Home Schooling and Its Effects

Home schooling or homeschooling, if you want (in deed, you even see it hyphenated, as in home-schooling) has been around for about 30 years now, although, of course it was all pupils had before state involvement in education. Out of the way sparcely-populated places in huge countries like the USA, Canada and Australia still have to rely on home schooling to a large extent, although it is easier now with the popularization of radio, television and the Internet. Video packages also have an important role, as do books still.

However, home schooling has become very much in demand in the cities as an alternative to inner city public schools, which are frequently seen as hotbeds of upheaval, anger and narcotics, especially by the middle classes and not without some due reason, to be honest. Nonetheless, there are also other good reasons for deciding on home schooling, which we will go into at a later stage.

First, it ought to be pointed out that the decision to opt for home schooling must be a family one. This is because it will toss "normal family life" on its head and place an added financial strain on the household budget. For instance, one parent will need to stop working. This cannot be allowed to be a source of bad feeling, or both parents could take part-time jobs and share the children's educational time. Whichever way you go, you will not have two full-time incomes any longer. Working at home on the Internet could be a partial solution here.

Home schooling will also upset everyone's social life. So, the parents' social life is restricted by not seeing work colleagues every day, but so is little Johnny's, particularly if he has already spent some time in a conventional classroom. He won't see his pals from class as much and they may drift away from him or even be angry with him.

On the plus side is that the family will become much more solid as a unit by working together at home schooling. Both parents will have a thorough understanding of what their child is learning and will be learning. While following a broad-spectrum education, you may nonetheless opt to focus on aspects of, say, history or science, that especially interest your child. It gives you the freedom to match your child's education to his or her own interests, something that state education cannot do well with large classes. Your child will also come less under the influence of the bawdier elements in school and be able to concentrate more on studying.

A note of caution may be useful at this juncture. Do not be tempted to compel your child to progress too rapidly. It is tempting for a non-professional teacher-cum-proud parent in home schooling to push the child much harder than he can go. Don't forget that most people are just average. You ought to be on look out for signs of burn-out and stress at all times.

Once you decide to opt for home schooling, you will have to choose a basic curriculum, run through it yourself to familiarize yourself with it, purchase or locate in the library any additional books, videos and software, write a lot of notes and stock up on pens and paper, folders, binders and filing cabinets and you'll be ready for your first term at home schooling.

Home School Tips For Working Parents

Home school families tend to be busy. They are busy because there seems to be more time available for many other activities along with schooling. Because of this scheduling is a priority. As a family, time is needed to not only school but to get along as a family. If you find your self running in different directions with out time to breathe or relax, you are in need of a schedule.

It is very possible to home school your children and have a work at home business. Many people I know have such situations are very successful. But again, the main reason is scheduling. It is important to have a routine set in place for you and your children. With a routine, you are able to school your children, maintain your house and run a successful business all at the same time. I am living proof of that very thing, and of course had to go through trial and error before finding what worked for us. I hope to share some insight on that so that you can be successful too.

Here are some tips to guide you:

* Family Calendar - sit as a family and design a calendar. It can be very simple or more elaborate with color coding for each family member and their activities. Determining the time needed for each activity including schooling will help you design your hours to work at home.

* Set time limits on electronics such television time and computer time. This is very important since this seems to take up a lot of precious time. We limit computer time for each child to an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Sometimes it changes because of the school work that needs to be accomplished with the computer but setting time limits makes them get their work done quicker.

* Do not use the television as a babysitter. Having many children, it is very easy to rely on the television to entertain your children while working with another child, but this can also be avoided. Choose some quiet time toys or games for them to play with in place of the television.

* Incorporate siesta time or quiet time into your daily routine. During this time children can take naps or read books or color which in turn will give you time to work at your business or other chores you may have. The children must be made aware that this is quiet time and you can use this time wisely for your business.

* Use a helper. You may either hire a helper or have an older child help with the other children, so that you can get work accomplished. This is a great opportunity for a fellow home schooler to earn extra money or for an older sibling to learn responsibilities in caring for the younger ones or help tutor them as well.

It has taken me some time to develop a schedule that works for our family and it is one that continuously changes, but with a daily routine the children know what to expect. It is amazing home much time we truly have if we remove the distractions of electronics. We read together as a family and cook as a family. These are times that we are not only bonding as a family but the children are learning as well.

The beauty of home schooling is that we are not restrained by time schedules. What I mean is that we do not have to be up at the crack of dawn to catch a school bus. We can determine our schedule according to the activities we have planned for the day. We can schedule classes to begin at 10am or schedule ourselves to be finished by lunchtime. We are able to take family vacations and still school our children if we choose. Every moment is incorporated into our home school life.

Having the flexibility enables us to have a work at home business. The children will see us incorporate our time wisely and will learn valuable lessons from watching us. Scheduling has worked for us because of our home business. When not working we are schooling and because home schooling is basically one on one tutoring, the time spent teaching is valuable. You will be amazed at how much schooling can get done in a short amount of time. Use your time wisely and you too, will have a successful home school environment and a business you can be proud of.

The Case For Home Schooling - Parental Resourcefulness

There is always a case for home schooling and parents choose to home educate their children for a broad range of reasons. For every case there are voices of opposition and doubt. This article is one of a series addressing a range of the notions raised by these voices - the concern over parental resourcefulness.

In the Adelaide newspaper, The Advertiser (Australia), there was recently an article entitled 'In a Class of Their Own' which reported on the increase in home schooling numbers in the last year. The article also had the comment made by a teacher, with 35 years experience, who chose to remain unnamed, that it would be impossible for a parent to provide the level of education needed to properly educate a student.

She stated, "Some parents might be able to cope with the lower grades of junior primary subjects, but you would start to need a degree of specialisation to give them the best information for the variety of subjects." Continuing she said, "In secondary school it would be impossible to be an expert at all subjects - from German to English - and I believe these parents are depriving children of essential learning experience."

As a knowledgeable parent, I shake my head in dismay. This teacher's viewpoint assumes that a parent, themselves, has not studied beyond their own secondary school years. It is odd that they neglect that home educating parents have a very broad range of post-secondary qualifications including agriculture and viticulture, engineering and business, medicine and law, and oddly enough - teaching at both primary and secondary levels. How is it that the skills that parents have acquired on both their academic and career paths not acknowledged by this teacher?

A second assumption by this teacher was made in a further comment in which she said, "There is also a lack of exposure to a range of teaching styles and teaching methods. They are just getting the same old boring mum." Now as a mother who is home educating this comment, in an of itself, is downright offensive. It suggests that mothers firstly are boring as well as not being capable of utilising varied approaches when facilitating the learning of their children.

Further to this though, is an answer that can be encapsulate why home schooling is so effective - networking. There is this widely thought belief that home schooling means school at home. When this viewpoint is taken often in conjures thoughts of a mother hovering over her children's shoulders with ruler in hand, with her offspring sitting in front of books and mother correcting every mistake as it is made. For many home educating families this could not be further from the truth! Modern home schooling families, in contrast, often report that they need to reel their children home because they are out and about so much.

This aside, the networking ability of home educators enables them to quickly and easily link them to experts in fields outside their skill sets that are both inside and outside the home schooling community. If you are wondering how this all happens then you need to start finding you local and state home schooling groups. Often these groups operate both with a physical presence as well as an online presence. Often you will be able to find both state based support groups and home education groups that are oriented to the nature of your family or learning approaches by simply doing a search on Yahoo groups.

These groups link members to books, curriculum, courses, and specialists including medical professionals, legal support and educators with specialities which are sometimes easier taught by someone else. This, of course, is in addition to organising activities for members to do together from informal walks in local national parkland through to planned learning activities across all learning domains, that are presented by home educators or professionals that they bring in to speak on the topic. Recently, a home schooling mother arranged for a member of the Department of Primary Industries and Resources to come and explain geological concepts including how to identify minerals and crystals. The educator from the department usually only presented to upper secondary students and university students and was somewhat amazed at the ability of home-based students from the age of five to fifteen also actively taking in all that he explained to them. How wrong was that teacher in her thoughts?

This, of course, coincided this week with a report coming from Flinders University's Science 21 (also known as Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century) that examined the qualifications of science teachers in South Australian schools. The report detailed that they had found that only 84% of general science teachers for Years 8-10 students were qualified and the findings only got worse from there. In senior classes (Year 11 & 12) the results dropped off significantly. In Biology only 75% of teachers were appropriately qualified, in Chemistry only 72% held the standard of qualification expected and in Physics only 57% held the appropriate qualifications. In fact, if your child's teacher in South Australia is aged between 30 and 34 years of age you have approximately a 1 in 5 chance that their teacher is appropriately qualified. Sadly too, geology did not rate a mention as there were only 4 responding teachers who were all qualified but that last year there were only eight geology classes held in the entire state leaving little space for broad comparison.

