Category: Homeschooling tips

Will Unschooling Will Ruin My Kid’s Life?

Post author By Homeschool World
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Yes, you absolutely are. Because not getting a high school education like everyone else means your kid will know nothing useful, and be unready to get a job and unsuited for life.

OK, sarcasm aside, let’s take a look at this question sincerely. It’s a legitimate worry, because unschooling parents are taking a big risk — if everyone else is doing regular schooling, that’s the safe play. Doing something radically different with something that could affect your kid’s future life means you’re taking a huge risk with a potentially huge downside, right?

Well, actually I don’t think so. Let’s look at the risk … and in doing so we can see at why unschooling is actually improving your kid’s life.

The Non-existent Risk

If you’re unschooling your kid, could it ruin her life?

Well, let’s take the worst-case scenario.

She does nothing during her unschooling years, and watches TV and plays video games. She learns very little math or English skills, never studies science or history.

Well, that’s highly unlikely. First of all, kids learn to read if their parents read. They want to learn to read stuff on TV and can’t play video games without reading, to start with. But if you read to your kid, she’ll learn to read.

Second, they’ll learn a little math. Counting, addition and subtraction, at the very least, to get by on a day-to-day basis.

And kids are curious. They ask questions, and if you help them find the answers, they’ll learn a lot. If you show them how to find answers, that’s a valuable skill right there.

Take the kid places once in awhile. Set an example by doing interesting things and learning stuff on your own all the time. Talk to the kid.

So the realistic worst-case scenario is that the kid does very little, but still learns some stuff. And here’s what the kid really learned:

Some basic English and math skills;
Random things they’re interested in;
How to learn and find stuff out on their own;
That curiosity is good;
That you don’t need to conform and do what everyone else does.

There’s more, but that’s a great start. Now the kid is 18, and perhaps is behind others in job skills, but can easily learn a few things on her own and catch up. Plus she hasn’t had curiosity driven out of her, and knows how to teach herself, which is something many kids who go to school don’t have.

The More Probable Scenario

That’s the most likely worst-case scenario … but actually I’ve never really heard of unschoolers who end up learning so little. In reality, unschoolers do a lot of things beyond watching TV and playing video games (though those activities aren’t necessarily worse than others).

What are unschoolers more likely to do?

Here’s a more likely list of activities over the course of an unschooling career (besides just TV & video games):

Reading novels;
Getting into topics like animation or Greek mythology and diving deep into them;
Creative projects like dollhouses and starting a Youtube channel;
Learning guitar or piano;
Traveling a bit and learning a language;
Drawing, making comic books, writing short stories, writing a novel during NaNoWriMo;
Geeking out on science and doing some cool science projects;
Going on nature field trips and learning about bugs and ecology;
Doing pushup challenges and running 5Ks;
Learning to program and making an iPhone app;
Starting their own small business.

The list could go on and on. Over the course of a year, a kid might only do a few of those, but over the course of 10-15 years, the list would be much longer.

And you could see that they don’t have to cram a lot into each year to have a long list of activities, skills, things they really learned about.

And here’s what they really learned:

How to teach themselves;
That they don’t need an authority to hand down knowledge or tell them what to do;
How to overcome fear of the unknown;
How to have confidence in themselves;
How to start something and get excited about it and finish it;
How to motivate themselves;
That learning is fantastic;
That an unconventional life is a good one;
To think for themselves.

And so on. This is a list of skills that an entrepreneur might have. That a fantastic employee might have. That someone well-prepared for life might have.

That’s not ruining her life. That’s creating a great life.

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How To Homeschool In California?

Post author By Homeschool World
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If you live in state of California and you may wonder how you can homeschool your children legally and worry free. As any experience homeschooling may know tricks and tips on homeschool laws and support systems but Many new and potential homeschoolers may have questions on how they can homeschool in California. Here are a few ways you can establish and homeschool your child/children legally.

How To Homeschool in California?

Image source: Wikimedia Creative Commons:

There are four ways to legally homeschool your children. First is setting up your own private school, second is PSP also known as Private school Satellite Program, Third is Independent Study program through Public school or Charter school, Finally fourth is credential tutor or teacher. Let’s look at each in more details.

