Transitioning To Homeschooling

If you have made the decision to homeschool and part of that decision will involve transitioning your child(ren) out of the public school system, there are some aspects worth considering.

Once your kids begin their educational life outside of the public school, there will be a transition time for them; as there would be a transition time for anyone undergoing change in their life and their routines. If this is about to become your homeschooling scenario you should understand that the time after the public school, yet before you begin homeschooling is a good time to help your child through this period and prepare for their upcoming new educational experience. It's important to use this time to help your child understand that learning and their education can take place with their home and their family unit.

Even once your homeschooling year begins it's important to understand that your child will probably still need some time to adjust to the new routine and the new freedoms of education at home. Early on, let your child dip their toe into the water of homeschooling before jumping in. Remember, aside from the teachings, the lessons, and the learning, this will indeed be quite a different environment for your child as opposed the the bells, the crowded halls, and all the noise and distractions they have become accustom to in their previous learning environment. So, some decompression time may well be in order for them.

During this time, don't worry about setting expectations too high, or feel as though if you don't get started 'doing' something you will soon fall behind schedule. Remember, flexibility and scheduling is one of the great benefits to homeschooling. Relax. Besides, I truly believe you'll soon find that once you do get into the rhythm of your schedule, you'll find that with the individual attention that your child receives with each subject, they'll soon not only make up for any early lost time, but they'll probably surpass what you even had scheduled initially!

Use the transition or decompression time to talk with your child about what it is that they are really interested in and what they like to learn about and dream about. Talk to them about setting little and longer term goals and how by reaching each little goal one at a time they are on their way to realizing their dream. Let them know that they will be able to learn and study subject matter that they are interested in much greater detail than they have ever been able to before. Get their mind jump started on all the great projects and subject that you will cover with them in your new homeschooling environment. If you do this, you'll find that your kids will make it through the transition from traditional education to homeschool education excited and energized about these wonderful possibilities to learning.

The Social Aspects Of Homeschooling

Going to a regular school is more than just education. School kids get to mingle with their peers and teachers and in the process acquire social skills that are important when they progress into adult life.

Some critics have criticized that homeschooling does not fulfill this aspect of education. Since the child is studying alone at home, it does not give him/her the opportunity to pick up social skills. Some critics even pointed out that homeschooling children are less able to express themselves compared to the regular school goers.

However studies have shown quite the opposite. Public school children are put under fiercely competitive school environments. The net result is that they lack the confidence to initiate or hold a conversation. They do not know how to interact with other age group people. Some seems to have no social skills at all! This is indeed worrying.

On the other hand, homeschooling children are more aware of the implications and purpose of their learning. They are also able to make intelligent comments and are more attentively when studying.

The studies concluded that public school goers pick up bad influences from their peers while homeschooling children are shielded from such negative influences.

In my own opinion, homeschooling children are better prepared with the tools necessary to face the world. Being shielded from negative influences from their peers plus the positive influences from parents will help them to be more versatile and a more well-rounded individual.

The High Costs Of Homeschooling

Most people think that homeschooling is cheap since there is no need to pay for school fees and other miscellaneous fees. However, that is further than the truth.

In truth, homeschooling expenses can be greater than if you send your child to a regular public school. Public schools are partially funded by government funding whereas for homeschooling, there is no such funding available from the government. There are several non-profit and support groups who do fund homeschooling but usually it is on a case by case basis.

Let’s look at some of the costs involved when homeschooling. Obviously, you still need to buy or acquire textbooks, course materials, study aids etc. Secondly, you need furniture. Examples are tables, chairs, lighting, computer equipment etc. Thirdly, include accessories such as pens, erasers and paper. Lastly, as your child progresses into higher grades, you may not be able to teach your child. As such you may need to hire a tutor which can be costly. Lastly, you should also consider any other curriculum such as dancing, piano lessons etc as these do cost quite a lot over the long run.


Also, you should also not discount the fact that one of the parents will probably not be working due to homeschooling. That means a loss of household income for the family.

These are just some of the costs associated with homeschooling. The reality of homeschooling is while it can be a good form of education for your children, you should consider the cost of homeschooling very seriously. Homeschooling is a serious commitment in both time and money. Make sure you plan ahead before proceeding.

The Advantages of Homeschooling

The pros and cons of homeschooling are many, but do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? With total control over your child's homeschooling needs you have the flexibility to teach your child values that cannot be taught in a public classroom. On the other hand your time will not be as free as it used to be.

The education a child can gain from a loving and concerned parent will be much greater than is possible to receive in a public school system. You don't need a teaching credential or even a college degree, just the desire to give your child a quality education. If there are subjects that you don't feel comfortable teaching it is possible to hire a tutor for those classes. And on the positive side your home school curriculum can incorporate other things such as your own religious and moral beliefs, something that will not be taught in a public school system. By taking control of a child's education a parent can shape that child's value system better than anyone else.

There are two main requirements necessary to achieve a rewarding home schooling experience for both you and your child. Obviously you must have a desire to teach your children, that is number one. If you are doing it out of duty or obligation you may soon find yourself in way over your head and wanting to get out. The second requirement is determination. You must truly want your child to succeed and be willing to put forth the time and effort it takes for your child to reach his or her potential. With these two ingredients your child may be able to realize an education that could not be achieved in a public classroom.

You, more than anyone else, want your child to reach their full potential. This is usually not possible in a crowded classroom environment. A child, to learn at their best, must have one-on-one instruction from someone who truly cares for them. And who better than you can give that to them? Public school teachers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of students they must control every day. With the many different learning styles, discipline problems, regulations that need to be followed and other factors a public school teacher cannot spend the individual time with each child that is necessary to bring out that child's best. Home schooling can help children to blossom and bring out a child's full potential like nothing else can.