I find this to be an interesting contrast to the argument put forward by the 35-year experienced teacher and it makes me wonder what the qualification results would be for subjects outside of the sciences. Would we see the same trend for the state to be below the national average as well as below what many fee-paying parents expect from our education departments? It is food for thought, is it not? Perhaps, it was a good thing that this teacher remained anonymous because I, for one, would like to have been able to write a letter asking for clarifications on her thoughts especially in consideration of this recent report.

I could determine that, in many respects, this report puts more weight to the case for home schooling. Home schooling parents are resourceful enough to find those teachers who are qualified who are willing to support students in specific academic studies where parental knowledge falls short. At the same time, too, parents have the opportunity to educate their children in skills, crafts and academia that is not taught in traditional schooling models - left instead for Universities or work places. The quality of education that home schooling parents provide is not just weighted against their ability to meet curriculum outcomes (which is how applications are measured) but when it comes to preparing young adults, it is also the amazing breadth of experiences in both academic learning, social exposure, and interaction with our world that truly make home education a quality choice for many families.

Think You Want to Home School? Five Reasons Why You Should Think Again

My family has just started our sixth year of home schooling. When we hear how other families prepare for the first day of traditional school, we're reminded that we have made the right decision for us.

My children never worry about whether their teacher will like them or not, what the other kids will be wearing, or who their friends will be this year.

Home schooling can be a wonderful experience, if it's the right choice for you, and if you are prepared for it. However, I've met a lot of parents who start out thinking home schooling will be great, but are pulling their hair out and ready to quit before the first year is over.

Here are five questions to ask yourself, before you make the decision to home school your own children.

1. Are you willing to take sole responsibility for your child's education? When you homeschool, the parents assume 100% of the responsibility for their child's education. Even if you engage other resources to help educate your child, it is up to you to find those resources, and make sure they're meeting your child's needs.

2. Is your family ready to be together all day, every day? Increased "togetherness" can be draining if you're not prepared for it. Most home schooling families find that home schooling has a positive effect on family relationships. Over time, many parents and children grow to enjoy being together. However, if you look forward to your kids going to school each day so you can have time alone, home schooling will change all that.

3. Do you have the energy to home school? You'll spend more energy home schooling than sending children to school. Besides teaching your children, you'll need to keep involved with home school activities, opportunities, teaching methods and ideas - not to mention staying current with home schooling legislation.

4. Are you ready for your home to look different? A few years ago, we had a realtor evaluate our house. One of his comments was, "You have a lot of... stuff..." He was right. Our house is filled with, not only the regular items you'd find in a busy household, but with our current activities, school books, and ongoing science projects. If you like to keep everything uncluttered, you may find home schooling hard for this reason. Some people find that having their home school take over their house is much more difficult than they expect.

5. How do you handle criticism? When you home school, you need to be prepared for some intense criticism from your family, friends, and society. You can prepare yourself by arming yourself with information and remembering why you home school. However, if you're someone who like to please others, and others' opinions are important to you, their criticism of your new lifestyle could be painful.

Before you decide to home school, consider your decision carefully from every angle. If home schooling still sounds good to you, it might just be the right decision for your family too.

Practical Home Schooling Options For The Single Parent

One of the more overwhelming challenges is that faced by a parent that wishes to take on practical home schooling, but doesn't have a partner. For many in this situation, the requirement to earn adequate income to support both child and parent is vital.

But many single parents that are determined are able to find ways each year to home educate their children. The final results are typically worthwhile. A home tutored child will typically surpass their equals on similar tests and have a high rating on college admissions listings.

The initial issue is often related to time management. A well prepared parent soon discovers that they have more available time for practical home schooling than they might expect. That is typically true if you account for the actual tuition hours offered in a public school. In a school day, there's a break between classes, lunch breaks, and a good deal of sitting about not doing much. By being certain that each hour counts at home can easily compensate.

A child can be left completely free to act on any topic that interests them, and at their individual pace. Or, they might be offered with guidance and resources to execute a great deal of individual study. The answers can be reviewed later on in the day and alterations made, if required.

Tutoring in a variety of styles is one more choice for a single parent that wishes to home school. Tutors can range from an in-house instructor to an online resource that's entirely automated. The costs are likely to vary greatly, but a lot of tutors tend to cost less than full time day care. In some cases, a tutoring role can be combined with day care service.

Some single parents will opt to begin a home based business. Once you add up the expense of gasoline for the vehicle, full time day care, and the time spent on travelling back and forth, a home based business can often appear more cost effective. This does not even take into account the potential tax savings from additional write-offs.

With a small amount of creative thinking and fair measure of research, a single parent can discover the resources and time for practical home schooling their child. Both child and parent are likely to benefit significantly if they do.

Home Schooling - A Personal Choice

Parents have long debated whether private education is better than public education. Now colleges are recognizing the value of an applicant that has been home schooled. Statistically they are well rounded, equipped, socialized, and able to handle the curriculum as well as their counterparts. There is no magic home school formula. Perhaps learning what a child is exposed to in that environment may shed some light on the situation.

What most people fail to realize is that home schooling has been around long before there was formal education. Primitive society educated their young in survival training. The elders were appointed to train the young to read and write. They did storytelling, taught beliefs, tribal law, business, and art. Education was restricted to prominent families while others were taught a craft or a trade.

In Europe, it was not until the 1800's that education was nationalized and governments introduced the concept of establishing elementary schools for the poor so that they could be obedient and patriotic citizens. However, in the colonial United States we were far ahead of Europe. The Massachusetts law of 1642 stated that children should be taught to read and write, and in 1647 every town that had over fifty families had to establish an elementary school. Predominately southern and middle colonies established schools that taught reading, writing, and religion. However, these schools had enrollment limited to children from privileged families.

In 1636, Harvard College in Cambridge Massachusetts was established and introduced liberal arts. Soon eight more followed but they were only for the privileged. The United States, following the Revolutionary war, saw a desperate need to educate all children. In order to support their education, state systems were organized for the first time. In the 1830's taxes were levied to run them. This also necessitated the separation of religion.

Although this is 2009, it was just 1954 when the Supreme Court declared that segregation in the public schools was inherently unconstitutional. In 1965 Congress had to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to improve education for low-income families in the public schools.

Some of the Congressmen and Congresswomen serving today were the children who were affected by these acts of Congress. They were products of public school and are successful men and women.

A home school education is a choice made by the parents and the child. It is determined by a number of personal factors. The primary motivating factor should be to provide an exemplary educational environment for the child. It should not be motivated by fear and news reports. Life happens!

The home school curriculum offers everything from a virtual classroom, local support groups, home school magazines, spelling bee competitions, junior and senior proms and every avenue of support you and your child could possibly imagine; pre-K to H.S. Home schooling is a network of concerned parents who have decided to educate their children outside of the standard educational process. The whole family benefits when its time to take a field trip; museum, art show, library, symphony, ballet or Broadway play. The wonderful thing about this is that each child can set their own pace.

Of course there are downsides to everything. The one thing here is time, time, and time! If you are not dedicated to your child's education then don't do it. You have the option of trying it out for a year and see if it works out. Further, if there is a subject you are not familiar with, then there are tutors available if the virtual classroom fails to do the job.

Statistics have proven that it doesn't matter if the background education was public, private or home schooled, as long as the child is well rounded, completely educated, and turns out to be a productive and happy adult; mission accomplished.

A Beka Home Schooling

The A Beka curriculum is a very popular choice for many homeschooling families. It is also used in quite a few Christian schools across the country.

The A Beka Books were developed at Pensacola Christian College. They are based on experience and information gathered over a period of fifty years in the classrooms of Pensacola Christian Academy by many writers. They are unique in that they do not use any currently published works for their curriculum, but instead research and develop their own. Dr. and Mrs. Arlin Horton are the founders of A Beka Book, and the series is named after Mrs. Horton, whose first name is Rebeka.

The A Beka home school curriculum is fundamentally Christian based. The main goal of this program is to ground children in the Christian faith. Every aspect and subject points toward the Christian worldview. It is a workbook based curriculum and is very detailed. It goes step by step through each concept and is very comprehensive. This is a good curriculum for those home school families who are very organized or need a highly structured program.

