A Home School Program You Can Make Money From

With the violence in public schools and the high cost of private schools more and more parents are moving to home school programs. Being in control of their children's education and protection are the motivating forces behind this. But home schooling means being home and means that parent isn't out making an income.

These days there are a lot of homes that need two incomes coming in and if you're running a single parent household it is imperative that you have money coming in. So the problem becomes how do you home school your children and still have enough money coming in to keep the household running smoothly?

That's the same question Amy Bass, a mother of four, must have been asking herself when she decided to home school her children. However Amy came up with a solution to her dilemma, sell the home school lessons she teaches her kids as information products.

Amy built a $100 plus a day business by home schooling her kids and she will show you how to do the same with her membership program called Homeschool Cash. With a membership to Homeschool Cash, you will be taken step-by-step through how to make money with information products by home schooling your children.

This takes all the guesswork out of how to make a full-time salary from the comfort of your own home. Once more it does it in simple language that the average person can understand. Even if you know absolutely nothing about marketing the Homeschool Cash membership program allows you to become a success online.

Anyone thinking about home schooling or already doing the home school thing should look into the Homeschool Cash membership program. It could be just the help you need.

For more resources and information on home schooling in general visit About Home School Programs.

Educating Your Family and Friends About Your Decision to Home-School

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.

Melissa Murdoch has a passion for life span development and education, and believes wholeheartedly that a healthy society begins at home.

For further information on how to get started in homeschooling, please visit http://www.YourHomeschoolCommunity.com.

Home School Curriculum - How to Choose the Right One

Exactly how do you go about choosing the best curriculum? There are several things you need to take into consideration while choosing the best books to teach your children at home. Let's look at these one at a time.

Is it easy for you to teach?

This question isn't meant to insult your intelligence - really - it isn't!

What I mean by "is it easy to teach" is are the instructions clear? Do they make the teacher help section easy to understand. Is it clear how to teach using their curriculum?

If you have the time and access to the curriculum, sit down and go through one lesson just like you're going to teach it. This will give you an idea about how it "flows" and if it is going to be easy to use or make you want to pull your hair out!

Does it look fun for your children?

You are homeschooling your children to give them a good education.

BUT...let's have a little fun while we're at it! When you see a curriculum that is boring...the lessons are excessively long...they contain worksheet after worksheet...this probably means that your children aren't going to like it.

While school doesn't have to be all fun - and it won't be - there's no reason to make it pure drudgery either. There are going to be many times when your children won't want to do school no matter how fun you make it and they don't always have to like it, but I highly recommend always trying to keep learning as fun and interesting as possible.

Look for curriculum that is bright - has great pictures or photography - and looks interesting while still being educational. It's out there...you'll find it!

Does it fit the "learning style" of your child?

This is very important. One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that you can tailor your teaching to how your children learn.

You want to make learning as easy and as enjoyable as possible. To do this, you need to discover your child's learning style.

Does your child learn better by listening? He's probably an auditory learner.

Does your child learn better by watching? She's probably a visual learner.

Does your child learn better by doing? He's probably a kinesthetic learner.

Choose a curriculum that fits this learning style. 

Do you need to teach several age groups at the same time?

If your family is like most homeschool families, you have several children. This is great and it is very possible to teach several children at one time - it just depends on the subject.

Some subjects are easier to teach to different age groups - like history or science.

Some subjects are impossible to teach to different age groups at the same time - like math or spelling.

 

Is it too time consuming?

A curriculum is too time consuming if you are going to have to spend an hour every night before you go to bed trying to figure out what you are supposed to teach your kids the next day.

Some homeschool programs get so complicated with their schedule and will include multiple books - teacher's book, teacher's answer book, teacher's quiz book, teacher's quiz book answers, teacher's test book, teacher's test book answers...all for one subject!

You get the picture.

I've seen this many times. For one subject, the teacher has six books - the child has one. When you are shopping for curriculum, this should send up a red flag. Teaching your children isn't that complicated. When you see homeschool curriculum that is this overloaded with books, it means they are trying to sell you as many books as possible.

Keep looking.

 

How much teacher preparation is involved?

This goes hand-in-hand with "Is it too time consuming?". Choose curriculum that takes minimal preparation time. Look for clear and easy teacher instructions.

There's nothing wrong, of course, if you want to spend time putting together projects for your children - like lapbooking. These can be great learning opportunities. Just make it an exception rather than the rule. In other words, it should be something you do that is "extra" - having school shouldn't depend on whether or not you spent hours putting together a lesson.

Does it fit your budget?

Because homeschool families are often one-income families, you need to decide on a budget for your homeschool - and stick to it. Buying curriculum is FUN!!!! Homeschool moms tend to love books.

Don't let this get out of hand. Remind yourself when you are tempted to overspend on "just a few more books" that you could be using that money to help with the bills, or to use in other homeschool materials, or how about a fun field trip?

Does Anyone You Know Recommend It?

One of the best ways to find good curriculum is to ask homeschool moms for help and recommendations. Ask around. See if anyone you know has used the curriculum you are considering and see what their opinion is about it.

Just remember that their teaching style is going to be different from yours and their child's learning style is going to be different from your child's. Take all of these things into consideration before you buy.

Before you Buy

When deciding on which home school curriculum to buy, remember to take each of the above factors into consideration. Check our homeschool curriculum reviews to help give you some extra tips, suggestions, and recommendations on what will be best for your family.

For honest home school curriculum reviews by a homeschool mom with 16 years of experience, visit http://www.home-schooling-haven.com/home-school-curriculum.html

Standing Up for Home Schooling

Parents have every right to educate their children at home, based upon knowledge gathered throughout their lives. They should and can do so, with a fair dose of responsibility. I admire who is capable of achieving such a deed, because the amount of stress involved in the task is only comprehended by those who actually do it. However, the results are unmatched by the ones obtained by the public school system. We have the example of the Villena Family, in Brazil. This case serves to show how a country's educational system takes a long time to be updated in comparison to the advances achieved in the world as to child education and about the citizens´ right to seek the very best way to educate their children.

