Home Schooling

The credit crunch has affected all industries, and private education is not an exception. In the UK, almost 20 private schools have either already been closed or announced that they will be closing in the next few months. Parents are forced to look for alternatives in these circumstances, leading to the increasing popularity of home schooling by full-time private tutors. Affluent families switching from a closing private school to home schooling by a full time private tutor are realising that the change is more than a solution; it's an improvement. With more positive mainstream media coverage than ever before, attitudes towards home schooling are changing and the credit crunch seems to be creating a renaissance in home schooling.

Home schooling marks a return to traditional teaching methods

Educating a child in a school setting is a relatively recent phenomenon; compulsory education was introduced as late as the 1880's. It took a significant period of time for schooling to become recognisable as the formal schooling provided by the state as seen in the twenty-first century.

For the affluent, the history of education has run a different course; wealthy families have traditionally engaged the services of a full-time private tutor - often a governess - to educate their children. Private schools were few and far between, often offering a predominantly religious education, or preparation for life as a naval officer or other specialised profession. Private schools as we would recognise them today didn't establish themselves until as late as the nineteenth century, and now that some are closing due to the credit crunch, parents are going back to the traditional method of educating their child with a full-time private tutor.

A private school closure forces parents to re-evaluate how their child is educated

The closure of school is incredibly stressful for all involved, especially as in some cases, the announcement can be sudden and with little notice. A private school is run as a business, therefore closure can take place just as suddenly as it can for a failing company. If there are no other suitable schools in the area, the family may have to consider moving house in order to find a place to educate their child.

When faced with the prospect of having to sell the family home, leaving behind friends and neighbours, school based education has suddenly turned into an inconvenience. This is when a family seriously considers home education.

Private tuition that is tailored to the child

Private schools are often excellent at providing extra help where needed, or additional activities for the gifted child. However, nothing compares to the simple fact that professional home schooling carried out by a full-time tutors results in education that is tailor made to suit the child's learning style. The tutor receives immediate feedback and can alter explanations accordingly, so the home schooled child is never left behind when they find a new topic difficult, nor bored when the subject is something they find easy.

Home schooling a teenager in the critical exam years

If there is someone in the family who has the time to school a child at home every day, home schooling for a younger child may be possible for a parent. However, if the child is on the brink of critical exams, parents need to recruit a private tutor to deal with the more advanced curriculum. A dedicated full-time private tutor is an ideal solution, as the best tutors are able to educate at that level in all subjects. This removes the need to juggle several tutors for short slots, and ensures that the child receives the best education possible, along with tailored exam practice. The child can still be entered into public examinations, so the switch to home schooling with a full-time private tutor is actually beneficial.

Home schooling and socialisation

Once parents have realised that, educationally speaking, home schooling is usually going to be better quality than that received at school, the next concern is socialisation with peers. The image of a child at home, constantly studying and not talking to anyone else their own age is wildly inaccurate. The best full-time private tutors are highly skilled at finding local clubs and activities designed to provide the opportunities to socialise and also experience a wide range of pursuits.

Many teachers and university tutors comment upon how self-assured, independent and proactive home schooled children are, and when one considers the nature of school based socialisation, it may not be as important as first thought. There are likely to be other children with whom social time is detrimental, and the social conditions experienced at school are quite artificial. There are very few professions in which it's advantageous to be able to sit still in a room with other people at exactly the same age but differing interests, abilities and aspirations. Socialisation oriented around a common interest is rewarding and much closer to adult life, and is also likely to provide more experience in how to deal with a wider age range that school will provide.

Home schooling fits around a lifestyle, rather than life fitting around school

For the families who have employed a full-time tutor after switching from school education, the benefits of being independent of the school calendar are apparent. Holidays can be enjoyed as a family at any time of year. Travel plans can be more ambitious and integrated with the child's education, as the tutor can travel with the family and tailor lessons to incorporate local history, language, culture and places of interest. There are no longer any reasons to delay trips, as they will no longer interfere with the child's education, on the contrary; it will often enhance their education greatly.

These are just some of the reasons why we are seeing a renaissance in home schooling by private tutors. Education for the affluent seems to be coming full circle; the benefits provided by a dedicated tutor making home schooling a preferred choice, rather than a last resort when the local private school closes.

For many families, home schooling children is a viable alternative to public education for several important reasons: Strengthening the family, providing adequate education, and to promote moral and religious values.

With a perceived declining in the educational quality of the public school system in America, many parents are coming to the belief that homeschooling can offer their children a better education and result in better opportunities later on in life.

Educational Effects of Homeschooling

Research on homeschooling thus far strongly supports the thoughts of homeschooling parents. An extensive nationwide study showed that home schooled students outperformed their public and private school counterparts in every category. In fact, many homeschool students are enrolled in a grade level that is higher than their counterparts of the same age.

Home schooled children have a higher rate of high school graduation, a higher rate of college attendance, and a higher rate of college graduation.

Homeschooling is About More Than the Education

But for some families, a better education isn't the only reason to homeschool. Protection from the harsh world that encourages deviation from a successful path is another, as is the opportunity to strengthen the family.

The teen years are an extremely important time in the family building process. Spending six to eight hours away from the home can be very detrimental to a teen's ability to cement family relationships. Over time, subtle changes can erode family relationships, especially during the more tumultuous adolescent and teen years. By providing a homeschool education, parents can prevent this erosion and help strengthen the family bond.

Additionally, many people believe that public education is not up to the standards that a home school education can provide. No one is more invested in a child's education than his parents and a home school curriculum can help a child's ability to learn. For instance, a school teacher may grade your child's paper and tell him which answers are correct, and which are incorrect and leave it at that. But parents who are homeschooling their children, can spend time to explain to them why the answers are right and wrong, in order to help them learn more thoroughly.

Also, many parents believe that a child's educational curriculum should include not only academic learning, but also the teaching of morals, ethics, and values. According to recent polls, about 77 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Christian values are an important part of our functioning society and providing children with home schooling is a great way to ensure that they are social and moral values in addition to academic learning.

If you are considering setting-up an accredited home school, there are certain minimum requirements that you, as the parent, or legal guardian of your child must meet. At the very least, parents who teach their children full-time, must possess a high school diploma or a GED. According to data published by the National Center for Education Statistics in February 2006 (researched in 2003), white children who learn in an accredited home school are four times more likely to be educated full time in the home than are Hispanic students. The rate of homeschooling for black children is about half the rate of white children. However, children and/or households who identified with racial groups other than white, black, or Hispanic, had a much higher combined ratio of 1.165. The ratio for white children was 1.0, black children -- 0.538, and Hispanic children -- 0.230.

Because homeschooling is not regulated in the same sense that traditional schools are, homeschooled child learn from a combination of traditional and non-traditional sources, albeit they must attain the same minimum standards as children who attend an organized school. Sixty percent of all curriculum materials used to teach children at home came from traditional text book publishers approved for public education, but not specifically tailored for the home school model. Approximately, 78 percent of parents obtained their curricula from a public library, although the majority of these same individuals subsidized their children's education with materials from commercial sources, such as a homeschooling catalog and retail bookstores. Homeschooling organizations supply approximately fifty percent of the curricula and books to children who learn in an accredited home school. Approximately thirty-seven percent of parents surveyed said that they obtained their educational supplies and curricula from a religious institution. The report does not indicate whether these materials were affiliated with any particular educational program administered by their religious organization. However, approximately 23 percent of parents who did derive the majority of their educational materials from a religious institution also supplemented them with materials from their local public library or school district. Approximately 16 percent of classroom materials were obtained from secular private schools.

Additionally, approximately 41 percent of all students learning in an accredited homeschool also derived their education online or by some other means of distance learning. Twenty percent used television, radio, or other magnetic source, such as video or DVD to supplement their child's education. Less than half of them -- approximately 19 percent of students received instruction through the Internet. Additionally, computer software is growing in popularity and variety, and besides being used in the home, most schools use it as an individualized learning tool. The growing integration of correspondence schools with computer and other based media channels is also on the rise. At the time of this survey, about 15 percent of homeschooled students were engaged in some sort of correspondence course. No noticeable difference in testing scores was recognized between those students who participated in a correspondence course and those who did not.

