Know The Advantages of Homeschooling

Although there may be some disadvantages to homeschooling, the 15 advantages for parents and students that are listed below far outweigh them. When you home school your children, you are able to:

o Address those bigger issues with your children whenever you feel that they’re ready to handle them

o Build relationships with your children that are more intimate and meaningful

o Control exactly what your children will be learning and when you teach it to them

o Create weekly agendas that allow you to perform your normal tasks as well as fitting your needs to the agenda without dealing with the normal constraints of the conventional class schedule

o Give your children more in-depth and personalized attention with any of the subjects that they excel in or struggle with

o Help your children to mature through the different, difficult stages of their lives

o Nurture your child’s natural talents, enabling them to grow and thrive in art, math, music, etc.

o Protect them from the many negative influences that they would usually encounter outside of your home

o Share your joy of homeschooling your children with your husband or wife

o Share the more common, daily joys of life with your children

o Show your children how exciting home learning is (not boring)

o Tailor your homeschooling methods and techniques to fit with your child’s dominant style of learning

o Take educational vacations regardless of what time of the year it is and whether or not school is in session

o Teach with a 1-on-1 approach so you are more effective and can continue interacting with them

o Transfer your beliefs as well as your family values on to your children while addressing whatever questions they may have

Although the list of advantages may go on, the 15 mentioned above should be enough to make you consider education of your children at home. This is almost enough information to help you make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to home school them. However, remember that making the decision to home schooling the children is a big step as well as a difficult one to make because it will take up a large amount of your time during the day. Getting your spouse as involved as possible, is always helpful as they can be addressing the other issues around the home that you are unable to deal with while you are teaching. However, there are online forums where you can discuss with other parents about this system of education and whether it would suit your lifestyle.

Mason’s method is a favorite amongst homeschooling parents. In fact, many public schools have adopted and adapted many of her principles of education and are applying them in the classroom.

What is Charlotte Mason‘s method? According to Wikipedia, it is a method in which children are taught as whole persons through a wide range of interesting living books, first hand experiences, and good habits.

Some of the main components of  Charlotte Mason‘s method are:

1. Living Books

These actually tell a story instead of having a student learn from a dry textbook. Historical fiction is an example. Children take a great deal more interest in hearing a story than reading some material which is written dully in a textbook.

2. Narration

Students take what they have gleaned from a lesson, field trip, reading and put it in their own words in a journal. These responses do not have to be in words. They can be in pictures, diagrams, brief snippets, etc.

3. Short Lessons

For younger children, no lesson should last longer than 15-20 minutes (this trains their attention span). For older students, the lessons may be lengthened to 30-45 minutes.

4. History

Use historical fiction, living diaries, journals, letters, primary sources, speeches. Tell it like a story, use a time line. Manipulative time lines are very helpful.

5. Foreign Language

Teach the students how to hear and speak the language first. Then worry about reading and writing the language. Isn’t that how we learn our native languages?

6. Geography

Children can learn geography through the current reading material and identifying locations on maps and globes. Mason recommended a 10 minute blank map drill weekly for the locations being studied. Many educators today refer to this as visual mapping. Students look at a map for a number of minutes. Then they reproduce everything they remember. They immediately study the original map again to assess their performance and to try to remember more. This activity is repeated several times for 10-15 minutes.

7. Copy work

A child carefully copies a well written passage. He/she absorbs grammar and punctuation rules and improves handwriting.

8. Nature Study

Outdoor studies and field trips. The children keep journals on what they see, labeling each entry with locations, names, and dates observed.

9. Math

Use manipulatives to enable your child to understand the hows and whys of the basics of math.

· Join homeschooling clubs, support groups or co-ops. These can be invaluable sources of information for you. There are many parents out there with the same ideas about education and values that you have. All of the groups may not be aligned with your values. Keep looking until you find some that you share something in common with.

· Attend a convention or curriculum fair in your state to learn about available resources. Most states have these yearly.

· Find out what is legally required in your state. It varies.

· Select the curriculum that best fits your teaching style and your child’s learning style. Or, take what works for you from each one and become an eclectic educator!

· Read, read, read. There are many books and magazines dedicated to home schooling.

· Stay organized. Plan ahead how you are going to handle record keeping, how you are going to assess learning, how you are going to spend your days, and how you are going to teach certain concepts. Teachers in public and private schools spend a great deal of time planning. You need to plan as well. However, don’t over plan. You don’t want to simulate the school system by becoming inflexible due to plans that have been made.

