What Exactly Do Homeschools Do?

Most people when they think of homeschools, think of children that are socially inept or aren't allowed to participate in great learning opportunities. Some people even think that parents who choose to homeschool their children are radicals and a little odd.

Interestingly enough, most parents who start up homeschools have college degrees and simply want to improve their child's education. A great homeschooling program will also dissolve some of those stereotypes linked to social development.

I have located other family homeschools in my area. In doing so, we have created a co-op which allows about 10 homeschooled children to get together and learn.

I also am a fan of club athletic teams and music lessons. My children are definitely well-rounded and socially capable.

When starting a homeschool, there are various techniques to choose from. Some of them include eclectic, Christian, Classical, theme-based, and natural learning. It is a good idea to research about these different methods to understand what is best for you and your family.

I have found in my own research that many methods are replicas of public education and the materials that are used.

Be aware of the problems that could arise in purchasing materials that focus on outcome or performance-based education. These types of materials will squash free and creative thinking.

Families that are just starting homeschools have a great task ahead of them to determine which method is best and addresses the needs of each of their children. Sometimes multiple methods are chosen in a family.

It is important to understand that each child learns differently. That is the great thing about homeschools - a parent can augment their child's strengths and help turn a weakness into a strength through strategizing.

Families that are learning about homeschools and how to run one, should stay current on the information and resources that are available. There are some great publications out there that can help you with ideas and homeschooling issues.

You can even find online tutors and courses to help you supplement your curriculum. Homeschools can enjoy the experience of teaching to the needs of the child.

Author Info:

Discover How to Raise Your Child to Be a True Leader with Our Classical Christian-based Leadership Program. Great for Homeschoolers and Other Parents Who Want to Make Sure their Child Gets the Best Leadership Training Possible.

Five Advantages of Home Schooling for Your Kids

Home schooling is now a common option to most families. There are various reasons why parents prefer home schooling for their children. In home schooling, the parents or guardians are the teachers. They can adapt the best curriculum that will fit their children's needs.

Here are some of the advantages of home schooling:

1. The children get more attention. Since it is usually one on one, your child will have all the attention he needs in order to learn. If he has questions, you can easily respond to him. And you will easily find out if he understands fully well what you are teaching him.

2. Your schedule is more flexible. You can spend more time with your child and you can adjust the time you spend for each subject. If your child is having a hard time understanding Science, you can fine-tune your schedule and spend more time on it. You can take some time off on subjects that he is better at.

3. You get to personally instill values, religion and philosophy on your children. Home schooling reinforces foundation built by parents when the kids are younger. If the children's principles are continuously strengthened, it would be difficult for him to deviate away from it, more so if he is living it.

Children's development is greatly influenced by the environment he lives in. If he sees these convictions in action daily, then he will most likely incorporate it in his adult life later.

4. More time is spent with the family. Family activities will no longer depend on when the school ends or when the kids finish their projects. They can plan it out every time dad gets a break from work so they can have more time together at home. You can plan for an activity that will involve the rest of the family members.

5. You are sure that your children are treated well. One of the biggest challenges in traditional school setting is if your child is being bullied by other children. There are times when kids have difficulty fitting in. Through home schooling, you will be sure that he is safe. You can guide your child to develop his full potential without pressuring him to prove himself to others.

There are a lot of benefits that home schooling can offer. If you feel that this is the best option for your child, then look for the best curriculum that will address his needs, definitely you can give your child good education through home schooling.

Author Info:

Ace Smith is a prolific writer touching base on topics like Technology, Travel,Health and others. For more information you can drop by his web sites that deals with: Sex Diseases, Money with Blog and Cell Phone / Telecom News.

Used Homeschooling Books - Tips For Navigating the Used Curriculum Market

Finding used homeschooling books may take time, but it can also save you money. By purchasing used homeschool books, some families are able to cut their homeschooling costs in half.

Half Price Books is a great source of used material. Search the children's section for popular readers and read aloud from your literature-based curriculum. This section is also a great source of nonfiction history and science materials.

Used homeschool books, textbooks, lesson plans and teacher's guides can often be found on Half Price Books' education aisle. You can also find used curriculum at other used book stores, garage sales, thrift stores, and libraries. Some local homeschool support groups host used book swaps for their members.

