Home Schooling

Many parents decide to embark on home schooling their children without realizing the amount of effort that will be involved. Any parent thinking of starting out on this course should do a great deal of research to understand what they are getting into and be sure of their abilities to handle it. There is a vast variety of home school programs that can be of great help to parents in providing them with curricula for their children's study, test and work books, resource material and teaching guides all of which help to ensure that the parents' educational goals for their children are met. One of the most popular secular options is the Calvert home school. It offers a "classroom in a box" curriculum that is suited for most children, challenges them and is easy for the parents to use.

Calvert home school has been in existence for about a hundred years, which attests to both the popularity and the success of the program. What stands out about the program is that it is designed to make learning interesting and fun and not just a task that has to be performed. Because of this, there is less pressure on the parents to get their children to sit down and study. One of the problems with home school is often that of discipline. In a regular school the teacher is the symbol and exerciser of authority. In the home school the parent has to be both the parent and the teacher and the exercise of discipline and authority by a person wearing two hats can become confusing for both parent and child. The Calvert home school is designed to alleviate this problem to a large extent.

Calvert home school is designed so that a child moves seamlessly from one level (or grade) to the next with no big jumps or new grade based new syllabus to start on. Each level of learning is just one more layer placed on top of the previous one so the progress is smooth. While most home school programs allow children to learn at their own pace, the Calvert home school is especially flexible in this way and puts no pressure on either the student or the parent. At the same time it is challenging enough to keep children mentally alert and allows for progress to be measured so that parent swill know which are their children's weak areas so they can place extra emphasis on them.

The Calvert home school works in two ways. There is the normal text book and teaching guide system that is common to all home school programs. There is also the option of using the internet based Calvert home school program where classroom type teaching is done by an online teacher. This is particularly useful for parent who have their own weak areas and subjects they are not properly equipped to teach. This option also offer parents the facility of submitting work online for an external teacher to evaluate.

Beside its high academic standards in all subject, the Calvert home school curriculum is noted for it emphasis on literature and reading where great works of literature are an integral part of the syllabus.

I won't lie to you- home schooling can be difficult. But the result is so worth the effort. Many children struggle in school, and many parents struggle with what to do about it. One alternative is to home school your child. Home schooling allows your child to learn at his or her own pace. You can use traditional school grades as a guide, but if your child is really struggling, slow down a bit. By the same token, if he's getting all the subject matter with little or no effort, bump him up a notch.

When you home school, your child's education rests on your shoulders. That in itself is incredibly overwhelming at times. I home school my two boys- 8th grade and kindergarten- and I don't even have a college degree! So what makes me so qualified? I love my boys. I have their best interests in mind at all times. I don't have to worry about any other kids- only my two.

As a home school teacher, I have sacrificed a lot. Mostly a social life. My kids are with me most all of the time. And, let me tell you, I am not one of those people who just loves to be with her kids all the time. No- I say too much of a good thing is not always good. So I have to make a little more of an effort to get out a bit. I've just started back to work- evenings- and it kind of feels like my quiet time. I'm loving it.

Another thing that I've given up is my dining room. Now, this may sound strange, but that's where we have school. I know you're supposed to have a dedicated space for school, but until I hit the jackpot and can afford a bigger house, the dining room it is. I think I am borderline OCD sometimes. Things should just be put in their proper place so you can find them later. This reeks havoc on me and my dining room sometimes!

But there are tons of benefits to home schooling. You can set your own hours. We decided we wanted to take every Friday off. So we have school from Monday to Thursday. As long as we still get our work done and a minimum number of school days in- we shoot for 140 days per year-it works great. My boys always have a long week end to look forward to. If we have something else to do, we cancel school for the day. We can always make it up on Friday! If we want to go on vacation we just take our books with us. We have shorter lessons on vacation, but it's still more fun to do math In Orlando from the balcony of the condo overlooking the pool!

Since we home school, we almost never have homework. My boys have friend who spend hours every night doing homework! That cuts into family time a little too much for me. That, in fact, is the very reason I pulled my oldest some out of traditional school after the fifth grade- too much homework. I was already spending two to four hours a night helping him, why not just do all the teaching? Now we have more time to do other things.

One of the biggest arguments I hear against home schooling is the socialization issue. Well, let me tell you, it's a crock. My boys have lots of friends. Good friends that I know well and I know their parents. I know who my kids are hanging out and what they do all day. I know when they're upset. I get to see the joy (and relief) on their faces when they do a great job.

With my little guy, I get to help him learn to read. He will be five in a few weeks and is just starting the first grade Hooked on Phonics reading program. Just because he can. Some of his friends that are a year older are learning their colors and letters and letter sounds. Fine for them, but I can do better for my kid.

One of the most important things I try to teach my boys is that they don't have to know all the answers- just how to find them. In traditional schools, they were taught to memorize subject matter to pass a test. Now, I try to make sure they "get" it. Some things we go over very fast, other things we take our time on. It all depends on where he is at that moment.

