Category: Homeschooling tips

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How To Homeschooling the teenager

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Teenage years are sure trying, specially when you are homeschooling. It might help actually when you are homeschooling your teen, as he or she will not have huge peer pressure compared to those teens who are in regular public school with image to keep up with. However, trying teen years can take toll on you and your teen so take some precaution to help your teen and yourself during teen years when you are homeschooling. One of the top thing to do is keep encouragement of motivational reading.

As children start maturing into adults, parents feel insecure
about homeschooling. Many parents then discontinue the
homeschooling process and happily hand over the reign to outside
authorities. But is this really necessary? Is the strictly
compartmentalized education provided in schools a better option?

If social concerns are worrying you, look for interest-oriented
associations, clubs and societies. These offer a lot of support
for leaders, opportunity for shared experience, and foster a sense
of belonging. Make up your own group or share this responsibility
with someone else. Home education support groups provide fantastic
opportunities to meet your child’s needs. This is the best way to
develop intelligent, self-motivated, healthy and able young
people.

If the growing burden of some of the higher level Math or Science
seems to be beyond you, enlist the help of someone who knows more.
You can even barter your own services and thus save some money.
With homeschooling becoming more and more popular, support groups
will have innumerable resources that help you find the right
teacher for your child.

The underlying principle that guides homeschooling is this: any
child has the innate capacity to grow, develop and achieve its
full potential. All it needs is the right environment and all the
right answers. Be there to provide these and think twice before
you turn over this responsibility to a third party.

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10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

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Types Of Homeschooling Methods

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For many people, homeschooling may call to mind the picture of two
or three children sitting at a table and writing feverishly in
their workbooks, while mom or dad stands nearby. This is the not
entirely true. Given below are some of the most influential
and popular homeschooling methods.

The Charlotte Mason method:
Charlotte Mason is known as the founder of the homeschooling
movement. A homeschooler herself, she was passionate in her zeal
to lay out the foundations for an effective a complete
homeschooling program that is fun and educational at the same
time. This method focuses on all the core subjects with emphasis
placed on classical literature, poetry, fine arts, classical music
and craft. Mason used a variety of books from classical
literature, which she called ‘Living Books’. Since this method
encourages a passionate awareness of literature, the child is read
to daily from the ‘Living Books’. After this, the child is asked
to narrate what she has heard. This process begins at the age of
six, and by ten the child is expected to write her narrations in
her book. Mason also advocated the use of ‘Nature Diaries’. After
each short and interesting lesson, the child is asked to go to
Nature and draw observations from Nature. Thus the child also
gains a sense of respect for her environment. Mason believed that
development of good character and behavior was essential to the
complete development of the child’s personality.

The Eclectic Homeschooling:
This is a mixture of various homeschooling techniques. Here, the
innovative parents trust their own judgment and pick out the
topics that make the best curriculum for their child. Such parents
continuously look out for the best products that will meet the
needs of their homeschoolers. Most Eclectic homeschooling
curriculums are improvised. This means that the basic curriculum
is ready-made. The parents then make changes in the curriculum to
accommodate the individual needs and interests of their children.
The child’s gifts, temperament, learning style and interests
dictate the curriculum. Eclectic programs include visits to the
museum, libraries and factories.

Unschooling:
A Boston public educator name John Holt laid the beginnings of the
unschooling method. He believed that children learned best when
they are free to learn at their own pace and when they are guided
by their own interests. His message was to ‘unschool’ the child.
This method is a hands-on approach to learning, where the parent
takes definite cues from the children. There is no definite
curriculum, schedules or materials. This method is the most
unstructured of the various homeschooling techniques.

The Montessori Method:
This method began in Italy, when it was observed that children
have acute sensitive periods, during which they undergo periods of
intense concentration. During such phases, a child will repeat an
activity till he gains a measure of self-satisfaction. The
Montessori method depends on a prepared environment to facilitate
learning. All the materials used in this method are designed to
satisfy the inner desire for spiritual development of the child.
The materials used progress from simple to complex, and are rather
expensive.

These are just a few of the methods of homeschooling. Whatever the
method, the underlying factor is flexibility and a keen interest
in the desires of the child. The secret is to use the child’s
desire for knowledge to further his education.