While setting-up an accredited home school might, at first, spark the determined parent's imagination with tremendous enthusiasm, homeschooling is not for everyone. There is much more involved than obtaining the educational material and resources - especially when it comes to family dynamics and emotions. Even the most skilled teacher may find it an almost impossible task to teach his or her own child - especially as that child reaches adolescence.

Reading and writing are the "bottom line" when it comes to education. If a person cannot read and write they cannot progress much in the 21st century.

So, this is the obvious place to start when you begin home schooling your child. However, there are other considerations that you will also have to take into account.

1. Set Goals

To begin with, decide what your final goals for your child's education are. For example, "I would like my child to go to University and earn a degree", or "I would like my child to finish school and be proficient in Math, Science and several foreign languages."

Each parent has their own ideas on how they would like their child to progress and their home schooling decisions must be based on these ideas. Of course you cannot know what your child will decide later on in life but you can begin to plan their education now and steer them in the "right" direction.

A good idea is to ensure that your child's education is as broad as possible giving them a wide range of choices later on.

Once you have sketched this goal outline for your child's education and you know why and what you want to teach your child in their home school environment, you are then ready to begin.

The first place to begin is to teach your child to read and write and progress naturally form there.

2. A System

The first thing you will have to do now is decide on the method you will be using to teach your child to read and write. Will you develop your own, or will you buy someone else's?

There are benefits to both choices; however, the danger of developing your own method is that you will be spending more time experimenting when in fact you could have spent that time reading.

I recently spoke with a father who is home schooling his five year old daughter, who had spent 8 months teaching her to read, without a method, and she still could only read a few words. He thought there something wrong with his daughter and had her checked out by psychologists; their conclusion was that she was fine. He then put the blame on himself. Well, the only thing "wrong" with him was that he didn't have a system.

By implementing a reliable, easy and proven system to your home school efforts you will be astounded by the progress your child can make in a very short period of time.

And seeing as your main objective here is to get your child reading and writing so that you canreally get on with their home school education, implementing a good system is of paramount importance.

3. Be Consistent

Once you have finalized all the details; you know what your goals are and what system you are going to use, you are ready to begin home schooling your child in earnest.

Bear in mind that children love routine. For this reason, ensure that all of their home schooling lessons are planned and timed, even if you are a relaxed, go-with-the-flow kind of parent, some kind of structure and "security" is always advisable.

Set a time for your child's reading and writing lesson every day. Make sure not to overload them so that they will always see their lessons as fun. This will keep your child interested and coming back for more.

As most parents begin home schooling their children quite early, usually when the child is only 3 or 4 years old, it is important to remember that initially your child's lessons should not be longer than 10 minutes as this will be the extent of their attention span. It will naturally increase later on as your child gets older.

Consistency is key. Set up an easy, comfortable routine and watch your child flower.

Home schooling your child can be daunting at times, but by following the three simple points above you will be able to undertake this challenge and flourish. With a little planning and effort on your part your child should be well on their way to a very successful home school education.

Are you thinking about home schooling but you don't know where to start? Are you overwhelmed with all of the information out there? Do you need help sorting through the facts?

Well you've come to the right place.

I'll take you through, step-by-step, what you'll need to know to begin your homeschooling adventure.

First you will want to acquaint yourself with the home schooling laws in your state. The easiest way to do this is at the Home School Legal Defense Association web site. From their home page you can click on "in your state" found in the quick menu on the left hand side. Once you do that you will find a map of the states, click on your state and there you will find the home schooling laws of that state.

Second step is to decide how you will home school. Will you use an umbrella program or be totally on your own? What's the difference?

Umbrella programs include ISP's, Charter Schools, and distance learning programs.

An ISP is an independent learning program. It can be private or public. It includes anything from very basic record keeping all the way to providing curriculum.

A charter school is taxpayer funded, but more parent oriented. It's like a private school without the cost. Some charter schools offer home schooling programs. And some of those programs offer classes one or two days a week. The best of both worlds is their motto.

A distance learning program is similar to curriculum in a box or school at home. Lots of times work is done on the computer via the internet.

Being totally on your own requires the filing of paperwork with your state. And depending on your state there will be various degrees of accountability.

Not all of these programs exist in everywhere. Remember to check the laws in your state before proceeding.

Next you'll want to evaluate your level of home schooling comfort. It's not unusual for first time home schoolers to want more support. And it's not unusual to want mere freedom as your comfort level grows.

Now would be the time to start reading. I highly recommend "The Joyful Home Schooler" by Mary Hood,Phd, " A Charlotte Mason Companion" by Karen Andreola, and "The Well Trained Mind" by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.

Reading these books will give you an excellent overview of home schooling from several different perspectives. Use these books to help you create your home school identity. You'll either be totally convicted by one of them or you will take some from each of them. Either way these books will prove to be useful as you decide what your homeschooling experience will be like. Be sure to read them while making your decisions.

Well that about does it for now. I think I've given you enough information to think about for a little while at least. From here you should be able take your first home schooling steps. Good luck!

Choosing a home school curriculum is one of the main responsibilities of home schooling. Home school curriculum is meant to teach your child specifically and individually, and since your child will be receiving more one-on-one attention, it is likely that they will learn more quickly and easily. With all the choices available, deciding which home school curriculum is right for your children can be difficult and costly. Make no mistake, home school curriculum has become big business to publishers, but choosing your home school curriculum is one of the flexibilities afforded by the entire process. You will find free home school curriculum and expensive home school curriculum

Home School Curriculum

Many people who are considering home schooling are often surprised to find out that their local school districts typically do not provide home school curriculum. This adds expense to home schooling. But the reasons for quality home school curriculums are obvious to you as a parent or educator. Finding the best home school curriculum that fits the needs of your individual student is extremely important. This will mean a curriculum for home school that takes into account the abilities of a student as well as the specific learning objectives or interests. Whatever type of homeschool curriculum your are looking for, your interest shows that you are concerned that the members of your family who are students get a quality home school education. Whether you are searching for accredited homeschool curriculum or simply the best homeschool curriculum for your student, I encourage you to compare the resources available in the homeschool curriculum market.

Home Schooling

One of the greatest advantages to home schooling is the ability to be selective about the curriculum you follow. It is very likely that if you have chosen home schooling for your child's education, you have done so to provide them individualized instruction. Parents choose home schooling for various reasons, and usually quite a bit of thought and effort goes into the decision to use a home school curriculum. Some families are interested in Christian based education and as such, have turned to homeschooling. If you are new to home schooling and are having difficulty choosing a home school curriculum, talk with other home schooling families about materials they have used and which ones they have liked and disliked.

No matter which curriculum you choose, when a parent home schools their child, it can be very difficult to hold their attention, especially if the home school curriculum is conducted in the home. Make sure you tell your children that, while the home school curriculum is taking place, you are no longer their parent; you are their teacher.

Have you been thinking about homeschooling or Unschooling? You may have been thinking about it for a long time or not and just need a little more information to get started. I would like to talk about the homeschooling options as well as some common reasons why many choose to educate their children and them self in this way. I say them self because one key thing to remember about homeschooling is that it is not just a way for children to get educated, it is also a huge learning experience for the whole family!

First thing to consider is why do you want to begin homeschooling or unschooling. Some common reasons are shown below.

Safety: Many parents just do not feel a school environment is safe or not safe enough for their children. Bullies, harassment, sex, drugs and sometimes even guns and gang violence, are unfortunately just getting worse in today's public schools. Drugs, sex, and harassment have even become common place in many schools around the US, and it is only getting worse.

Religious or philosophical: Many conservative families are unhappy with the liberal direction of the public schools and would rather be responsible for their children's education and teach them what they feel is morally right and wrong. Many homeschooling families prefer a more religious centered education and find it more easily attainable in a home school or unschool setting. Its not just conservative families, all kinds of families are choosing some form of homeschooling for their family, all around families are taking responsibility for their families education as well as what they are exposed to and when.

