Home School Your Children?

More and more parents are choosing to home school their children. They do so for a variety of reasons. Some feel they can give their children a better education at home, that the uniform teaching methods required for classes of 30 or 40 students do not sufficiently account for each student’s different learning styles and aptitudes.

Others home school for religious reasons, preferring to include religious information in the curriculum, which is not found in public schools. Still others prefer to inform their children about various education topics from their own point of view, rather than what they would receive in public schools. Some parents may be choosing home schooling because they fear for their children’s safety. We do hear many reports of violence in our schools.

Obviously, home schooling is not new. Public schools are really the new kid on the block. According to Patrick Farenga, in his article “A Brief History of Homeschooling,” compulsory education, as we know it, is less than 200 years old. He points out that education used to be handled by parents, the church and the occasional tutor for special subjects. He also mentions that education was intentionally left up to parents by our founding fathers. There is no mention of it in the Declaration, Bill of Rights or the Constitution of the United States.

Farenga dates the current trend toward home schooling from the 1970’s, particularly from a book called “Deschooling Society,” written by Ivan Illich that year. You can find his article at www.hsc.org [http://www.hsc.org/professionals/briefhistory.php], which features many, such articles and resources for home schooling. There is also a page of home schooling jokes. Some of them are hilarious.

If you are considering home schooling your own children, you can find many more resources on the web. There are articles, curriculums, stories from other parents, textbook recommendations, school projects, and more. Home schooling families usually interact with other home schooling families so that children do get social time with other children. They may get together to put on a play, practice music or learn a sport.

It seems like there is a good chance that home schooling is a trend that will only increase over the coming years. Check hslda.org for information on home schooling laws in your home st

Vital Information on Home Schooling

Effective Strategies For Home Schooling That You Can Use Starting Today

The concept of home schooling is widely accepted these days, there are many factors involved in deciding to home school, one of these could be, if you feel your child is not showing any improvement in the school system and needs your attention, but there are many more. So what information on home schooling do you need.

There are not many guides which you can follow to make schooling at home easier and so you will know how to start a home school and proceed further with your objectives here is some information on home schooling.

Before you get approval from the local and the state authorities, first decide whether you are qualified to teach your child. Home schooling will not be limited to the basics but would include all the essential subjects that would be covered in a traditional school, only the set up differs. You would also need to meet the requirements of the local school officials to make your home schooling legally recognized.

Also, do not impose your decision on your child, just because you think you can teach better. If your child's records show that they are more comfortable in the school environment, you might need to reconsider. This is because changing the way they are taught might affect their potential and mindset thus hampering their progress. If you have finally made up your mind, several other points have to be taken care of. You would have to prepare a list of the subjects to be taught depending on whether the child needs an elementary level education or a high school level. The fundamentals to be covered in higher grade levels will include complex topics.

Another important piece of information on home schooling to be kept in mind is what are your state laws related to home schooling, these might occasionally vary in different areas. Get in touch with the local government officials to find out how it works and what needs to be done. Your child's education is only recognized when it is approved by governing bodies.

In the United States and Canada, the trend of home schooling has been increased tremendously as a matter of choice. This provides an opportunity for the contact between home schooling parents through the Internet for networking and support and to obtain more information on home schooling. Here, they can share tips and express their opinions regarding various aspects of home schooling. Such interchange of thoughts will be beneficial for you and your child. Another advantage is that it will support you toward your goal.

It is understood that when a child is home schooled, they can enjoy a certain level of freedom. This is not possible in an educational institution. Still, it is recommended that you get your child engaged in a schedule and projects which will be an aid to the learning process. You will thus understand where and how further improvement can be made.

There are various ways of teaching a child. However, the same learning mode might not be applicable to everyone. So, you would need to try various methods and decide which one yields the best results. If your child is not learning or improving, all your efforts will be in vain. Now, here you would be required to apply your knowledge and gain an insight as to what basic tools are needed for home schooling. The concept is similar to a class in a regular school which would have a proper set up. While teaching at home, there should be sufficient area where the classes can be taken.

The last but not the least piece of information on home schooling I would like to touch on is the financial aspect which should be within your limits. When you have made a list of all the essentials, estimate the overall cost and whether or not it suits your pocket. There are certain ways to lower the cost; however, it will require some tactics and research. Browse the net and check if you can avail yourself of any rebates or discounts on books or other items needed. Another way is to shop in bulk when you know that the materials will be utilized in the future.

Home Schooling - Think It's Too Much of a Challenge? Think Again

Why Home School?

Why do some parents consider switching from traditional school attendance to home schooling their children? For the most obvious reasons you need to keep up with the national news. In one place after another, there is increasing crime and violence in both public and private schools. Institutions of higher education don't exactly escape the bad rap either. It seems almost every year there are more and more problems in colleges and universities with abuse of drugs and alcohol, rapes and other types of sexual misconduct and excessive acts of violence at rallies, sporting events and even seemingly for no particular cause during the normal scholastic year.

The "Problems"

Many "problems" are commonly associated with home schooling. Some of these may include:

o Quality of education

o Availability of high-level teachers and tutors for areas where parents may lack knowledge and skills

o Reduced interaction of home-schooled children with their peers

o Boredom

o Lack of motivation

o Parental fears over the home schooling process

o Difficulties with local, state and national laws and requisites

o Financial concerns

o Availability of adequate texts, resources and other materials

o Bilingual or multi-lingual education concerns

But for each of these concerns, although initially valid, has several viable solutions within the means of virtually every household. One increasingly difficult aspect of home schooling, however, deals with providing children with a bilingual or multi-lingual education.

Bilingual or Multi-Lingual Education

While in many parts of the world a bilingual or multi-lingual education is desirable or even an essential in many cases, it is quite possible to provide a quality bilingual education for home schooled children. Speaking a foreign language can be a tremendous asset in many walks or life and career paths. The same can be said concerning knowledge of a foreign culture. In a number of locations, education which includes elements of foreign languages is easily incorporated in the child's everyday educational life, providing them with a solid basis for foreign language acquisition and practical use. A broad spectrum of foreign languages can be included incorporating languages such as:

o English (varieties from regional America, Britain, Australia, Jamaica, etc.)

o Spanish (spoken and written forms of Castellano can vary widely between the 21 countries where Spanish is spoken as a first or official language)

o French

o Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, or other forms)

o Arabic

o German

o Italian

o Portuguese

o Russian

o Greek

o Turkish

o And a host of indigenous or local dialects, Creoles and patois

Help, Resources and Assistance are Available

In most countries which allow home schooling of underage children there are programs available to inform and provide parents with information, curricular requirements and other types of assistance to help make the home schooling process a much smoother, effective and rewarding one for both the parents and the children. With home schooling too, parents are able to provide focus and direction in areas of which the child may have special interest, talents and abilities. It is possible to insert an increased number of field trips or attendance at inter-cultural or related events, seminars, conferences, workshops and special activities which may be unavailable to children and learners at traditional institutions. Home schooling parents likewise have the option of integrating learning alternates into their home schooling program.

Consider the Children Too

Rather than allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the challenge of home schooling, parents should embrace the concept. The first step is to seek out those government agencies, resources and organizations which can provide the quantity of information and guidance needed to effect an intelligent decision on whether or not to home school, why and how. Home schooling is not too much of a challenge to be considered once proper investigation has been conducted on the part of the parents in consideration of the wishes, desires and attitude of the children. Parents could also use teaching and learning techniques not only with their children but also with themselves to make themselves smarter. Now wouldn't that be nice?

Home School Options For High School Students

There are home schooling curriculum for high school students that are available for parents to check out in case they want to put their kids through the program. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not merely limited to primary and lower grade class students. In fact, there are even home courses available for upcoming college students. Whatever age your child is, there are several resources available that will be able to fill up your needs.

It has been getting more and more parents in this system of educating their children. To put it more simply, home education is the process of learning where children are taught and educated inside the home. This method of educating children has been around for a long time. But it is only now that it has gathered more interest. The reason for its newfound resurgence may be the fact that more and more parents would want to personally look over the education of their children.

This way, parents will be able to oversee what their children learn and be able to teach subjects that really matter. It also enables a student to be educated in a very comfortable and familiar environment- their own home. No longer would children have to adapt to new surroundings, as their home is their classroom. Parent and child can also spend more time together through this unique educational system.