Home schooling is a drastic choice. It's all or nothing on some days. But it's wonderful and rewarding and terrifying and trying. But it's always for the best interest of MY child.

Parents may have a whole book bag full of reasons for deciding to home school their child, and they may range from anything to the location of the public school which their child must attend to the fear of school violence, bullying, and the presence of illegal drugs. But they may also be concerned that by deciding to home school they will deprive their children of the opportunity to develop relationships with children of their own age, and to participate in extracurricular activities.

There is, however, no reason why home schooled children cannot socially interact with other neighborhood children, or join church youth groups and scouting; many communities also have after school sports and crafts programs in which all children are welcome to participate.

Getting Information From Other Parents

One way to help you decide if home schooling is a good choice for your family to seek home schooling information from parents in your area who have already become involved in it. They will be able to advise you on their techniques for keeping their children focused on their home studies; they may have adopted the same lecture style as that used in traditional classroom; or they may be encouraging their children to study independently with their guidance.

When you have home schooling information from other parents, you'll have a much better picture of what is involved informally educating your children and if you can measure up to the task. Your biggest challenge in teaching your children will be to instill in them an excitement about learning, while making sure that you never push them beyond their capacities. You can find out if your school district had any home schooling information about classes you can take to prepare you to teach your children.

The Internet And Home Schooling Information

You can also find lots of home schooling information online; many parents have put up websites or blogs with their honest appraisals of their home schooling experiences. They are great sources of home schooling information on what techniques are successful and what techniques you should avoid.

Home schooling your children will be a challenge, but it will also let you be the first one to witness each new discovery they make. You'll be right there when they read their first words, total their first sums, and write their first sentences. Your children will also learn more quickly if they are not distracted by the classroom antics of other kids. And you'll be able to spend time focusing on their favorite subjects, such as art and music, which might not be offered in public school.

Some parents simply aren't suited to offer a practical home schooling curriculum for their child. Yet they still intend on offering the finest education possible for their children and recognize that a public school just can't offer that. Private schooling is often cost-wise out of reach, and even then, not offering the best in terms of quality. The answer is to take on a tutor.

The initial stage of hiring a tutor is to explore the availability of the type of tutor you desire. That signifies, determining the style of home schooling approach you require to take. Matching child to tutor is the key element to avoiding those initial hurdles that can't be seen. Tutor or no, this is essential to the overall long-term success of any practical home schooling program.

Taking on the search for a new tutor can often be as simple as typing 'homeschooling tutor' into your preferred search engine and if necessary completing a few online forms. When it comes to accepting a tutor, parents will need to take great care when choosing a stranger to offer home education for their child. However, with the rapid emergence of forums, social networks, and other online avenues, acquiring trustworthy testimonials has become so much easier.

Some tutors will now work solely online, as they have the assistance of interactive video software, email, and other such tools. This method can function well in a practical home schooling situation, as most home schooled students are eager and motivated to learn. All they require is the resources and some guidance that an effective tutor can offer.

It is also significant that parents take into consideration the cost of hiring a tutor. Affording a private tutor is a concern that many parents will have that is hoping for a practical home schooling program for their child. Yet, once all the actual costs are calculated, parents often discover that taking on a tutor is actually quite a modest cost option.

"You home-school?"  

It is a sentence that is usually followed by looks of dismay, or dropped mouth stares.  The answer is yes, I home-school my children. I am a mother of 5 gorgeous children, and their ages range from 3 to 9. My oldest  daughter , Emily, is 9 years old, and currently on the honor roll in the 3rd grade. She is very much a tomboy and loves to play softball, but pretty as a sunset on a summer's day. Mary is 7, the diva, the girly girl, and she is in the 2nd grade.  Jacob is 6 and in kindergarten, and he is the clown.  Then there is Luke, he's  5, he is my little athlete.  Benedict is last, but certainly not least. He is 4, and he is still stuck to me like glue!

There was a time, several years ago, when I rarely had very many positive things to say about home-school.  Then my sister-in-laws began to do it. I vowed to my husband at that moment I was never going to do it no matter what. I thought these people (home-school moms) were insane! I was absolutely sure of one thing! I couldn't stand school the first time around, there was no way I was going to voluntarily start it over again.  Plus, on what on what grounds was I qualified to teach them? No way! Let them have their fun.

Fast forward to Emily's first year of school. Now we are not a wealthy family by any stretch of the imagination, but we really wanted to be able to provide a Catholic Education to our kids. So we enrolled her in the local school. She attended and she had a wonderful teacher who will be in our hearts forever.  But with this also came the untimely beginning of gossip and lies and "I'm not your friend" and "I hate you".  I remembered thinking to that kindergarten was so early for this.  Her heart was so full and it was just so sad the way those girls jumped on it.  She also learned some "adult phrases" and this was about the time I was starting to think hmmmm, this home-school thing might not be so bad.   We were at the end of the year and I had the whole summer to think about it, and that is what I did.

