Thursday, September 20, 2012

Community College Cautions for Homeschoolers

Because many states pay for community college tuition for qualified high school juniors and seniors, a lot of homeschoolers are jumping on the community college bandwagon to a free 2-year degree. But homeschoolers need to be aware of the potential pitfalls, as well as the possibilities, of a community college education, free or not, before they send their children into that environment.

If, for example, you have ever said that public university is not an option for your family because it does not fit your family values, you probably won't be happy with community college either. As much as many public universities are very liberal, radical, and sometimes offensive, a community college can be even more so.

If you do decide that community college is a possibility for your student, there are some strategies to mitigate these problems. The first thing you can do is to use the buddy system, which is what we did when our sons went to community college. We waited until they were both ready to take classes, and tried to always have them in a classroom together or with one or two other friends.

Another way to avoid bad experiences is to evaluate the professors ahead of time. www.ratemyprofessor.com is a good place to find helpful information. Make sure to look at the comments as well as the ratings, because some students rate professors highly just because they don't give homework, or because they show inappropriate material in class. Make sure that you check the actual reviews on that website.

In addition to using the buddy system and vetting professors, it's a good idea to read the course textbooks in advance, as this will give you a sense of the philosophical bent of the teacher. When he was at community college, my son decided to take a class in music improvisation.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

How to Nurture and Educate Your Child So They Want to Learn

If you are interested in providing an education to your child in a homeschool environment, it is absolutely essential that you learn how to properly nurture and educate your child so they want to learn. The love and care that we project to our children will determine how they grow up, the values that they place on education and the manner in which they will parent their own children. By having a desire to educate your child in a homeschool classroom, you have already taken a major step in nurturing your child and building a motivation to learn. This is because you are showing an interest in your child's academics and have a desire for them to achieve success in their academics. Throughout this guide, you will be provided with additional tactics on how to nurture and educate your child so that they have a desire to learn and an appreciation towards learning. By taking these steps, you are assisting your child's academic success.

Recognize the Child as an Individual

The first step to nurturing your child so that they have a desire to learn is to nurture them as individuals. According to child development specialists and those that work in medical fields, such as psychology, the passion that we each experience for learning, working and living stems from our innermost being. You should always work with your child in order to assist them in discovering who they are and their individual passions. By doing so, you are cultivating their sense of self-worth. You should strive to encourage your child and express to them that you believe in their talents, skills and dreams. By doing so, you will find that your child starts to believe in their own talents, skills and dreams. When recognizing the child as an individual in the homeschool classroom, you should perform the following steps:

    It is important to encourage your child and to inform them regularly of how proud you are of them and their accomplishments. If a child feels as if they have a unique sense of purpose, they will develop an identity about themselves that is positive. This level of positivity will then turn into productivity when it comes to their education-based tasks. When you observe your child doing a good job at something, you should always praise them. By doing so, you will find that they start to experience higher levels of competence and that they feel valued.

    When nurturing your child to succeed in education and in the homeschool classroom, it is important that you make a point in listening to them and showing an interest in those things that they are passionate about. You should ask them how they feel regularly, inquire about their opinions and even ask for their ideas. If a child feels that you have a true interest in what they feel and the way that they think, they will feel valuable to you and will open up to you more regularly.

    Express to your child that they are special and unique. That the things that they enjoy, the way that they think and their feelings make them an individual. You may even elect to use a homeschool education curriculum that centers on your child's unique traits, interests and characteristics. By doing so, you are nurturing a personality that will have a desire to learn.

The Real World

Many children that are in a homeschool education environment benefit more than their peers that attend traditional academic institutions because of the fact that they often have more knowledge and expertise about what many refer to as the "Real World". If you want to nurture your child in such a way that they are driven to learn and achieve academic success, you may take the following steps:

    You should always set an example for your children when it comes to attitudes and various types of behaviors as far as education is concerned. You should ensure that your child observes your natural passion for learning and working. As a result, they will start to model this passion. Motivating through example is one of the most positive means of building a desire to learn when it comes to kids.

    When educating your child in a homeschool classroom, it is important to utilize standard, everyday activities in life to teach them. All of these activities - regardless of how small or large they are - assist in developing skills and building knowledge. Children may learn about responsibility, consequences, being reliable, how to make decisions and how to develop respect for themselves and others.

    If you elect to homeschool your child, you should always have high, but realistic, expectations for your child. Hard work, self-discipline and the ability to overcome obstacles will build a child's self-confidence and will assist in helping them become more motivated at learning.