There are three choices when working with the A Beka Book home school program. There is the A Beka Academy DVD option, which provides two options. The first is the Fully Accredited College Preparatory Program in which A Beka keeps all of the records. The second is the Non-Accredited program in which the parent keeps all the records. Each covers the exact same material. The only difference is the price. Basically, in addition to the workbooks, the DVDs feature teachers who help to explain the subjects in greater detail.

The second option is the A Beka Academy Traditional Parent-Directed option. This is a fully accredited college prep program. A Beka provides you with teacher manuals that explain exactly how to follow and teach the curriculum. You teach the material and A Beka keeps your records for you. It is very much like a traditional school without the school building. You send in all of the work and tests and they grade them and issue a report card. There is an academic calendar along with progress reports. This is much the same as the DVD option minus the DVDs.

The third option is the Textbooks/Materials for Home Schooling. This is simply the curriculum. There is no other involvement from A Beka besides the materials. You will keep all the records and set your own pace. You can order the entire program or just the items that you feel are appropriate for your child. Many parents who choose this option will use parts of another curriculum along with the A Beka materials.

A Beka Book is a good choice for home school families. It is very Biblically based and structured. It sets a strong foundation during the early years in core subjects such as reading and math, and continues to challenge students all the way through high school. The A Beka Book home school curriculum is a great tool with which to teach your child and offers many options.

Benefits of Home Schooling - Do Homeschoolers Play Well With Others?

Are home-schooled kids able to get along with other children and adults? Developing the ability to "play well with others" is called socialization, and it is often the number one concern of anyone considering or evaluating the benefits of home schooling. Although most are willing to admit that there are many proven benefits of home schooling--for example, most home-schooled children perform at a higher academic level than their privately or publicly educated peers--concern about social skills always seems to bubble to the top of any discussion about home schooling outcomes. What is the truth about home schooling and socialization? Will home schooling stifle your child's ability to get along?

You can't really blame people for coming to the conclusion that effective socialization is not a benefit of home schooling. Most home schooling situations consist of one teacher working with one or a few learners in a controlled situation. With such a small number of students, it only makes sense that there will be fewer interactions among students. There are simply not enough students in one place to provide the level of interaction you might expect in a public school classroom.

Dedicated home schooling practitioners have another view. Proponents of the many benefits of home schooling actually believe that educating learners in a smaller setting actually helps to develop and improve their social skills. On the lists of many, improved socialization is included as yet another benefit of home schooling.

How can this be possible? How can smaller groups and lower levels of peer-to-peer interaction lead to improved socialization? First, you have to consider the quality of interaction. Home-schooled learners often benefit by having their own parents as their primary influence. Instead of having their perspectives and values questioned and distorted by uncontrolled sources, one the benefits of home schooling is that home schooled learners spend more time socializing with mature adults instead of less-mature students. If one goal of schooling is to produce well-balanced adults able to control themselves and deal productively with others, then home schooling is a clear winner.

Wouldn't you prefer that you children learn real world priorities and time-tested values? Or do you want to subject them to the latest concept of what's "cool." Instead of being locked into interaction with a single age group (like students are in a traditional school setting), one of the benefits of home schooling is that learners have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of different age groups. They learn to adapt to, fit in with, and contribute to the group dynamics.

Another point to remember is that interaction doesn't only happen during school hours. There are plenty of chances to spend time with others when classes are complete and the lessons are finished (which, by the way, almost always happens sooner in the day with home schooling).

Socialization concerns are most often expressed by individuals who have never experienced the benefits of home schooling. If you're considering home schooling for your own children, then rest assured that their socialization skills will be greatly improved as a natural benefit of home schooling.

The Importance of Gathering Home Schooling Information Before You Make the Final Decision

Home schooling is a tough decision. There are many people who think that schooling one's children at home does not adequately prepare them for real life situations. They will miss out on the fun things that public school can offer, such as social interaction, team sports, drama club, and band activities. These activities are important for emotional well-being and emotional growth. If you have not researched home schooling, you may have this very impression. The fact of the matter is that school offers after hours sports and extracurricular activities that your home schooled child can take part in.

Conversely, many will argue that there is as much social stimulation at home as there is in school. Many home-schooled children have friends in the neighborhood who they hang out with. Some parents enroll their kids in after school sports programs at community centers. It is these after school sports events that can make home schooling more well rounded.

If you are considering home schooling your children, you should ask other parents who home school for more home schooling information-such as what activities they have used to engage their children and whether or not they have taken a facilitated self-study approach or a lecture-oriented approach. Both approaches offer advantages and you must decide which is better for your child(ren).

This will give you a better idea as to whether you are capable of handling a teaching job. Teaching is not always an easy profession. Making sure children are excited about learning, teaching at the right pace, and maintaining interest is very difficult. Schools offer teaching classes for those who want more home schooling information. I know of one m other of three (3) that studied to become a teacher and that made her even more qualified to home school.

Another place to get information is online. There are web sites and blogs which offer honest home schooling information. These sites are run by parents who home school and will give you more information about what problems they have encountered and what solutions they found. There is a real wealth of information on the internet that discusses both pros and cons of home schooling.

Even though teaching can be hard work, many parents find it rewarding and fun. Their children learn more in a controlled environment. They make friends by participating in sports and musical activities offered through after school programs, allowing them to get the best of both worlds-an excellent education and a fulfilling social life.

It's Time to Start Talking About Home Schooling

Now a days getting a good education is much more essential than ever, parents want their children to attend the greatest schools possible. If a private institution is out of the question, the highest-rated public college is the next greatest thing, but most individuals rarely discuss home schooling.

I've worked nearly all of my life as a freelance writer and have had the opportunity to get to know many students that are home schooled and who have gone on to achieve great things in life. When I speak to their parents about home schooling, they tell me they chose that route for a number of reasons.

The very first and most essential is the curriculum. There are many well-respected home college courses of study available that supply as much or more education than numerous public schools do, and also the classes students take are always obtainable. In other words, they do not have to worry about a course being filled up or canceled for lack of interest.

There is definitely a trade-off within the sense that that there are not as many opportunities to interact with peers and develop the same level of social maturity as students who attend private and public schools do, but even that's changing.

I wrote a story not too long ago about a basketball team comprised entirely of players that were part of a house school association. They practiced, played games and traveled together with a group of like-minded young people in which nobody was picked on or made to feel isolated. There are other social activities that parents of home-schooled students can join that will allow their children to interact with their peers.

A great friend of mine recently told me that her son was facing some difficulties within the school to which he had just transferred and was practically begging her to be house schooled. She told me that she did not wish to even talk about home schooling, because she, like so many others, feared her child wouldn't receive the exact same level of education or social development that he would in a traditional school.

I do not believe that home college is necessarily for everybody, but I think that you will find benefits, and I believe if a parent feels that his or her child might do much better in such an environment, it is essential to at least talk about home schooling as a feasible alternative.

The Great Home Schooling Debate

Home schooling has been around for quite some time now. The debate about it's overall effectiveness has been going on for just as long. Recently however, home schooling has been gaining more and more advocates in support of it.

For the longest time, home schooling has been viewed with a somewhat contemptuous attitude by many. They're under the misguided notion that home schooling is for weirdoes and social misfits.

People these days are much more open minded about the idea of home schooling. Lots more parents are choosing to put their kids in some kind of home schooling program.

So what are the possible reasons for parents to home school their kids? What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling? Is it right for your child and what must be taken into consideration when choosing to home school your child?

Home schooling has traditionally been for those children who suffer from some kind of condition or whose current circumstances don't allow them to attend regular school. However, more and more parents are choosing to home school their children because they believe it to be a more beneficial alternative to traditional schools.

There are a lot of advantages to be taken from home schooling.

Home schooling allows a child be taught in a more individualized way. The child will not have to compete with several other students for the time and attention of the teacher. Their parent is their teacher and the one-on-one teaching that the child receives will increase the quality of learning.

The nature of home schooling allows for an incredible amount of flexibility and freedom in regards to learning. The lessons and curriculum to be undertaken can be custom made to suit the particular educational needs of the child.

The child can also learn at their own pace, seeing as there's no set schedule that must be followed. A child can take as much time as they need to learn something without being pressured, or they can go as quickly as they can, learning things that would normally take a much longer time to cover in a classroom.

In many cases home schooling will enforce an inherent love of learning and will strengthen the child abilities to learn on their own. These skill will become a valuable asset throughout their lives.