By the end of summer, my husband and I still couldn't agree, so back to school she went, with little sister, Mary, in tow.  Emily, now in first grade, and Mary in Kindergarten, we set off for another year of misery.  On the second day Emily was assigned 2 hours of homework.  I remember thinking how crazy it was.  It did not stop. The trend continued. Every night there was 2 or 3 hours of homework assigned.  My thoughts were always, well, you have them all day and then send them home to me for 3 hours of homework. No way. Not to mention my sweet and innocent girls were becoming snobby, mean, and even selfish.

So that was just enough. I pulled them out. I ordered my curriculum. I started our new life. People have this preconceived idea that a typical home-school day is like "ok, today I guess we can learn about pronouns, and then we can talk about multiplication..." It's not.  Well, I am sure it is for some; however, it isn't for most. There is an actual lesson plan that comes in your curriculum that says exactly what you are going to do every day.  If it is math it would say: Math lesson 1 week  1 day 1 do pg 2 problems 1- 15. So everyone can do it. Well, I say that. Not everyone. But those that really and truly care about their children's morals and values.  The parents that can sit back and say to themselves, absolutely this is going to be a gigantic sacrifice, but I am more than willing to make it for the sake of my child or children. 

The changes you will begin to see will speak for themselves. I can tell you that my children do not worry about the name brand inside their clothes or shoes. In fact when given a very expensive name brand shirt with the name across the front of it, my daughter had to be convinced to wear it because it had a name on it. She had no idea, nor did she care when I told her. You have the opportunity to actually let your children stay children. My daughter gets embarrassed when she hears the word thigh! THIGH! Isn't that hysterical? I realize that is completely extreme, and that is how her little mind works, but she is modest, as we have hammered home, and I know in a school classroom all that can be taken away.

I used to look at home-schooling as something completely crazy. Send them to school! Get your "mom" time! Then I realized that they are more important than me. I need them to grow up in an environment that is safe and warm and filled with fantastic learning and love and I knew they wouldn't get that at school. Times have changed since I was in school, and from where I am sitting there are not going back to how they were. So, to answer the question one more time.

"Yes I home-school!"

This can be a difficult decision for the parent to make. But, so many parents have not done this so far for nothing. Home Schooling is one of the new concepts that has caught on in the west of late. It actually is a fun for the mother to see her child learn in front of her eyes.

But there is still some hesistation in making this decision because parents feel that attending a school gives a real life experience to the child and co-curricular activities like debates and games help the child grow holistically and home schooling will deprive their child of that.

But the exponents of home schooling also have equally valid points. Home Schooling can impart values to the child in a secure environment, an environment where the child is much more ready to learn new things. Home Schooling does not necessarily mean that the child would miss out on social behavior. In fact, with less time to finish off with studies, a home schooled child will be able to dedicate much more time to play in the neighborhood. Unlike the real school, in home schooling, the class moves at the pace that the child requires it to. The home schooled child no longer needs to constantly skip over what he has missed to keep in pace with the rest of the class.

A home schooled child can be showered with much more personal care, which is so essential at the early years of childhood. But, all said and done, this is not an experiment that can be done to see if it works or not as this is about the life of the child which as a parent, you would want to make very sure that this is the best.

In order to achieve this, the parent must talk to the parents of other home schooled children. They will be able to give a good review of how the child progress is. There are today a lot of message boards and blogs in the internet that caters to the needs of the parent looking for a good home school for his child. Make the best use of it. Plan and execute. You will then relish every moment of your child's learning curve thanks to Home Schooling!

In order for universities to be successful, they must attract the best students possible. Great students make universities "look good" and lead to a reputation as a good school. Universities with great reputations then attract the top students. It is the responsibility of college admissions officers to weed through the multitude of student applications and find those top students. One of the first things a college admissions officer looks at when opening a student's application portfolio is the graduation requirements. This is particularly true for the homeschooled student.

What College Admissions Officers Are Looking For and How Home Schools Can Comply With State Requirements

College admissions officers are looking for what they call "bright, well-rounded kids." Homeschooled students compete with students from every other school setting for placement in the best colleges and for scholarships to these universities. Even though some home school book vendors and ministry leaders may say that certain courses are not required to graduate from high school, this may be disinformation. In order to have success in college, it is imperative for home schools to be up to date on state high school graduation requirements.

Home educators can access their state's home education laws by visiting the Home School Legal Defense Association website. However, in order to be well-informed about state public school graduation requirements, a home educator must visit the state education agency for the state in which the home school is located. Each state has its own requirements for graduation from high school. For instance, in the state of Texas, new laws for graduation requirements were passed during the 2009-2010 academic year, in legislation known as H.B. 3.

