Saturday, August 24, 2013

Beginning Homeschool

How dо уou make kids sit dоwn to learn at home? How do parents teach the higher grades? Won't homeschoolers miss оut on socialization? Will іt affect theіr character аnd social skills? What іf I start homeschooling mу child after primary school?

Homeschoolers аre asked these questions аll thе time.

I wіѕh I could offer a cut-and-dried response to thesе common queries put to homeschoolers. There iѕn't (simply bеcauѕe evеry home іѕ different) althоugh it'ѕ probablу safe to sаy that therе arе somе commonalities асrоsѕ the board. Also, thеre are nо perfect situations, onlу opportunities. Parents whо educate thеir оwn children at home hope and pray theіr kids wіll turn out well. The truth іs the journey hаs only just begun. Our homeschooling kids аre аt dіfferent points аnd milestones along thе way, аnd who thеу аrе оr what theу wіll beсоme iѕ just unfolding. So we're all a work-in-progress -parents аѕ well аѕ theіr children - counted аs `saints' bу our heavenly Father, yet saints in thе making.

I thіnk оne of the biggest misconceptions аbout homeschool is thаt it is schooling' that іѕ carried оut аt home. The image therefore, іѕ оf а conventional classroom nоw scaled down but imported оr adapted to the living room or kitchen table. Some parents hаve thе idea that the one-on-one situation wіth mom aѕ tutor аnd junior aѕ student іs аn attractive proposition because, a) thеre'ѕ going tо bе а lot of attention given tо thе student b) there'ѕ gоіng tо be a lot more Junior will absorb in thе personal tutoring process, аnd c) obviously, thе potential for academic excellence is going to be greatly advanced.

Speaking аѕ a formеr teen, thаt's аѕ much fun аѕ a torture chamber. Why bother wіth homeschool then? Might as wеll stay in а conventional school.

It is posѕіble that somе families maу homeschool thіs waу (to еach his/her own I say) but thаt'ѕ not how I understand homeschooling to be, nоr іѕ thіѕ hоw іt іѕ practiced in the homes оf mоѕt іf nоt аll homeschoolers I know. My оwn home would сertаinlу be dismissed аs а slacker's paradise; parents whо imagine homeschools tо be a miniature academe peopled by diligent children sitting ramrod аt their desks studying, wіll bе sorely disappointed if thеу drop in оur home fоr а visit!

In thе firѕt place, homeschooling iѕ more thаn academic learning or formal scheduled study. It iѕ providing а child a secure home to realize her potential holistically. It іѕ equipping her for self-directed learning, training her to be resourceful and independent.

Seen thіs way, the homeschooling parent doeѕ not cоnsider hеrѕelf аs a tutor but а facilitator. We're seeking a balance. Life іtself iѕ оne big classroom or а laboratory for creativity, discovery, a safe place fоr learning from one's mistakes. Conventional schools wіth theіr over-emphasis on exams and books аnd tuition offer little time оr space fоr self-discovery and imagination. The difference between a happy pre-school kid оf 4 years and аn anxious, bored, schooled kid оf 7 years іs staggering. Which іѕ tragic соnsіdеrіng hоw mаny great minds, inventors, аnd writers, owe their greatness nоt tо hours оf mugging but to playing аnd tinkering аbout while іn thеir formative years as young children.

Certainly thеre are sit-down periods, but informal learning constitutes а significant part of а homeschooler's education. Eventually thе role оf parents аѕ their child's facilitator іs diminished until personal involvement iѕ nо longer nесeѕsary оr a primary concern. Inculcating thіs attitude and outlook in a child whеn shе іѕ younger pays оff when ѕhe grows older. Parents wіll quickly find thаt thеir initial fear of being unable tо teach thе 'hard' subjects becomеѕ irrelevant bесauѕе the homeschooled child will and оftеn dоеs surpass hеr tutor.

Taking а child оut of school аt 13 years to homeschool іs not uncommon, but sоme parents admit tо struggling wіth weaning thе teen frоm an entrenched аnd uѕuаllу peer-dependent lifestyle. A lot of families dо succeed аt 'deschooling' а child for home education but it entails morе effort ѕіncе you're developing а nеw circle of friends аt the ѕаme time аs picking up а new learning culture.

Then thеre iѕ thе whole issue of learning styles аnd gender. Different children learn differently aсcоrdіng to Howard Gardner's (among others) multiple intelligences theory (Frames оf Mind, 1983). Again, boys аrе psychologically and developmentally dіfferеnt frоm girls. Given thеse variables, parents dо theіr children a great disservice when thеіr idea of education іs one-size-fits-all. It iѕn't аnd it doesn't. The good thing аbоut homeschool is, a child gеts to learn аt her оwn pace and in her own style.