Many parents home school their kids in order to instill moral values that can't be sufficiently achieved in traditional schools. This is especially true if they feel that the child is easily influenced and the schools in the area are a particularly bad influence.

Home schooling helps to cultivate family ties. The time that the family spend together teaching and learning helps to strengthen family bonds.

Thanks to more advanced technology and in particular the internet, home schooling has become even more effective. The internet is a vast source of knowledge and you can find a plethora of home schooling resources like sample curriculums, lesson plans, and all sorts of guides.

The greatest criticism aimed at home schooling is that it might hamper the child's social growth. Home schooled kids tend to be more isolated and many feel that this is harmful.

This isn't necessarily the case though, as studies have shown that many home schooled adults have excellent social skills and are living happy, meaningful lives.

These studies also show that home schooled individuals tend to do better academically than traditionally schooled individuals.

Despite the seemingly many benefits of home schooling, it isn't for everyone. Parents should take in mind several considerations before taking the plunge.

Home schooling takes a tremendous amount of time and effort on the part of the parents.

Teaching will take up most of the teaching parent's day, so this means that the they will most likely not have the time to work. The family must be able to cope with this situation. This is especially difficult for single parents.

Also, the parent must be sure that they will be able teach their child properly and handle all the possible problems and responsibilities that come with the home schooling their child.

Home schooling, when done right can have very positive results. However, getting it wrong can result in absolute disaster. Ultimately, it's up to the parents to assess their child and decide if home schooling is the right choice for them.

Home School - A Valid Viable Option

The National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2003 that there were about 1.1 million homeschooled students in the United States. According to a 1991 report published by the Home School Legal Defense Association, nationwide the average home school student scores 18 to 28 percentile points higher on the basic battery of tests on the Stanford Achievement Test than do public school students. Possible reasons for these results are: mastery of content, lack of a rigid time structure, lack of distractions, parental motivation and interest, and lack of significant peer pressure. Another study, conducted by the National Home Education Research Institute found that teacher certification of home school students' mothers, the primary teachers, made no difference in how well the home school students scored on national achievement tests. All these things combine to provide a fluid environment much more conducive to learning.

Home school parents fully understand that basics must be mastered before students can build on that knowledge. A good analogy would be of a carpenter building a house. Until the foundation and walls are finished, a completed roof would lay on the ground, unable to support itself in the air. Since there is no need to stay with a structure imposed by the system, home school students are able to keep working on a lesson until they have learned it. If the students are particularly interested in a subject, they are not restrained by lack of time from going further than the material. By following a topic into other areas of interest, students gain serendipitous learning. This helps students come to enjoy learning.

In the public school environment, teachers are expected to teach to a schedule and curriculum that is more or less rigidly controlled. Home school students do not have a preset schedule imposed from outside the home. They are able to take the time to understand a subject thoroughly before going to the next subject. Because of this greater freedom of time, more activities are able to be incorporated into lessons, such as field trips to museums, zoos, or historical sites. Even family vacations become part of the curriculum. When the family travels, home school students see firsthand the geography, flora and fauna, and lifestyles of the region they visit.

Unlike public school, the home school is free from distractions and time wasters. There are no students wandering up and down the halls distracting students in classrooms, no bells signaling it's time to pack up and start learning again somewhere else, or students disrupting class. In the more relaxed home environment, students are able to do their work at a desk, on the floor, or even sitting on the porch. When it is time to study another subject, home school students just close one book and open another. There is no time wasted walking from one class to another, waiting for everyone to get their books and papers out and ready, or playing games when the teacher is ill or has more "important" things to do. Many home school students finish in less than four hours the same amount of material, or more, than public school students cover in a full day.

It has long been accepted that small classes are better than large classes, and that the very best teaching situation is one-on-one. This is not practical in public school classrooms where there are 15 to 40 students in each class; there just aren't enough teachers to go around. In the home school, teaching one-on-one is the normal operating procedure, even in families with many children. Each child receives the personal attention that is simply not possible in public schools. Parents are able to help and encourage their children, not as bystanders in the educational process, but as active participants.

Peer pressure is almost unheard of in home schooling. Home schooled children are not faced with classmates who ridicule or bully, therefore they feel more secure. Their energy goes into learning, rather than survival. They do not have the constant pressure to participate in antisocial behaviors such as drinking, using drugs, or joining gangs. They learn the values held by their families to help guide them in making important decisions. There is no need to have the "right clothes or shoes" to be accepted by their peers. Their peers, other home school students, usually dress much the same way.

Many people seem to be concerned about the socialization of home schooled children. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines socialization as: "1: to regulate according to the theory and practice of socialism; 2: to adapt to social needs; 3: to participate actively in a social gathering." Most American home school parents do not want their children regulated according to the theory and practice of socialism. Most of them are intensely patriotic and loyal to the democratic form of government. Nor do they want their children adapted to social needs. These parents disagree with public school experts such as Myra P. Sadker and sociologists such as Talcott Parsons who believe that the public school has the both the right and the responsibility to screen and sort students, in effect deciding very early in a child's academic career whether the child will someday be a lawyer or drive a cab.

Home school groups provide the opportunities to participate actively in a social gathering. The groups have sports teams for all ages, band, choir, and many other activities, giving the students a chance to learn to cope with other children while rounding out their educations. They are often involved in national contests such as spelling bees, and many spend a great deal of time in volunteer service to their communities. They even have yearbooks, banquets, and proms.

A significant advantage of home schooling a child is the almost total lack of generational gaps. Home schooled children know their parents are interested in and care for them. Children who are home schooled tend to cope well with people older and younger than themselves, as well as with those in their own age groups. Most of the students are more self-assured and have more confidence in their abilities than public school students. They tend to be strong in their beliefs and make excellent leaders.

Home school is a viable, legal option in all fifty states. Not everyone can, or even should, home school their children. However, for those who are motivated through religious or academic considerations to teach their children at home, the data supports their ability to do an excellent job.

Affordable Home Schooling - Learn at Home For Less

A common misconception is that home schooling is an expensive endeavor. As more and more families consider home schooling as a possible alternative to public school, they may be intimidated by what they perceive as a costly journey. However, the reality is that affordable home schooling is attainable.

It is quite possible to home school on a budget. Styles of home schooling vary from family to family. One of the first things to consider when designing your home schooling plan is what kind of style fits you. This can impact the amount of money involved and how affordable home schooling will be for you.

If you are trying to mirror the school system then it is possible you may bust your home schooling budget as you purchase curriculum for each subject and buy books full of reproducibles. If you have the confidence to let go just a bit and to trust your children to guide their own education then you will find that home schooling is easily affordable.

The big secret that many home school families know is that the world itself is a classroom. Let your children explore the world around them. Allow them to set their pace. Realize that children are natural learners and if you allow them to they will spend their day seeking knowledge and absorbing it. Just knowing that is the first tip for affordable home schooling. Here are some other tips for homeschooling on a budget:

1. Do not purchase curriculum for every subject. There is a huge variety of curriculum sets on the market. Not only are they expensive but it can be a daunting task trying to figure out which one is the right one for you. Don't bother. Build your own curriculum based on your child's interests.

2. The internet is an invaluable tool for home school families. It can be used for research and there are many sites geared toward the home school environment. Many sites offer free lesson planning and materials.

3. Utilize your library. There is no reason to buy books when you can simply go to the library and walk out with books on whatever topic is of current interest to your child.

4. Check out yard sales. Look for books, board games and other educational materials at yard sales. You'll be surprised at what you can find. You can also use sites like eBay to find used home school materials. Often times families have outgrown their materials and are looking to pass them on for a fraction of the original price.

5. Join a local home school group and swap and share materials with them. Some groups even have co-ops where the kids get together for specific subjects. This can cut back on materials you'll need at home.

The key is to realize learning is free. It will take place with or withoutthe fancy curriculum sets. Affordable home schooling is really up to the family and how they choose to design their own plan.

The ABC's of Home Schools

There is no doubt as to how technology revolutionized the way people live today. Many things that were unthinkable in the past are now parts of reality. One of the things that proved difficult in the days gone by is the system of homes schools. Before, studying at home was a luxury that only the elite, rich people can afford. Hiring private tutors were the only possible means of doing education at home. But now with a more standardized system of education coupled with the many possibilities afforded by technology, learning from homes schools is very possible indeed.