The Most Widely Accepted High School Graduation Requirements

Below is a list of the most widely accepted high school graduation requirements:

1. Four years of English, preferably including two AP or college level English classes
2. One semester of speech or oral communications. This does not include drama.
3. Four years of math, including Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus. Algebra I has been moved down to the seventh or eighth grade. Calculus is offered as either an AP or dual credit course.
4. Four years of science, up from three years. Biology is tending down into the eighth grade. The four years of science are Chemistry, Physics, and two AP or dual credit courses. One of the AP or college level courses must be a biology course.
5. One year of Computer Science. This can be a web design course, a coding course such as HTML or C++, or a multimedia course. All high school students should know how to do Power Point presentations, Excel spreadsheets, and Microsoft Word documents.
6. Three or four years of social sciences. These typically include two World History courses, a U.S. History, and two semesters of government and economics courses. Most of these course are available as AP and dual credit courses.
7. Two years as a minimum of a modern foreign language. Many home schools favor Latin as a foreign language. However, some universities specifically ask for a modern foreign language. It is very important to check with the colleges under consideration to see what their individual requirements for foreign language are. Some universities ask for four years of the same foreign language.
8. One semester of health, which, for a home school, may be Red Cross certifications or emergency services training.
9. At least one year of physical education. This appears to vary from school district to school district.
10. Individual state requirements for home schools. These may be obscure, such as one state's requirements for fire safety and another's requirement for a course in good citizenship.

As the desire to educate children from home increased many local, state and even some national organizations have developed to provide assistance and resources to home educators. These organizations can be very valuable to you when homeschooling your children. You can get some more information here regarding Homeschooling Statistics.

On the national level one of the biggest home schooling organizations is the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They are located in Virginia and have been providing homeschooling information and assistance for twenty five years. Via their website you can find out how to navigate as a beginner to homeschooling, learn tips for teaching children who have learning difficulties and you can even become a home school advocate. The HSLDA also has a bookstore that provides everything from curriculum materials to cards and inspirational books on the home schooling experience. They also provide up to date information on news worthy information that is important to those who educate from home. Most importantly, they provide the necessary legal information needed by anyone considering homeschooling from the links to the appropriate state organization to a map detailing which states require advanced notice and documentation for those wanting to withdraw their children for home education.

At the state and local level, there are many home schooling organizations. Each state and the U.S. territories have an organization that supplies information for home education. The requirements to educate from home vary vastly per state so it is always best to contact and join your state's home school organization so that you will be in compliance with state laws. They can assist you in obtaining and completing in paperwork that is necessary. Likewise, they also can provide local support in the form of referring you to home schooling support groups.

There are a number of other home school organizations that are related to specific causes. For families choosing to home educate their special needs children there is the National School Foundation. The National School Foundation provides assistance to people who would like to provide their special needs children with an education in the comfort of their homes. This organization also has a fund that assists home schooled families with different types of expenses. Those seeking the camaraderie of others who share the same religious or moral values there are a variety of religious home school organizations dedicated to providing learning with religious sentiments.

It is recommended that you seek the expertise and knowledge available in a home school organization.

While your decision to home school is uniquely your own, it is great if you have the support of your family and friends too. Unfortunately, getting your friends and family on board can sometimes be challenging. For the uninitiated, home schooling can be a new and strange concept, even though we, as a society, have actually been home schooling for centuries. And, despite the current growing popularity of home schooling due to failing schools, limited educational choices, and schoolyard bullying, home education still has a lot of stigma attached.

If your family and friends are not familiar with the many benefits of an education at home, they may bring up every argument and stereotype they've heard to convince you that you should send your child to school.

It is important to remember that most of these concerned interjectors will be people who care about you, and have perhaps not been exposed to the many positives of home schooling. You need to determine why it is that you want to home school your family, and to consider (and answer) the following questions:

"How will your child know how to interact with their peers?" "Why are you afraid of the school system?" "What about socialisation?" "What about the overall school experiences that help children develop into adults?" "What about sports and other activities?" "Are you sure you can teach your child all that they need to learn?" "Teaching is a highly professional skill, can you do it?" "Sounds expensive, how can you manage the books and the cost?" "You're going to quit work? What about your career?"

In many cases, unless your friends and family home schooled themselves, they are going to assume that the "normal" way to educate children, the way that they understand and are familiar with, will be superior. If that is the case, you may experience quite significant pressure to conform to a standard public or private education. By doing your research first, using resources such as the internet, you can put their concerns to rest and help yourself to stand firm.

Rebuttals are simple. Firstly, you can talk about taking control of your child's education. You can also talk about how you want to have the most time you can with you child. As for activities and socialisation, you can address that by showing them the community based activities that your child can participate in.

And if we don't sacrifice for our children who are we going to sacrifice for?

Keeping your lesson plans, curriculum, and other teaching materials at hand is a great way to show that not only are you ready, but you are serious about teaching your child. You can also show them the various options for homeschooling and demonstrate the flexibility and the customisation of education for your child over the "one-size-fits-all" solution at the local public school.

