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How to Finance Your Homeschooling?

1917 dollar

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

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Finding The Best Information on Home Schooling

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.

See also:

Buy educational Toys that boost child’s creativity

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

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Homeschool FAQ Homeschooling tips

When to Homeschool Your Child?

Is there a right age when it is good to start educating them? How about when is the best time to start homeschooling? Let’s look at an Insight on When to Home School Your Children in details.

Nowadays, many parents are enticed to homeschool their children. In fact, recent reports show that more than 1.2 million students in the United States are already obtaining their education through homeschool programs. This goes to show that more and more people are seeing the full benefits of homeschooling their children.

However, for those who are struggling on whether to homeschool their children or not are still on the brink of so many questions. One of the questions is about finding the right time to homeschool their children.

Many parents are wondering if there is a specific age or time to homeschool their children. They want to be sure that by the time they have decided to homeschool their children, they have made the right decision and that it will definitely be for their children’s own good.

However, most experts contend that deciding on whether to homeschool your children or not is not actually a matter of the right time to opt for homeschooling but more on the comfort and personal choice of every parent.

Simply put, there are no appropriate times to start homeschooling. The key point here is that as long as you need to homeschool your children and as long as you feel that your family is already prepared for the matter, then you can start homeschooling your children.

What matters most is that when you have decided to homeschool your children, be sure that you have all the necessary requirements ready and that you are determined to pursue the process no matter what happens.

The problem with most people is that they thought that once their children have started their primary education in a public school, they can no longer opt to homeschool.

The good news is that you can still homeschool your children even if they were already introduced to the typical schooling method. Just be sure that you have prepared everything that is needed for the transition.

Therefore, the question on when to homeschool your children now lies on the reasons why you want to homeschool your children first.

For instance, if you think that you can no longer tolerate the environment that the typical schools have, then now is the right time to opt for homeschooling. In fact, 31% of the parents of homeschoolers have this reason.

Therefore, there are no specific periods to opt for homeschooling. Analyze your reasons and basis for homeschooling, and from there you will know that it’s about time to choose a better alternative to the typical schooling — homeschooling.

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Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

What are the Advantages And Disadvantages of homeschooling? Looking at the both side some type helps to see a balanced picture and here it is a balance view of pros and cons of homeschooling.

People new to the idea and concept of homeschooling often have a thousand of questions to raise.  Here is some helpful information to guide you in weighing things out:

Some homeschooling advantages:

1.    Allow quality time, providing individualized attention and instruction.  Homeschooling parents can better understand their children; observe how kids progress, what areas they find difficult and help them out.

2.    Children learn in their own pace.  At homeschool, children can advance at any time, not waiting on others or if the kid is a slow learner or having difficulties in a certain subject area, she/he can remain to focus on that area without pressure that others are already moving on.

3.    Parents pattern their teaching style and curriculum in accordance with the child’s learning style, allowing him/her to successfully understand the subject matter, thus better results are achieved.

4.    No peer pressure.  At a homeschool, age classification is not a factor, therefore children not only associate with children their same age level, but with children of different ages and adults as well, so they can decide on their own without the influence of peers.

5.    “Hands on learning”.  Activities which are outside the context of books are very much essential to the child’s learning process.  Trips to the park, the museum, the zoo, going fishing with mom and dad can be a great time to spend an afternoon educating your child.

Some homeschooling disadvantages:

1.    For the homeschool parent, much time and effort is required for preparation of teaching materials, lessons and managing the child’s opportunities in order to cultivate friendships and expand on the child’s interests.

2.    Parents who homeschool do not have enough time to spend for themselves when kids are constantly at home.  This frequent time of being together can be at times suffocating and, therefore, can not work in certain families.

3.    Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers.  For many families, this really is not a problem and is supplemented by taking the kids out to play in the park, attend lessons in ballet, jazz, etc.  However it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to insure that their kids have these opportunities.

Whether to homeschool or not, it all depends on you, as a parent, on how much are you willing to give your child.  On top of all the learning materials, the field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement.

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Preschool at Home: How to Homeschool Your Preschooler

Preschool is when usually parents start putting their kids first time in some time of public or private educational system. Prior to that kids have been in private care or day care type of setting when education would not have been main point of child care.