Homeschool Option 1: PSA (Private School Affidavit)

PSA or R4 as it used to be known among homeschool crowd means setting up your own private and personal (only for your kids) school you can educate kids at home via Private School Affidavit. So what does it mean? Lets suppose you have kids enrolled in public school and you withdraw your kids, you set up a private school and ask for school records. As a school, you should be required to keep records of schooling but it is not too difficult and easy to do.

Your private school name and address will be public record when you file PSA, you will just have a as many students as your own school age kids from first grade onwards. Kindergarten is not mandatory in California. You may have answer any inquiry required by state regarding your schooling and may have to teach mandated subjects such as social studies, math, language arts, reading and science.

PSA can be attractive for many homeschoolers as it gives most freedom on education choices, however a few things to note;

You have choice of how to educate your child, more freedom of choice
You maintain school records, vaccine records, grades etc
You spend money as little as or as much you can afford when you have your own school
As it is very independent, social and support system is must, at least initially to not feel lost

Some people may file PSA through correspondence school, as this option is available.

Homeschool Option 2: PSP : Private School Satellite Program

To simply explain PSP, PSP is private school which has filed affidavit as a school (not as personal family), and when you file PSP with that school, you simply becomes a teacher in that school in sense. Your name and address may not appear in school name but school is required to keep records including such as attendance and school study records which you send to PSP.

Important Things to note for PSP;

Most of the details and paperwork filed and managed by PSP, you as a teacher to share info on your child’s education
More support system is provided compared to option 1
Record keeping and curriculum choices may vary depending on PSP
Some PSP may offer park days, field trip or newsletter to help parents and kids.
Parent pays of all tuition and fees for curriculum and educational material

Homeschool Option 3: ISP (Independent Study Program) or Charter School

Many public schools or charter school in California offers ISP Programs, what it means that your child is part of a public school and you will be considered teacher’s aide and assigned a credential teacher to oversee your educating your child for the state required course work and material. You will get to educate your child at home or through professional vendors classes and share records and information needed by ISP or Charter school.

Important Thing to note for ISP or Charter School to know;

If you are new or planning to homeschool for short span, this option may work the best for you
school course work can be loaned to you which needs to returned back
Parent have to sign the agreement to follow California state education rules and star testing
May offer least or some what restrictive guideline on how to teach your kids, you may have some leeway
No religious material or religious instruction can be taught during school hours. You can teach off school hours and does not need to be on school records.

Homeschool Option 4: Become a Credential Teacher

As seen in above 3 options, as a parent you do not need to be a credential teacher to teach your OWN kids, however if you get California Teacher or Tutor credentials you can teach your child under private school.

Important thing to note about option 4 is;

You can teach only the grade you have credential for.
You can hire credential tutor or teacher to homeschool your child, paying fees from your own pocket.
School has to be taught between 8 am to 4 pm and school year should have 175 days of school teaching days
It can get expensive, especially if you hire someone to teach your child or get credential for grade 1-12.

So, now you have all the options in front of you, you can choose one the suite you the best. Once you have more experience as homeschooling parent, you will have more confidence in yourself as a teacher and in your homeschooling.

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How To Set Up Private School For Homeschooling?

Post author By Homeschool World
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If you are in California and want to set up your own private school as one of the four options that get started homeschooling your kids legally and right way, here is how to set up and file for PSA (Private School Affidavit) and set up your own private school for your kids to teach. Establishing Your Private School is easy once you know the steps and how to get started on it. Home educators may establish a private school based in their home by filing a Private School Affidavit with the California Department of Education as an option for homeschooling your own children.

Please check out our article on : How to Homeschool in California Article for more choices.

How and When to File the PSA?

One of the easiest way for parent to file for The Private School Affidavit can be online at the California Department of Education website from October 1st to October 15th of every year. You can file any other time during school year, but during Oct 1st through Oct 15th is easiest method. Schools that are created after the filing period should file at the time the school is established every year during these time. The CDE usually leaves the form up until early spring. If you need to file your affidavit and cannot do so electronically (or choose not to), you can still file a Statement in Lieu. We will share soon how to file Statement in Lieu in coming next articles.

If you need a step by step instruction on how to file PSA for California, here is free downloadable link: Step by Step Guide to File PSA

How the PSA Works For Homeschooling?