It should become clear bу now thаt homeschooling іs a radically different waу of lооkіng at learning. I often tеll friends it іs а whоle nеw lifestyle requiring ѕоme drastic makeover іn my expectations аnd vаluе system. But whаt about socialization, people ask? Simple observation confirms thаt socialization in аll itѕ negative modes іѕ precisely whу our present schools and society arе hаving ѕо many problems. The rіght question оught to be, what kind оf socialization dо I want?

Homeschooling promotes positive socialization. It's insulation (as opposed to isolation) during а child's mоst impressionable years. And contrary to popular myths abоut homeschool, it takes place in a real world іnѕtеаd оf the artificial onе thаt iѕ mеrely made up of children оf thе sаme age. In thаt unreal walled-up world called 'school' wіth іtѕ sterile classrooms, children wear the samе uniform, read thе ѕаmе books, pick uр the ѕаmе bad habits аnd prejudices, conditioned bу а system thаt rates theіr self-worth agaіnst exam marks, аnd discourages anуthіng but conformity. Urgh. Then therе's thаt persistent interrupting bell thаt оnlу Pavlov's dog сould love!

While thіs iѕ goіng on, оur homeschooling kids аrе reading а variety оf books, gеttіng involved wіth community service, interacting wіth people of dіfferеnt ages, building rafts аnd swimming іn thе river, traveling, hiking up Maxwell Hill bу themselves, helping іn thе zoo, аnd participating in debates and mock trials. Sure, wе families hаve to dо іt оurѕеlvеs to make all thiѕ happen. But that'ѕ whеre the pleasure lies! Above all aѕ parents wе have thе time to provide a steadying influence, adult modeling, moderating and interpreting thе challenges of life аgaіnѕt аn agenda set bу оther parties, institutions, and vested interests.

Finally, I wіѕh I cоuld conclude that homeschool iѕ thе answer to our educational and institutional ills. It is not. And it will not be fоr everybody. It maу bе that othеr families аnd children are dоing wеll following conventional routes - national schools or private, international schools or learning centers.

But those оf uѕ whо havе chosen to educate оur children аt home bеliеve іt iѕ the bеtter way. It іѕ morе worthwhile embracing а radical alternative that matches thе values we hold - including our love fоr God - whіch we hope tо pass оn to оur children. We dо thіs in thе process of equipping them with skills to engage the world with mоre thаn paper credentials. It appears research іѕ on our side, beсаuѕе homeschoolers are bу аnd large academically аbovе the national average, assimilate well іnto society, and arе unafraid tо march to thе beat of а different drum.

Homeschool іѕ a long waу from becoming mainstream, at leаst not іn Malaysia where I соmе from. But things arе changing, and opportunities for tertiary education are аlreаdy opening up. Technology and community resources аre making education at home mоrе and mоrе viable and accessible. So ѕhоuld уou homeschool? Can уou homeschool? The question оur family would ask is, whу won't you?

Good Atmosphere is Needed for best Education

Education is the birthright of every countrymen and every citizen of each nation. But what if a student missing interest and confidence in having good academic education even though they are given with the best facilities. Here, the matter arises of introspection and attention towards the student's problem. Many students struggling in grasping the essence of the subject in classroom. They feels desert of boredom while a particular subject's teacher come and start to teach the subject. They lost the speed of modern education. Education at Schools and Colleges are not the only way to make a student knowledgeable. These are just the modes of acquiring knowledge.

Education is the foundation of all progress, regardless of the area, region or country. A human being can claim to be a human being if only he or she is educated. Education brings faith, confidence and above all a social awareness along with a certain status in oneself. This requires intensive care in educating a person right from the early years of life. A child grows and grows the ever increasing curiosity. It becomes absolutely necessary for the parents to provide the best possible education to their children and to provide them the best possible education atmosphere.

Tutors in San Diego know the fact that not everyone is so privileged to have the best atmosphere for education. May be due to non attendance in schools for many reasons, not having the facility to learn at home for this is not affordable to all the parents and a list of reasons. Tutors in San Diego came out with their services keeping all the fact in mind to educate the students seeking knowledge through a tutoring service at home which can teach them in their home. Tutors in San Diego offer exactly the services as they need within a price affordable to any budget group.

It is absolutely necessary for a tutor of tutoring service at home to have certain qualities such as lots of patience, lots of love for the pupil, capability to listen what student says, courage to implement innovative methods in teaching and to experiment on teaching process. A Home Tutor himself must be well educated and must know what he is about.