Education: Homeschooling families believe that the school systems are failing children, a better education awaits them through homeschooling and unschooling. Many believe that schools do not teach children how to think for them self (think inside the box) and are designed to teach children how to get a job and work for someone else their whole life, opposed to teaching children how to be creative, think out side the box, explore new ideas, and learn how to use their creativity in all areas of their life including entrepreneurship, schools just don't teach this stuff. It is important for schooled kids to sit, be quiet and do as they are told, all important skills for a job that lasts for the next 40 years of their life or more. By the time they are free and have the time to do other things they are to sick, tired and broke. Many home school families simply want more for their children than that, we may as well be free in a free country.

Their are many options for homeschooling, some families participate in a Charter program were it is ran by a public school and the state, this type is much like independent study and is great for families who are just getting started. Families also have the charter school option online this also is a independent study program. Many home school families choose the private school option and choosing to register their home as a private school, this way all curriculum, materials, lessons plans and more are all provided by the parents. Since the 1970's a new form of home school as become an option and is gaining in popularity, and it is unschooling. With unschooling families still have to comply with their states home school law and that is not hard to do. Typical unschoolers do not use a formal curriculum, schedule or lesson plan and is mostly individual driven learning (or child driven learning), that is when the children learn what they happen to be interested in at the time. Children learn from living life and doing what they love and want to do.

Homeschooling allows children to learn were they live, play, and socialize. Homeschooling children love to learn because much of the time they are learning what they love and with the people they love the most, their family! Home schooled children learn about real life because they live in real life. They go to the store, park, play sports and even help mom and dad pay bills. There is no end to the education that home schooled kids can have and they would never get siting in a classroom all day, most of their young life.

I hope this article has helped you learn a little more about why families are choosing home school for their family.

To Your Families Success!

Joanne Utke

When considering their child's future, many parents limit their choices to public or private schooling. Very often the mighty dollar wins that debate. More and more however, parents are choosing to school their children at home.

There is no doubt the public schooling system is riddled with problems. Many Secondary School teachers will tell you their main role is behaviour management, rather than passing on anything of value. Your child may be subject to bullying, personality clashes with teachers as well as peers and a variety of unwanted influences. In recent times there has been the additional fear of violence, particularly following the series of school shootings.

Australia seems to have escaped the worst of the violent trends to date, but that does not mean that a public school education provides the best environment for your child. Many public schools are under-resourced and ill-equipped to deal with the demands of the fast-paced, rapidly changing society of today.

Home schooling provides the flexibility and freedom to provide the student with choices not necessarily available to them in a more strictly structured system. They are safe from harassment by others in the school community and have far fewer distractions from the topics under study.

Most people have a mix of positive and negative memories regarding their Secondary School experience. The experiences that formed these memories depend upon individual strengths, social skills and abilities (or lack thereof). A person's self-esteem can be powerfully affected either way, by the predominant tone of their High School experiences.

For a child being home schooled in a loving and supportive environment, the issue of self-esteem is far less critical than in the Secondary School environment.

However, home schooling is not without its issues. If the parents are not qualified teachers, what guarantee does the child have that he/she is receiving a better quality of education? It's true that not all qualified teachers are good teachers, but in the Australian school system there is always the reassurance of knowing that your child is being taught by a trained professional.

Then there is the much-debated socialization aspect of home schooling. It has been argued that Secondary Schooling is, in fact, first and foremost, a forum for social interaction. Imparting knowledge to the students runs a distant second in this philosophy. This emphasis on peer interaction would appear to put the home schooled child at a severe disadvantage. There are, however, home schooling networks available that help organize excursions and opportunities for many home schooled students to interact. This would minimize the impact of any lack of daily socialization with peers and adults outside of the family.

Another major concern for home schooling involves the family's finances. Many families struggle to meet the demands of day to day living. Families with both parents there can often ill afford to live on one income while the other parent schools the child. For sole-parent families the pressures are even greater. The Australian Government provides no funding for home schooling and is, in fact, undermining sole parents who are considering home schooling, by pushing single parents of school-age children to re-enter the workforce.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to home school will depend upon individual circumstances. It will be made by parents who have taken the time to become fully informed on the subject, and who are prepared for whatever challenges their decision entails.

If you would like to complete an appropriate Catholic home school program, it is very important to consider all pros and cons of the offered programs. However, you may be sure that there is a great variety of Catholic home school programs for you to choose from. No matter what program an individual is going to choose, he or she will be required to spend much time and effort in order not only to find the appropriate one but also to study on a good level. With the help of homeschool programs a student is able to obtain different degrees of responsibility and guidance for homeschool parents. Most of homeschool programs suggest a great sense of security, especially for new homeschoolers and those homeschooling highschoolers. When looking for the right decidion concerning which program to choose or whether not to choose it, pay special attention to your children's learning styles, your academic abilities, state law. It is also important to consider college admissions requirements while making this serious decision.

So, as it was already mentioned, there is a wide variety of Catholic home school programs for you to consider. Nevertheless, only some of them are really worth much honour and popularity. You are welcome further to get acquainted at least with some of them.

Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling

Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling is really a trustworthy, competent Catholic home school program, the one worth your consideration. It is the oldest Catholic homestudy program in the United Statesof America, and probably in the whole world. Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling is specially created for the to work with children belonging to different age groups. This Catholic Home School Program tends to work with children as they grow. Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling has really highly-qualified and experienced staff. Those people deeply realize the importance of education for a child's, as well as suggest their students all the necessary tools and resources required by children's parents. This program was created almost half a century ago and this long experience has taught the working staff how to behave in different situations. So, you may be sure in this Catholic Home School Program as well as trust all the teaching methods used in it and the knowledge given to children.

Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling has been offering Roman Catholic homeschooling curriculum as well as textbooks since the year of 1977. The curriculum and textbooks used in this program are correctly organized, have a sound doctrine and are very accessible. In addition, Our Lady of Victory School gives an excellent opportunity to Catholic homeschooling parents to select from different standardized or particularly tailored resources, programs, and supplies.

The educational program of Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling uses the typical Catholic school format that was experienced in many other Catholic schools of the United States of America until the year of 1960. Due to the traditional educational system used by Our Lady of Victory Traditional Catholic Home Schooling the teaching staff does not experiment with children's minds. The studying program as well as teaching methods are God-centered and not man-centered, or humanistic. The teachers always try to encourage their students to strive. Thus, if a student deserves an "F", this person receives it. But the program doesn't practice abandoning the failing student or transferring him into a special group for such pupils as some other programs do. On the contrary, such a pupil is encouraged to develop the skills. Thus, children have an opportunity to grow academically and morally.

Catholic City Is A Great Option!

One more excellent option for parents to consider is Catholic City. Catholic City doesn't only suggest a great variety of different home schooling programs, but also a wide choice of books necessary for the studying process of children. In addition, they suggest particular free home schooling programs which are worth checking up. An individual is welcome to contact them any time if he or she has some questions to be answered.

It has to be emphasized that an individual is not required to do home schooling the old fashioned way, when a person has to send letters and then to receive answers with the information via post mail. However, probably one of the greatest and most important discoveries of the last century is the personal computer and the Internet. Due to it mailing process has become much faster and easier. Nowadays, all willing students have a wonderful opportunity to home school online. This way of studying offers many advantages making the educational process rather easy and extremely convenient, not only for the children but also for their parents as well. One of the greatest advantages about homeschooling is much flexibility. An individual may study whenever and wherever it is convenient for him of her.

Beside all these advantages of distance learning, children will be just happy to sit before the computer and do their home assignment with much joy and desire. By the way, children will be able to improve their abilities of the work before the computer.

So, when you find an appropriate Catholic home school program for your child and the latter will like studying in it, there won't be any problems with the studying. And your child will have an excellent opportunity to obtain the same high-rate education that they would in a generally accepted public school.

The public school system in America is a dinosaur and the Ice Age is not far off. With all of the advances we've made in technology and as a society in the last 50 years, it's ludicrous to see our children being educated in the standardized system used 50 years ago. The influx of parents who are home schooling and the home schooling resources available now versus 10 years ago attest to the fact that parents are fed up.

Not only do the majority of public schools not work, but our children are getting less and less education. American children are getting further and further behind their Japanese and German counterparts; and in a time where the economy is global, how do our children remain competitive in the job market of tomorrow?