There is a huge misconception about it, as I was also not sure how it work and how it made it all legal. This is what the information I got from official California Homeschool Website. The Private school affidavit is not a license to private school. The State of California accredits neither public nor private schools if that makes sense. By filing an affidavit you are showing intent to establish a private school, and informing the state, as required by law. Parents have been legally using this provision for many years to conduct their own home-based private schools. So, I know it works and recommended by experts.

What are California Private School Requirements?

According to http://leginfo.ca.gov/, Education Code sections §48222, §48415, §33190, §51210 and §51220 set the criteria for a private school. The following legal requirements apply to all private schools regardless of size:

The administrator of every private school must file an affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction between October 1st and October 15th of each year.
Private school instructors must be “capable of teaching.” There is, however, no requirement in the CA Education Code that mandates that teachers in a private school setting hold a state teaching credential or have the equivalent training.
The names and addresses, including city and street, of the faculty must be kept on file, as must a record of the educational qualifications of each instructor.
Instruction must be in English.
Instruction must be offered “in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools.” The materials and methods you use to teach these areas are up to you. You are not required to teach every subject as long as it is offered and available to the student:
- Grades 1-6: English, math, social sciences, science, fine arts, health and phys ed.
- Grades 7-12: All that is included in the above plus: foreign language, applied arts, vocational ed and drivers ed.

For information about record keeping for Private schooling records see here: Private Schooling Records (Coming soon!)

Important Things to know about PSA (Private School Affidavit)

Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory in California. You can teach your child at home but do not fill out PSA for Kindergartener.
If you are using ISP or Charter school to homeschool, no need to file PSA as it is done by the school itself.
Some Correspondence school PSP may require filing PSA while other do not. So check with your PSP when in doubt.
Fingerprinting is not needed when a parent or legal guardian is working with his or her own children.
State should not be asking more information other that what is listed in California Education §33190.
If you are part of ISP, PSP, Charterschool program, no need for filing PSA is required.
Best time to file for PSA is between Oct 1- Oct 15 of every year.
Do not file for PSA as backup when you have signed in with public school, PSP, ISP or Charter school.

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How to Finance Your Homeschooling?

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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Image Source: 1917 US One Dollar

Financing homeschooling is one of the huge thing to consider when we started homeschooling and you might be wondering the same thing. Public school are free (sort of, we all pay taxes for it, even those of us who homeschool) and private school are just too darn expensive for many people. Here are some suggestions for how to finance your homeschooling supply, text books and field trip.

See: How to homeschool your child for almost Free!

When people talk about teaching their children from home in the absence of any definite or structured curriculum, it is perhaps
natural to think that homeschooling is cheap. But this is far from the truth. Although homeschooling does not stick to any particular
text, this is perhaps more of a bane than a boon, when it comes to finance.

When you need to make sure that your children receives state-of-the-art education so that they can compete with regular
school goers, expenses will naturally mount. The actual cost of educating a child at home is surprisingly high. Up-to-date
textbooks, course materials, a library, computing equipment, lighting, specially designed furniture all cost money. In this
case, the cost may be slightly lesser when it comes to homeschooling the second child. Add to this any additional tuition
cost for tutors who come to teach subjects that cannot be handled by parents, like higher-level math or science. The total cost can
be a bit mind boggling.

If you take another important factor into consideration, homeschooling costs may effective triple. The need for having one
of the parents tied to the house and fully dedicated to providing education deprives the family of a second earning member. The
average homeschooling teacher is usually a lady with a college degree. This means that she can easily bring home a pay of $35,000
or more. It is also interesting to note that most families that have more than 2 children do not opt for homeschooling at all.

But, there are those who have been successful in carrying out homeschooling at low rates. This is dependent on the size of the
family, the support group, the type of materials used and the availability of the material. When successive children can reuse
the materials, cost goes down. Much of the course material can be got from vendors of homeschooling materials. A membership in a
public library, theatre, concerts, ballets and other cultural events also help in cutting costs. Sometimes, it is even possible
to barter expertise. For instance, the mother of an 8-year old gives dancing classes, and her daughter receives drawing classes
for free. Support groups allow you to divide the cost of field trips, science projects and fairs.