The most crucial and critical part when engaging in homes schools is the decision to study at home. For many people, home education is education may rather be the only option especially for those who have physical disabilities or security issues. However, the option of studying at home is now extended to most anyone. Nevertheless, the decision to gain education from homes schools is a very difficult one to make, something that is to be taken seriously. The advantages of learning from regular schools with regular classmates and teachers are quite obvious. Bur for some, such benefits have to be given up for certain reasons. Before delving into home education one should first carefully think if it is the appropriate thing for one's situation. It is important to weigh all pros and cons of studying at home before making the final choice whether to pursue it or not.

Once the decision to engage in homes study, it is then important to prepare one's self for this endeavor. First the home where the education will take place should be carefully arranged and organized in a way that would make it conducive for studying and learning. Afterwards it is important to make the proper arrangements with the school that would be providing the education system at home. Not all schools are open for home education and it is thus important to source out different educational institutions in one's area.

When the arrangements with the school has been made, it is then important to identify with that school to keep the student's mind focused. A home student should feel as close as possible as to how a regular student would feel in the campus. This can be done by obtaining materials that are associated with schools, such as ID cards, school colors and emblems and the like. It is then also important to set up a schedule that should be followed by the home student strictly. It is usually beneficial to set the schedule in accordance to the schedule of the partner school, this way the home student would be synchronized with his or her peers. The record keeping system should also be prepared as this is very important in observing the home student's progress.

Part of the preparation for homes schools is learning and understanding the laws that govern this type of education. Each state have their own detailed information for homes schools and it is necessary to learn these details. It is also important to choose a good curriculum for the home student to follow. It is best to consult partner schools regarding the current curriculum trends in one's area, to ensure that the home student learns enough at least to get by.

Home schooling is a unique educational experience. It can be difficult for many, but if prepared very well, it can be a valuable mode of learning which can be comparable to regular schooling.

Home Schooling - A Quiet Revolution

In the last 30 years or so, a quiet revolution has begun, and it's changing the way people look at the compulsory nature of school forever. What started out in the 60's as a radical choice made mostly by parents concerned about the lack of religious teaching in public schools has evolved into something spectacular...something so perfect that it seems intimidating. And it's available to any family willing to make the change.

So often, when people find out that my kids do not go to school, I get responses like " Oh, I could NEVER do that. I'm not smart enough." or "I don't think I could stand being with my kids all day every day." and "You must be really disciplined." Truth is, I don't have a college degree, but I am absolutely 'smart enough' to be a home schooling parent, and I have every right to do so. I don't necessarily consider myself a disciplined person, either, and that is just one of the multitude or reasons why home schooling is a perfect match for our family.

There are many reasons why a family might choose home schooling over public or private school. A child may have an illness or disability for which public school cannot provide proper care. Of course, public schools try hard to be politically correct, and will do what they can to assist any children with difficulties, but it's hard enough for one adult teacher to watch over and effectively control a class of 25 'normally functioning' students, much less having one or two kids thrown in who have very special medical and physical needs.

I can think of no environment more nurturing, more secure and loving, especially for a physically ill or disabled child, than the comfort and familiarity of their own home and attentive parents. After all, who understands a child's needs better than an attentive parent?

Home schooling is perfect for Moms like me who work from home. It gives flexibility and plenty of time to spend with the amazing individual minds that society calls my children.

Perhaps the child has been labeled ADHD and put on medication. These narcotics subdue the active child, effectively enabling him to sit still longer and to 'pay attention' to what the teacher deems important...a necessary requirement in school. Home schooling, however, imposes no such limitations. If your child needs to bounce, to talk, to run or even to roll, these things can be allowed and even encouraged in a home schooling environment.

The negative and long lasting effects of the commonly prescribed drugs are now coming to light. Concerned parents are becoming more skeptical of physicians quick fix diagnoses and the schools insistence that such things are required to keep the classroom 'functioning'....especially when it involves their own children.

Perhaps the child just doesn't excel in school, has discipline problems or just plain 'hates' it. Why make them do something they hate every day? Why not give them the joy that comes along with being free to learn on their own time and focus on what interests them?

No matter what the reason a home schooling parent gives for taking their child out of school, one thing is certain. Home schooling is growing in popularity to the point where almost everyone knows someone who is or was home schooled. It may be a quiet revolution, but it's voice is growing louder year by year.

Practical Homeschooling Tips - Home Schooling Credited Programs

Credited programs for home schooling are what most home schoolers are trying to find. The reasons are obvious, mainly for their grades in high schools. In case the child in enrolled in an accredited program, then all major schools shall accept such credits. Your home school too receives a certain level of creditability.

Those people who are averse to home schooling methods would then have to rethink. Such programs give parents a great option if they themselves are faced with hardships in creating a curriculum of their own. The program relives them of knowing what today's high educative world needs of the child.

Which home schooling programs are the best? The answer lies in what you'd like the child to learn. If you want to impart a good secular program then Saxon Math series program would be ideal. Various Montessori schools inculcate Saxon series, and then even if the child later on joins a regular school he will be able to adapt to the education most comfortably.

Another really nice program is the Math-U-See program. However these programs aren't home schooling having credits, as they remain individual courses. If your choice is a standard based secular credited home schooling lesson then it is better to search the various online home schooling programs available online such cyber schools. The Calvert School is amongst the best home school lessons that are secular based. Such programs are affordable 7 one can choose enrollment options. All the states will approve as these courses are credited and will help get transfers to any regular school as and when desired.

Your choices are immense if incase you want to find Christian home school programs. The Jubilee Academy and Grace Academy are bible based and are fine picks for home schooling lessons that are credited. Quite a few local churches too lend support to home schoolers while some go a step further and teach you child via their traditional school.

Want to know if there are home schooling programs available for free? Well yes, but you'd require money for home schooling programs that are credited. If your choice is for an accredited curriculum then you'll have to dish out some money. There also some ways to find a program of home schools that are free and accredited too.

One way is that to locate a similar home school family who will share your needs, or then you can make contact with accredited schooling programs who would be willing to offer a scholarship and lastly you can also request from a donation on freecycle.com or Craig's list website.

While taking programs from home schooling for High School courses make sure that it is a home schooling program that's credited as most colleges would ask for graduation from schools that are credited at the time of seeking admission. When ever you feel like getting a list of programs of home schools the best place to find it will be the Top 100 Home School Programs by Cathy Duffy. If you do not want to buy then just visit a near by library as all of them have it.

Making Your Way Around With Certified Home School Programs

For a school to be accredited, a third party also assess its documentation, organization techniques, along with ambitions for continuing to get better. This keeps families from potentially losing a lot of cash on a home school program that won't be accepted by schools or other institutions. Accrediting establishments commonly acknowledge and honor one another's certification, yet it is not a complete assure that all credits are going to be accepted. Moreover, a few certified homeschooling programs qualify as private online learning establishments making the legal aspect of home education much easier (according to state regulations).

In case your family chooses to work alongside an unapproved school, a wide range of educational institutions and colleges will probably still take your children as students, due to the fact typical home schooling isn't cancelled carelessly. By mentioning so, bear in mind that by choosing an unaccredited programs,you're not going to prevent your child from attending school. A lot of home schoolers who're not as much regimented, choose an unaccredited program. Unschooling families take it to the extreme and don't have any curriculum by any means which can make higher education more difficult.

Good examples of Approved Homeschooling Programs
'Oak Meadow' is just one of the best recognised home school programs available nowadays. These guys offer learning at your home along with some structure, though more than enough creativeness and flexibility to engage most children. They obviously, as an accredited school, offer you formal transcripts which will ease transitions towards a public school if such a change come to be essential or desired. Oak Meadow offers an accredited home schooling program for K through 12. It is tuition based and could sadly be out of reach for a lot of families.

Another option stands out as the Calvert School. It is a thoroughly recognised home schooling program that is for grades kindergarten through 8. The Calvert School is different in that it's specific approaches aimed at pupils who struggle with numbers, reading, or spelling. They also have ways to aid students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Because of these specific benefits, the Calvert School is an excellent option for families with considerations concerning learning issues.

'K12' is yet another completely certified home school program intended for grades kindergarten through 12. K12 provides no cost public school choices in lots of states. Pupils in other states or overseas individuals can enroll in the private schools associated with the program. Either are completely accredited and provide excellent education and learning. K12 is based on the principle a large number of learners face difficulties on the educational continuum in subjects. It makes it possible for individuals to work at their own speed while making sure all the information you need is learned. K12 is a secular home school, which means the programs is not inspired by non secular leanings. This may be viewed as a good or perhaps a undesirable based on a family's priorities.