If you are interested in having your child home schooled through high school, there are different high school home schooling curriculums available that will be able to provide your child the type of education that he or she needs. The type of curriculum that you choose would depend on the type of education that you want to provide for your child.

There are religion-based high school curriculums that you can follow if you prefer to incorporate religious component into the lessons of your child. There are also curriculums that focus on the Sciences and the Arts that you might also consider. But also, keep in mind that there are other methods available for your child going into high school.

Other methods available for you include student-paced learning where your child can learn and progress at an individualized speed. It is fairly accepted that every individual have different rates of comprehension, and learning curves. This method focuses on the learning rate of your child. This will allow children to master concepts before they proceed to the next lesson instead of adapting to the teacher.

There are also programs being offered by your local community which you can take advantage of. There are also unit studies that focus on teaching different subjects following a central theme. There are also all-in-one programs that can cover your child's needs for the entire year. These programs will usually already include all the materials and resources that the home school student would need. There are other methods specifically designed for your child in high school, that parents should also look into. It is an opportunity worth exploring.

Tips On Home School Academies - Making It Easier To Educate Your Child

What are home school academies? Are you interested in home schooling? Would you like to learn why home schooling may be a very effective choice for you and your family? Learn why home school academies allow you to effectively manage your curriculum.

Home school academies provide a large number of reasons why parents choose to educate their child at home. Some feel that their child will not get proper education on religion in a public school, whereas the others feel that under one structure their child can get proper education on knowledge, potential and self empowerment.

There are two kinds of knowledge, one is the specialized one that most of the public schools offer and the other being the general one, about religion etc, which is seldom used. Many parents teach their child at home to ensure that they are safe and well educated while the others enjoy seeing their child working.

Whatever the reasons for teaching at home, there are a number of ways available to make your child educated. Utilizing the advantages of the many home schooling curriculums available, parents can teach their child in a home schooling environment. And at the same time be assured that there child is not missing any key academic concepts.

Home school academies provide a number of resources that allow a family to successfully implement a consistent home schooling environment. This effectively allows families to focus on home schooling more and less on the supporting details.

Studies have shown that home schooling is a lot more effective when done with a systematic plan. These academies provide a lot of the needed resources to allow effective systematic home schooling.

WHAT IS A HOME SCHOOL ACADEMY?

It's basic purpose is to provide support to home school families. The sense of belonging with others, the sense of being in a school is fulfilled by these experiences. This feeling can be lost in traditional home schooling. Many academies provide students with plans of action, knowledge, and also educes or draws out a developed person from within.

These also help parents by offering a number of sequence plans, plan and academic subject tutoring, counseling and developing the faculties of their mind. Of course it also provides a much needed social aspect in allowing a meeting place for other parents. Other advantages being the school discounts that children get and the most important one is the children get a diploma from an actual school.

CONCLUSION

There are resources available to you in order to enhance your child's education. You just have to join a home school academy and take the advantage of all they have to offer. You still have the same means of experiencing the education of your child at home that the others get from the traditional school.

Your child can still accumulate great fortunes of knowledge as he would be directed through a highly organized and intelligent home academy. They in a similar way like a child educated through more public means will be ambitious and will not suffer from inferiority complexes.

Home School History

Formal school education for all children is a concept that is only about three hundred years old. It was introduced in Germany at the end of the 17th century. Prior to that, all education was given in the home or in informal village groups. Very few children went to a regular school, and those that did were the children of the nobility and the upper classes. In fact, home school history began around with the beginning of mankind. The first cave dweller who taught his children how to hunt was home schooling them. Even today, those children who go to regular schools have also been homed schooled, or else how would they know how to behave in public. The social conditioning that parents give to their children is home schooling.

Education in America, from the time of the first settlers, consisted of learning to do chores in the house or in the fields with perhaps some hunting thrown in. The few parents who could themselves read and write passed on this knowledge to their children as a bonus.

As time passed and America moved from being an agrarian economy to a trading and them manufacturing one, the need for basic reading, writing and mathematical skills grew. Those parents who had these skills gave priority to passing them on to their children. Those who did not tried to find the resources to pay for a teacher to come and teach their children, either alone or in cooperation with other families. One benefactor of the system was Abraham Lincoln who received 18 months of such education. As population centers grew in size and number, the setting up of formal schools became both a social necessity and a profitable business option.

For those who could not send their children to school, the first proper home schooling option made its appearance in 1906 when the Calvert Day School of Baltimore made an all-in-one curriculum (curriculum in a box) available at book shops. In a few years 300 children were using this and the number kept steadily growing.

The government made public school attendance mandatory but and by the end of World War 1, nearly all children were attending formal schools. However, by the middle of the 20th century, there was growing dissatisfaction with both the way education was imparted and its standards and by the 1970 a strong home school movement began to appear and by the 1980s, homes schooling had become legal in about half the states.

One key factor in home school history that has brought it to a place where it is a legitimate and acceptable option for parents to consider is the involvement and support of expert professional like Dr. Raymond Moore, known as the "father of modern home schooling." He and experts in the field of education conducted studies that proved that regimented institutional type of study was not always the best option and that personal care and attention from parents who were involved in teaching their children could more than compensate for the drawbacks of a child not attending a regular school.

Home school history has come in a full circle from the time it was the norm in the 13 colonies, through the time when government mandated school education left parents with no choice, to today when home schooling is legal in all fifty states.

Online Home Schooling

Today, you can choose to enroll your child in any of the top online schools available on the Internet. Thus, online home schooling offers you a completely unique experience in academic learning, coming in like a breath of fresh air when personalized home schools were seen to be getting stagnated. And what's more, this concept is finally bringing some relief to homes where quality education was always considered to be synonymous with high costs, mainly meant for contributing towards the infrastructure and other peripheral costs associated with traditional schooling systems.

The Internet technology has surely come as a boon for homeschoolers across the world, who can now revel in the advantages of this third alternative in education, which comes private, accredited, and with the most convenient access. Online homeschooling has been highly regarded for its easy ability to combine the best features of the previous two forms of schooling- traditional schools and home schools. While in the prior the family is left out of the academic jurisdiction of the child and his teachers and there is a serious threat of differential learning abilities intersecting at all levels, in the latter, the child is completely shut off from the world of competition and evaluation, and his learning is based completely on the educational parameters put forth by his family. Also, there may be chances that the student may be denied a formal accreditation for his homeschooling years due to the absence of authentic licenses by the parents to be recognized as teachers. In both the cases, there appears a gap stopping the student from achieving an all-round learning experience and educational development. It is at this juncture that the features of online homeschooling offer a balanced option for the family. So, what exactly does an online home school entail?

Online home schools are virtual schools established on the World Wide Web, and the system of education is run under trained and professional educators form all across the globe. Most top online schools accept students from the world over, and provide a well-etched curriculum of learning and academia. Most importantly, these online schools are accredited, which means that they have an official license to impart an accepted curriculum-based education. In contrast with the traditional schooling patterns, the system of homeschooling is seen to be lot more flexible, allowing for families to participate and guide students through the learning process.

Though there may be a preconceived notion of such educational systems being lax and laid back, first hand information will let you know that a home school is just as challenging as its ancestor, and demands a good deal of dedication and sincerity form students.

Joining Support Groups For Relieving the Stress of Home Schooling

Home schooling can be a wonderful choice, not only for the children who are receiving a stellar education that focuses strictly on them, but also for the parents who are now able to stay totally involved with their son's or daughter's individual progress.

It also requires a large commitment and plenty of time and effort in order to be successful. While incredibly rewarding, the many challenges involved with home schooling children are also a very real part of the entire experience and parents need to make it a point of reaching other to others who can relate.

Fortunately, the home schooling community spread out all over the world is actually a rather tight knit group who make it a point to be supportive and offer tips and advice to anyone who needs them. It's certainly true all moms and dads need a break from stress now and again, but when parents are home schooling their children it becomes even more of a necessity.

Having a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere is an absolute essential when it comes to home schooling, as after all, a stressful, tension filled classroom full of disruptions is one of the main reasons parents choose to home school their children in the first place. If the teacher, or parent in this case, is stressed or suffering from burn-out as many of us do, this affects their child's ability to learn and excel.

