-07:002005-10-07T06:13:32.803-07:00<br /><P>Which Home Teaching Method Is For You&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>As a homeschooling parent you will be able to pick from one or any combination of home teaching resources that best fit your philosophical or religious beliefs. <BR><BR>Much of the success of your teaching endeavor will depend upon integrating your teaching method with your child�s learning style. Hence the question, after you have committed to homeschool teaching... How do you teach your children?<BR><BR>Read everything about homeschooling you can � then read some more. Obviously books and articles, but in today�s world online at home teaching information is abundant. Get a feel for what fits for you. Don�t forget about discussion forums on the web. Join them. They are a great homeschooling resource. <BR><BR>As a parent you obviously spend a great deal of time around your children. Now after spending some time reading and learning about various home school teaching methods and perhaps leaning toward one (or more than one), it�s now time to perhaps observe your child in a different light. Focus now on how your child learns. That�s right, make notes. Maybe your child learns better by listening, maybe by doing, or perhaps the best teaching method may be more visual.<BR><BR>If you are just starting out, a more traditional school at home approach may be the easiest to get up and going. And this is fine. Remember being comfortable with the teaching methodology is a large part of the recipe. <BR><BR>There are many different types of schooling at home curriculum packages that you can choose from. Don�t worry if you don�t find any one that you feel perfectly matches your home teaching style. In fact, many home school parents use a combination of several different packages that they have, over time, modified and tailored to meet their specific family�s needs. What you don�t want to do is try to force a particular curriculum to work. Again, pick and choose what works for you and don�t forget about the many online homeschooling materials available to you.<BR><BR>Read. Read some more. Observe how your child learns. Pick and choose and co-mingle more than one homeschool curriculum if needed. Modify your home teaching methods over time for a best fit, and the chances of a resounding success for you and your child will be greatly increased!<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112869081269519716?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128603361587533252005-10-06T05:56:00.000-07:002005-10-06T05:56:02.010-07:00<br /><P>The Homeschool Classroom Setting</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>If at all possible, the homeschool education classroom setting should be a specific room, or at least an area of the home. And even better, this room or area should only be used for your homeschool education organization. It�s important that your students associate this room with that of focus and learning. If a separate area for home study schooling is not possible then make sure the area you do use is free from clutter and other non topical material that could be distraction when the home school is in session. <BR><BR>Allowing for, and keeping your homeschool classroom organized is also a key ingredient for success. Not only should you provide for your organizational needs but let�s not forget about the child�s homeschool supplies and materials too! Be creative with the space you have. You don�t need a big budget to get your classroom organized and setup. Use various sizes of boxes for cubby holes. Even bigger boxes could serve as partitions for the room! These boxes can even be painted (instead of your walls!) and have educational accomplishments even stuck on them�. You get the picture! And, if needed, at the end of each day they can be folded up and put away!<BR><BR>Visual materials for the home education are a must. If you don�t have a big chalkboard, invest in an easel and a big flip chart type notepad. Always sitting next to the child or children isn�t always the best way to illustrate instruction. For one, you hand will generally always be in the way so the student can�t see your visualizations as you speak. When this happens your verbal instruction doesn�t match what the child is able to see. Kind of like watching one of those foreign films where the English is dubbed in! The conversation has already happened before you see their lips move!<BR><BR>Of course, there are many aspects and pieces to a successful homeschool education. The home school classroom is but one of them. With a little planning and some attention to detail, as a homeschooler, you will create an environment that is conducive to the child's learning. <BR><BR>You will be inspiring the best in a child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112860336158753325?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128515945314494712005-10-05T05:39:00.000-07:002005-10-05T05:39:05.453-07:00<br /><P>Homeschooling --- A Superior Education For Your Child&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Once children become proficient readers, they can then study subjects they love in greater depth. If a child needs help on a special subject, parents can occasionally call in a tutor.<BR><BR>Many studies confirm that home-schooled kids learn more, learn better, and learn faster than public-school children. Christopher J. Klicka, author of "The Right Choice: Homeschooling," cites a nationwide study of more than 2,163 home-schooling families conducted in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute:<BR><BR>�The study found the average scores of the home school students were at or above the 80th percentile in all categories. This means that the homeschoolers scored, on the average, higher than 80 percent of the students in the nation. The home schooler�s national percentile mean was 84 for reading, 80 for language, 81 for math, 84 for science, and 83 for social studies."<BR><BR>Several state departments of education also conducted their own surveys on the academic achievement of home-schooled students. In 1987, much to its embarrassment, �the Tennessee Department of Education found that home-schooled children in second grade, on the average, scored in the 93rd percentile, while their public school counterparts, on the average, scored in the 52nd percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test� (the SAT-9 is a well-respected battery of multiple-choice academic achievement tests for public-school students).<BR><BR>These studies, and many others, confirm the fact that home-schooling parents can give their kids a superior education. This shouldn�t surprise us. Home-schooling parents succeed where public schools fail because parents give loving, personalized attention to their children, use innovative free-market educational materials, and nourish a love of learning in their kids.<BR><BR>Joel Turtel's book, "Public Schools, Public Menace" gives parents a wealth of information about homeschooling and the new low-cost, Internet private schools.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112851594531449471?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128428616619916232005-10-04T05:23:00.000-07:002005-10-04T05:23:36.736-07:00<br /><P>Some Basic Homeschool Information</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Thinking about going the homeschooling route? I�m not aware of any official homeschooling text book for parents that are out yet. So, here are some basic answers that you may have in the beginning. The reasons for homeschooling are as varied as the number of families now homeschooling. So with the reasons for homeschooling now behind us, let�s take a look at some of the benefits of homeschooling as we move forward.<BR><BR>A home school schedule allows for the family to be together a much greater portion of the day and this leads to stronger family relationships and this generally will continue right through the sometimes difficult teen years. Also, when parents spend the entire day around their child they are much more in tune with the child�s thoughts and feelings. Behavioral issues can be intercepted and addressed at a much earlier stage. Also, by using your homeschool schedule and your own homeschool lesson plan, you can spend more time in areas that your child needs more work before moving on. This is a definite drawback of the public system.<BR><BR>One area to explore and become familiar with in the pre homeschool stage is your local state laws. In a nutshell, in some states it is very easy to satisfy homeschooling requirements, while in others it is not so easy. Either way, do a little research on this subject because you must be familiar with whatever the home school mandates are for your area.<BR><BR>When it comes to homeschool curriculum many parents generally try to purchase textbooks and materials they need. There are hundreds of resources available to you on the subject of curriculum. One reminder would be not to overlook the idea of finding what you need in the used books and curriculum arena. A quick search of the internet will find you many resources. <BR><BR>And finally, looking down the road a bit�. What about college? A very large number of home schooled have and are attending colleges. Once you get underway or as soon as you feel you may have a direction on a college, simply contact the college and see if they have any specific rules or requirements concerning home schooled children.<BR><BR>I think the biggest reason to homeschool your child of all is that it is a wonderful experience. The immense amount of pride and satisfaction you will receive from this accomplishment is beyond compare.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112842861661991623?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128339527770357942005-10-03T04:38:00.000-07:002005-10-03T04:38:47.840-07:00<br /><P>The Right Homeschool Program&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For those just starting out, determining the best homeschool program can be, at the very least, a bit challenging. Probably the single most relevant point on this would be to keep in mind that the eventual best home education program for your situation and style may involve pulling home school resources from more than one home school curriculum.<BR><BR>Many homeschoolers start by using a complete curriculum package. And if you are just starting out on this wonderful voyage, this approach will get you more than started and on your way. The key to finding �what is right� is more of a process than just a decision. Ultimately you may settle in with using a complete curriculum package modified somewhat to fit not only your teaching style (which you may not know yet yourself), but even more importantly, your child�s learning style. As you gain more experience and confidence, you�ll see that effective teaching is using a combination of educational resources that are readily available (including online home school programs) that round out your personal program and insure your child�s success. <BR><BR>The key to a good homeschooling program is the �fit�. Both you and your child have to be comfortable with the homeschool unit study on an ongoing basis. If you start out with a good base program as a roadmap, you can then tailor it to fit your needs. <BR><BR>Consider when looking for a curriculum that it will provide for a method to determine not only the current �grade level� of your child, but how your child determined their answers. This helps to determine what type of learner your child is, and their ability to apply their skills. <BR><BR>As you now know, a good home school curriculum will draw from many educational sources and will direct the child to discover and learn the material and not just memorize answers. As the teacher, be sure to take a close look at the provider�s support materials. For example, good detail in the manuals and lesson plans, concepts with examples and details, and suggested outside resources and activities. <BR><BR>And finally, good unit testing will communicate to you, not only if your child has grasped each concept, but will also let you know how well you have presented and taught the subject matter and how solid your homeschool program has been.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112833952777035794?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128252894174321022005-10-02T04:34:00.000-07:002005-10-02T04:34:54.463-07:00<br /><P>Is Home Schooling on the Internet the New Wave of Education?&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Do you have children in school - or are you planning for it soon? <BR><BR>Have you asked yourself if public schools are really doing all they can to improve your child and educate him or her for the real world? <BR><BR>Do you try to stifle desires to send them to private schools because of the cost or the perceived 'elitist' mentality? <BR><BR>Have you ever had a day arrive when your child comes home worn out, agitated and frustrated and thought to yourself "I'd love to keep my child home and teach him myself - if only I had the time." <BR><BR>Now, maybe you can. Here are some of the options. <BR><BR>PRIVATE SCHOOLS COST MONEY <BR><BR>Yes, private schools are sought by the wealthiest and most privileged of society. Although some would likely debate the benefits of private schooling over public schooling most parents probably have considered the option and would jump at the opportunity to give private schooling to their children if it appeared. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, for most families, private schooling is simply not a reality. At a cost of $7000 and upwards, the ability to afford such education is beyond their means. Religious affiliated schools are less expensive, but still not an option for many families with a of cost several thousands per year. <BR><BR>HOME SCHOOLING TAKES PARENTS TIME <BR><BR>Traditional home schooling where the parent is the supervisor of the child's work is another option. With fantastic resources and helpful teachers to assist, it has been a form of education that can be the answer to parents who want the one-on-one education that public schools cannot provide. <BR><BR>Home schooling has been the basis of society for thousands of years - long before schools came about. However, in today's society it can be difficult for parent's to maintain the supervision of assignments that is needed for home schooling. This may become even more of an issue as a child gets into the higher grades and parents are unfamiliar with the curriculum or are working and do not have as much time to assist them. <BR><BR>INTERNET HOME SCHOOLING <BR><BR>A new addition to education, the internet is now providing the ability for parents to give their child an enhanced curriculum, control over education, and online support. This will all cost much less than private school at an average cost of $900 per year. <BR><BR>Older children can benefit from online teachers who are able to supervise the work - a huge benefit for working or single parents. Many accredited Internet schools offer similar courses to those available in private schools. <BR><BR>Joel Turtel, who is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children," says that busy working parents can give their kids a quality, low-cost education at home using the Internet. �K-12th grade Internet schools can take most of the homeschooling burden off parent's backs.� <BR><BR>Perhaps this is the answer you've been looking for. <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Matt Degree involves in Education for almost 15 years. He has also been a consultant for online learning and act as advisor for online learning project. Find more resources at http://onlinedegree.eclicksoft.com</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112825289417432102?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128159429143523602005-10-01T02:37:00.000-07:002005-10-01T02:37:09.440-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Information&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Getting Started With Homeschooling. Before jumping into all the decisions surrounding the actual teaching and homeschooling of your child such as: what curriculum, what books, what materials, the home school calendar, organize this, organize that�. Before you do any of that first get familiar with with this bit of homeschool information.....your state�s home school laws, rules, and other regulations. Some states are quite easy and others require much more work. The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a great place to start. Legally you do have the right to homeschool your child. Just make certain you comply with the individual state�s regulations.<BR><BR>Homeschooling does require a huge time commitment on your part. And that commitment depends on the level of homeschooling you do. The subject that is being taught and even the ages of the children involved. One question that always seems to come up, particularly from outside influences, is whether the parent is<BR><BR><BR>qualified to teach or not. If not the parent, then who? Who better to teach and homeschool the child? No one wants their child to be successful more than a parent. Plus, nobody would argue against a one to one teaching relationship between teacher and pupil and for the vast number of cases this is exactly the teaching environment in the homeschool classroom. <BR><BR>There is no right or wrong curriculum you can choose to homeschool. You have choices of anything from text books to home school computer software packages. The learning tools that you choose can be based on the children�s ages or even the subject matter that is being taught. You can get text or software directly through the publisher, or at book fairs, or even flea markets and garage sales. Homeschool learning material is everywhere. And don�t forget your public library. It�s free!<BR><BR>Although the cost of all the materials you will need and use does require a significant investment, I think, however, that you�ll find that homeschooling demands more of your time than it does your pocket book. <BR><BR>Be creative, and use your resources. Homeschool information is plentiful. Get out on the internet a just do some basic searching on homeschooling. You will find more information, ideas and support than you could ever need to use.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112815942914352360?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1128065488513176312005-09-30T00:31:00.000-07:002005-09-30T00:31:28.573-07:00<br /><P>Home Schooling in Your Motorhome</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>At first glance the terms �hitting the road� and �hitting the books� might appear mutually exclusive. But if you home school your children and have access to a motor home, read on.</P><br /><P>Your one room school house on wheels.</P><br /><P>One of major concerns of parents who decide to home school their children is that their child is not exposed to the wide array of mental stimuli encountered by children who participate in a more conventional education. Children who go to public and even private schools are exposed to many different cultures, personalities and diverse beliefs. However, children schooled in the home sometimes are not exposed to a wide variety of other children. Co-operative home schooling, which brings a number of families together to share the work in educating their children, helps somewhat but home schooled children still, may not experience the plethora of mental stimuli experienced by their more traditionally schooled counterparts. One way to ensure that your child has access to these stimuli is to pack up your motor home and hit the road.</P><br /><P>Math Class</P><br /><P>As you head down the highway in your one room school house on wheels, opportunities for teaching abound. In addition to the regular daily lesson plan, you can incorporate trip specific lessons into the daily work. For example, the math lesson begins when you stop at the neighborhood filling station to top off your tank. Consult the owners� manual of your motor home and find out the capacity in gallons of your fuel tank. If age and grade appropriate have your young student convert this measurement from gallons to liters. For younger children, a fun activity is to let them watch the pump through the RV window and count the gallons or even tenths of gallons that pour into your motor homes fuel tank. Of course with the current price of gasoline, this activity will be much more fun for them than for you.</P><br /><P>Once you�ve filled your tank, get out the map and sit with your student to study your route. Consult your motor home�s manual again and find how many miles per gallon you can expect to get. Help your young student compose a formula to find how far down the planned route you�ll be able to travel before your motor home requires fuel again. You can help your child use the map to help navigate as you travel along. Plan a side trip at the spur of the moment. Ask your child to tell you how this side trip will affect your timetable and fuel bill?</P><br /><P>History Lessons.</P><br /><P>Plan your trip so that you follow an historical route. Follow the Trail of Tears, maybe the Oregon Trail. Travel the dusty path the cowboys rode in cattle drives from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. If you�ve got the time, follow the route of Lewis and Clark or, explore the vast expanse of the Louisiana Purchase. What ever path you choose to follow, make sure you have plenty of supplemental materials for your young student to study. Many motor home parks have high speed internet available to their campers. At the end of each day, have your child connect to the Internet and gather information about the history of the places you�ve visited.</P><br /><P>Social Studies</P><br /><P>Take a trip through Appalachia. Venture some distance from the Interstate into the heart of some small town. Stop at a small store or local diner. Observe the people who live and work there. Listen to their accents or, eavesdrop on a conversation. There is no better way to discover how other people live than to explore these microcosms of America. You might even want to contact local parents who also home school their children and arrange a visit to learn more about each other and compare home school curriculums.</P><br /><P>Other Destinations</P><br /><P>Many home schooling co-operatives hold events at various motor home parks to compare and refine home school curriculums and provide new experiences for their home schooled students. An Internet search for these home school meet ups will yield many entertaining and informative events. If you choose to make one of these trips, be prepared to have a good time and be sure to bring your favorite covered dish.</P><br /><P>Exercises such as these are entertaining and exciting to your child and if properly presented, your young student may not even realize he is in school. But remember, as entertaining, exciting and educational as these road exercises are, they are not a replacement for the well planned curriculum and lesson plans available to parents home schooling their children.</P><br /><P>Article Submitted by Rooster B. <BR>Rooster privately runs several News and Blog sites related to <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>Homeschool Education</A>. Interested in the latest Home School curriculum visit his site at <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>http://www.homeschoolzine.com</A></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112806548851317631?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127971223805765962005-09-28T22:20:00.000-07:002005-09-28T22:20:23.883-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Schedule</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>When you are ready to sit down and ponder and map out your home school schedule for the upcoming academic<BR>year. A good calendar is an ingredient not to be forgotten as part of your overall homeschool schedule<BR>and homeschool lesson plan.<BR><BR>Since you will be homeschooling your child, careful thought needs to be given not only to your home<BR>school schedule, but your family schedule will need to be integrated into the mix as well. Also make sure<BR>that your lesson plan coincides well with your educational calendar. After taking a high level look at<BR>your home school calendar integrated with your family calendar, you may decide that the traditional<BR>school year calendar of end of summer through early spring may not be the most advantageous. Also the<BR>homeschool day does not necessarily need to start say at 8am. There is no stringent time schedule that<BR>you must adhere to as is the case in public schools.<BR><BR>As with your home school lesson planning, your scheduling should take into careful consideration your<BR>child�s learning style and determine what will work best. As a homeschooling family, you have the option of planning trips at<BR>other times of the year when for example, air fare is cheaper and the lines are shorter! If vacations<BR>aren�t a part of your plans, there are probably other reasons (such as birthdays) for tailor making your<BR>own home school calendar.<BR><BR>While mapping a home school yearly schedule is an excellent idea, remember to allow for flexibility in<BR>the schedule. Any school year, especially since the school year is taking place also centered around your<BR>home and your family, will have the need for unforeseen breaks and absences. Not to worry, just as there<BR>are unforeseen missed hours and even days in public school so will there be with your at home education.<BR><BR>Just remember it may take a while to sand off the rough edges of your home school schedule to where you<BR>feel you have best optimized it. As the year goes by, if you have kept good records and used your lesson<BR>plan as your guide you will see that your child is indeed learning all along the way.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112797122380576596?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127884650450491642005-09-27T22:17:00.000-07:002005-09-27T22:17:30.516-07:00<br /><P>Teaching Preschool Color and Shape With Family Games</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>My kids just can't get enough of playing games with Mom and Dad--can yours?<BR><BR>Sometimes we all take a break in the middle of the day and play a game together. Most of the time, I just make sure we play games so that we all have fun together. I can get so caught up in things that I'll go from one task to the next and forget to have a little fun.