Homeschool Preschool - 5 Reasons to Teach Your Child at Home
Many parents are homeschooling preschool instead of sending their young children to preschool away from home. Here are 5 reasons you should homeschool preschool.
1. Children will learn in their own time, and many 3 and 4 year-olds aren't ready for a structured classroom environment. Forcing preschoolers into strict learning environments can produce anxiety and reduce a love for learning. Young children learn best in an environment that is free from competition and pressure to perform.
2. We have all seen children clinging tightly to their mother's leg, begging not to be sent into the classroom alone. Some preschoolers aren't ready for large amounts of time away from their parents. Many children still need one on one attention, frequent hugs and a familiar lap to sit on.
3. Negative social behaviors such as cliques, teasing and bullying can begin as young as age 3 or 4. Many preschoolers internalize these negative experiences, and become insecure, shy and withdrawn. When parents homeschool preschool, they have an opportunity to observe and coach their children during difficult interactions and teach their children positive social skills.
4. By homeschooling preschool, parents can model positive behavior for their children. At home, preschoolers also have plenty of opportunities to learn to share with siblings, manage feelings and serve their family members. These early years are an excellent time to build good habits and reinforce family values.
5. The preschool years pass much too quickly, and once those moments are lost, they will not return. Parents who homeschool their preschoolers have more time to spend time bonding with their children. Homeschooling creates special family memories that give children the security and confidence they will need to thrive when they leave home.
Author Info:
Here is some additional information about homeschooling preschoolers.
Carletta Sanders is a homeschool mom of 3. For homeschool information and activities delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for her homeschool newsletter.
Homeschool Parents & Kids - Learn How to Find Others Who is Homeschooled in Your Area
Homeschool parents, or those considering homeschooling, often wonder if they're the only ones in their area. With the latest Department of Education study citing over 1 million homeschooling families, that is not likely. Finding other homeschoolers, however, may not always be easy. You need to know where to look.
One common place where you might find other homeschoolers are local churches. While not every homeschooler is Christians, and it obviously isn't a requirement, many homeschoolers are. Even if you aren't a regular church-goer, you might consider attending some services to see if there are other homeschoolers there. Of course this can apply to a synagogue or mosque as well.
Libraries are another good place to seek homeschoolers. Many homeschooling parents use the local library as a source for learning materials. If you go to the library and see children there during normal school hours, it's very probable they are homeschooled children, and a parent is probably nearby. You could also ask the librarian if she knows of any homeschoolers. Most likely she will because they are probably some of her best patrons.
Try bringing your kids to the park during normal school hours; you may run into another homeschooling family there enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. They may even be doing something to related to school projects. In any case, local parks are a great place to find homeschoolers.
Keep your eyes open while shopping at the grocery store; many homeschoolers use real life activities like grocery shopping to teach rather than just depending on books. If you see children standing around the produce isle with calculators, it's likely they're working on their math lessons.
Of course, the Internet is a great place to find homeschoolers in your area. Try doing a searchs for "homeschool groups (your county or city name)" As there are homeschoolers in every state of the union, you'll almost certainly find some close by. If for some reason you don't find anyone locally, you can still find support online through any number of Yahoo homeschooling groups.
As you look for homeschooling families locally, don't be afraid to approach parents that you see out and about during regular school hours. Most homeschooling parents are used to being asked why their children aren't in school anyway!. They won't be offended, and asking questions is a wonderful way to find other homeschoolers, not to mention just meeting new acquaintances. Chances are very good that you may find there are more homeschoolers in your area than you first thought.
Author Info:
Great resources and answers to your homeschooling questions - pick up The Complete Homeschool Guide at: http://www.CompleteHomeschoolGuide.com
Best Home Schooling Resources - An Introduction
Statistical records suggest that home schooling has gained a lot of popularity since past few years. It is likely that you are one among several parents interested in home schooling. There are a few information resources,considered as the best home schooling resources. You will certainly find them useful.
The one great benefit of providing home schooling to your children is the amount of quality time you will able to spend with them. Just remember that it is a time that you can never get back, which makes it all the more vital benefit.
Another benefit of getting a good home schooling resource is that your desire to care about your children will be prominently registered in their mind. Your children will realize that you are doing everything possible to ensure happiness for them.
A search on the internet will get you links to some useful websites about home schooling. One of the better ones is a website about the Teach at Home Company. It is full of home schooling information, including subjects such as lessons, money, software, supplies and materials, homework helpers, books and video, and more.
Another good source is The Home school Company. This company claims that home schooling provided by them is great for a number of reasons, like
*their learning style will be identified
*all material will be presented in a format that honors their style
*each child will be encouraged to follow his or her interests
*each child will be honored as an individual
*each child will be encouraged to play and be a kid.
Then there is one more by the name Time 4 Learning, which offers a mix and match of activities. It makes a valid point about how important choosing the right home school material is for your children to make the most of home schooling.
It is time for you to get started and begin teaching your children from home, once you have decided about the best home schooling resource for your child.
Author Info:
Laxmi Keshav does research in many topics. Get started now, visit here - homeschooling versus public schooling and chrisitian schools international home schooling
Home Schooling Reflections
Coming to the end of our 8th year of home schooling causes me to look back with reflection. How are we doing, how have we done, and would I have done anything differently? These are the questions I ask myself.
I think we are doing fine. As a matter of fact I think we are doing great! But we are not the same as when we started. We have changed over the years. I think most home schoolers would agree.
It is the nature of home schooling.
If I were to do something differently I would have started from the beginning. Both of my girls went to public school for kindergarten and first grade. That is a precious time. A time that can be spend exploring nature, planting gardens, watching birds, visiting zoos and museums, visiting libraries and curling up with books, cooking with Mom, and doing craft projects. Do these things and you've got it covered. There's no need to have a strict schedule, sit at a desk all day and then have to come home with homework!