Conclusion

The homeschool classroom is quickly becoming the top education choice among parents. It is more than just teaching kids, it is an opportunity for a child to develop as an individual and to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Once weaknesses are identified, a child may then turn them into strengths if they are nurtured in such a way that they want to learn. The steps contained in this guide will motivate and encourage children to become excited when it comes to their education. Your involvement should be both positive and proactive. Above all, you should celebrate all accomplishments. By doing so, you will produce a passionate learner that will excel in the homeschool classroom and all other academic endeavors.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

How to Get Your Child Set for Home Schooling

The decision to do home schooling is a serious step to be made by any parent. The effects of the decision would have an impact on your children not just now but in the years to come. This is the reason why it should be considered carefully by any parent first.

Now assuming that you have thought about it thoroughly and you have come to the conclusion that home schooling is going to be the best move for your child, then a lot of work is still to be done. You need to see to it that your child is properly prepared for dealing with what she would be facing with this form of education.

To help you out here are some ideas that you can use in getting your child ready for home schooling:

· First of all, your kids should have been part of the decision making process of going for home schooling. They should not just be surprised with the decision all of a sudden that they have to follow this system. It is important for them to feel that they were part of the process.

· You need to make them see the advantages of the educational system that you have chosen for them. You have to be honest about the way you talk to them about this. Don't try to tell myths about the traditional school system, because once they find the truth they might feel that you betrayed them.

· Let them see the school system near you by taking them there and telling them about how it works. You don't have to do this if your kid has been to school already and you are just switching, though you might have a harder time convincing them of the soundness of your decision.

· You need to start letting them explore what you have in store. Let them read up on related materials so that they can have a feel of what is in store for them. If your kids still has to learn to read then you can try other methods.

· You should start assessing the level and the skill of your child. This is the time to take note of their strength and weaknesses so that you would know where you should concentrate and what subjects should be your priority.

· Let them pick the places where you would be touring. Going to museums and parks should be a part of your home schooling program. This is one way for them to really get to explore how vast the world is.

These are just some of the ways on how you can prepare your kids for home schooling. You should realize however that when it comes to preparation, you would have to do a lot more than your child. You would be the one to teach and so you need more knowledge and confidence.

You cannot just learn how to do home-schooling right away. You need to prepare for it and get things ready so that you can be sure to do things in the proper way.


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

How to Prepare for Home Schooling Your Kids

Statistics indicate that the number of parents opting to home school their kids is on the rise. That is not surprising, since there are many reports indicating that children who underwent home schooling performs a lot better than those who go to school in a traditional way.

In the past, a majority of parents who home schooled their children did so because of religious or personal beliefs. What they believed in goes directly against the idea of sending their kids with others of their own age to interact freely or it could be that they don't want their kids to be confused with the teaching in schools.

Things have changed now and some parents just go for home schooling because they feel that it is the best move to bring out the best in their kids. If you believe in the same way and you want to try home schooling then it is important that you should know how to properly prepare for it.

Home schooling your kids means that you will be taking on the responsibility of being their teacher. There is no need to emphasize the importance of such a responsibility. It will basically determine if your child will actually be learning or not.

In order to help you out on starting to become a home schooling parent, here are some of the things that you need to do in order to prepare properly for the task:

1. First of all, you need to assess your own ability to teach your kids. Do you feel confident that you can handle that responsibility? If you have your doubts then you should seek the opinion of someone who is an expert on the matter, and when I say an expert, that doesn't mean your friends at work or your neighbor.

2. You need not have a doctorate on some subject in order to teach your kids at home, but it would really be helpful if you have a strong background in education yourself. That would allow you to handle your kid's home education in the right way.

3. Pick the curriculum that you would be following for your kid's education. Read the materials that will be used and make sure that you understand them.

4. Don't stop using the resources that you will be getting. It would help if you study further and use other materials that you can find in order to conduct your research. It is important that you know the subject that you are going to teach by heart.

5. Look for some training where you can get some knowledge on the proper teaching methods especially for children. You can also do it online. There are many resources where you can learn teaching in the proper way.