In 2004, I was asked to give some theoretical support to the Villena Family, defending the choice that they made to teach their 6 kids at home. In the occasion they had just entered with a judicial order, (in Portuguese, "Mandato de Seguranca" (MS 7407/DF) seeking the Superior Justice Tribunal of Brazil to evaluate the demands that the educational system had required from them. In fact, what the government was asking for went against the family's goals, since they wanted to keep home schooling their kids. The educational system intended to obligate them to enroll their children in the Brazilian formal educational system. At the time, the Minister Dr. Franciulli Netto, asked for evidence in the legal procedure, and I sent (under their family name and at their request) a theoretical justification on the importance of educating children at home. My intent was to aid in the Minister's decision, thus helping the resolution of the case.

I began my defense of home schooling by claiming that it is what's scientifically proven by all the modern education institutes of the world to be the most up-to-date. I criticized the fact that the family had seen denied their right to educate their kids at home, in the family's environment. I requested that the analysis of the legal procedure at hand should start from the evidence that had been listed in the legal proceedings, that contained documents proving the initiative's success and that these legal proofs could, in little time, open doors to new legal courses of action to improve even the quality of schooling in Brazil. This evidence could help the country's educational history to advance into consolidating the family's right to seek out what's best for their kids, acting as an initiation cell of teaching in society. I claimed that his decision could promote education in the country and clarify as to a series of prejudice that clouds the thoughts of many jurists and educators, such as "the family doesn't educate", "the children do not belong to the family", and that "the education of the Brazilian is an obligation of the constituted State".

I argued that the Brazilian State at the time wasn't responding for its obligations regarding education, letting it be seen that we had a crisis in higher learning and had data showing that we have millions of illiterates populating Brazilian territory. And that, if a family was giving a great example of dedication to their kids, the Brazilian State should exalt them and take it as reference and not, take from them the right to exercise acts of citizenship.

I argued that the success of the educational modality called home schooling throughout the world, led us to assert that the children observed, in various countries, and that were submitted to this kind of specialized education, presented behavior and/or results that I would clarify for him with great pleasure. Based upon Dr. Neil Harvey, in his book Kids Who Start Ahead, Stay Ahead (Avery Publishing Group, New York, 1994), I showed and argued, based also upon my personal experience and that of other Brazilian mothers, that most children that have experienced and/or experience Home Schooling end up being or are:

o interesting and imaginative;

o Comunicate well;

o love language profoundly;

o present advanced vocabulary and a vast knowledge regarding what they say;

o never demonstrate to be out of ideas;

o can talk to anyone about anything;

o are incredibly creative, inventive and surprise us with interesting observations;

o build their own toys;

o rationalize beyond their age level;

o are disciplined;

o are cooperative;

o are positive when establishing goals to accomplish;

o concentrate on their work;

o are persistent and complete their projects;

o are inquisitive;

o show great will to learn;

o are motivated and with tremendous thirst for knowledge;

o express a strong interest for the arts;

o manifest an expanded view of the world;

o have happy, positive attitudes;

o are friendly and charming;

o have charisma for others, knowing how to deal with others, demonstrating good manners;

o appreciate the success of other children;

o aren't critics with other kids and have tolerance with each kid's rhythm, with their individual differences;

o don't become inhibited by outside opinions;

o aren't exhibitionists and pompous;

o are spiritually and mentally well adjusted;

o lead and are well succeeded, without much effort;

o adapt easily to different situations;

o possess advanced logic and think analytically;

o have a phenomenal ability to solve problems and demonstrate different strategies of thought;

o believe that human relations are important;

o are independent and wish to try out everything;

o are responsible for their own learning;

o like to teach what they know;

o ...Among many other positive characteristics!

Aside from these theoretical arguments listed above, I witnessed my experience with my three children, 24 years before then, in which they were objects to home schooling and that the Brazilian government had recognized our efforts, giving them the right to be accelerated in school, taking into consideration what they had learned at home. I explained that we also had gone through a judicial legal procedure and that the Federal Council of Education of the period had recognized my family's right to give education within the home. The case could not have been characterized as the same, since my kids went to school and were, at the same time, helped at home, with specialized attention. However, I added that the objective had been reached by both families, mine and the Villena´s. And that, in consequence, we were both examples of success in the initiative of giving the best possible education for our children. I gathered that my kids had entered early in the university and are, today, happy professionals well integrated in society. And, given the many that went through the same process, the children of this family could also, and with absolute certainty, achieve much success and be happily satisfied in life.

I argued that my testimony, along with information itself could avoid, with the support of his positive decision, that yet another Brazilian family be discredited and discouraged in their efforts and sincerity in trying to permit a better education for their children, an education which the Brazilian State still isn't capable of providing. I also said that I expected a family not to be hindered by the official institutions´ lack of information so that we wouldn't see this same family seeking alternative means for their children's education elsewhere, outside our homeland, thus causing the evasion of intelligent minds to other scientific centers. I finalized arguing that the Villena Family, like so many others like them in Brazil, and that hadn't expressed themselves yet, mine included, and that believed firmly in their kids´ talent, believe that we are a wonderful people. They believe that the right to have their voices heard throughout all national territory should be a guarantee, a must! Voices that will echo favoring new insights for the evolution of the human being's intelligence as a whole. Voices that know how to exercise the hope of better days for our nation and for the world.

My intervention didn't help much. The Villena Family, 14 years after my family had been authorized to educate the kids in the home schooling system, could do nothing but watch their kids be impeded, in the same (memory-less) country, of continuing to study at home; and, were, by the legal means of force (the law had now been differently interpreted), forced to enroll their children in formal schooling; to accomplish, most certainly, many less interesting deeds than those they were accustomed to in the family environment.