When the pressure and stress are eliminated from a child's learning environment, amazing results ensue as they are finally able to realize their full potential. Support groups for home schooled children and their parents are wonderful resources to take advantage of as not only do they allow you to connect with those who understand exactly what it is all about, but it also gives you the chance to learn of new and interesting methods or styles of teaching.

The Internet is simply bursting with a wealth of useful information for home school teachers and their children. Blogs, message boards, and forums abound with a plethora of information, tips, advice, guidance, and plenty of humor from parents who are living a life that involves home schooling their kids. There are also groups and sites devoted specifically to home schooling and the single parent and the unique challenges they must face on a regular basis.

Your local library, community centers, schools, and even book stores may all have useful information about home schooling and joining related groups. In addition to support groups for parents who home school their children, you may also want to consider joining a cooperative effort amongst other parents who share teaching duties. The like-minded team environment not only helps to alleviates stress but it can also be the ideal way to make lifelong bonds for everyone.

Home schooling can undoubtedly be a wonderful, invaluable experience for both children and their parents or guardians who have taken the time to ensure they receive the absolute best education possible, which is certainly a gift they will continue to benefit from throughout their entire lives.

Getting The Basics On Practical Home Schooling And The Law

One of the common concerns that parents will contemplate with practical home schooling is the aspect of legal restrictions. They fear that home schooling is either illegal, or that parents need to jump through various hoops to comply with the governments demands. This fear is somewhat justified, dependent on where the family is situated, but is often larger than necessary.

Home schooling is actually legal in all 50 states; however regulations and laws will vary from state to state. Texas and Idaho, for instance place few restrictions on those parents that opt to home educate their child. Others, such as New York and Massachusetts are heavier handed. They ask that the student's programme of study is approved by the state, parents intend on submitting their children's achievement test results, and might even expect to receive a home visit.

Legal attempts are ongoing to observe and defeat bills that would extend the power of the state to compel the attendance at a public school or to enter the home. In 2006, various such attempts were defeated. Nonetheless the overwhelming majority of families will never have to be concerned about their rights being taken from them.

In 1983, an organization was founded to defend for the rights of parents that wish to home school. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) aims to track legal issues that relate to this and has with success fought numerous legal cases on behalf of parents.

Although rare, there have been instances of over zealous social workers that see it as their responsibility to protect a child from their parents. Sadly, they might do so even when there's no ground for parental abuse. That possible action and the legal / social issues occasionally make its way into the home schooling field. The HSLDA and others can offer resources to parents to make certain that they never need to deal with this situation in the first occasion.

Parents that are debating the option of home schooling would do best, though, to enquire about the supervision, paperwork, and other legal demands of their particular state. The first instruction required in this is that of the actual parents.

Home Schooling Information - 5 Truths You Need to Know

Making the decision to home school your child can be difficult, especially if you don't have all the facts. That's why home schooling information, wherever you can gather it, can be so helpful. With this in mind, here are some things you need to know before educating your child at home:

1. Public school provides socialization opportunities that your child will not have at home.

However, this doesn't mean your child will have no social interactions. Your child will continue to have a personal network of friends and neighborhood children. They will continue to have access to athletic opportunities, such as Little League or soccer or football. And there are numerous organizations your child can join, such as the Boys & Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the local YMCA. Finally, most communities have community centers, church-related programs, and other opportunities for children.

Socialization shouldn't be an issue for your home schooled child.

2. Home schooling your child doesn't mean shutting yourself off from the world.

Not only does your child need socializing, so do you. Look for a local group of home schooling parents where you can get additional home schooling information, share your challenges, seek out solutions, and interact with like-minded adults.

3. Educating your child at home changes family dynamics.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since often the relationship between you and your child will grow much closer. You'll be spending more time together, learning more about each other, and experiencing good days and bad days together. You and your spouse will see a shift in your relationship as well. One of you will be teaching, which may mean giving up a job, or spending less time with other adults, or enjoying time with your child that the other will miss out on.

Yes, there will be changes. Most of them will be positive.

4. Your child can still attend college.

While your child will not receive a state issued an accredited high school diploma, you can still award your child a diploma of graduation for your home school program. Some colleges will accept these without question. Other colleges will view them skeptically and may require your child to pass a GED exam or to take some community college classes first.

5. There will be disapproval.

You will encounter the disapproval of some people. It may come from family members. It may come from friends. It may come from local educational system. Most of this disapproval is honest concern for the educational and social welfare of your child. Many people believe there's no way to assure a quality education when you home school. Others believe that a home school child will miss out on developing healthy socialization skills.

Make sure you have a solid foundation of home schooling information before deciding whether or not to home school your child. These are legitimate concerns, but they can be easily addressed.

Home Schooling - Benefits And Drawbacks

There are several reasons why more and more parents choose home schooling instead of the traditional schools; the benefit of home schooling is when your child is able to succeed in life and you know you had a little bit to do with those achievements.

Home schooling is legal in the United States, even if there have been and still are many controversies on the issue of whether or not the child is benefiting from this procedure; this issue if still being debated and even a banning of this practice may be applied if enough evidence is found that children do not actually benefit from it.

8 Benefits of Home Schooling

Some of the most common reasons why parents are taking up home schooling:

1. Provide overall safety of the child at all times

2. Mentally or physically challenged children who cannot attend normal school anyway and parents for whatever reason refuse to send them to special designed schools, will normally benefit from home schooling.

3. The benefit of parents having direct supervision on what the child is studying first hand.

4. Home schooling means teaching and leaning experience for both parent and their child every day

5. For single parents who works at home it might be beneficial and convenient to take up the child's education as well.

6. An issue which many parents value, is the results for which the parent or parents are directly to praise or blame.

7. Keeping up the bonding between parent and child that some parents lose when the child goes away to school

8. The greatest benefit of home schooling, which almost every parent will agree with, is the achievements of one's child. When you see that your efforts and teaching have finally paid off and your child can receive its home schooling curriculum.

3 Disadvantages Of Home Schooling

While the benefit of home schooling may seem too good to be true and worth the trouble there are also a few disadvantages to take in consideration:

1. Parents may overdo the teacher's role by either being too strict or by being too lenient

2. The child missing on interacting with kids his or her own age. This is probably one of the main disadvantages of home schooling

3. Parents may lack sufficient skills like academic knowledge or teaching ability

Some parents are convinced of the benefits and chosen home schooling for their children and family. They will have to do the best they can and trust that they will reap the benefit of home schooling in the end. Parents and other interested people that are not so convinced yet, but are still debating about it, must make sure to take all angles in consideration before making the choice. The benefit of home schooling that you are hoping for may turn out to be something else than what you thought in the end. There is a chance that this might be something negative both for you and your child. So gather all information you can on the topic and don't make up your mind before you are sure this is something for your children and family.

The Pros And Cons Of Home Schooling Children

All children need a good education as they are growing up. This is just a known fact. What isn't so set in concrete however, is how you want to provide that important education. Would you rather have your child attend a public school? Or what about a school that is privately run? Or perhaps you may even think that home schooling children is the answer you are looking for.

While many children actually enjoy all that a public school offers, such as an active environment and lots of peer pressure, other children would not benefit as much from it. And then there are the children, for reasons only known by the parents, who are put into private schools. But even then, some children do not accomplish their best in that environment either. So the alternative for educating your children, may be home schooling them. A parent always wants what is best for his child so the reasons may vary why the decision is made to home school. Along with great benefits, are also a few disadvantages.

Home Schooling Children Can Put An End To Bullying And Teasing

Some parents will home school their child because of an overly amount of bullying and teasing by other children. Regardless of what some kids do, they will forever be the object of hateful and harsh bullies. If your child is being pushed around, there are ways in which you may offer help. First, contact the teacher. If the bullying continues, go the principal. If none of this helps, you may want to consider home schooling your child. The benefit of it will help protect your child and he will no longer be subject to cruel bullies. When your child attends high school, the bullying, more than likely, will be a thing of the past. If you can teach your child at home throughout grade school, while still allowing him to encounter social situations and friendships, your child will be free from the bothersome hooligans that now pester him at school.