'The Heartland Christian Academy' is an accredited home school program that has curriculum for grades kindergarten - 12. This curriculum is based in biblical beliefs, and information is presented from a Religious world point of view. 'The Heartland Christian Academy' emphasizes that education is a lot more than information mastery - but around forming a kid's persona so he or she will be a person with ethics. The Heartland Christian Academy is tuition based but is quite inexpensive in comparison to similar approved homeschooling programs.

Letting Your Kids Benefit From Home Schooling in Georgia

The overcrowded classrooms, schoolyard violence, and access to illegal drug which has been making inroads into the Georgia public school system in recent years has many Georgia parents looking at the requirements for home schooling in Georgia. They would much rather take the time away from their own interest and activities to ensure that their children are getting a safe and adequate education than send them into a public school environment which is seeing many of its students fail to graduate.

Every state in the US allows home schooling, and has established curriculum standards to which parents must adhere; but because more families are practicing home schooling in Georgia, the restrictions on them are somewhat less stringent than those on parents in other states.

Starting The Home Schooling Process

The first step you should take in preparing for home schooling your child in Georgia is to notify your school district superintendent that you intend to do it. You will have to repeat this process each year that your child is being home schooled. And you must then plan a curriculum and daily lesson plans which are the equivalent of those used for public school children in the same grade as your child.

If you would like to home school your child, you can start by notifying the superintendent of their school district that their child will be home schooled. This has to be done for every year of home schooling. Additionally, you must also create and maintain lesson plans for a curriculum that is on par with your child's grade level.

To meet the requirements for home schooling in Georgia, you'll have to keep a daily log of your child's work, and do a full review at the end of each school year. Because the school district superintendent has the right to review you logs and annual review, it's recommended that you keep your old ones for at least three years. You are also required to school your child for, at the minimum, four and one-half hours daily, and submit a proof of your child's attendance to the school district each month.

Requirements For Home Schooling In Georgia

You're not required to have any teaching experience, or even a degree in education, to qualify to home school your children. If you decide to hire a tutor to home school your children in Georgia, however, the tutor will have to have a teaching certificate. And your school district will provide you with manuals to assist you, as well as give you referrals to home schooling experts who can offer guidance if you run into any obstacles.

Home schooling in Georgia will give you a marvelous opportunity to help share your child's mind and to share in the excitement of every new discovery in a way you never could by sending him or her to a public school. But you will have to exercise patience and discipline, and be flexible. Educating your children may test your good humor at times, but it will also be the greatest adventure of your life!

Practical Homeschooling Tips - Home Schooling And Its Pros And Cons

So you'd like to home school your child? Before you take a step in any direction it would be advisable to make a thorough analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling. When you set out to take a decision your would to take into consideration the good, bad and ugly of all section of home schooling. Proper education of your child is highly important.

Home schooling: The Pros and Cons

There exist numerous advantages of home schooling. Like you can choose the subjects that you'd like to be imparted. The family morals can be passed on in your presence. Additionally personal attention allows his to grasp subjects powerfully which is not possible in the classroom environment of the school.

Parents can maintain a strong relationship and you can keep a constant vigil on their progress. You can also impart high knowledge of your religion to the child. At home schooling you take decisions on what is taught and also how it is taught. You kids will be in an environment that has your view given preference.

You will be surprised to know that home schoolers fare far better than the kids at traditional schools on identical testing. It is the same result across all sections. Probably things like race, socio-economic status, or religious beliefs have no impact on home school test scores whereas at the same time such factors have shown to have an influence on scores of traditional school kids. It is not easy to explain this interesting phenomenon.

A high percentage of home schools need their children to be tested at specific intervals, there are proper rules and procedures for these tests & companies who carry out testing follow them strictly. May be the fact that home school kids do not face discrimination that traditional school kids face on a daily basis creates this wide gap.

Home schooling disadvantages too. What goes against home schooling is you have to commit time. Even if you have a single child it becomes a highly committed job of giving energy and time. You would be required to have lesson plans and keep yourself organized and then teach lessons and correction too. Side by side you must try and plan activities with other home schoolers or then with outside network of home school. This can prove to be expensive.

You would have to buy curriculums, and all this can pile up in case you aren't attentive. Anything you want to do will be charged like dance classes, soccer lessons and other activities too can be expensive. Once the child is learning higher grade subjects you will have to arrange for tutor to teach lessons of maths, physics and chemistry as your knowledge of today's teaching shall not be sufficient.

Family finances also do not allow home schooling. Mostly a parent will have to stay with the child in home schooling conditions. Not many families can afford to do that in today's world. This may lead to financial disturbances. Well if you still want you have home schooling then you might have to be prepared for a few sacrifices as most parents of home schoolers live life comfortably but certainly not extravagantly. Budget constraints might become a part of life.

Home Schooling Numbers Increase Steadily

More families each year are taking their children out of public schools and home schooling them instead because the parents believe that their children can learn better and faster without the many distractions and negative influences that are part of the package with public school environments.

Even though it is often viewed by those in the mainstream as revolutionary or eccentric, the trend toward home schooling is growing and is gaining in popularity and respectability and is winning over an increasing number of supporters.

According to researchers who study such trends, the numbers of home schoolers in the U.S. has swelled considerably, growing from approximately 15,000 back in 1970 to over 500,000 by 1990, and estimated at over 1.1 million as of 2003.

A good indication of the interest and strength of the home schooling movement the number of support organizations that are in a particular country. The United States has long had a good variety of support groups and the increase in such groups from other areas of the world such as Europe, Australia and Asia.

To many, there are persistent questions such as: why are so many parents are choosing to teach their children at home rather than in traditional settings? How effective can home schooling really be?

Will my children be prepared for college? Can they gain the social skills they need without the interactions that are part of traditional schooling?

It is interesting to consider that while some people think about home schooling as radical, rebellious, or even extremist, the reality is that home schooling was the original system of education for centuries all around the globe.

The fact is that it was not until the last century that children started school so young as they do now. Typically, most of the children who did go to school started going at age twelve or later.

Many notable people from American history were educated in their homes and at their hearths, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and even Albert Einstein.

The fact of the matter is that school attendance did not become compulsory until in the United States until the later part of the 19th century, and in light of that, home schooling really isn't just a recent fad, but actually the old educational standard.

According to the National Catholic Reporter, estimates are that anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of homeschooling families choose it for religious reasons, primarily because of the desire to protect their children from atheistic influences in public schools.

And, according to an article in Time magazine, the very backbone of the movement toward home schooling education practices is the Christian Fundamentalist community that strongly believes that religion is either ignored or debased in public classroom settings.

However, some parents have stated that their reasoning for removing their students from public education is in order to limit their exposure to damaging and immoral influences during their early years.

Still, other families decide to go the home schooling route primarily for educational reasons. Many are discontented with the overcrowding of classrooms, the low academic standards, and the many safety concerns rampant in many public schools.

It's really not so important why parents end up deciding on home schooling for their children because the major benefits, in the eyes of many parents, is that they are able to have much greater involvement in their children's lives and they remain influential role models during a time when it matters the most.

Reveal The Tricks To Finding A Perfect Christian Home School Program For You

As each family is special as are their reasons for opting to home school their kids. One of the most common wide reason behind determining to homeschool is really a desire for faith based programs. Every religion probably will have some members which elect to home school, in the united states, Believers manage to make up the majority of families choosing to home school for religious motives.

The public school system in the US is totally secular. This suits well with the general perspective of the US as being a nation with determined separation between church and state, nonetheless it doesn't mesh nicely with the need for a lot of Christian families to ground their children in belief and Bible teachings. Since private Christian school tuition may be very pricey and infrequently out of reach for families many choose homeschool as an option. Furthermore, in countryside locations, lots of households don't have Religious schools to select from. This leads even more households on the Religious home school program route.

Just like secular or another religions homeschooling there are thousands of available options for Christian homeschool program. Some are usually on-line based, others are book based, still others are CD-ROM/computer based, without having to be bound to the online world.

What to choose?

'Switched on Schoolhouse', made famous by reality star family The Duggars, is amongst the most typical choice for for computer based learning without being constantly connected to the net. This program is more limited than many as it's offered exclusively for grades 3-12. This requires a modification of in the curriculum for more youthful students and this may become tricky for many families. Nevertheless, 'Switched on School house' does have the advantage of not needing students to always be on the internet. Many households which choose Religious home schooling program are very worried about what their children could possibly be being able to view on-line; this program reduces the risks by being based on a CD-ROM not the net.

Catholics are a growing percentage of home schooling families. As Catholic school tuition becomes more and more pricey and the current economy makes households to do more with less, Catholic home schooling programs are increasingly becoming more common.