<BR><BR>Today, after several pleas from my kids, I got out the Uno cards. Today I would be playing with six-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Maegan. In the past, Maegan would sit on my lap and help me with my cards; but today, she wanted to be her "own team".<BR><BR>--------------------Advertisement----------------------<BR>How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School<BR><BR>The first two years of home school can be extremely difficult! It seems that new home school Moms all go through the same set of doubts, snags, and discouragements. <BR><BR>But no longer! Now there is the survival kit for any home school Mom. From deciding if home school is right for you to over coming your first snags, there is now a system to get through it all without stress.<BR><BR>After quickly selling out, this course is now back in stock. Get your the How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School Knowledge System before they sell out!<BR>http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=126404 <BR>-------------------Advertisement----------------------- <BR><BR>Not feeling sure how things would go, I dealt seven cards to each of us. Maegan picked up her cards and held them in her hand.<BR><BR>I flipped over the first card and asked Maegan to go first. "Do you have a yellow card to put down?"<BR><BR>"Yep," she answered and put down a yellow card on top of the pile.<BR><BR>Round and round we went, with Maegan putting down the correct color on her turn all by herself. Then finally a turn came that she didn't have the right color.<BR><BR>"Do you have a card," I asked, pointing to the large symbol in the middle of the card, "that has a circle like this one?"<BR><BR>While I still had my finger next to the symbol, she went through each card, one a time. She carefully checked to see if she had a "match" - and when she found one, she put it down on top of the pile.<BR><BR>The game was a great success--especially since she won the first round!<BR><BR>"That's one point for the team 'My Little Pony' (as she had named her team)," I congratulated her. She beamed with pride. She had won and she had done it all by herself.<BR><BR>As I sat there admiring her accomplishment, I realized how easy it is to miss opportunities like this that are educational in nature. This game taught her taking turns, sorting, colors, and shapes.<BR><BR>It's always a great asset as a home school parent to have one more way to help our kids learn and practice what they've been learning. So, "Uno away"!!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: Homeschool Cooking in a Box and the Homeschool Cookbook. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit her website http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112788465045049164?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127775141672643012005-09-26T15:52:00.000-07:002005-09-26T15:52:21.730-07:00<br /><P>First Day of School</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>By the first of August, you can?t open a newspaper without seeing ads for Back to School supplies. The stores are filled with displays. My daughter, Katherine is always asking if she can buy something from the ads. All the emphasis on starting school is creating some feelings of regret with our choice to home school.</P><br /><P>Don?t get me wrong, I do think we?ve made the right choice for our family. I don?t have any doubts about the advantages of home schooling. I think our kids will get a better education and have the chance to grow without the overwhelming influences of peer pressure. My regret comes from suddenly realizing my daughter will not have a ?First Day of School?.</P><br /><P>I can?t say that I really remember my first day, but there is a picture of me in a pretty pink dress holding a flower to take to my teacher. That photo is a permanent reminder of what must have been a terrifying and exciting day for me. It is a day my daughter will never experience.</P><br /><P>Katherine turns five this year and could be starting kindergarten in Sept. We could be picking out back packs, school supplies and her own ?First Day of School? outfit. She could be wondering about the kids in her class. Would she find a best friend in the group? What would her teacher be like? We?ll never know.</P><br /><P>As parents we have to make lots of choices for our children, and hope that we are making the right choice. The choice to home school takes lots of thought and research. It is not a choice made by most families. Fortunately we live in a community with many home schooling families. Their support has made it much easier for us. There?s even a newsletter filled with activities, sports, field trips and local resources.</P><br /><P>In fact, we?ve started a Learning Group that meets once a week. We have circle time, show and tell, games, activities, crafts, snacks, and lots of fun. There?s a different topic each week and the kids come up with their own stuff some times. As they get older, they will be taking more responsibility for planning the activities. Katherine loves the group and would be heart broken if I told her she had to give it up to go to school.</P><br /><P>Truthfully, I?m the person who will miss my daughter?s first day of school. As I?m thinking about it, I realize that I?m not alone. Many of the other Moms in the area must have had the same thoughts. Now, I see one of the reasons for a tradition they started years ago. On what would be the first day of school, all the home schooling families meet at a local beach for the "We?re not going to school" picnic. The kids play in the sand, swim, eat sandy sandwiches and have a great time.</P><br /><P>Katherine will have more fun at the beach, and may even have memories of this day thirty years from now. She definitely will have a picture of herself in a pink bathing suit playing in the ocean on what would have been her first day of school.</P><br /><P>Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine (who is now 9y) and her brother Duncan (6y). She has developed a home-based business that lets her combine her skills and business background with full-time parenting. Her company, Creative Kids at Home, encourages children to have fun while being creative. (1-877-853-6788 or <A href="http://www.ckah.com/" target=_new>http://www.ckah.com</A>)</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112777514167264301?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127490660366326632005-09-23T08:51:00.000-07:002005-09-23T08:51:01.956-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Basic Benefits&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Why should or would I homeschool? <BR><BR>A big decision for you and should not be taken lightly. However, with some basic preparation, it isn�t as mind boggling as you might think. The reasons to homeschool are as varied as there are families that participate in homeschooling. Many parents aren�t impressed with the education that their child is receiving at the public school, and expensive private schooling isn�t an option. Safety can also be an issue or maybe your child is struggling and you feel that they could benefit greatly with more one on one instruction. Whatever the reason, homeschooling today is growing by leaps and bounds and the resources available to those making the school at home decision are abundant.<BR><BR>Be clear in your mind at to why you have decided to embark on homeschooling. Write your motivation, your purpose, and your goals for your homeschool down. This will keep you focused and motivated throughout your school year. Also, with a clear concise purpose and reasons for homeschooling will arm you with conviction when you run up against those friends and family members who are less enthusiastic about your decision to homeschool. Put together your homeschool mission statement and write it down and live by it as you homeschool your kids.<BR><BR>The benefits of homeschooling are many. Educating your child at home certainly gives the family more together time. Something that, more and more in these modern times has proven to be on the decline. As the child grows and moves into the pre adolescent and the teen years the child feel closer to their parents and have the security and confidence in a solid parent child relationship that will enhance the child�s maturity level in this complex world.<BR><BR>As an at home teacher you�ll be directly in touch with the areas that your child excels and those in which they don�t this will give you the advantage of spending more time on the areas that need more attention. In the traditional classroom the teacher has a fixed amount of time available to each are of study then they must move on. Learning at home gives the child the ability to fully master each subject before moving on giving them confidence to build on that they can learn difficult subjects for them.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112749066036632663?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127400928388237012005-09-22T07:55:00.000-07:002005-09-22T07:55:28.436-07:00<br /><P>Home School Decisions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isn�t it?</P><br /><P>Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isn�t really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.</P><br /><P>An old pair of shoes</P><br /><P>Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesn�t matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you can�t wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Won�t you be my neighbor?</P><br /><P>I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.</P><br /><P>A new pair of shoes.</P><br /><P>Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bought my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didn�t even have to wind him up.</P><br /><P>Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.</P><br /><P>The decision to homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.</P><br /><P>If homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.</P><br /><P>No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.</P><br /><P>Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.</P><br /><P>Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.communicationspeaker.com/" target=_new>http://www.communicationspeaker.com</A></P><br /><P><A href="mailto:steve@stevebrummet.com">steve@stevebrummet.com</A></P><br /><P>972-548-6048</P><br /><P>214-578-4172</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112740092838823701?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127290028849438982005-09-21T01:07:00.000-07:002005-09-21T01:07:12.910-07:00<br /><P>Home School Decisions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isn�t it?</P><br /><P>Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isn�t really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.</P><br /><P>An old pair of shoes</P><br /><P>Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesn�t matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you can�t wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Won�t you be my neighbor?</P><br /><P>I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.</P><br /><P>A new pair of shoes.</P><br /><P>Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bought my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didn�t even have to wind him up.</P><br /><P>Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.</P><br /><P>The decision to homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.</P><br /><P>If homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.</P><br /><P>No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.</P><br /><P>Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.</P><br /><P>Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.communicationspeaker.com/" target=_new>http://www.communicationspeaker.com</A></P><br /><P><A href="mailto:steve@stevebrummet.com">steve@stevebrummet.com</A></P><br /><P>972-548-6048</P><br /><P>214-578-4172</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112729002884943898?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127143245554016292005-09-19T08:20:00.000-07:002005-09-19T08:20:51.446-07:00<br /><P>Home School Decisions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isn�t it?</P><br /><P>Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isn�t really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.</P><br /><P>An old pair of shoes</P><br /><P>Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesn�t matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you can�t wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Won�t you be my neighbor?</P><br /><P>I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.</P><br /><P>A new pair of shoes.</P><br /><P>Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bought my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didn�t even have to wind him up.</P><br /><P>Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.</P><br /><P>The decision to homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.</P><br /><P>If homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.</P><br /><P>No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.</P><br /><P>Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.</P><br /><P>Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.communicationspeaker.com/" target=_new>http://www.communicationspeaker.com</A></P><br /><P><A href="mailto:steve@stevebrummet.com">steve@stevebrummet.com</A></P><br /><P>972-548-6048</P><br /><P>214-578-4172</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112714324555401629?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1127056626431987772005-09-18T08:17:00.000-07:002005-09-18T08:17:06.486-07:00<br /><P>Are Public Schools Anti-Parent?</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Some public schools try to turn children against their parents with scary classroom stories or lessons about child abuse. Public school authorities have increasingly decided that they are children�s first line of defense against child abuse. This new attitude falls under what is now known as "protective behavior curriculum."<BR><BR>The assumptions behind this curriculum are that every child needs to be warned about and prepared for possible dangers of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse because allegedly every child is a potential victim, not only of strangers but of his or her own family.<BR><BR>Increasingly, school authorities instruct teachers to ask children questions about their parents� behavior and actions toward them at home. The questions amount to asking kids to spy on their parents and report incidents that make them feel �uncomfortable.� Some school authorities use such tales by children to investigate or file charges of child abuse against parents who often did no more than yell at their children or spank them lightly.<BR><BR>In effect, to allegedly protect children, some school authorities now consider all parents as potential abusers, use children to invade parents� privacy, or make kids afraid of their parents. Often, children are disturbed and emotionally traumatized by the insinuations school authorities put into their heads.<BR><BR>The following incident described by Charles J. Sykes, in his book "Dumbing Down Our Kids," illustrates this disturbing anti-parent campaign by many public schools across the country:<BR><BR>�I first became aware of the protective behaviors curriculum when a mother called me to tell me of an experience she had with her daughter. Her child, an elementary schoolgirl, had come home in tears. When she saw that her mother was home and waiting for her, she rushed to her in relief. AI wasn�t sure you�d be here, she told her mother. Her mother reassured her that she would always be there for her. In school that day, her daughter told her, her class had discussed �bad� touching including spanking.<BR><BR>"In the course of the discussion, children had been encouraged to share with the teachers and classmates whether they had ever been touched in that way and the girl had said that her mother had spanked her. The children were also told that people who engaged in bad touching would be taken away and put in jail. For the rest of the school day the girl was terrified that her mother who had spanked her would now be taken away and locked up for her bad touching."<BR><BR>Parents, it might be wise to periodically ask your children if their teachers ask them personal questions about your family or how you discipline your children. Turning children into spies against their parents or making them afraid of their parents is not what parents pay school taxes for.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112705662643198777?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126916512762241662005-09-16T17:21:00.000-07:002005-09-16T17:21:54.796-07:00<br /><P>Students Worldwide Are Learning How To Excel In School From Home&nbsp;&nbsp;<EM> </EM></P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Today, children are expected to earn high grades in all of their classes, in spite of the failing public school system. Parents can still remember when an education was essential in preparing children for their livelihood.<BR><BR>Now what many public school systems offer is overcrowded classrooms. Teachers are being grossly underpaid for their skills and overworked. Outdated learning material, metal detectors, violence, cuts in federal spending for education...<BR><BR>Remedial help is sorely needed for some students so they can keep up. If a child can't receive the education they deserve, how are they expected to prosper in society? Parents, students, and the public school systems already know that this is a hugh problem, but who can they turn to for help?<BR><BR>More and more parents are turning to tutoring to supplement their children's education and to further their children's abilities to be successful in the future.<BR><BR>Tutoring is a $4 Billion business that is growing steadily. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, supplemental educational services are funded by school districts with a portion of their allocation from the U.S. Department of Education.<BR><BR>The Federal Government allocates as much as $1800 per eligible student, but so far, less than 10 percent of eligible students are electing to participate, according to providers' estimates.<BR><BR>One of the toughest challenges is simply convincing parents that the service is free to them. Parents will often hang up when sales reps for tutoring firms call to explain the program.<BR><BR>They think it is a scam because "free" usually means too good to be true. And sometimes parents simply don't want to acknowledge that their child needs help. Parents have been known to ask "What's wrong with my child that he needs to be tutored?"<BR><BR>In spite of these challenges, online tutoring, or Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate. IDL is where a student receives live, one-on-one tutoring in a virtual classroom setting or in large group sessions over a video conferencing system.<BR><BR>Students who have access to a computer at home or in school can log in to the system and have a live tutor help them day or night. Subjects like Math, English, Calculus, World History, Latin, French, Chemistry, Physics and many others can be taught to them by certified tutors/teachers.<BR><BR>And there are online tutoring systems that even supply their own courseware library, featuring some of the finest programmed learning courses in computer sciences, management and academic subjects.<BR><BR>Children who receive one-on-one remedial tutoring have been known to have increased self-esteem and self confidence, increased focus and lengthened attention span.<BR><BR>My advice to parents everywhere is to find an online tutoring system that focuses on academic remedial courses for ages K-12, as well as for college students.<BR><BR>Why not give your child the best chance at passing each class with the help he or she needs? There's federal money allocated for the parents to provide online remedial help for their children. Also, parents are able to schedule tutoring sessions to fit into their time schedule.<BR><BR>In the long run, everyone shares in the child's accomplishment.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David M. Rolle', a Online Tutoring Franchise Owner, believes passionately in interactive distance learning for students that need remedial courses. Parents, students, school systems and entreprenuers worldwide interested in receiving information on on-line tutoring, visit <A href="http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8">http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8</A>. </P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112691651276224166?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126830103860027852005-09-15T17:21:00.000-07:002005-09-15T17:21:43.953-07:00<br /><P>School Days - Top 10 Tips For Establishing A Good Routine</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines, boundaries and rules. Unfortunately, parents often forget it! And yet by establishing good routines and encouraging children to help you maintain them, you have an opportunity to set a pattern and a discipline that will stay with your children for the rest of their lives. You will make school days easier and far less stressful, reduce the chances of starting your day late or dragging on forever with the homework, put an end to nagging and shouting, and have happier, more relaxed kids.<BR><BR>Here are 10 tips for establishing a solid, school day routine.<BR><BR>1. Lay the breakfast table the night before<BR><BR>Put everything out apart from perishables. If you keep all your breakfast things in one cupboard or one area of the kitchen this routine will be easier to establish, and older children can take it in turns to do it.<BR><BR>2. Put out your clothes the night before<BR><BR>Lay out a complete set of clothes for each child, checking them as you do it. Older children should do this themselves - you can double check when you say goodnight. Then if something is missing (or shoes need polishing) you have time to put it right. Lay your own clothes out too!<BR><BR>3. Brush teeth at the kitchen sink<BR><BR>Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste for each child in the kitchen and brush teeth at the kitchen sink immediately after breakfast. It may not be perfect for the house-proud, but if you send your child out of your sight to do a chore in the morning, you lose control. If you lose control, he may start dawdling.<BR><BR>4. Set up base camp<BR><BR>Establish a "base camp" where the children keep all their school things. You will need room for kit bags, satchels, swimming bags, sports equipment, ballet bags, library books and whatever else the kids need! Provide at least one hook per vhild for their coats (in our house kids must hang coats up as soon as they take them off) and a basket or box for school shoes (in our house kids must put shoes in the box as soon as they take them off too - sometimes they do!) Another basket or box for each child can be used as a place to put anything that needs to go to school - gloves, letters to teachers, music, library books etc. Everything is in its place and ready to go out the door first thing in the morning without any fuss.<BR><BR>5. Make a list<BR><BR>Fill out a schedule of what is needed at school on each day and pin it up at "base camp". Check each morning before you walk out the door that you have the appropriate kit. You will find a school week planner to print here: <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm</A><BR><BR>6. Nail up a notice board<BR><BR>Keep a notice board at "base camp" so that you can pin up reminders, invitations, school menus or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.<BR><BR>7. Do it now!<BR><BR>If anything comes home from school that requires your attention, do it immediately. Fill out forms and put them straight back into the satchel. Write dates into your diary there and then, and reply the same day too. If you postpone it, you will forget it!<BR><BR>8. Give homework a home<BR><BR>Establish a place and time for doing homework and stick to it. Keep dictionaries and other necessary books nearby, as well as a spare set of pencils, rulers and other stationery you might need. Make sure that homework is put back into satchels as soon as it is completed and that satchels are returned to "base camp" straightaway. Get out a kitchen timer if kids are reluctant to start (or finish!)<BR><BR>9. Be prepared<BR><BR>If your car is running short of petrol (gas), fill it up on the way home from school in the afternoon rather than panicking the following morning! As you drive home, run a mental check on whether you have the necessary supplies for dinner, and breakfast. Nothing makes kids more miserable in the morning than an empty fridge.<BR><BR>10. Get ahead<BR><BR>Set your alarm to wake you up 10 minutes earlier than usual. You will be amazed at how much more in control that 10 minutes will make you feel. And finally, leave for school 5 minutes early. Arriving early takes away an enormous amount of stress and will put your children in the right mood for school.<BR><BR>Are you convinced? Start initiating some routines in your school days and you and your kids will feel the benefits very quickly. Making sure that your kids feel comfortable and in control before they get to school gives them the best possible start to a school day. And once they get used to afternoon and evening routines for homework and preparation for the day ahead, nighttimes become more peaceful too.<BR><BR>"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." ~ John Dryden<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of Activity Village - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit the website at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/">http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk</A> and subscribe to the free newsletter at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm</A></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112683010386002785?