If I were to do something differently I would not have used a Charter School. Tracking every assignment and staying on schedule even when Egypt calls for more time than a week is not what home schooling is suppose to be about.
Home schooling is about learning at your own pace in your own way. If you start reading at 5 great, if you're not reading until you're 8 then that's okay too. If you can't write paragraphs in the 2nd grade who cares? And please don't sweat spelling; it really does come with time...with or without a spelling program.
If I were to do something differently I would not have done school at home.
Many of us start out doing "school at home". We make it the way we remember it to have been. That usually doesn't last long.
Now this is all fine and good, but I must remember not to be too hard on myself. I probably had to go through the steps I went through in order to get to where I am today.
I needed to see that public school was not right for our family and I needed the security blanket feeling of a charter school when I started home schooling. Life is about growing and growing is a process and we have to go through all the steps.
So why am I even writing this article? Well two reasons. Maybe you are thinking of home schooling, but not sure you can. Maybe reading about my experiences will give you the strength to skip some of the steps along the way. Or maybe you, like me wish you had done some things differently. I needed to remind you and myself that the path we took is the path we had to take and that it really is okay.
Author Info:
Linda Tyler a home schooling mom in San Diego, CA. Please visit my home schooling how to web site. How to get started, how to choose curriculum and how to save money.
http://www.home-education-works.com
Home Schooling Math - Why You Can Teach Math
Math is one subject that scares a lot of home schooling parents, especially as their children get older. Usually this is because the parents didn't do well in math when they were in school.
The main problem with math, is that math is a very "sequential" subject. The new material always depends heavily on what you were taught before. If you have a problem (i.e. if you miss a few things because of sickness, a bad teacher, or other problems in a particular school year), you have to go back and "fix" the problem, or you will have difficulty understanding things after that point.
If this happened to you, even only a few times during all the years you were in school, the chances of you having done well in math, are very low.
Many people have a problem at some point, in school. Then they end up trying to learn the previous material and the current material at the same time. Normally this means they learn it more poorly. They struggle a lot with it, and they don't learn the current material fully. Then the next material is difficult, too. Then they conclude they are poor at math.
In my family, when someone had a problem with math at school, they were helped at home until they got caught up. We all got very good at math, and this is why. It was also because of the effectiveness of one-on-one tutoring, just like when we are home schooling our children.
Also, having helped adults who were "supposedly poor" at math, I know that their ability is usually not the problem. They just were not taught every thing they needed, to do it well.
Just because you found math difficult at school, doesn't mean you can't teach math to your children. And if you are starting off with the lower grades, you probably know most of that math by now, anyway. Get good materials, and learn the few details you missed, as you go through it with your child (also, go over it the day before you teach it, and you should be fine).
And, check out our home school math teaching tips, on our site, listed below. Many of these tips are not even used in schools yet (to be fair to teachers, some of these tips would be more difficult to implement in a classroom environment, with lots of children in a big class, but home schoolers don't have that limitation).
Combine these tips with a good curriculum, lots of determination from you, lots of love, and getting the occasional outside help when you need it, and you will build a great math foundation in your child, that will serve them well, as they advance to more challenging math, and through out their adult life.
You may also want to read "If You Did Poorly in Math," on our site, listed below.
Author Info:
Jim McGinn has many more home schooling articles on his site, here:
http://www.homeschool-guide.com and make sure you sign up to receive his free home school tip each week by e-mail, here: http://www.homeschool-guide.com/hs-tips-request.php
Jim McGinn is a home schooling dad. He is the primary home schooling parent in his family, and has been home schooling formally for 7 years. Before that, he owned and ran a computer school for senior citizens, for over 10 years, where he learned a great deal about teaching from the most experienced people alive.
What You Can Uncover From Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
There are a wide variety of reasons why parents choose to homeschool. More and more children are being educated at home.
What is the reason for this increasing number of homeschool? It varies from family to family. But you'll find that there are usually three major reasons why parents make the decision to homeschool their children.
I've been reading lots of different homeschool curriculum reviews. What I found is that the biggest reason parents take their children out of public school is because the system is not giving their children a quality education.
The public education system of America is struggling to give our children an adequate education. Much of this struggling is a result of out-of-date textbooks, inferior equipment, and unfit buildings.
When parents decide to homeschool their children, they have hands-on control over what kind of education their children will get.
By reading homeschool curriculum reviews, I also learned the second reason why people choose to homeschool: They want to control the influences their children are exposed to.
This is often based on religious preference, though not always. But in any case, the homeschooling environment gives your child the best chance to learn values important to the family. Families are also able to decide to when their child is ready for certain information.
Public schools are known to not encourage good disciplinary measures. Because of this, kids know they can get away with a lot: Students are known to disrupt and sabotage classes, showing complete disregard for teachers and the learning of their peers.
Discipline is one of the most important components in a homeschool environment.
If you read homeschool curriculum reviews, you'll learn a third reason why parents teach their kids at home: Safety. Just watching the news or reading the paper illustrates that violence is a common problem in the school system.
This problem is not getting any better. Increasingly, the acts of violence are becoming more and more deadly. The Columbine High School shooting isn't an isolated case: There have been other firearm-related incidents around the nation.
Schooling your children at home gives them a safe learning environment, whereas at school they are at great risk for harm.
There were also some disadvantages I read about when going over homeschool curriculum reviews. Some of these disadvantages include how the state decides to get involved when you decide to educate your children at home.
There are some states that require all homeschooling parents to be certified teachers. They also require that the children learn using state-approved materials.