Check out:

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

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Managing Homeschooling hours

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How many, how often and when? These are some oft-repeated
questions when it comes to homeschooling hours. Flexibility is of
course one of the key underlying principles behind homeschooling.
This flexibility applies not only to the curriculum but also to
the number of hours. It is only natural that parents, especially
if they have just started out on homeschooling should feel that
their children should be at their books all the time when regular
school-goers are at school. This is not only fallacious but can
also be damaging and counter-productive.

One of the most ignored but glaring drawbacks of the public
schooling system is the sheer waste of time and energy that it
causes. Many periods are simply wasted away and the child
effectively derives only 1-3 hours of study everyday. Then, there
are days when the studies become too intensive and other days when
it’s only games and no work at all. There is a lot of ‘invisible
wastage’ involved here.

Early on in your homeschooling practice, work out a schedule. It
is advisable to stick to the same hours everyday. A routine makes
it easier to learn and gives structure to the learning experience.
It also tells the students that parents are strict about their
learning. A routine also allows your child to free his mind from
other activities and concentrate on studies. He knows that a
particular time is strictly set aside for learning.

The actual number of hours that you need depends on the curriculum
you have chosen and the learning style that suits your child. If
you are dealing with a subject that seems to be more complex, you
may need to sit with the child for a longer period. Using various
techniques, it may be necessary to demonstrate what you are trying
to teach. For instance, a lesson in Algebra may take more time
than a lesson in English.

Homeschooling does not refer to the practice of sitting in front
of the books and learning the printed matter. Field trips,
watching documentaries, visiting factories and libraries also make
up an important slice of the homeschooling process. It makes sense
to intersperse these activities so that learning becomes fun.
You may want to finish off the few hours of textbook learning
in the morning and dedicate the afternoons to these kinds
of activities.

Given the fact that too many public school hours are wasted in
meaningless activities ranging from talking to extra-curricular
activities, do not allow public school hours to dictate the time
you should spend teaching your child at home. Remember that at
home, he is getting a high-quality one-to-one time that is highly
productive. About 1-3 hours of study is enough in the primary
level. It is of course true that the more number of hours you put
in, the more learning takes place. This is also the reason why
homeschooling children are much smarter and more balanced than
regular school going children.

Check out:

K12 Robinson Educational Software Curriculum

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Connection between Family and Homeschooling

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According to the National Center For Education Statistics, almost
1.1 million children underwent homeschooling in 2005 alone. That’s
a lot of children. Once upon a time, homeschooling used to be a
radical statement – something like a declaration of independence.
It was the conservative Christians who advocated homeschooling in
the ’80s and legalized it in every State. But the typical
homeschooler of the day is not religiously motivated.

Recent surveys indicate that parents are actually quite fed up of
the public school systems where much of the learning is
superficial and compulsory. They are also concerned about negative
school environment ranging from drugs and abuse to negative peer
pressure. As a result, we have a surprising mix of people who form
the homeschooling world of today. They cut across all religious
and regional borders. Their main aim is providing meaningful and
productive learning through a method that strengthens the bond
between the various members of the family.

All these families have one thing in common – a long enduring
commitment to the sanctity of childhood. The children in these
families are accorded a primary position. Many believe, and
rightly so, that homeschooling allows parents to bring up children
in a more natural and nurturing environment. Public schools can
make one nervous, diffident and downright mean. Children who get
schooled at home are protected from these damaging negative
influences till they reach an age where they can handle it.

Homeschooling draws the whole family into the almost religious
task of schooling. Everyone is put to work. The parents together
form a bond with the children. Any experience can be turned into
an educational experience. Both the parents are aware of exactly
what is going into their child’s head. Parents also have greater
control on the kind of religious and moral values that the child
imbibes. Even watching a movie together can become a learning
experience. Trips to the libraries and other places become
educational as well as recreational.

A homeschooling family is primarily dependent on the income of one
earning member. That means that often spending has to be curtailed
and proper planning of expenditure is a must. This helps to bring
the family members together and everybody gets involved in the
process of saving money.