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126743700868501942005-09-14T17:21:00.000-07:002005-09-14T17:21:40.906-07:00<br /><P>Public Schools Can Waste 12 Years of Your Child�s Life&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For over fifty years, public-school officials and politicians have tried one education fad after another. They have all failed. Children should not be turned into victims and educational guinea pigs by public-school authorities. <BR><BR>Here's why public schools can waste 12 years of your children�s lives and destroy their love of learning:<BR><BR>1. These schools teach children to read with the whole-language method, which cripples children�s ability to read. That is why after 12 years, millions of graduating high-school students have poor reading skills, and some students can barely read their own diplomas.<BR><BR>2. Public schools teach the �new� or fuzzy math which can cripple a child�s ability to do math and destroy their self-confidence. A child who is afraid of math won�t have the confidence to pursue a career in science, computers, or engineering, thereby cutting them off from these rewarding careers.<BR><BR>3. Because these schools cripple children�s ability to read, they must force children to read dumbed-down textbooks in English, History, and many other subjects. These textbooks are geared to the slowest learners in the class and water-down the subject matter. These dumbed-down courses therefore waste children�s time.<BR><BR>4. Most �teaching� in public-schools consists of students having to memorize facts from dumbed-down textbooks, only to regurgitate these same facts on dumbed-down tests. John Holt, in his book, �How Children Fail� points out that most students forget the facts they memorized within a few weeks after the test. So most children learn little from their classes except how to cram their heads with useless facts which they soon forget. This goes on for 12 years.<BR><BR>5. Public schools force children to study subjects they hate, can�t do, will never use in their lives, or which bore them. For example, many schools force students to study geometry and trigonometry, French or another foreign language, or world history. Children should be studying subjects they love and are good at. When they have to study subjects that bore them, the only thing children learn is to hate learning.<BR><BR>6. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Edison, and Mark Twain all went to a formal �grammar� school for less than two years. All were home-schooled by their parents or self-taught after they learned to read. Author John Gatto, in his book �Dumbing Us Down� said that most children can learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic in only 100 hours of intense study. Yet our public schools keep children locked up for 12 years, yet can barely teach them to read.<BR><BR>7. Once children learn to read and write well within two years of intense study, they doesn�t need a public school at all. With their parents� help and guidance, they can direct their own studies and education at home. Over two million children do this right now�it�s called homeschooling.<BR><BR>8. Public schools are a government-controlled monopoly. Bad schools don�t close down because compulsory taxes prop them up. Incompetent or mediocre teachers aren�t fired because tenure laws protect them. That�s why public schools will never improve and will always waste children�s precious time.<BR><BR>9. A study by the National Education Commissiion on Time and Learning found that middle-school and high-school children spent on average only about 50 percent of their school day on core "academic" subjects. The rest of their time is spent on classes about sex-education, personal safety, family life, consumer affairs, AIDS and drug prevention, save-the-environment, multiculturalism studies, "cooperative-learning" projects, study halls, electives, homeroom, counseling, sports activities, or pep rallies (high school).<BR><BR>If parents value their children�s time, passion for learning, and future success in life, then they should consider taking their children out of public school, permanently.<BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."<BR>Website: www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, <BR>Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, <BR>Phone: 718-447-7348. <BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR>NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel�s email address and website URL, www.mykidsdeservebetter.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112674370086850194?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126654285002916912005-09-13T16:31:00.000-07:002005-09-13T16:31:25.043-07:00<br /><P>7 Things to Teach Your Kids About Money</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Did you know that many people retire broke?<BR><BR>It's true. After a lifetime of hard work and having earned<BR>literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, they end up with<BR>nothing.<BR><BR>So where did all their hard-earned cash go? The answer is,<BR>it passed right through their fingers.<BR><BR>While schools are great at teaching algebra, calculus, and<BR>geometry... how many of us learned about the basics of<BR>personal finance and creating financial security for<BR>ourselves?<BR><BR>The truth is, the earlier you learn to handle money, the<BR>more likely you are to manage it properly and live a<BR>prosperous life.<BR><BR>So why not provide a little home schooling for your family<BR>and teach them the basics? Here are 7 important lessons to<BR>instill in your kids about money:<BR><BR>1. Save something of what you earn<BR><BR>Acquiring the savings habit is one of the smartest things<BR>you can ever do.<BR><BR>If you're reading this now as a middle-aged parent, imagine<BR>how much you'd have in the bank today if you'd saved 10% of<BR>everything you'd ever earned.<BR><BR>(It's almost scary to think about, isn't it?)<BR><BR>Teach your kids to save a little of everything they earn.<BR><BR>2. Don't borrow what you can't pay back<BR><BR>Debt is one of the greatest social diseases of our time. The<BR>price to pay for the "have now, pay later" philosophy is<BR>that you certainly will pay later.<BR><BR>Debt imprisons you in a job you don't like, creates stress<BR>and anxiety in your life, and erodes your wealth creation<BR>program.<BR><BR>You will never become rich while you're in debt. Period.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of delayed gratification. "If in<BR>doubt, go without".<BR><BR>3. To give is to get<BR><BR>Managing money doesn't mean hoarding it and locking it away<BR>in its own purpose-built high security jail. It simply<BR>means being careful, spending wisely, and acquiring a<BR>regular savings habit.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that donating money to worthwhile causes is<BR>a noble thing to do, and that the money returns to you in<BR>more ways than you can imagine.<BR><BR>4. Money isn't evil<BR><BR>"Money is the root of all evil" and "filthy lucre" are<BR>phrases you'll hear banded around.<BR><BR>Ignore them.<BR><BR>Money actually brings enormous good into the world. For<BR>example:<BR><BR>- Creating wealth helps create jobs for others<BR><BR>- Investing in business helps to bring solutions into<BR>people's lives by way of innovative products and services<BR><BR>- Acquiring a great fortune allows you to donate more money<BR>to charity - or even start your own trust fund<BR><BR>Teach your kids that money is neither good nor bad - it's<BR>what you do with it that makes the difference.<BR><BR>5. If you don't spend much, you can't lose much!<BR><BR>One of the oldest wealth-creation maxims is, "It takes money<BR>to make money".<BR><BR>Unfortunately, it also takes money to lose money.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of caution when entering into<BR>financial affairs. And let them know that many self-made<BR>millionaires started with literally nothing.<BR><BR>6. Get the best price for everything you can<BR><BR>Your financial health is really the difference between how<BR>much you earn and how much you spend. It therefore makes<BR>sense not to pay any more money for something than you have<BR>to.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that bargain-hunting doesn't make you a<BR>"miser" - just a sensible individual.<BR><BR>7. The fast buck is your last buck<BR><BR>Sooner or later everyone gets offered a "surefire" method of<BR>making a fortune, whether it's the three-card trick, a<BR>once-in-a-lifetime investment plan, or some time-limited<BR>business opportunity only available to a select few...<BR><BR>Don't fall for too-good-to-be-true scams.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that wealth creation is a simple and<BR>timeless process based on common sense.<BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>If you had learned the above principles when you were 10<BR>years old, and had applied them every day of your life,<BR>would you be financially healthier today?<BR><BR>You betcha!<BR><BR>Teach your kids the timeless truths of acquiring and keeping<BR>wealth.<BR><BR>Knowledge truly is the most precious gift you can give.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Paul Davis writes for Debt Elimination 4U, showing ordinary people how to get out of debt and stay out! Visit the site at: http://debt-elimination-4u.com<BR></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112665428500291691?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126567416785458662005-09-12T16:23:00.000-07:002005-09-12T16:23:36.830-07:00<br /><P>Author Interview - Mommy Come Home</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Author Interview: Mommy Come Home<BR>The New Trend to Tradition: <BR>Bringing Up Your Own<BR>Interview with Sandra Gillmore conducted by Lisa Hendey<BR><BR>In her new book Mommy Come Home, author Sandra Gillmore strongly advocates the role of ?full-time motherhood?. Some may disagree with the book?s premise that mother should eschew career and stay home with children (in lieu of day care or even dad or a relative providing in home care). I found the value of this book to be for readers who have chosen the ?stay at home? route and are seeking support and encouragement in this decision. Sandra Gillmore shares a veteran?s experience and perspective and has so many wonderful tips and suggestions to share. Women choosing to voluntarily walk away from careers to pursue the vocation of motherhood are often met with resistance, financial concerns and a lack of support. A new mother may find herself isolated and uncertain as she attempts to ascertain her new identity in life. Mommy Come Home is a great tool for women facing or considering such transitions. Sandra Gillmore gives readers many pearls of wisdom to aid them in the journey of parenthood.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra Gillmore, author of Mommy Come Home, thanks for your time and for participating in this Book Spotlight feature. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about your background and your family? <BR><BR>As a single person, I worked in various office positions, and prayed for the Lord to send me a devoted Christian husband. God powerfully answered my prayers to the point that I wrote a song for Dave entitled, "You are the Answer to My Prayers." Dave and I have been married for 20 years and we have been blessed with ten children, ages 19 down to 1 year in age. We both shared the vision for a large family and grew into the homeschool lifestyle. Over the years we've opened our home to exchange students, foreign refugees, college renters and the mentally ill. Currently our quiver is full of our own family members! Our children are very active in sports, music and scouts. I get involved with fundraisers and love to cheer them on in their activities. I enjoy singing for church which occasionally includes weddings and funerals.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra, what is the main message of Mommy Come Home and what prompted you to write the book? <BR><BR>Mommy, Come Home is my love letter to all moms! I've heard you stress-out on the soccer fields. I've seen you cry at church from the pressure. You told me I was lucky I could stay home. I've tried to console you through the rat race. I've prayed for you. But I never wanted to hurt your feelings. I never had the courage to tell you what was on my heart through the Holy Spirit's leading. The message of Mommy, Come Home is that God is calling each mother to embrace her vocation to motherhood. This is your call that no one else can replace as God intended. (Not even grandma or daddy.) You have been given special gifts to share with your children in a most generous way. This world is not family-centered. The world wants to pull you away and make you too busy to effectively mother your children. Picture yourself ordering your favorite dessert in a restaurant only to have the waiter bring you one small bite! Wouldn't you want more? 'But it's the highest quality of this dessert on the market, 'the waiter tells you. Our children want and need more - not more stuff - more of our time. There is a way out of this madness. You have a choice.<BR><BR>LH: For families who have become reliant upon two incomes, can you offer some creative suggestions to help ease the financial transition when Mom decides to stay home full time with the children. <BR><BR>By eliminating, in large part, the extraneous expenses of working outside the home (such as more gas, wear and tear on your vehicles, or even the need for an additional vehicle, business attire, fast food, childcare) and adding an enormous tool called flexibility to your schedule, you will be set up for a new way of thinking and spending. The focus is on saving instead of earning. Simplicity is the key. Try asking yourself, 'Is this a need or a want?' whether it's a new home, car or a toothbrush. (i.e.: do you really need the $5 variety or will the 88 cent version do the job?) Try drinking filtered water (from your own filter if possible.) Milk, juice and soda are quite costly and don't offer much in the way of nutrition. Good quality vitamins can prevent a lot of expensive and time-consuming trips to the doctor. Consider shopping at various discount stores and make home-made cooking a top priority. Nothing has to be fancy. Instead of buying ingredients for a recipe, just buy whatever is on sale and then cook accordingly when you get home. If we need fresh produce, for example, I come home with whatever fruit is on sale for that week. This is a great way to keep more variety in your kitchen too. <BR><BR>For vacations, state and national parks are a treasure to behold. If you bring your own food you've already saved a bundle of money. Just pack the cooler(s) and you can make great day trips or camp, or even rent a housekeeping cabin. It's incredibly less expensive than motels and amusement parks. And what could be more exciting than exploring 'God's playground?' For other entertainment, don't forget the library. Many libraries offer free concerts and other entertainment. Also, local museums and zoos almost always offer a family membership. This is usually a wonderful bargain for a family. Make use of this and you won't fall prey to the lure of the expensive entertainment industry, which is usually full of negative messages that conflict with our Christian faith anyway. <BR><BR>Don't be afraid to accept hand-me-downs, shop at thrift shops or garage sales for clothes or other items. There are some great discount stores around too if you make it a point to scout them out. I personally don't enjoy shopping because it is so time-consuming. However, I make a point to shop during low-traffic times and that makes a huge difference. It's the flexibility factor that will prevent you from feeling rushed all the time and missing out on bargains.<BR><BR>LH: Many "Stay at home" moms feel isolated and lonely. What proactive steps can they take to help themselves overcome these feelings? <BR><BR>Satan loves Christians to become isolated. Then he can trap you into thinking 'no one understands me,' etc. Don't even give him a chance! REACH OUT! Whether you are new to a community or have just been pulled out of a huge social circle in order to stay home, you simply must find ways to be involved. For example, I have hosted lady's Bible studies and support groups just by listing an ad in our church bulletin. Sometimes only one mom has called - but that was all I needed to make a new friend at the time. Then it would grow. You can join a group like I started, or find a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers,) La Leche League (breastfeeding support group,) or volunteer for something at church that may be just a few hours per month. Read your local newspaper; look on the internet for local church or community activities. Get involved in politics. You may be nervous at first but reaching out is essential and will bring you many blessings in new friendships. But remember that God and family come first. We don't need to be supermoms and burn ourselves out. But we definitely need to be supported by and supportive to other moms and people in general.<BR><BR>LH: What role has your Christian faith played in your decisions to be home full time and to homeschool your children? <BR><BR>?so that they (the older women) may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, busy at home?Titus 2:3-5 (New American Bible) <BR><BR>I think the Lord says in His word that he prefers mothers to be busy at home. Other versions of the Word say 'Keeper of the home' or 'good homemakers.'<BR><BR>The decision for me to stay home came when my husband and I became engaged. He felt very strongly that my role in the home was essential for a strong family to take hold. He felt that God would bless us if we honored him by this devotion to the mother's role. We both loved the prospect of having a large family and I couldn't see the point of bearing a child and giving birth only to leave the child entrusted to someone else's care. It didn't make sense. The entire pregnancy is a bonding experience for an important purpose. It is a beautiful beginning to a lifelong relationship with your child.<BR><BR>Although we do not currently homeschool all of our children, I do believe home schooling gives us the most generous opportunity to fully instill our values into our children's hearts and minds. Homeschooling was still a relatively new idea when we started about 11 years ago. Dave had close friends he admired who homeschooled their children. I thought it all sounded very strange at first. Another family took our advice to home school (even though we didn't do it yet!) and we were amazed at how intimately peaceful and joyful their home had become since starting.) Then we attended a large home school convention and it was very evident that these hundreds of families were bringing up their children to serve the Lord in a very powerfully practical way. It is more than just an educational movement. It is a way to bond with your children; to have the time and flexibility to demonstrate the faith on a daily basis. And for those naysayers who think the home is not 'real world', I say, 'What is real within our families becomes real within our world." Currently we have three high schoolers in the public school system who are thriving with prayer clubs and evangelizing when opportunity arises. We home school our four middle children and two of them also attend a church preschool three mornings a week for 3 hours a day. Our toddler is also home full-time. <BR><BR>LH: Congratulations of the publication of this, your first book! What a tremendous accomplishment! Are you currently working on any new writing or creative projects? <BR><BR>Thank you so much. It has been truly exciting to watch the Lord open doors on what otherwise would seem impossible or just plain ridiculous. I have felt called to write a book about special needs families. We have not been blessed with a special needs child, but I have a friend who is legally blind and the mother of nine children. Her family includes two sets of twins, one autistic child, one nearly deaf child, and four vision-impaired children. The book will be about her and some other families that share their experiences and faith-growth through their special needs situations.<BR><BR>LH: What resources can you recommend for new moms? <BR><BR>I highly recommend 'Family Foundations,' a publication of the Couple to Couple League. (http://www.ccli.org/) So many moms are told that the number one priority after giving birth should be birth-control. I do believe in child-spacing but so often mothers are discouraged from having more than two children these days, the 'accepted norm.' If we truly open our hearts to another child, we have more reason to want to stay home because more souls are depending on us. We also are being more open to our husband, accepting both the potential for life and the pleasure of the marriage act. This method of 'natural family planning' automatically builds mutual respect and self-giving in the marriage, which is so much-needed today.<BR><BR>Catholic Familyland (http://www.familyland.org/Home.htm)- an awesome family vacation/retreat experience, an apostolate devoted to teaching the true faith by way of books, tapes and videos from top authorities such as Cardinal Arinze, Pope John Paul II, Scott Hahn, Mother Teresa, etc. In addition, they have their own TV network which is on a satellite with many other Christian stations and costs only $11.99 per month. We love this place. I can't say enough good about it. <BR><BR>Focus on the Family (www.family.org) is a wonderful resource for all sorts of parenting tips. And don't forget the Bible. It's full of proverbs and other parental advice for the finding.<BR><BR>LH: Thank you again Sandra for your time and for sharing your book. Are there any closing thoughts you'd like to offer?<BR><BR>The revival doesn't begin only at church. It begins in the home. Home is not an escape from the world. It's a foundation to build the values of our faith. Then we must share that faith with the world. One family at a time. Thank you, Lisa for this opportunity to share from my heart to other moms. I pray the book will be used as an instrument of hope and healing to every family's mother that reads it. <BR><BR>For more information or to order Mommy Come Home visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594675627/digitalcropper-20 <BR><BR>Copyright 2004 Lisa M. Hendey <BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, (including http://www.digitalcropper.com http://www.christincoloring.com, http://www.catholicmom.com) and an avid reader.<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112656741678545866?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126480528170934742005-09-11T16:15:00.000-07:002005-09-11T16:15:28.176-07:00<br /><P>Your Young Men Shall See Visions...</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P><STRONG><EM>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself...<BR><BR></EM></STRONG>As is usually the case, when given the opportunity for free time, my boys elect to go outside and play. We don't watch any TV in our house, and we don't own any video games. It is my wife Nancy and my belief, that the less toys we own, the more our children will be encouraged to use their imaginations and participate in creative play. The old saying goes..."Bordom is the mother of invention." This has proven to be true. Case in point...<BR><BR>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about, and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself.<BR><BR>I walked over to see Teddy, my 6 year old son, (soon to be 7) whacking away, teeth clenched, at an old downed tree with the claw end of my Estwing hammer, wood chips a flyin'. You see, everyday when Teddy wakes up, his apparel has a theme. One day he's Davy Crockett, the next it's a WWII soldier. How he chooses to dress is usually directly affected by what he is reading or has recently been exposed to. We have been studying "The Corps of Discovery" adventures of Lewis and Clark, so I suspect Teddy and the other boys (I have 4) became inspired to carve out this dugout canoe as a result. <BR><BR>I look on this scene with delight, knowing this kind of "play" is the precursor to what will someday become a young man's work upon envisioning and planning his dreams and goals in life. Thinking back on it now, that delight and warm feeling was rooted in a deep sense of fulfillment... What I was in fact observing, was a realization of a vision and a dream for Nancy and me. We envisioned a home rich with opportunity for imagination and good old-fashioned play. And we set out... selling our big house in the burbs to live in a smaller house on land and home school our children... <BR><BR>Our dreams have come true.<BR><BR>Proverbs 29:18...Where there is no vision, the people perish...<BR><BR>Joel 2:28...And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions...<BR><BR>Praise the Lord. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David Lingner is founder of Christian Outdoorsman, an organization with the purpose of building a worldwide community of Christian outdoor enthusiasts, in order to use God's Creation to "Bring men closer to the Creator."<BR>http://www.ChristianOutdoorsman.com<BR>You can email Dave at: dlingner@ChristianOutdoorsman.com</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112648052817093474?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126480188244686582005-09-11T16:09:00.000-07:002005-09-11T16:09:48.276-07:00<br /><P>Why Public Schools Hate Home-Schooling Parents</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling is a great success. That�s why many public-school authorities hate home-schooling parents.<BR><BR>Home-schoolers are a direct challenge to the public-school monopoly. This monopoly makes it almost impossible to fire tenured public-school teachers or principals. As a result, tenure gives most teachers life-time guaranteed jobs. They get this incredible benefit only because public schools have a lock on our children�s education.<BR><BR>If public-school employees had to work for private schools and compete for their jobs in the real world, they would lose their security-blanket tenure. That�s why school authorities view home-schooling parents who challenge their monopoly as a serious threat.<BR><BR>Many school officials also can�t stand the fact that average parents who never went to college give their kids a better education than so-called public-school experts. Successful home-schooling parents therefore humiliate the failed public schools by comparison.<BR><BR>Home-schooling parents also humiliate school authorities who claim that only certified or licensed teachers are qualified to teach children. Most home-schooling parents thankfully never stepped foot inside a so-called teacher college or university department of education. Yet these parents give their children a superior education compared to public-school educated kids.