To encourage your family and friends to fully support your position, you may consider including them in the education process. For instance, if they speak a language, or have a specific skill your child might be interested in, ask them if they would consider teaching your child about that topic. Involvement can be an effective tool to get family on board. If they still are not interested, be prepared to move forward without them. The most important thing to remember is that the choice is about you and your children, not your extended family.

Homeschooling is not always easy. Like the rest of life, it has its hard days too. Fortunately, there is plenty of support available, whether it comes from your family, or whether it's from one of the many online and offline homeschooling support groups available. Since the internet became readily available to everyone, homeschooling families have been able to reach out and encourage other similarly inclined families the world over.

I am a homeschooling mum to my 10 year old son, Lewi who has never been to school.

In 2004, just before Lewi was of school age, I had to make the decision (like all parents do) about where he would spend the next 12 plus years. After much research and discussion we decided that he could stay right where he was - at home.

It wasn't an easy decision to make by any means. As a former teacher in the education system I certainly had a lot to consider. Questions and concerns came thick and fast from well-meaning friends and family. Is home schooling legal? What about socialisation? (The age old question that everyone seems to ask). What about friendships? How can you possibly teach him all there is to learn?

Each one of those questions are extremely valid and are questions that I asked myself in those early days. They certainly required an answer. So, answer I did.

Is homeschooling legal?

Yes, it is! Children, by law, must be registered either at a school or as homeschoolers. The process of registration for homeschoolers is a relatively painless one. Details for registering a child for homeschooling can be found on the internet or in your phone books.

Socialisation

What is socialisation? Is it spending 6 hours a day, 5 days a week in a classroom surrounded by lots of children of similar ages all doing similar things? Well, it can be, for sure. But it doesn't have to be.
Simply explained, socialisation is about our children learning how to be social beings in the real world. With this in mind then: talking to the cashier at the shops, opening the cafe door for an elderly person, ordering a meal, organising play dates with friends both in and out of school and of all ages, learning how to interact and problem solve within a family environment, playing in the garden and chatting to the neighbours, hanging out with family and friends, spending time with other homeschoolers, being a part of the local community are all ways that help children become social and cause socialisation to take place. It does not need to be confined to the four walls of a classroom. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! For all of you fellow Seinfeld lovers).

Friendships:

In this wonderful Bega Valley we have so many choices when it comes to the education of our children. Along with the various schools within our shire we also have many families who choose to home school. There are several local, organised groups who regularly meet in and around the area. There is certainly no shortage of friendship opportunities for home schooled children. Our local groups are continually growing as more and more families choose to home school. We have lots of fun outings and have a regular term activities schedule for meet up times throughout the year. Most groups meet on a weekly basis and also catch up outside group get together times.

As well as having fellow home schooling friends, Lewi has many close friends who go to school that we catch up with regularly also. We are certainly not friend deprived!

Is it possible to teach them everything?

Home schooling is an option for children of all ages. There are as many approaches to home schooling as there are philosophies of learning. Some families choose to buy a ready made program. These can be purchased quite cheaply and have all of the learning requirements for their child set out for them. Others prefer to make their own program based on a philosophy of learning ~ eg: Steiner or Montessori or Classical Learning or Charlotte Mason or the many others you can Google or Bing. Some choose a more eclectic approach where they take from lots of different learning styles and then fit it to meet the needs of their child.

All of these are wonderful and extremely valid options for learning at home. We have chosen a different l learning path, however. It's called 'natural learning' and it's probably the most common choice for homeschoolers in Australia.

Natural Learning (or unschooling as it's also referred to) is a learning approach that acknowledges the child as central to the learning experience. It is based upon the child's passions, strengths and interests. The parent becomes a facilitator of learning where they are responsible for providing a rich and interesting environment for their child to live in. The child is then free to learn within those parameters.

Natural Learning sees 'learning' completely embedded into life. Learning is not separated into neat, organised sections of knowledge but rather it is immersed in the richness and fullness that each normal day brings. The natural curiousity of a child, when encouraged and nurtured, is inquisitive and enthused about their environment and the learning within that. Children are born with this innate desire to learn.
Rather than breaking learning up into separated modules, a natural learner 'goes with the flow'. Baking, gardening, painting, drawing, swinging, swimming, chatting, shopping, playing, dreaming, sharing, writing, measuring, building and whatever else constitutes 'living' are all parts of a natural learners life. When children are encouraged and given a rich environment that nurtures their individual needs and interests, learning happens. They all learn to read and write and do maths and all of those things that schooled children do but it's in their own time, at their own pace and always embedded in their interests and needs at the time. Natural learning is about children becoming very active in their learning and thus they are generally extremely self-driven, self-motivated and ever inquiring people.

It pays to mention though that regardless of the learning approach for a home schooled child the computer age has opened up our world in a way that no other generation has experienced before. There is really nothing that a self-motivated, interest-led person can not access and learn via cyber space.

As a home schooling mum who also runs an interior decorating consultancy from home and who loves to write and blog (in my spare time) I have to say it is a great choice. It's relaxed. It's busy. Each day is different from the one before. It's filled with lots and lots of social times in our home schooling groups and with our friends and family. It is a wonderful way of remaining connected to my child and really knowing who he is and what his needs are at any given time. I can highly recommend it!