So here's my criticism to those countries that still don't value the power of home schooling. And my protest and legitimate support to the families that have obtained success with the initiative throughout the world. What a beautiful example we've been giving society as a whole!

**For more information and free articles and ebooks on homeschooling, babies and reading, visit our website at http://www.baby-can-read.com**

Dr. Eliane Leao is a native of Brazil, South America. She has a background in Education from Purdue University (Masters) and a PhD in the Department of Educational Psychology from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)/Purdue University (Ph.D.). Dr. Leao has also three Bachelor?s degrees, one in Piano, another in Musical Education, and a third in Voice. Dr. Leao is currently a professor of Music Education and Music Therapy conducting research on the influence of Music in Early Childhood Learning.

Her ?babies? have grown to become productive members of their communities. Dr. Leao hopes that the trials and successes of her family may inspire and convince other parents to stimulate their children during early childhood so that they may enjoy a rich, stimulating, integrated, and happy life always.

Home School - A Valid Viable Option

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Linda Pogue home-schooled her son through high school before she earned her first college degree. She is the webmaster of http://www.momsredkitchen.com where she regularly posts information about kitchen products, reviews cookbooks, and shares family recipes.

Are My Children Safe in Public School? Is Home School Better?

With all of the recent news of violence, high drop-out rates and low test scores around the country, more and more parents are considering home school which has long been a controversial topic. Public schools want you to think that they are the only valid educational choice. Private schools are expensive. On the other hand, parents who teach their children at home will tell you it is the best decision they ever made. So which one is right for you and your child? How do you decide?

You decide by educating yourself first. You will find that there is a wealth of information about home education online to help you decide and get your home-based classroom started. Online resources are readily available for every child at any age, any grade level and any learning style. I have even found an online expo, an exciting internet-based homeschool convention, to help you explore the possibilities, find resources and networking opportunities.

Home school can sound daunting to the parent considering it for the first time. Most parents who teach their children at home do so because of their strong family values and/or their Christian values. Others feel strongly that the public schools are not the place where they want to send their children every day for any number of reasons. The online expo, which I will discuss further on my blog, is a wonderful opportunity for you to discover the possibilities that await you and your child in the exciting adventure of home school. The host of this internet convention is concerned about passing on family and Christian values through the process of home education - and helping you to do it well!

There are many advantages of educating your child at home, as you will discover as you begin your journey. One of the biggest benefits is that homeschooling is a lifestyle that encompasses your entire family and even your extended family. You will find that your children will learn when they are interested - at any age. As a parent of a toddler or pre-schooler, you most likely provided your little one with educational toys and books and environments. Home school for a school-age child works the same way - you provide the opportunity and they WILL want to learn. There are so many resources online for educating your child at home that you will never run out of ideas or material. Your children will never run out of things to explore and learn!

In my research online, I have found many sites that afford amazing educational resources and opportunities for children, parents and teachers to explore math, science, art, history or any other subject of interest. I found virtual tours of places such as the cockpit of a space shuttle or a pyramid. There are sites for math drills and tutoring, art museums to explore, and much, much more. None of this was available when I was teaching my own children [now adults] at home. Truly the world of learning is at your fingertips!

In the process of homeschooling, you will find that the most important things your children learn are not from a book. The most important things are the ones they learn from you - honesty and integrity, kindness and gentleness, socialization, a good work ethic, a hunger to explore their world and their community, and a love for learning. Proponents of public education will try to tell you that a home school child is not being properly socialized if he or she is not in a classroom with peers all day long for five days a week. Consider, however, what the word, socialization, means. Socialization is learning how to act appropriately in various social situations. Who is better equipped to teach this to your child? Another child who has not yet learned appropriate behavior? Or you? Children are best socialized by their parents and others who love them and will help them learn appropriate behaviors in various situations. Homeschooling provides children with many wonderful opportunities to learn and practice their social skills as you interact with them in the real world.

There are so many wonderful resources online that I know you will enjoy the opportunity to explore the concept of home school further as you weigh your educational choices for your own children.

You can teach with excellence! Want to know how?

Diana Kirsch

http://ideasforhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Warning - Lack of Socialization Causes Home Schooled Children to Have Two Heads?

Rubbish I hear you say? I couldn't agree more. I find it quite amusing that "scholars" and the media treat the home schooled child and parent this way. The number one argument against homeschooling is the buzz word of "socialization" in other words the lack of social interaction with others through schooling.

This is easily avoided by joining numerous organizations, including, independent study programs and specialized enrichment groups for physical education, art, music, and debate. Most are also active in community groups by learning through doing. Home-educated children generally socialize with other children the same way that school children do: outside of school, via personal visits and through sports teams, clubs, and religious groups etc.

Most home education parents have often argued that their alternative actually enhances the student's "socialization". They argue that the school years are the only time in a person's life that he or she will be artificially segregated into chronologically-determined groups. They say that home educated children have a more normal interaction with people of all ages. This will result in more influence on the child from adults, and less from other children, leading to more mature young citizens while still keeping friends and interacting with children of the same age.

In 1999 a statement from the National Education Association that, "home schooling cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience". It is funny then that earlier this month shows home-schooled students are actually more socially and academically advanced than their peers. Patrick Basham from Cato Institute and author of the study says one of the greatest quotes ever (and relates to my confronting headline) "aren't surprising in intellectual terms, but it does turn the major anecdotal opposition to home schooling - that it produces social retards - on its head." "Almost one quarter of home-schooled students perform one or more grades above their age level peers in public and private schools," said Basham. Indeed, the study cited findings that by Grade 8, the average home-schooled student performs four grade levels above the national average.

According to the study's findings, the typical home-schooled child is more mature, friendly, happy, thoughtful, competent, and better socialized than students in public or private schools and less peer dependent and exhibit "significantly higher" self-esteem, according to the study.