<BR><BR>Also, many public-school officials resent home-schoolers because the typical public school loses about $7500 a year in tax money for each child that leaves the system. Tax money is the life blood of the public-school system. Tax money pays for public-school employees� generous salaries, benefits, and pensions. Is it any wonder why school authorities don�t want to lose their gravy train?<BR><BR>For these reasons, until fairly recently, most state legislatures either outlawed homeschooling or tried to strangle it to death with regulations. In 1980, only Utah, Ohio, and Nevada officially recognized parents� rights to homeschool their children. In most other states, legislators continually harassed or prosecuted home-schoolers under criminal truancy laws and educational neglect charges.<BR><BR>By 2004, however, pressure from parents, Christian home-schooling organizations, and recent court rulings pushed all fifty states to enact statutes that allow home-schooling, as long as certain requirements are met. These requirements vary for each state.<BR><BR>In spite of these statutes, many states and school authorities still harass home-schooling parents. That is because the Supreme Court slapped parents in the face when they gave local governments the right to regulate home-schooling. As a result, many home-schooling parents are still harassed by local school officials.<BR><BR>If you are a homeschooling parent, you must know how to protect your legal rights. To do this, you should seriously consider joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983, HSDLA provides its members with legal representation against local school officials who might harass you, demand to supervise your home-schooling, or demand to periodically test your home-schooled children. You can join at their web site, <A href="http://www.hslda.org/">http://www.hslda.org</A>.<BR><BR>The Rutherford Institute is another well-known organization dedicated to protecting parents� rights and providing legal help to home-schooling parents. Their website is <A href="http://www.rutherford.org/">http://www.rutherford.org</A><BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A> Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112648018824468658?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126471198733457442005-09-11T13:39:00.000-07:002005-09-11T13:39:58.743-07:00<br /><P>Why Public Schools Hate Home-Schooling Parents</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling is a great success. That�s why many public-school authorities hate home-schooling parents.<BR><BR>Home-schoolers are a direct challenge to the public-school monopoly. This monopoly makes it almost impossible to fire tenured public-school teachers or principals. As a result, tenure gives most teachers life-time guaranteed jobs. They get this incredible benefit only because public schools have a lock on our children�s education.<BR><BR>If public-school employees had to work for private schools and compete for their jobs in the real world, they would lose their security-blanket tenure. That�s why school authorities view home-schooling parents who challenge their monopoly as a serious threat.<BR><BR>Many school officials also can�t stand the fact that average parents who never went to college give their kids a better education than so-called public-school experts. Successful home-schooling parents therefore humiliate the failed public schools by comparison.<BR><BR>Home-schooling parents also humiliate school authorities who claim that only certified or licensed teachers are qualified to teach children. Most home-schooling parents thankfully never stepped foot inside a so-called teacher college or university department of education. Yet these parents give their children a superior education compared to public-school educated kids.<BR><BR>Also, many public-school officials resent home-schoolers because the typical public school loses about $7500 a year in tax money for each child that leaves the system. Tax money is the life blood of the public-school system. Tax money pays for public-school employees� generous salaries, benefits, and pensions. Is it any wonder why school authorities don�t want to lose their gravy train?<BR><BR>For these reasons, until fairly recently, most state legislatures either outlawed homeschooling or tried to strangle it to death with regulations. In 1980, only Utah, Ohio, and Nevada officially recognized parents� rights to homeschool their children. In most other states, legislators continually harassed or prosecuted home-schoolers under criminal truancy laws and educational neglect charges.<BR><BR>By 2004, however, pressure from parents, Christian home-schooling organizations, and recent court rulings pushed all fifty states to enact statutes that allow home-schooling, as long as certain requirements are met. These requirements vary for each state.<BR><BR>In spite of these statutes, many states and school authorities still harass home-schooling parents. That is because the Supreme Court slapped parents in the face when they gave local governments the right to regulate home-schooling. As a result, many home-schooling parents are still harassed by local school officials.<BR><BR>If you are a homeschooling parent, you must know how to protect your legal rights. To do this, you should seriously consider joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983, HSDLA provides its members with legal representation against local school officials who might harass you, demand to supervise your home-schooling, or demand to periodically test your home-schooled children. You can join at their web site, <A href="http://www.hslda.org/">http://www.hslda.org</A>.<BR><BR>The Rutherford Institute is another well-known organization dedicated to protecting parents� rights and providing legal help to home-schooling parents. Their website is <A href="http://www.rutherford.org/">http://www.rutherford.org</A><BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A> Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112647119873345744?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126466528903963752005-09-11T12:22:00.000-07:002005-09-11T12:22:08.940-07:00<br /><P>Why Public Schools Hate Home-Schooling Parents</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling is a great success. That�s why many public-school authorities hate home-schooling parents.<BR><BR>Home-schoolers are a direct challenge to the public-school monopoly. This monopoly makes it almost impossible to fire tenured public-school teachers or principals. As a result, tenure gives most teachers life-time guaranteed jobs. They get this incredible benefit only because public schools have a lock on our children�s education.<BR><BR>If public-school employees had to work for private schools and compete for their jobs in the real world, they would lose their security-blanket tenure. That�s why school authorities view home-schooling parents who challenge their monopoly as a serious threat.<BR><BR>Many school officials also can�t stand the fact that average parents who never went to college give their kids a better education than so-called public-school experts. Successful home-schooling parents therefore humiliate the failed public schools by comparison.<BR><BR>Home-schooling parents also humiliate school authorities who claim that only certified or licensed teachers are qualified to teach children. Most home-schooling parents thankfully never stepped foot inside a so-called teacher college or university department of education. Yet these parents give their children a superior education compared to public-school educated kids.<BR><BR>Also, many public-school officials resent home-schoolers because the typical public school loses about $7500 a year in tax money for each child that leaves the system. Tax money is the life blood of the public-school system. Tax money pays for public-school employees� generous salaries, benefits, and pensions. Is it any wonder why school authorities don�t want to lose their gravy train?<BR><BR>For these reasons, until fairly recently, most state legislatures either outlawed homeschooling or tried to strangle it to death with regulations. In 1980, only Utah, Ohio, and Nevada officially recognized parents� rights to homeschool their children. In most other states, legislators continually harassed or prosecuted home-schoolers under criminal truancy laws and educational neglect charges.<BR><BR>By 2004, however, pressure from parents, Christian home-schooling organizations, and recent court rulings pushed all fifty states to enact statutes that allow home-schooling, as long as certain requirements are met. These requirements vary for each state.<BR><BR>In spite of these statutes, many states and school authorities still harass home-schooling parents. That is because the Supreme Court slapped parents in the face when they gave local governments the right to regulate home-schooling. As a result, many home-schooling parents are still harassed by local school officials.<BR><BR>If you are a homeschooling parent, you must know how to protect your legal rights. To do this, you should seriously consider joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983, HSDLA provides its members with legal representation against local school officials who might harass you, demand to supervise your home-schooling, or demand to periodically test your home-schooled children. You can join at their web site, <A href="http://www.hslda.org/">http://www.hslda.org</A>.<BR><BR>The Rutherford Institute is another well-known organization dedicated to protecting parents� rights and providing legal help to home-schooling parents. Their website is <A href="http://www.rutherford.org/">http://www.rutherford.org</A><BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A> Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112646652890396375?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126372878828021892005-09-10T10:21:00.000-07:002005-09-10T10:21:18.880-07:00<br /><P>Facing the Homeschool Super Mom</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus she tutors several other children that are dropped off at her house. AND she's a Pastor's wife. AND she's working on fixing up the fixer-upper they just moved into. Whenever I've been in her house, it's been immaculate. Her children all have perfect manners. They all seem to be way ahead of their grade level. She's definitely gotta be a Homeschool Super Mom. <BR><BR>You're probably thinking of someone like this too, right? Someone that made you think, "Man, my son isn't reading as well as hers." or "My house isn't as clean as hers." Or a million other things.<BR><BR>And you probably discovered her when you were new to homeschooling. When you were <BR>already feeling uncertain in your new endeavors. You were already putting high expectations on yourself. You were constantly analyzing to be sure you were doing everything right. And as a result, you tend to be a little over-sensitive about what other's are accomplishing around you without giving enough credit to yourself.<BR><BR>So, it's really important that you remember (as a new homeschooler or a seasoned one) these basic principles that we all so easily forget:<BR><BR>"The 4 Basic Principles That Conquer the 'Super-Moms' Syndrome"<BR><BR>Principle #1: We always see other's through glasses that make them larger than life. When I was a teenager, there was this lady in our church. Her hair and makeup was always perfect. She lived in a big, expensive home. She was very stylish and her kids were so cool. I always wanted to grow up and have that.<BR><BR>But I don't anymore.<BR><BR>I'd rather have my house that gets messy 5 minutes after it gets picked up, my hair that falls down into my eyes as I pick up my children, and my face that only gets makeup on Sunday. Why you may ask? Well, here's why. I'm happy. I love my family, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.<BR><BR>The lady I had idolized as a teen? She still has her perfect home and impeccable style. But, she has a marriage without love and children who are stuck up adults who ignore her totally.<BR><BR>I had seen her through glasses that made her larger than life. In the end, she's not any bigger or greater than me. In fact, she probably wishes that she had my life!<BR><BR>So, if you start to think about someone else who seems to have the life you want, STOP LOOKING! Instead, sit down and make a list of 100 good things in your life--from the air you breathe, to the heat in your home, to the kisses from your child. I guarantee that you'll feel better about yourself that you ever have before.<BR><BR>Principle #2: Everyone has their own unique gift. Everyone has their own unique ability and we tend to notice in other's the abilities that might be our "weak" ones.<BR><BR>For instance, if you think you're house is always messy, you'll seem to know all these people who have perfectly neat homes.<BR><BR>For an example from my life, I have a son who struggles with speech and it seems like every other parent within a 100 mile radius have children with perfect diction. But you know that's not the way it is. My son might not pronounce every phonic sound correctly--yet!--but he has so many other gifts that hardly make that one seem important.<BR><BR>For instance, no one notices his speech. They always comment, though, how loving he is. Just running up to people and giving them hugs. And he has fun no matter what he does. Can you believe one day I actually heard myself saying, "Ryan. Stop that. Not everything is supposed to be fun." I had to step back and slap myself. Then I said, "Never mind. Mommy was wrong. Have as much fun as you can." And I learned a lesson from that.<BR><BR>So, forget about what the homeschooled Jones' are doing. Discover your child's unique ability and relish in it and develop it and learn from it. <BR><BR>Right now, at the end of your list of 100 things that you're grateful for, list 10 wonderful qualities or abilities for yourself and each of your children. Work on acknowledging, praising, and being thankful for all of your gifts. And don't forget to thank God that you got the greatest kids ever born on this earth.<BR><BR>Principle #3: It doesn't matter what others think. I know, it seems easier said than done. But I guarantee that if you've actually taken the time to write down your list of 100 things that you're grateful for and 10 wonderful qualities of your child, that you won't care what other people think because you will know and appreciate what you have.<BR><BR>And, see, it really doesn't matter what other people think. <BR><BR>What matters is what's important to you. Your core values. Your beliefs. Your ethics. How do you want your children to be as adults? Hey, write it down right now. 5 things you want your child to be as an adult.<BR><BR>Okay, I'll do it right now too for Ryan who is 6 years old--but do yours before you read mine: <BR>A loving husband and father<BR>An honest, ethical entrepreneur<BR>Faithful in service to God<BR>Kind, thoughtful, and helpful to those less fortunate<BR>Thankful and content for what he can do and what he has<BR>Now, I'll bet that you had similar types of things. Not, "makes $1,000,000 by age 30" or "wins he Miss America contest". <BR><BR>Focus on developing and rearing your child to have those 5 qualities, and I'll guarantee that the fact that Mrs. Smith's daughter who is 2 years younger than yours is reading book three times as difficult. Geez, that's a real life skill. You see what I'm getting at?<BR><BR>Principle #4: When you say "yes" to one thing, you are always saying "no" to something else. Have you ever heard that before? I heard that from an owner of a successful multi-million dollar business. That was the simple rule that he used to prioritize his life. When he sat at his desk with phone messages to return, he would literally think, "If I say 'yes' to calling this person, what will I be saying 'no' to?" When someone would asked to do something, he was able to say "no", knowing that if he said "yes" to that project, that he would be saying "no" to extra time with his family.<BR><BR>This principle applies to everyone whether they are conscious of it or not.<BR><BR>Mrs. Smith who is working so hard to have her child advanced in reading is saying "no" to some other educational area. Or, Suzie Homeschool Super Mom up the street who has her immaculate home is saying "no" to time with her kids or family or something else.<BR><BR>The same applies to me. I've said "yes" to this homeschool site, so I've had to say "no" to things like having a perfectly neat house, laundry always done and put away, and a 5 course home-cooked meal on the table by 5:00 every night.<BR><BR>Only say "yes" to the things that are important to you. <BR>(See, you don't know it, but I've been gone for 20 minutes. My daughter came downstairs crying, and I stopped to take care of her. And I've also acquired a set of ear muffs made from pipecleaners and pom-poms.)<BR>So, as I was saying, say "yes" ONLY to the things that are most important to you. And know ahead of time what you'll be saying "no" to before you say "yes"!<BR><BR>Principle #5: Take advantage of every possible tool. That's right. I don't lift a finger (well, hardly a finger) to clean my home as I have cleaner's come twice a week to take care of that responsibility for me. And to solve my meal preparation dilemma? I purchase items that can be thrown in the oven and get side dishes that are quick and easy. <BR><BR>You can do similar things. I have a homeschooling friend who takes one day a month and cooks all day to makes meals for 30 days that she freezes and uses one at a time. And I thought she cooked from scratch every night!<BR><BR>Having difficulties organizing? Don't fight it. Buy something that organizes your stuff or forget it. It really isn't that important to waste time stressing over!<BR><BR>Use all the tools you can, and leave everything else to collect dust.<BR><BR>So whatever happened to that super mom?<BR><BR>Hopefully by now you've done the exercises or at least skimmed enough here and there to know that there is no super mom except the unrealistic giant you've created in your mind. Instead, you should have a full, realistic view of the gifts and treasures that you possess and a new appreciation for all you get done and how you can enjoy doing what you do a little more! If you've done that, than I wasn't wrong in saying "yes" to this project!<BR><BR>Release your worries and enjoy life!<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: ?Homeschool Cooking in a Box? and the ?Homeschool Cookbook?. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com </P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112637287882802189?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126236339871509182005-09-08T20:25:00.000-07:002005-09-08T20:25:39.926-07:00<br /><P>The Gift of Teaching</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Parents are truly the first teachers that their children encounter. They are there in those very vital formative initial years of life, when the most basic functions and abilities are taught and practiced. Values, behavior, and living skills are in the process of forming and the child's environment and the examples of parents weight so heavily in this very delicate balance of becoming a fully functioning adult. <BR><BR>When a child matures and reaches the age of attending school, something magical takes place. Interests expand, social skills are just beginning to blossom, and imagination and creativity are being explored and tested. Whether a child attends a home school or a local school (public or private) the next vital components in development are being put to the "max." <BR><BR>Science, math, language, history, and all the other subjects that make up a curriculum are vying for the attention and abilities of the child. From printing their name for the first time to solving a complicated math process all add to the qualities and essence that will evolve, expand, and let them become a wonderful asset to the entire world. No longer is it correct to assume that this boy/girl should only fit in comfortably and capably in the goegraphical area he/she calls home, but with the advance of computers and <BR>other technological achievements, this child is most definitely a citizen of every other continent and country, and in the future, possibly of other galaxies and planets. <BR><BR>With the approach of a new upcoming school year, may all the teachers (parents, educators, neighbors, writers, etc.) brace themselves for the wonderful task at hand. To further the education of any child is the richest, most rewarding experience in life. There can be no more noble undertaking than to lead a child to investigating, challenging themselves and their surroundings, attempting, and succeeding at skills and subjects that will let this child open doors to his/her future. From a parent giving an example of honesty, a neighbor pointing out the beauty of a newly born kitten, a teacher who brings a subject or book to life, and a writer who paints a "word" picture of a sunset, all these individuals play such an important role in the formation and the future of this child. <BR><BR>When a child's environment is rich with caring, loving people who want only to bring the sunshine of knowledge and capability into this child's world, then the possibilities are endless, the potential without limit. A book contains written words, a fanciful tale, the recorded experiences of an individual, or the peculiarities of a location, but a "teacher" can infuse life and reality into the material. History becomes a wealth of evolvement and ancestry, science is a world of not-yet-discovered solutions, and the realm of language is transformed into building blocks to reach the stars. <BR><BR>To a wonderful new school year <BR>ENJOY! <BR>?Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 August <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Arleen M. Kaptur has written numerous articles, mini-books, fiction/non-fiction books <BR>http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com <BR>http://www.arleenssite.com <BR>http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving </P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112623633987150918?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126149145388023412005-09-07T20:12:00.000-07:002005-09-07T20:12:25.446-07:00<br /><P>School Issues - When Should an ADHD Child Be Held Back?</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't mean to suggest that my comments here are the definitive thoughts on the subject. For a parent to even consider the issue, things have to be pretty problematic at school. So, even though these thoughts may be inadequate to cover your individual situation, I will share them with you anyway... </P><br /><P>Consider these things: </P><br /><P>1. How old is your child? If you child is 4 or 5 years old (especially with males) and is struggling in Kindergarten, he may simply be too young for structured learning. Not a big deal. Bring him home and work with him for another year. I usually recommend that parents start their sons in Kindergarten at age 6 anyway. And many kids with ADHD are just so neurologically immature that they are not going to really be "ready" for a classroom setting until they are 8 or 9 or 10. So consider homeschooling the young ADHD kids.</P><br /><P>2. If the child is older, and the reason cited is "immaturity," then ask yourself these questions: When did the "immaturity" become apparent? Did it just begin this year? Are there emotional issues, or learning disabilities, that need to be addressed? Or is it really "immaturity?" How long has the teacher felt that this was a problem? What other options exist to deal with the situation? Would your child benefit from being with students who were a year younger than himself if the problem is immaturity? </P><br /><P>3. If the reason given for retaining the child is lack of academic progress, then ask yourself these questions: Why didn't my child learn more? Were there problems in school behavior? Poor attention span? Poor work ethic? Poor work skills? Too much TV watching? Too little parental supervision? Too much parent supervision? </P><br /><P>Would any of these problems be fixed by holding him back, or would you just repeat the same situation over again? </P><br /><P>Are there other options, such as tutoring, home schooling, summer school, school interventions and accommodations? </P><br /><P>Look at all of your options first. There are dozens of things that can be done besides holding a student back a grade in school. Just some simple thoughts. Hope they help. You can learn a lot more about <A href="http://www.add101.com/" target=_new>Attention Deficit Disorder </A>in children and teens at the ADHD Information Library.</P><br /><P>Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including <A href="http://www.newideas.net/" target=_new>http://www.newideas.net</A>, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112614914538802341?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1126060485041127752005-09-06T19:34:00.000-07:002005-09-06T19:34:45.086-07:00<br /><P>Preschool Activity Ideas&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>One of the better approaches, when trying to think of preschool activities or preschool lessons for you and your child to do for home school activities, is that you don�t get bogged down trying to be too structured. There is plenty of fun, educational, and informal preschool activities that you and your child can get involved in.<BR><BR>The top of the list when it comes to preschool activities and child learning would be reading. Getting the child involved early in learning to read, establishes good reading habits and a foundation that the child can learn from for a lifetime.<BR><BR>Learning to read for the child certainly doesn�t have to limited to books. You should also include poetry, songs (while singing together); reading the boxes of their favorite toys, or anything that they are drawn to could be included in their homeschool preschool activities. Just be creative.<BR><BR>Preschool age is a wonderful learning time for the child. They are naturally full of wonderment and curiosity at the preschool age. Take advantage of this trait. Use everyday tasks around the house for learning activities. Sorting clothes by color for laundry, dishes by color or size, if you are doing some organizing around the house, use this opportunity to relate different shapes and sizes to your preschooler. When you�re out and about in the world, always use this time as an educational moment. All the shapes sizes and colors you come across just at the grocery store alone make for a wonderful preschool activity. Its homeschooling and you�re not in your home!