Besides the threat of violence at school, the lack of education going on there, the generally sliding test scores and the lack of alternatives; the economical drain on property tax payers to support this lumbering, antiquated system is phenomenal. Simply put, if all of us had the option of doing something else, most of us would. Private schools, magnet schools or home schooling alternatives are a reality.

For some of us though, there is currently no feasible alternative. Many of us simply cannot afford to shell out college-sized tuition starting in grade school. For many more who work outside the home, the time required to start home schooling is a commitment that we're not sure we can incorporate into our already packed schedules.

What is your child really learning at school currently that will translate into success and financial freedom and entrepreneurial skills later on in life? If we all sat down and looked through the graded papers our children bring home and asked, "How does this turn into dollars and cents later on?" the answer would be, "Most of it doesn't."

So what can you do right now, on the budget and with the time you have to improve the quality of your child's education?

Expand where you're at.

What is your child learning about money right now? Normally we learn early in grade school how to recognize money (what's a nickel, what's a dollar), we see math used in story problems where the concept is actually addition or subtraction; and that's our money education unless we receive additional education in college. For a subject that is so near and dear to our hearts, money is not prominent in most of our educations.

This is where a lack of education spells a future lack of funds. You want your child to become a millionaire later in life; or even just be financially independent, you will be responsible for showing them how to think and what to do with money. Setting aside one hour a week to discuss finances with your child would give them so much more of a head start than they have right now. Make it interesting, make it personal, teach them what you wish someone would have taken the time to teach you. Are you paying bills this week? Have your child sit down and watch what you're doing. Explain the method of accounting you use and what you're paying for and how much. Are you setting up a budget for the family? Give your child the opportunity to give input on the budget as well as see how it works.

If finances are a problem in your family, your child needs to understand money now more than ever. If you're facing creditors, bankruptcy or foreclosure, why keep your child in the dark regarding the circumstances? If you're investing for the future or for their college, why not explain what your goals are? Can you explain your own financial goals or why you've chosen a specific investment? Can you explain simple stock market terms, what is a certificate of deposit, what is a treasury bond? If not, maybe this is the first step in learning more about your finances - teaching your child. Don't be embarrassed to start at the beginning; just start.

What is your child learning about business right now? For most people's children, their business education is confined to: trying to explain what their parents do for work, going to work with them one day a year and then getting their first job at 16. They will learn more about business if they go to college with a business major, but what practical, real-world experience are they receiving? Can you realistically expect someone with that limited amount of business knowledge to start and run their own business? How did you learn about business if you own your own?

You had to jump in and do it.

Whether you own your own business or not, all of us can agree that an education in business is a great way to cover core concepts and grasp a general idea of a topic, but experience in business is priceless. Your child starting a paper route or a babysitting business will teach them on a personal level what coming to work with you once a year would never do.

Expand where you're at. The entrepreneurial spirit that you are growing is an education that your child will never forget. Rather than sit back and watch our children waste precious learning time in front of the television, as a family commit to one hour a week getting an education on money. Go to the library, get on the Internet, find material that excites and inspires you and your child will become excited and inspired about money.

Home schooling is a term that really means, "The buck stops here." If we choose a better quality of education for our children, we have to supplement at home. If we choose a successful mindset for our children, we have to show by example. If we want more for our children regarding money and business potential for our children than we have had, we have to provide them with more right out of the gate.

Right now there are more resources available for at-home education than ever before. We have more information at our fingertips than any generation before us. What is our excuse if we don't use it?
Ultimately, what will give your child a leg up in a global economy and an ever-changing job market will be the confidence you instilled in them and an education than can be calculated into dollars and cents.

Choosing to home school children can is an option for a variety of different reasons. Parents may have specific religious beliefs, not agree with curriculums of both public and private schools, or parents are just do-it-yourselfers. However, there are many undeniable drawbacks to home schooling that can hinder a child's future and development.

There are other parts of attending school rather than getting the garden variety knowledge found in most schools. Going to school and being around other children and adults is a way in which children develop their social skills. In often cases, children who are home schooled will be reclusive adults when they get older because they have not built good people skills.

Another drawback to home schooling is that children do not have the change to go out for any school sports teams. This being part of the social skills arguments, by not competing with others will serve to make children too passive. Also, not playing sports or joining school clubs will produce a person who is not conducive to working on a team.

Parents that choose to have children home schooled also may not be as good of teachers as real teachers. For this reason, it may hinder a child's chances at a higher education if they do not graduate from an accredited high school. Parents who home school their children make it harder for the children to get into college.

The drawbacks of home schooling are glaring problems that can be fixed but require much extra effort on the parents behalf. When choosing to home school, parents deny their children of social skills development, they deprive them of teamwork situations, and the level of education may not be up to standards. It today's society, attending a regular school program is a more acceptable avenue for a child's education.

Many parents today make home schooling their choice method of educating their children. There are numerous benefits a child can enjoy. Often a parent decides that their child would excel much better or faster from being taught at home while receiving their undivided attention. Sometimes, children who may have had difficulty in learning or other significant problems in school, will be much more successful being taught at home by one of the parents.

If you are trying to decide if such method of study is right for you and your child, rest assured that there are unlimited courses available on the internet that contain curriculum from grades second through twelfth. A good example of this is the Global Student Network. There are more than eighty courses available. All the class material that your child will require, is presented through the internet and they'll have the finest libraries, museums and informative sites in the world at their disposal.

Home Schooling Curriculum

The course of study for internet home schooling is flexible and changeable, and also very interactive. The curriculum is always kept current with the latest and pertinent material. The lessons which are offered online, essentially encourage reading, but assist the child to psychoanalyze, conceive and then vocalize their ideas. Online access is twenty-four hours a day and 365 days a year. It is completely internet secure, and congruous with all internet characteristics including parental mastery.

Numerous American families residing overseas, choose online home schooling as an educational option for their children. Because the total realistic courses of study are from grades two to twelve, the option of classes in the syllabus, may offer much more diversity than in a local school. Some of the available online home schooling materials, are very cost-effective and all-inclusive.

The Advantages

One of the biggest advantages is time. You decide your schedule and the hours your child will be in a school room setting. Through the online school mentioned previously, the 80 courses are for one calendar school year. This would be available three-hundred and sixty-five days a year, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This curriculum offers many features so that each child can have an individualized learning plan. Likewise, at the same time, according to the needs of each student, the curriculum can also be customized for the appropriate subject and grade level which is normally taught in the public school system.

Audio And Video Help With Home Schooling

Some of the best features for online home schooling are the audio and video components. The audio component is able to read texts to students and show video clips for many of the courses. The curriculum is absolutely web-based and is delivered completely through the internet. No CDs or books are required. The material also may not be downloaded.

The courses offered for online home schooling stick to strict regulations presented by the National Curriculum standards and are presented in a way that they will be of benefit to all learning styles, even while keeping the interests and needs of the students and families in mind. The students are encouraged to search for needed information and obtain answers on their own. Parents will need to become the teacher as their online module retains the answer keys.

If you wish to have your child participate in an online school, you will need to enroll them in the class and fill out the enrollment form. Prices will vary depending on the courses available. There is also a free online home schooling program which is available too. Your child will receive a user ID and password, and then after logging in, can begin learning through this sophisticated means of online home schooling.

In the past it went without saying that you would send your kids to public schools. With public schools installing metal detectors and seeing an increase in violence, parents are teaching more of their children at home. The upside of home schooling your children is the increased protection and focus on education. The downside is that the kids do not get the same level of interaction with other kids or a sense of belonging.

Virtual schools are bridging the gap between the experience of a public school and the safety of home school. Children in Virtual Classrooms can interact with the other kids during class discussion, study groups and group projects. If the Online Educational Software is good enough, they can even hold video conferencing to feel like they are in the same room as their friends and teachers. Virtual Classrooms have the added benefit of keeping all of the study materials online so that the child can access them whenever they need to study.

As I mentioned, one of the drawbacks of teaching your kids at home is that they do not feel like they belong to a school. They live in different houses, use different computers and the software that they use is drab and dull. Quality Online Classroom Systems will allow the look and feel of the software to reflect the schools unique teaching style. A Virtual School should be branded in the same way as a brick and mortar school to give the kids a sense of community and school spirit.