Where is this socialization the government school crowd always promotes as a reason for not home schooling? The latest blurb is that home schooled kids, even though possibly better educated, just can't be socialized in a home school setting. Once again the difference between theory and practice is showing just the opposite. Socially, home schoolers socialize in soccer comps, football comps, special events, ski trips, astronomy clubs, church groups, on the internet etc. So please, help me find this lack of socialization among home schoolers so we can stamp it out and stop depriving them of this most important asset?. What do you think?

Copyright 2006 Matt Weight

For more information on Homeschooling visit http://www.homeschooling-secrets-revealed.com

Decision to Home School

The decision to home school our children was not an easy one to make. To be honest, by the time our children reached school age, I was anticipating having the days to myself to do whatever it was that I wanted to do. The kids would be in school and my husband would be at work, and life would be grand. I dreamed of going back to school myself, and then landing the perfect job. However, something in the back of my brain (which was the Lord speaking to me) kept nagging and saying, "I want you to do hard things, not easy things." My husband and I had never even given homeschooling a thought before. It never crossed our minds, in fact, until we spoke with a dear friend about her homeschooling her children.

Homeschooling our children scared us. What if we made a mistake and they ended up flipping hamburgers at the local McDonald's? What if they lagged behind all the other children we knew academically? What if they became loners and never made a friend? What if I couldn't teach my children the necessary things that they needed to know for college some day? All of these and so many other thoughts came into my brain, including the very loud-speaking fact that I don't have much patience.

Well, the first thing we did before even considering to home school was we prayed and prayed and prayed about it. We wanted to know that we were doing this for all the right reasons and not for prideful reasons. We wanted to make sure that this is what God really wanted for our children and our lives. We just put all our fears aside and gave them to the Lord. And the wonderful thing about that was He gave us a wonderful peace after we did this, and all our plans and decisions to home school from that point forward just fell into place.

With the peace that we felt, we did a lot of research into what materials we would use and how to use them by going online. We even went to a home school convention with tons of vendors and speakers at seminars and learned a tremendous amount about the values of homeschooling. We had a smorgasbord of ideas in front of us; and might I add, we could have easily been overwhelmed if we were not careful. So many books and props were thrown in our direction, so we had to be wise in picking and choosing what we really needed and not just wanted to take home and use. One other thing that helped us was we asked other parents what they used and would recommend, and thankfully, we found one curriculum that was really the right choice for our children. It spelled everything out for them to do day-by-day and was even teacher-friendly for me.

The best advice I can give you in regards to homeschooling your children is to just pray about it. Ask God who knows all what He thinks you should do. Don't home school your children because everyone else you know is doing it; make a wise prayerful decision that's best for your family. Furthermore, homeschooling has not only taught my children the necessary learning tools they need along with godly character-building, but it's also taught me life-building values like patience, love, gentleness, being slow to anger and quick to listen. Homeschooling may have been one of the toughest decisions in our lives that we ever made, but even after five years now, we're still learning that anything is possible with God.

Rachel G. LaChapelle is the website administrator for Baby Diaper Bags and also a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. Please visit her site for all sorts of discount baby items.

Your Role As the Home School Teacher and What It's Like

When it comes to home schooling, your role as the teacher is of utmost importance. You naturally are a good teacher for your kids so adapting to this role as home school teacher should be a natural gravitation. Your job is to educate your child on the subjects that they need to learn, all while being there as a parent to help and support your kids.

To keep your child stimulated in the activities of home schooling, you should teach your child in a way that interests him. This is where your role as parent comes in as you should know your child's likes and dislikes. Your patience with your child will have to be at a high level especially if they're at a young age, as you will have to give them time to learn and adapt to the materials taught to them.

If you ever feel like your teaching skills as a parent aren't up to par, then you should know that there are a ton of helpful home schooling resources readily available to you. You should use these home schooling guides to improve your skills as a teacher all while educating your child at the same time.

There packages, forums, libraries, and even virtual schools that can assist you with your home schooling endeavors. If you're a beginning home school teacher, you should take advantage of all of this helpful free information right now. There are also software available to track your child's progress and that will help to organize your lesson plans also.

Local support groups can be of immense help also. You will find other home school teachers who have a vast amount of experience and education that will sure to benefit you also. Once you've gotten the hang of things and have used all of the helpful free advice, then you will find that your home schooling jobs are streamlined and simple.

One thing that you do want to avoid however when home schooling is not to get tired of doing it. This is called "home school burnout" and it happens to a lot of home school teachers. This can occur for a number of reasons such as illness, an addition of a new family member, more responsibility, or the adapting change in the home schooling curriculum.

If you see that you cry for any reason or are lacking patience, then you may have this disorder. If you are burnt out about home school, the first thing you need to know is that it can be reversed. You want to lower your expectations and look for other things to try if something isn't working the way you want it to.

Whenever tension arises, take a break. You may need to check your style teaching and revamp them to suit your style. You should never schedule a lot of activities for your child just to help them get out and socialize. Having a depressed parent and a complaining kid is a bad mixture for home schooling.

You want to get as much support from your spouse as possible to try and help out with the situation. You may want to consider having your spouse check your child's homework as this will alleviate some of the responsibility that you have to endure.

These tips will help to end your home schooling burnout and get your on the right track to teaching your child while being happy at the same time. Good luck with your home school teachings.

FOR MORE INFO: Learn home schooling tips you can use to teach your child at home successfully. To learn more, visit the following website for more details: http://www.instant-downloadz.com/parentshomeschooling.html

Home School Education - Advantages and Disadvantages

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.

Tammy Carter reviews Home School Education [http://www.homeschoolonlineresources.com] at HomeSchoolResourcesOnline.com

Are Home School Programs Right For Your Child?

Home school programs are the option for parents who feel public schools are deficient in prime education and in safety. The questions many people ask is, are home schooled kids lacking suitable socialization and what is the rewards and disadvantages from home schooling? Contrary to public-school children, children who are taught at home are not captives of a system of rules that could crush their self-esteem or their joy of learning.