Sometimes parents are afraid that by homeschooling their children, they might block from them athletic and musical opportunities.
Socialization is one of the most commonly voiced fears. People are often afraid that children will lack social skills if they don't interact with peers.
There are obviously ways to work around these disadvantages. Still, you'll want to weigh the pros and cons that are revealed in homeschooling curriculum reviews, and especially learn what your state requires.
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.
Home Schooling Is It For Your Family?
Almost 1.1 million children were home schooled in 2005, according to the National Center For Education statistics, At one time, homeschooling was something radical, similar to a declaration of independence. Conservative Christians first advocated the idea of homeschooling in 1980s and had it legalized in every state.
Today, the typical home schooler is not motivated by religion. The fact is parents are fed up with public school systems. They see the schools as places where too much learning is compulsory and superficial. Parents also have concerns about the negative and sometimes dangerous school environment, which has problems that range from abuse to drugs to unsavory peer pressure.
The homeschooling advocates of today represent a mix of people from all walks of life. They come from all religious and regional borders with the goal of providing productive and meaningful education to their children. They want their children to learn in ways that strengthen family bonds as well.
Modern homeschooling families are committed to the sanctity of childhood. Children are the primary focus for these families. Many feel that homeschooling lets them raise their children in a more natural and nurturing way. Public schools make these parents nervous, and they believe their children could be come anxious or mean by attending them. The children who receive homeschooling are protected from such negative influences until they are of an age to handle them.
The whole family is involved with modern homeschooling. The practice has a role for everyone. Parents bond with their children, and all experiences can become educational ones. Both mothers and fathers know exactly what their children are doing during homeschooling periods, and they have more control over the type of moral and religious values that impact the children. With homeschooling, even a simple act like watching a movie can become a learning activity. Things like going to the library become educational and recreational alike.
A family that is involved with homeschooling is generally dependent upon the income of a single 'breadwinner' who brings in the money. This fact tends to bring family members closer together because everyone in the family is involved with the process of saving money.
One of the advantages of homeschooling is that one parent is always at home to supervise the children, and to care for and nurture them with love. Every member of the family is involved with the activity of homeschooling, and there is no time for boredom.
There may be problems from time to time, and parents may feel moments of self-doubt and misgiving, but homeschooling families have the satisfaction of knowing that they are always there for each other. Homeschooling represents a very rich experience for the family.
Author Info:
To find more advise about home schooling visit http://family-tips.com
Tips For A Kindergarten Homeschooling Curriculum
Do you want to create a rewarding and interactive homeschool curriculum for your child? Is this your child's first year in school? Are you interested in creating a positive homeschooled educational experience for your kindergarten student? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you will benefit from the information listed here. You will be introduced to what you need to know about an effective curriculum for having your kindergarten student homeschooled.
When creating a homeschool curriculum for the kindergarten student, it is important to understand that it all starts and ends with you. It is important for you to tailor the home-schooling lesson plans to match the interest level, and maturity of the child. Children who are in kindergarten must have a lot of interaction. It is also important for the homeschool curriculum to have plenty of room for play and creativity. These three elements - interaction, play, and creativity are the components to success when it comes to curriculums for kindergarten homeschooling.
Kindergarten Studies
We all remember our days in kindergarten. This is one of the most important years of school that your student will take part in. Many ideas, skills, and lessons are taught during kindergarten that will help shape the success that your student experiences in other grade levels. When creating a successful curriculum for kindergarten homeschooling, you must include information from a variety of subjects. Being similar to more traditional school's curriculum these homeschoolers subjects include art, social studies, music, science, geography, home life, writing, reading, activities, physical education, and more.
Creative Implementation
There are a number of creative measures that you can use while teaching your homeschool student that is in kindergarten. Math manipulatives, such as shapes, play money, and similar items can be used to reinforce basic math skills. Implementing the use of foam letters to reinforce tactile learning in language development can be a fun and interactive teaching method. Purchasing a world globe that talks and interacts with the child is a great creative implementation of teaching geography skills. Purchasing pictures that can be painted by the child is a great way to spark creativity.
Curriculum Goals
When creating a curriculum for kindergarten homeschooling, it is absolutely essential to have a set standard, or a set of curriculum goals in mind. The best way to create these curriculum goals is to find out the state standard as far as what a kindergarten graduate should know. Once you have discovered this standard, raise the bar a bit. This will ensure that the transition from kindergarten to first grade is a smooth one for your student. In addition to curriculum goals on academics, there are many life skills that should be implemented during this year of school.
Conclusion
Creating a successful curriculum for kindergarten homeschool can be a challenging task, but with the proper amount of research and consideration to the matter, it can be easily done. The main thing to remember when teaching a kindergarten student at home is that it should be fun and interactive. This will allow the child to keep a positive perspective on the educational process, and it will allow you to complete the goals that you have in mind. These components will ensure that the curriculum for kindergarten homeschooling is a success.
Author Info:
Terry Graves discusses How To Home School so you can understand it. Learn how home schooling works. To receive more information visit the How To Home School website.
Questions to Ask Your Personal Tutor
Is your child having difficulty coping with school? Are you looking for a way to improve his grades? Even if you did want to tutor your child yourself, chances are you may not have as much time on your hands. One of the best options to help out your child with school as well as you with your busy schedule as a parent is to hire a home tutor for your child. Personal tutors or private tutors have been proven to be effective in helping kids improve on their school work, as well as helping parents monitor the progress of their children.
Before you start hiring a personal tutor for your child, here is a quick list of questions you need to ask or check with your tutor of choice. Because children have different learning needs, it is imperative to clarify these details with your private tutor. These questions will help you gauge the skill and capabilities of your tutor, so you and your child can gain maximum benefits from private tuition.