Do you have doubts about your ability to teach? All you have to do to overcome your fear is to visit a public classroom for a day. Visit a kindergarten class or a first grade class and you will see that much of the time spent is merely controlling the children's behavioral problems. And the lessons that are taught are usually very simple. In a one-on-one home atmosphere you will be able to progress at your own pace.

With a few home school books and lesson plans you will be able to get started very easily. Remember, you are starting your teaching experience with a very young child. And you will actually be able to learn as you go. With a little preparation it is possible to grow with your child. And the first time you see some of your instruction sink into your child's brain you will feel satisfied that you are performing a very important task. You will surely be surprised at how effective you can be as your child's homeschool instructor.

Public school teachers have their curriculum all laid out for them. They must follow programs and use materials that others have already approved for them. They must also move at a predetermined pace so that they can get through their study programs even if it means going forward at the expense of a child understanding what has been taught. You, on the other hand, can come up with your own homeschooling curriculum which can include religious or moral beliefs. You can take a field trip anytime you desire. You can make sure your child fully grasps a specific subject before moving forward. This will allow your child the opportunity to learn as they should be learning and at a pace they can keep up with. In a public system the slower children are often left behind.

There are negatives as well as positives however. The biggest negative to home schooling is your time. Your child will most likely receive a more rewarding education at home, but you will be devoting lots of your time to this cause. This could be a big sacrifice, especially if you are struggling financially and need to work. However, with a real desire you may be able to live without luxuries that will give you the time you need to offer your child the education they deserve. Search the internet for lesson plans, other pros and cons, christian home schooling information, home schooling requirements, home schooling books, eclectic homeschooling and other topics of interest. After researching this subject you may find that teaching your child will be even more rewarding for you than it is for your child. If you would like to develop a special bond with your child homeschooling may be the way.

Read Widely And Become Better At Homeschooling

For many people, homeschooling is a desirable alternative to the education offered by the public and private school systems. When you homeschool your children you have the flexibility to create an educational curriculum more suited to their needs. Homeschooling also makes economic sense, especially when you consider the costs involved with sending multiple children to a private school. If you've made the decision to homeschool your children, the first step in establishing a viable curriculum is to read widely.

To begin with, you have to ensure that you educate yourself on a wide variety of topics. While it may be tempting to focus exclusively on books teaching you how to homeschool your children, you shouldn't rely on these too heavily. Keep in mind that pedagogical method is only as important as your knowledge of a subject, and focusing your reading entirely on how to homeschool your children will leave you lacking in the practical knowledge necessary to execute it.

At first, the reading required in order to homeschool your children may seem daunting - after all, a teacher is only required to be knowledgeable on the subjects they teach, but you're going to be teaching all of the subjects. Keep in mind, however, that you needn't be an expert in every subject - one of the great things about homeschooling is that you can learn together with your child. Instead, it's more important that you have a good general knowledge of the history of the subjects being taught.

In most cases, a good "history of" on the subjects you plan to teach should be sufficient. Because it is impractical to read an entire bibliography for multiple subjects, you want to instead read a couple books on each subject that provide you with a good homeschooling starting point. In other words, you're not going to be an expert, but you're going to know the general concepts and be able to answer basic questions. Most importantly, you'll know which writing to explore further if you and your child's interest takes you in that direction.

The amount that you have to read will depend of course on your child's age and the level and depth of the subjects you'll be teaching, but a good starting point is to read a standard book that a high school student would have to read for a given subject. Remember that specific areas of a subject can be explored as you go, so you needn't be able to answer every question your child might have in depth before you start. Instead, you need a good knowledge of the history of the subject, so you can arrange a curriculum that makes sense in a liner way: you want to know how the subject works, and how it is taught. You want to know the "building blocks" - what concepts to teach first, and how to build on those first concepts.

By reading widely in this way you'll arm yourself with the necessary tools for homeschooling your child effectively, and provide yourself with the basic knowledge from which you and your child can explore particular areas of subjects further.

Planning Your Homeschooling Effectively

Many parents make the decision to homeschool their children, and in doing so are privy to some clear benefits. Homeschooling allows you to tailor a specific education to your child's individual needs, something that is often lacking in the public or private school systems. Homeschooling also allows you and your child to learn together, creating not only a valuable learning experience but strengthening family bonds. Add to this the fact that it is often prohibitively expensive to send multiple children to private schools, and we can see why homeschooling has become increasingly popular.

One of the most important aspects of homeschooling your child is coming up with a clear plan and set of goals. One of the greatest aspects of homeschooling - its complete flexibility - can also be one of the most difficult if it is not approached directly. Without a clear plan, you run the risk of creating a scattershot education that puts your child out of place with his or her peers.

So when you begin homeschooling, you should come up with a clear set of general goals. Think about why you want to homeschool your children, and what you want them to get out of the experience. What, generally, do you want your child's education to encompass? Once you have answered these general questions for yourself, begin to split your child's education into various subject areas. For each subject area, you want to come up with a timeline and set of goals.

A good place to start in terms of a timeline would be to look at the standard curriculum for your child's grade in a public or private school. While it is almost certainly true that one of these reasons you've selected to homeschool your child is to go beyond and outside this standard curriculum, you also want to make sure that your child does not fall behind his or her peers in a given subject area.

Come up with your plan by looking at the standard expectations for a given subject level and then working backwards: how do you want to achieve that level of knowledge? What are the targets for each week? By setting these targets you can establish a timeline and curriculum that allows for effective homeschooling.