Home taught children do not need to sit down silently in a school room of 30 or more additional pupils and act as though they enjoy being in that confined public school prison. Most of the kids in home school programs are smart and independent. Home schooling in addition affords the parent the chance to interact with the child extensively. Teaching preschool at home as well gives you a chance to encourage your child to enjoy learning

The procedure of formulating effective programs at home can be intimidating at the beginning, but is extremely worthwhile when you have your plans prepared. There are several techniques for home schooling a child, and the technique you decide on will determine your curriculum and your manner of teaching. Having your child learn responsibility is one of the end results of education whether it comes about in a normal school background or by home school programs.

There are many other things that have to be dealt with when teaching a child at home. For instance, lowering your costs is important to keep in mind if you're plan to be successful in the long-run. The presumption that springs to mind on the price of at home programs is that, they're expensive. The fact is, home schooling does not need to cost a lot. Whenever you buy used textbooks, you are able to cut down your cost substantially. There are a lot of places where you can find used items on the Internet.

A few home schoolers continue to buy resources, yet a fast growing list of parents reject traditional home school programs and adopt a more individualized approach to their child's training. You can ask your local schools about resource programs, suggested techniques for teaching your child at home and about whatever additional useful data they can give you.

The plan fact is, home schooling is something that's easily within the reach of anyone that would like to accept the obligation for their child's education. Therefore, whether you're interested in home school programs for the long run, or merely would like to ready your child for his or her school time, home school programs should commence prior to the child entering Kindergarten.

For information and resources on home schooling visit About Home School Programs.

Home School Methods - What Do Parents Use to Homeschool?

There are as many ways to home school as there are people out there that home school. Basically most people will range somewhere in the broad spectrum between "school-at-home" and "let the kids play all they want and they'll learn what they need to know". You need to know your style and the temperaments and learning styles of your children to be able to come up with an educational philosophy that you can both live with.

Children can learn with workbooks and they can learn with games. Some children love to work through a textbook and don't want to be bothered with games while other children may complete a workbook but not remember anything they did.

There are all kinds of terms that are used to describe the styles of home schooling such as Eclectic, Classical, Unschooling, Traditional, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Unit Studies.

Homeschooling does stretch a parent but it doesn't have to bend them out of shape. Each parent needs to evaluate what type of learning methods they feel comfortable with in teaching their children. Some people wouldn't feel comfortable using anything but a structured curriculum that tells them exactly what to say. While others would feel very stifled to have to be tied to a curriculum that told them exactly what they had to do.

Homeschooling is mostly about relationships. If you have a great relationship with your child or work on relating with your child, you will be able to work through any curriculum struggle by communicating.

Children need some boundaries in their day. They may not learn anything by playing around all day, but then they may not learn anything by completing a workbook page either. They need some structure that they are required to follow and be held accountable if they step outside those boundaries. When you have some "have tos" in your life it builds character and makes the unstructured times more fun.

Do you want to know more about home school methods? Download the free homeschool eBooks "How to Find the Best Homeschool Resources"or "How to Get Started with Homeschooling" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/free-homeschool-ebooks.html

Heidi Johnson enjoys helping people find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

The Many Benefits of Home Schooling

The decision for home schooling is based on a number of factors: desire to teach religion as part of the curriculum, undesirable school conditions, and overall dissatisfaction with the school's curriculum.

Although it's difficult for researchers to gather data on home schools, some research indicates that adults who were home schooled have a higher college attendance rate and seem more satisfied with life in general.

Home schooled children have consistently scored exceptionally higher than average on achievement tests. I recently read that home schooled 3rd graders scored higher than 81% of public school students in math alone!The biggest benefit to home schooling is simply that parents love their kids and want them to have a bright future. Teachers care very much about their students but no one loves their kid like a mom or dad.

Often the home school parents are able to spend significantly more money on educational materials than a public school can. The average cost of supplies per student per year can range from $200-$2000 at a home school.

Home school students can progress through educational material at the student's rate. This makes it much easier for home school students to be enrolled one or more grades above their public and private school-age peers.

Home schooled children are healthier than public school kids since they aren't exposed to so many sick children.

Home schooled children don't deal with so much peer pressure.

Home schooled children often develop exceptional relationships with their siblings.

Parents can offer their children instruction in areas that aren't fostered in public schools. The curriculum is flexible and can be ever changing.

The schedule can be changed if a child needs more or less help in a particular subject.

One mom told me that she is able to take her children to the museum for art class, the symphony for music, and ice skating for physical ed. She wants her children to socialize with other children their age so she often incorporates other home schools into her field trips.

If you're considering home schooling your child, where do you begin?

There are great resources available for parents who are already home schooling and for those who are just kicking the idea around. Starting a home school can be overwhelming. The parents I interviewed said that it is well worth the sacrifice.

Over the past year I've had the opportunity to meet many parents who have chosen to home school their children. The subject interested me enough to do a little research on the benefits of home schooling.

I was referred to this resource and I agree that it's great:
http://www.SuccessfulHomeSchool.info

Your Home School Program - What Does it Look Like?

You may be wondering what you should be doing for home schooling. The truth is that your home school is unique. It won't be like any other home school in the world. You and your children are unique individuals and will learn and relate in different ways.

Here are a few things that will determine what your home school looks like:

1. Who are you and your children as individuals? How do each of you learn best? Public schools tend to use the visual or auditory methods of teaching. With home schooling you can determine your children's learning style and how they learn best. Then you can implement learning to help them learn the way they learn best.

2. What is the routine of your day? Most people need a basic structure to their day. It can be formed around mealtimes. You get up, get dressed, and eat. Then you can do certain things in the morning, some other routines in the afternoon and others after dinner. Once children can read they can learn many things on their own. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the most important routines. Then you can add the other subjects you think are important. If your expectations are clearly stated, your children will know what is expected of them each day.