Virtual Classrooms solve another of the problems that people see with home school. If it is not done correctly, a child that has been home schooled can be sheltered and not get the benefits received from meeting children of different backgrounds. Online Educational Software allows students from all over the world to come together and share ideas while learning the fundamentals that they will need for later life. Virtual Classrooms add a level of variety that cannot be matched by brick and mortar schools because they are not restricted to only receiving students from a certain geographic area.

If you have been considering home schooling your child then there is no better time to start looking into Online Educational Software. Colleges and private schools have been using virtual classrooms for some time but public schools are slowly integrating Online Classroom Systems. Maybe in the future we will get a choice in our children's education. Where some days we can send them to school but on other days we can let them log in from home. It would be the best of both worlds.

When choosing a home schooling curriculum you can be met with so many options that it can leave you feeling seriously confused. There are many different home schooling programs that all promise you and your child the best home schooling curriculum available.

Which home schooling curriculum is right for you and your family? Is one home schooling curriculum the right one for all your children? Or does each child need a different approach from their home schooling education?

It's been my experience that before you go "shopping" for your home schooling curriculum online you need to sit down, find a quite time and consider both your needs and the needs of your child. This is a very important consideration when choosing your best home schooling resource. Your needs are as important as you child's needs. You'll be the one teaching the home schooling curriculum. You have to feel comfortable with your choice. Don't make the mistake of choosing a home schooling online curriculum that appears ideal for your child, if you cannot cope with the time and personal resources needed to achieve the ideal. You and your child will suffer in the long run.

Rather choose a home schooling program that you feel comfortable with and can manage. Once you get into the routine of home schooling, you'll soon find your feet. Your confidence in your ability to teach will grow. I always say, "Who better to teach your children than their own Mother?" It won't be long before you're able to prove to yourself, that you are the best home school teacher for your child.

When it comes time to choose your homeschool curriculum online, I've found the following questions to be helpful, in making that final purchasing decision:

• What is the end goal for my child?
• Do I want to concentrate on an academic home schooling curriculum, a creative home schooling curriculum or a combination of the two?
• What is my belief system
• What are my Religious beliefs, if any?
• Do I want to teach my children my belief system as part of their home schooling program?
• Do a want a home schooling curriculum that demands a strict schedule or a more flexible schedule?
• What is my budget? Remember you'll not only be buying the home schooling program. You'll be buying everything from crayons to science experiment kits!

Once you've answered these questions you'll find you have a better understanding of which home schooling curriculum would best suit both you and your children. Now you can shop for your home schooling online curriculum with a positive attitude knowing which home schooling program would be best for your family.

Always bear in mind that every Homeschool family is different. Your neighbour's choice of home schooling curriculum may work brilliantly for her, but not suit you at all. There is a home schooling program out there to suit everyone, it's just a matter of knowing what you want from you home schooling curriculum.

Why Parents Choose a Home School Education

An increasing number of children today are receiving a home school education. The reasons for making the choice to home school their kids varies from family to family but there are three main reasons why parents are removing their children from the public school system and giving them a home school education.

The first reason is that the public education system in the United States is struggling to provide a proper education for the nation's children with out of date text books, run down school buildings and inadequate equipment. Provision of a home school education enables the parents to have control over the quality of the educational materials used by their children and the general conditions in which they are educated.

The second reason is that parents wish to assume more control over the influences their children will be exposed to. This is often on the basis of religious grounds but, very often, it is simply because a home school education will ensure the child learns the values upheld by the family and is taught from an early age what behavior is appropriate. Unfortunately, many public schools have a poor reputation for instilling good discipline in students. This often results in badly behaved children disrupting lessons and preventing their peers from getting the full benefit of classes. Discipline and the upholding of proper standards of behavior is an important part of a home school education.

The third reason many parents choose to give their children a home school education is fear for their safety. Violence is on the increase everywhere and the public school system has not escaped this trend. Violence in the public education system is getting worse and the individual acts of violence are more serious. Since the shocking events at Columbine High School there have been further tragedies involving firearms where teachers and students have been injured or killed. A home school education ensures the safety of children who would otherwise be seriously at risk of harm.

The Disadvantages of Opting For Homeschooling

Providing a home school education is not simply a matter of parental choice. In most cases the state education board of the state in which the family resides will have to approve a decision to give a child a home school education. The person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling must be certified to be a home teacher, the curriculum must follow the state curriculum, and the text books and other educational materials to be used must be approved by the state. Although this might seen like undue interference in what is a matter of personal choice, the state has a responsibility to ensure that all children receive an adequate standard of education and checks will be made to ensure that any child being kept away from public school is being properly educated.

A home school education might mean that a child is deprived of certain opportunities which would have been available within the public school system. There could be difficulties in providing facilities for athletic children to realize their potential. Musically talented children could be similarly disadvantaged. In some states there is provision for children receiving a home school education to take part in amenities such as being able to attend sports lessons and join after-school clubs. However, the level of assistance provided to homeschooling parents is not uniform and varies a lot from state to state.

The final potential disadvantage to affect children receiving a home school education is that they will not develop the social skills which will be important as they grow up. Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance personality and a reasonable level of social skills. These developmental issues can be fairly easily overcome if the child lives in a state where homeschooling parents are given support and the child receiving a home school education is accepted into classes and extra-curricular activities.

The decision to keep a child out of the public education system is not one any parent would make lightly and any weighing up of the pros and cons must take into account the level of support the state will provide. However, if the public school system continues to deteriorate, the number of children receiving a home school education is bound to increase.

At any age home schooling is a huge responsibility. In Home schooling you are the teacher as well as the parent. Additionally you are required to follow the stringent regulations too. At the time when the child has reached high school level it's a whole new ball game for home schooling.

When the child has reached a high school level and still want to home school him/her then it becomes imperative that you not only have complete state regulation for graduation knowledge what kind of education places the child will seek to go to and also start gathering high school info for such colleges.

The other thing that you must keep in your mind is that even if you attain state graduation standards, a large number of colleges do not accept a high school diploma issued by a home school until it comes in the form of an recognized high school. And forget that your home school high school will have become an accredited one till the child becomes a graduate, therefore have one these following plans: grab a GED, the child can have a GED taken soon after local high school graduation is over; you also join an home school high school program via internet that's credited.

A diploma via internet school is equivalent to a school that privately run,, or then what better if you can find a college that accepts home schoolers, and there is no dirt of such colleges (e.g. Yale & Harvard). Miki Colfax has written a few books that might prove to be helpful to source information. His kids were home schooled. Of the two, one graduated from Yale while the other from Harvard. The question here is can this be the same for others as well.

Internet home schools are galore, good and bad both so I would really be stressed finding the right one that give me good value as well as teaching skills that make sense. Not all parents are like the Colfax's and frankly the best favor you could do for the kid is to help make the progress to college trouble free. GED is any easy test for even those with just average high school grades yet some have reservations about GED. When employment comes into the picture a diploma from home school high school is proof enough that high school education has been attained.

What about Internet schooling? Internet makes students follow proper timetable scheduling. There is the added benefit of audio-visual classroom and interaction with teachers too. This system gains high importance when tough courses likes math, AP courses or physics are taught. Parents however good cannot teach every subject with the same degree of that of a specialized teacher.

If you desire you have a recognized high school syllabus for the kid then Internet does make good sense. Development of a good syllabus is really a tough job while home schooling. How do you start is another question! Try Grace Academy if you like Christian style education. edanywhere.com is also recommended, its home schooling high school syllabus is affordable.

Your child's future lays in your hands and if home schooling of high school via Internet is your pick them just make sure you have a good idea of it so that every is just as you thought it would be.

Home Schooling is Popular

Home schooling is becoming increasingly popular. Why? Because in some areas schools are too dangerous to consider. Parents want to have more control over their children's learning environment. Schools in some districts lack essential quality in resources and staff to effectively educate children for the challenges of today's global society. With home schooling, parents are able to expand the learning platform of their children to an almost infinite degree. School districts provide the required curriculum for children so that parents don't go off on a non-productive tangent. This also helps to ensure that home-schooled children are on track with their peers of the same age and grade level.