· A fun tip is to give your home school a name, mascot, colors, and perhaps even a logo! Have the kids participate in this. It will give them ownership and allegiance to “their” school.

· Don’t worry so much about socialization or the lack thereof. Kids don’t necessarily need to be in a school setting in order to have their social needs and growth met. There are lots of home schooling co-ops and groups that hold organized activities. Church activities, the Boy and Girl Scouts, and other community clubs can provide a much healthier social activity schedule for your children. Many home schooling groups get together for field trips or lessons.

· Sports activities do not have to end if you are home schooling either. Look into your local recreational center, the YMCA, and local sports leagues. Many home schooling groups have organized sports leagues themselves. Also, check with the public school division in your town. Some of them are allowing home schooled children to participate in clubs, bands, and interscholastic sports. It varies from state to state and from division to division. It doesn’t hurt to inquire.

Don’t stress, you are getting ready to embark on a pretty exciting journey with your children. There are a plethora of people and groups willing to embrace your decision and support you in your endeavors.

Sure, you’ll still have your share of setbacks, but it’s so rewarding when you finally see those little breakthroughs suddenly develop into major a progression in your child’s comprehension.

First of all, just what is Dyslexia? According to Answers.com, Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by problems in reading, spelling, writing, speaking, or listening. In many cases, dyslexia appears to be inherited.

Dyslexic children seem to have trouble learning early reading skills, problems hearing individual sounds in words, analyzing whole words in parts, and blending sounds into words. Letters such as “d” and “b” may be confused.

Often, a person with dyslexia has a problem translating language into thought (such as in listening or reading), or translating thought into language (such as in writing or speaking).

If you are just starting to teach your dyslexic child, you must remember one thing. Your child is not retarded. His brain is just wired a little differently. Many famous people like Edison, Einstein and Churchill were all dyslexics. It is not a death sentence. People with dyslexia can live rewarding, productive lives.

Being dyslexic does mean that your child will have to work harder than his peers to learn basic language skills. You may have noticed problems with his speech at a young age. This is typical.

Also many dyslexics often have trouble concentrating, especially when they have no interest in the subject. They tend to learn better with hands-on (kinesthetic) methods. Games that teach language skills are quite helpful.

Within academic circles there is much discussion about what is the best way to teach a dyslexic. Some say to use phonics while others promote the whole language method. I’m going to tell you to do both. Hit it from all angles. Find out what works best with your child. Every child is different.

There are many programs that may be beneficial. These include Sequential Spelling, Spell to Read and Write, or All About Spelling. Sequential Spelling teaches spelling patterns and builds on those patterns.

Spell to Write and Read teaches all the phonograms first, then combining phonograms (letters or groups of letters associated with a sound) to build words. All About Spelling also begins with the phonograms and then moves on to syllables then words. All of these programs are reasonably priced.

Barten, Wilson and ABC Reading are also good and are all based on the Orten-Gillingham approach. This method is language-based, multisensory, sequential, systematic and has produced good results.

The Orten-Gillingham method starts by having the student read and write the basic letter sounds. The student learns short vowel sounds and consonant sounds. Simple words are learned first.

Once the easy C-A-T type words are learned, then they move on to long vowels, diphthongs (vowels that make two gliding speech sounds which are usually interpreted as one, ex. Oi,oy), digraphs ( two vowels that make one sound ) and blends. Spelling is learned right along with reading. Review is continuous.

After the student has mastered words, then the same type of systematic approach is used for learning vocabulary, sentence structure, reading comprehension, and composition. Again, review is continuous.

While all of the above mentioned programs are good, it may be you are looking for a less expensive way of helping your child. It is not that difficult but you must be willing to devote a lot of time to your child.

First you get a listing of the basic phonemes of the English language (in Noah Webster’s Reading/Spelling Handbook, for example). Phonemes are basic units of sound (ex. B,t,ph,th,s,a,i) that are capable of conveying a distinction in meaning.

You will also need some cards or tiles with letters on them. Using the handbook as your guide, teach your child the long and short vowels, consonants, blends, diphthongs and digraphs.

Start with the short vowel words. Play games with the letters. For example, make the word “tap”. Have your child read and spell the word. Then tell him to reverse the letters and ask him what word he has made. “Pat”. Have him make different words by changing a vowel or consonant.