Home schooling is a topic that continues to receive quite a bit of attention. The ability to control the educational environment in which a child learns is often of great benefit to parents looking to supplement the low-quality education found in their school district. In other situations, there are particular educational needs that can best be met by a home school setting. But part of home schooling is consenting to a home school inspection that ensures that you are working within proper guidelines.

Home schooling guidelines are governed by each particular state and require that curriculum offered in a home school environment is in line with that being offered in the traditional school environment. Parents or qualified instructors who take on the responsibility of home schooling are held to these standards in an effort to provide the highest quality education possible for each student.

Depending on the state in which you live, a home school inspection may be necessary prior to you beginning the home school process. Some states also require a home school inspection on a periodic basis to ensure that the proper guidelines are being met and that curriculum is in keeping with educational benchmarks set forth by the state and individual school district.

Educators are often observed periodically in traditional schools and a home school inspection is similar to this practice. But a home school inspection also takes into account the home environment as a setting conducive to effective learning. Inspectors will look for a quiet "classroom" setting specifically reserved for home schooling; it should be an environment that fosters concentration, creativity, and learning.

A home school inspection will also take into account the materials that you are using for your home school program including textbooks, DVDs or videos, computer software, and online resources. All material should generally support and further the curriculum established by the school district.

Ultimately, a home school inspection is for the good of the child. If you keep that in mind, it is less of an inconvenience and more of a necessary component of home schooling. Remember that home schooling is a responsibility and should be treated as such. A symbiotic relationship between you and the school district will only benefit your child and foster a greater educational experience.

We all want our children to get the best education possible, especially in those early, formative years. Yet we have to admit, in most cases, that the public school system has become inadequate at best, and just isn't teaching our kids the basic skills they'll need to survive in the
real-world job market.

Private schools can offer a better option, but the cost may be greater than the average familycan afford, especially if there is more than one child. And the parent usually has little control over the curriculum or the peer group the child will fall in with.

Many people are looking into the option of home schooling. They are asking "Is home schooling for me?" This is an important question. And there are several related questions you should answer before diving in. Answering these questions should give you a better understanding of what home schooling is all about.

First, why would I want to home school?

Most homeschoolers believe the public schools are not doing an adequate job of educating. Slow learners are falling further and further behind while gifted students are not adequately challenged. At home lower learners can get the one-on-one attention they need. And gifted students can move ahead at their own pace and even finish early.

In a home school setting the parents can adjust the schedule to fit the child. I have two children I'm currently homeschooling. The older one is a quick learner with a photographic memory. He doesn't need much repetition of facts in order to remember them. My second child is just the opposite. He needs hours and hours of repetition. Isn't it amazing how different two blood brothers can be?

Parents can also adjust the curriculum to fit the child. I had no trouble teaching my older boy to read. So I used the same curriculum with boy number two. It didn't work. Hmmm, OK. So I switched curriculums. Now my second son is doing much better, and not nearly as frustrated with learning. And Mom didn't have to get frustrated, either. Parents and students can be flexible when they teach and learn at home.

What are some more reasons?

Many parents are choosing to homeschool for safety reasons. Let's face it, schools simply are not safe. Sadly, many students in public schools are faced with criminal situations every day. At the very least they probably have to put up with bullies. And when was the last time you heard of any POSITIVE effects from peer pressure? It's easy to see that this type of environment is usually very stressful and distracts from the real purpose of being at school, namely learning.

Another reason many people home school, is because they are fed up with public schools teaching evolution, sex and other hot button subjects. Homeschoolers generally view these subjects as topics that should be taught at home, not at school.

They feel that when the schools teach these subjects the schools are usurping their parental authority. By choosing to homeschool, parents can take back their God-given authority/responsibility to raise their children with a Biblical worldview.

Whatever your reason for homeschooling make sure you define it. Knowing why you are doing something will help you to stay focused when things get rough.

How can I be sure I'm teaching my child the things he/she needs to know?

Once you have decided to homeschool, you should contact your local school board and ask them what the requirements are. Some schools require that you register your child, some do not. Some schools will allow you to use their curriculum (if you want to). Virtually every school is different. And every state has different requirements.

Many local libraries also have information on what needs to be taught at different grade levels. Of course, there have been many books written on the subject as well. And let's not forget the web. Doing a search on home schooling will turn up loads of information.

Where can I find curriculum to use?

There are so many publishers of educational materials out there that the question becomes "How do I know which to use?"

But let's answer the first question first.

You can find curriculum at your local library, at homeschooler's book sales, book stores, used book stores, on-line retailers, on-line used curriculum sites, and direct from the publishers.

How do you decide which to use? That depends on you, your child and your goals. For example, if your child has learning problems, you would buy curriculum designed for children with learning problems. If you want to teach Biblical values you would purchase from a Christian publisher.