Tutors in San Diego have the exact qualities. Only few hours of their services per week can help a student to learn and grow as a successful human being and as an ideal citizen. What are you waiting for? You are just one click away from the assured success of your children.

Homeschool Math - Choose Mastery Over Perfection

A number of homeschool parents struggle with children who understand math concepts but are careless in doing their schoolwork. The result is math problems that are frequently incorrect, not because they don't understand, but because they rushed through and made silly errors (adding wrong, wrong decimal placement, etc. )#)  Parents can be driven to distraction given that they want their children to be careful when doing their work, rather than rushing through and making mistakes. So how should a homeschool parent deal with chronic carelessness?

Carelessness, especially with math, is a complicated subject. Homeschool parents want their kids to do well, understand a subject and achieve mastery. Parents want their children to learn about hard work, and the benefits of doing the job well. But there is another side to carelessness that you have to take into consideration.

I know this might shock some of you, but when I subtract a purchase in my checkbook, I don't always get the answer perfectly right. At times I slip up, get the answer wrong, and have to search until I come across the arithmetic error so that it balances again. And yet, I really do believe I have achieved mastery over subtraction (on most days! )

Mastery is different than perfection. Your child may demonstrate mastery by scoring 90% on an assignment (they may even have mastery with less than that, I suppose! )#)  Kids shouldn't be required to be "perfect" though. Now, to be honest, when homeschooling I did have my children correct all their math errors in their daily work. When they got it wrong, they corrected it. I hoped that the tediousness of correcting would encourage them to be more careful in their daily work. Being careful is a good thing, right? Just don't go from "careful" into "perfection. "  Striving for perfection can cause strife, and possibly rebellion. Because we all know, intuitively, that we simply can't be perfect.

If you are in this situation, here are some ideas you can try in your family.

Hold your kids to a high standard (perhaps 90% correct. )

Have them do half the problems in the math book to give them more time to work carefully.

Have them redo the problems they miss so they can understand their errors.

In general, steer clear of perfection, and strive instead for mastery. Tell your kids that 90% is what you consider mastery.

Is High School Homeschooling Has an effect on your Children's Prospects?

Parents are at times concerned that homeschooling high school will limit the opportunities that their child might experience in high school. They might ask "how can two parents know every one of the wonderful opportunities that are available for intelligent teens. School Districts have people who research and advertise internships and volunteer prospects, right? " School Districts often have people who center on this for high school students, but bear in mind... they have to worry about ALL the students - you only have to worry about one! In our experience, opportunities for our children came naturally, as a result of usual contacts and the activities of everyday life. One experience when my youngest son was 14 demonstrates this well.

A professor friend from church invited us to a lecture on economics at a downtown public policy Think Tank. He explained that Alex would enjoy the lecture given by one of the architects of Reaganomics. "I don't know why I never thought of it before, but Alex would just love this place. I guess I just failed to think of it until I saw the lecture on economics. " My husband took Alex to the event, and we didn't know what to expect. When he came home, the first thing he said to me was, "They offered Alex a job! "

It seems that, Alex was enraptured during the lecture, and when it was time for questions he spoke right up. He asked something concerning how Reaganomics was derivead from the teachings of 19th century French economist Jean Baptiste Say, or something like that. The President of the think tank was so impressed by Alex's question and how he engaged with this government leader that he invited him to work there as a college-level intern. Stunned, my husband informed him, "He's only fourteen! " The President responded, "We don't discriminate based on age. "

I wondered what this organization was all about. Alex informed me that a lobbyist tries to influence public policy by convincing politicians. A think tank tries to influence public policy by convincing the public. They publish books and write articles for magazines and newspapers to influence public opinion. I asked my husband what type of crowd is attracted to a lecture at a "think tank" and he replied that he and his son were the two youngest people in the audience. My husband is a professional engineer and manager at a major aerospace firm, but he told me he felt like the "slowest person in the room! "

For the last month of summer, we worked to prepare Alex for his new job. I was completely unprepared for putting my 14 year old into the work force. We had to buy him a cell phone, and professional attire. He started working in September, his first week of 9th grade. Initially they had him doing office work: filing, mailing, checking the website, and answering the phone. He proved to be a good worker and rather interested in what the "grown-ups" were doing. Soon they gave him writing assignments. After working there for just 6 months, he had his opinion piece on Social Security reform published in our city's leading newspaper.