Home Schooling Children And Teaching The Correct Religious Beliefs

Spiritual doctrine and a Christian's beliefs are one of the main causes for such type of study in children. Numerous Christians don't agree with the world teaching things like evolution and sex education to their children. Many Christians also do not desire to have their child endangered by the boozing, cursing, and sexuality found in worldly-minded schools. Rather, they decide to home school their children. If you go this way, you will have total control over their course of study and how it is instructed. Rather than having your child's brain occupied with unacceptable things like the different views on sex and scientific theories being instructed as reality, you will be able to teach your child an education on your own terms.

Putting An End To Your Unhappiness With The School System

Many times a parent become displeased with their local school system. An example of this is that kindergarten used to be held half a day, but many places are now having mandatory full day kindergarten. Shouldn't this just be an option? Also, because of standardized testing, many schools seem like all they are doing is teaching just enough so that their students can pass the test. Is this really a good learning process? Additionally, some schools send elementary school students home with hours of homework every night. Where is the family time and if the teacher has your child for eight hours a day, isn't that enough time to instill in them, all that is really necessary to grow up to be a productive adult?

So, as you decide if home schooling is best for you and your child and for whatever the reasons may be, keep in mind that you are not alone in your choice to home school. There are hundreds of resources which are available for you online and in stores to help you be the best home school teacher there is. Home schooling children - A great American concept of freedom!

Seton Home Schooling

Among the Catholic homes school programs, the Seton home school stand out as being one of the most popular. It is also one of the most controversial, being steeped in church dogma. While it is for parents to sort out this contentious issue and decide whether the Seton home school is right for them, it is acknowledged that this program is effective in promoting Catholic values not just among the children who study within this system, but in the family as a whole.

Seton home school is a concept promoted by Dr. Anne Carroll. She founded a regular middle school that became popular both for its religious teaching and the academic results it produced. As its fame grew, so did the demand for admissions, which was beyond the school's capacity. Although branches were set up, the demand could still not be met. Also, as the schools were quite expensive, there was a demand for education that was more affordable but which still imparted the same values and offered the same high standards. The outcome was the Seaton home school program, which Dr. Carroll promoted in 1980 and which has steadily grown in popularity.

The Seaton home school philosophy is that the parents are not just the primary care givers but also the primary educators of their children. The curriculum is based on the thoughts of the Magisterium or the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church. The idea is to provide the children and their families with a form of education based exclusively on the Catholic dogma and it either excludes or militates against that which is not acceptable to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Within these parameters, the standards are quite high and match and often exceed the standards of regular schools, both Catholic and non denominational. It has been found to be extremely effective in its college preparatory syllabus. The curriculum requires a great deal of parent participation as the religious aspect of the teachings, which begins from a very young age, requires that parents are involved, not just as mentors and guides but as living examples of these values propagated. Seton home school believes that without this the fundamental concept of home and family values cannot be successfully inculcated in the children's minds.

An example of this is the reading texts that are part of the syllabus. The family is portrayed and a large one, based on the traditional concepts with both a mother and father present, frequently visiting grandparents and joy at the arrival of a new child, irrespective of the size and financial means of the family. Single parent families (other than in the case of widows and widowers) are rarely if ever mentioned and when they are, are treated as aberrations.

Family life as portrayed in the syllabus revolves around prayer and church attendance and contains many references to Jesus and the Saints.

While the fundamentalist approach to the Catholic religion has caused controversy, even among some Catholic families who feel that it is out of step with modern times, the parents who do use the Seton home school programs are happy with the values it promotes and the academic results it achieves.

Essential Home School Information That You Need To Know

Home school programs has become a popular choice, as parents want to ensure their children receive the right education without the dangers they face in the traditional schools. Other parents with mentally or physically challenged kids want to be part of their kid's learning experience and therefore, prefer home schooling.

Home schooling, however, is a lot harder then most are aware of. Even though some parents do not have much choice, there is a lot of home school information you must gather, read, research and understand before you entertain the idea and jeopardize your child's education and thus, their future.

So Where do You Get the Most Reliable Home School Information?

The internet has became a big part of our lives today. You can find and access anything you need or want on the internet, so be sure that the information is accurate. The best way to learn and train yourself as a parent and teacher is to find all the home school information available easily first, and you can do so via online.

Most parents choose accredited online home school for their children as they are the best way to provide your child with the adequate education program and still be in charge of what the kid study and when. The home schools online will also provide you with all the home school information you need on how to conduct classes, how to plan each subject, and what to teach each day in order for your child to learn fast and enjoy the learning process at the same time.

Get Essential Home School Information From Other Parent Teachers

Perhaps you want to gather more information on how the child/parent relationship develops as student/teacher or perhaps, how to be the perfect parent/teacher for your child in order to provide the best possible education and be fair to your children. Through online, you can find parents who have been through what you are going right now and can certainly help you with all the home school information you may require.

In order to become the best teacher (goal of any homeschool parents) of your child and be fair at all times, you will need relevant and reliable home school information. You can get this information from the following available sources: home schools registered online, from websites hosted by parents who have been and still are home school teachers, and books that will provide you with guidelines on what to expect from home schooling programs and also how to become a good teacher for your child.

Benefits of Home Schooling - Now is the Time for All Good Parents to Consider Home Schooling

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Every second of every day passes by unbidden and unstoppable. When a minute has passed, it is gone forever. Whatever was done or not done during that minute is history and--at least as far as we know--unchangeable. For teachers, a minute lost means that less time remains for instruction. For students, there is less time in which to learn. If there was a way to use instructional time more efficiently and effectively, wouldn't you be interested in finding out about it? One of the benefits of home schooling is related to time.

You may be wondering how time could possibly be considered a benefit of home schooling. Doesn't home schooling take loads of extra time? Wouldn't it be more efficient to learn in a school setting?

Obviously, the amount of time that your child spends in a learning situation is not significantly different in home schooling compared to standard educational models. The primary time difference comes into play when you look at the amount of time spent by you, the parent-educator.

When you undertake home schooling, it's pretty much like taking on a full-time job. You will become your child's (or children's) only teacher. Even with a spouse, friend or relative helping out, there's still just the two of you. Compared to the faculty of a typical school, one and two are pretty small numbers.

Home schooling brings with it a great deal of responsibility as well. When you choose to home school, you are reclaiming the responsibility for teaching your child the essential knowledge and skills to succeed in life. You will be putting together a collection of home schooling materials. You will need to decide how to present information and help your child discover new knowledge on his own. Checking for learning and understanding will also be your responsibility. And if the need ever arises for discipline, guess who gets to be the one who sets things right? Yep, you guessed it.

So you can begin to see that the many benefits of home schooling are accompanied by many responsibilities as well. You may wonder if it's worth trading in a career or free time to acquire a better education for your child. It's definitely not a decision for the commitment-shy.

On the flip side, time is also a great benefit of home schooling, enough so that it may sway, or at least balance the equation.

Your child will most likely find that home schooling offers a huge advantage when it comes to time. Home schooling almost always offers a near-perfect learning environment, free from the distractions and politics found in the typical school. Even though you have the responsibility to provide learning materials, since you're only providing for one or a few students, you may be able to acquire materials much better than can be found in the local classroom. The bottom line is that most children in a home schooling situation are able to learn in a few hours what might take a day in the "normal" classroom.

Think of the possibilities! If your child is learning more in less time, not only will they be guaranteed to get the essentials to succeed in higher education and later in life, they will also have time to learn additional enriching knowledge and skills.

While it's true that home schooling can require a large time commitment on the part of the parents, the education gained by your child will be of incomparable quality. Plus, who's to say that parents will escape evening instructional time even if they do send their kids to public or private school? Any investment you make in the future of your children will certainly pay dividends many times over. And you will always cherish the memories of the quality time you spent together.

The Philosophy Behind Home Schooling

Parents who choose to home school their children do so for a variety of different reasons. In some cases parents have specific religious goals which they wish to achieve. Others are unhappy with teaching methods in the public school system, or object to the teaching of specific subjects. Yet others simply feel they can provide a better education for their children themselves.

Whatever the reason however the one thing that unites parents who opt for home schooling is a belief that the public school system does a poor job of educating children.

Despite what many parents believe, home schooling is not a new idea which requires you to strike out on your own and start reshaping the education system. In fact, until compulsory education laws were established in the middle of the 19th century, nearly all children were educated at home.