<BR><BR>If, you run across a question you are unable to answer, don�t just say that you aren�t sure or that you don�t know and leave it at that. Take the opportunity to begin to instill another great learning skill into your child. That of looking something up for an answer to which you don�t know. Even though the child can�t search for the answer yet, they can, witness and be a part of this valuable information seeking procedure. I can�t tell you what a valuable skill you will be instilling into your preschooler if you help them in developing this type of problem solving skill and attitude if you incorporate this into their daily preschool activities. <BR><BR>Preschool activities are limited only by your imagination.....child education is a wonderful experience, just relax, be informal, be creative.<BR><BR>Learning activities are indeed everywhere.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112606048504112775?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125970787592987082005-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:002005-09-05T18:39:47.670-07:00<br /><P>Internet And Homeschooling&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>In today�s internet world there are products available for just about anything you may have on your mind. Finding a myriad of internet homeschool based curriculums on the web is certainly no exception. If you are relatively new to searching for information on the internet or new to homeschooling in general here are a few thoughts on what to look for if you are considering a web based home school curriculum. <BR><BR>First of all I am not a big fan of adding more �in front of the computer� time to any child�s day. We need to be very careful about this and the habits we ingrain into our children. There will always be a battle for the child�s attention when it comes to watching TV or surfing the net. I believe that today, far too many children�s reading and comprehension skills suffer from too much visual high level learning and not nearly enough lower level reading and comprehending what you have read.<BR><BR>Other questions concerning a homeschool internet curriculum that need answers would include things like:<BR><BR>When is the course available on the internet? <BR><BR>Can I access it at anytime that I want? <BR><BR>How much, if any, set up is involved on my end? <BR><BR>How much does this course cost and is this per child? <BR><BR>What about technical support? <BR><BR>It is available to me and when and do I talk to an actual person? <BR><BR>How is the testing done? <BR><BR>How do I get the results of the testing? <BR><BR>Am I required to get any additional materials in order to complete this curriculum?<BR><BR>Even with all of these questions (and you will probably have even more) answered, probably the best advice is to see if the internet homeschool curriculum allows for a try it before you buy it. Any type of a 30 day free trial or some type of demo that you can download is very helpful. If you do get a trial download or trial online offer make sure that you�re not just getting a sales presentation and that you are seeing the actual product. <BR><BR>Internet based homeschool curriculums have tremendous potential and with some good well thought out questions before you purchase you can increase your chances of your money well spent and success for you and your child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112597078759298708?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125869934393637852005-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:002005-09-04T14:38:54.416-07:00<br /><P>Parents Rights Violated By Public School Compulsory Attendence Laws&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Compulsory attendance laws are school authorities� first assault on parental rights. These laws force almost forty-five million children to sit in often boring classes six to eight hours a day for twelve years. Compulsory attendance laws force parents to hand over their children to state employees called teachers, principals, and administrators, whose competence they must take on faith.<BR><BR>Compulsory attendance laws show contempt for parents� rights because they are based on the notion that the state owns our children for twelve years, and that parents should have little say in the matter.<BR><BR>In effect, these laws allow state officials to legally kidnap millions of children, allegedly to benefit the children by giving them an education (in the opinion of these officials). �Kidnap� may seem like a harsh word, yet wouldn�t you apply that word to someone who took your child by force against your will?<BR><BR>Unfortunately, most parents voluntarily send their kids to the local public school. These parents believe they are doing the right thing or have no alternative, so they might not believe that school authorities kidnap their kids. However, millions of other parents are so disgusted with public schools that they either homeschool their kids or send them to private schools.<BR><BR>Every year, school authorities and social service agencies harass or threaten hundreds of home-schooling parents who remove their child from public school. If parents refuse to send their child to the local public school, and do not strictly follow a state�s home-schooling regulations, school authorities can file child abuse or neglect charges against the parent. They can then call in social service agencies that threaten parents with jail or threaten to take away their children and put them in foster homes.<BR><BR>The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) claims to represent �approximately 365 home-schooling families a year who are wrongly charged of some form of child abuse or neglect� because they chose not to comply with compulsory attendance laws.<BR><BR>School authorities� harassment of home-schoolers reveals the nasty compulsion underlying our public schools. Thankfully, parents in this country have the right to homeschool their children. For their children's sake, parents should take advantage of this right.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst. He is also the author of "The Welfare State: No Mercy For The Middle Class." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348, <BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112586993439363785?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125780417600661902005-09-03T13:46:00.000-07:002005-09-03T13:47:01.220-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Questions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>A huge decision it is � homeschooling. Now that you�ve made this decision to teach at home, the many questions you thought you had now seem to have doubled. Doubled at least! Now one question just seems to lead to three more. Questions will need to be answered on curriculum, on testing and assessing. What about the style of teaching and curriculum. <BR><BR>Have you check out and become familiar with all of the state and local mandates concerning operating a home school in your area? As a parent you want the best for your child�. But what is the best? And on and on.<BR><BR>When you think about it, the driving force behind all of this is one word�. Learning. Ask yourself. How does my child learn? Have you just taken the time to really observe how your child learns? If not, do so. Think about yourself. How do you learn? What type of learning technique really sticks in your mind? Visual? Hands on? Reading? Do you learn better in a small group or left more alone to figure it out?<BR><BR>No matter the type of learning environment or technique that works best for you, there is one underlying principle to learning and that is motivation. For you, the homeschool parent, creating nothing could be easier. Placing the child in a caring, loving environment, with the natural encouragement of their parent directly addresses the element of motivation. Every child loves to please and hear the praises of the parents.<BR><BR>As a parent your child�s well being and educational success are naturally at the forefront. As the child�s primary educator and parent, your success is already on a successful track. Read and research, then read and research some more. Your teaching at home style will come�� actually you already own a patent on the style�. Your love for your child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112578041760066190?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125691850465217172005-09-02T13:10:00.000-07:002005-09-02T13:10:50.500-07:00<br /><P>The No Child Left Behind Needs to Go Virtual</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>The No Child Left Behind can work if the Federal Government will put up content on the website and allow for those who are; Behind in studies, about to miss a grade level advancement, perform poorly on general tests, at home schooling students (when parents have no knowledge in subject matter), are in Juvenile Hall, live in areas very rural, have disorders, or have injuries which prevent attendance or need Summer School catch up work.</P><br /><P>By putting up this information on the web in short quick exercises we will be able to insure that these credits or online courses can in fact be counted in all schools. This is a way we can control and insure that no child is left behind but not take control from the local schools. Because then all we will have is local VS Central control and hard feeling will ensue and feelings hurt. Children and teaching must be non-partisan and not be lost in bureaucracy and infighting.</P><br /><P>We must move towards a future environment in education and also this helps those who do home schooling too. It takes stress off state budgets too. If the system is built correctly it will be great. Teachers can teach at a good pace without over review. Because this makes smart kids lazy and unchallenged and not wanting to learn. Also those kids who mess around in class can be expected to do the work at home online. Or after hours or during recess in the computer lab room? Can this program be instituted by the federal government, yes. Short term will there be issues? Yes, lots of controversy as anyone who has ever volunteered for teachers assistant, PTA, or served on a board of an educational institution or school board. This will work better and help all.</P><br /><P>Websites are not hard to build and once the content is up, it is up for ever. Many online educational resources put up content. It would be nice if the content was standardized and easy chewable programs to match the attention span of a young American. It is essential that this first step is not lost in the shuffle for political will or in the power struggle between parties. And we must not ever put the process ahead of the kids. I urge all leaders to be sure to keep in mind the mission above all, educating our kids for the future of our nation and the betterment of mankind. The Federal Government can assist all children by putting online all necessary programs for kids to know the basics and essentials. Everyone wins. And you know, there are some adults out there too, who might need a freshening up on some of the fundamentals which make our country so great and perhaps even learn how to balance their check books, budget for their family, learn the five food groups and conserve water resources.</P><br /><P>This would be a most excellent and inexpensive way to turn the "No Kid Left behind" into a virtual reality learning system for US. Care to comment or send hate mail? The President of the United States is committed to "No Child Left Behind" and we have the political climate right now, to make it happen, all we need is to agree to move the ball forward.</P><br /><P>By Lance Winslow</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112569185046521717?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125601939133430342005-09-01T12:12:00.000-07:002005-09-01T12:12:19.173-07:00<br /><P>Hints on How to Encourage Children to Read</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Hints from Ruowen Wang</P><br /><P>? Keep a small basket filled with joke books, magazines, short stories, books of questions and answers, and books like Ripley?s Believe It or Not in each bathroom of your house.</P><br /><P>? Put a map of the solar system, a map of the world, or a map of your local community on the wall. Refer to them often whenever possible, and create map quizzes or games to play with your kids.</P><br /><P>? Take your children to the bookstores regularly. Make visiting bookstores your family recreation and eventually part of your ?family culture?. Get books on many subjects and make them accessible for your children at all times.</P><br /><P>? Secondhand bookstores, Salvation Army stores, Value Villages, yard sales and Book Events are the best places to fine inexpensive books.</P><br /><P>? When it comes to teaching some ?boring stuff?, like Math, Phonics and Grammar, a car is often the best place. Kids in car seats have nothing better to do than to pay attention and work out abstract lessons.</P><br /><P>? Play with words and letters to explore word formation in the English language. Ask children to identify compound words like ?playground?, ?bathtub?. Or add ?dis-? before some words, and ?-less? after others to show the function of prefixes and suffixes.</P><br /><P>? Always ask questions on a given subject to raise your child?s interest or inspire their curiosity before teaching something new.</P><br /><P>? If your child declares that he or she does not want to learn, you can ?play? instead. Incorporate your teaching into your play activities or game rules, and let your child win. This will increase their confidence.</P><br /><P>Learning involves exploring and risk-taking; it is therefore exciting to a child if presented in the right way. With a good teacher, all children can learn to achieve.</P><br /><P>Academic Achievers was founded by Ms. Ruowen Wang, a high school teacher and an English as a Second Language specialist. Ms. Wang taught for both Toronto Board of Education and North York Board of Education from 1988 to 1998, when she switched to a career into business administrations.</P><br /><P>In 2001, Ms. Wang decided to become a full-time mother and started part-time home schooling her two young children, Kevin and Robin. Under Ms. Wang?s coaching Kevin?s book reports have earned him a great deal of respect from his English teacher. Robin started reading chapter books independently in Senior Kindergarten. (To read about Kevin and Robin?s academic achievements, please see Kid?s Press and Our Family Story on our web.)</P><br /><P>Ms. Wang?s interest in home schooling fueled her plans to open a quality learning center for kids of all ages. Ms. Wang believes strongly in the concept of education as a lifetime investment. Early childhood education sets the stage for life.</P><br /><P>Since there is no one-size-fits-all in teaching and learning, each child needs to be assessed as a unique individual. To discover, respect and follow a child?s own interest and learning style makes teaching and learning ten times more effective.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112560193913343034?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125507070853432272005-08-31T09:51:00.000-07:002005-08-31T09:51:10.903-07:00<br /><P>Learning My Child's Way</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Home schooling. What is it? What does it mean to you? How do you home school? These were just some of the questions I had when we started thinking about home schooling our children.</P><br /><P>While our daughter was a baby, I started reading articles in the paper about the local schools. Our school district was in financial trouble. They were cutting services and staff over and over again. The elementary schools were eliminating librarians, day time janitors, band, and the parents were fund raising for a crossing guard. That?s when I realized that the local public school would not be anything like the school I went to.</P><br /><P>Our first step was checking out the private school options. There are three Montessori schools within a 20 minute drive, a variety of Christian schools, and a Waldorf school about 45 minutes away. As I went and sat in classrooms, I realized that I didn?t want my daughter spending most of her childhood in those classrooms. Nothing seemed to fit what I saw as her needs for education.</P><br /><P>It didn?t take me long to realize that home learning could be the best choice for Katherine. She is an intelligent child who does things in her own time. She didn?t start talking until she was about 2.5 years old. About a year latter, we went through a speech assessment to find out if there were any long term problems. She could say all of the sounds of a 2 year old, less than half of the sounds of three and four year olds and almost all the sounds of five and six year olds! The final assessment was that her speech development did not fit the norm, but was OK. What if they hadn?t tested her for the more advanced sounds? The results would have been very different.</P><br /><P>This test echoed the developmental patterns we had seen with Katherine from the beginning. Any time I tried to compare her to a chart, she was fine at the levels below, had some of the skills at her current level, but quite a few from the level above. While I think she might like all the kids in the classroom, I am afraid that she will be labelled as ?below average? because she doesn?t fit their standard tests. I do not want her public schools. Home learning was no longer a choice, but a very firm decision.</P><br /><P>Fortunately, we live in a popular home learning area with some of the best legislation for home learners in Canada. I had never planned to home school, and wasn?t quite sure what it meant. I did know people whose children learned at home, and it seemed to work for their families. I subscribed to one of the two local newsletters and started listening to conversations about learning at home.</P><br /><P>I liked what I read, saw and thought about. Most of my remaining doubts were about me as a teacher. I love my children, our 6 year-old daughter Katherine, now has a 3 year-old brother Duncan. I feel priveledged to be spending their childhoods with them. However I do get impatient, need my own space some times, and don?t have a teaching background. Could we home learn? We would try and see what happened.</P><br /><P>An experienced home learning parent had told me about a great activity they did tracing coins and learning about money. Although Katherine was only 4y at the time, she loved coins and it sounded perfect for us. I picked a time when she and I wouldn?t get interrupted, gathered the materials, and sat down to teach her about money. ( Experienced home learning parents are probably having a great laugh at this point. )</P><br /><P>We started to trace the coins on paper to show how five pennies make a nickel, and two nickels make a dime. Much to my surprise, Katherine was not enjoying herself. She refused to count the number of pennies with me, wouldn?t help trace circles, and became generally difficult. Finally I was so annoyed I just put everything away. She came up and hugged me and said ?I still love you Mommy?. My heart melted, but the doubts in my abilities remained.</P><br /><P>A week latter, Katherine was watching TV and told me which three shows which shows were listed on the screen. She had never even watched one of the shows. I sat in stunned silence. She was right. Was it a good guess? Had she memorized them or could she read? I hadn?t planned to ?teach? her how to read until she was 7 or 8. We hadn?t even started any language lessons. What was going on? This event was not part of the plans I had been making for her home schooling education.</P><br /><P>Truthfully, I don?t think she could read that day, but I?m not certain about that statement. She is quite capable of selectively answering our questions when it suits her. We knew she could sing the alphabet song, and recognize some letters. I have been able to discover that she knows what all the letters look like, and can correctly tell us which letter starts most words (?My grandmother?s name is Margery, what letter does Margery start with??), even when she has never seen or heard the word before.</P><br /><P>My husband and I have talked about this situation a few times. When she choses to answer our questions, we find out she knows way more than either one of us thought she did. She has correctly found a show she would like to watch listed in the TV Guide, much to my amazement since the look of the words in the TV Guide is very different from the logo with the show?s name on TV. It?s not just sight recognition. We don?t know where or how she has learned these skills.</P><br /><P>What has become clear is that Katherine doesn?t need me to ?teach? her or have a master plan for her education. I do have to provide a good learning environment, answer her questions, help when she asks, and watch her learn.</P><br /><P>I knew she would learn to walk, talk, and all those hundreds of other things babies are suppose to learn in their first few years. There is no reason to create an artificial line between life learning and academic learning. For me, that was one of the reasons I thought home learning was great. Yet I still fell into the trap of trying to artificially set-up a teaching situation. No wonder Katherine wanted nothing to do with my planned lesson.</P><br /><P>I have to remember to trust her. She loves learning in her own way, at her own pace. Now if I can just stay out of her way, she will to a great job all by herself. I am looking forward to having a wonderful time watching her grow and learn in the coming years. I just hope I can remember what I learned from our first home lesson.</P><br /><P>Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine who is now 9y and Duncan who is 6y. Her business, Creative Kids at Home (<A href="http://www.ckah.com/" target=_new>http://www.ckah.com</A>) lets her combine her skills and business background with full-time parenting, and is a lot of fun for her kids.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112550707085343227?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125420610166538692005-08-30T09:50:00.000-07:002005-08-30T09:50:10.203-07:00<br /><P>Which Home Teaching Method Is For You&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>As a homeschooling parent you will be able to pick from one or any combination of home teaching resources that best fit your philosophical or religious beliefs. <BR><BR>Much of the success of your teaching endeavor will depend upon integrating your teaching method with your child�s learning style. Hence the question, after you have committed to homeschool teaching... How do you teach your children?<BR><BR>Read everything about homeschooling you can � then read some more. Obviously books and articles, but in today�s world online at home teaching information is abundant. Get a feel for what fits for you. Don�t forget about discussion forums on the web. Join them. They are a great homeschooling resource. <BR><BR>As a parent you obviously spend a great deal of time around your children. Now after spending some time reading and learning about various home school teaching methods and perhaps leaning toward one (or more than one), it�s now time to perhaps observe your child in a different light. Focus now on how your child learns. That�s right, make notes. Maybe your child learns better by listening, maybe by doing, or perhaps the best teaching method may be more visual.<BR><BR>If you are just starting out, a more traditional school at home approach may be the easiest to get up and going. And this is fine. Remember being comfortable with the teaching methodology is a large part of the recipe. <BR><BR>There are many different types of schooling at home curriculum packages that you can choose from. Don�t worry if you don�t find any one that you feel perfectly matches your home teaching style. In fact, many home school parents use a combination of several different packages that they have, over time, modified and tailored to meet their specific family�s needs. What you don�t want to do is try to force a particular curriculum to work. Again, pick and choose what works for you and don�t forget about the many online homeschooling materials available to you.<BR><BR>Read. Read some more. Observe how your child learns. Pick and choose and co-mingle more than one homeschool curriculum if needed. Modify your home teaching methods over time for a best fit, and the chances of a resounding success for you and your child will be greatly increased!<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112542061016653869?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125333941107626722005-08-29T09:45:00.000-07:002005-08-29T09:45:41.206-07:00<br /><P>The Homeschool Classroom Setting</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>If at all possible, the homeschool education classroom setting should be a specific room, or at least an area of the home. And even better, this room or area should only be used for your homeschool education organization. It�s important that your students associate this room with that of focus and learning. If a separate area for home study schooling is not possible then make sure the area you do use is free from clutter and other non topical material that could be distraction when the home school is in session. <BR><BR>Allowing for, and keeping your homeschool classroom organized is also a key ingredient for success. Not only should you provide for your organizational needs but let�s not forget about the child�s homeschool supplies and materials too! Be creative with the space you have. You don�t need a big budget to get your classroom organized and setup. Use various sizes of boxes for cubby holes. Even bigger boxes could serve as partitions for the room! These boxes can even be painted (instead of your walls!) and have educational accomplishments even stuck on them�. You get the picture! And, if needed, at the end of each day they can be folded up and put away!