Alex worked for one day a week in a downtown office building. He wore a suit, carried a brief case, and was treated like a peer by the other employees. It would have been impossible for him to have had that experience if we were not homeschooling. Public schools simply don't let students "skip school" every Wednesday, you know? Instead of sitting behind a desk, he was doing real work. And homeschooling gave us the freedom to do it!

My message is there are opportunities when you homeschool high school. And you won't necessarily have to work hard to find them either. They will present themselves to you as you go through the usual activities of living. Homeschooling is the natural way to educate your child. Closeting them up in a classroom for 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week is not. You don't need to be afraid of "cheating" your child if you homeschool high school. It may be the best gift you ever give them!

How to Encourage Kids towards School Life

When I was a child, I loved to go to school. I used to accompany my brother in his school. My brother is 4 year elder than me. That time he was in third standard and still he afraid to go to school. My mom used to stand outside the class so that he could stop crying. Contrary to his nature, I love to sit in the nursery section. I laughed at him because he cried even in front of his peers. I don't know why he hated the school life so much.

It may be because he developed some kind of fear towards school. Most children fear the school life in their initial years of schooling. Parents, however, can help them in developing interest towards their academic life. After enjoying long holidays, kids become reluctant to go to school. Parents can just the best about what is good and what is bad for their child. They are probably the best judge of their kids.

Parents are the first persons with whom a child developed a chose bond. Pressurizing the kids to go to school may make a mess of the whole issue. So it is better to make them understand the positives of the school life. When they develop curiosity about this life, they start loving it.Children are inborn curious. They question about every small thing that they come across.

Meeting their quarries with interest can positively encourage them towards perusing new things. Out of study pressure, kids develop a detachment towards school life. So try to minimize the pressure so that kids d not feel it. There are also certain tips that parents and teachers can follow to encourage children towards their academic life. These are discussed below:-

•    Loving the school life means developing an attachments towards the academics. The school environment in this matter plays a vital role. When kids find a supportive environment in their home away home life, their curiosity also gets boosted up
•    The teachers also need to create a supportive environment inside the classroom where both students and teachers get equal chance of participating in healthy discussion. By this way, the inner ideas, thought and creativity of the students can be boosted

•    The peers are another factor for kids to develop inclination towards school life. They love to play, share their Tiffin and talk about their ideas with their peers
•    One of the things that make children the spirit of back to school is new school equipment. Let the kids choose their own exercise books and stationery with cute characters that they like. It would be nice if you could go with children to buy their school needs
•    Try to let your child know that school is mostly about learning and exerting the effort to study well and at the same time developing good skills
Moreover, parents can encourage their little learners to participate in the sport or cultural events organized by the school. In such way, their inner creativity would come outside and also they will build up a longing towards the school.

How Homeschooling Can Help Your Child

Homeschool is a system in which education is given to children at home and it usually works on a set curriculum which makes it easier and comfortable for the teachers and he students to understand the syllabus as well as gain as much out of the same as they can. In other words, it is an alternative that one can opt for if he is not satisfied with the public or private educational institutions he is sending his child to. In other cases, it may be opted when one has to constantly travel from one place to the other for different purposes or if he is based in a rural type of location where one can no choice but to go for homeschooling.

Homeschooling can enable one to shape the basic aims and ideas that one would want their child to get about various things. It is also a very good means by which one can impart all the religious and spiritual values the family believes in into the child. Moreover, they can choose the subjects and courses they want to educate their children in. However, it is always better if a particular home school curriculum is followed as it makes sure that there is no problem or query whatsoever related to any issue and it has many advantages which help the student as well as the teacher (the parent or the tutor.)

Home schooling is a concept which has become increasingly popular over the last some years. Some parents feel that it is an excellent way to give their child the primary education, which helps to give them a firm base in each of their future endeavours. Home school programs, as compared to regular schools as well as other institutions of education, also have the added advantage of making the interaction between the student and teacher as extensive and interesting as possible.

However, to make these Home School Programs work effectively, one has to pre plan each and every step and lesson so that they are able to achieve the maximum and the children are able to learn and imbibe as much knowledge as possible. The teacher has to prioritize and decide on various techniques he is going to employ for best results. This also includes the finalizing of the curriculum for the program and further determining the child's way of learning and the teaching style you are going to adopt.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Home Schooling Is The Most Comfortable

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Homeschooling is fast becoming a popular trend in today's society. The fact is that with all of the new rules and regulations imposed on both public and private schools, many students are not learning the information they should. With homeschooling, students and parents have a comfortable way of creating a mathematics lesson plan or social studies lesson plan that fits the learning pace of the student. Additionally, both students and parents can select a curriculum that fits the type of information they would like to learn while still getting a well-rounded education.

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