Public education however really came into its own during the 20th century and followed an authoritarian model of Prussian schooling started during the 1800s. Today public education is the norm and, in most cases, the Prussian model is still being followed in most countries.

By the 1960s dissatisfaction with public schooling in several quarters led to a number of challenges, in many cases stemming from books by now well known authors such as John Holt, and parents began to withdraw from the public education system.

Some of the parents withdrawing were early libertarians who were simply eager to be free of the state wherever possible. Others wished to return to an older tradition of Classical Liberal training, either from offshoots of the Roman Catholic Church (like the Jesuits) or of the Greek Enlightenment ideals.

Whatever the philosophy involved however a common set of ideas evolved that have became dominant in home schooling.

One fundamental idea is that a child is a naturally active learner. This idea is well rooted in history and dates back to the time of Aristotle who began his famous book Metaphysics with the words "All men possess by nature the desire to know." This idea holds that, given the right environment and resources, there is no need to enforce learning as children are keen to explore the world around them.

Beyond this one central idea school of thought within home schooling then begin to diverge on what should take place next.

In some cases parents embrace 'unschooling' which operates on the basis that the parent or tutor does not need a curriculum or to give children any direction. Here children are simply provided with books and a range of other natural resources and they will then learn whatever takes their natural interest.

Other parents turn to a more formal structure, in some cases even going so far as to use the same materials and teach exactly the same topics as are taught in the public schools. Here the parent or tutor is simply taking the place of the state teacher and the home replaces the school.

These two positions demonstrate the extremes of home schooling and yet other parents prefer to take the middle ground following ideas such as those put forward by people like Dr Montessori. Under the Montessori teaching system children are allowed to develop at their own pace but are provided with suitable materials and guidance. The parent or tutor is guided by the child, rather than the reverse seen in public schooling, allowing a child's imagination to provide the stimulation for learning. The emphasis is also very much on self-correction rather than correction by the parent or tutor.

Whatever your motivation and whatever approach you adopt, there is one consistent line of thought and that is that the children are the focal point of the learning experience and their proper development is the goal. As far as home schooling parents are concerned, this goal is best achieved outside the state system which has not, and cannot, provide the same quality of instruction as most parents can.

Some Thoughts on Home Schooling

What do home schooling groups need to do to keep their parents up on the latest and insure that their kids get a quality home education. There are many things to consider and with groups of parents working together they can learn a lot from each other. Here are some thoughts below;

  • Of course I am a huge proponent of mentorship from parents and others with specialties, although I was not home-schooled I know the mentorships I received helped me for sure.
  • If the parents feed their kids sugar and crap before school they act out more and if there is little or no discipline at home, how could there be in the classroom and it only takes a few disruptive kids to destroy the classroom setting of course. Parents of home schooled kids have this advantage and can control their pre-study diets and have no disruptions from other kids
  • Kids in Public Schools are more extra-introverted than those kids from home schooling. Socialization strategies must be considered if the kids are home schooled.
  • Home Schooled kids may not be more intelligent, granted but they are probably forced to study harder if their parents are there watching them. and perhaps less afraid to ask questions and thus this aids greatly in learning too. Children afraid to ask questions in a public school might be at a disadvantage.
  • Homeschooling Parents must teach their kids to tackle unknown, even thrive on it, seek it out and learn. That is important, that can happen through sports, new activities and such.
  • It is very important, if home schooling parents can teach children to become Rennaissance Style learners. I think this can be done with home schooling and perhaps groups of homeschoolers working together in teams, where the expertise of one parent is taught to the entire network of many other local homeschooling families, and as we search these things online it appears that is starting to happen.
  • Special programs, videos libraries and such all geared to the homeschooling parents, even educational retail stores, some good is happening due to demand and free market mechanisms too.
  • Home schooling parents do a good job teaching the kids right and wrong and when they get out in the real world, it's a total shock.
I hope you will consider these points if you choose homeschooling. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

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An Overview Of 'The Tax Man Cometh' For Home Schooling & Income Taxes

You are a home school and you also have to file for income tax, this is because government doesn't put you under lawful schools category. Those teachers who teach in either private education centers or accredited public schools are liable to receive a $200.00 as tax credit expenses they make from their pockets and are unaccounted for by the school.

Similar tax credits are not given to families of home school. This is not fair as parents of home schools are required to make high expenditures on getting the right syllabus and supplies as well and for all of it their not entitled to tax benefits.

Are there no benefits at all? Well yes, no such tax relief for the schools. The government is aware and this phenomenon is bad and good too. Good because from the time you take tax credits they shall start regulating all processes. Since there are no tax credits therefore there are no bindings either. But home schooling can be a major expense and if you more than a couple of kids then it can really escalate.

The list of expenses to be incurred is extensive, from purchase of syllabus, books, field trips, sometimes tutors, regular supplies& many unforeseen expenses. The truth that most of these home schools are have more children to educate coupled with single income family makes their case for tax credits all the more understandable. Wouldn't it be a major relief if these families could get their hands on some income tax benefits, it would be more than just help for them.

What they have to do is make choices between essential and needs so that they can make their ends meet. An experienced tax consultant would be able to give you proper guidance on such matters. A few steps could put you on the path to qualify for benefits of tax credits that too legally. First and foremost register your home school doing business. Right way convert the home school you are running into a business. Correct, register like ABCD, open a new bank account (savings) with a check leaflet and convert it into a platform for doing business.

You might be thinking what has home schools got to do with business making! Well, if you earn a fee from giving classes, it's a business, right. It not necessary that you be an A++ grade teacher. Most parents fail to realize that they have great potentials in the field of offering their knowledge in sewing classes, computers, music or other skills and if you make money out of it then that's plain and simple business. This way you can deduct expenses pertaining to the starting, setting up and running of this business. And in this fashion you can receive tax credits for your business.

Income taxes & home schooling is a complex subject. The help of a professional advisor is vital before taking any step. Home business could be subject to local laws that we would not necessarily be aware all of them, so make sure you get acquainted There are many benefits that are knocking at your doorstep so grab them with both hands.

The Public School Bias Against Home Schooling Parents

It’s becoming more and more obvious, as research on the success of home schooling is making clear, that home schooling is outperforming the US public school system in the quality of the education, self-esteem, and social awareness it instills in its students. And there are large numbers of public school authorities who are not happy with that realization.

The Tyranny Of Tenure

The public school system, to be fair, is saddled with regulations which make necessary change almost impossible. The tenure policy in most public school districts, for instance, prevents the firing of tenured teachers and school officials, and allows incompetent or unmotivated teachers who have hung on long enough to achieve tenure the security of lifetime employment. They are free to under educate our children whose parents cannot afford to put their children in private schools.

If tenured public school teachers were held to the same standards as private school teachers who are up for job reviews on a regular basis, they might take a different attitude toward fighting to maintain their tenured status. And home schooling might not have become the education method of choice for millions of American families.

It is nothing less than a catastrophic embarrassment for thousands of public school districts that parents with not formal training in education are outdistancing their teaching staffs in the quality of the education which they are giving their children.

Public school authorities would much prefer that the parents in their school districts operate under the belief that teaching should be reserved for degreed and state-certified teachers. But the statistics indicate that parents who home school who have never been within a mile of a teachers’ college or had a single college-level course in education are proving better teachers than those on the public school faculties.

The Eroding Tax Support

Another reason public school officials are livid about the number of parents choosing to home school is that the public school system loses, on the average, $7500 in government funding for each child removed from it. The public school system in the US is funded by tax revenues and each school district gets money according to the number of students enrolled. Form that money it pays for its teaching staff, and as the number of students drops, the number of faculty must be cut as well. Bye-bye gravy train.

Until the 1980s, in fact, home schooling parents [http://www.homeschoolresults.com/Articles/Home_Schooling_Resource.php] win most states faces truancy and neglect charges for choosing to keep their children out of the public school system. But over the last twenty-five years, parents outraged about the deteriorating public school systems have pressured the state courts to recognize their right to home school, and they now can in all fifty states. The legal home schooling requirements, however, still vary from state to state.

If the public school officials in your school district are harassing your over your decision to home school, consider joining the joining the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They will provide you with legal representation should you require it in order to continue home schooling your children. Their website is at [http://www.hsdls.org].