First, evaluate your child's situation, decide what your goals will be, and choose the area of study upon which you wish to concentrate. Then go to the stores, libraries or publishers, or spend some time online, and make your selections based on these criteria.

Finally, do I have time to home school?

Ah yes, the big "T" question. There never seems to be enough time with our busy schedules these days. Obviously, if you're not going to be home for at least six waking hours (your child's, not yours), then it's going to be very difficult to provide a quality education. Ideally, there should be a stay-at-home parent to do the teaching, but even if you have to work the standard 8-hour day, it's still possible by adjusting and pairing your schedules. It's all a matter of priorities. We'll always find the time to do the things we consider most important.

Take the plunge.

Once you have your student(s) and curriculum in front of you the fun can start. Did I say fun? Forgive me, I'm not trying to be sarcastic. Oftentimes it may seem more like work, but you can make it fun with the right attitude. Think of it as a new, life-changing adventure that you and your child will be taking together.

Many home schoolers are even incorporating educational games and toys into their curriculum. Games can make learning easier and a lot more interesting. Just one more reason to make the bold move away from the public school system and over to the home school system.

Making the decision to home school is, on the face of it, not an easy one. There are many questions that need to be asked, and answered, before you can take this very significant step in your child's education. What can influence the decision is an idea of some of the benefit of home schooling.

So here are some things to think of.

1. Your child will get one to one attention with you. The issues associated with large class sizes will be gone forever.

2. Noone knows your child better than you, so you can tailor the lessons to suit your child. That will be something that could never happen in a conventional class room.

3. If your child is someone who is particularly susceptible to peer pressure, then home schooling can alleviate the problem. With your child completely under your control, you not only dictate the curricular activities, but the friends and social elements of their day.

4. Family life can return to how it should be. No more strangers passing at the breakfast table.

5. Many children get wrongly labeled with 'learning difficulties' when all that they needed was a different approach. If your child falls into this category, you will be best placed to evaluate your child's needs and requirements.

6. Scientific studies indicate that home schooled children can come out ahead in every measurement. Other factors may affect this of course, but the indications are that home schooled children achieve more academic success than their traditionally schooled counterparts.

7. Research also indicates that home schooled children actually have better social skills than traditionally schooled children. This rather flies in the face of most people's beliefs.

8. Although not a statistic that should affect your decision making, every child taken out of the state controlled education system actually saves the tax payer around $9000 per pupil per year.

Whilst it is not a task to be undertaken lightly, there are compelling reasons for educating your child at home. It can be argued of course that the benefit of home schooling will not be so strong for all children, but equally, there are many who could benefit significantly from home tutoring.

Recently, at home schooling has exploded in the country. Lots of parents and their children are setting up these types of programs and most of the time, they are successful. You will find lots of reasons and explanations why home schooling is preferred by an ever increasingly majority of families. However, make note that before you begin deciding if homeschooling is for your kids, you need to keep in mind that home school is just not for everyone.

Although at home schooling might be successful and the right thing to do for some people, it may not be right for others. You will need to understand and realize that teaching your children from home requires a consignment from the parents as well as from the children. So before you decide to home school your kids, you need to ask yourself countless questions before you see whether or not at home schooling is better for you children or not. So, listed here is some helpful information you can explore before you to decide if home schooling your children is the correct choice for you.

To start with, you must understand the by-laws in your state or province about at home schooling. Make sure you can continue with the requirements before you decide to start. You must keep in mind that at home schooling demands a considerable amount of time from both the parents. If both mom and dad are working, then at home schooling may not be the correct choice.

You must also consider if both you and your children have a very close personal relationship. Even though this question may seem a little bit odd, it is a question that needs to be asked. Do you get along well with your kids? In the event you have trouble being around your sons or daughters at any given period of time, then you will probably have a hard time home schooling them.

You must also think about your own educational skills. Even if you will be teaching basic math, writing and reading, you will need to remember that these basic skills are the most crucial fundamentals that you should teach the kids. Should you not be good at any of it, then you may want to give up on this method of education. Both parents could also share the load.

For example, should you be efficient at math, but not so good in reading and writing but your spouse is good at reading and writing but bad in math, you can share the load for teaching. Aside from making sure you give the best education to your children, both dad and mom are also able to spend quality time with their children.

Your communication skills are also another factor that you need to explore. Try asking yourself if you're a great communicator with friends and family. Remember you will be a teacher to your sons or daughters and good communication skills are essential in order for your children to know what you're attempting to make them learn.

You also need to be observant. If you are a naturally observant parent and you and your children get along well, then at home schooling can be something you should consider and may be the right choice for you. You will need to remember that you are not just there to deliver food, you are there to guide them in order for your children to become good adults and develop good values in addition to discourage undesirable ones.