What about those cases in which children have a first language other than English? Though not yet in supremely large numbers, the growing discovery of alarming numbers of children with illegal immigrant status raises the question of English as a Second Language (ESL) home-schooling and literacy. The task of developing fluency in English stretches from the children through the parents and even the grandparents in many cases. Immigrant families are cash-strapped. Often due to low levels of educational achievement, lack of marketable skills or even illiteracy, parents feel they are "trapped". To earn more they must learn more, but how can this be accomplished without English language fluency?

Using A TBL Approach

One of many possible scenarios is home schooling using a TBL (Tasked-Based Learning) approach. In this approach, learners are taught useable, marketable skills using English as the language of instruction. In-demand skills such as Nursing Aids, Home Health Care Aides, Auto Mechanics, Electrician Helpers, Carpentry and construction trade workers, Cooks and even Teacher Aides could be brought up to marketable standards rather quickly. Certainly most would require less than a year of preparation to begin "giving back" to the economy that many now only abuse to the detriment of tax-payers and home owners who currently carry an over-burdened share of the economy.

Using a TBL approach, several problems would be addressed at the same time.

o Immigrants would learn a marketable skill

o Immigrants would learn English

o Immigrants would regain their personal pride and dignity

o Parents could set a valuable example for their children

o Children could be eased more into mainstream American society

o Children could more easily acquire useable English language skills

There are already quantities of online and low-residency English language and other programs available for both adults and children.

Certainly English taught as a second or foreign language is practical for home schooling. Teachers and tutors must make classes interesting, lively and on occasion even fun if they are to maintain the interest and attendance of these LEP (Limited English Proficiency) learners. In so doing, the problem of non-English speaking or LEP learners of all ages can begin to be addressed in earnest. Over-crowded, cash and resource-strapped schools need our help. Here's one way we, as concerned TEFL professionals, can give it to them.

How long, how often, and when? These are the normal questions of parents who choose to home school their children. One of the main reasons behind home schooling is to have flexibility in scheduling. This flexibility applies to not only the curriculum but also the amount of hours spent in face to face instruction. Many parents often make the mistake of thinking that kids who are home schooled should stay in their books for the entire part of the day when they would be in public school. This is especially true for parents who have just started home schooling. This is not only wrong, it could even be counter-productive.

The main drawbacks in the public school, is the amount of time and energy that are wasted. There are class periods that are just wasted away so public school children probably have no more than 1 - 3 hours of actual learning everyday. Aside from the time when no instruction is taking place, there are the days that the instruction is just too intense for the child to grasp the concept and another day has to be spent on the same concept to assure that the student has grasped the idea.

The first thing you should do when you begin home schooling is to figure out your agenda. It is important to keep the same hours everyday. It is simpler for your child to learn if he has a daily routine. It lets the students know that their parents are serious about learning and lets him free his mind from distractions and focus on the material. He will know that a certain time is set aside for learning.

You will determine how many actual instruction hours you will need based on your child's needs. The learning style of your child will be a factor in deciding this along with the subject matter that is being taught. If you are teaching a complicated subject such as algebra, you may want to sit with you child for a longer period of time than you would for a much simpler lesson such as, spelling.

Home schooling doesn't necessarily mean your child will sit in front of his books and read printed material all day long. He will learn through things such as watching documentaries, field trips, visiting libraries and factories. These activities will make up a very significant part of the home school process. It makes sense to use these types of activities to make sure that learning is fun for your child. You may want to use a couple of hours for textbook learning in the morning and then take the afternoon to do these kinds of activities with your child.

Far too many public school hours are wasted with meaningless activities that range from talking to extra curricular activities. These activities do not let public schools dictate their hours you will need to spend instructing your child at home. Keep in mind that he will be receiving high quality one on one instruction. About 1-3 hours of book study is plenty especially in the early grades. However, it is true, the more hours you set aside for learning, the more learning that will take place. These are the main reasons that children who are home schooled in a quality setting are more advanced than children who attend public school.

The majority of parents who opt for home schooling do so because of either their dissatisfaction with the way education is imparted in regular schools, the unpalatable influences a child is subject to or because of their children's special needs. There are a vast variety of home school programs available for parents to choose from. Most are based on specific religious principles - Christian (and more specifically Catholic), Jewish and other faiths.

But there are a growing number of parents who want to give their children a secular education away from all religious dogma and are looking at the secular home school option. This does not necessarily mean that they do not subscribe to religious beliefs. They may just feel that religion and education are separate issues and that they will educate their children about religion away from the schooling process.

While there are a number of non religious or secular home school programs available, the problem with them is that since they are not bound by any specific religious codes of conduct, the material that comprises the programs may often be controversial and possibly objectionable. Also because of their open approach to education many of these secular home schooling programs are very loosely structured. While home schooling is all about allowing the parents to educate children in their own way and at their own pace, many families find that a structured program works as a guide and signpost that allows them to better evaluate their children's progress.

Secular home school is popular even among those with strong religious beliefs. These people often feel that while religion is a dominant factor in their lives, allowing it to influence their children's education may affect them in the pursuit of their life goals. For example, a Catholic family will not accept the theory if evolution or any form of Darwinism, but feel that their children should be exposed to this school of thought and to other such issues. The children need not subscribe to these views but they will be better off by having an unbiased appreciation of contrary viewpoints.

Although secular home school programs like the Calvert home school are growing in popularity, families going in for secular home schooling are still in the minority in this country and face the problems of all minorities - lack of support because of a limited number of support groups and other institutions and prejudice from the majority of home school parents who use religion based education.

There are some things parents opting for a secular home school need to keep in mind to ensure that their children get the best possible education. Since there are no fixed parameters for what may be conveyed to children in a secular home school program, parents need to go through all the course material themselves or get advice from like minded parents, on what matter should or should not be used. Those opting for internet based home schooling should monitor what is being taught in the internet classes. The same applies to home school DVD's which may contain concepts that parents are uncomfortable with.

Many people questioning if they should home-school their children consider the following questions.

How will my child be able to socialize if he is home-schooled?

Many people get caught into this trap: believing social interaction will suffer. This is not true. The fact is: many public schools allow home-schooled children to attend school dances, play in extracurricular activities. This means that a child could play on the school's football team etc. Also, most towns (even the small towns) have home-school meetings with the parents and the children. This is another great way to share ideas, questions, and concerns about home-schooling. Children during this time get to hang out together during the meetings and socialize. The park board for the city or town also provides great ways for children to socialize and learn about working as a team. Also, most home-schooling programs contain group work. The group work involves the children problem solving and generally working together on a large project.

Are the children only in home-school programs dropouts?

Many parents think that their children may associate with only dropouts if they are home-schooled. This is not true. In this day and age many parents enroll their children for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons parents enroll their children in home-school are: children can do their professional sports or careers, parents get more control over the values and ideals instilled into their children just to name a few. Another important factor is parents living in the country can now offer their children a variety of extra courses that are not offered due to budget constraints or not finding qualified teachers.

In Conclusion, deciding between home-schooling or sending a child to public or private school can be very difficult. This article dives into the question of socialization in and out of school and what type of students are home-schooled.

Once you have made a decision to home school your children, the next thing you have to decide upon is what teaching method you plan to use. There are a huge variety of options available today, as a search of the internet will demonstrate. The best way to decide upon which home school program is the best for you is to base your decision up the reason you want to home school your children and what you want the focus of that education to be. If the reason you decided on homeschooling is the fact that regular schools have a fixed pace of teaching which cannot be modified to suit the needs of an individual child and you want the education your children get to be based on Christian values and practice, then the Alpha Omega home school program may be the right choice for you.

The Alpha Omega home school allows children to work and progress at their own pace without time pressures from their teachers or demoralizing comments form their peers. With the Alpha Omega home school a child may understand a subject completely ( to the appropriate level) before moving on to the next. This ensure that children do not get confused or lose interest by studying a subject they do not fully understand. There are two options available for the Alpha Omega home school. The first is the normal system of text and work books, along with material for the parent to use in the teaching process. However, since many parents have neither the knowledge to teach certain subject nor the time to learn what they need to know to be able to teach their children, the Alpha Omega home school can also use specially designed CDs or DVDs to supplement the parents' efforts. These are specially designed keeping the Alpha Omega process and values in mind. This is especially useful for parents with more than one child to teach - one child can work with the CD based instruction while the other is being taught by the parent.