1. What educational background do you have? - Whether you are hiring a high school student, college student, or a graduate, this helps you know what level of knowledge your tutor has. Inquire about specialties in subjects, or major courses taken in college.
2. Have you had prior experience tutoring? - Though it is always a plus to get an experienced tutor, most parents do not see this as the only criteria for choosing. Sometimes fresh graduates or newbies who are zealous, reliable, and who want to try out jobs as personal tutors can work just as effectively as seasoned ones.
3. What tutoring method do you employ? - Not all home tutors work in the same manner. It is good to know if your personal tutor uses various forms of media like books, magazines, the internet, and others as part of his teaching routine. Variety is effective in helping children grasp information faster, as well as to keep their interest in the task at hand.
4. What is your schedule? - Perhaps one of the most important points to clarify with your private tutor. Specify how many times a week you wish to have your child tutored, and what times your child is available to start the private tuition. Along with this question comes the per hour rate and payment terms.
5. How do you deal with a difficult child? - There are instances wherein a tutee is non-receptive to the assistance given by his or her personal tutors. A child may be too shy, is aggravated by the added school load, or simply does not want to participate. In this case, ask you tutor how he deals with such tutoring obstacles. It is ideal to choose a tutor that is firm but at the same time understanding about your child's personality and academic needs.
These are only some of the questions you can ask with your tutor. Don't hesitate to make everything clear with your home tutor, so you can both be sure that your child will be well-aided towards a better academic performance in school.
Author Info:
You can learn more on how to get a home tutor, personal tutor or private tutor when you visit UK Tutors.
Home School Curriculum - Should I Buy a Packaged Curriculum?
There are many home school curriculum's available and sometimes it can be hard to know which one to choose or whether to choose one at all. Here are some features of ready-made curriculum that you should consider before buying:
1. You may tend to spend more time on desk work and not feel the freedom to take advantage of home school support group activities, outdoor projects, or community activities.
2. Packaged curriculum tends to be expensive and leave you with less money for field trips or other supplies you might want to purchase.
3. You may tend to keep using the curriculum even if it is not working because you spent the money to purchase it.
4. Some packaged curriculum requires a great deal of teacher preparation and reading through manuals before you are able to teach the material.
5. There is a higher rate of burnout on homeschooling when people purchase a ready-made curriculum. It may cause you to grow weary of the preparation and your child to grow weary of filling in workbook pages and not engage his curiosity.
6. Packaged curriculum tends to be one-size-fits-all and is based on the average student. If your child is advanced or delayed, you may be disappointed with your purchase.
Packaged curriculums were originally designed for private school classrooms, but they do have their place in some home schools. If the parent and child enjoy structure and advanced learning, then a packaged curriculum could work for them. Many people adapt the curriculum to fit their needs and goals and some follow it exactly and have success. Once you assess your goals for homeschooling and take into consideration your child's learning style, you will be able to make an informed decision on what you need to purchase for homeschooling.
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.
Teaching Sounds in Reading - Uncover Some of the Most Successful Methods in Teaching a Child to Read
In a previous article I covered the pre-reading activities and skills needed as a first step in teaching a child to read. The second step in the reading process is teaching the letter sounds to your child. This step is the foundation of all reading and should be emphasized.
Keep in mind that a child doesn't have to know the letter names before he is taught the letter sounds. In some children teaching the letter names first will produce greater confusion because the letter names are different from the letter sounds. You will have the most success when you teach the sounds if you have a multi-sensory approach that includes writing the letters, seeing the letters, and saying the letters.
Make sure each sound is said in a quick short manner which involves clipping the sound (you can have your child use a scissors like motion after saying each sound to remind them that the sound cuts off). To teach the letter sounds, you can use:
-A sand tray where the child writes the letters in the sand while saying the sound
-Flashcards without a picture to make sure your child is actually learning the sound of the letter and not the picture
-Glue letters or sandpaper letters where a child traces the letter while saying the sound
-Skywriting where a child writes the letter in the air while saying the sound
-Table writing where a child writes the letter on a table while saying the sound
-Walking around a letter outlined on the floor while saying the sound
-Forming the letter with the body while saying the sound
-Any other activity that will combine having the child saying the letter while writing it and visually seeing it or experiencing it through movement
Remember that the fastest way to teach letter sounds is by combining a multi-sensory approach so that your child is speaking, writing, reading, and spelling all at the same time. This type of approach will ensure that children with different learning styles will all learn the sounds equally well.
There is a method of teaching reading that encourages having the child initially learn all of the sounds each letter makes, as opposed to just learning one sound per letter. If you use this method, you would teach a child that the letter a has three sounds (a as in hat, a as in made, and ah as in water). The idea behind this method is that you give the child all the tools they need to crack the reading code from the very beginning instead of waiting. Once you teach all 26 individual letters, you would go on to teach the rest of the 70 written sounds (phonograms) in the English language. I personally prefer this method and have been very successful using it.
Teaching the letter sounds can be a fairly straightforward and pleasurable task if you remember to use all of a child's senses in the learning process while using a method that presents the sounds in a logical way. By teaching the letter sounds to your child, you'll be opening up a world of many possibilities.
Author Info:
Isa Skrobola received her teaching degree at the University of Michigan. She has taught in various settings and has studied the best methods of education for over 10 years. She is currently homeschooling her six children, and wants to offer you more free information about reading fluency at http://www.childfluency.com
Use Historic Locations To Learn Conceptual Social Studies
I was thinking about Walt Whitman as Steven and I walked along the red sand road to the Rose Bud Hill Pioneer Settlement. This tree lined forest lane was our road less traveled as Steven started a new adventure as an independently schooled kid. Steven was running ahead checking out all the informative signs along the trail. This was his first day as an independent learner. I wanted him to realize that he could learn easily so I set up this little trip to the Rose Bud Hill historic settlement.