The Results of Home Schooling vs Public Schools

One of the very first questions that most parents ask about home schooling is whether it actually works. They are only too well aware of the fact that the public schools have problems, but really wonder whether they can do any better. One natural response for some parents is to try a little harder to see if they can afford private schooling but, even if this were possible, are the private schools faring any better than the public schools?

The simple fact of the matter is that there are many, quality studies which show that, on average, home schooling produces superior students. To an extent of course this is understandable as parents clearly have an effect on education no matter which route they take. A parent who is genuinely interested in the education of his or her children will help to motivate them, producing better results.

But there is certainly more to it that this and there are many cases, in a great enough variety of situations, to take even this into account and still come to the conclusion that home schooling produces better results.

Even the Unites States Department of Education agrees. In one study which they sponsored themselves home schooled students produced exceptionally high test scores. The median scores in every grade were far higher than those of public schools and even higher than those of private school students. The average home schooled student in grades one through four was a grade level above that of public school peers and, by the time home schooled students reached the equivalent of the 8th grade, they were as much as four years ahead of students attending public school.

As if this were not enough, costs were also lower. On average, government schools spent $6,500 per student each year and private schools spent $3,500. By contrast, parents undertaking home schooling spent about $550 per student each year. This figure for home schooling does not of course take into account the time spent by parents on home schooling for which a public school teacher would be paid.

The public school system as we know it today evolved during the second half of the 19th century as one state after another made school attendance compulsory. Perhaps the most interesting question however, and one which rarely seems to be asked, is why, if public schooling offered such superior value, it was necessary for the states to make it compulsory and to force parents to put their children into the public school system.

It could be, and sometimes is, argue that this was due to the ignorance of rural parents who did not see the value of education. However, it is interesting to note that adult illiteracy rates in 1840 Massachusetts were a low 2% and that, by 1995, this figure had risen to 19%, in spite of apparently enormous advances in the intervening years. In 1840 libraries were rare and today they are everywhere as books are both relatively inexpensive and easy to trade.

Today over a million children are home schooled in the United States and thousands of home schooled students have attended colleges and universities, including many of the most prestigious and difficult to get into.

Whatever your own thoughts about home schooling vs public schooling there is no doubt that the results clearly show the advantage of home schooling.

Christian Home Schooling

There are many different reasons you could choose to home school your children. Some choose it because of lifestyle. Others because of medical problems. Christian home schooling presents yet another option. Christian home schooling has increased in popularity, because this gives parents a way to monitor what their children are learning and to instill Christian values in them.

Are you a Christian and wondering if home schooling is right for you? Well consider this. If being in a world where displaying your religious preference in public schools is becoming less tolerated is something that bothers you, Christian home schooling is a good alternative. It presents an opportunity for you to incorporate learning about the Bible and God within your daily lessons.

However, this may not be enough of a reason to home school your children. A disadvantage is that it may shelter them from interacting socially with children their own age. Being around non-Christians is also a great way to teach a child tolerance. Also, there are Christian schools that incorporate Christian teachings within their curriculum. However, tuition to a private school is not always affordable. This makes Christian home schooling a logical option.

There are other reasons to home school. Some public schools may be located in areas that are unsafe. If you are a Christian missionary, it doesn't always make sense to split up your family, especially if you need to move to a foreign country. You may also be in the military and need to move once or twice a year. Changing schools constantly can be traumatic to a child.

If you decide to home school your children, there are a lot of Christian home schooling support groups that can help you choose a good curriculum and offer other forms of support. Some encourage socializing, while others support you emotionally. You can find Christian home schooling support groups online, or you can ask some local churches.

Home Schooling and Your Kids

Home Schooling has been garnering more and more interest and support from many parents who are looking for educational alternatives that they can give to their kids. Home schooling is an educational method that makes use of the home as the primary educational base for children. The system involves children being taught or educated at home rather than at an institution such as public or private schools.

In the past, most children are taught their ABC's at home in the absence of adequate schools in some areas. But with the advent of compulsory school attendance in the 19th century, education worldwide is earned through the traditional school approach. In today's terms, home schooling or home education refer to the instruction done in the home with the supervision of government-regulated correspondence schools.

Is home schooling effective? Most people tend to believe so. Many experts think that home schooling can be an effective learning tool because it practices a more personalized form of education. In home schooling, it is usually the parent's responsibility to teach the kids their lesson. And this type of learning environment has helped many children absorb more of what they are being taught.

And the great results have substantiated proof. Some home school statistics show that a number of home school students scored as many as thirty percentile points higher than national public school averages. Some experts don't even see statistical differences in terms of academic achievement between home school students taught by parents with less formal education and those students being taught by parents that have acquired higher formal education.

There are other positive home schooling statistics available that will help prove that such a method of educating children is just as effective. In 2003, the NHERI or National Home Education Research Institute conducted an extensive survey of over 7,300 home-schooled adults in the US with over 5000 of them being part of the survey for over seven years. The findings of the said survey indicated that more home-schooled adults are more active and involved in their respective communities.

Most of them are also more likely to get involved in civic affairs and have higher voting population percentages than their counterparts. In terms of outlook, almost three fourths of home schooled adults feel more positive and find life exciting as compared to less than half for the general population. Half of the home schooled adults report that they are very happy with their lives.

These statistics have shown that home schooling can have a great effect on how a child will learn. Home education can be just as effective and efficient as having your children taught in traditional institutions. Home schooling just carries a big advantage over these educational institutions in the sense that this method can make parents and their kids find time together. If you are looking forward to getting closer with your own kids and more active when it comes to their schooling, then home education for your kids should be considered.

Results Of A Home School Education

Families have found an alternative to public education by homeschooling with good results -- statistically proven results even. Polls done nationwide have shown children who have been home schooled rank consistently higher than the national average in scholastic tests, often ranked above the 70th percentile in standardized achievement tests.

Studies also show that a large number of home schooled children are enrolled in a grade level that is higher than their peers of the same age, and that home schooled children have a higher rate of college attendance and graduation.

The advantages of home-schooled children don't stop there, however. Thanks to generally receiving a better education and being more likely to receive a college degree, home-schooled children as a group go on to get better jobs and earn more in the workforce.

Homeschooling keeps children from harm's way as well. Families stay together and learn together in a home school environment. Since children would be under the constant supervision of their parents during the day, problems from the schoolyard are nonexistent. Many families take the opportunity to implement Christian values in their home schooling, morally emphasizing an aspect of educational growth especially.

Not only are home-schooled students scoring higher on tests, but the parents of these children are in charge of their moral upbringing and safety, which facilitates their progress.

Many who opt to choose home schools look for a Christian method to match their beliefs and morals. Parents who obviously have a vested interest in their child can concentrate on teaching a greater amount of learning and bible-based moral concepts.

Many different curriculums are available today. School districts often offer home school curriculums that follow along with the public school curriculum, but give the parents the opportunity to move their children along at a pace they are more comfortable with. This prevents a student from being held back due to slower moving students in a public schooling environment.

A good curriculum will provide live support behind it, and offer a quick start kit -- or something similar -- to get the ball rolling for those parents who are ready to take on the educational duties for their children.

How Students Advance in Home Schooling

Proper home schooling curriculums will follow a modular formula for children to progress through. This means that no step in the educational process passes by without a passing mark. Each process is foolproof so as to make sure the pupil is ready to go on to the next instruction.

A beginning competency test makes it easy to start and to evaluate the pupil's aptitude and placement. Diagnostic tests should be provided to help a parent through this process.

Home schooling curriculums often provide material for every grade from kindergarten through to high school graduation.

Home Schooling Publications

More and more parents have started to consider home schooling as a wonderful alternative to sending their children to public school. Nowadays, the public school system, leave a lot to be desired which is why the option has gained popularity.

In this environment, students won't have to deal with bullies, violence, gangs, and other social hazards that people have come to expect from the public school system. Aside from this, it provides help parents foster and instill belief systems that may not be given importance in a regular school setting. Not to mention that it promotes closer ties between parent and child.

However, there is still some contention over traditional classroom instruction. For instance, some might argue that a home school child may not be able to develop social skills properly. This point revolves around the fact that a classroom setting allows children to interact with one another. However, if one really thinks about it, schools provide an environment akin to that of an office and any deep personal interaction will happen outside of the classroom and not in it.