3. What are the boundaries in your home? What are people allowed or not allowed to do? Can your children watch TV before their work is done for the day? How are they permitted to speak to their parents and siblings? If you lay down some guidelines for proper behavior, everyone knows where the boundary lines are and you don't have to feel guilty enforcing those.

Most of all your child needs to feel loved and accepted. They won't remember most of their lessons, although they will grow by working each day. What they will remember most is how they felt when they were around you and how you treated them.

Do you want to know more about homeschooling? Download the free homeschool eBooks "How to Find the Best Homeschool Resources"and "How to Get Started with Homeschooling" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/free-homeschool-ebooks.html

Heidi Johnson enjoys helping people find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

Catholic Home Schooling - Ten Pros and Cons

Are you are considering home schooling for religious, scholastic, or social reasons? These tips can help you make an informed decision. They are taken from our experiences and those of friends.

10 pros for Catholic homeschooling:

You know the teacher. Most teachers in elementary and high schools are hard-working dedicated teachers who do a good job. But this is not always the case. Depending on where you live or just the luck of the draw you may end up with a teacher who is not up to par. As a homeschooling parent this is not something that you have to worry about.
Support groups. There are many good Catholic homeschool groups that can help guide you into your journey in homeschooling. You can learn many things in these homeschool groups. This includes everything from how to present subject matter to how to deal with day-to-day frustrations.
Flexibility. Home schooling allows you the flexibility to work on schooling in ways that you might not have imagined. You can take family trips without missing school for example. If certain times of the day work better than others, there's nothing to stop you from doing that.
Health. Oftentimes schools become a breeding ground for germs. Diseases get transferred from one student to the next. Your homeschool students won't be exposed to this as much as other children.
Increased amount of time spent together. This is a fairly obvious point but the opportunities for bonding are increased because you will be spending more time with your children.
Peer pressure. Your children will be hearing your values much more than the values of their peers because of the amount of time they spend with you and with other homeschoolers who share the same values.
Direct involvement. Many teachers often say that one of the best indicators of a child's success in school is how involved his parents are. You can't get more involved in a child's education than homeschooling.
Individualized curriculum. Even in a good school you may run into one or two classes that are not very good. This may be because of a poor choice of textbook or method of study that is not well suited to your child. As a homeschooler you are free to tailor your child's education to suit his particular needs.
Ensure orthodoxy. In many parochial schools religious ed courses are now taught by lay teachers instead of religious. While you may have a very knowledgeable teacher for religious education, all too often students are exposed to questionable teachings. As a homeschooler you can ensure that religious education is in line with Catholic teaching.
Controlled environment. When students are taught at home You don't have to worry about the following things that sometimes occur in school: bullying, drug use, gangs, inappropriate sex education, hazing, etc.10 cons for Catholic homeschooling:

Socialization. This is usually the first objection people raise if they hear you are thinking about homeschooling. There is some truth to this but it's not as bad as it sounds. Your child may feel that he is the odd man out because his friends from the neighborhood most likely spend more time together. However there are plenty activities that can act as a substitute. Look to see if your community offers sports teams through the local park district, reading or studying groups through the local library, or playgroups through a local homeschool group. These types of activities can help your child grow friendships with other children their age.
Time. Homeschooling will require you to think about time management. You must guard against letting the day slip by you without getting into your study materials. This can become tricky when circumstances in your household change such as when there is a new addition to your family.
Organization. Find an organization method that works for you and stick with it as best as you can. Preparing for lessons requires that you know what lessons are coming up, what materials are that you'll need, and having everything ready for the school day. Your children will lose interest fast if you end up searching your house for a book or some other type of material halfway through a lesson.
Distractions. It can become easy to get distracted at home. As you look around there all types of things that are calling out for your attention. This is also true for your children. Try to get into a pattern of dedicated study time to avoid this problem.
You are not an expert in everything. You're going to run into subjects that you're not very familiar with. This will require you to do some research so that you can teach effectively. In the long run this is a benefit for you but in the short term it means more work.
Cabin fever. Spending time day in and day out within the confines of your home can cause boredom to set in. Try to arrange for field trips and play dates with other families to keep your children from getting bored. Make sure that you get out of the house from time to time to get a break from the monotony. Don't let yourself get burned out.
Motivation. When you are in the long stretch of the school year it can become hard to stay motivated. Make sure that you have breaks in your routine periodically. You should also keep long-term and short-term goals to help you maintain perspective.
Unsure of progress. If you are grading your own child's progress it may be hard to gauge if they are operating at the levels that they should be. Contact with other homeschool families can help in this matter. There are also standardized tests that your child can take.
Criticism from others. Many people think that homeschooling is strange or that the families who homeschool are strange. Oftentimes they're not afraid to express their opinions to you. You may feel like you need to justify your decision to others repeatedly. Don't let this get you down. There are a lot of great reasons to homeschool and once you start listing them off you can usually quiet the critics.
Legal issues. Laws concerning homeschooling vary from state to state. You should know what laws govern homeschooling in your state. You also may run into problems from busybody neighbors who think that your children are truant. Maintaining a membership in an organization such as the Home School Legal Defense Association can give you peace of mind, provide advice, and defense if this becomes necessary. Most homeschoolers never run into these types of problems but it's important to know your rights and how to defend them.

Vince Salomon is a proud husband and father of 6 children. He and his wife home school their children and live in Illinois with 3 dogs and two cats. Vince makes his living as a computer applications developer with 15 years of experience. Please visit his blog at http://kingsalomon.net for more posts related to home schooling, the Catholic faith, or a variety of other topics. Don't forget to subscribe to the rss feed.

Home Schooling is a Popular Education Option

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jerry Cahill is a publisher and webmaster. He maintains several informative websites. Find more at http://www.thehomeschoolinghelper.com

Home Schooling and Tutoring - Do They Mix?

