Articles and resources for What is Homeschooling – Benefits Of Homeschooling – Homeschooling and the family – Homeschool Burnout – Disadvantages of Public Schooling
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
Articles For Homeschooling
What is Homeschooling
The term ‘homeschooling’ basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household. The laws that define homeschooling vary from State to State. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the State. For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school. This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here. Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form. Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this method. This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose. Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents. It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative. Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling. Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start. Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a ‘Notice of Intent’ to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a ‘Private church’ school or a ‘qualified non-public school’. The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child’s attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test. Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling entails. Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work. But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
Benefits Of Homeschooling
Why let Tim and Lisa learn at home than send them to school? Well, first of all, you don’t have to wake them up at 7 every morning and bundle them off to school with umpteen numbers of instructions, and wait with an anxious heart till they return. Homeschooling gives you more control over the influences that affect your child. The growth and development of your child is removed from the realm of the unknown. You, and you alone
can decide what your child needs to do or learn. Tailoring the curriculum to suit the needs and interests of the child is one of the most obvious benefits of homeschooling Individual attention is another salient benefit of homeschooling. For instance, if Lisa needs more time to learn Math, then she can reduce the time for her English lessons. There are no fixed hours of learning per subject. This means that a child has the advantage of assigning more number of hours to the subject that seems tough WITHOUT any additional pressure. The amount of time needed to learn each subject will depend on the abilities and interests of the child. The schooling of the child becomes an extended family activity. Parents get involved in every step of the learning procedure. Field trips and experiments become family activities. Thus, the child receives more quality time with his parents. The entire family shares games, chores and projects. Family closeness becomes the focus here. The child is also free of any negative peer pressure while making choices and decisions. Competition is limited when it comes to homeschooling. The child does not need to prove his ability with regards to other children. His confidence remains intact. Since parents have a deep understanding of their child, they can plan the learning program to pique the child’s interest. It is also possible to intersperse difficult tasks with fun activities. A tough hour with Algebra can be followed by a trip to the nearest museum. Learning becomes fun. Parents can also tailor the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. Some children learn through reading, while others need to write, and still others need to see objects in action. Homeschooling allows parents to take control over the moral and religious learning of the child. Parents have the flexibility to incorporate their beliefs and ideologies into the child’s curriculum. There is no confusion in the child’s mind either because there is no variation between what is being taught and what is being practiced. Lastly, more and more parents are getting disillusioned with the public school system. They believe that their children are being pushed too hard or too little. Other worrying issues pertaining to discipline and ethics also make the school system less welcome. Many repudiate the educational philosophy of grouping children solely on the basis of their age. Some parents themselves have unhappy memories of their own public school experience that motivates them to opt for homeschooling when it comes to their own children. Homeschooling is the best way to teach a child if you have the time, the ability and the interest to follow through with his education. After all, nobody can understand or appreciate your child more than yourself.
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
Disadvantages of public schooling
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.
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
Homeschooling and the family
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.
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
Homeschool Burnout
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 nneighbor or a support group. Don’t try to achieve everything by yourself. Homeschooling means ‘happy schooling’ – don’t forget that.
Resources For Homeschooling
- The HomeScholar Total Transcript Solution
- Ultimate Homeschooling Moms Planner
- Homeschooling E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Homeschool Biz Expo
- One By One: Homeschool Group Leader’s Guide to Motivating Members
- Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Homeschooling ABCs
- Home Business Curriculum For Teen Entrepreneurs-Homeschooled…or not!
- “Any Novel” Novel Study Guide
- Master Math & English. Easy explanations. 1200p poster!
- Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc.
- Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package
- Home Schooling Guidebook