Finding Used Curriculum Online

If you prefer to shop online, you may consider joining Paperback Swap or Book Mooch. Both companies allow you to list old materials on their websites and exchange them for books you desire.

Many curriculum suppliers such as Sonlight, The Well Trained Mind and Winter Promise, host homeschool forums where you can buy and sell used materials. You can also purchase used homeschooling curriculum online at:

• Homeschool Classifieds,
• Veg Source,
• The Swap,
• This Little Piggy Stays Home, and
• Ebay

Tips for Buying Used Homeschool Curriculum

When buying used homeschooling books, make a list of materials you need. Stick to this list in order to avoid buying materials just because they're a good deal. Be specific about titles, editions and grade levels so you can make sure you buy the correct materials.

Always be respectful of the seller by making a fair offer. Popular books that are in good condition are generally sold for 50-80% of retail price. When purchasing in an online auction, be careful not to get caught in a bidding war and pay too much for the materials. Buy from reputable sellers, and make sure you understand the payment payment and shipping arrangements before sealing the deal.

Tips for Selling Used Homeschool Books

Once you are familiar with the used curriculum market, you may want to sell some of your old materials. If you are selling online, make sure you have a list of the items you have available and the locations where they've been listed. Describe your items accurately and objectively, providing photos, if permitted.

Set a fair price for your materials, and expect lower payments for older editions or items with low demand. Be clear about the shipping and payment arrangements between yourself and the buyer, and make sure you know what fees you are required to pay the website on which your materials are listed.

For families who are savvy and resourceful, buying and selling used materials is a great way to make homeschooling affordable.

Author Info:

Visit Carletta's website, Successful Homeschooling, to find additional ways to lower your homeschooling cost.

For homeschooling information and monthly activities delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for her homeschool newsletter.

Homeschooling - 7 Essentials To Help You Find The Best Resources And Curriculum

What do you really need to home school? Here are some essentials that I think should be used:

1. Use all the senses as much as possible. Throw the ball back and forth when doing math facts, listen to Cds about history or science, color code your spelling words, etc...

2. Read aloud to your children. Let them play legos or crochet or do puzzles while you read if they have trouble sitting still.

3. Get the basics - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. When you know how to read you can learn almost anything. Use Mad Libs for elementary grammar. Use flashcards to teach math facts. Have your children write about anything they want and write a page each day.

4. Put away what you got out. This is an important skill for kids to learn. It helps keep Mom sane to!

5. Answer their questions and take them to interesting places. Do your best to be tuned in when they ask you a question and find the answer with them if you don't know it. You don't have to take them on a major field trip for them to see interesting places. Just weave this into your natural life and enjoy their company.

6. Watch your children. What skills, talents, and passions do you observe? Help them develop these passions and they will love learning.

7. Model learning. When you need to know something or want to learn something new, do your children see you reading a book or looking for the answer? Make sure you are learning about things that you are interested in. Do you want to learn how to crochet, water ski, grow a garden? There are so many things out there for us to learn. If our children see us learning they will follow.

Author Info:

For more tips on how to homeschool, grab your free report "How to Homeschool using the Best Resources" at http://www.hjresources.com/freehs Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

Homeschooling Preschoolers - A Simple Approach Anyone Can Use

The idea of homeschooling preschoolers may sound foreign to many people. The fact is, though, that parents homeschool their children from the time they are born. They teach them everything they need to know. They teach them how to sit up, walk, talk, eat, use the bathroom, communicate with others and many more skills.

Here are some simple suggestions you can use to help you homeschool your preschool child:

1. Read, read, read - Most parents don't realize the importance and value of reading to their children. Just a ½ hour per day can net many wonderful benefits to both parent and child. Not only does the child develop a great vocabulary and knowledge about the world around him, it fosters closeness with the parent reading to them. Regular trips to the library can encourage this reading time. Make sure books are easily accessible for children so they can look at the books on their own or choose some for the parent to read. If children see their parents reading on their own, they will want to read too.

2. Don't worry about curriculum packages. These may turn your child off to learning by forcing skills that are not necessary at this age. Use the time that you interact with your child to introduce learning. Show your child how to write their name and the names of family members if they are interested. Let them draw lots of pictures and ask questions about the world around them.