Clearly, one of the points of homeschooling is its relative flexibility, and you by no means need to stick to a plan in a completely rigid manner, but don't let this tempt you into avoiding one: although it may seem wonderful to have an entirely "organic" education for your children, this can easily go awry. If you constantly let your child's learning be dictated exclusively by his or her interests, gaps will appear in her knowledge. Instead make a clear educational plan that allows for flexibility. Plan what your child is going to learn, but leave the "how she will learn it" some breathing room: as you begin the process of homeschooling you'll learn how your child learns best, and can begin to incorporate this into the lessons.

By coming up with a clear educational plan you arm yourself with one of the most essential tools to effective homeschooling.

Making Your Child A Part Of The Homeschooling Process

There are a myriad of different reasons why people choose to homeschool their children: there is the economic benefit of avoiding high private school fees; there is the convenience of scheduling schooling around other family activities etc. . . One of the most important benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility with which you can tailor your child's education. It is a well known fact that every individual has individual needs, and homeschooling allows you to create a learning environment that suits your child particularly.

When you undergo homeschooling, it is important that you have a clear curriculum and mind and a plan to execute it. But within that plan, you should understand that you have a tremendous amount of flexibility: there are many different ways that a child can learn something, and many different things to learn in a given subject.

One of the best ways that you can ensure a high level of learning retention is to encourage your child to take a personal interest in his or her education. Although this may seem obvious, many people growing up who went though a traditional school system will probably agree that their education was received in an authoritative way: schooling and your education was something that was done to you, not with you.

When homeschooling, however, you can take advantage of the almost unlimited flexibility at your disposal and let your child take a more active role. While you can't, obviously, let your child do whatever he or she wants education-wise, you should always explain to him or her a given education plan, and see what he thinks.

For example, when you start your school day, outline the plan for the day with your child. Depending on his or her age you can also explain the reasoning behind the plan. If there are any things the child seems averse to doing, try and take them seriously. You should not, of course, avoid certain subjects or activities simply because your child doesn't like them. You should, however, ask your child why he or she doesn't like something in the day's plan, and to suggest alternatives. In many cases you will be pleasantly surprised by what your child comes up with, and be able to incorporate it into the day's work.

As much as possible, you should have a list of alternatives in mind for assigned activities. The idea is to try and think of alternative activities that accomplish the same task. If your child protests against a certain exercise, then, you can offer them an alternative. This can be extremely effective in getting your children to learn material that they dislike.

Oftentimes the child simply has to feel that he or she is more in control of the situation to enjoy it. Even though you are ultimately controlling your child's education, by granting them small allowances and choices, while still sticking with the larger picture, everybody wins: your child feels he is doing what he wants to do, and you are still teaching your child what you want him to learn.

How To Schedule Your Homeschooling Day, And Have Time To Spare

When creating a homeschooling schedule, areas of instruction, student age, and family schedule should all be taken into consideration. These three things should be integrated to come up with a schedule that will benefit children and adults alike. There is no need, however, to redesign the wheel. Use tools available to you to come up with a schedule that meets your needs.

The first step in creating a homeschooling schedule is to develop a mission statement. Take a few hours to sit down, write and rewrite a statement of purpose for your homeschool. Consider these questions: what do you want your children to learn? What can you provide through homeschooling that your child cannot get through a regular education setting? What traits do you want to promote in your child? Writing a mission statement will guide your instruction and scheduling choices.

Once you have a mission statement, it is time to do some research. Collect information on the topics you plan to teach, and the developmental level of your child. The internet is a valuable tool for this type of research. To make things easier, you may want to refer to the teaching standards laid out by your state for the appropriate grade level. They have done the research for you. Use these standards compared to your mission statement to add and delete topics that you would like to be a part of your curriculum. For example, if religion is something you feel strongly about, you might add that topic of study to your states standards. Or you might incorporate it into already existing standards such as, teaching about people who have made a difference, or use religious works as part of a cultural study or reading material.

With a mission statement and instructional content, you can now begin to schedule your instructional week. With a weekly calendar in front of you, first set down meal, snack and nap times appropriate for your child and/family. Next add in regular necessary family activities, such as weekly trips to the grocery store, sports practice, or church commitments. Keep in mind that these activities can be tied into current studies and become part of the learning environment. Decide how many hours a day you wish to devote to instruction, and what time is reasonable to begin each day. Finally divide the time between subjects. It is generally accepted that at least 2-2 ½ hours a day should be devoted to language arts (reading, writing, grammar, spelling, listening and speaking). Another hour should be spent focusing on math. The rest of your time should be divided among your other areas of study. Some people prefer to hit every subject for a short time every day, but most hit each area of study for a longer period only once a week. For example, Monday – science, Tuesday – social study, Wednesday – religious studies, Thursday – art and music, Friday – community service.

The last key piece in your homeschool schedule is physical activity. While some choose to treat this as any other content area, and designate an hour or two each week to play sports, we highly recommend that you take time each day to address it. Incorporating short spurts of physical activity into breaks throughout the day will reenergize students and allow them to focus more on their studies. Additionally, spending 30 minutes of focused physical activity with your child each day will model and promote healthy behavior that will last a life time.

Homeschooling – Can You Really Do This?

As you know, school house teachers prepare for their career path through many hours of course work, methodology classes, and student teaching before they begin teaching school. So how in the world could a parent without such training and preparations expect to be able to successfully home school their children?

As someone who has accomplished both, I can tell you that home schooling is quite a different job than classroom teaching. For instance, a classroom teacher is tasked with the rather prodigious challenge of conveying specific skills to a large group of kids with many different learning abilities and learning styles and certainly they come from different backgrounds. I can tell you, as a teacher, the temperament toward learning in which the child is exposed to at home is a huge influencing factor when it comes to the child’s performance at school. Whether a child comes from a home environment that embraces and nurtures learning or not makes teaching a large group of students an even more challenging task. Then there are those discipline issues that inevitably come. When this occurs, the schoolteacher is bound to follow rules, regulations, and policies. And may or may not have the support of the parents in correcting the behavior.