Different children have varying interests and learning needs not to mention attention spans. And so, for parents who are pondering whether homeschooling is for them or otherwise, it is best to do an initial evaluation of what the preschool child’s needs are.

Several online resources provide lesson suggestions for preschoolers.  Parents and tutors will most definitely find these materials very much helpful.  But of course, consider them only as guides to provide the children’s learning some direction.  It is highly advised on most of the popular homeschooling websites to be aware of the learners’ interests, be it an inclination to writing, sports, arts and crafts, or any other subject, so that these may be incorporated into the learner’s list of “things that a homeschooled child should know.”

For different age groups of children, parents and tutors may be required to employ different methods and techniques for homeschooling.  And in order to know which methods and activities best suits the child under a specific age group, this short list may be of help.

Children of age 2 are found to be the most difficult as the child often gets bored and at times frustrated when being taught. Stimuli are needed in order to catch their interests.  Children of this age group are most eager to learn, often walking around, and climbing steps.  Common behaviors of this age include self-centeredness and possessiveness. Their sense of humor also develops.  Do activities relating to these capabilities of the child.

Homeschooling three-year olds is even more trying.  At this point, the child is more physical in affection and also in play.  They don’t mind change, love having friends to play with, and they take verbal instructions very well.  Use these to stimulate them to participate in learning activities.  At this age, they are already capable of communicating their needs.

Four-year olds are usually capable of working with scissors, hopping around on one foot or skipping.  They start to learn to draw and possess a lot of physical energy.  Let them try new things, as this will be their number one interest.  They are very imaginative so give them an opportunity to develop and express this creativity.

Remember that all children grow at their own rate, and surprisingly in their own ways.  And to achieve maximum benefits for the homeschooled preschooler, parents and tutors should trust them and give them sufficient freedom to explore, inquire, and ultimately learn.

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How to Home-Schooling In Modern World

Homeschooling In Modern World Of Today

In recent decades, homeschooling, or the traditional practice of educating children within the home as against sending them to a public or private learning institution, is slowly making its way back to the educational mainstream.

This alternative means of elementary and high school education dates back to 1906 in the United States when the Calvert Day School in Baltimore, Maryland offered the “curriculum in a box” partnered with a National Geographic advertisement.  Shortly after its fifth year, almost 300 children employed Calvert’s instructional materials for homeschooling. Almost a century later, this method, alongside many other methods and materials developed, spread like wild fire not only within the U.S. but also to 90 other countries all over the globe.

Notable home-schooled personalities include, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Dakota Fanning (famous Hollywood child actress), Christopher Paolini (book author), Sho Timothy Yano (an American boy of prodigious intelligence), Lynx and Lamb Gaede (the girls of Prussian Blue).

Through history, the methodology with which homeschooling is carried out have proven to be effective.  However, as times change, so do the needs and requirements of the learners change.  With this, certain modifications are required of the conventional homeschooling methods.  Something more stimulating, more motivating, and worthwhile to encourage today’s children to learn and explore.

Looking through the vast resources available on the world wide web under the subject of home-schooling, it could be seen that there has been so much improvement on how homeschooling is done through its century long history.  From the crude and very simple methods and materials, new ones that are more sophisticated and complex have become available.

Fresh ideas are readily offered on how lessons should be planned for children of varying ages.  Suggestions for fun activities are also presented to always keep the homeschooling atmosphere exciting and something to be looked forward to by the children.  It is understandable that kids have shorter attention spans that may usually be a deterrent in keeping their interest in sitting down and listening to a lesson.  Taking this into consideration, doing fieldtrips to museums, libraries, even zoos might just do the trick for the little tykes.

In general, the conventional methods and techniques of homeschool need not always be applicable to all settings and apt for each child.  Modifying these conventional methods by throwing in some fresh ideas for exercises and activities in such a way that suits the learner’s needs the best should always be regarded.

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How To Make Home Schooling Your Children Fun

Guide To Make Home Schooling Your Children Fun

Seeing your children go to school and learn things can be fun. It makes you feel that you have, in a way, imparted them the most treasured gift that you can give them — EDUCATION.