Whatever the cost, advocates of homeschooling say that the benefits far outweigh these considerations. When you are able to
decide what knowledge your child receives and when he or she should be taught and to what extent, it gives you a lot of freedom
and a lot of power. Both the children as well as the parents benefit from this mutually enriching experience.

Check out:

10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

Homeschool Reference Books for Parents

Best early education homeschool curriculum

Best kindergarten curriculum I love! Sing, Spell, Read and Write

Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

Getting Started

Homeschooling poster: Cheap, fun and educational

Homeschooling via DVD Videos

Tags financing homeschooling, homeschool parent, homeschooling faq, homeschooling tips, k12 homeschool

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Reasons Some Parent Homeschool

Post author By Homeschool World
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There are many reasons, parents may decide to homeschool as I talked about it before in Why Some Parents Choose To Homeschool? In olden days before there were any official school system or mandatory education in those systems, parents taught what they knew to their children, be it what type of work they did, how to cook, clean and survive and so on. That was kind of education at home for that time. Many of famous people around a few hundred years ago were homeschooled, there was no surprise as it was the norm then before schooling system came in to picture.

According to wikipedia and NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) survey done around 2007 shows following data. While it has now been 2013, information is important to know.

In the 2003 and 2007 NHES, parents were asked whether particular reasons for homeschooling their children applied to them. The three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of students were concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools.

From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of students whose parents reported homeschooling to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent. In 2007, the most common reason parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or moral instruction (36 percent of students). This reason was followed by a concern about the school environment (such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure) (21 percent), dissatisfaction with academic instruction (17 percent), and “other reasons” including family time, finances, travel, and distance (14 percent).Other reasons include more flexibility in educational practices and family core stability for children with learning disabilities or prolonged chronic illnesses, or for children of missionaries, military families, or families who move often, as frequently as every two years.

Number and percentage of homeschooled students in the United States, by reason for homeschooling: 1999, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Reason for homeschooling	Number of homeschooled students	Percent	standard error
Can give child better education at home	415,000	48.9	3.79
Religious reason	327,000	38.4	4.44
Poor learning environment at school	218,000	25.6	3.44
Family reasons	143,000	16.8	2.79
To develop character/morality	128,000	15.1	3.39
Object to what school teaches	103,000	12.1	2.11
School does not challenge child	98,000	11.6	2.39
Other problems with available schools	76,000	9.0	2.40
Child has special needs/disability	69,000	8.2	1.89
Transportation/convenience	23,000	2.7	1.48
Child not old enough to enter school	15,000	1.8	1.13
Parent’s career	12,000	1.5	0.80
Could not get into desired school	12,000	1.5	0.99
Other reasons*	189,000	22.2	2.90

The data numbers may have changed but reasons behind parent choosing to homeschool somewhat remains similar. What are your reasons for homeschooling?

10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

Homeschool Reference Books for Parents

Getting Started

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Finding The Best Information on Home Schooling

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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Homeschooling could be the most feasible option for parents who want to educate their children but cannot afford the expenses in a typical school. The Best Information on Home Schooling is important to make right choice that works for you, child and your family.

With homeschooling, parents can still have the best education for their children without having to resort to expensive everyday expenditures of sending children to school.

However, one should bear in mind that homeschooling is not for everybody, and not all homeschool curriculum are appropriate for everyone.

Learning through homeschooling may differ from one person to another. This is because in homeschooling; the traditional aspects of learning are not present like the typical classroom setting, the fixed schedules, etc. This goes to show that parents may opt to change the program in order to fit the needs of their children.

In homeschooling, the parents are the ones who teach their children. They just have to buy a particular homeschooling curriculum that they think would best work for them. In this way, the parents are able to educate their children on their own free will and without the influence of a typical “school system”.

With its many advantages, homeschooling is now recognized as a legal educational system in all of the states in the U.S., though each state has its own set of rules and regulations regarding what and how homeschooling should be executed. To find out your local homeschooling information, check out our: Homeschooling Resource page.

However, many people question the reliability and efficiency of homeschooling. Many are still wondering whether children can really learn form this type of education. Statistics show that students who had their basic education from homeschooling, were able to do very well in college.