Being a typical 14 year old he didn't want to look like a geek carrying a notebook. To tell you the truth I wouldn't have done it either so we took a digital camera instead. Don't make a kid feel embarassed. The fact is that you can do as much or more with a digital camera than you can with a notebook. He took an absurd number of pictures but in the process he documented everything there was to document. He photographed the information signs along with anything else that caught his attention so they could be placed in a PowerPoint. Make use of technology. Remember we are dealing with a species we might called technokids. A 14 year old has never lived without cell phones. There is no reason to take copious notes when photographs can illustrate everything.
We walked a few hundred more feet when I was almost scared to death. Suddenly a deer jumped up out of the bushes. I reacted as if it was bigfoot. But what a beautiful animal. After I realized I wasn't going to be Bigfoots lunch I kept thinking about food. "Steven, what could that animal be used for by the people who lived here?" He immediately said "you can eat it". "What else can you do with it?" He thought for a minute and then said "you can make clothes with the skin." Then he decided that you could dry the meat for the winter.
Then we heard a furious commotion in a tree. We looked up to see several squirrels jumping from limb to limb in the top of a huge Red Oak. He ran over to the base of the enormous tree. He bent over backwards trying to look at what was creating the problem in the treetop. A loud chattering sound could be heard. Then I heard him yell squirrels. Look they're fighting. I asked, "can you eat squirrels." He made a horrible face while saying I guess so. "Yes, you can", I said. Lets see what you've learned so far. This particular forest can provide two things you need to succeed in making a settlement; food and clothing. He ran over and took a picture of the tracks left by the deer. Without really trying Steven had learned that sources of food had to be in place for settlements to work.
He kept taking pictures and carefully photographed all the explanatory markers. Soon he yelled John come here. I walked over as fast as my arthritic knees would carry me and he said look at this. He pointed me to a sign that explained the Sassafras plant. The sign explained that he could create tea from the roots. I told him that I had drunk Sassafras tea as a child. Steven wanted to know what it tasted like. I told him it was kind of like root beer. So we had found more food. But the more important thing is that he was learning these concepts with no effort while having fun in a relaxed, enriching environment. He was deeply, intrinsically motivated to learn. He soon came up with the idea that you could actually make a meal from the forest.
Finally we made it to Rosebud Hill. We stood at the entrance to the peaceful farmstead looking at the log buildings. Steven walked first to a one room cabin. The cabin had a rope bed on one side and a table. Over the table was a hanging candle holder. There was a log stove that would have provided heat and a way to cook. The walls of the cabin were chinked with a mixture of mud and pine straw. I asked where did they get the materials to build this cabin? Steven thought about it for a moment then said well, duh, from the forest. "Exactly", I said, "that's another thing that has to exist for people to survive; building materials for shelter". We walked out of the cabin over to the fenced garden where we could see the rich soil. Various greens were growing along with other winter crops. Then on to the chicken yard, the pig pen, the outhouse and, finally, the main house of the farm which consisted of two rooms. The large room was the center of all the family life; eating, socializing, sleeping along with protection from the elements. The second room housed another rope bed for the parents of the family. After we examined all the features of the demonstration farm we walked behind the homestead to the Akokisa indian village.
As we walked through the village we talked about the need for people to trade with each other. We also talked about the need for people to establish mutually beneficial relationships to survive. Steven brought up the idea that the indians probably helped the settlers by teaching them ways to live in the forest. "True enough, I said, "and they also probably traded with them." Steven said "I bet that is another reason people settle somewhere." We sat down on a log. "Let's go over some things. What do we know now about why groups settle at a location?" Steven thought for a while then said "well they had to have food. They had to have material for shelter. They had to have somewhere to trade for things they wanted to use. But, don't they need water?" I said "well, let's see what they had for water." So we walked down a trail that led us to beautiful Spring Creek.
More pictures were taken along the way. When we got to the creek Steven realized another important reason for settling here. Not only was there water but he saw a pontoon boat in the creek. He said "they could travel on this couldn't they?". Without opening a book, hearing a lecture or doing a google search he had realized that there was a need for transportation. Looking at a map posted there we found that Spring Creek drains into the San Jacinto River. Then the San Jacinto River drains into the Gulf of Mexico where, at least hypothetically, the whole world could be reached from the Rose Bud Hill settlement.
Later that day after we arrived back at the house we sat down to debrief. "Ok, I asked, what can you say about why settlements are placed in particular locations?" Steven spent the next ten minutes telling me that there had to be natural resources to provide food and shelter. He talked about the need for adequate water. Another quality of an area he mentioned was easy transportation to other locations. And finally he talked about the ability to trade with other people. But that wasn't all he talked about. He mentioned having good soil to grow food. he told about the need for animal resources to provide clothing and meat. But then he surprised me a bit when he talked about the politics that had to work between the population of native people and the settlers. From there we talked about how relationships are established between groups of people. I found that I was able to motivate him to make a list of things to study as an extension of what he had learned. He wanted to do a study of the plant and animal biology of Jones Park. That evening I found him looking up more local indian populations on the computer.
A couple of weeks past. I walked past his table where he was working. As I passed I casually asked him "what kinds of things have to exist for a human settlement to exist". He thought for a minute then said "it's like Rosebud Hill. You have to have some food, some water, transportation, trade, materials to make shelter and you have to be able to get along with the other people who live there". The novelty of the way he was taught those concepts burned them into his brain with no effort.