3. Take them to interesting places. This doesn't have to be a day-long field trip that costs a great deal of money. A simple tour of the grocery store or post office can be very enriching for a preschooler. If you see a backhoe working in your neighborhood, then let your child watch the progress. Look for activities around you that might interest your child.

Homeschooling a preschooler can be a very enjoyable experience if you know what to do. Relax and trust your instincts. You have raised this child to the point they are now and can continue to encourage them to learn and grow in their own way.

Author Info:

For more tips on homeschooling, grab your free report "How to Homeschool using the Best Resources" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

The concept of one-to-one correspondence requires two skills: (1) matching pairs and (2) comparing sets. Matching places two like items together as a pair while comparing determines which set has more or less. In these projects, the key is to focus on the language, emphasizing mathematical terms.

Books to Read
The following books teach one-to-one correspondence using stories. I love the impact a story has on understanding, and these books do a great job of packaging the mathematical ideas in a way that young children can comprehend.

Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy
Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

Projects to Learn Matching

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is a matching set. Word emphasis: match, even, pair, each.

• There are three cups and three straws. It is even.
• Three children and three cookies. It is a match!
• A pair of socks for your feet. One foot for each sock, and one sock for each foot.

Project #2
Provide the following items and allow the children to sort into pairs. Word emphasis: pair, match.

1 ice cube tray
2 screws
2 washers
2 electrical circuit binders
2 matching butterfly clips
2 matching hair pins
2 pennies
2 matching buttons

Project #3
Have a tea party with stuffed bears. Set one place setting for each bear. You could say, "One seat for each bear, and one bear for each seat." Word emphasis: each.

Project #4
Serve a lunch with matching shapes to make their own snacks. I used cookie cutters to cut the bread, cheese, and lunch meat into matching shapes. I provided at least two different shapes so that they would have to find the match in order to build their sandwiches. Word emphasis: match.

Project #5
Play the memory game. Word emphasis: pair, match.

Projects to Learn Comparing

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is not enough or there is too much to go around. Word emphasis: more, less, fewer, even.

• Oops, I grabbed one straw too many. There are three cups and four straws. There are more straws than cups.
• We have six chairs at our table, but only four people in the family sitting at the table. That leaves two empty chairs because there are more chairs than people.
• Today we have company, so we have eight people and only six chairs. We have fewer chairs than people, so we will need two more chairs.
• Three children and four cookies. There are more cookies. If I eat one, it will be even.

Project #2
Invite the children to collect toys to put inside two hula hoops. Then count to see which hula hoop has more toys and which has fewer. Ask, "Which set of toys has more? Which set has fewer?" Word emphasis: set, more, fewer, even.

Project #3
Pour two cups of water and compare the volume. Which cup has more? Which has less? Word emphasis: more, less, even.

Project #4
Make sugar cookies and put chocolate chips on the frosting. Compare two cookies to see which has more chocolate chips. For an added lesson, determine how many chocolate chips need to be added to make them even. Word emphasis: more, fewer, even.

Author Info:

Rita Webb is a homeschooling mom for three young children, aged two, four, and six. Rita researches many homeschooling and parenting resources and writes reviews on these materials in her http://mrkreview.blogspot.com blog.

Accelerate Your High School Home-School Education Affordably

From increased free time, to a customized education, high school home-school students experience many benefits when earning their diploma at home.

Unlike their institutionalized peers, home-school students enjoy increased flexibility without rigid time constraints.

Once students finish their schoolwork, they enjoy a greater amount of unrestricted time to pursue interests, develop hobbies, or earn money.

When schooling at home, high school home-school students can also take advantage of many opportunities to advance their education and get ahead in life.

Students can use their increased time to accelerate their education and begin earning their college degree.

Earn College Credit While Still in High School.

Earning college credit while still in high school allows you to maximize your time and complete your education quicker. Take one course and at the same time, earn credit for your high school diploma and college degree.

Conveniently take college courses online, at your local college or through credit by examination.

Although not all credits can be earned this way, in today's economy, credit by examination provides a welcome relief for parents and students pursuing a college education.

Why use credit by examination for YOUR family?