If you're thinking of homeschooling your child, or have already been doing it for years, you're to be applauded. You are taking on a role that many will not or cannot handle. However, even the parents who are fully prepared for all home schooling requires may not know everything. In other words, you might need help from time to time. It probably seems a bit strange to think about bringing in tutoring assistance when you're the teacher, but it's not uncommon. So let's take a closer look at why you might need tutoring, and where you can find some great resources.

The Basics of Homeschooling

There are a number of reasons that you might feel it's best to pull your child out of school and teach at home, or begin your child in a homeschooling environment. You may be displeased with the both the increased regulations and slashed budgets of your local public school system and feel your child will not receive the appropriate education as a result. You also may feel that it's extremely important that your child receive daily one-on-one instruction, which is difficult in a school setting.

Whatever your reason is for homeschooling, you are making a decision to take on quite a job. You will be solely responsible for the academic wellbeing of your child. However, it's good to know that there are tons of resources and elaborate lesson plans available to help you teach specific subjects. Also, you can find great books and resources in the library, which can help you cut back on personal costs.

Why You Might Need the Assistance of a Tutor

As previously mentioned, the job of homeschooling your child is a big one. This is especially true when you consider that your child will likely have strengths and weaknesses pertaining to certain subjects. If you're not equipped to dig deeper with your child to help him understand the subject then you may need to bring in additional help to deliver the message more effectively.

Tutors are usually equipped to handle specific subjects and have a wealth of knowledge and resources in one area. So while the tutor is helping your child, you can gain more knowledge in this particular area as well. The more help you're willing to bring in for your child, the better chance your child has of excelling as you hoped he would.

Online Tutoring Resources

When you think of working with a tutor, you probably automatically picture a person coming to your home to do their job. However, there are tons of additional resources available - particularly online - that can help you fulfill your role as a teacher more successfully.

For instance, there are online tutoring sites that allow you to work with tutors one-on-one, via chatting capabilities, from the comfort of your home. What's great about most online tutoring services is that you can schedule appointments 24/7. Also, you can download worksheets and take advantage of practice problems right over the Internet.

If you were unsure whether home schooling and tutoring mixed, now you know that they do. It's just a matter of finding the right tutoring environment for your child based on your schedule and your child's needs. Once the right formula is found, your child can have the success you've always desired.

TutorsAnywhere.com is a complete online resource that compares tutoring services and products offered by top online companies. If you need to find a tutor for your child, find the best solution for your family at http://www.tutorsanywhere.com

Establishing a Home School Connection For Your Children

Home schooling has become quite a common practice with many today due to various reasons. These include safety of the children as the schools are becoming increasingly dangerous to attend, single parents who cannot always make it on time to pick up and drop their kids, those physically or mentally challenged children and/or unavailability of a school in the vicinity.

Due to the fact that there are many children undergoing home school studies program, there are in fact many options, and they are all mostly available on the internet which is something that many people already have easy access to. Well, you will need the following: a computer, and a connection to the internet. The internet should preferably be through broadband because it the speed is fast and thus, you will be able to download and access any data, such as educational videos, quickly in double quick time

Home school connection is established through the Internet from where you can obtain daily programs; submit homework and other curriculum projects that are required. The internet will also help you get connected directly with teachers and students on the specially designed school forums; over on these forums you will be able to chat and discuss directly with a teacher, ask questions as well as get in touch with other students via the wire.

Most home school forums are open 24 hours a day to allow students to interact anytime they want. This is because children who undergo home schools find themselves at times isolated and lonely, and the forum can certainly help with that side of the home school connection.

So What You Should Know About Home Schools

Home schools have many advantages because the parents get to be a even bigger part of their child's life by being his or her school teacher, however, there are a few things you must ensure before enrolling your children in a home school. You have to make sure that the school must be accredited in order for your child's studies to be recognized once he completes programs.

Another very important factor is that home schools don't just give your child the normal social life other children access by attending traditional schooling everyday. You must ensure that the home school connections also have active forums for your child to interact freely and make friends as all other children do in school. There are many home schools available, so do your research and pick with care the one your child should follow, as that will determine his or her future, probably.

There is no need for you to struggle to make homeschooling work. Get your guide in Guide To Home Schooling For All. Homeschooling is a great form of education method. More about homeschooling tips and advises at HomeSchooling For All.

How Many Hours a Day Should You Home School

One of the most confusing parts of home schooling is how many hours should you home school your children. Should you have your classes everyday, can you miss a day or two? These are very important questions that you will have to answer when you have a home school.

The great thing about having a home school is that you can be flexible with the hours. You don't have to have classes starting at 8 am every morning. Maybe your child learns better starting at 10am or even in the evening. You can teach them anytime that is best for you. 

How do you figure out how many hours you need to teach your children every week?

A lot of parents will have the schedules made by how well the students cover the subjects, and how much material you will have to cover every week. When looking over your planner and your schedule you will be able to determine how many hours it will take to cover the material. In public schools they don't really have lessons for the whole time, they have time between classes, and then each period they have a certain amount of time that it will take to call roll, and get all the students settled. So there isn't that much learning going on. Plus it may take you less time to teach your student because you will be doing one on one with them, letting them learn faster and better.

It is advisable to plan a tentative schedule for your home school, while you can still be flexible with it, your children will know that learning is part of their daily schedule. They will know that during these hours it's time to learn. While you can change it as necessary it's always a good ideal to have a tentative schedule that is the same daily.

Are you looking for worksheets and other down loadable tests and other free material needed so you can inexpensively home school children? This site has links and resources that you can use to inexpensively home school your children.

Homeschooling - The 4 Main Reasons A Family May Choose to Home School a Child

It is estimated that more than 1 million children under the age of eighteen are receiving their education at home. It is impossible to know the exact number of families that choose to keep their children at home instead of sending them to traditional classroom settings. Part of the reason for this is that most states do not have an accurate count of these children.