Don't ever be afraid to abandon the books for the real world. Just get out there. Look around you. Everyone lives in a place where there were natural resources, trade opportunities, transportation to other places available and shelter when your city was established. Get out into your community with your kids. Show them your world and why people came to live there. Keep in mind that local historical demonstration parks are nothing less than time machines. They provide a lens directly to the lives of the original people who came to live in your world. They teach through direct contact with all the senses of a child. They show through true experiential learning why every city and community in the world exists. Get out there in the world. Rescue your kid from the four, square walls of a classroom. Move on to the future of learning. Take your child on a time machine to see why your present world exists. The whole world is waiting to teach your child.
Author Info:
John McGeough is a professional teacher, change agent, and child advocate since 1973. John has had the career of a renaissance man. He has been a professional trumpet player, a professional conductor, a successful music instructor, a biology teacher, an outrageously successful middle school music and science teacher. He is now a youth pastor serving children of all types from his ministry. He is committed to making the world a better place for children from all backgrounds. John believes that the era of mass education is dead. It just hasn't laid down yet. John believes in the all American concept of the independent American responsible for himself, making decisions for himself without the help of pervasive government interference.
How To Choose A Good Tutor For Your Child?
If your child is not faring well in school and you need to get him a home tutor, you need to take your time to find the right person for him. Choosing the right home tutor for your child is very important if you want the tuition to be effective. There are things that you need to take into consideration when looking for a home tutor. Let me share with you some guidelines that you should follow:
A good home tutor must know how to interact effectively with your child. He is someone that your child feels comfortable with and can encourage him or her to work hard. A good home tutor need not be the one who has good educational background and highly recommended by a tuition agency. Yes, these aspects are important but they are not everything. To be able to communicate effectively and bring the best out of your child is something that a good tutor must possess.
When you hire a tutor to teach your child, your objective is to expect the tutor to impart his or her knowledge to your child so that your child can pick up the subject that he or she has problem with. Therefore, a good tutor must be able to communicate clearly to your child and make sure that your child picks up what he or she is teaching.
You should also look for a professional and reliable home tutor. Punctuality, patience, responsibility and dedication are important aspects that a good home tutor must have. If you can find a reliable tutor, you can expect good returns from your effort.
However, sometimes it is very difficult to determine whether a tutor possesses the qualifications and the characteristic aspects that you are looking for. To know a tutor's qualifications, you should ask for references and qualification papers. With these documents, you will be able to know whether he or she is qualified enough to teach.
To find out whether a tutor is reliable, there are 2 methods. One is to talk to your child and ask him to express his likes and dislikes towards the tutor. Second method is to physically keep an eye on the tuition session. Overtime, you should be able to know whether the tutor that you have appointed is a reliable and trustworthy person.
Sometimes, to get a good tutor is not easy. There will be times you need to get rid of poor tutor before you can find a quality one. Just do a bit of research and get involved with the selection process. Once you see a tutor is not performing to your expectation, do not hesitate to fire him or her. When the bad one does not leave, the good one will never arrive.
Author Info:
Find professional home tuition services from the website below:
Click Here --> Home Tuition services in Singapore.
Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.
Homeschooling - Do You Have What it Takes?
Many parents who are thinking about homeschooling wonder whether they have what it takes to homeschool their children. While you don't need all these qualities to be a successful home schooler here are some qualities to consider when making the decision to home school:
1. Do you love books on a wide variety of subjects? Can you get interested in a subject and find the information you need in a book?
2. Are you eager to learn and have a sense of wonder when you discover a new fact or concept? Can you take a walk and enjoy your surroundings? Can you look at the world around you and enjoy learning about what you see?
3. Are you flexible? Can you get interrupted without being totally annoyed? Can you change your plans for the day if needed?
4. Do you enjoy spending time with your children? Do you enjoy reading to them and learning about what they are interested in?
5. Are you determined to follow through when you set a goal? Can you focus on a goal and have the confidence to do what needs to be done to see the goal accomplished?
6. Are you willing to change what isn't working when you find that your original plan didn't turn out like you thought it would?
You know yourself and your children better than anyone. Homeschooling can feel like moving into uncharted waters, but then parenting can feel like that too. You know your children's interests and how they learn best. When you homeschool you have to trust your instinct to some extent too. If you feel that you are supposed to homeschool, then I encourage you to go for it. There are many support groups and fellow homeschoolers that can help you along the journey if you get stuck.
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.
Florida Online Driving Courses - The Ultimate Online Solution to Clear Your Traffic Tickets
Florida approved traffic school is sometimes required by a judge as sentence for a moving violation. It may also be possible to have a traffic ticket dismissed or points removed from your license by taking such a class. Luckily for Floridians, Florida is one state that has granted approval for courses such as these to be offered over the Internet. That means that you can take Florida online driving courses rather than going into a traditional classroom.
Florida online traffic school is far more convenient than the old-fashioned method of looking for a course and finding a location and date that will work for you, then showing up at the right time and day and sitting through a live instruction that may or may not be worth your time and money. With a course that is designed for online delivery, you've got the benefit of dozens of revisions and constant updates, so you know you're seeing the latest laws and regulations, and the latest conventional driving safety wisdom.
The other great thing about taking a Florida approved traffic school over the Internet is of course the convenience of scheduling. You don't need to be there at a specific time, or on a specific day. If something comes up, there's no need to reschedule. If you find yourself with a little extra time, you can log on and work on the course right there on the spot, no need to talk to anyone first or clear it with anyone. Just find a computer with web access and you're ready to jump back in. Some courses will even save your place within the material so that when you return you can go straight back to the page or section where you left off, and continue quickly and seamlessly.