However, with many influences that lurk in school, you might even wonder if sending them to school is the best gift, indeed. Many parents are worried how children are getting their behaviors changed whenever they are in school.

That’s why homeschool had been created in order to provide a feasible option for parents who wish to educate their children in a way where they can supervise personally. They want to find a way where they can instill in them the values that they want their children to have.

All of these things are contained in homeschooling. In this manner, parents are able to control and instigate the kind of education they want their children to learn. They can manage their children’s behavior and impart in them the values that they want their children to learn.

However, what people do not know is that the very important aspect why homeschooling is a great alternative to traditional schooling is based on the fact that both the parents and the children can have fun learning things.

With homeschooling, parents can make their children’s learning process more fun and less rigid compared to the traditional school system.

Here’s a list on how to make homeschooling your children fun:

1. Make reading more fun

The best way to teach a child is to make things easier for him or her to understand and learn. The best way to do this is to incorporate fun in the setting.

For instance, if you want to teach your children to read, it would be better if you will read to them just to have some fun. Let them enhance their imagination by generating life in the characters included in the story. In this way, they will be able to learn things with lots of fun.

Create a connection with their books and not instill in them the norms and standards set by the typical school system.

2. Make learning comfortable

If the children or the students are comfortable with the program, then homeschooling can be more fun. It will generate more enthusiasm compelling the children to participate in the process.

The point here is that in order to make homeschooling more fun is that parents should never be constrained on the idea of teaching itself. They should teach by example. That is, indeed, a fun way of learning things.

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Homeschooling Record Keeping Ideas

One of the frequently asked question about homeschooling is  about Record keeping in Homeschooling that public school keep and try to do it at home. There are several ways to keep proper records.

Check out:

Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships

The Homeschooler’s Plan Book Plus!: Planning and Record-Keeping Pages Plus Hundreds of Great Ideas for Classroom Management, Brain-Stretchers, Student

A topic that frequently comes up in meetings and forums that deal with homeschooling is record keeping. The importance of record keeping cannot be ignored. It is not only legally required in various States, but also provides important milestones in your
child’s learning experience. An interest-initiated homeschooling approach means that the topic of studies is far ranging and
multifarious. Thus, it can be something of a challenge to write quarterly reports for the school district, when it is difficult
to classify learning into neatly pigeonholed areas.

Record keeping is important not only for the sake of regulations. It is also an exciting way to record and document the learning
process of the child. When most of the learning is done through play and there is no clear cut index of topics that have to be
covered, it is necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child’s progress.

The records you keep can be as simple as a daily journal, or as elaborate as a software program. If you participate in a support
group, you probably have set forms and requirements. But even so, keeping track of daily work makes reporting easy and efficient.

There are various record keeping methods used by various homeschools. Some of the more popular ones are:

Journal:

This can be maintained by the teacher or the student. This basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was
done. Recording memorable events that happened in the course of the year is a great way to reminisce later on.

Daily planner:

Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher’s planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered. Maintain a
separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This includes educational trips, visits and videos etc. Any extra
topics that were covered are also recorded in this area. Make a summary every quarter.

Portfolios:

This consists of a collection of varied materials that show what the child has achieved and done during the course of study.
Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to chart the child’s progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose and flexible
form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are considered the best
in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress in mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can all be recorded this way. The biggest advantage is that portfolio
assessment places control in the hands of the children. Having a tangible record of what they have established eggs them on to
greater heights.

Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased record-keeping systems that lay out a good checklist. Some of
these allow one to personalize the organizer. Irrespective of the methods used, record keeping in one form or the other is
essential. Your child’s future may well depend on the well-maintained record that you have meticulously kept over the
years.

You can find our more homeschooling record keeping ideas here.

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How to Become a Home School Teacher:

There are a few ways to become the best homeschool teacher to your kids.  The Evolution of Parents to Home School Teacher

Have you ever wished to become a teacher? Have you ever wanted to educate children with the right skills and concepts in order to survive life’s challenges?

If you are a parent and you believe in the benefits of homeschooling, then, you could be a homeschool teacher! In this way, you will not only fulfill your dreams but you are also able to fulfill and be a part of your child’s through education.