Saves Money.

Credit by examination offers home-school students, an opportunity to earn college credit affordably, saving you 50-80% on college costs.

In some cases up to one third of your college degree can be earned through examination. Think of the money you will save!

Provides Flexibility.

Earning credit by examination is easy and flexible.

You study at your own pace, in your own comfortable space. You have the freedom to study whenever you want, however you want... whatever is best for you.

Saves Time.

Students enjoy increased personal or study time since zero time is wasted sitting in a classroom, or traveling to and from campus.

Complete courses designed for college exams to maximize your time, eliminate any wasted money and achieve success.

By using accredited and guaranteed credit by examination materials, your child studies at home, goes to the testing center just once to test out of the class and... receives credit for "going to class".

It's like skipping school, but still passing with full attendance!

Your family saves time and money, while your high school home-school student accelerates their education and jump-starts their college degree. How cool is that?

Minimize college costs, graduate quicker, and start earning money sooner, with credit by examination!

Author Info:

You can home-school your child successfully and affordably! From her personal experience as a home educator and group leader, Heather Gneco shares valuable insight to help you increase time, save money and provide your children the best home-school experience possible. For more information on credit by examination for home-school families, visit:
http://www.homeschool-curriculum-savings.com/creditbyexamination

Home School Organization - Five Tips to Teach Multiple Children Efficiently

Home school organization is essential when teaching multi-aged children at the same time.

As a busy home schooling parent, you need to be as efficient as possible. If you have toddlers, babies or preschoolers in your family, you have even less time to waste.

When schooling multiple children, look for ways to make the best use of your time and energy.

Here are five tips that I use to maximize my time and successfully educate my multi-aged family, while trying to keep my home in order and my housework done!

#1 Teach your children together.

Unit studies are a great way of teaching multi-aged kids at the same time - even with different learning styles. They are especially convenient when your children are close in age.

Lessons and projects can be easily adapted to your children's unique learning styles. Expect more from older children and less from younger ones.

#2 Use self-teaching curriculum with older children.

What is self-teaching curriculum?

Curriculum that can be completed independently by students, with minimal teacher involvement. Lessons are written in a conversational style and can be completed without the need for constant or direct teacher instruction.

As a home school parent, you will not spend all your time teaching. Your student gains independence and you? More time.

#3 Swap work.

While you mark your child's work, have them do a job for you. Your children can do many odd jobs around the house.

Fetch or organize laundry, clean the bathroom, play with the baby, change a dirty diaper (always on the top of my list!) or any other project that needs completing.

#4 Involve young children in daily household chores.

While your older children work on lessons, use the time to complete simple projects and housework that your preschoolers can help with.

Do "school" while working on household chores. Young children love to help with laundry - sorting colors, pushing buttons, adding soap, putting clothes into baskets and matching socks.

Nothing compares to the fun interaction and relationship building that occurs while cooking in the kitchen with children! Learning happens and meals get prepared at the same time, albeit with a little more mess.

#5 Include younger children in lessons, whenever you can.

To increase your home school organization, find projects or hands-on activities that everyone can do together. Your younger children will love to participate in your older student's activities.

Buddy-up your older children with the younger ones. The many questions young children ask will definitely reinforce what your older children know and working together helps everyone to develop patience.

It does take extra work, flexibility and patience to achieve a small measure of home school organization. When schooling multiple children, especially with preschoolers around, home school organization often looks like disorganization.

Relax.

Your life home school may never be completely organized. However, the blessings that come from a family working together, far outweigh the challenges of trying to achieve home school organization perfection.

Author Info:

You can homeschool your child successfully and affordably! From her personal experience as a home educator and group leader, Heather Gneco shares valuable insight to help you increase time, save money and provide your children the best homeschool experience possible. For more homeschooling success tips, visit:
http://www.homeschool-curriculum-savings.com

Homeschool's Middle Grade

It can be a sensible decision to homeschool your middle grade child. A majority of people believe that homeschooling is only for elementary students, but this is not necessarily the fact.

There are even homeschooling programs for college preparation. Homeschooling resources exist for kids of any age. The concept of teaching your children at home yourself is not new. It has been done for years, and more parents than ever are looking for an alternative to public education.