Organization is usually an important skill that you also must have. Are you organized enough to deal with an at homeschooling curriculum. Although this may look easy from the beginning, you need to consider the fact that there are other things that you will need to accomplish. You may have to make lunch, you may be working, do you make dinner, clean the house, and any issues that will come up throughout the day. If you can organize these things while still giving lots of time for homeschooling, then this program may just be you.

Remember these pointers and you can be positive that home schooling will indeed work for you. If you are going determine if at home schooling is right for your kids, think about these questions and if this method of education is the best choice for you, and your family.

Many parents are worried about the quality of their child's school. Thousands of families each year leave the public schools forever to educate their children at home. The renowned Cato Institute finds that there are as many as 1.23 million home schooling families. Those numbers are growing each year. The number of families who decide to home school is a good barometer for the general dissatisfaction they have with the public schools. As a result, thousands of parents decide to take their kids out of school. There are ten conditions to watch that will help you make this critical decision.

Watch for signs of unusual boredom in your child. Learning is not boring. What schools now call learning is often excruciatingly boring. Schools are rapidly becoming one size fits all education factories. Much of the work now designed for the classroom is written for a statistically average child. That child does not exist.

Watch for changes in your child's mood. Children can be depressed in the best of conditions. However, no child should be routinely apprehensive or depressed about school. Be sensitive to any long term changes in your child's mood. This usually indicates a systemic problem in the child's learning environment.

Watch for a high number of office referrals. Increasing numbers of office referrals indicate that the school is not connecting with its children. This one is harder for parents to determine. Listen to your child. Talk with other parents. Listen to your child's friends. Become a nosy parent. Show up with the intention of visiting in the office for a time. You may be amazed with what you see.
Watch for an obvious police presence. Even many elementary schools will have an armed police presence. Problem schools use the police as a not so subtle means of enforcing discipline. Police officers walking the hallways of a school with a loaded sidearm indicate the expectation of violence. This is a symptom of something more ominous.

Watch for high teacher turnover in your child's school. There are several possible reasons for high turnover. None of them are good. Teacher morale is at an all time low across our great country. The work load is tremendous in the best schools. If more than a very small number of teachers leave a school at the end of a year this is a symptom of something that is negatively impacting teachers. If teachers do not feel that a school is worth working in you should wonder if it is worth your child attending.

Watch for any sudden change in the physical health of your child. One of the most common complaints will be stomach aches, headaches and ill-defined symptoms. Be responsive to a child who wakes up sick every morning. If a child wakes up each day physically sick first see your doctor to eliminate some serious problem. Then look to the school as a reason. A child in a good school should look forward to the day. Don't depend on the child being able to tell you exactly why he feels ill. The child may be responding to the general conditions at the school. Or, the child could be responding to some specific problem such as bullying. In either case parents should regard continuous illness as a serious indicator that something may be wrong at school.

Watch for an increase in fighting or violence in the school. Every school will have a fight from time to time. Such is human nature. But, believe what your child tells you about the events at the school. At least assume there is something that needs to be investigated if she reports regular instances of violence. Too many parents dismiss their children's stories as the simple exaggerations of a child. Good teachers will tell you to pay attention to your child's stories.

Watch for the use of the courts to enforce discipline. Schools that have lost control respond by using increasingly draconian measures to attempt to control students. Teachers report that students are being ticketed for talking in class, chewing gum, and ordinary behaviors that should be taken care of casually in class. Tickets can run from to as much as five hundred dollars or more. Ask your school administration to tell you which courts take children from your school. Visit the court on a day when the docket includes students from your child's school. You may find, as other parents have found, that a local court may have to give an entire day's docket to one school.

Watch for a lot of drill and kill kinds of work. Some parents find that their children bring home worksheets that require them to do things such as write material repetitiously with no attempt to help the child understand the material. If the child always brings home assignments that are just questions in the back of the chapter then there is a problem. In order to learn students must be given assignments that lead them to use information in creative ways. Mere repetition is inappropriate.

Watch for obvious emphasis on state tests. Visit your school unannounced. Go by the office and ask to just walk the school. As you do this look carefully at the material on the walls. When you see numerous signs that may tell the students to "tackle the TAKS" the school may be so concerned with test scores that learning is compromised. The state tests as they are designed now carry so much weight that many schools have thrown out most other content. Many schools take time away from instruction to teach questionable "test taking skills". Most give constant "bench mark" tests to determine how well students have done on some discrete set of facts often taught out of context with the larger discipline. Student who miss certain questions on "bench mark" tests find themselves placed in special classes where they drill more and more on less and less. To paraphrase Albert Einstein some of the least important things can be measured with tests while some of the most important things cannot be measured with a simple test.

Any combination of these indicators may mean your school is failing. Learning is a process of ever increasing sophistication in understanding that results from allowing a child's creativity and curiosity to engage. Every child is born with a natural inclination to learn. They absorb information naturally like sponges. By the time many children have gone through a few years of traditional schooling the desire to learn is just destroyed. Take control of your child's education. If you find these indicators or even a few of these indicators present in your child's school you should seriously consider home schooling.