With homeschooling, you have the option to teach your own child in ways that are patterned in a particular homeschool curriculum. Hence, the learning process is not limited with the rules and regulations set by the typical school system.

In homeschooling, the parents-turned-home-school-teacher can freely incorporate the right values and knowledge that they want their child to know.

However, most parents feel that it is a great responsibility to handle their child’s education. Some even think that they are not appropriate for the role because they do not even have education units in the first place.

For a more comprehensive outlook of the issue, here is a list of some tips that you can use in order to become a good homeschool teacher:

1. Have the yearning to teach their children

It does not need some specific technical requirements in order to become a homeschool teacher. What you need to have is the yearning to teach your children. It’s your desire to let them know everything they need to know in order that they will be equipped with the right kind of knowledge.

2. Believe in your children

Teaching your children how to learn things and how to achieve something in life will all be put to waste if you will not believe that your children can definitely achieve something and be successful. In this way, you will be able to teach things that you believe your child can do very well.

3. Familiarize yourself with your children’s wants

In order to be a homeschool teacher and in order to ensure quality education, it is best that you familiarize yourself with the program itself. Try to dig deeper concerning the ins and outs of the program.

Indeed, becoming a homeschool teacher does not necessarily mean you have to do what the other teachers do in other schools because learning in a typical school is different from homeschooling. What is important is that you should have all the love and the interest to teach your children to learn things in this world.

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Can you Homeschool in College?

Recently I was reading news and this article new american caught my eyes, which talked about successful college drop outs and possible homeschooling during college years. I am sure you will find it interesting too.

What do Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg all have in common? They all dropped out of college and pursued their interest in computer technology so that today they are among the richest men in the world. They proved that a college degree is not necessary for success in our high-tech capitalist economy. But what they did have was ambition, intelligence, inventiveness, perseverance, and a total commitment to what it was they wanted to do. These facts should be of interest to homeschoolers who have reached that point in their education where they must decide whether or not to go on to college or a university. Of course, in making that decision there are a number of factors to consider. First, the individual must determine if the career he or she is pursuing requires a college degree. If your goal is to become a lawyer, nuclear engineer, marine biologist, or medical doctor, attendance at a graduate school will no doubt be necessary. Entry to a graduate school may require four years of prescribed preparation at a college. Thus, it’s wise to investigate well in advance what kind of preparation is needed. It may be possible to do a lot of the undergraduate work at home.

 

As many homeschoolers already know, it is no longer necessary to attend a college in order to get a degree. There are now many accredited schools that offer bachelor’s, master’s, and even law degrees by home study. Modern computer technology has made home study a very convenient and effective way to earn a degree in virtually any subject area. For example, Auburn University offers an almost totally nonresident MBA and Master of Engineering degrees in such fields as aerospace, chemistry, computer science, and industrial engineering. The courses are videoed in the classrooms and mailed or downloaded to distance students who are required to maintain the same pace of study as resident students.

Regent University at Virginia Beach, Virginia, offers a Master’s degree in business administration or management with only two weeks of attendance on campus. There is even an online university that reaches students all over the world: Kaplan University. It offers over 125 degrees. It also has learning centers around the country for those who need to sit in a classroom.

There are now about a half-dozen books on distance learning on Amazon: How to Earn a College Degree Without Going to College by James P. Duffy; Bears’ Guide to College Degrees by Mail and Internet; Bears’ Guide to the Best Computer Degrees by Distance Learning; and others. These books list hundreds of accredited educational institutions that offer home study courses leading to degrees. These include Boise State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Skidmore College, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Oklahoma, and many more.

There has been an explosion of educational institutions with nontraditional, off-campus programs offering degrees in just about any subject you might be interested in. And no doubt we shall see more and more such off-campus educational opportunities for several good reasons. First, it is no longer necessary to sit in a classroom in an ivy-covered building 500 miles away from home just to listen to a young instructor repeat knowledge that can be found in a textbook. Few full professors actually do any teaching anymore in person. They operate at the graduate level. For undergraduates, they may be available on a CD or DVD.

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Source: Written by Sam Blumenfeld for New American Click here for more of Sam Blumenfeld’s writing here