Disciplinary action is a whole different arena when you are a homeschooling parent. This is a natural duty for you as a parent and as such you can incorporate the rules and policies that not only work best for your homeschool but for your family as well.

As a homeschooling parent, you are in control of the home environment of student(s)! And homeschoolers certainly don’t have to teach, motivate, and reach out to an entire room full of children at one time. We only have to motivate and manage one (or several) children, and even then (if you’re creative with your scheduling and planning) it doesn’t have to be all at the same time. As parents, homeschoolers are driven by the highest of motivators… the love for their children and the desire for them to be successful.

When it comes to the curriculum, schoolteachers are largely bound by a prescribed program and schedule. In the traditional classroom, because of scheduling and time constraints (along with everything else) a teacher must instruct as efficiently as possible. Too much time on one unit will probably mean cuts being made in others. One of the biggest challenges schoolteachers face with the larger class sizes is finding teaching pace that will not out run the slower student yet deliver to the higher learners subject matter that challenges them as well. Unfortunately, the answer is usually a compromise that neither works for the slower or the faster students.

As a homeschooling parent you don’t have to work within the time constraints or the class sizes. And you certainly won’t get called into the office because you spent too much time on one subject either because your child really took to it and you wanted to dig deeper, or your child struggled to understand some of the concepts and you wanted to review, test and teach some more before you moved on. As a whole the homeschooling parent can work with and help their children fully learn something without having to worry about any myriad of issues that schoolteachers face.

It’s been documented that one on one instruction facilitates learning at a much greater pace than can be done in a one to many environment. The homeschooling parent has the flexibility to adjust the schedule as learning dictates. You’ll find that because this teaching model is so much more efficient than classroom learning, that you’ll be able to dig deeper and stay longer within subjects and still have plenty of time on your homeschool yearly calendar.

Preparation is always a good thing and with today’s technologies it’s much easier. Get out there and read books, find some good online homeschooling forums that you like and jump in. You’ll soon get a feel for how those ahead of you on the path have approached the very same questions that you have. Be prepared for some sanding and buffing of your schedule and your plans until you find what works best for you, your child(ren) and your family.

Do you have educational training and pedigrees that schoolteachers have? Probably not; but as you now know, in the case of homeschooling you don’t need many of them.

So, homeschooling… can you really do this? I think you’ll find that with the availability of so many resources today, combined with your enthusiasm for your child’s success and the love of being their parent that… yes you can do this.

Homeschooling Your Child

You have decided that homeschooling is the way to educate your child and now you have to ready yourself and your kids for all the trials and tribulations that come with it. You know that the road ahead may be a bit bumpy, but the rewards more than make up for it. Homeschooling affords you a chance to produce a well rounded and well adjusted personality in your child that is by no means an easy achievement.

Obviously, the first thing you have to check out are your state laws regarding homeschooling. You must do this to determine if you have to meet any kind of state requirement. Most states need an affidavit filed with the State's education department that you are choosing to homeschool your
child.

There are basically three categories of homeschooling laws. These are: private school laws, home education laws and equivalency laws. Find out about your state's laws and know what your obligations are to the state before you start homeschooling. For example, you may need to maintain a portfolio that keeps a record of your child's educational progress or you may be required to have a minimum educational qualification as a homeschool teacher.

After you have all the state documentation and other matters taken care of you can proceed to the next step. A good next step would be to look for a home school support group. A support group is good because say, if you live in a friendly or curios type of neighborhood, you're well meaning friends may try to influence your decision to home school. At the very least, they may put a lot of questions in your mind that have you making second thoughts. A support group that consists of like minded people will help support your decisions of your homeschool process and help downplay some of the criticisms, pressures and questions you will get from regular school goers. Many support groups organize fun events like visits to the zoo, museum, tours to the ice cream shop, etc. If your children hit it off with other home schooled kids in your group, they may be able to build lasting relationships with these kids that will not fade when their friends change schools. Home school support groups therefore provide an important avenue for your child's socialization.

The third item you need to do is to select a homeschool curriculum. Depending on the method of homeschooling, you may choose various tools that aid you in the process. The internet offers a rich resource for homeschooling information. Do some research and look into the many homeschooling materials that are available.

When you homeschool, you should set certain ground rules. Homeschooling requires a lot of self discipline and hard work to make it work effectively. Here is a list of some of the things to keep in perspective:

1. Eagerness to learn
2. Hard work and effort - work ethic
3. Discipline
4. Time and patience
5. Schedule flexibility
6. Enthusiasm

It really boils down to knowing why you opted for homeschooling in the first place. Your motives and your reasons to homeschool are important pillars on which the whole basis of your child's lessons and personal development plan depends. Consulting with your children to get their thoughts about curriculum choices, etc. is often helpful as well. Once you have every factor considered, select a curriculum or custom make a curriculum that best suits your child's educational and personal development needs.

Record keeping is an important part of homeschooling as it is your record keeping that will be looked at or scrutinized later when your child transfers into another school or enters college. Look into all the various methods of record keeping and set up a schedule to update your records every so often.

Your homeschool day does not need to be a long drawn out day. Allow your child to have a part in the daily classroom activities and to what extent of time is involved with each subject covered. Flexibility and fun are the cornerstones of homeschooling. Be careful not to overload too many skills into single term or school year as you can experience burnout or end up skipping over details of over skills you really should not.

It is a good idea to prepare a skill list for your home school. Make the child learn the skills he is ready for as your child matures educationally.