6. Be confident about yourself. Your kids will feel it when you start to doubt yourself when you are teaching them and that simply would never do. You have to gain their trust and that starts by believing in yourself that you can actually teach your kids.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

What Do I Like To Do Business Concepts - I Like Teaching Kids to Learn and Think

Not long ago, I had a fellow writer suggest to me that I should write a number of articles having to do with small business and entrepreneurship on the subject of; "what do I like to do?" Why you ask? Well, he was suggesting that you should do what you like to do in life, and if you're going to start an entrepreneurial endeavor it should be something that you have a passion for. Okay so, let me ask you my readers; what is it that you like to do, what is it you like to do more than anything else? The answers vary from person to person, and they are individual, it's totally in your mind and your decision, no one else can answer those questions for you.

When you ask people these questions, many come up with very interesting answers. One common answer is; "I like teaching kids to learn and think." Now then, I'm sure many teachers today started out with that same passion. So, they grew up, went to school, got their teaching credentials, and now are teaching. Unfortunately, this might be difficult for someone getting out of college today because they are laying-off teachers, and they don't seem to be hiring any new ones. But that doesn't mean you can't do which you love to do. Let's go ahead and talk about this for second shall we?

There are many businesses you can start doing such as doing tutoring, private instruction, coaching, and mentoring kids. One of the most interesting up-and-coming professions might be to become a homeschooling coach or consultant. Some folks wish to teach their own kids at home, but they don't know how, they are a little unsure of themselves, and they need someone to help them along. Then there are homeschooling networks who also hire outside consultants and coaches to help with their groups.

There is more than ample opportunity here and it is a growing sector. This might be somewhere you can hang your hat if you want to start your own business as a solo professional doing teaching, or working in the field. In this case you might be giving seminars to homeschooling parents or helping augment their curriculum by coming in and tutoring the kids, or giving specialized instruction on those things they don't feel comfortable in teaching. For instance, when homeschooling parents get into higher math, or things that they don't feel are their strong suit, they would be glad to have someone come in, and they'd be glad to pay for it.

With the homeschooling networks in the local area often they can afford to pay someone because they are pooling their resources together and enjoying the economies of scale. This means they have money to pay you, and it means you can run your business successfully.


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Driving Without Petrol

Would you attempt to drive a car with no petrol?
Then why do 11+ tutors try to do the equivalent with their students?

My wife would look at me with a bemused, confused look of frustration if I slammed my keys on the kitchen counter, and shared my frustration with her at the car not working because of the fact that there is no petrol in the car. Why don't you go to the petrol station? Would be her initial thought...

Yet sitting a student down in front of an eleven plus paper, asking a student to respond to the questions, and then watching them stutter and struggle is of course the exact equivalent. Beware of tutors that start looking at 11+ papers instantly: the metaphorical petrol needs to be provided first!

Fact. You can not make a car work without petrol.
Fact. You can not make a student do well with 11+ papers without prior knowledge.

Students need at least three to four months where their generic English skills are built, where their sentence structure usage is perfected and where they can use punctuation with absolute precision. They need to read many sophisticated books, complete many different elements of differentiated comprehension and perfect their English skills to such a level that the student can sit in front of an 11+ paper with confidence, not dread.

Beware of the tutor that starts looking at papers straight away, sits looking at your child work on them, and then runs through the correct answers: this is not teaching. This is not education. This is someone looking to take your money from you for minimum effort and teaching.

Make sure that your child is actually taught when they prepare for the 11+ plus. Accept no passengers. Make sure that the petrol is in the car before you drive it!

In my experience in life, you are what you are surrounded with. If your child is surrounded by like-minded intelligent young students who want to learn then it will quite clearly have an effect on the mind set of your child. The working ethos inside the class room is absolutely crucial. If parents were to enquire of the one thing that frustrates most teachers, it is the lack of desire to be successful in the classroom by a vast amount of state educated children. If there is no desire, what, truthfully, can teachers do? In actual fact, it is the lack of desire in young students today that appears to be the crucial instigator in poor behaviour. Grammar schools, by their very nature, will be full with students with desire. And that has to be good for your child! The desire to succeed in life is a wonderful attribute to have, and the more your child is surrounded with these kinds of students, the better.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