Seton Home Study School- associated with an archdiocese in The state of virginia is probably the most well-known Catholic homeschool curriculums available. While it is tuition based, Seton is much more reasonably priced as compared to Catholic brick and mortar schools and they also offer payment plans making it even more inexpensive. This kind of home school program includes lesson plans for moms and dads yet also gives the parents flexibility to help personalize lessons to individual children's requirements and ability.

'A Beka Academy' is yet another Religious homeschool program that is well known and widely used. A Beka Academy is more structured than many alternatives making it attractive to a lot of families since they are just began finding their footing in the Religious homeschooling area. Moreover, regularly, student work can be sent in to the Academy for evaluation from the programs teachers. This extra security is quite appealing to parents with worry that their own youngsters are not on par with their peers, helping to make sure that gaps in learning are revealed and addressed on time. The Beka Academy is similar to Switched On School House in that there's reduced web time needed; but is different in that A Beka Academy is based on DVDs in place of computer programs.

One Christian homeschool program that integrates online use, CD-ROMs, DVD disks, as well as conventional worksheets, is the Jubilee Academy. This program is one that is certainly loved by almost all of the parents who have chosen to use it. Jubilee also provides education from preschool via secondary school letting students to experience continuity in education which also benefits them. Furthermore, Jubilee strives to combine conventional education approaches with advanced technology, allowing students to be experienced in technology application yet be comfortable with conventional learning methods too. By using a message board for parents to communicate together and with instructors, any kind of concerns can be handled right away and parents can feel secure they are supported and are part of a bigger community discussing the very same targets.

How To Get a Free Online Home Schooling Program Now

As more and more parents started to think that teaching and educating their child at home next to going to school, there are more and more free online home schooling resource. It proves to be a great help for those who choose this manner of educating their child at home.

Before knowing where to get tips, I think it is best to define is what is actually home schooling. It is an alternative to institutional schooling; it is in compliance with state laws and regulations. This way of schooling is a substitute to institutional schooling.

Over here, the parents take over their children's education and classes are held at home instead of the traditional mainstream schools.

Who are involved in home schooling?

There are many people from different walks of life. They are turning to this for very different reasons; even though research was done on this subject it could not be generalized as to why people seek home schooling.

There are nearly 10% around the world that most kids are home schooled.

What are the benefits of home schooling?

1) It is to create a stronger bond between parent and child.

2) Direct supervision of the child and his/her studies at all times and also provide convenient to the parents.

3) Safety concerns are not to be dealt with as what they face in mainstream schools.

4) There are certain flexibility for both the parents and children such as waking up the child as early as 7AM to be on time at school.

What about the benefits of free online home schooling?

1) These resource are ready to help both the parents and children to cope with the disadvantages that come with it, if they are doing it for the first time.

2) It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

3) It allows your kids to interact and create a social life for himself/herself, something that is lost when not going to an actual school.

4) It is crucial for the child to know that there are others like them that are taking the home schooling route; thus parents may give encouragement, tips and feedback from other parents of their similar situation.

In conclusion, free online home schooling is a great plus point for both the parent and their kids so as to improve one's knowledge and experience. Having home schooled your kids at the comfort of your own homes is going to be the trend of modern education. I believe it is going to stay for good as most government is facing shortages of teachers.

Therefore, Eddy has started a information guide on how to help parents home schooled their kids and also recommend some tips and techniques to home schooling for the kid in developing him to be a genius.

Home Schooling is a Popular Education Option

Schooling children at home was not an unusual thing in the not-so-distant past. Settlements were often far apart and children were not often gathered in large numbers. Parents would purchase the textbooks most accepted as "necessary," such as the McGuffey Reader, and both parents would be involved in educating their children. In addition to learning "the three 'R's," students also learned the tasks of daily living and of spiritual and moral growth. Home schooling fell out of favor when people lived in more populated areas and when the federal government began emphasizing public education for all students.

The requirements of Home Schooling should be considered. The federal government requires that certain compulsory education requirements be covered for children attending K-12. Individual states may have other additional requirements. Parents should check the laws before starting to home school.

There can be drawbacks to Home Schooling. Home schooled children may have a reduced amount of age-segregated socialization with their peers. In addition to limited contact with children their own age, home schooled children are unable to participate in organized school sports that encourage teamwork and teach healthy competition with opponents of roughly equivalent age and skill. Children have fewer opportunities to participate in musical groups, concerts, and recitals. Although children can learn an instrument at home, they are unable to participate in school-related parades or events.

None of these things are entirely precluded by a child being home schooled. However, parents will need to work harder to ensure that their children can participate in them should their children be interested.

What are the Benefits of Home Schooling? Home schooled students are not around children of their age group as much as other students; however, most school students have limited interaction during the day. Rather, they interact with their teachers while competing with peers for those teachers' attention. Home schooling is usually conducted in the spirit of cooperation. Students taught together often work together, rather than compete to be the first to find the "right" answer.

Home schooling tends to be safer. Students are not exposed to hazards outside of dangers that exist in any home, unless students are anticipating in scientific experimentation or in rigorous physical education classes. Students do not need to worry about classmates with knives or illegal firearms, nor do they need to face going through a metal detector on a daily basis.

Sports are not a part of the regular school curriculum. Roughly the same percentages of home schooled students participate in after school activities as do their peers. It is also possible that home-based physical education programs are as effective as school-based programs, given that students are more likely to be active for the entire period and are not waiting their turn in class.

Children are not exposed to drugs, teasing, or bullying, other than what they ordinarily find at home. Drugs are kept under control of the parents, at least in the classroom experience. Teasing and bullying is usually only among siblings. In addition, parents are able to teach spirituality and morality, if they feel that such things are an important part of the curriculum.

Many other benefits exist to home schooling. More information can be found through one of many local home schooling organizations.

Home Schooling Education

A home schooling education is a prized asset to anyone's background. It demonstrates independent work completed in a timely manner, often reflecting an education well above the average education level of that from a public or private school.

A home schooling education most often involves well thought out planning and instruction from a loving parent or guardian who's gently guided the child through many series of targeted lessons. The lessons have covered in-depth information on not only main topics of focus as required by the local laws by often much more advanced training with onsite visits at local industry establishments and interviews with their company workers as part of the lessons.

The more customized and in-depth lessons learned by those with home schooling education provide a much more well-rounded real-life education for after high school years. While their peers from public and private schools battle learning good independent life skills, work and study habits, their home schooling peers already excel in those areas, for example.

The child's home schooling education has included plenty of socialization within peers groups of other home schooled children and children who attend their local churches, on average. Plus home schooling education means an average of 3 children or more per household, so others to play with, plus neighborhood children, library groups, etc.

Grades, maturity levels and college work / study habits of those who have had a home schooling education are on the whole at more advanced levels than those of their peers in public and private schools. Those educated at home with a more Christian approach, especially, tend to not have dealt with the negative issues like early sexual activity and pregnancy, substance abuse, neglect, abuse, etc. as witnessed in their public and private school peers. And those with a home schooling education are accepted more often in universities and colleges, often having had scholarships offered, too.

While public and private schools have time-tables for sessions, breaks, months to complete lessons, etc., home schooling education offers a much more flexible training program. It can go with families when they travel, take breaks, are transferred for work / military or other reasons. And home schooling education offers much more flexibility with materials; books, online learning, non-violent materials, Christian materials with incorporated religious training and daily activities, etc.

In summary, a home schooling education can offer a very valuable asset. Anyone interested in giving their child or children a head start in life, a solid foundation for learning and growing should delve further into the subject.

Home School Online

I hope that the following article will help you to better understand this topic.

To be able to enter a university or be employed in a well paid job it is necessary to have a good education. To help you get this education there are home school online programs. There are a number of dissimilar educational programs that you can look at. These courses can start from the pre-school days all the way up to high school and in some cases there are university courses that you can take at home.

A home school online program is in many way different to that of a regular class as the number of students in the real class can vary. This is because the students learn their lessons from a internet classroom. For this ground it is possible that students from diverse parts of the world will be listed in the same class as your child.

These various home school online programs are for lots of parents a way for their children to learn the necessary school subjects. They also eliminate certain unsavory elements from their children's lives. By studying at home these children have less chance of succumbing to the lure of drugs, gangs and even violence.While these are a part of society, by learning their school lessons at home and having a strong family scope these home school students have a better chance of resisting these detracting influences. This is the main cause why parents these days are opting for choice educational programs like that of home school online courses.