<BR><BR>Visual materials for the home education are a must. If you don�t have a big chalkboard, invest in an easel and a big flip chart type notepad. Always sitting next to the child or children isn�t always the best way to illustrate instruction. For one, you hand will generally always be in the way so the student can�t see your visualizations as you speak. When this happens your verbal instruction doesn�t match what the child is able to see. Kind of like watching one of those foreign films where the English is dubbed in! The conversation has already happened before you see their lips move!<BR><BR>Of course, there are many aspects and pieces to a successful homeschool education. The home school classroom is but one of them. With a little planning and some attention to detail, as a homeschooler, you will create an environment that is conducive to the child's learning. <BR><BR>You will be inspiring the best in a child.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112533394110762672?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125247239163107622005-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:002005-08-28T09:40:39.220-07:00<br /><P>Homeschooling --- A Superior Education For Your Child&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Once children become proficient readers, they can then study subjects they love in greater depth. If a child needs help on a special subject, parents can occasionally call in a tutor.<BR><BR>Many studies confirm that home-schooled kids learn more, learn better, and learn faster than public-school children. Christopher J. Klicka, author of "The Right Choice: Homeschooling," cites a nationwide study of more than 2,163 home-schooling families conducted in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute:<BR><BR>�The study found the average scores of the home school students were at or above the 80th percentile in all categories. This means that the homeschoolers scored, on the average, higher than 80 percent of the students in the nation. The home schooler�s national percentile mean was 84 for reading, 80 for language, 81 for math, 84 for science, and 83 for social studies."<BR><BR>Several state departments of education also conducted their own surveys on the academic achievement of home-schooled students. In 1987, much to its embarrassment, �the Tennessee Department of Education found that home-schooled children in second grade, on the average, scored in the 93rd percentile, while their public school counterparts, on the average, scored in the 52nd percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test� (the SAT-9 is a well-respected battery of multiple-choice academic achievement tests for public-school students).<BR><BR>These studies, and many others, confirm the fact that home-schooling parents can give their kids a superior education. This shouldn�t surprise us. Home-schooling parents succeed where public schools fail because parents give loving, personalized attention to their children, use innovative free-market educational materials, and nourish a love of learning in their kids.<BR><BR>Joel Turtel's book, "Public Schools, Public Menace" gives parents a wealth of information about homeschooling and the new low-cost, Internet private schools.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112524723916310762?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125160717029721602005-08-27T09:38:00.000-07:002005-08-27T09:38:37.116-07:00<br /><P>Some Basic Homeschool Information</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Thinking about going the homeschooling route? I�m not aware of any official homeschooling text book for parents that are out yet. So, here are some basic answers that you may have in the beginning. The reasons for homeschooling are as varied as the number of families now homeschooling. So with the reasons for homeschooling now behind us, let�s take a look at some of the benefits of homeschooling as we move forward.<BR><BR>A home school schedule allows for the family to be together a much greater portion of the day and this leads to stronger family relationships and this generally will continue right through the sometimes difficult teen years. Also, when parents spend the entire day around their child they are much more in tune with the child�s thoughts and feelings. Behavioral issues can be intercepted and addressed at a much earlier stage. Also, by using your homeschool schedule and your own homeschool lesson plan, you can spend more time in areas that your child needs more work before moving on. This is a definite drawback of the public system.<BR><BR>One area to explore and become familiar with in the pre homeschool stage is your local state laws. In a nutshell, in some states it is very easy to satisfy homeschooling requirements, while in others it is not so easy. Either way, do a little research on this subject because you must be familiar with whatever the home school mandates are for your area.<BR><BR>When it comes to homeschool curriculum many parents generally try to purchase textbooks and materials they need. There are hundreds of resources available to you on the subject of curriculum. One reminder would be not to overlook the idea of finding what you need in the used books and curriculum arena. A quick search of the internet will find you many resources. <BR><BR>And finally, looking down the road a bit�. What about college? A very large number of home schooled have and are attending colleges. Once you get underway or as soon as you feel you may have a direction on a college, simply contact the college and see if they have any specific rules or requirements concerning home schooled children.<BR><BR>I think the biggest reason to homeschool your child of all is that it is a wonderful experience. The immense amount of pride and satisfaction you will receive from this accomplishment is beyond compare.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112516071702972160?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1125073723057861642005-08-26T09:28:00.000-07:002005-08-26T09:28:43.103-07:00<br /><P>The Right Homeschool Program&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For those just starting out, determining the best homeschool program can be, at the very least, a bit challenging. Probably the single most relevant point on this would be to keep in mind that the eventual best home education program for your situation and style may involve pulling home school resources from more than one home school curriculum.<BR><BR>Many homeschoolers start by using a complete curriculum package. And if you are just starting out on this wonderful voyage, this approach will get you more than started and on your way. The key to finding �what is right� is more of a process than just a decision. Ultimately you may settle in with using a complete curriculum package modified somewhat to fit not only your teaching style (which you may not know yet yourself), but even more importantly, your child�s learning style. As you gain more experience and confidence, you�ll see that effective teaching is using a combination of educational resources that are readily available (including online home school programs) that round out your personal program and insure your child�s success. <BR><BR>The key to a good homeschooling program is the �fit�. Both you and your child have to be comfortable with the homeschool unit study on an ongoing basis. If you start out with a good base program as a roadmap, you can then tailor it to fit your needs. <BR><BR>Consider when looking for a curriculum that it will provide for a method to determine not only the current �grade level� of your child, but how your child determined their answers. This helps to determine what type of learner your child is, and their ability to apply their skills. <BR><BR>As you now know, a good home school curriculum will draw from many educational sources and will direct the child to discover and learn the material and not just memorize answers. As the teacher, be sure to take a close look at the provider�s support materials. For example, good detail in the manuals and lesson plans, concepts with examples and details, and suggested outside resources and activities. <BR><BR>And finally, good unit testing will communicate to you, not only if your child has grasped each concept, but will also let you know how well you have presented and taught the subject matter and how solid your homeschool program has been.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112507372305786164?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124986434937671432005-08-25T09:13:00.000-07:002005-08-25T09:13:55.030-07:00<br /><P>Is Home Schooling on the Internet the New Wave of Education?&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Do you have children in school - or are you planning for it soon? <BR><BR>Have you asked yourself if public schools are really doing all they can to improve your child and educate him or her for the real world? <BR><BR>Do you try to stifle desires to send them to private schools because of the cost or the perceived 'elitist' mentality? <BR><BR>Have you ever had a day arrive when your child comes home worn out, agitated and frustrated and thought to yourself "I'd love to keep my child home and teach him myself - if only I had the time." <BR><BR>Now, maybe you can. Here are some of the options. <BR><BR>PRIVATE SCHOOLS COST MONEY <BR><BR>Yes, private schools are sought by the wealthiest and most privileged of society. Although some would likely debate the benefits of private schooling over public schooling most parents probably have considered the option and would jump at the opportunity to give private schooling to their children if it appeared. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, for most families, private schooling is simply not a reality. At a cost of $7000 and upwards, the ability to afford such education is beyond their means. Religious affiliated schools are less expensive, but still not an option for many families with a of cost several thousands per year. <BR><BR>HOME SCHOOLING TAKES PARENTS TIME <BR><BR>Traditional home schooling where the parent is the supervisor of the child's work is another option. With fantastic resources and helpful teachers to assist, it has been a form of education that can be the answer to parents who want the one-on-one education that public schools cannot provide. <BR><BR>Home schooling has been the basis of society for thousands of years - long before schools came about. However, in today's society it can be difficult for parent's to maintain the supervision of assignments that is needed for home schooling. This may become even more of an issue as a child gets into the higher grades and parents are unfamiliar with the curriculum or are working and do not have as much time to assist them. <BR><BR>INTERNET HOME SCHOOLING <BR><BR>A new addition to education, the internet is now providing the ability for parents to give their child an enhanced curriculum, control over education, and online support. This will all cost much less than private school at an average cost of $900 per year. <BR><BR>Older children can benefit from online teachers who are able to supervise the work - a huge benefit for working or single parents. Many accredited Internet schools offer similar courses to those available in private schools. <BR><BR>Joel Turtel, who is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children," says that busy working parents can give their kids a quality, low-cost education at home using the Internet. �K-12th grade Internet schools can take most of the homeschooling burden off parent's backs.� <BR><BR>Perhaps this is the answer you've been looking for. <BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Matt Degree involves in Education for almost 15 years. He has also been a consultant for online learning and act as advisor for online learning project. Find more resources at http://onlinedegree.eclicksoft.com</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112498643493767143?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124899529713164392005-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:002005-08-24T09:05:29.756-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Information&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Getting Started With Homeschooling. Before jumping into all the decisions surrounding the actual teaching and homeschooling of your child such as: what curriculum, what books, what materials, the home school calendar, organize this, organize that�. Before you do any of that first get familiar with with this bit of homeschool information.....your state�s home school laws, rules, and other regulations. Some states are quite easy and others require much more work. The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a great place to start. Legally you do have the right to homeschool your child. Just make certain you comply with the individual state�s regulations.<BR><BR>Homeschooling does require a huge time commitment on your part. And that commitment depends on the level of homeschooling you do. The subject that is being taught and even the ages of the children involved. One question that always seems to come up, particularly from outside influences, is whether the parent is<BR><BR><BR>qualified to teach or not. If not the parent, then who? Who better to teach and homeschool the child? No one wants their child to be successful more than a parent. Plus, nobody would argue against a one to one teaching relationship between teacher and pupil and for the vast number of cases this is exactly the teaching environment in the homeschool classroom. <BR><BR>There is no right or wrong curriculum you can choose to homeschool. You have choices of anything from text books to home school computer software packages. The learning tools that you choose can be based on the children�s ages or even the subject matter that is being taught. You can get text or software directly through the publisher, or at book fairs, or even flea markets and garage sales. Homeschool learning material is everywhere. And don�t forget your public library. It�s free!<BR><BR>Although the cost of all the materials you will need and use does require a significant investment, I think, however, that you�ll find that homeschooling demands more of your time than it does your pocket book. <BR><BR>Be creative, and use your resources. Homeschool information is plentiful. Get out on the internet a just do some basic searching on homeschooling. You will find more information, ideas and support than you could ever need to use.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="about:blankhttp//:www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112489952971316439?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124811912778902882005-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:002005-08-23T08:45:12.830-07:00<br /><P>Home Schooling in Your Motorhome</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>At first glance the terms �hitting the road� and �hitting the books� might appear mutually exclusive. But if you home school your children and have access to a motor home, read on.</P><br /><P>Your one room school house on wheels.</P><br /><P>One of major concerns of parents who decide to home school their children is that their child is not exposed to the wide array of mental stimuli encountered by children who participate in a more conventional education. Children who go to public and even private schools are exposed to many different cultures, personalities and diverse beliefs. However, children schooled in the home sometimes are not exposed to a wide variety of other children. Co-operative home schooling, which brings a number of families together to share the work in educating their children, helps somewhat but home schooled children still, may not experience the plethora of mental stimuli experienced by their more traditionally schooled counterparts. One way to ensure that your child has access to these stimuli is to pack up your motor home and hit the road.</P><br /><P>Math Class</P><br /><P>As you head down the highway in your one room school house on wheels, opportunities for teaching abound. In addition to the regular daily lesson plan, you can incorporate trip specific lessons into the daily work. For example, the math lesson begins when you stop at the neighborhood filling station to top off your tank. Consult the owners� manual of your motor home and find out the capacity in gallons of your fuel tank. If age and grade appropriate have your young student convert this measurement from gallons to liters. For younger children, a fun activity is to let them watch the pump through the RV window and count the gallons or even tenths of gallons that pour into your motor homes fuel tank. Of course with the current price of gasoline, this activity will be much more fun for them than for you.</P><br /><P>Once you�ve filled your tank, get out the map and sit with your student to study your route. Consult your motor home�s manual again and find how many miles per gallon you can expect to get. Help your young student compose a formula to find how far down the planned route you�ll be able to travel before your motor home requires fuel again. You can help your child use the map to help navigate as you travel along. Plan a side trip at the spur of the moment. Ask your child to tell you how this side trip will affect your timetable and fuel bill?</P><br /><P>History Lessons.</P><br /><P>Plan your trip so that you follow an historical route. Follow the Trail of Tears, maybe the Oregon Trail. Travel the dusty path the cowboys rode in cattle drives from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. If you�ve got the time, follow the route of Lewis and Clark or, explore the vast expanse of the Louisiana Purchase. What ever path you choose to follow, make sure you have plenty of supplemental materials for your young student to study. Many motor home parks have high speed internet available to their campers. At the end of each day, have your child connect to the Internet and gather information about the history of the places you�ve visited.</P><br /><P>Social Studies</P><br /><P>Take a trip through Appalachia. Venture some distance from the Interstate into the heart of some small town. Stop at a small store or local diner. Observe the people who live and work there. Listen to their accents or, eavesdrop on a conversation. There is no better way to discover how other people live than to explore these microcosms of America. You might even want to contact local parents who also home school their children and arrange a visit to learn more about each other and compare home school curriculums.</P><br /><P>Other Destinations</P><br /><P>Many home schooling co-operatives hold events at various motor home parks to compare and refine home school curriculums and provide new experiences for their home schooled students. An Internet search for these home school meet ups will yield many entertaining and informative events. If you choose to make one of these trips, be prepared to have a good time and be sure to bring your favorite covered dish.</P><br /><P>Exercises such as these are entertaining and exciting to your child and if properly presented, your young student may not even realize he is in school. But remember, as entertaining, exciting and educational as these road exercises are, they are not a replacement for the well planned curriculum and lesson plans available to parents home schooling their children.</P><br /><P>Article Submitted by Rooster B. <BR>Rooster privately runs several News and Blog sites related to <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>Homeschool Education</A>. Interested in the latest Home School curriculum visit his site at <A href="http://www.homeschoolzine.com/" target=_new>http://www.homeschoolzine.com</A></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112481191277890288?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124724906656225552005-08-22T08:35:00.000-07:002005-08-22T08:35:07.076-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Schedule</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>When you are ready to sit down and ponder and map out your home school schedule for the upcoming academic<BR>year. A good calendar is an ingredient not to be forgotten as part of your overall homeschool schedule<BR>and homeschool lesson plan.<BR><BR>Since you will be homeschooling your child, careful thought needs to be given not only to your home<BR>school schedule, but your family schedule will need to be integrated into the mix as well. Also make sure<BR>that your lesson plan coincides well with your educational calendar. After taking a high level look at<BR>your home school calendar integrated with your family calendar, you may decide that the traditional<BR>school year calendar of end of summer through early spring may not be the most advantageous. Also the<BR>homeschool day does not necessarily need to start say at 8am. There is no stringent time schedule that<BR>you must adhere to as is the case in public schools.<BR><BR>As with your home school lesson planning, your scheduling should take into careful consideration your<BR>child�s learning style and determine what will work best. As a homeschooling family, you have the option of planning trips at<BR>other times of the year when for example, air fare is cheaper and the lines are shorter! If vacations<BR>aren�t a part of your plans, there are probably other reasons (such as birthdays) for tailor making your<BR>own home school calendar.<BR><BR>While mapping a home school yearly schedule is an excellent idea, remember to allow for flexibility in<BR>the schedule. Any school year, especially since the school year is taking place also centered around your<BR>home and your family, will have the need for unforeseen breaks and absences. Not to worry, just as there<BR>are unforeseen missed hours and even days in public school so will there be with your at home education.<BR><BR>Just remember it may take a while to sand off the rough edges of your home school schedule to where you<BR>feel you have best optimized it. As the year goes by, if you have kept good records and used your lesson<BR>plan as your guide you will see that your child is indeed learning all along the way.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112472490665622555?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124629521926769752005-08-21T06:05:00.000-07:002005-08-21T06:05:21.983-07:00<br /><P>Teaching Preschool Color and Shape With Family Games</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>My kids just can't get enough of playing games with Mom and Dad--can yours?<BR><BR>Sometimes we all take a break in the middle of the day and play a game together. Most of the time, I just make sure we play games so that we all have fun together. I can get so caught up in things that I'll go from one task to the next and forget to have a little fun.<BR><BR>Today, after several pleas from my kids, I got out the Uno cards. Today I would be playing with six-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Maegan. In the past, Maegan would sit on my lap and help me with my cards; but today, she wanted to be her "own team".<BR><BR>--------------------Advertisement----------------------<BR>How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School<BR><BR>The first two years of home school can be extremely difficult! It seems that new home school Moms all go through the same set of doubts, snags, and discouragements. <BR><BR>But no longer! Now there is the survival kit for any home school Mom. From deciding if home school is right for you to over coming your first snags, there is now a system to get through it all without stress.<BR><BR>After quickly selling out, this course is now back in stock. Get your the How to Survive Your First 2 Years of Home School Knowledge System before they sell out!<BR>http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=126404 <BR>-------------------Advertisement----------------------- <BR><BR>Not feeling sure how things would go, I dealt seven cards to each of us. Maegan picked up her cards and held them in her hand.<BR><BR>I flipped over the first card and asked Maegan to go first. "Do you have a yellow card to put down?"<BR><BR>"Yep," she answered and put down a yellow card on top of the pile.<BR><BR>Round and round we went, with Maegan putting down the correct color on her turn all by herself. Then finally a turn came that she didn't have the right color.<BR><BR>"Do you have a card," I asked, pointing to the large symbol in the middle of the card, "that has a circle like this one?"<BR><BR>While I still had my finger next to the symbol, she went through each card, one a time. She carefully checked to see if she had a "match" - and when she found one, she put it down on top of the pile.<BR><BR>The game was a great success--especially since she won the first round!<BR><BR>"That's one point for the team 'My Little Pony' (as she had named her team)," I congratulated her. She beamed with pride. She had won and she had done it all by herself.<BR><BR>As I sat there admiring her accomplishment, I realized how easy it is to miss opportunities like this that are educational in nature. This game taught her taking turns, sorting, colors, and shapes.<BR><BR>It's always a great asset as a home school parent to have one more way to help our kids learn and practice what they've been learning. So, "Uno away"!!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: Homeschool Cooking in a Box and the Homeschool Cookbook. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit her website http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112462952192676975?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124542040000810472005-08-20T05:47:00.000-07:002005-08-20T05:47:20.030-07:00<br /><P>First Day of School</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>By the first of August, you can?t open a newspaper without seeing ads for Back to School supplies. The stores are filled with displays. My daughter, Katherine is always asking if she can buy something from the ads. All the emphasis on starting school is creating some feelings of regret with our choice to home school.</P><br /><P>Don?t get me wrong, I do think we?ve made the right choice for our family. I don?t have any doubts about the advantages of home schooling. I think our kids will get a better education and have the chance to grow without the overwhelming influences of peer pressure. My regret comes from suddenly realizing my daughter will not have a ?First Day of School?.