To address social development in home schooled children though, the parent-teacher must be able to incorporate the proper social learning and interaction of his or her child through field trip activities organized with other organizations or other home schooled children. There are also a whole slew of extra curricular activities that may be included in the child's learning curriculum to enrich the learning experience and promote social development.

State laws and requirements must also be taken into consideration in the decision to choose over traditional education. As a responsible teacher-parent, one must of course learn about the legalities and requirements of non traditional schooling to ensure the best quality of education for one's child.

To learn all-from the basics to improving your current set up with your child or children, there are a number of publications available to help you with this.

A Natural Learning Experience (http://www.thenaturalife.com/The_Natural_Life/Home_Schooling.html)

This site's author shares his personal experience. It is a wonderful resource on home schooling and lists a roster of fantastic books that will help any parent schooling their children.

The How Tos of Setting Up Home Schooling Resources (http://www.home-school.com/Articles/HomeschoolResCenter.html)

This site contains an article that helps a parent-teacher to pick up practical and useful insight and tips on setting up a resource to ensure a healthy learning environment for the home schooled student. It offers a list for a starter kit and lists a few books that are must haves for anyone serious about home schooling their children.

Home Schooling 101

Why bother home-schooling?

Why bother? Well, if you are thinking it is a bother, you might re-think your decision right there. To educate your child at home is not a bother, but a wonderful, richly rewarding experience that benefits you and your child. So, take the "bother" word from your vocabulary if you really would like that opportunity. Yes, this is your opportunity and your child's opportunity.

If you are a stay-at-home mom or dad, then you have the opportunity to have wonderful learning experiences by home-schooling your child. In most states, home-schooling is legal, a legal option. There are some guidelines and rules and regulations that you need to follow, but after that everything rocks! (In some states, there are a certain amount of days that you have to notify the Board of Education that you intend to home-school your child).

You cannot simply keep your child from school and decide to home school. You must, almost always notify the School Board or the Board of Education. You can find out the rules and regulations through your government officials or through some wonderful home-schooling magazines and literature. Once you find out the rules and regulations, you are set to go.

Are there benefits to home-schooling?

Time, Balance, Growth & Togetherness

When home-schooling is done in the proper way, your child will have a fully-balanced education and will become a well-rounded good student. The rewards are unmeasurable. First, one of the benefits is that you both spend more time together and give each other more attention. The average student sees their parent for probably a few minutes a day during the week, or at most an hour or two. However, the average home-schooling parent or guardian sees their child on a regular basis for a few hours a day (when that parent or guardian is teaching). You will learn together! Now that's one of the biggest and best benefits of home-schooling. The teacher and the student learn from each other. You grow together. And you can look back on this experience in years to come and both of you will be happy about your choices and decisions. Children get to spend more time with their siblings, and the younger ones will learn while the older ones are learning also.

You will have more time for each other. You can make practically any life-lesson an education lesson. Going to the supermarket or going to a department store is a lesson in buying, purchasing, finances and product comparison. Going to a fast food place is a lesson in food, health, and in purchasing and even a lesson in customer service. The fast food process shows the children very valuable marketing lessons. So things in every day life add to your home schooling experience.

Good Education

Another benefit is a great education. You see first hand what your child is learning without the need for PTA meetings and without the need for a strangers' report on your child's progress. You choose your child's education. If you want to teach your child spiritual lessons, you can do that. You can teach religion as history and history as religious lessons. (Look at all the Christians in history and look at the impact they made in our land). You can teach fun science lessons and math lessons. A trip to the bank and to the ATM will be a great business math lesson.

You can even take a trip to the Treasury Building and other related places. Your child will benefit first hand so much more in seeing and doing rather than relying on mostly book-based education. (Yes, you need books and you use books, but you do not depend on them solely as your only education tool). Socialization happens just as easily with home-schooled children as it does for children who attend school in school buildings. Many times when we do television shows, we invite the home-school children, parents and guardians to come into our studio, take a tour and be on the show. So, your options are wide open and your world is your education. Another benefit is a focused education. You are the teacher; you are in charge. That gives you lots of options and lots of opportunities.

What are the problems related to home-schooling?

There are few problems to home-schooling, and these are some:

Your child might miss the classmates if your child started out with regular education and now switched to home-schooling.

How do you solve those problems?

The way to overcome this is to have your child interact as much as possible with the children from the other schools. Invite the children (with parents' permission) to come on some day trips with you . Or invite them over after school. Have your child enroll in a hobby that he or she likes . (Children take up piano or bowling, or art , and in these hobbies the children make new friends and have interaction with children their own age). Use your own imagination and you will find ways to have your child interact with other children and still be home-schooled.

Testing

Most school districts require specific tests for home-schoolers. But the tests are no harder than those given to regular school children. So, prepare for the tests. They also usually require that a licensed teacher observe or give the tests. This can all be arranged. If you are determined to home-school, there is nothing that should stop you from at least trying this option of education.

Stigma

Years ago, there used to be a stigma attached to home-schooling. Years ago, most times farmers and poor people and migrant workers home-schooled. Sometimes children and even adults made fun of home-schoolers. But today, that is all changed around remarkably. And this was especially noted when one year, the home-schooled child won the National Spelling Bee on national tv, proving that she was the best speller in the nation. Even after that so many came forward on television stating they had been home-schooled and were now attending college or had graduated from conventional colleges.

What if you change your mind? If you change your mind about home-schooling, you have a right to have your child attend public school. Check with your school district. Most times in most cities, every child is entitled to a free public education, and most likely you live in a city or town like that. So don't worry about changing your mind -if you find that home-schooling is impossible for you to do.

Where can I get supplies or books if I educate my child/children at home?

Look online! Do a search for everything related to home-schooling. There are entire companies who focus on nothing but home-school supplies, books and videos. There are plenty of companies out there for you to become educated about home-schooling. You can become an expert in home-schooling if you want to be.

For art lessons, contact the Pearl Paint Store in New York City. They have a mail-order company also and you will find every single item you need for any arts or arts and crafts lessons that you choose to give. For math and business and finances, write to the Treasury Department, the consumer department, you will be amazed at what is available for free. Write away to Pueblo and ask for the government information catalog. This catalog is a hub of wonderful ideas, books, booklets and pamphlets, many that you can use in your school.

Should I home-school my child?

This is the hardest question that you ask. The answer is obvious. Only you and your child know if you should home-school your child. Know that this is hard work, mixed with lots of fun and great together times. So you must be ready for hours of hard work if you choose home-schooling. If you are ready for that and if you have the time for that , then you know what to do.

Our Experience

In the past I have home-schooled my three children (before they became of school age), and every one of them went into school way ahead of the class. By the time one child was in second grade, that child was tested and found to be able to read college journals. So home-schooling works, even when it is 'unofficial" home-schooling. The tools that I used were everything that was around. . For example, before my children learned to read, we both would be walking down the street and come to the stoplight. The light was marked with the word, "STOP", and that , to me, was and is a reading lesson. We would read all the words that we passed as we walked down the street. I was doing the home-schooling thing as my child and I walked along the sidewalk. That was "Reading 101".

Simple and fun as this was - this game of reading, this was the game that enabled my children to enter school reading years before their classmates learned to read. So home-schooling, even basic home-schooling works wonders in children's lives.

You have probably read about home-schooling and you might have talked to other parents or guardians who have home-schooled their children. But no matter what you have heard, there is more to home-schooling than just reading. When you check with your local school boards you will have the details about government regulations (and there are many) regarding home-schooling. When I first thought about home-schooling, my

second child was in the older grades. I thought about it lots because the school was polluted and it had to be shut down temporarily. We went back to conventional schooling after the building was almost re-built. My child and I learned so much from just observing nature and from visiting parks.

Your Experience

Only you know what your own experience will be like. You know yourself and you know your child better than anyone else knows them. So decide according to your needs, wants and lifestyles and your time schedule. Only you know the answer to whether you should home-school or not. Some home-school through a temporary need; perhaps a child has a broken leg and cannot attend the local school. They begin home-schooling and find that both the parent and guardian and the child like the experience, so they apply to home-school on a regular basis and everyone is happy.