Gentle parenting is the secret to successful homeschooling. Often home schooled children make great advances in learning and show more enthusiasm than they would otherwise. Homeschool kids also turn out to be surprisingly well balanced and well informed when they are taught at home.

Homeschooling While You Shop?

Yes, It can be done! We are all busy juggling multiple tasks at once, and it does not get any easier when you are homeschooling. Here is an idea to get your children to help out with a chore and provide them with a learning opportunity at the same time.

Before going to the grocery store, ask your children to help you with a shopping list. You can go around the house - the fridge, pantry, and the bathroom cabinet, etc.- and categorise the list. You can also go through the flyer and see what's on sale and check on the price differences from one store to the another. (You can also discuss distribution channel and marketing for older kids.) Bring a calculator (if your kids prefer doing math that way) for your shopping trip.

Once you are at the grocery store, let the children do the shopping while you supervise. Show them how to select items based on the quality and/or price. While you are comparing the price, do a quick math lesson, or if you buy multiple of one item, what the total price differences would be. In the produce section, discuss where fruits and vegetables are from, and why you find thing from that particular climate. You can also talk about environment and organic produce. Have children weight vegitables and ask them how much a pound and a half of grapes would be.

In the meat and seafood section, discuss where they come from, how they keep them fresh, and what would happen if they are not kept cold. Many seafood items are imported, so you may discuss geography. If you are cooking a roast that day, you may have the children use the meat themometer and determine how cooked it is, and if it is safe to eat.

While you are in line at the check out counter, take out your coupons and ask them how much you can save if you use the double coupons. If you buy 3 Klenex tissue boxes on sale for $3, and have $.75 off coupon, how much would each box costs? How about if you get "buy one get one free" can of soup for $2.50 and have $.50 off coupon?

Don't forget to recycle those soda cans and talk about aluminum, recycling, and environment! On the way home, talk about how much gas you used for what distance, and how you can save money and environment by reducing the number of trips you take each month. Why is the gas so expensive? Where does the oil come from? How about the new hybrid cars? If the kids are done talking, you can listen to a CD and complete you day with a music lesson!

Homeschooling vs. School At Home

Homeschooling has become a viable option for many parents seeking to expand and improve their child's educational experience. The public and private school systems are limited, for practical reasons, as to how far they can go to meet a particular child's educational needs. With homeschooling, on the other hand, the entire process is geared towards your child in a one-on-one manner. You can create a particular curriculum suited to your child, and teach in a way works best for him or her. It is for these reasons, not to mention the economic benefits when you consider the costs associated with private schools, that many parents choose to homeschool their children.

When you decide to homeschool your children, you're going to have to come up with a plan for how the subject matter is going to be taught, and a system to execute that plan. An important distinction you should make yourself aware of is a philosophical one of "homeschooling" vs "school at home." The latter method is overly simplistic, and doesn't take advantage of the benefits that homeschooling can truly offer. While every parent is justifiably concerned about creating a disciplined academic environment, if you simply "teach at home" both you and your child will be missing out.

As a teaching philosophy, it's important to think of the process as "homeschooling" -- this means that "home" and "school" become one: it's not simply a case of school being conducted in a home environment. So instead of creating regimented lessons at set times - instead of your children sitting stiffly at a table while you give them lessons - be always ready to use the flexibility of homeschooling to your advantage. If your child has a question about a particular subject in biology, take him outside and show him nature at work. If he's interested in a certain aspect of history, take him to the museum.

One of the greatest things about homeschooling is that it doesn't have to be a regimented system: a day of learning that ends at 4 PM, Monday to Friday. When homeschooling is properly implemented, your child is always learning. During a unit on Shakespeare for example, maybe you'll decide to take him to a performance of the play on the weekend. If he's interested in computers, allow him to use his computer for a research project.

Although in some ways you do need a certain regimen when homeschooling, realize that your child's education doesn't have to end when you are finished for the day. Incorporating other educational activities into your daily home life will both expand your child's education and make it more engaging.

Most children learn better in settings that they are comfortable in, and what setting is more comfortable then the home? So if your child wants to hear his math lesson while sitting on the couch, let him. If he wants to watch a movie in the evening, direct him to an educational one.

By blurring, as much as possible, the line between "home" and "schooling" when homeschooling your children, your children will benefit from a much more valuable educational experience than could be offered from the public or private school systems.

Homeschooling Laws - What You Should Know

Your legal situation as a homeschooler depends largely on what state you live in and how state and local officials enforce the laws concerning compulsory attendance, private education, and homeschooling. Whether they require registration, a notice of intent, regular evaluation, or advance approval, the statutes take in your state can be less important than how they are enforced.

To keep your homeschooling legal worries to the minimal level they deserve, here are some things which you should bear in mind:

1. Know what your state’s law says. Read the applicable statutes for yourself, talk to other homeschoolers, and join a state homeschooling organization that monitors the regulations affecting homeschoolers.

2. Learn what potential problems for homeschoolers exist in your state. Learn how other homeschoolers have dealt with them successfully, and plan how you’d respond if faced with them yourself. Don’t wait until after the fact to learn what your options could have been.

3. Do not automatically assume that any explanation of home-schooling legal issues you hear or read is correct. Whether the opinion is that of a school official, a lawyer for a home-school legal defense organization, a legislator, or another homeschooler, you need to check it out for yourself. Laws concerning homeschooling are usually complex; clear and definitive statements on legal issues usually leave out something important.

4. Do not let worry about legal issues distract you from the everyday business of homeschooling. When homeschoolers object to rules that require them to document their children’s learning or to have their kids tested on a regular basis, it’s because such requirements often interfere with that learning. If you are changing your whole approach to homeschooling because of your state’s legal requirements, you are probably worrying way too much about the law.