Most experts contend that the data and the assertions are true because with homeschooling, the parent-child relationship is a very effective tool in educating an individual. This is because children in a homeschooling program are less pressured and less tensed because it is their parents who do the teaching and not somebody else; therefore, the inhibition is lessened.

In this manner, learning is more interactive, more comprehensive, and more properly initiated as long as there is a good curriculum that will serve as a guide.

In order to know more information about homeschooling programs in your community, it is best that you consult your state’s laws on homeschooling. Each state has its own set of rules, hence, what may work for one state may not be applicable to the other states.

Just keep in mind that it is important that you and your child are comfortable with the program in order to make homeschooling effective.

10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

Homeschool Reference Books for Parents

Best kindergarten curriculum I love! Sing, Spell, Read and Write

Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

Homeschooling via DVD Videos

Tags homeschool parent, homeschooling faq, homeschooling tips, k12 homeschool

Homeschooling tips

How To Unschool? : Guide To Unschooling Part 2

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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This is part 2 of the series how to unschool your child. I have written about it before on the blog How to Unschool your child and Guide to Homeschooling Methods.

Check out the first of How to Unschool Part 1.

By Leo Babauta

There are many more reasons, of course, and each person will find her own reasons. These are just a few of mine.

How to Unschool

This is the hard part, because there is no right way to do it, no single way. And parents who are starting out always, always want to know how to do it. I know we did, and the honest truth is, we’re still figuring out the answer.

Why is there no answer? Because every kid is different. Everyone has different needs, interests, abilities, goals, and environments. What would you say if people told you there was only one way to live your life, one way to do your job? You’d hate it, because it would take away your freedom, and also all the fun.

Telling you how to unschool is like taking away your freedom and all the fun out of it. The questions are everything, and the finding out is the fun.

That said, I will offer some ideas of how we unschool, and some ideas of how you might approach things — but these are just ideas to start you out!

College bound. Our 16-year-old has decided he wants to go to college, and so studies for the SAT on his own, and is taking some free college courses online, and writes practice college essays on topics he chooses. He also learns things on his own, like programming or 3D animation, and plays the guitar.
Origami master. Our 13-year-old wants to get good at math, so does some math courses on Khan Academy. She also makes origami and weaves friendship bracelets and reads teen novels and Archie comics and plays piano and goes to the park to play basketball and likes to learn to cook.
Wolves and wizards. Our 8-year-old loves to read about wolves, and often will pretend he’s a wolf. Also a wizard or werewolf. He likes to play games and read with us and make up stories and draw. He’s pretty good at math on his own, though we don’t really study that with him much.
Forts and restaurants. Our 6-year-old likes to be read to and isn’t into reading on her own, though she’s been learning to read through games and reading with us. She doesn’t like math but will do it in games. She makes forts and art and likes to play outside and pretend she owns a restaurant or store.
The power of questions. When the kids ask a question, that’s an opportunity to find out something. We’ll look it up together, or look for books on it in the library.
People you know are incredible resources. If your kid wants to be a chef, you might know someone who is a chef or owns a restaurant. If your kid wants to create iPhone games, you might know a programmer. If your kid is interested in science, you might know a marine biologist. And so on. Connect them with these people.
Games are your best friend. Play all kinds of games. Don’t be concerned with what they’re learning. They’ll have fun, and learn that life can be play, and so can learning.
Fun projects. Working on art and science projects can be a lot of fun.
Pursue interests. If the kid is interested in something, show her how to find out more, or play with it.
Deschool. If you’re new to unschooling, and your kid has gone to school for awhile, it’s often a good idea to “deschool”. That means to not worry about learning or schooling for awhile — a couple weeks, a couple months. The idea is to get them (and you) out of the mindset of schooling, which can be very difficult, because we’ve been trained to think in terms of school. We think we need to be productive teachers and students, and that school has to be done a certain way, and that if the kids aren’t learning something from an activity, it has no value. All that is crap, of course, so take some time getting out of that mindset.
Expose them. Learn to give kids a variety of stimuli — books and magazines lying around the house, watch shows about interesting things, play old board games, get out and explore your town, meet different people, find stuff together on the Internet. This exposure will help them to explore new interests — even if they don’t seem interested at first, the exposure will allow them to find new things on their own.
Learn as you go. The most important thing is that you need to figure out what works for you. Try different things. Play. Make things. Go out and do things, meet people, have fun learning about new things. Fun, always fun, never hard work unless it’s fun, never force, always get pulled.
Be patient. You won’t see “results” right away … changes in your kid will happen over time, as he learns that learning is fun and can be done all the time in lots of ways. You also might get frustrated that your kids doesn’t want to study or read or write papers or whatever. But instead, let him play music or play pretend games or read comic books or play outside.
Trust is important. It’s hard in the beginning (we’re still learning to do this), but it’s important to trust that kids can learn on their own, with minimal guidance, and that if they’re interested in something, they’ll learn about it. We all think kids can’t learn on their own, but they can.