Having a parent at home to supervise, to nurture and care for the
children brings with it a lot of love and caring. Even your
husband chips in and there just is no room for boredom. Yes,
problems do crop up, and there are a lot of misgivings in your
mind. But when you know that your kids can always count on you,
and your kids know it too, then homeschooling becomes a richly
rewarding experience.

Check out:

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Robinson Self Taught Homeschooling Curriculum

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Will My Homeschooler Have Problem Getting Into College?

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Homeschooling and college issue is often been asked by people. Will my homeschooler have any problem or issue getting in to college? Many people wrongly assume just because the child is homeschooled, he or she will be left out compare to their school going counter part. Fear not, there are many homeschooler get in to college successfully and many college actually seek out homeschooler to join them.

As children grow out of their little pants and are ready to begin
their teens, many parents wonder if they should continue with the
homeschooling program. They fear that colleges may not give equal
opportunities to a child educated at home.

Many fears of this kind were put to rest when 2 homeschooled boys
got admission into Harvard. Harvard does not require a high school
diploma for gaining admission to their degree program. Many
colleges are more interested in the knowledge and behavior of the
homeschooled children rather than their high school diplomas. In
fact, other things being similar many colleges prefer
homeschoolers because of the diversity and richness they bring to
their college life.

Admission requirements may vary. While some colleges require the
child to appear for the SAT, others may need a general equivalency
diploma. And some may not care for any tests at all. The criterion
may vary depending on the college that you wish to apply to. But,
college courses really do not require any high school background
or special training.

It is common to come across parents who frantically try to shift
out their homeschool children to high schools because they fear
unavailability of college admissions. But college admissions are
open to all educated individuals, regardless of whether they are
educated at home or at a public school.

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Advantages Of Homeschooling

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There are more and more people are beginning to look at homeschooling as an option nowadays. Some of them are famous, rich, and highly educated. Are there any benefits or advantages to homeschooling your child? You bet ya, there sure are.

Due to increasing unhealthy competition in the education area, most parents now-a-days find it unacceptable the way schools teach the kids in the good old ways, also from the fact of raising bullying in school and ragging Schools are no longer a safe place for learning, look at the rising number of student committing suicide just because they are not able to cope up with the pressure. Also in few occasion we come across kids are shooting other kid with guns. Due to this more and more parents are thinking that they are well-educated and are sometime better than the so-called school teacher and can teach their children very well at home and cut the risk of all the ill effects.

Look at the limited number of good schools and higher educational institute along with growing number of students, the competition for good carrier path is enormous, we often find cut off mark for admission to premier institutes are such that very few can get to them and this results in very huge pressure on the students, due to this pressure they are actually not learning but regularly fighting for existence is this going to end? I find homeschooling is one of the best alternative which allows the child to pursue what he is good at and do not expose him to the so-called competition for which there are only few winners with chance of success may be only 0.001% because that is only available opportunity for the chosen one who can mug up things faster and write very well in examinations and test. After all can you count very famous personalities who have any link with their educational background? I would name some personality and ask you can you tell me what their education is and which premier school they studied or how much score they got in their plus two? Can anyone tell me which school Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore passed out from? What was Sachin Tendulkar’s percentage in Plus two? From which business school Mr. Anil Agarwal (Vedanta Group Chairman) graduated from? Was Albert Einstein a great scholar in school? Dhirubhai Ambani the founder of Reliance group managed to pass 10th somehow. What was Kapil Dev’s educational background? What was Sunil Gavaskar’s educational background? Can you tell what Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s degree was? Do you know Amir Khan could go only up to 12th? I can go on asking and the list is endless.

Now let me ask one thing. Are we not just after the masses and doing the same mistake, putting undue pressure on our children? Then why follow the crowd why can’t we find an alternative, I think one of the alternative is homeschooling.

Advantages of Home schooling is many, as you can realize what is the real interest of your kid is and where is his natural talent and you can actually encourage him to work in that direction from childhood which your child will definitely excel better, in normal school your child is taught what others are also learning and in the process he or she may be getting bored and develop disinterest which is actually harmful to his carrier. In Home schooling you can actually develop your child’s interest into a passion and develop him into a better professional than a mediocre educated general citizen. You can also choose to train him on other skills like photography, music, art… and the list is endless. By homeschooling you can give your child with a free atmosphere for learning. Now-a-days information’s are available on fingertip in the internet and one need not depend on schools to guide us for the same.