5. Do not be shy about your homeschooling. You don’t have to announce it to everyone you meet, but visible home-schoolers help make homeschooling familiar and acceptable to the general public. With enough of us around, the, public may eventually understand that homeschooling can be fun and exciting, as well as effective, and we’ll find we
have active support even from families who would never homeschool themselves.

Homeschooling laws

Many parents, for many different reasons, make the decision to homeschool their children. Homeschooling allows for a specific educational experience designed to suit your child's particular needs, and in many cases goes above and beyond what can be achieved in a public or private school system. If you make the decision to homeschool your children, it is important that you do so legally, and understand the laws in your area. It is absolutely crucial that you do this, because if you fail to meet legal standards when homeschooling your children you will inadvertently rob your children of postsecondary educational opportunities.

Homeschooling laws vary from state to state, so you have to look up the specific laws in your home state. The basis of state laws on homeschooling is the result of truancy laws that require children to attend school. The basic idea is that these laws exist to distinguish a homeschooled child from a child that is simply not going to school, which is of course against the law. Generally, states will require that you submit a "notice of intent" to homeschool your children before the upcoming academic year, and the state will then respond with the appropriate paperwork for you to fill out.

Besides familiarizing yourself with the particular laws of your state you should also consult a homeschooling association for advice. In some cases parents will be dealing with school officials who want to discourage them from homeschooling, and in these situations it is important that you understand your rights. In the state of New York, for example, parents are not required to meet with school officials. School officials may request a meeting with the parents in order to discuss homeschooling, but the state may not revoke the right to homeschool if the parents refuse this meeting.

It is also required that your child take standardized tests. This is so the state can legally assign your child to a given grade level. The laws vary from state to state but in most cases you will have a certain amount of leeway in non-standardized tests. New York allows for non-standard tests every alternate year between grades 4 and 8, for example.

Although it may seem intimidating at first, homeschooling your children legally is ultimately not that complicated. You just have to make sure that you follow every step, and don't overlook any paperwork. While some state restrictions or rules may seem unnecessary or cumbersome, in the long run you'll save yourself a ton of headaches if you fill everything in properly and on time.

For more tips, tricks and techniques to have the very best homeschooling system for your children, please visit my blog on home schooling Now!

Homeschooling For Your Convenience

Homeschooling is an alternative form of education that is fast growing. There are approximately two million people in the country today that undergo homeschooling. It completely fills up the role of institutional learning. In homeschooling, both parents and their children determine the extent of their learning.

Everybody can avail of homeschooling. All fifty states legally approve the practice of homeschooling. What differs from state to state are the laws governing the homeschooling program. Homeschooling can be very convenient for single parents who run a home business. They can have their kids to help them as well. Children of disabled parents can be tapped to take on a medical profession or one that involves social services.

Homeschooling should not be confused with home study or other forms of home-based education. In the latter, the parents and children do not have a say on the content of the curriculum. Examples of these are independent school programs. Home study is usually offered to those kids who for some valid reason could not attend school, say injury.

There is not much requirement for one to administer homeschooling. Some states do not even require a highschool diploma from the parents. There is however, one state which requires some training program for homeschooling before allowing a person to conduct it at home.

Homeschooling is preferred over institutional learning for various reasons. Some find the school curriculum questionable. Some parents think that schools cannot provide enough training to optimize the skills and talents of their children. Some are simply concerned with the issues regarding the safety and security within their local schools. Some children just do not fit in school so parents resort to homeschooling for their kids.

Not much is needed to enable one to administer homeschooling. Even simple household stuff or even pets can be used to demonstrate scientific concepts. One can also borrow tools from friends and neighbors. Books at home can also be great learning materials. If they are not sufficient, the bookstore and the public library are the best sources of knowledge as well as the internet.

If still clueless about the concept, there are many organizations, websites and publications which can help enlighten about homeschooling and offer great help along the process. The library is also one of the best resources for wealth of knowledge as well as the local museums.

Homeschooling can be a very rewarding experience for the family. It provides for more precious time for bonding. It is not necessary for parents to be geniuses to become homeschooling teachers. All they need to have is resourcefulness to find ways to answer their children's questions.

Homeschooling Faq: 6 Kinds Of Record Keeping

Homeschooling, for those who are asking, is legal. As of now, fifty states have allowed homeschooling and have provided laws for its implementation. They have different laws though and some of the states require that you can show some kind of records to show that you’re homeschooling your children. There are several ways you can keep record of your children’s progress and here are some of them.

1. Daily Lesson Plans

Daily lesson plans show what subjects you have taught to your children. They will also show the way your children’s lessons are progressing (from basic to intermediate to advanced).

These lesson plans could be important for school officials to learn what could be lacking from your schooling and in what area they could help you with. Teachers could also help you with lessons that could be a good primer for the next and more advanced level of any subject.

2. Time Spent For Each Subject

Time spent for each subject is an indication of what subjects you have focused on and what subject your children might be having some problem absorbing. Although this is not an accurate basis, this could be used to understand problem areas and reasons why your children are having an easy (or tough) time on their subjects.

3. Diaries and Journals Updated Regularly

Regular diary and journal entries of your children’s achievements (or failures) are a good way to keep a record of your homeschooling. This can prove helpful in two ways. The first is you can keep track of what areas your children have already studied. This will prove beneficial in monitoring your children’s progress with their lessons.

The second way it can help is that it will help you in knowing where your children are having an easy time and where they need more time and attention. This is important so you could focus on one subject if you think your children need it.