Not all Florida online driving courses are created equal, however, nor are the providers who offer them. One important thing to look for is superior customer service. Customer service is one of those features that nobody thinks is particularly important until they suddenly find themselves needing it. With a web course, you might be online at any time, day or night, when you have a question that needs answering. There are providers who offer 24-hour live customer service, through a toll-free phone number or even a chat window, and those are the providers who understand the nature of web service and the fact that a class delivered over the Internet is always in session, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If they understand that aspect of customer service, you can be confident that they understand the other things unique to online education, such as keeping the student involved through interactive quizzes, animations, and videos rather than creating a book on a screen that doesn't encourage active participation in the material.
Author Info:
Mathew,
Is a promotional/hobby writer for Florida Traffic School When you are looking at taking a course in Florida to satisfy requirements for safe driving, whether through a court mandate or an insurance company, go online first, and go with the best online course once you're there.
Practical Homeschooling Tips - When In Need Of Receiving Home Schooling Tax Credits
Wouldn't we like to know about the available home schooling tax benefits? Home schooling lessons could turn out to be expensive. Traditional schoolteachers are liable to receive tax credits from federal governments but is it the same case for home schoolteachers? As usual, home schoolteachers it seems do not find the same favor with those making the laws. Let us find out whether home schoolteachers come in the tax credit category.
Teachers are liable to received tax benefits of $200 against federal taxes. That surely is a wonderful law, but only if you are teaching at a private or public school. But here's where the party ends, parents teaching their own children do not have access to similar benefits of tax credits. The law is clear in this context that you should be working in an accredited school (federal agencies check for either W2 or 1099) and this checks for unpaid, out of classroom supplies pocket expenses budget.
In case you do not have direct employment by a school and you are a home schoolteacher, and as it is in most cases that the school isn't an accredited one either. Then sorry to say but you come under any such category that qualifies to receive any such tax credits. Do not make any attempts to gain the same thinking you will go scoot free. The IRS is like a police and they know home schoolers are after this thing. It makes for you being caught and then you made to pay the taxes back.
For those people having kids with extra needs then such parents can take tax credits advantages. Those kids having some small leaning problems to not qualify, such tax credits are meant for those kids who have severe problems that make them highly dependent on others for even there basic needs. Children who cannot do without health care assistance, who need specialized caretaker teachers and who have other special needs come in this category.
There are few variations in the tax credits, in case your child suffers from muscular dystrophy, severe autism, downs syndrome or other disabilities like deafness or blindness, then application for tax credit should be granted. This should come, as a relief to most as providing these kids with proper care is a humongous task. Such credits are applicable for medical as well as home school cost as well.
Apart for these credits there are a few more that can be received from the state to a home school. For this you need to verify the tax code of your state before you apply for tax credits. One sure way to qualify for tax credit is by opening a 529 account for your child's post secondary education or college education.
North Carolina allows you to pay less in 529 contributions till $7500 for the financial year of 2007. Find out if the state you live has some other benefits as well. Credits are for parents as well as grandparents so do check for information. 529 accounts is not limited to just home schools but even grandparents or for that matter anyone having a child can have such an account.
If you look at the broad picture then home schools find it tough to receive tax credits. Of it all very small sum is there to get so be sure to take the guidance of a professional to secure your tax credits.
Author Info:
Download the best home school curriculum for your kids and know the secrets of getting tax credit for your homeschooling affair when you visit http://www.homeschoolingfordummy.com
Is Online Homeschooling The Future of Homeschool?
Online homeschooling programs are great ways of making sure that you child is learning the necessities. One of the greatest reasons why parents choose to homeschool is due to the fact that the values that your child learns are directly learned from you.
It is also important to teach your child academically. Sometimes you may need a little bit of help doing this. Sometimes developing your own curriculum from scratch can be overwhelming and too time consuming. Online homeschooling programs can help you achieve this.
Online homeschooling programs offer well thought out and tested curriculum. This curriculum is not the same stuff taught in public schools. Even though some of the same subjects will be taught, such as Language Arts, Math, History, Geography, and Science, you can also get additional subjects from an online homeschooling program.
For example, if you want your child to learn about the Bible, you can find a program that incorporates Biblical applications to the lessons. You can also choose electives in online homeschooling programs. You can find college prep courses, or even a state's individual history class.
Online homeschooling programs provide a challenging course of study that your child needs to become a great thinker. That is one way in how they differ from regular public education. They also help a child use technology and develop skills that they will most likely need in the future.
Usually online homeschooling programs will provide you with a CD-ROM and the software training to make the educational experience wonderful. You can download all the software for the courses and make backups of your work. Most programs will also aid you in completing projects.
One great thing about online homeschooling is that you can adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of your child. Or, you can find an online homeschooling program that works with your child's strengths and weaknesses. This is one of the great advantages of homeschooling.
Don't think that you have to do everything alone. There are some great companies that are providing online homeschooling programs that are beneficial to you and your children.
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.
Flexible Home-Schooling Time
Some home-schooling models lend themselves better to flexible time than others. Traditional "school-at-home" is the worst, where the kids follow the same rigid structure and time periods that they do in traditional schools. Some children enjoy the predictability and structure I suppose, although I have yet to meet any of them. Please don't feel that you have to (or even should) follow that model. Even for kids in public schools doing independent learning programs, there should be nothing wrong with finishing up the day's assigned work in less than 5 hours. So much traditional schooling is busywork anyway and a hurry-up-and-wait mentality.
For every model except un-schooling, the below approach to a flexible home-school benefits both kids and working parent. Stop thinking in terms of 30 minutes for this, 45 minutes for that, 15 minutes for the other thing. If a child needs or wants to spend a longer time on a subject such as reading, then let them. Ask them oral questions if you want to test their comprehension, or have them tell you a story from the book. They should not have to write formal book reports on each book they read, talk about ruining the love of reading!