ds By Google Instant Credit Cards Company Seo Art for Kids Math Curriculum Carol A Henderson Platinum Quality Author Platinum Author | 15 Articles Joined: April 14, 2012 United States Was this article helpful? 0 0 Ads by Google Exhibitions www.hktdc.com/hkfashionweek Meet 1,300+ Fashion Suppliers HK Fashion Week For Fall/Winter Educational Technology www.met.ubc.ca International Master's Program 100% Online - Apply Now Download Free Montessori MontessoriHelper.com Materials Online Now ! Print and Use Instantly Photography School www.NYFA.edu Students Get a Free DSLR Camera! Hands-On Intensive Courses. MA in Education Studies teachtesol.org/postgraduate_courses.html All modules are taught face to face by lecturers from Bangor University Universities In Australia studyadelaide.com choose your suitable degree courses The official government website! Harrow School Beijing www.HarrowBeijing.cn Close Tutoring. Rich Activities. Excellent Academic Results Harvest West www.harvestwest.edu.au Christian Leadership Training Certificate, Diploma and Degree Academic Journals in U.S. www.iiste.org Call for Papers Submit and Publish! Faster review and rapid publication High School Online www.aiuhs.org Self-paced online courses help you Finish High School your way. Whorush: 406 sites by this AdSense ID Homeschool Art Curriculum - Artistic Appreciation and Creation for Every Child

Homeschool art curriculum should instill an appreciation for artistic works in every child while giving them the opportunity to create interesting things with their own hands. Art instruction can include anything within the artistic world, from drawing and painting to sculpting and creating ceramic bowls. Since you are teaching your children at home you have no boundaries when it comes to developing an exciting and stimulating homeschool art curriculum.

Homeschool Art Appreciation

The best way to teach children to appreciate art is to let them see a diverse collection of art in a variety of forms. Take note of all art museums and galleries in your local area, plus areas that are a reasonable drive for weekend or overnight field trips. Try to find exhibits and museums that celebrate unusual forms of art by artists of different ages and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Plan leisurely trips that will allow children to explore these art displays without feeling rushed.

You can also check your local library for books that show pictures of different art forms. If your child takes an interest in a specific type of art, you can find a book on the art form to combine reading and homeschool art curriculums. The same thing can be done with biographies of famous and modern artists.

Homeschool Art Creation

A portion of your homeschool art curriculum should center on projects that allow children to try their own hand at different art forms. What art forms you include and how they are approached depends on the interests of your children and your financial resources. Here are some ideas to get your creative ideas flowing:

    Check drawing or painting instruction books out of the library so children can learn to draw and/or paint things they find interesting. Invest in a good drawing pad so they have space to practice. Display their drawings in a home gallery and invite friends and family members over once a month, just like a real gallery.

    Sign your child up for lessons in art forms that are not easily practiced at home. For instance, pottery or ceramics lessons may be offered through community organizations.

    Take your child to a local business offering pottery services. You can pick out a piece of pottery already created and then allow your child to paoint it. Classes may be offered from these businesses as well.

    Sign up for homeschool art curriculum programs, such as Artistic Pursuits. You can purchase comprehensive curriculum packages that include a variety of interesting art projects that can be completed at home. Some programs focus only on projects, but Artistic Pursuits focuses on art appreciation as well.

    Search for art project ideas online. For instance, you will find tons of ideas if you visit Pinterest.com.

Anything that allows your child to try their hand at an artistic form can qualify as homeschool art curriculum. Make sure you are realistic about your child's ability. You may need to complete some steps of a project for your child, and smaller children will need to be supervised when working with scissors, glue, and other art tools.

Diversity vs. Excellence

Many homeschool children will take a serious interest in one form of art before they are out of high school. If this happens with your child, make sure to balance the time they spend exploring that art form and the time they spend exploring other forms of art. You want your budding artist to practice their art and develop their skills, but you also want them to appreciate other forms of art.

You may find ways to combine homeschool art instruction with other curriculums, such as math and history. If your child loves art, make sure to plan lessons to teach other subjects through the guise of art. For instance, studying the art in one period of history may help a child understand other elements at play during that historical time.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Great Gift Ideas for Homeschool Parents

Homeschooling is a lot of work, as anyone who's done it for a while will tell you. It seems like we forget that we need to invest in ourselves as teachers, just like the teachers down the street at the public schools do when they take teacher-in-service or continued education days. In the same way, homeschool parents need to invest in their own ongoing education; we need refreshment, tools and resources to do our job, and sometimes renewed inspiration. There are many great 'helps' available for homeschooling parents today, and some of them could even find their way onto your Christmas list! If your family or friends are asking you for some gift ideas, here are a few I suggest you put on your list!