</P><br /><P>I can?t say that I really remember my first day, but there is a picture of me in a pretty pink dress holding a flower to take to my teacher. That photo is a permanent reminder of what must have been a terrifying and exciting day for me. It is a day my daughter will never experience.</P><br /><P>Katherine turns five this year and could be starting kindergarten in Sept. We could be picking out back packs, school supplies and her own ?First Day of School? outfit. She could be wondering about the kids in her class. Would she find a best friend in the group? What would her teacher be like? We?ll never know.</P><br /><P>As parents we have to make lots of choices for our children, and hope that we are making the right choice. The choice to home school takes lots of thought and research. It is not a choice made by most families. Fortunately we live in a community with many home schooling families. Their support has made it much easier for us. There?s even a newsletter filled with activities, sports, field trips and local resources.</P><br /><P>In fact, we?ve started a Learning Group that meets once a week. We have circle time, show and tell, games, activities, crafts, snacks, and lots of fun. There?s a different topic each week and the kids come up with their own stuff some times. As they get older, they will be taking more responsibility for planning the activities. Katherine loves the group and would be heart broken if I told her she had to give it up to go to school.</P><br /><P>Truthfully, I?m the person who will miss my daughter?s first day of school. As I?m thinking about it, I realize that I?m not alone. Many of the other Moms in the area must have had the same thoughts. Now, I see one of the reasons for a tradition they started years ago. On what would be the first day of school, all the home schooling families meet at a local beach for the "We?re not going to school" picnic. The kids play in the sand, swim, eat sandy sandwiches and have a great time.</P><br /><P>Katherine will have more fun at the beach, and may even have memories of this day thirty years from now. She definitely will have a picture of herself in a pink bathing suit playing in the ocean on what would have been her first day of school.</P><br /><P>Christine Nicholls loves being mommy to Katherine (who is now 9y) and her brother Duncan (6y). She has developed a home-based business that lets her combine her skills and business background with full-time parenting. Her company, Creative Kids at Home, encourages children to have fun while being creative. (1-877-853-6788 or <A href="http://www.ckah.com/" target=_new>http://www.ckah.com</A>)</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112454204000081047?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124452681340312432005-08-19T04:58:00.000-07:002005-08-19T04:58:01.540-07:00<br /><P>Homeschool Basic Benefits&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Why should or would I homeschool? <BR><BR>A big decision for you and should not be taken lightly. However, with some basic preparation, it isn�t as mind boggling as you might think. The reasons to homeschool are as varied as there are families that participate in homeschooling. Many parents aren�t impressed with the education that their child is receiving at the public school, and expensive private schooling isn�t an option. Safety can also be an issue or maybe your child is struggling and you feel that they could benefit greatly with more one on one instruction. Whatever the reason, homeschooling today is growing by leaps and bounds and the resources available to those making the school at home decision are abundant.<BR><BR>Be clear in your mind at to why you have decided to embark on homeschooling. Write your motivation, your purpose, and your goals for your homeschool down. This will keep you focused and motivated throughout your school year. Also, with a clear concise purpose and reasons for homeschooling will arm you with conviction when you run up against those friends and family members who are less enthusiastic about your decision to homeschool. Put together your homeschool mission statement and write it down and live by it as you homeschool your kids.<BR><BR>The benefits of homeschooling are many. Educating your child at home certainly gives the family more together time. Something that, more and more in these modern times has proven to be on the decline. As the child grows and moves into the pre adolescent and the teen years the child feel closer to their parents and have the security and confidence in a solid parent child relationship that will enhance the child�s maturity level in this complex world.<BR><BR>As an at home teacher you�ll be directly in touch with the areas that your child excels and those in which they don�t this will give you the advantage of spending more time on the areas that need more attention. In the traditional classroom the teacher has a fixed amount of time available to each are of study then they must move on. Learning at home gives the child the ability to fully master each subject before moving on giving them confidence to build on that they can learn difficult subjects for them.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on<BR><A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">teaching your child at home</A> for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (<A href="http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/">http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com</A>) for a complete list of Mary's articles.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112445268134031243?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124365235492933072005-08-18T04:40:00.000-07:002005-08-18T04:40:35.540-07:00<br /><P>Home School Decisions</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P></P><br /><P>Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isn�t it?</P><br /><P>Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isn�t really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.</P><br /><P>An old pair of shoes</P><br /><P>Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesn�t matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you can�t wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Won�t you be my neighbor?</P><br /><P>I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.</P><br /><P>A new pair of shoes.</P><br /><P>Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bought my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didn�t even have to wind him up.</P><br /><P>Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.</P><br /><P>The decision to homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.</P><br /><P>If homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.</P><br /><P>No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.</P><br /><P>Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.</P><br /><P>Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.communicationspeaker.com/" target=_new>http://www.communicationspeaker.com</A></P><br /><P><A href="mailto:steve@stevebrummet.com">steve@stevebrummet.com</A></P><br /><P>972-548-6048</P><br /><P>214-578-4172</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112436523549293307?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124277935312611912005-08-17T04:25:00.000-07:002005-08-17T04:25:35.416-07:00<br /><P>Are Public Schools Anti-Parent?</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Some public schools try to turn children against their parents with scary classroom stories or lessons about child abuse. Public school authorities have increasingly decided that they are children�s first line of defense against child abuse. This new attitude falls under what is now known as "protective behavior curriculum."<BR><BR>The assumptions behind this curriculum are that every child needs to be warned about and prepared for possible dangers of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse because allegedly every child is a potential victim, not only of strangers but of his or her own family.<BR><BR>Increasingly, school authorities instruct teachers to ask children questions about their parents� behavior and actions toward them at home. The questions amount to asking kids to spy on their parents and report incidents that make them feel �uncomfortable.� Some school authorities use such tales by children to investigate or file charges of child abuse against parents who often did no more than yell at their children or spank them lightly.<BR><BR>In effect, to allegedly protect children, some school authorities now consider all parents as potential abusers, use children to invade parents� privacy, or make kids afraid of their parents. Often, children are disturbed and emotionally traumatized by the insinuations school authorities put into their heads.<BR><BR>The following incident described by Charles J. Sykes, in his book "Dumbing Down Our Kids," illustrates this disturbing anti-parent campaign by many public schools across the country:<BR><BR>�I first became aware of the protective behaviors curriculum when a mother called me to tell me of an experience she had with her daughter. Her child, an elementary schoolgirl, had come home in tears. When she saw that her mother was home and waiting for her, she rushed to her in relief. AI wasn�t sure you�d be here, she told her mother. Her mother reassured her that she would always be there for her. In school that day, her daughter told her, her class had discussed �bad� touching including spanking.<BR><BR>"In the course of the discussion, children had been encouraged to share with the teachers and classmates whether they had ever been touched in that way and the girl had said that her mother had spanked her. The children were also told that people who engaged in bad touching would be taken away and put in jail. For the rest of the school day the girl was terrified that her mother who had spanked her would now be taken away and locked up for her bad touching."<BR><BR>Parents, it might be wise to periodically ask your children if their teachers ask them personal questions about your family or how you discipline your children. Turning children into spies against their parents or making them afraid of their parents is not what parents pay school taxes for.<BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A>, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112427793531261191?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124190029403680292005-08-16T04:00:00.000-07:002005-08-16T04:00:30.190-07:00<br /><P>Students Worldwide Are Learning How To Excel In School From Home&nbsp;&nbsp;<EM> </EM></P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Today, children are expected to earn high grades in all of their classes, in spite of the failing public school system. Parents can still remember when an education was essential in preparing children for their livelihood.<BR><BR>Now what many public school systems offer is overcrowded classrooms. Teachers are being grossly underpaid for their skills and overworked. Outdated learning material, metal detectors, violence, cuts in federal spending for education...<BR><BR>Remedial help is sorely needed for some students so they can keep up. If a child can't receive the education they deserve, how are they expected to prosper in society? Parents, students, and the public school systems already know that this is a hugh problem, but who can they turn to for help?<BR><BR>More and more parents are turning to tutoring to supplement their children's education and to further their children's abilities to be successful in the future.<BR><BR>Tutoring is a $4 Billion business that is growing steadily. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, supplemental educational services are funded by school districts with a portion of their allocation from the U.S. Department of Education.<BR><BR>The Federal Government allocates as much as $1800 per eligible student, but so far, less than 10 percent of eligible students are electing to participate, according to providers' estimates.<BR><BR>One of the toughest challenges is simply convincing parents that the service is free to them. Parents will often hang up when sales reps for tutoring firms call to explain the program.<BR><BR>They think it is a scam because "free" usually means too good to be true. And sometimes parents simply don't want to acknowledge that their child needs help. Parents have been known to ask "What's wrong with my child that he needs to be tutored?"<BR><BR>In spite of these challenges, online tutoring, or Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate. IDL is where a student receives live, one-on-one tutoring in a virtual classroom setting or in large group sessions over a video conferencing system.<BR><BR>Students who have access to a computer at home or in school can log in to the system and have a live tutor help them day or night. Subjects like Math, English, Calculus, World History, Latin, French, Chemistry, Physics and many others can be taught to them by certified tutors/teachers.<BR><BR>And there are online tutoring systems that even supply their own courseware library, featuring some of the finest programmed learning courses in computer sciences, management and academic subjects.<BR><BR>Children who receive one-on-one remedial tutoring have been known to have increased self-esteem and self confidence, increased focus and lengthened attention span.<BR><BR>My advice to parents everywhere is to find an online tutoring system that focuses on academic remedial courses for ages K-12, as well as for college students.<BR><BR>Why not give your child the best chance at passing each class with the help he or she needs? There's federal money allocated for the parents to provide online remedial help for their children. Also, parents are able to schedule tutoring sessions to fit into their time schedule.<BR><BR>In the long run, everyone shares in the child's accomplishment.<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David M. Rolle', a Online Tutoring Franchise Owner, believes passionately in interactive distance learning for students that need remedial courses. Parents, students, school systems and entreprenuers worldwide interested in receiving information on on-line tutoring, visit <A href="http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8">http://www.tinyurl.com/9r8x8</A>. </P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112419002940368029?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124100693325421242005-08-15T03:11:00.000-07:002005-08-15T03:11:33.380-07:00<br /><P>School Days - Top 10 Tips For Establishing A Good Routine</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines, boundaries and rules. Unfortunately, parents often forget it! And yet by establishing good routines and encouraging children to help you maintain them, you have an opportunity to set a pattern and a discipline that will stay with your children for the rest of their lives. You will make school days easier and far less stressful, reduce the chances of starting your day late or dragging on forever with the homework, put an end to nagging and shouting, and have happier, more relaxed kids.<BR><BR>Here are 10 tips for establishing a solid, school day routine.<BR><BR>1. Lay the breakfast table the night before<BR><BR>Put everything out apart from perishables. If you keep all your breakfast things in one cupboard or one area of the kitchen this routine will be easier to establish, and older children can take it in turns to do it.<BR><BR>2. Put out your clothes the night before<BR><BR>Lay out a complete set of clothes for each child, checking them as you do it. Older children should do this themselves - you can double check when you say goodnight. Then if something is missing (or shoes need polishing) you have time to put it right. Lay your own clothes out too!<BR><BR>3. Brush teeth at the kitchen sink<BR><BR>Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste for each child in the kitchen and brush teeth at the kitchen sink immediately after breakfast. It may not be perfect for the house-proud, but if you send your child out of your sight to do a chore in the morning, you lose control. If you lose control, he may start dawdling.<BR><BR>4. Set up base camp<BR><BR>Establish a "base camp" where the children keep all their school things. You will need room for kit bags, satchels, swimming bags, sports equipment, ballet bags, library books and whatever else the kids need! Provide at least one hook per vhild for their coats (in our house kids must hang coats up as soon as they take them off) and a basket or box for school shoes (in our house kids must put shoes in the box as soon as they take them off too - sometimes they do!) Another basket or box for each child can be used as a place to put anything that needs to go to school - gloves, letters to teachers, music, library books etc. Everything is in its place and ready to go out the door first thing in the morning without any fuss.<BR><BR>5. Make a list<BR><BR>Fill out a schedule of what is needed at school on each day and pin it up at "base camp". Check each morning before you walk out the door that you have the appropriate kit. You will find a school week planner to print here: <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm</A><BR><BR>6. Nail up a notice board<BR><BR>Keep a notice board at "base camp" so that you can pin up reminders, invitations, school menus or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.<BR><BR>7. Do it now!<BR><BR>If anything comes home from school that requires your attention, do it immediately. Fill out forms and put them straight back into the satchel. Write dates into your diary there and then, and reply the same day too. If you postpone it, you will forget it!<BR><BR>8. Give homework a home<BR><BR>Establish a place and time for doing homework and stick to it. Keep dictionaries and other necessary books nearby, as well as a spare set of pencils, rulers and other stationery you might need. Make sure that homework is put back into satchels as soon as it is completed and that satchels are returned to "base camp" straightaway. Get out a kitchen timer if kids are reluctant to start (or finish!)<BR><BR>9. Be prepared<BR><BR>If your car is running short of petrol (gas), fill it up on the way home from school in the afternoon rather than panicking the following morning! As you drive home, run a mental check on whether you have the necessary supplies for dinner, and breakfast. Nothing makes kids more miserable in the morning than an empty fridge.<BR><BR>10. Get ahead<BR><BR>Set your alarm to wake you up 10 minutes earlier than usual. You will be amazed at how much more in control that 10 minutes will make you feel. And finally, leave for school 5 minutes early. Arriving early takes away an enormous amount of stress and will put your children in the right mood for school.<BR><BR>Are you convinced? Start initiating some routines in your school days and you and your kids will feel the benefits very quickly. Making sure that your kids feel comfortable and in control before they get to school gives them the best possible start to a school day. And once they get used to afternoon and evening routines for homework and preparation for the day ahead, nighttimes become more peaceful too.<BR><BR>"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." ~ John Dryden<BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of Activity Village - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit the website at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/">http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk</A> and subscribe to the free newsletter at <A href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm">http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.htm</A></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112410069332542124?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1124013910734480742005-08-14T03:05:00.000-07:002005-08-14T03:05:11.223-07:00<br /><P>Public Schools Can Waste 12 Years of Your Child�s Life&nbsp;</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>For over fifty years, public-school officials and politicians have tried one education fad after another. They have all failed. Children should not be turned into victims and educational guinea pigs by public-school authorities. <BR><BR>Here's why public schools can waste 12 years of your children�s lives and destroy their love of learning:<BR><BR>1. These schools teach children to read with the whole-language method, which cripples children�s ability to read. That is why after 12 years, millions of graduating high-school students have poor reading skills, and some students can barely read their own diplomas.<BR><BR>2. Public schools teach the �new� or fuzzy math which can cripple a child�s ability to do math and destroy their self-confidence. A child who is afraid of math won�t have the confidence to pursue a career in science, computers, or engineering, thereby cutting them off from these rewarding careers.<BR><BR>3. Because these schools cripple children�s ability to read, they must force children to read dumbed-down textbooks in English, History, and many other subjects. These textbooks are geared to the slowest learners in the class and water-down the subject matter. These dumbed-down courses therefore waste children�s time.<BR><BR>4. Most �teaching� in public-schools consists of students having to memorize facts from dumbed-down textbooks, only to regurgitate these same facts on dumbed-down tests. John Holt, in his book, �How Children Fail� points out that most students forget the facts they memorized within a few weeks after the test. So most children learn little from their classes except how to cram their heads with useless facts which they soon forget. This goes on for 12 years.<BR><BR>5. Public schools force children to study subjects they hate, can�t do, will never use in their lives, or which bore them. For example, many schools force students to study geometry and trigonometry, French or another foreign language, or world history. Children should be studying subjects they love and are good at. When they have to study subjects that bore them, the only thing children learn is to hate learning.<BR><BR>6. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Edison, and Mark Twain all went to a formal �grammar� school for less than two years. All were home-schooled by their parents or self-taught after they learned to read. Author John Gatto, in his book �Dumbing Us Down� said that most children can learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic in only 100 hours of intense study. Yet our public schools keep children locked up for 12 years, yet can barely teach them to read.<BR><BR>7. Once children learn to read and write well within two years of intense study, they doesn�t need a public school at all. With their parents� help and guidance, they can direct their own studies and education at home. Over two million children do this right now�it�s called homeschooling.<BR><BR>8. Public schools are a government-controlled monopoly. Bad schools don�t close down because compulsory taxes prop them up. Incompetent or mediocre teachers aren�t fired because tenure laws protect them. That�s why public schools will never improve and will always waste children�s precious time.<BR><BR>9. A study by the National Education Commissiion on Time and Learning found that middle-school and high-school children spent on average only about 50 percent of their school day on core "academic" subjects. The rest of their time is spent on classes about sex-education, personal safety, family life, consumer affairs, AIDS and drug prevention, save-the-environment, multiculturalism studies, "cooperative-learning" projects, study halls, electives, homeroom, counseling, sports activities, or pep rallies (high school).<BR><BR>If parents value their children�s time, passion for learning, and future success in life, then they should consider taking their children out of public school, permanently.<BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is the author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."<BR>Website: www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, <BR>Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, <BR>Phone: 718-447-7348. <BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR>NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel�s email address and website URL, www.mykidsdeservebetter.com<BR></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112401391073448074?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1123918883897897212005-08-13T00:41:00.000-07:002005-08-13T00:41:23.933-07:00<br /><P>7 Things to Teach Your Kids About Money</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Did you know that many people retire broke?<BR><BR>It's true. After a lifetime of hard work and having earned<BR>literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, they end up with<BR>nothing.<BR><BR>So where did all their hard-earned cash go? The answer is,<BR>it passed right through their fingers.<BR><BR>While schools are great at teaching algebra, calculus, and<BR>geometry... how many of us learned about the basics of<BR>personal finance and creating financial security for<BR>ourselves?<BR><BR>The truth is, the earlier you learn to handle money, the<BR>more likely you are to manage it properly and live a<BR>prosperous life.<BR><BR>So why not provide a little home schooling for your family<BR>and teach them the basics? Here are 7 important lessons to<BR>instill in your kids about money:<BR><BR>1. Save something of what you earn<BR><BR>Acquiring the savings habit is one of the smartest things<BR>you can ever do.<BR><BR>If you're reading this now as a middle-aged parent, imagine<BR>how much you'd have in the bank today if you'd saved 10% of<BR>everything you'd ever earned.<BR><BR>(It's almost scary to think about, isn't it?)<BR><BR>Teach your kids to save a little of everything they earn.<BR><BR>2. Don't borrow what you can't pay back<BR><BR>Debt is one of the greatest social diseases of our time. The<BR>price to pay for the "have now, pay later" philosophy is<BR>that you certainly will pay later.<BR><BR>Debt imprisons you in a job you don't like, creates stress<BR>and anxiety in your life, and erodes your wealth creation<BR>program.<BR><BR>You will never become rich while you're in debt. Period.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of delayed gratification. "If in<BR>doubt, go without".<BR><BR>3. To give is to get<BR><BR>Managing money doesn't mean hoarding it and locking it away<BR>in its own purpose-built high security jail. It simply<BR>means being careful, spending wisely, and acquiring a<BR>regular savings habit.