When it comes to math, if you have a child who is utterly bored at the concept then let them take 15 minutes a day. Why not? They turn off after 15 minutes anyway. This is one subject by the way that you should take time from work to help with. Short sharp bursts do the trick. I know that I am a math underachiever. I just don't get it. But by "helping" my son with his math in short bursts and distinct lessons, we both learned something!
And why do you have to teach the same subject every day? Unless you are in a lockstep charter school program, you don't!
Another way to do this is to change subject concentrations. For example, spend the first semester on reading classic children's books. The second semester, concentrate on ancient history. This works very well for kids who prefer to go more deeply into a subject, and you are still teaching them what they need to learn. You don't have to do it on such a lengthened schedule of course, but can do language arts three days a week and history or art or science two days a week. Whatever works best for your child and you - whatever is the most flexible - is what you should choose.
Another way to be flexible is to remember that you don't necessarily have to standing over them all the time, especially if your kids are older. If you are homeschooling your 7 year old and 9 year old and you're working full-time from home, that can be a challenge. Consider letting the 9 year old "play teacher" - she might surprise you! And remember too that sending your kids into the backyard to look for certain plants or bugs (gulp!) isn't a cop out, it's a science lesson.
If your kids are older and/or capable of teaching themselves then this will also make your full-time working life much easier. For example, my middle-school-aged son and I sit side by side on the couch with our computer keyboards on our lap. Any time he needs help I just need to glance at his computer screen or at the book he is reading and help him. We do this in our living room because we frankly prefer the room's size and light to the upstairs office. Oh well. It works for us! It will work for you too.
Author Info:
If you liked this article and want more information on how to work from home and home-school, then visit http://workfromhomeandhomeschool.com and get my free report "Saving Time and Money for Work-at-Home Parents."
Help! How Can I Convince My Husband to Let Me Home School the Kids?
I always knew I wanted to home school our children. When I was in high school, I babysat for a home schooling family, and they had such exciting projects going on. Later, when I was student teaching in university, I discovered a more important reason to home school. It simply wasn't possible to meet every child's needs in a classroom setting.
My husband, however, took some convincing. He hadn't had any exposure to home schooling families, and thought teaching our two kids at home would put too much responsibility on me.
We ended up putting our eldest child in a public school, but three years later, he was so unhappy, we were ready to try anything. We took him and his younger sister out of public school and tried schooling at home instead. It's made such a positive difference in our lives, we plan to educate both our children at home all the way through high school.
After home schooling for five years, my husband has become one of the strongest advocates for home education I know. In fact, when I feel frustrated and suggest that we consider public school again, he completely shuts me down. He sees what a difference this way of life has made in the lives of our children and our family.
Now, none of this is to say that I believe public education is not as good as home schooling. Teaching your children at home is not the answer for everyone. However, home schooling is the right choice for my family.
If you believe home schooling is the right choice for your family too, but your husband doesn't agree, there is no magic pill that can make him change his mind. I do, though, have some suggestions that may help.
1. Pray. One of my favorite Christian authors, Stormie Omartian, says in her book, Power of a Praying Wife, that before talking to your husband about anything, you should talk to God about your husband.
If you believe that God wants you to home school, spend time with God and ask Him to reveal that to your husband as well.
2. Get involved in your child's school right now. I had always been involved in our children's education, but when our son's problems became more serious, I volunteered in his classroom every week. I got along well with his teacher, and she was concerned about him too, so this arrangement worked very well.
I was able to see the classroom environment first-hand, and see how my son's behavior compared to the other students. Because I was in the classroom so frequently, I was able to explain to my husband what was happening, and where the problems lay. This helped him understand my desire to home school our children, and why I believed our son would do better in a home environment.
Volunteering in a classroom isn't always possible, but if you can, I recommend it. If you're thinking of home schooling, watching how your child functions in a classroom can help prepare you for what's ahead. And, if you're ultimately not able to educate your children at home, you're building important relationships with your children's teachers and showing your children how much you value their education.
3. Explain to your husband why you want to home school. Does your husband know why you want to home school? Or does he think your desire is a passing whim? Present your reasons and try to explain what's on your mind.
This is where I found volunteering in my son's classroom so helpful. I could explain to my husband what I observed in the classroom, and how home schooling could make a difference in our son's learning.
4. Explore other educational options. No matter how much you want to home school, it's important to remember that this approach to education is not for everyone. I've met several moms who insisted on home schooling their children, and a year later, realized it was the wrong choice for their family.
Home schooling is hard. Being unhappy with your current schooling arrangement is not a good enough reason to home school. Explore your other options as well before deciding home schooling is the only alternative that will work for you.
Consider private schools, online schools, or maybe even an after school tutoring program. If your husband doesn't agree to home school, perhaps he'll be more open to one of these options.
5. Find current research about home schooling. Gather facts about home schooling to show your husband. Not to shove in his face and prove your point, but so you can be prepared when he does ask questions.
Find out how local home schooled students perform on standardized tests; learn if they're admitted to your city's university (usually they are); look for groups you can join to meet other home schooling families, and for your children to make home schooled friends. Then, when your husband does ask questions about home schooling, you'll have all the answers you need at hand.
None of these suggestions will guarantee your husband will change his mind about home schooling. But they will help you communicate with your husband about both your desires for your children's education, and help you make educational choices that will work for your entire family.
Author Info:
Would you like to learn more about homeschooling? Visit http://www.WAHM-Articles.com to read articles written by real homeschooling parents about their own home school experiences.