Before you get the wrong idea, I should give credit to Eva for doing most of the unschooling work, and being better at it than I am (Eva is really great, though she won’t admit it). She has read more books and websites on the topic than I am, and does the majority of the unschooling on a daily basis (though I do help out as much as I can). I should also give credit to my awesome sister Kat, who inspired us to unschool, and is one of the most amazing unschooling moms I know.

You Might Be Homeschooled If ….

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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This list was submitted to us by a reader Shona Joni via contact form. If you would like to share a joke, quotes or image about homeschooling or educational information send it us via our contact form with your name and website if applicable. If suitable, we will surely post it and we will share it on homeschool world site.

You might be homeschooled if…

You’ve rehearsed answers to the question “So why aren’t you in school?”

You are on a first name basis with your librarian.

You have the tomfool idea that the world is your classroom and you are always learning.

You have argued about whether Christopher Paolini is a good writer or not.

You have to use smaller words to communicate with “normal” kids.

You grin at the yellow bus as it rolls past your window carrying hostages, er, students, to prison–school, that is.

You are confused as to whether you have “homework” or not.

You maintain a blog in a more intelligent and pertinent way than most adults do

Would you like to add to this list of You Might be Homeschooled If….

While you here check out our vast articles on homeschooling tips, homeschool curriculum ideas and homeschool faqs.

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Homeschooling Seldom Asked Questions

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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by Rebecca Prewett

Recently I attended a state homeschooling convention. At least half the women there were wearing denim jumpers and had lots of children with them. If I decide to homeschool, will I need to buy a denim jumper and triple my family size?

Well, it depends. Some homeschoolers like to be nonconformists. In order to identify yourself as a nonconformist, you will need to wear the right kind of denim jumper, never cut your hair again, and have a larger than average family. All the boys will need to wear slacks and dress shirts whenever you’re out in public, and the girls will need to wear denim jumpers or pretty flowered dresses. Of course, if you don’t care about being a nonconformist, this doesn’t apply to you; you’re free to dress however you choose.

At the homeschooling convention I attended, some of the women had misplaced their handkerchiefs–which ended up on their heads. Please explain.

While some think this is a phenomena completely confined to the homeschooling community, it really isn’t. Nor is it a novel way to keep a handkerchief available at all times. And, yes, we’re even told that you can be Reformed and wear the prayer veiling at the same time (although we have not yet personally tested this theory).

I’m confused. Who is the real “father” of the homeschooling movement?

Depending on whom you ask, it’s:
a) Raymond Moore
b) John Holt
c) Bill Gothard
d) Richard Fugate
e) R.J. Rushdoony
f) any other guy who mentioned homeschooling before it was “popular”
g) there is no “father”, since it’s the mothers that usually do the homeschooling
h) Charlotte Mason
i) somebody else you’ve never heard about
j) any number of fathers who were homeschooling in the early 70’s
k) any big name you want to drop to make it sound like you know something

How can I spot “twaddle”?

Twaddle comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes one mother’s twaddle is another mother’s favorite unit study. However, twaddle can be recognized by the following unmistakable symptoms:
a) it wouldn’t pass muster with Charlotte Mason
b) it has something to do with the fireman being our friend
c) it’s found in curriculum materials catalogs designed for public schools
d) you would be embarrassed to discuss it with the Shearers
e) any reasonably conscious kindergartner already knows it

How can I get onto the cover of the Teaching Home?