Many parents want to have more personal control over the education of their children. Some want this because they have more control over moral issues, and they can make sure their child gets the proper amount of correct information. Parents can have more control over the subject matter being taught, and can better supervise their child in the process. Homeschooled children generally get a better sense of security and more quality time with their parent.

If you want the opportunity to home school your child, you will need to research your options. Resources abound so you can be sure to find a curriculum for your middle school child..You may even apply religious teachings into your middle school curriculum. There are programs that also put emphasis on science, math, or art. This is just a sampling of the types of curriculums out there.

. Student-paced learning is another homeschooling method to consider.This lets your child learn at his/her own pace that is comfortable for them..Your child can master each lesson before going on to the next one.Your own community may likely offer homeschool curriculums that would satisfy your family.. Theme based programs that teach subjects of a variety that focus on a specific theme can also be found.

. All-in-one curriculums that apply your child's education for a whole year also exist.You should consider researching homeschool middle school programs aimed at older children. This is certainly worth the effort to research.

Author Info:

For more information about homeschools middle grade, try visiting http://homeschool.get-the-info.net, a popular homeschool site that features information about homeschool curriculum, home school socializing, and more.

What Are The Benefits Of Homeschooling?

What possible reasons could there be for keeping your kids at home, and not sending them to school? From your point of view, you don't have to get up so early in the morning, and neither do the kids. You could argue that this also means more study time, but perhaps the kids will not see it the same way. Maybe you are a worrier, especially concerning who your kids interact with at school. Homeschooling gives you complete control over this aspect of their lives. With the best will in the world, in a class with around 30 children, your child will not get as much one on one attention as they probably need. At home, this will not be the case. And you can specifically tailor the lessons around the needs of your child.

Let's examine that last point a little more. I am sure that those of you with more than one child will already have noticed that different children cope with different lessons in different ways. Will any normal school that you have ever come across allow a child to do more of one lesson at the expense of another? In other words, tailor lessons around a child's individual needs? I certainly haven't. And that is definitely a mayor benefit of homeschooling children.

One potential drawback of homeschooling is the fact that you are effectively on your own. Well, is that necessarily the case? More and more people take to schooling their children from home, and most cities will have details of the parents who do home school. Furthermore, many of these people collaborate so that you have a peer group to discuss matters with, and for your children to socialise with. Your immediate family often find some time to spare to help you as well, so to think you will be on your own if you home school would be a misnomer.

Some children do not cope well with competition, Whilst this is something all children need to get to grips with, homeschooling allows you to introduce competition as and when the child is ready, in a manner that is most appropriate. There is nothing to stop you deviating from accepted learning methods either, finding new imaginative and fun ways to get lessons across to your child.

There is no doubt that whilst the current schooling system does it's best, it falls down in many areas. A lot of the failures are to do with the generalisations that are applied to children, often by the necessity of the class sizes. Homeschooling allows you to address these generalisations and create a learning environment specifically for your child and your child alone.

Homeschooling is the one of the best ways to interact with your own child. If you are able to do it, you will have the opportunity to help your child develop, that is not available to millions of other parents. At the end of the day, there is no one better placed to understand and teach your child than you.

Author Info:

There can be no better way to help your child develop than to home school them. Discover the benefits of homeschooling here.

Online High Schools - Public Education At Home And Online

Cyber, Virtual and Online High Schools are now widely available in 29 states and are funded by each state's department of education. High School students can get free curriculum, often a loaned computer and reimbursement for internet charges. If you don't have the time or desire to home school but need an alternative to public education, these cyber high schools are a viable alternative and a better future for your disenchanted and disheartened learner. Parents report higher self esteem, more direct learning and much happier children with a Cyber High School education.

Your child has one shot at being a high school student in the traditional age range. In the past, if public school wasn't working and private school sent you to the poor house, you had to settle for just getting through with your eyes shut and hoping your son or daughter had a better experience in college or community college. Or you are one of the now millions of people who said enough and home-schooled their children at their own expense (and curriculum isn't cheap!). Whether these brave souls who have been splitting off from public school in record numbers, scared the schools into realizing they had to do something creative is anyones guess. Colleges creating distance learning and independent companies creating High School programs have raised the bar so education departments knew they had to compete.