4. Grades

It is simple to create or copy a test or exercise from one of the books your children use. Results from these exams can be compiled and recorded. These, just like any other records, can be proof of your children’s achievements. Grades are more concrete records of your children’s progress and concrete proof if someone wants to look at your children’s records.

Grades also give your children a sense of achievement. This will help in building their characters and giving a boost in their egos. Failures can also help, too. You just have to handle their feelings carefully and make sure that they realize that they can make their failures as stepping stones to success.

5. Portfolios

Portfolios are a collection of your children’s works, from their exercises to their tests and anything that they have done while schooling. For your younger children, these could include the first time they write a letter or the whole alphabet. Included in their portfolio are their mathematical computations and other exams. For your older children, this could include pictures from recent field trips to museums and other historical trips. Other things that could be included are science tests and experiments and, if possible, a picture of your children’s science projects.

6. Standardized Tests

A standardized test performed by an authorized school official could be a good way to let the government know if you’ve been schooling your child at home. These tests will show what subjects your children are having any problems with. Results from these exams (even if your children fail) will not really be a gauge of the success of your homeschooling. These tests would let school officials know how to help you with regards to subjects your children are having difficulty with.

There are several reasons why you would want your children to take a standardized test. The first reason is given above. These tests will let you know what subjects your children are having some difficulty with.

Another reason is to gauge your children’s abilities and knowledge compared with people their age. These will help in knowing whether your children are advanced, late or at just the right level in respect to other children. This could help you in deciding what your next approach to your children’s lessons you will take.

Homeschooling Curriculum - Are You Making The “Right” Choice?

Copyright 2006 Matt Weight

After deciding to homeschool your child, you now to work out what you are going to teach them. There are many curriculum choices you can make. You can purchase pre-packaged curriculum, make your own curriculum, or you could even teach a combination of both. Some parents prefer to focus their teachings on their religious beliefs. However, it is important to keep an open mind and remember that your children are their own people and they should be taught about the world from many different perspectives. Remember that there is no “right” way to teach your children because the “right” way for one child may not be “right” for another. It is important to be flexible and change your curriculum to tailor to your children as you discover their individual requirements as they grow.

So what is Pre-Packaged Curriculum anyway? Well Pre-Packaged, "school in a box", or "all-in-one" Curriculum are comprehensive education packages that cover many subjects (usually an entire year worth). They contain all required books and materials. Some even include pencils and writing paper. The intent of the “school in a box” is to try to recreate the school environment in the home. They are typically based on the same subject-area expectations as public schools, which allows an easy transition into school after being home schooled, if desired. They are among the most expensive options for the homeschooled, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation.

The majority of today's home-educated students use an eclectic mix of materials for their Homeschooling needs. For example, they might use a pre-designed program for language, arts or mathematics, and fill in history with reading and field trips, art with classes at a community center, science through homeschool science clubs, physical education with memberships in local sports teams, etc. This has been proved to be one of the most successful ways of educating the Homeschooled child.

Home educators are also able to take advantage of educational programs at museums, community centers, athletic clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources. Secondary school level students often take classes at community colleges, which typically have open admission policies.

One of the major benefits of Homeschooling is the ability to blend lessons using a central theme, for example, a study unit about Native Americans could combine lessons in: social studies - like how different tribes live now and lived prior to colonization; art - such as making Native American clothing; history of Native Americans in the US; reading from a specialized reading list; and the science of plants used by Native Americans. You could use this same technique on another study unit where you chose another broad topic to study.

Homeschooling also offers student paced learning. This is similar to “all-in-one” curriculum and is often referred to as “Paces”. These workbooks allow the student to progress at an appropriate speed that suits their individual needs. They allow the student to master concepts, before moving on to the next subject, instead relying on the speed of the teacher and other students where they may move on to the next subject too quickly or not move on quickly enough.

Another form of Homeschooling is “Unschooling”, that is, an area in which students are not directly instructed but encouraged to learn through exploring their interests. Known also as “interest-led” or “child-led” learning, Unschooling attempts to provide opportunities with games and real life problems where a child will learn without coercion.

Unschooling advocates claim that children learn best by doing. A child may learn reading and math skills by playing card games, better spelling and other writing skills because he's inspired to write a science fiction story for publication, or local history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute.

No matter which technique you decide to use when you start Homeschooling your children, you should remember to be flexible and revise your teaching choices, as you will need to adapt your curriculum to better tailor to your child’s needs as they become apparent.

Homeschooling Becoming A Viable Alternative?

Last year alone, more than one million children in the United States choose homeschooling over traditional education. This stunting figure was released according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Homeschooling is a recent development in education. Not that long ago, it was considered too radical by many education experts. Nowadays, it is legalized in every state and more than 1 million children has undergone homeschooling and I suspect many more parents are seriously considering homeschooling.

The interesting thing was what prompted such a change? There have been many recent surveys to suggest that parents are getting impatient and fed up with our public schooling system. It is seen as being superficial with no real-life skills being applied and taught.

Parents are also concerned about the negative publicity often portrayed in news. Examples are school students taking drugs in schools, abusing fellow students physically and even students bringing guns and knifes to school. Parents are concerned about the negative peer influence these students cause to their child.

Homeschooling offers an opportunity to end all that and allows parents to bring up their children in a natural and loving environment. I believe homeschooling is especially important in the early years of a child’s development (between three to twelve years old) as this is the period where they are prone to negative influences and peer pressure and cannot differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Homeschooling helps to protect them from such negative influences.

Another benefit of homeschooling is an inevitable bond between the child and the parents. The parents and the child spends more time together forming an unique bond. The bond gets stronger as time passes and later you will find that you can connect with your child better than you never thought before.