Ask the Shearers. They have dedicated years of their lives in an attempt to grace the cover of that well-known magazine and have even written a song detailing their exploits. Then again, maybe you shouldn’t ask them; they still haven’t made it. Your best bet would be to have lots of multi-talented and photogenic children, and to spend your lives doing marvelous things while wearing matching Sunday outfits and posing in your beautifully appointed home.

I simply don’t know what to do. Everybody I know is so positive about homeschooling! I’m overwhelmed at the amount of support, encouragement, financial aid, and resources that all my friends and relatives keep giving me.

Hhhhhmm…that really is a distressing problem. Well, maybe it’s not distressing, but it sure is unusual! Truly a seldom asked question, and one to which we have no answer other than–please send all the good stuff our way.

I’d like to homeschool but I’m worried that my children won’t be isolated enough. You see, in the school they now attend, they are safely isolated from people who aren’t their age, with the exception of their teachers. But I’m afraid if they aren’t safe at school all day, they’ll be meeting all sorts of people in the community. What can I do?

It’s true that, if you homeschool your children, they will probably meet all sorts of adults in the community, everyone from the mailman and various repair men to the people you will meet on field trips. It is also true that they will tend to meet more people who are not their age than people who are. But I have yet to meet one homeschooling family that found this to be a disadvantage. Of course, it depends on how you define disadvantage. Your child may lose touch with the latest juvenile fads and probably won’t keep up on the current lingo. In fact, he may even end up sounding…well, sort of mature.

If I homeschool, will I have to wear Birkenstocks?

Again, it depends on if you want to be a nonconformist or not. It also depends on where you live. Nonconformist homeschoolers on the West Coast all wear Birkenstocks. A style with wide straps is preferable. Brown is usually the color of choice.

If I homeschool, will I have to raise goats and chickens? Will I have to bake my own bread and sew all of our own clothes?

This depends. Some people think that goats and homeschoolers go hoof in hand. Others suggest you invest the goat money in a good computer. Still others are allergic to goats, don’t like computers, and wouldn’t be caught dead near a sewing machine. But everyone knows that real homeschoolers bake their own whole-wheat bread, even if it’s just once a year.

How can you tell if someone is an “old-timer” at homeschooling?

Experienced and knowledgeable homeschoolers are easy to spot. The real old-timers predate the “homeschooling movement” and, no matter how well they’ve retained their youth, usually don’t look like someone just starting out with their first kindergartner, even though they might still be teaching phonics to one of their brood. The ages of their children, especially if they’ve never attended school, offers another clue. Having a completely homeschooled young adult generally qualifies one as an “old-timer”. These “old-timers” tend to be relaxed, confident, own a ton of books, have an anti-twaddle radar, posses a terrific sense of humor and/or an incredible amount of perseverance and vision, own at least one homeschooling tee-shirt, remember back when it was near impossible to get Christian textbooks, and know more than a lot of homeschooling authors do. The real “old-timers” are stockpiling phonics materials as their homeschool “graduates” prepare to teach the next generation. Or, they’re prepared to teach their adult children how to teach reading with just a Bible and a slate and maybe some index cards. And, if you happen to spot an “old-timer”, consider yourself blessed and glean from her experience. And don’t bother dropping names of homeschooling “fathers” around her; she may well have been homeschooling long before that “father” ever heard of the idea.

If you liked this check out other homeschooling tips and homeschooling humor articles along with homeschooling curriculum reviews here.

Source: Go milpitas

Tags homeschool humor, homeschooling faq, homeschooling tips

Homeschooling tips

Home School Humor: 14 Days Of Homeschool

Post author By Homeschooling Mom
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We all need humor and need to laugh out in life when things get too serious or complicated. It is fun to laugh, when things are cool also. This home school humor song was sent to me by friend of mine who also homeschools her kids, Thanks Megan! The reason, I want to share here is because, I am sure many of you who are homeschooling are asked all or some of the questions by either neighbors or some well meaning friends.

Here to share with you all. I am not a original author of this poem which is sung in tune of 12 days of Christmas. Enjoy.

Home school Humor: 14 Days Of Homeschool

To the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They Can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, we’ll join a sports team, and we’ll homeschool legally.”

Check out more Christmas music and homeschooling tips here.

Tags financial homeschooling, fun learning, getting started homeschool, homeschool humor, homeschooling faq