Let us do something different, just because everybody is after the path it cannot be the only way there are always a better way.

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

10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

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How to avoid Burnout When Homeschooling

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When you are home with kids and teaching them, there bound to be burn out at some point of time. Homeschool burnout does not have be difficult to deal with, if we take some precaution to avoid it and make homeschooling more fun and enjoyable for you and your child.

When a parent takes on the responsibility of educating his or her
child, homeschool burnout is one of the more common issues they
have to deal with. There are many reasons that lead to this
burnout: an illness, a new baby, added responsibility, change in
routine etc.

The symptoms of burnout vary from lack of patience to overeating
and crying without any apparent reasons. Surprisingly, a burnout
need not be such a bad thing. It is a wake-up call – an indicator
that things are not going well and that you need to reschedule.
Reversing or avoiding a burnout is possible if you get fair
warning.

Firstly, lower your expectations. Do not be a perfectionist. Take
the good days with the bad. Next, when something does not seem to
work, look for alternative methods. Flexibility is a key
factor. If tension starts mounting, take a break. When necessary,
change the style of teaching. For instance, small children love to
take on their spellings when they quiz an adult.

Avoid overkill. Do not pack too many activities for the sake of
socializing your child. A worn out mom means a grouchy kid and
that means no happiness. Get support from your spouse or a
neighbor or a support group. Don’t try to achieve everything by
yourself. Homeschooling means ‘happy schooling’ – don’t forget
that.

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10 Things to Consider Before you Start Homeschooling

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Possible Public School Disadvantages

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Many people think of homeschooling often because of possible disadvantages of public schooling system.

When we consign our children to public schools, we feel satisfied
that they are receiving ‘quality education. But, are we really
getting our money’s worth? More importantly, are the children
gaining anything from this kind of a learning procedure?

Socialization is hailed as one of the greatest advantage of
schools. This is the place where the child picks up the rudiments
of social skills that help him survive. But in truth, a regular
school-going child can interact only with his peers. He may bully
younger children or fear older ones. He does not know how to
behave with an adult. This is because in the school environment
he interacts only with his peers. A homeschooling environment
brings in a more natural social environment.

A regular school going child cannot read literature. He cannot
keep silent or think in depth about any one thing. The artificial
‘busy’ness imposed upon him by the school disallows quiet
contemplation. Rowdy and destructive behavior, as seen among
peers, is more noticeable in school-goers.

There is little long-standing knowledge among regular school goers
because most things are learnt for the exam. There is no
correlation of facts with life. The child may know a lot, but
understands very little. This is where the homeschoolers beat the
regular school goers. Ultimately, homeschoolers emerge more adept
at facing the outside world.

What are you reasons for thinking about homeschooling?

Check out:

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

Homeschooling poster: Cheap, fun and educational

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Field Trip Ideas For Homeschoolers

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One of the best we can learn is from going to museums, field trips and actually seeing and doing how things works. Regular public schools also have field trips to educate the children. When you are homeschooling, you can customized and cater the field trip according to your child’s interests. You can check out various museum and other ideas at museum and more site.

Homeschool – Field trips

If you are going over a particular subject with the family and
feel that a field trip would be beneficial, then that’s what you
should do – go for a trip. If you are attached to a support group,
you can plan to include other children too.

Here are some guidelines that will help you plan:
1) Collect the rates
2) Allowed ages
3) Special highlights
4) Size of the group
5) Timings
6) Eating facilities

Inform your support group of all these details well in advance so
that the necessary circulars may be sent out. On the appointed
day, arrange to meet with other parents and children in a
particular place. Plan the mode of travel and reach the place at
least 10 minutes in advance.

The field trip is not just fun. So, let your kids bring their
writing material. Allow them time to stare and admire. Do not
hurry them along. Collect data beforehand so that you can clear
doubts. Get help from a guide, if necessary. And most importantly,
have fun and enjoy the time you spend with your children.

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Homeschooling poster: Cheap, fun and educational