Parents are however cautioned that allowing an over relaxed attitude to the pace of study can cause a child to feel that he or she can take their own time in learning and may result in children having a huge backlog study areas by the time they reach the high school stage.

For parents who wish to place a Christian emphasis on the education their children are receiving, Alpha Omega home school is a great option. There are a number of church study programs that are part of the Alpha Omega curriculum. Parents are free to choose any of these to add to the teaching program. However, if none of these are found suitable there are other church, Bible or other Christian study programs that are available separately and may be added to the Alps Omega system. The flexibility of he Alpha Omega home school system is that it allows for different modules from different sources to be added on, the only criteria being that the teaching of these should be the same as in Alpha Omega - the child studies at his or her own pace.

Home schooling programs vary from state to state in the U.S. As a personal option of parents for their children, the need to comply does not end in enrolling. Parents play a big role in its success.

In California, it is a compulsory for all children to acquire public or private schooling and be given the right education. Under the educational codes of California, methods of exemptions to the mandatory school attendance have alternative learning options as follows:

1. The child has private tutors who have valid credentials for specific subject matter. The number of hours of instruction must be three hours a day, 175 hours a year. All parents who opt for this choice at their discretion do not need to send the child to formal schooling.

2. Home Study Program (HSP) and Charter Schools of California - Parents have the option to enroll their child to the nearest public school for a home-based study program, where the school will assign a teacher who will facilitate and check the student's home-schooling on a monthly basis. The tutorial program sessions are under the parent's responsibility at home.

3. Private Independent Study Program - almost similar to public chartered school enrollment with differences in curriculum and rigidity in training. Private schools in California are not required with heavy restrictions on credentials.

4. Complying R4 Form (Private School Affidavit) - Home education system can be established by individuals in their respective homes by just complying the requirements set by educational codes of California Department of Education. With least restriction from among the alternative methods of home-schooling schemes, this is purely a program for very few students of not more than five attending schooling at home in a very private environment.

Certainly, change in a child's schooling scheme affects parental goals and orientation. The advantage of institutionalized schooling is the amount of time parents get liberated to spend on their career while their children get the substantial education they pay for. Home schooling on the other hand, requires the entire time of parent participation, which is a great career sacrifice in exchange of personally educating a child. The price is spending quality time and close bonding with the child.

Assuming how the child will have substantial positive socialization is the main consideration of home schooling. To families of reputation or those who have "special child," the need for home schooling is not questionable. The correct formula to child education cannot be determined because the whole process will not be projected by imagination. It happens in a span of decades.

Home schooling means a great deal of work, especially on the part of the parent who also needs to double as a teacher. You must find time to teach your kids and the level of teaching should be enough so that it would place your children at par with those who are enrolled in traditional schooling. That starts with identifying the right curriculum.

You would like to make sure that you would be picking the best curriculum for your child. In order to do that here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Each state would have different laws concerning education and home schooling. You need to do some research and review the laws that would concern you so that you know exactly what it is that you are facing. This is needed so that you would know what subjects would be required for you to teach your child.

2. You need to sit down and think about the goals that you have for your child when it comes to his education. You have to be very specific about those goals so you could map out how you can meet them.

3. Try to assess your child's style and way of learning. How do they pick up information? Are they more susceptible to visuals than words?

4. Try to talk to other home schooling parents. If would help a lot if you know someone personally. They can share their experiences and tell if a certain program would work or not.

5. If you don't know anyone in your place personally who is into home schooling, then try visiting online forums that are concerned about this method of education. You can learn a lot of information from the members there as they discuss common problems. You can also ask your questions there.

6. You now have enough information to try and look for a program that would actually fit your needs. You can conduct your search online, since most of the programs are now available through the Internet.

7. If you hear about a home schooling fair near your area, try to attend it. By doing so you can review some materials first hand.

8. Once you come across a particular program that interests you, try reading and searching for some reviews regarding that particular program. Try to find out what other people think of it. Try to asses if its reputation is okay or not.

That's how you can try to find the right curriculum for home schooling your child. Keep in mind that the most important thing in your selection is your child's education and nothing else.

Remember that you do not have to stick to the programs to the letter. You can alter and modify it if you feel that doing so would be better for your child. If a program becomes as restrictive as traditional education then that can defeat the idea of teaching your kids at home.

These are the things that you need to think about firs when starting to home school your child.

The advantages to home schooling your child are many. However, in a society saturated by modern technologically, over-population and an increasing loss of morals, it becomes essential to consider an alternative and more nurturing way to educate your child.

So let's find out why home schooling your child can be the best decision you'll ever make.

You will use up to date material

In computing, Moore's Law states that a computer's processor speed doubles approximately every two years and with it technology also changes. This has accounted for the flourishing of technology in our time. What this means with regards to your child's education is that with all these new discoveries a school's curriculum will just not be able to keep up.

But when you home school your child; you can include any and all new material in their course work, essentially making sure that they are always ahead of the curve.

You can plan strategically for your child's future

We have recently seen dramatic changes in the economies all over the world, and what was important to our generation, has suddenly become defunct. When you are home schooling your child, you will be able to strategically steer their education towards the best outcome for them.

Tailor your curriculum to suit your family's style or beliefs

When you are home schooling your child or children, you are able to tailor your curriculum to suit your family's lifestyle and belief systems. If you desire to provide your child with a religious based education or an un-schooling teaching model, or you simply want to steer your child in a musical or art direction, then home schooling is definitely a good option for you.

Follow your child's interests and nurture them

In the home school environment you will be able to observe your child closely and will know what their interests and talents are. You will be able to then nurture and develop these talents; something that is not considered of great importance in an overcrowded school classroom.

Schools are designed around a one-size-fits-all mentality

By their very nature schools are a one-size-fits-all affair and don't take any individual skill, talent or interest into account, especially if it is not on the school's curriculum. Yet we are all individuals with individual abilities and talents and most of these will be lost by the time your child leaves school. In the home school classroom your child will be able to set the pace and the direction of their studies without fear of being scolded, ignored or even worse, ridiculed.

Spend more time on the basics

When you are home schooling your child, you will know what their strengths and weaknesses are and they will not have to keep up with any other children. You can thus spend much longer on the basics ensuring that any future education is built on a solid foundation.

I can really go on and on listing the reasons and benefits why you should consider home schooling your child. However, this is a very personal decision and all I can say is that I personally have done it (and am doing it) with great success.

There is nothing as rewarding as watching your 5 year old (or whatever age your child happens to be) read their first book and know that it was your efforts that got them there.

It is certainly a big day for any family to pack off the little one for his first day at school. But the tantrums thrown around, may mar the occasion. This is mainly due to the child psychology. The little one may be resistant to the change in environment from the cozy environs of home to the unknown world outside. It is here where Home Schooling plays a vital role in comforting the impressionable mind of the little one.

If you are prepared for it, Home Schooling can be a great experience for you, but most of the parents give up even before the first year is over. This could be due to the inability to control the over pampered child, and make him/her lead a disciplined routine followed in the Traditional Schools. There are certain points to be kept in mind, while deciding on pros and cons of Home School vs Traditional School:

a. You should be able to take the single minded and full responsibility of your child's education. You can utilize other resources, such as private tuitions, or a part-time maid to tend to your child's needs. But overall it will depend on your supervisory skills to see that your child is not neglected, and is being taken care of in a proper manner.

b. Your entire family should be ready to chip in some great sacrifices on matters like social outings, and the guests visiting you, while its study time for your child,so that his mind is not diverted. You should be prepared to be deprived of some private moments, while your little one is off to school. It could even effect the change in the overall routine of your entire household.

c. Home Schooling requires a lot of energy and nerves of steel. Certainly a lot more than simply packing off your child to school. Apart from the regular school curriculum, you will also need to engage him in other creative activities such as painting, model-building etc. You may also need to stay abreast with the Home Schooling Legislation.

d. Schooling your kids at home, could also result in your spic-and-span house becoming a mess. You should be mentally prepared for this too. It could become a back breaking exercise for you to constantly clean the clutter created by school books and science projects strewn all over the house. It could be more draining than you could expect.

e. You should also be prepared to handle the glare, sneers and criticisms of your family, friends and the neighborhood.. You should also be prepared to reply back and justify your decision of not sending your child to a traditional school, but to home school. Home Schooling would certainly not be your cup of tea if you have a tendency of valuing other's decisions over your own, and you try to please everyone.