It's a slow process but they are getting there and the results, no matter what you read in the polls, are good and getting better daily. Cyber or Online learning is the answer for many teens that can't tolerate a classroom situation or are tired of the wasted time spent in the traditional school day. Maybe you've seen some of these kids being interviewed for national stories talking about how much they like being done with their school day in 5 or so hours. With homework done, they are on to a guilt free night with friends, art classes, dance classes....it's their time, not time for piles of busywork homework.

Each state has a different structure, some better, some just beginning so you will have to call your own state's DOE to get more information. Most states now have an online or charter school section on their state website, so the online school information should be there. Make sure and ask about a loaner computer and internet connection costs and whether the district will allow your teen to participate in high school sports or fine arts. Often they will because you are still connecting to their district through the cyber or online high school. But keep in mind, districts don't like online school because it takes a student out of their rolls but they still have to pay the bill. Most districts won't be helpful in this process so bypass them and call your state Department of Education. Many states have a charter school coordinator who does nothing but deal with charter and online programs so when you call, ask for that specific person.

Lastly, good luck and don't give up. In 10 years cyber charter schools will be the norm rather than the exception as public schools explode in population and problems. There is no need to feel frustrated about homework, bad teachers, No Child Left Behind and no school support. There are finally alternatives in Cyber High School education and they will get better and better with each passing year.

Author Info:

Nancy Sutton Smith is an expert in Cyber High School education. She has done extensive research for the website http://www.cyberhighschools.com because of 10 years of personal experience with online learning in the United States. Ms. Sutton Smith's children attended a state sponsored cyber middle school, cyber high school and are currently attending the national cyber high school program, Keystone High School.

How to Tell if Homeschooling is Right for Your Family

Homeschooling, which is legal in every state, is something many parents struggle with. A great deal of thought, research and discussion is required to make a wise decision. How do can tell if homeschooling is the right choice for your family? Below are some of the questions to ask yourself when considering homeschooling as an option for your family.

Will I be comfortable spending so much of my time with my children?
One of the chief reasons that people choose homeschool is because they want to spend more time with them. They also genuinely love their children and want what's best for them. However, If your children frustrate you easily, homeschooling might not be a good match for you.

Will a constant barrage of questions bother me?
Homeschoolers can ask a lot of questions. Those questions could be about homeschool topics, or about socialization and other kids, etc. If you homeschool, it helps if you don't mind answering the same questions more than once.

Where can I find out about homeschooling?
There are many resources available to parents. Your local library is more than likely to have a large selection of books that will tell you everything you need to know. The librarian can probably even tell you if there are any homeschoolers in the area, since most homeschoolers rely heavily upon the library for source materials.

What about support systems?

Once you've done a little basic research, find local homeschoolers, or do an online search for "homeschool groups (your city)" or "homeschool groups (your state)." There are homeschooling groups and co-ops in many areas, which also provide opportunities for families to get together and have fun.

What about all those other questions I'm bound to have?

After you've found some families that already homeschool, you can ask them about their experiences, and about the pros and cons of homeschooling. Most families will be honest about their reasons for homeschooling, and will be more than happy to help you make an informed decision. Find out what types of hardships or difficulties they had to deal with when starting out. Should you be concerned about socialization for your children? What about curriculum? Do they have suggestions about what to use or not to use?

What curriculum do I choose?

Curriculum choices are varied, both in what is available, and often in the price. While it is possible to have "school at home" by choosing books very similar to what are offered in public schools, it is also possible to homeschool without using a set curriculum at all. The library books you checked out earlier should have explained about the different methods, and should have given you an idea of what your child should learn in each grade. And of course, the internet can be a great resource for free or inexpensive curriculums.

Author Info:

If you are considering homeschooling your child, or children, answering the above questions should help you make an informed decision. One resource that can help answer these and other questions is The Complete Homeschool Guide. Not everyone will choose to homeschool after investigating the option. However, if you want to be more involved in your child's education, homeschooling might just be right for you.

For resources and answers about Homeschooling, visit Complete Homeschool Guide, a website and guidebook for Homeschoolers and parents.