Families may choose to home school their children for many different reasons. Sometime it is only temporary due to an illness or a cross country move. There are four reasons that children are being educated at home by their families:

They are deeply religious and want the children to be educated with fundamentalist beliefs. Many of these families use the Bible as their main text and use it to teach reading, math, social studies, health, geography and science. Older siblings may help teach the younger children. Consistent beliefs and values are maintained throughout the family. The parents of these children want to ensure that no ideas from outside of the family are introduced to their children without their approval. In years past this group accounted for the largest number of home schoolers.
The family may live in a remote area where schools are not easily accessible. There are quite a few sections of the United States and Canada where this is the case. It may be a two hour or longer ride to a school and some families do not want their children to be on the road for that long, especially when the weather is bad. Many of these children do not attend school until they are in high school.
Children who have survived a traumatic event, those who are going through a serious illness, or a child who has experienced a catastrophic event either at school or at home may be taken out of school for an extended period of time and educated at home by family members. Some of these children return to school within a few months and others continue to be home schooled until they reach the age of majority.
They believe that what they can offer their children is superior to what any formal institution has available. The children in these families may receive professional music or dance classes, sometimes travel throughout the world with their families, or may have a connection with one of the many private universities across North America that offer programs for young people. Many of these children go on to attend universities successfully before they are eighteen years old.
Many states require that you register your home as a home school, while other states require no such identification or registration. At one time it was typical for one adult family member to hold at least some type of teaching credential, but that is now a thing of the past. Textbooks are easily available to anyone who wants to use them in their home teachings. Resources such as libraries, local colleges and universities, and reliable internet information can now make teaching children at home an adventure rather than a chore. While the academic education of a home-schooled child may be enriched, many are concerned that the socialization of these children may be negatively impacted. However, according to the recent studies conducted by a variety of statisticians, the home-schooled child may have a higher level of self-esteem, have a highly developed set of social values and mores, and be more well- adjusted than children who attend regular day classes. Home-schooled children typically spend morning with academics and have afternoons available for organized sports, classes in music, dance, or art, and activities at their place of worship.

Choosing how and where to educate a child can be a decision with far reaching consequences. Much of this decision will be based on the needs and beliefs of the family, the individual child, and the educational system available to the family. By researching all of these factors, families can come to an intelligent decision that will be beneficial to all involved.

Connie Ragen Green is a motivational writer, speaker, and mentor. To find out more visit her at http://www.TheScienceoftheLawofAttraction.com .

Home School Software

Home school software breaks down into 3 basic categories. There is the curriculum that you buy, which includes book, study guides, cd ROMs, access to web sites, etc. There are stand alone websites that offer many different varieties of help with numerous different subjects. These range from simple multiplication flash card varieties to more sophisticated language learning sites. Many of these online resources are free and can provide a homeschool family with much needed resources and variety. Lastly, there are the downloadable software packages that are usually some type of platform that assist with structuring the environment of the homeschooler. These packages may also assist with grading and identifying problem areas.

Curriculum is possibly one of the most valuable components of a homeschool classroom. It is also easily the most expensive. Some curriculum programs that offer online assistance and include all of the bells and whistles easily cost thousands of dollars, and while they may be fabulous programs most home school families that I come in contact with do not have the resources to pay for programs like these. Another problem with any curriculum is that parents often fall in the trap of sticking to closely to the curriculum. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I have received is, that if it doesn't work for you don't be afraid to toss it. Home school networks can often have resources for parents to exchange curriculum or obtain used curriculum.

Free online resources are an excellent source of new dynamic learning material. There are new resources everyday and I am continually surprised by the quality of content and applications being generated on the internet. Homeschool parents would be foolish not to take advantage of the many wonderful tools available on the internet.

New homeschool software that allows parents to keep detailed reports, chart progress, set goals, and basically keep their finger on the pulse of how their children are doing is becoming much more widely available and more reasonably priced. This is software that allows parents to optimize their time in the classroom and be as effective as possible.

Many homeschool parents fall into the trap of using fairly outdated rudimentary methods of schooling because that is all that has been available in the past. For homeschool kids to continue to excel and put their forced schooling counterparts to shame they must have access to today's cutting edge technology.

More on http://www.Homeschoolsoftwareguide.com

Home Schooling Numbers Increase Steadily

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Home School Tips For Kids

Home school tips for kids are very important. It is imperative that kids start well in home schooling. They need a good healthy attitude toward homeschooling right from the start. Parents can help new home school students develop a good attitude in several ways. Some of these are:

Talk with someone famous who was home schooled. Depending upon where you live, the chances are that there is someone famous close by that was home schooled. Most people who are famous and were also home schooled would jump at the chance to talk about their home school experience and what it has done for them. Some quick research and word of mouth from support group to support group and you will have your key note speaker. We cannot stress enough how much this will mean for your student. It will make a huge difference in their attitude to talk to someone famous who was home schooled.


The Parent should set down and talk with the prospective home schooled student. The parent should have goals written out on paper for the student to see. It is also advised to have drafted a list of all the great things about home schooling for the student to see.


The parent should have a list outlining several great advantages for homeschooling. Some are:





Later wakeup call: The student will get to sleep later, much later. This is very exciting a young teenager who is all about the sleep.


Relaxed atmosphere: Students are usually not required to dress up for class and take the courses in comfortable attire. They can take the courses at the kitchen table, by the pool, in the living room, or even in bed. The students get very excited with the freedom they are allowed while home schooling.


Clothing: Home schooled students get to wear the clothing they want to when studying. That is not limited to some stupid Kaki outfit. This is important to home schooled students. They resent being told what they can wear while at school.



The parent should also have a list of long term goals. Students and parents must set down and talk about these long term goals. Be realistic and set goals that are meet able.

The biggest tip for new home school students is discipline. Self discipline is the key to succeeding at home schooling. You must be able to make yourself study instead of watching Television. It is very hard, but you can do it. Keep focused and tell yourself that this truly is the first day of the rest of your life.

About the author: J. Vincent is the founder and creative force behind one of the premiere childhood education sites. Check it out for all your homeschooling needs.