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that donating money to worthwhile causes is<BR>a noble thing to do, and that the money returns to you in<BR>more ways than you can imagine.<BR><BR>4. Money isn't evil<BR><BR>"Money is the root of all evil" and "filthy lucre" are<BR>phrases you'll hear banded around.<BR><BR>Ignore them.<BR><BR>Money actually brings enormous good into the world. For<BR>example:<BR><BR>- Creating wealth helps create jobs for others<BR><BR>- Investing in business helps to bring solutions into<BR>people's lives by way of innovative products and services<BR><BR>- Acquiring a great fortune allows you to donate more money<BR>to charity - or even start your own trust fund<BR><BR>Teach your kids that money is neither good nor bad - it's<BR>what you do with it that makes the difference.<BR><BR>5. If you don't spend much, you can't lose much!<BR><BR>One of the oldest wealth-creation maxims is, "It takes money<BR>to make money".<BR><BR>Unfortunately, it also takes money to lose money.<BR><BR>Teach your kids the value of caution when entering into<BR>financial affairs. And let them know that many self-made<BR>millionaires started with literally nothing.<BR><BR>6. Get the best price for everything you can<BR><BR>Your financial health is really the difference between how<BR>much you earn and how much you spend. It therefore makes<BR>sense not to pay any more money for something than you have<BR>to.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that bargain-hunting doesn't make you a<BR>"miser" - just a sensible individual.<BR><BR>7. The fast buck is your last buck<BR><BR>Sooner or later everyone gets offered a "surefire" method of<BR>making a fortune, whether it's the three-card trick, a<BR>once-in-a-lifetime investment plan, or some time-limited<BR>business opportunity only available to a select few...<BR><BR>Don't fall for too-good-to-be-true scams.<BR><BR>Teach your kids that wealth creation is a simple and<BR>timeless process based on common sense.<BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>If you had learned the above principles when you were 10<BR>years old, and had applied them every day of your life,<BR>would you be financially healthier today?<BR><BR>You betcha!<BR><BR>Teach your kids the timeless truths of acquiring and keeping<BR>wealth.<BR><BR>Knowledge truly is the most precious gift you can give.<BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Paul Davis writes for Debt Elimination 4U, showing ordinary people how to get out of debt and stay out! Visit the site at: http://debt-elimination-4u.com<BR></P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112391888389789721?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1123831284536862912005-08-12T00:21:00.000-07:002005-08-12T00:21:24.576-07:00<br /><P>Author Interview - Mommy Come Home</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Author Interview: Mommy Come Home<BR>The New Trend to Tradition: <BR>Bringing Up Your Own<BR>Interview with Sandra Gillmore conducted by Lisa Hendey<BR><BR>In her new book Mommy Come Home, author Sandra Gillmore strongly advocates the role of ?full-time motherhood?. Some may disagree with the book?s premise that mother should eschew career and stay home with children (in lieu of day care or even dad or a relative providing in home care). I found the value of this book to be for readers who have chosen the ?stay at home? route and are seeking support and encouragement in this decision. Sandra Gillmore shares a veteran?s experience and perspective and has so many wonderful tips and suggestions to share. Women choosing to voluntarily walk away from careers to pursue the vocation of motherhood are often met with resistance, financial concerns and a lack of support. A new mother may find herself isolated and uncertain as she attempts to ascertain her new identity in life. Mommy Come Home is a great tool for women facing or considering such transitions. Sandra Gillmore gives readers many pearls of wisdom to aid them in the journey of parenthood.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra Gillmore, author of Mommy Come Home, thanks for your time and for participating in this Book Spotlight feature. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about your background and your family? <BR><BR>As a single person, I worked in various office positions, and prayed for the Lord to send me a devoted Christian husband. God powerfully answered my prayers to the point that I wrote a song for Dave entitled, "You are the Answer to My Prayers." Dave and I have been married for 20 years and we have been blessed with ten children, ages 19 down to 1 year in age. We both shared the vision for a large family and grew into the homeschool lifestyle. Over the years we've opened our home to exchange students, foreign refugees, college renters and the mentally ill. Currently our quiver is full of our own family members! Our children are very active in sports, music and scouts. I get involved with fundraisers and love to cheer them on in their activities. I enjoy singing for church which occasionally includes weddings and funerals.<BR><BR>LH: Sandra, what is the main message of Mommy Come Home and what prompted you to write the book? <BR><BR>Mommy, Come Home is my love letter to all moms! I've heard you stress-out on the soccer fields. I've seen you cry at church from the pressure. You told me I was lucky I could stay home. I've tried to console you through the rat race. I've prayed for you. But I never wanted to hurt your feelings. I never had the courage to tell you what was on my heart through the Holy Spirit's leading. The message of Mommy, Come Home is that God is calling each mother to embrace her vocation to motherhood. This is your call that no one else can replace as God intended. (Not even grandma or daddy.) You have been given special gifts to share with your children in a most generous way. This world is not family-centered. The world wants to pull you away and make you too busy to effectively mother your children. Picture yourself ordering your favorite dessert in a restaurant only to have the waiter bring you one small bite! Wouldn't you want more? 'But it's the highest quality of this dessert on the market, 'the waiter tells you. Our children want and need more - not more stuff - more of our time. There is a way out of this madness. You have a choice.<BR><BR>LH: For families who have become reliant upon two incomes, can you offer some creative suggestions to help ease the financial transition when Mom decides to stay home full time with the children. <BR><BR>By eliminating, in large part, the extraneous expenses of working outside the home (such as more gas, wear and tear on your vehicles, or even the need for an additional vehicle, business attire, fast food, childcare) and adding an enormous tool called flexibility to your schedule, you will be set up for a new way of thinking and spending. The focus is on saving instead of earning. Simplicity is the key. Try asking yourself, 'Is this a need or a want?' whether it's a new home, car or a toothbrush. (i.e.: do you really need the $5 variety or will the 88 cent version do the job?) Try drinking filtered water (from your own filter if possible.) Milk, juice and soda are quite costly and don't offer much in the way of nutrition. Good quality vitamins can prevent a lot of expensive and time-consuming trips to the doctor. Consider shopping at various discount stores and make home-made cooking a top priority. Nothing has to be fancy. Instead of buying ingredients for a recipe, just buy whatever is on sale and then cook accordingly when you get home. If we need fresh produce, for example, I come home with whatever fruit is on sale for that week. This is a great way to keep more variety in your kitchen too. <BR><BR>For vacations, state and national parks are a treasure to behold. If you bring your own food you've already saved a bundle of money. Just pack the cooler(s) and you can make great day trips or camp, or even rent a housekeeping cabin. It's incredibly less expensive than motels and amusement parks. And what could be more exciting than exploring 'God's playground?' For other entertainment, don't forget the library. Many libraries offer free concerts and other entertainment. Also, local museums and zoos almost always offer a family membership. This is usually a wonderful bargain for a family. Make use of this and you won't fall prey to the lure of the expensive entertainment industry, which is usually full of negative messages that conflict with our Christian faith anyway. <BR><BR>Don't be afraid to accept hand-me-downs, shop at thrift shops or garage sales for clothes or other items. There are some great discount stores around too if you make it a point to scout them out. I personally don't enjoy shopping because it is so time-consuming. However, I make a point to shop during low-traffic times and that makes a huge difference. It's the flexibility factor that will prevent you from feeling rushed all the time and missing out on bargains.<BR><BR>LH: Many "Stay at home" moms feel isolated and lonely. What proactive steps can they take to help themselves overcome these feelings? <BR><BR>Satan loves Christians to become isolated. Then he can trap you into thinking 'no one understands me,' etc. Don't even give him a chance! REACH OUT! Whether you are new to a community or have just been pulled out of a huge social circle in order to stay home, you simply must find ways to be involved. For example, I have hosted lady's Bible studies and support groups just by listing an ad in our church bulletin. Sometimes only one mom has called - but that was all I needed to make a new friend at the time. Then it would grow. You can join a group like I started, or find a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers,) La Leche League (breastfeeding support group,) or volunteer for something at church that may be just a few hours per month. Read your local newspaper; look on the internet for local church or community activities. Get involved in politics. You may be nervous at first but reaching out is essential and will bring you many blessings in new friendships. But remember that God and family come first. We don't need to be supermoms and burn ourselves out. But we definitely need to be supported by and supportive to other moms and people in general.<BR><BR>LH: What role has your Christian faith played in your decisions to be home full time and to homeschool your children? <BR><BR>?so that they (the older women) may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, busy at home?Titus 2:3-5 (New American Bible) <BR><BR>I think the Lord says in His word that he prefers mothers to be busy at home. Other versions of the Word say 'Keeper of the home' or 'good homemakers.'<BR><BR>The decision for me to stay home came when my husband and I became engaged. He felt very strongly that my role in the home was essential for a strong family to take hold. He felt that God would bless us if we honored him by this devotion to the mother's role. We both loved the prospect of having a large family and I couldn't see the point of bearing a child and giving birth only to leave the child entrusted to someone else's care. It didn't make sense. The entire pregnancy is a bonding experience for an important purpose. It is a beautiful beginning to a lifelong relationship with your child.<BR><BR>Although we do not currently homeschool all of our children, I do believe home schooling gives us the most generous opportunity to fully instill our values into our children's hearts and minds. Homeschooling was still a relatively new idea when we started about 11 years ago. Dave had close friends he admired who homeschooled their children. I thought it all sounded very strange at first. Another family took our advice to home school (even though we didn't do it yet!) and we were amazed at how intimately peaceful and joyful their home had become since starting.) Then we attended a large home school convention and it was very evident that these hundreds of families were bringing up their children to serve the Lord in a very powerfully practical way. It is more than just an educational movement. It is a way to bond with your children; to have the time and flexibility to demonstrate the faith on a daily basis. And for those naysayers who think the home is not 'real world', I say, 'What is real within our families becomes real within our world." Currently we have three high schoolers in the public school system who are thriving with prayer clubs and evangelizing when opportunity arises. We home school our four middle children and two of them also attend a church preschool three mornings a week for 3 hours a day. Our toddler is also home full-time. <BR><BR>LH: Congratulations of the publication of this, your first book! What a tremendous accomplishment! Are you currently working on any new writing or creative projects? <BR><BR>Thank you so much. It has been truly exciting to watch the Lord open doors on what otherwise would seem impossible or just plain ridiculous. I have felt called to write a book about special needs families. We have not been blessed with a special needs child, but I have a friend who is legally blind and the mother of nine children. Her family includes two sets of twins, one autistic child, one nearly deaf child, and four vision-impaired children. The book will be about her and some other families that share their experiences and faith-growth through their special needs situations.<BR><BR>LH: What resources can you recommend for new moms? <BR><BR>I highly recommend 'Family Foundations,' a publication of the Couple to Couple League. (http://www.ccli.org/) So many moms are told that the number one priority after giving birth should be birth-control. I do believe in child-spacing but so often mothers are discouraged from having more than two children these days, the 'accepted norm.' If we truly open our hearts to another child, we have more reason to want to stay home because more souls are depending on us. We also are being more open to our husband, accepting both the potential for life and the pleasure of the marriage act. This method of 'natural family planning' automatically builds mutual respect and self-giving in the marriage, which is so much-needed today.<BR><BR>Catholic Familyland (http://www.familyland.org/Home.htm)- an awesome family vacation/retreat experience, an apostolate devoted to teaching the true faith by way of books, tapes and videos from top authorities such as Cardinal Arinze, Pope John Paul II, Scott Hahn, Mother Teresa, etc. In addition, they have their own TV network which is on a satellite with many other Christian stations and costs only $11.99 per month. We love this place. I can't say enough good about it. <BR><BR>Focus on the Family (www.family.org) is a wonderful resource for all sorts of parenting tips. And don't forget the Bible. It's full of proverbs and other parental advice for the finding.<BR><BR>LH: Thank you again Sandra for your time and for sharing your book. Are there any closing thoughts you'd like to offer?<BR><BR>The revival doesn't begin only at church. It begins in the home. Home is not an escape from the world. It's a foundation to build the values of our faith. Then we must share that faith with the world. One family at a time. Thank you, Lisa for this opportunity to share from my heart to other moms. I pray the book will be used as an instrument of hope and healing to every family's mother that reads it. <BR><BR>For more information or to order Mommy Come Home visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594675627/digitalcropper-20 <BR><BR>Copyright 2004 Lisa M. Hendey <BR><BR><BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, (including http://www.digitalcropper.com http://www.christincoloring.com, http://www.catholicmom.com) and an avid reader.<BR></P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112383128453686291?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1123740517554499682005-08-10T23:08:00.000-07:002005-08-10T23:08:37.590-07:00<br /><P>Your Young Men Shall See Visions...</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P><STRONG><EM>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself...<BR><BR></EM></STRONG>As is usually the case, when given the opportunity for free time, my boys elect to go outside and play. We don't watch any TV in our house, and we don't own any video games. It is my wife Nancy and my belief, that the less toys we own, the more our children will be encouraged to use their imaginations and participate in creative play. The old saying goes..."Bordom is the mother of invention." This has proven to be true. Case in point...<BR><BR>Recently, I was outside and heard a pounding...chopping sound coming from the woods out front. And come to think of it, I had been hearing this for the past few days. I asked my daughter what all the noise was about, and she said, "The boys are making a dugout canoe!". Well, I had to go check this out for myself.<BR><BR>I walked over to see Teddy, my 6 year old son, (soon to be 7) whacking away, teeth clenched, at an old downed tree with the claw end of my Estwing hammer, wood chips a flyin'. You see, everyday when Teddy wakes up, his apparel has a theme. One day he's Davy Crockett, the next it's a WWII soldier. How he chooses to dress is usually directly affected by what he is reading or has recently been exposed to. We have been studying "The Corps of Discovery" adventures of Lewis and Clark, so I suspect Teddy and the other boys (I have 4) became inspired to carve out this dugout canoe as a result. <BR><BR>I look on this scene with delight, knowing this kind of "play" is the precursor to what will someday become a young man's work upon envisioning and planning his dreams and goals in life. Thinking back on it now, that delight and warm feeling was rooted in a deep sense of fulfillment... What I was in fact observing, was a realization of a vision and a dream for Nancy and me. We envisioned a home rich with opportunity for imagination and good old-fashioned play. And we set out... selling our big house in the burbs to live in a smaller house on land and home school our children... <BR><BR>Our dreams have come true.<BR><BR>Proverbs 29:18...Where there is no vision, the people perish...<BR><BR>Joel 2:28...And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions...<BR><BR>Praise the Lord. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>David Lingner is founder of Christian Outdoorsman, an organization with the purpose of building a worldwide community of Christian outdoor enthusiasts, in order to use God's Creation to "Bring men closer to the Creator."<BR>http://www.ChristianOutdoorsman.com<BR>You can email Dave at: dlingner@ChristianOutdoorsman.com</P><BR><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112374051755449968?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1123653602347390792005-08-09T23:00:00.000-07:002005-08-09T23:00:02.370-07:00<br /><P>Why Public Schools Hate Home-Schooling Parents</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>Home-schooling is a great success. That�s why many public-school authorities hate home-schooling parents.<BR><BR>Home-schoolers are a direct challenge to the public-school monopoly. This monopoly makes it almost impossible to fire tenured public-school teachers or principals. As a result, tenure gives most teachers life-time guaranteed jobs. They get this incredible benefit only because public schools have a lock on our children�s education.<BR><BR>If public-school employees had to work for private schools and compete for their jobs in the real world, they would lose their security-blanket tenure. That�s why school authorities view home-schooling parents who challenge their monopoly as a serious threat.<BR><BR>Many school officials also can�t stand the fact that average parents who never went to college give their kids a better education than so-called public-school experts. Successful home-schooling parents therefore humiliate the failed public schools by comparison.<BR><BR>Home-schooling parents also humiliate school authorities who claim that only certified or licensed teachers are qualified to teach children. Most home-schooling parents thankfully never stepped foot inside a so-called teacher college or university department of education. Yet these parents give their children a superior education compared to public-school educated kids.<BR><BR>Also, many public-school officials resent home-schoolers because the typical public school loses about $7500 a year in tax money for each child that leaves the system. Tax money is the life blood of the public-school system. Tax money pays for public-school employees� generous salaries, benefits, and pensions. Is it any wonder why school authorities don�t want to lose their gravy train?<BR><BR>For these reasons, until fairly recently, most state legislatures either outlawed homeschooling or tried to strangle it to death with regulations. In 1980, only Utah, Ohio, and Nevada officially recognized parents� rights to homeschool their children. In most other states, legislators continually harassed or prosecuted home-schoolers under criminal truancy laws and educational neglect charges.<BR><BR>By 2004, however, pressure from parents, Christian home-schooling organizations, and recent court rulings pushed all fifty states to enact statutes that allow home-schooling, as long as certain requirements are met. These requirements vary for each state.<BR><BR>In spite of these statutes, many states and school authorities still harass home-schooling parents. That is because the Supreme Court slapped parents in the face when they gave local governments the right to regulate home-schooling. As a result, many home-schooling parents are still harassed by local school officials.<BR><BR>If you are a homeschooling parent, you must know how to protect your legal rights. To do this, you should seriously consider joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Founded in 1983, HSDLA provides its members with legal representation against local school officials who might harass you, demand to supervise your home-schooling, or demand to periodically test your home-schooled children. You can join at their web site, <A href="http://www.hslda.org/">http://www.hslda.org</A>.<BR><BR>The Rutherford Institute is another well-known organization dedicated to protecting parents� rights and providing legal help to home-schooling parents. Their website is <A href="http://www.rutherford.org/">http://www.rutherford.org</A><BR><BR>Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel. <BR></P><br /><P><br /><H1>About the Author</H1><br /><P>Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of �Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: <A href="http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/">http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com</A> Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.</P><BR><br><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/>home school</a><br><a href=http://www.homeschoolglobal.com/homeschool/>home school</a><br><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/15012819-112365360234739079?l=homeschoolglobal1.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Home Schoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426742747137265759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15012819.post-1123563064180715082005-08-08T21:51:00.000-07:002005-08-08T21:51:04.203-07:00<br /><P>Facing the Homeschool Super Mom</P><br /><P>This article courtesy of <A href="http://www.homeschoolglobal.com">http://www.homeschoolglobal.com</A></P><br /><P>I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus she tutors several other children that are dropped off at her house. AND she's a Pastor's wife. AND she's working on fixing up the fixer-upper they just moved into. Whenever I've been in her house, it's been immaculate. Her children all have perfect manners. They all seem to be way ahead of their grade level. She's definitely gotta be a Homeschool Super Mom. <BR><BR>You're probably thinking of someone like this too, right? Someone that made you think, "Man, my son isn't reading as well as hers." or "My house isn't as clean as hers." Or a million other things.<BR><BR>And you probably discovered her when you were new to homeschooling. When you were <BR>already feeling uncertain in your new endeavors. You were already putting high expectations on yourself. You were constantly analyzing to be sure you were doing everything right. And as a result, you tend to be a little over-sensitive about what other's are accomplishing around you without giving enough credit to yourself.<BR><BR>So, it's really important that you remember (as a new homeschooler or a seasoned one) these basic principles that we all so easily forget:<BR><BR>"The 4 Basic Principles That Conquer the 'Super-Moms' Syndrome"<BR><BR>Principle #1: We always see other's through glasses that make them larger than life. When I was a teenager, there was this lady in our church. Her hair and makeup was always perfect. She lived in a big, expensive home. She was very stylish and her kids were so cool. I always wanted to grow up and have that.<BR><BR>But I don't anymore.<BR><BR>I'd rather have my house that gets messy 5 minutes after it gets picked up, my hair that falls down into my eyes as I pick up my children, and my face that only gets makeup on Sunday. Why you may ask? Well, here's why. I'm happy. I love my family, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.<BR><BR>The lady I had idolized as a teen? She still has her perfect home and impeccable style. But, she has a marriage without love and children who are stuck up adults who ignore her totally.<BR><BR>I had seen her through glasses that made her larger than life. In the end, she's not any bigger or greater than me. In fact, she probably wishes that she had my life!<BR><BR>So, if you start to think about someone else who seems to have the life you want, STOP LOOKING! Instead, sit down and make a list of 100 good things in your life--from the air you breathe, to the heat in your home, to the kisses from your child. I guarantee that you'll feel better about yourself that you ever have before.<BR><BR>Principle #2: Everyone has their own unique gift. Everyone has their own unique ability and we tend to notice in other's the abilities that might be our "weak" ones.<BR><BR>For instance, if you think you're house is always messy, you'll seem to know all these people who have perfectly neat homes.<BR><BR>For an examp