Some gifts for home educators will actually help us to be more efficient, and give us more time for homeschool tasks. "Managers of Their Homes" is a book that will help you with organization skills. It will help you schedule your day, help your children know what time to do what subjects, and help you figure out how you fit in your little ones and handle the toddlers.

This book is one of the best things that you can give to another homeschooling parent, too. A weekend away from homeschooling will help that parent regroup, take a deep breath, and realize it's not as horrible as it seems. If they read this book, they will figure out why they're overwhelmed, and learn strategies for not being overwhelmed in the future.

Another book I recommend is "The Sidetracked Home Executives," which will help you with household chores. Often it's not so much the homeschooling that's hard; it's the home that's hard. This book can really help you with that.

Another type of gift that will help you cope is gifts that help with cooking. Freezer cooking is one kind I have had great success with. If you just cook on the weekend, and enjoy those meals throughout the week, or cook two days out of the month to make freezer meals and eat those meals during the rest of the month, you will save a significant amount of time.

There are two books that I recommend for freezer cooking. One is the manual by 30-Day Gourmet and the other is their seasonal cookbook, "Holiday Freezer Cooking" from 30-Day Gourmet. "30-Day Gourmet" is a little bit of a misnomer, because the recipes are very down to earth and standard, so they're really not very gourmet. The "Holiday Freezer Cooking" book is worth its weight in gold. I can make ahead so many things for our Christmas meal.

Crock-pot recipes are another great cooking method to save time. If you normally start your school day at 8 or 9 in the morning, fifteen minutes before you start, you put your meal in the crock-pot, and then it's done at 5 o'clock. Two good starting cookbooks are "Fix It and Forget It" and "The Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes."

Remember to invest in yourself this season. You need time to continue learning about homeschooling, especially high school.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

How to Prepare Your Child to Read in 5 Easy Steps

1. Read to your child early and often. When they are at the stage of being able to understand what you're doing, follow along with your finger as you're reading each word. This will help them realize that you are reading left to right, sounding out words, and what the words look like. Having many books in your home and reading to your child every day will foster a love of stories and reading that will last a lifetime. Teaching your child to read, is one thing. Teaching your child to love to read is another. The process of learning to read should to be a natural progression of push and retreat, as they become ready for each new stage. It needs to be a positive, playful and fun process if you want your child to ultimately enjoy reading.

2. Teach your child the alphabet song so that they begin to learn the names of the individual letters and their alphabetical order. Singing and playing is the best way to keep your child open to receiving new information. With repetition, your child will begin to memorize the alphabet which is the basis for learning how to read. Next, they need to see the shape of each letter as they sing the ABC's. This will help them associate the name of the letter with what the letter looks like, both capital and lower case.

3. Have educational alphabet toys around the house. There are many letter toys that say the name of the letter and the phonetic sound that letter makes. Playing is a no pressure learning zone. Some of the beneficial toys include; letters your child can play with in the bathtub when their attention is more focused. You can have your child find certain letters, and then say the phonetic sound it makes. Create fun games with them. There are also magnetic letter sets you can put on your refrigerator in the kitchen. Those are nice because they are constantly available. Your child interacts with the individual magnetic letters by putting them into a small magnetic letter reader which then says the name of the letter, the sound it makes, and sings a little song about it. This is a wonderful toy because it is so accessible being in the kitchen. It's nice when your child is interested in something that can hold their attention while it is teaching them at the same time. Then of course, there are many DVDs that can entertain your child as well as broaden their pre-reading education.

4. Interact with your child and the letters of the alphabet. Engage your child in alphabet games. Finding letters is like a scavenger hunt adventure. As you go about your day, make it a game to find each letter of the alphabet on anything you see, from labels, signs or billboards etc. Depending on your child's level, you can merely have one letter of the day each day, or if they are more advanced you can go systematically though the alphabet in alphabetical order. Reinforce the phonetic sound the letter makes once that letter is identified. Remember to also reinforce your child's accomplishment to encourage them to learn even more.

5. Once your child can recognize letters, identify letter names and the phonetic sound each letter makes, they have mastered the foundation for learning how to read. At this stage, when you're reading to them, progressively get them more involved. Have your child sound out a word or two as you're reading along together. Not guessing the word because they already know the story, but actually sounding out the individual letters and putting them together to make a little word. At first, use very small words like "u" "p", "up". A little at a time, they will feel the pride of accomplishing a job well done. For positive reinforcement you can reward them with stickers for their success. Children love learning new things, and even tiny achievements help build their self-esteem.