Parents can also have better control over the kind of moral and religious beliefs a child should have. Parents can impart their moral values and beliefs to their child easily since they spend more time together.

So what’s stopping parents from adopting homeschooling? For one thing, homeschooling requires a lot of time and money. For most families, both parents needs to be working full-time to support the family. Most homeschooling families I know of is dependent in one parent for the income. The other parent has to devote full-time in homeschooling the child. Therefore in some cases, it is not possible to adopt homeschooling unless you are financially stable.

The other interesting phenomena is that more and more homeschooling support groups are cropping up in your neighbourhood. They help to guide and support each other. Some homeschooling support groups have even gone online. If you do decide to go homeschooling, find a homeschooling support group in your area.

Homeschooling 101: Grading Your Child’s Work

Homeschooling is slowly becoming a trend for some families. It has many advantages, from the academic, social, moral to the religious point of view while several parents cite other child-centered reasons (like their children’s health or safety). These reasons (or a combination of them) have been what most homeschooling families are giving out when asked why homeschool.

Perhaps most homeschooling families enjoy the flexible time homeschooling gives them and the interaction they can have with their children. There are, of course, certain difficulties and questions regarding homeschooling. One of them is regarding grading your children and keeping them up to par with most colleges’ standards.

The real question most parents want answered is why they need to bother grading their children’s homeschooling. The answer is simply because you may want to know if your children are learning something and if they are at par with children their age.

There are several ways you could find out if your child is learning or progressing in his or her lessons. One is through simple tests or exercises you can find in books. Another is through standardized exams you can find online or with the help of school officials that you know. Standardized tests help you find out if your children are doing fine and are at par with their peers. Standardized tests come as subject-specific tests and testing your children with these exams will help you determine what subjects they need to give more attention to, if there are any at all.

Grading your children’s progress includes giving exams or tests and most, if not all, children find tests as a waste of time. This is a very important factor to look into. Most parents find other alternatives or how to make an exam more enjoyable for children. Some of the alternatives include mixing playing with testing. Another alternative is to give rewards (such as seeing that new movie) whenever a child gets a perfect score in an exam. There are several alternatives and it’s up to you to play to what you think will make your child happier.

Another factor that could help you decide if your children need to take these tests is if you think they need to experience them. Most colleges require a rigorous standard type of exam (meaning college aspirants are pressured with regards to time) and children who haven’t experienced being pressed for time might have some difficulties passing these kinds of tests.

Another factor to be looked at is how the test results will be used. Tests are designed mainly to find out if your children need more help with one area of one subject and where they excel the most. That is not the sole reason though. Other reasons include knowing how your children react to pressure and failure or success. These are important things to evaluate as they influence your children, especially their values.

Another reason is to find out if your children learn from their mistakes. This can be a good gauge of your children’s progress and be a proof that they are indeed learning with homeschooling.

Another factor for your decision is how teachers and school officials view testing. They will definitely have different ideas and different sides with regards to the need to test your children. Other school officials will probably cite the need to monitor the progress of your children and knowing where they need help and where they can excel. Other officials will have a different opinion stating that testing should not be done as tests and exams are not the only gauge and way to monitor one’s growth. Both sides will have strong arguments and listening to their sides might help you on deciding which side is right.

Of course, there are parents who do one-on-one homeschooling (meaning they personally teach their own children) that find testing their children is unnecessary. It is because most of them are seeing the progress of their children up close. They can see where their children are having an easy time and what subjects they need more time with. It is one of the advantages of teaching your own child rather than hiring paid help but you should also realize that there are other things you can’t teach your children that they may need to know.

Homeschooling - Shape Your Child's Future

Schooling at home is called homeschooling. This is where children are educated at home, either by their parents, or by private tutors. Homeschooling has become popular these days especially with kids whose parents have a shifting job. This is more convenient, as shifting schools is not only a problem for the parents, but also it may disturb the child's study cycle.

Why go for home schooling?

Many parents also believe that home schooling can provide their children a custom and complete education, which many believe is inaccessible in private or public schools. Home schooling is known to be the traditional method of teaching. Some parents also feel that along with education on various subjects, religious education is equally necessary. Most times it is not available in public schools. It may be available in private schools, but they may be too expensive for the family to afford, or faith taught in schools may be different from their family religion.

Know your child's learning style:

The parents should see to it that their children are not debarred from any of the education available in schools. Try to study your child and observe his or her interests. Some children show signs from a very early age. They may be into outdoor games, like to play with colors or music. Some may like mechanical stuff like counting and building blocks, modeling clay, putting lego together, or they may like to read, or listen to recordings of storybooks. This way you will know how to deal with them, teach them, and mould their interests. Children learn in different ways; by touching and handling things, by listening, and by visual methods like reading. They tend to be very inquisitive and love to learn new things.

You can get DVD's and instructional videos about life, science, geography etc. This way they will be exposed to a wide concept about everything around them. National Geographic has come up with lovely series which are very informative. You can get these DVD's from stores, and they are easily available these days. Interesting and stimulating videos will help the children develop their mental faculties and will entertain them at the same time.

Teaching at home is much less expensive, as for a private school you will end up paying up to amounts of $3500 or more. But never try to skimp on this expense. Try and set aside a specified amount for home school supplies so that you would not have to compromise on their quality of education. This way you can buy those encyclopedia Britannica DVD's or painting brushes you need, without affecting your family budget.

Homeschooling has its own benefits. Your children would always be under your watch. Also you would know about their progress, so if they are lagging behind in some subjects, you would be able to help them. Sometimes you may have to face volumes of questions from other parents which may not be very encouraging, but that should not discourage you from what you are doing, because you would know what's best for your children. Never forget that it is the outcome that is important so always focus your educational goals.