21st Century Homeschooling - Spelling and Landing Jetliners - How to Teach Both, Well

Some things are learned so inadvertently that we could call it a revelation. When small pieces of knowledge are revealed to us it can be an awe inspiring moment. I had the privilege of experiencing this just the other day on a drive to Costco with my ten year old daughter. Here is what transpired.

Jump in the car, music going, talking and laughing about all the things we needed to get at Costco. My daughter and I often pop into get groceries. Chatting about the world and all its little bits of weirdness.

My daughter and I have quite a bit in common. Listening to each others music is one of them. We find great joy in trying to remember words and sing along in our best American Idol voices! This day we picked up a mum and kid hitchhiking. The chatting keeps up and we all chat about our recent experiences, what we like to eat and how much we have learned in the last 20 years. My daughter hands out my business card, enthusiastically sharing my latest project with our new passengers.

We bid them farewell and we continue on toward Costco which is right next to the airport. In seeing a large plane I mentioned how difficult it must be to fly one of those machines.

"So big and bulky. For sure I would crash if I had to land one of those!" I exclaimed.

"Really?" my daughter threw back at me.

"Yeah, I can't land a plane." I said back.

"Well if it were a choice between dying and landing the plane, I would land the plane." shared my daughter.

I sat there my heart so huge and a smile just running across my face.

"You would land the plane?" I asked point blank.

"Yes I would." she stated emphatically.

I can't tell you how moved I felt. My ten year old kid was telling me she would do everything she could in order to land a plane! Incredible. And I was worried about whether I could teach her the basics as a home schooling mum? The kid is willing to learn - under extreme duress - to land a commercial airliner!

In educating people we must ask what we are trying to achieve. Sometimes if we let life be lived passionately, achieving might just come naturally. Whether we are learning to spell or land a commercial jetliner having purpose, passion and a will to succeed are key. We are sure to teach both well when we support passionate, purposeful learning experiences, whilst embracing the learners natural will to succeed.

Happy homeschooling and literally reach for the skies. Our kids are.

Author Info:

Margit Barreras is the mother of three children and an avid homeschool teacher and supporter. Always looking at new ways to teach and learn she has founded http://www.2Think2Learn.com to help better the learning outcomes for all students.

Teach Your Children With Quality Home-School Curriculum

Many quality home-school curricula have existed for many decades, some even over a century. And because they have been around for so long, these companies now provide some of the best homeschooling curricula available. The main pillars of a quality curriculum are reading, writing, and arithmetic. These pillars are interlaced with studies of the sciences, arts, history, and geography to provide a well rounded teaching method. This curriculum combines several of the best teacher-made lesson plans, classroom-tested materials, and educational methods to create one of the best homeschooling foundations ever created. This article will explain what and how a quality home-school curriculum teaches.

Some home-school curriculum provide a lesson plan in two parts that helps the teacher spend more time teaching than planning. It provides assignments and plans for reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as the other subjects. The lessons include a list of materials needed, simple instructions to follow, as well as assignments for the child to do.

Something to look for in a quality home-school curriculum is that it combines some of the best educational methods known with tested in the classroom ideas and materials to provide one of the best ways of teaching. The lesson plans contain discussion questions. Each lesson is created from suggestions from teachers from different schools as well as ideas from the best educational publishings.

Some curriculum provides over one hundred and fifty lessons for each grade level from kindergarten to all the way up through the twelfth grade. They also contain many review lessons, and each set of lessons is provided for a year's worth of learning and studying. There are multiple ways of testing provided as well. Getting membership in a quality home-school curriculum also allows for access to a personal online resource center software and an online library.

Because of the advancements and continuous efforts in the industry leading to a culmination of over one hundred years of homeschooling, homeschooling is now a very viable option. It teaches the three basic educational pillars: reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as studies into more detailed subjects. Each kit comes with enough lesson plans and lesson reviews for a year's worth of learning and studying. Different homeschooling companies provide lesson kits ranging from the earliest pre-kindergarten, all the way through high school. The lesson plans are created with ideas from educational publishings and suggestions from different schoolteachers across the world. If you want a quality education with, then a quality home-school curriculum is recommended for anyone who wants to home-school his or her child.