Do weigh your decisions very carefully, before deciding on the type of education you wish to impart to your little one. It could after all have an impact on his entire life and career.

Here are 25 things I learned during 25 years of home schooling my 8 children:

1. Home schooling is not mysterious, nor is it hard.

2. My relationships with my kids were not hindered by being together a lot. That's not to say we have always been problem-free, it only means that we were not able to run from those problems, teaching us all to hit problems head-on, as they ought to be hit, and solve. It works. All my kids are good problem solvers and are not afraid of confrontation.

3. Educating children at home is easier than I thought it would be.

4. Life is school, not just our "school hours."

5. Education is like a balanced diet. You might not see results immediately, but you will over time.

6. Letting each child learn at their own pace is really the best way to go.

7. Relax, let the curriculum do the work.

8. Relax, let the children do the work.

9. When frustration sets in, don't get upset. Frustration is normal. Take a break when it comes. It will come. It is temporary.

10. The world's model of education is not necessarily the best model for educating your kids. Even though the entire world revolves around a school schedule, you get to break out of that and follow your heart instead. It's much more fun, educational and beneficial to follow your heart rather than a school schedule created by the world. We created our own and it worked.

11. There will be people who will not agree with your decision to home school. Oh, well. There were plenty of people who did not agree with me even having "so many" kids, let alone home schooling them. I suppose they got over it........

12. It's vastly more important to instill a passion for learning rather than attempt to impart knowledge.

13. When it came to socialization, home schooling provided the best, well-rounded opportunity of anything else I saw around us. My kids got to visit with the elderly at nursing homes, develop deeper relationships with neighbors of all ages, interact with adults more and serve others more often, all because of our home school flexibility.

14. Home schooling is cheaper than public school.

15. Grammar matters.

16. Manners matter.

17. Wildlife activity outside the window trumps book work every time. Without fail.

18. Snow days are OK any time of year.

19. Storm tracking is science.

20. Boys can do laundry.

21. Girls can do mechanics.

22. Boys and girls can both cook.

23. Kids learn from example. My passion for reading often translated into me packing up and taking the kids to the library, where we spent hours at story time, reading on the floor, hauling massive numbers of books home to read and meeting other families.

24. Field trips equal fun and learning.

25. It's important to get the basics, but it's equally important for the kids to run with their passion, whatever it may be. They will get all they need along the way.

So, while there is much, much more I learned during 25 years of home schooling 8 kids, these 25 things ought to give a family considering home schooling for themselves a lot to think about.

I say go for it. Do it.

~Tricia

To home school or not to home school-that is the question for many parents in Georgia. Many public schools are over crowded. There are gangs and illegal activity that can prohibit children from learning and getting ahead in the world. Many kids drop out before finishing high school. Home schooling your child will help keep them out of illegal activities, eliminate the overcrowding issue, eliminate the drop out rate, and help to keep them out of gangs.

Problems such as these have alerted parents to the challenges and problems of public education; and some have responded by taking matters into their own hands-by home schooling in Georgia. Every state has laws pertaining to home education. Home schooling in Georgia is no different; however, as it is more prevalent than in most states, there are actually less restrictions. Iowa is a very unrestricted state in which to home school also.

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.

As a parent, must keep a daily log and yearly review of your child's progress according to the laws of home schooling in Geoergia. The superintendent may request to look at it, so it is encouraged the parent keep the log for up to three years. Every school day needs to be at least four and a half hours of lessons. Proof of attendance must be submitted on a monthly basis.

If the parents are not the primary teachers, a tutor may be hired as long as the person is a certified teacher. Parents do not need to have teaching degrees to teach their children. There are programs online for parents who home school their children. The parents are given manuals to review and are referred to people they can talk to if problems should arise.

The decision to home school children in Georgia can be a wonderful experience if the rules are followed. However, to be successful in this enterprise, parents must enforce the same rules as any school. Raising smart children is not an easy job. Teaching children is also not easy. But through patience and creativity, it is possible to home school one's children.

Choosing the right form of education for your children can be a difficult decision. There are several options for educating children - private/parochial school, public school, and home schooling. Finding the right school for your children's needs can be one of the most vital choices you make for the future of your sons and/or daughters. So which type of education is really the best choice - home school or traditional school?

In order to find the right choice for your children, it's best to consider the following:

a. Discipline - Not only does your child have to be disciplined in their learning, but so does the parent. The entire education of your child is completely in your hands and can be a full-time job. It is important that you, as the parent, can discipline yourself to set a schedule for your child and devote enough time during the week for their studies.

b. Patience - Teaching anyone, whether they are children, adults, or senior citizens, takes a great deal of care and patience. Sometimes concepts are not quickly grasped by your students, and may take a bit of extra effort in explanation. If you do not have the patience to participate in the process of learning, home schooling may not be the best option for your children.

c. Socialization - Since, in most cases, home schooling is done on a 1 to 1 basis between you and your child, there may be a lack of social interaction between your child and other classmates that are his/her age. It's important to still find ways for your child to interact, play, and socialize with other children. This can be done through team sports, hobbies, or clubs.

These are just three of the things to consider when choosing home schooling or traditional schooling. If you can meet the expectations of the three items mentioned above, you may be on your way to successfully home-schooling your child.

While most parents prefer to send their kids to school to give them a good environment to learn new things, try out sports and of course socialize and make new friends, some parents choose to home school their kids and provide them with thorough training and a well-balanced educational program at home. While the pros and cons of each type of schooling is debatable, if you are one of those parents who are strongly considering home schooling your kids, this article will provide you with some insight as to how the system works and an idea with regard to the curriculum.

One major reason for parents choosing to home school their kids is the dissatisfaction of the teaching process carried out by the traditional school system. Some parents think their kids are not being taught the right things at school or that certain textbooks for certain subjects contain biased material, or something that is against the ideologies of the family, and therefore wish to protect their kids from it. Others reasons for home schooling could be to protect that kids from mingling with kids from bad backgrounds as there is a risk of them being pressurized to try out various activities.

On of the more common reasons for children to be home schooled is that the parents cannot afford to send their kids to school. This leaves them with no choice if they want their child to have a decent education. They may then choose to borrow books and other study material so that their kids could learn at least the basics at a young age.

Keep in mind that you need to know what your kids require and choose a homeschooling curriculum based on this factor. It is not too hard to find a list of such curricular. You can then browse through them and also read through the reviews of those who have tried out that particular home schooling curriculum.

Another great place to get more ideas and find the right home schooling curriculum, would be to visit a home schooling convention or a home schooling curriculum fair where you'll get to meet other like-minded parents and get to interact with others in the system. It's a great place for those who are new to home schooling to meet. It could be quite an overwhelming experience but it shouldn't be too hard if you have an idea of what to look for.

There are several things that you have to remember when you are ready to find a home school teacher. First of all, just because your child is schooled at home, this does not mean that they need to be schooled by you. Many children who are home schooled are done so by other parents, grandparents, or by others who want to be a home school teacher. Sometimes, it is like finding a private tutor. All that is important is that your child is able to learn in this home environment and that they are able to show that they have met all of the standards so that you can keep doing your home school teacher thing.

When you are choosing a teacher for your child, there are several things that you should be sure you are looking for. First of all, you want someone who has experience with children. This should be someone who is ready to work with kids and who has done so before. Preferably, it should be someone who has a bit of education when it comes to how to teach children. They should have had plenty of good experience teaching.

Next, you want to be sure that your home school teacher has experience with home schooling in general. Whether they were home schooled themselves, or if they have been teaching other home schooled students, this is important because it is very different than the world of regular school. Therefore, you want your teacher to have some knowledge of what it is like.

Remember that when you are choosing a teacher you are inviting someone into your home to teach your children. Therefore, they should be unique and interesting and should be someone that you really feel is going to be able to bring a lot of interesting ideas to your table. You always want to be sure that you are able to do this so that your home school teacher can do much more than simply teach your child. They should broaden their horizons.