As there are lots of children who are getting their education from home school programs there is many types of home school curriculums that you can check out... please continue on our site that is all about this topic of school online.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and found the information useful and interesting.

Home Schooling For Grandparents

The decision to home school children is one often reserved for much thought and debate, but the fact remains that for many it is the most viable and successful option for educating their child. However, it does not mean the situation is not fraught with difficulties, the most obvious being one or both parents will need to significantly reduce their working hours to school their child. For the lucky, this drop in income can be absorbed, but for some both parents need to be working at least part-time.

In these cases, and for other reasons, it is now becoming more popular for a Grandparent to home school their grandchildren. It is a simple solution to the dilemma of home schooling, and one that can be beneficial for all - the grandparent, parent and child - involved. What's more, it is absolutely legal.

For the grandparent, home schooling their grandchildren is a chance for interaction. Through their schooling, they are given the kind of access to their beloved grandchildren that most grandparents are denied. Being able to spend endless hours in the company of a grandchild is the main incentive for most grandparents, though there are other benefits.

Retired grandparents often find adjusting to life without the stable routine of a job difficult, so by becoming home schoolteachers they find a new lease of life. It helps to keep their mind active and focused on the task in hand, leading to a greater sense of mental health and agility as the years pass. For those that experience as unpleasant feeling of their life having no direction, home schooling their grandchildren gives them a purpose once more.

Parents benefit from the situation, too. Having reached the decision to home school their children, for whatever reason, they are given a way to earn a living while still reaping the benefits of a home grown education. They are given far more control over their child's education while never actually having to be the one to give discipline and insist on schooling routine, the aspect most struggled with by parent's home schooling their children.

And finally, the child benefits too. They can learn to separate their home life from their school life, purely because another person beside their parents is present for the school hours. For children who have been in the education system, adjusting to home schooling can be difficult, as the routine and structure is taken away. By introducing a specific teacher, but one who is familiar and loved, the best of both worlds are employed.

If you have considered these points and decided that a grandparent taking the responsibility of home schooling is for you, the process is relatively simple. If you were teaching your child yourself, you would need to contact your state's education authority for permission to set up a legal home school. The same applies if a grandparent will be taking the responsibility of teacher, the only noticeable difference being the name on the form. Your state will guide you through the process, but essentially you will come across no more stumbling blocks if you have a grandparent educate a child than if a child is educated by its parents. With the legal measures in place, this mutually beneficial experience can begin.

What You Should Know About Mistakes in Home Schooling

We hear so many different things about home schooling these days. It's either all good or the complete opposite of it. It all depends on who we're hearing it from.

Home schooling, however, is just like the traditional educational system. It has its good points, but there are certainly down sides to it as well. Most of the problem that is attributed to it is in the mistakes committed by the parents who chose to school their kids at home.

If you are also planning on pursuing home schooling for your own kids then you have to learn to stay away from the common mistakes made by parents in this field. Here are some of those common mistakes so you can avoid them.

1. One of the most common mistakes made by over-eager parents who are trying out home-based education for the first time is over scheduling. In their eagerness to educate their kids with so many things they would come up with a lot of activities that would cram up their kid's day.

Don't ever do that because soon you will burn out and you'll be feeling that everything is a burden. Everything should be in moderation.

2. At the other end of the spectrum is under scheduling. You might fail to come up with enough activities that soon your kids will become bored with inactivity. That can lead to more serious problem such as the child losing interest in studying.

3. Another major mistake that you can commit is to set expectations that are so unrealistic that there is no way that your child could meet them. You might be tempted to expect that your child would excel academically when you switch to home schooling, because of all the glowing reports that you have heard about it. While it is okay to expect good from your child, you need to temper those expectations with what your child is realistically capable of doing.

4. Another mistake that many parents commit when they switch to home education is when they do not assign a specific study area where their kids can work. You can't just expect them to learn while in front of the TV. You should set aside a whole room where they can be free from distractions and all.

5. Forgetting the importance of taking breaks is another important mistake that many parents make. By taking breaks at the most crucial moments such as when your child is experiencing a really hard time with their lesson, you could give them the much needed breather.

6. Don't allow yourself to become slaves of routine. After some time this could be a real problem for parents and children alike. They would just see things as something that they would have to do.

7. Perhaps one mistake that many parents are making without realizing that they are in the wrong is that they try to accomplish home schooling all on their own. There are many groups that were founded for families that want to educate their kids at home. Becoming part of a network of like-minded parents and student could be the difference in your child's success or failure.

Home Schooling: How Parents Need To Manage Their Time

Making reports, filing papers, fielding phone calls and placating your boss at the office takes only eight hours. Do you rest when you return home? The answer is no as you have to prepare dinner, share stories with your husband, spend time doing homework with the kids.

This is a situation typically encountered by working mothers, who for 24 hours and 7 days balance the innumerable demands of career and home. The children are however always at the receiving end and this is the problem. The reason for this needs to be asked.

The cause being the tendency of parents, particularly mothers to submit their children to schools with the faith that the children would be provided the best education by the institution.

Some parents however, in today's changing world have realized that in order to provide the best education to their children sending them to school is no longer the best option. This is the reason for their choice of home schooling to provide their children the kind of education they desire for them.

Most parents devote their time and attempt to give their children the best education at home in home schooling. This does not imply however that more time should be devoted to home schooling than to household chores. Home schooling uses the 'one to one' teaching method as its fundamental tenet. The reason being children can understand the concept quicker and easier due to a more individualistic method.

To plan the right amount of time needed in home schooling given here below are some guidelines:

1. Learning style of the children.

Examples can be found that the time requirements in home schooling may be dependent on the children's learning style. An example would be that you would have to dedicate much less time if your child can learn things at a much quicker pace. You would however have to dedicate more time explaining certain concepts of the subject matter being taught, if your child requires more time to understand the things which are taught to him.

2. The kind of method used.

Teaching methods relating to home schooling are many in number. However they differ regarding the time required by the parent to be dedicated to each program, as each has its individual teaching method.

3. The number of children within the family.

Having many children in the family would mean long hours of teaching similar to a typical classroom setting where usually the number of children are many. The reason being that you would have to inculcate in students the substance of the subject matter, and would have to explain all over again if one of them fails to understand the idea.

4. The age of the child.

More time is required in home schooling, the lesser the age of the child. The reason being that in comparison to children at the higher levels younger children tend to comprehend things being taught much slowly.

The vital factor is having quality time to spend with your parents or students though from the overall point of view the time needed may be influenced by these above-mentioned factors.

Alternative Education - The Home School

Years ago, during a discussion of home schooling, I commented that I had concerns about the lack of socialization for a home schooled student. The person I was talking to commented that he had 2 children that were home schooled and they had above average social skills and were very confident. He further commented that his son who was 16 years of age, ran his ranch while he was away on business. He said he would hire and fire employees with no problems at all.

Some of the greatest men of the last century were educated at home or self educated. This includes such people as Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Before the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, a home education was the norm. Not, we have compulsory education in public schools. This convenience is considered by many that choose to home school their children not that appealing at all. There have been programs promoted during the beginning of the 20th century for students to take courses at home and mail in their work for grading.

Students being home educated today are growing in numbers. In many countries, these numbers are continuing to rise. Often, the parents are using home schooling for their children because what they are looking for in the schools are not necessarily available. Their education can be controlled or directed according to the family's desires. The reasons for home schooling range from assisting children with disabilities to lack of satisfaction with the quality of education available in the schools to the careers of the parents. The demographics of the families is also very interesting. The statistical data for the parents of the home schooled child just intensifies the national averages. This is related to ethnicity factors, income factors, college degrees, housewives and religious factors.

What are some of the reasons to home school your child? The reasons vary a lot but avoiding the negative pressures such as school violence where some inner city schools are reporting up to 30% of students are carrying weapons to defend themselves. One of the biggest reasons for home schooling is the fact that parents want their children to have the best education they can. That might mean providing it for them right at home.

There are a lot of curriculums that a parent might want to access to follow for their child's education. Some of these materials have been around for one hundred years. Using a curriculum and working at home, the student can be paced by their abilities. They can take units of work and accomplish one unit at a time. There are home school associations that a family can join thereby being able to do some group activities. These associations also allow the student opportunities to socialize with other students that are also home schooled. There are a lot of community resources that are available for the home schooled student as well.

There are a lot of considerations for home schooling. The most important question, which encompasses everything, is what is the best way to educate your child and assure them of a good quality education in a safe setting with the proper resources?