Author Info:

Gottlieb Wendehals owns and operates http://www.curriculum-home-school.com
Homeschool Curriculum

Tips For Planning a Home School Program

Homeschooling is a very rewarding experience for both child and parent. Not only does it allow the parents to have full control over what their child learns it also can bring the family closer together. But before you decide to jump head first into teaching your kids at home you need to be aware that you should first develop a home school program that will help your children learn to the best of their abilities. And also keep in mind that planning a good home school program requires much more then just deciding what time of day to teach certain subjects or how long the school day will be.

Tips for Planning Home School Lessons

The best approach to planning your home school curriculum is to first determine what your children are having trouble with and where improvements need to be made. This information can be found on your child's report card or by talking with their former public school teachers. Once you know what areas your child is lacking in you can build your lesson plan around those subjects. There are many great online sources and stores that can provide you with adequate materials for your lesson plans. Of course you should still cover the subjects they excel at but do not devote as much time to them as you would the ones they find more difficult.

One thing that you will find out as a parent teacher is that your plans may change as the school year goes by. You may find that subjects that were once difficult for your kids are now easy and that they now need help in other areas. That is great thing about homeschooling, you can change the study plans to fit your child. And if you have more then one child you can vary the lesson plans for each of them to ensure they are learning at the best level possible.

Aside from just emphasizing the areas that need improvement you should also present material that your kids find interesting and enjoyable. Being taught material they find easy and enjoyable to learn will help reduce the feelings of anxiety and boredom they may feel when working with difficult material.

As a home school teacher and parent your job will to always evaluate and modify your children's learning experience. By being a responsible parent and taking full advantage of the flexibly the home school offers you are giving your kids a great head start in life.

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Learn more about Home Schooling and planning a Home School Curriculum at http://www.whyhomeschoolkids.com

Home Schooling For Overweight Preschool Children

The common state of obesity in preschool children has risen significantly. Approximately twenty five percent of preschoolers in the United States have been diagnosed as overweight. With the dramatic rise of obesity in preschool aged children there is ample concern about the health issues that can ensue with this lofty increase and what can be done to remedy this major health concern. Being overweight for a preschool child means they are at an increased risk for different types of issues, not only medical but mental. Some of the potential problems may include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleeping disorders and premature death. For the parents, having an overweight preschool child may include such economic hardships as the rising hospital costs brought on by the caring for an overweight preschool child and the therapeutic treatment of the mental concerns imposed by the young preschool child having to deal with being heavy. Being an overweight preschool child also usually means that there is a greater chance of being obese later on in life.

An overweight preschool child can suffer from dramatic emotional problems. Overweight preschool children are aware of their surroundings and how they are treated by others. A preschool age child is affected mentally and their mental health at this age, or at any age, is very important. The Center for Disease control, CDC.GOV, covers this topic. Overweight preschool children usually have to acknowledge that others may treat them harshly. A preschool child that is overweight may experience various assumptions including such extremes as they are unwilling to do any work and / or they are unsanitary even though this is known not to be true. Also, because they are larger than other children their age, some individuals may assume they can handle physical labor more readily than other children the same age due to their abnormal size; While the truth about the additional weight for a preschool student is that it would be more difficult for the student to perform simple tasks that their classmates of a healthy weight could accomplish easily. A heavy preschool child, under these circumstances, will inevitably develop a negative self-image. There are a tremendous amount of possible causes for developing emotional scaring from being overweight.

Preschool age children can lose weight and become more healthy, but it is not an easy task. Weight loss programs are not very successful without including a walking regime and a nutritionally well-balance meal plan. Prevention of further weight gain is important too. Contact a physician prior to making any drastic changes to a preschool child's diet and exercise program because there may be some very serious underlying health issues that are undiagnosed. Make an appointment with the preschool child's physician and see what would be a healthy and reasonable regime for the preschool child.

A healthy and active preschool regimen does not need to be daunting but can be fun with incorporated learning. For fun and exciting activities, the possibilities are endless and they should instill a love of creating while reinforcing the educational / developmental goals of the preschool aged student. Never forget that FUN is always a wonderful foundation to build upon!

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Please visit http://www.freeabcschool.com Article source: http://www.freeabcschool.com/articles/homeschoolingforoverweightpreschoolchildren.html