One thing for sure, do not let anyone make this decision for you, and do not let anyone make you have negative feelings about home-schooling. If this is what you want, this is what you should do. Try it, you'll like it. And if you do not like it, or if you feel it is too much of a responsibility, then it is your decision to change your mind. You will never know unless you try. You might want to try it during summer vacation or during the holidays. This offers you the opportunity to educate your child and yet neither of you miss any regular schooling or regular work

You should try home-schooling if you have the time to do it. And you? So, what are you waiting for? Now is the time to investigate, prepare for and begin to home-school for your child if that is what you both want to do.

Practical Homeschooling Online - Home Schooling Custody Laws

Custody is not a prime feature in home schooling laws and therefore custody laws could turn out to be problematical. It is more evident if parents reside in separate states. It is therefore advised that prior to deciding for home school flight, get the custody laws enlisted and get well versed to all the laws that govern home schooling laws affecting you.

If you have any custody issues with regards to home schooling, ensure that your ex-partner and you sort out all disagreements that where the child will take home schooling. If you decide then online home schooling shall be a good option. If you do not have full ideas of your state's custody laws then you should check them out, Home School Legal Defense Association's (HSLDA) homepage is the place where you can find all the info. The site provides a fairly good overview but some specific custody laws could still be missing.

Here you should try and consult an attorney who has considerable knowledge in this field so that you sure that you aren't violating any local or state laws. You can also visit HSLDA to seek advice as to where you can find an attorney who could meet your requirements at a local place.

There are quite a few laws that govern home schooling in California state. An existing judgment from Second Appellate District Court of LA taken on a family (home school) could have drastic effects for California home schoolers. This opinion on home schooling is based in a court ruling taken in a 1950's. In short the judgment says schooling from home is illegal in California state.

Feeling inquisitive, read all at [http://www.hsdla.org]. In California there exist some special laws for attendance and custody. If the child is enrolled in a private school or tuitions he is excused from obligatory public school attendance. Here below is one such California laws that defines attendance & custody in the following manners:

"...48200.5. in spite of Section 48200, any person living in Carson city and is either a legal guardian or a parent of a person who is undergoing obligatory education is allowed to seek admission of that particular person in a school district wherein the residence of parent/guardian is within Unified School District of Los Angeles subject to an agreement terms that allow transfers that have been permitted by the Unified School District of Los Angeles & Unified School District of Compton "

[http://www.legalinfo.ca.gov/calaw.html] is the source from where the statement has been derived. It must be noted that in California home schooling laws are very complex as the state is sans a statute for home schools. If home schooling then ensure you file the entire paperwork. Issues pertaining to custody & California laws give you enough reason to make everything doubly sure before taking a step. In case both homes of custodial parents could be used for schooling then that will be ideal. Despite the above noting its still better to go over to an attorney and take his advice if the school districts of parents are different.

If an overview of the home schooling custody laws are taken then they all appear to be pretty much indecisive, but attendance is compulsory and also a few more requirements. It is in your interest to adhere to state laws.

Checking Out the So-Called Disadvantages of Home Schooling

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

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

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

Home Schooling Disadvantages

Even as we have noted the positive things about it, it is also important that we check out its perceived disadvantages. The following are some examples of those:

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage seen by critics of this is the limitations that are naturally set when it comes to the social exposure and interaction by the children who are under this educational system. And indeed this is a very valid point that needs to be looked at very seriously, since social exposure is one of the main benefits of going to school in the traditional manner, apart from the academic ones. While there might be some groups that help in addressing this by scheduling field trips and such, still that would hardly be enough to compensate for what is lost.

There are also some concerns about the supposed narrowness of the academic focus of it's curriculums. Now there is also some truth to this since the parents could either select from existing home school programs or they could choose to use the curriculum that has been adopted by the local school district. The said narrowness of the curriculum becomes compounded by the fact that it is taught by just one parent, thereby limiting the views and ideas that are passed on to the child, as this situation is seen to likely affect the way the child learns.

Opportunities that are always open to those who study in the usual way are also not open to those who are engaged in home schooling. This lack in the number of opportunities can be attributed to the limitations placed on the information that could reach a parent who is looking for advantages situations for his child - like financial assistance, scholarships, and the like.

Home-School - A Family or a School?

It seems like we are stuck with the term, "home-school" and I will use it in my article just because we all know what we are talking about, but it really conveys the wrong idea. It makes us think that we are "doing school" at home. We are not.

All of life is education. Home-Education is a much more comprehensive term. We are instilling character,
teaching worldview, developing life skills and growing in knowledge, enlightening the understanding and pursuing wisdom, and this is not happening between the set hours of 9.00am -3.00pm. It is all day and
night, every day, through holidays, sickness, excursions...yes...through all of life!

How can we educate as a family without home-"schooling"?

  • We need to live life as a family. Yes, it is important (I believe) to structure our days and lives, but real life mustn't be an interruption to our "schooling." We need to view the whole of our day as a teaching moment. It is not necessarily easy to
  • view interruptions as a part of the plan, (I don't find it easy), but the way in which we handle these times are just as important as teaching Maths. Having another baby in the home is not an interruption!
  • As a family, we can break free from thinking in terms of school hours and school terms. As we home-school, we need to remember that we are primarily a family and we can arrange our days and holidays to suit our family needs. For many years now, I have worked for 5 weeks and then had a one week break. This enables me to focus on a block of time and plan out a course of work. Then, I can home-school solidly for the next five weeks. If my term was to go for ten weeks, I would find it really hard to keep up with those frustrating bits of housework that stare you in the face. I can keep going with my work for a solid five weeks, knowing that the overflowing cupboard will be dealt with in the next week.
  • We also need to remember not to measure productivity by "book-work". Education is not confined to books! Sometimes we may feel disappointed when we do not have a lot to show for our children's efforts, but we must keep in mind that the nurturing and development of character will mostly come about through conversation and discussion and relationship building. The fruit of our efforts in educating our children should not be summed up in a score or a mark or a status or placement.
  • We do not have to follow a school's curriculum. We are a family. Through prayer, reading and research, we can set our own goals for our home-school and for our children's education. After all, the goals that one sets for their family determines what they will be studying. If music is a priority in your family, a goal you have set, then you will make time, find excellent teachers, and insure practice takes place - all because it is one of your goals. If you want your children to have a solid Christian worldview perspective, then you need to think carefully about what you teach, the materials you use and how the education you are giving displays the Lordship of Christ over all- and over all education. These decisions are for your family.
  • As a family, we are teachers who care about our children's weaknesses and struggles. It sounds ridiculous, but at times, I have found myself marking work with the aim to find out what my children don't know - and ready to point out their deficiencies without the encouragement and kindness that should accompany my marking pen. At times I thought it was cheating to give my children the tricks and tips to get the right answer. Now, I understand that that is why we are there - we are home-schooling them to be gentle with those who struggle and give them all the tools, tricks and tips to promote learning in their area of difficulty. It also means we are strict with those who are lazy and who do not give their best effort, and we need to look for ways to help the struggler and challenge and excite the child who never struggles. We do this because we care - about them and their character.

So, do we "home-school"?

Yes - we provide an education for our children.

No - we live life and teach through the moments of each day.

What is Home Schooling About?

Home schooling is the act of educating one's children primarily at home and in a family setting, with a parent or guardian as teacher. The term can apply equally to children in the K-12 range who fall under his or her state's compulsory attendance laws.

Home school is kind of similar to building a house -- you need to determine your plan, gather your materials, and make sure that you have the right tools for the job. Take your time to read, look around, compare notes on different ways of teaching. It is legal in all 50 states, and 37 states actually have some statutes or regulations specifically geared for home schooling. There are also home school organizations running in every state, and children that are schooled at home tend to score higher, on average, than their publicly schooled peers.

Families will choose to school their children at home instead of sending them to public schools for a variety of different reasons. This kind of schooling can help parents and children form strong bonds with one another. And nowadays, families are spending their educational dollars as they see fit, and educational entrepreneurs are trailblazing the way by creating a wide-ranging marketplace of goods and services for this market. It's not just about mom and the kids around the kitchen table now -- it's becoming a new educational model.

Home school programs are a great choice for many different kinds of students and families. They are most generally used by families with children between the grades of 5th and 12th. These programs are ideal for those children who are prevented from attending a regular high school due to some personal problems, financial troubles or poor health, among other things.