Once he has mastered the short vowel words move on to the long vowel words. This kind of exercise will help your child understand the patterns in the English language.

Not all dyslexic children are the same. Some are effected by this problem only mildly, some moderately and some severely. The severity of your child’s problem, his age and past educational history all factor in when deciding how to help your child.

So don’t let those bumps in the road discourage you. It’s kind of a cliche’, but two steps forward, one step back is still progress. With all the helps that are available nowadays, your task of teaching your dyslexic child at home has become less daunting and more rewarding.

Whatever the reason however the one thing that unites parents who opt for home schooling is a belief that the public school system does a poor job of educating children.

Despite what many parents believe, home schooling is not a new idea which requires you to strike out on your own and start reshaping the education system. In fact, until compulsory education laws were established in the middle of the 19th century, nearly all children were educated at home.

Public education however really came into its own during the 20th century and followed an authoritarian model of Prussian schooling started during the 1800s. Today public education is the norm and, in most cases, the Prussian model is still being followed in most countries.

By the 1960s dissatisfaction with public schooling in several quarters led to a number of challenges, in many cases stemming from books by now well known authors such as John Holt, and parents began to withdraw from the public education system.

Some of the parents withdrawing were early libertarians who were simply eager to be free of the state wherever possible. Others wished to return to an older tradition of Classical Liberal training, either from offshoots of the Roman Catholic Church (like the Jesuits) or of the Greek Enlightenment ideals.

Whatever the philosophy involved however a common set of ideas evolved that have became dominant in home schooling.

One fundamental idea is that a child is a naturally active learner. This idea is well rooted in history and dates back to the time of Aristotle who began his famous book Metaphysics with the words “All men possess by nature the desire to know.” This idea holds that, given the right environment and resources, there is no need to enforce learning as children are keen to explore the world around them.

Beyond this one central idea school of thought within home schooling then begin to diverge on what should take place next.

In some cases parents embrace ‘unschooling’ which operates on the basis that the parent or tutor does not need a curriculum or to give children any direction. Here children are simply provided with books and a range of other natural resources and they will then learn whatever takes their natural interest.

Other parents turn to a more formal structure, in some cases even going so far as to use the same materials and teach exactly the same topics as are taught in the public schools. Here the parent or tutor is simply taking the place of the state teacher and the home replaces the school.

These two positions demonstrate the extremes of home schooling and yet other parents prefer to take the middle ground following ideas such as those put forward by people like Dr Montessori. Under the Montessori teaching system children are allowed to develop at their own pace but are provided with suitable materials and guidance. The parent or tutor is guided by the child, rather than the reverse seen in public schooling, allowing a child’s imagination to provide the stimulation for learning. The emphasis is also very much on self-correction rather than correction by the parent or tutor.

Whatever your motivation and whatever approach you adopt, there is one consistent line of thought and that is that the children are the focal point of the learning experience and their proper development is the goal. As far as home schooling parents are concerned, this goal is best achieved outside the state system which has not, and cannot, provide the same quality of instruction as most parents can.

Many of the regulations include parental notification, test scores, professional evaluation of student progress and curriculum approval. Families shouldn’t be scared off by the general requirements for homeschooling. There may be some initial paperwork to handle but as long as the teaching parent can keep good records there shouldn’t be andy fear of the state stepping in and ordering your child back to public school.

The states that have no requirements for homeschooling do not require the parents to initiate any contact. These states include Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico. Parents are not obligated to contact the school districts to notify them that they will be homeschooling their children.

States that have low general requirements for homeschooling require the parents to notify the school district that they are homeschooling their children and nothing else. These states include California, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Delaware, Washington D.C. and the territory of the Virgin Islands.

Moderately regulated states require parents to send notification, test scores and provide a professional evaluation of the student’s progress. The states in this category include Oregon, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Maryland and the territories of American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands.

States with the highest regulations may be the most troublesome to parents contemplating homeschooling. These states general requirements for homeschooling stipulate parents have to send notification or achievement test scores, provide professional evaluations of student progress as well as provide a written curriculum that needs to be approved by the state, teacher qualification of the parents and on some occasions visits by state officials to check the student’s progress. These states include Washington, Utah, North Dakota, Minnesota, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. These states have few requirements for the Kindergarten level but the regulations become stricter at each subsequent grade level.

A parent is considered competent to operate a homeschool if they follow the individual state’s regulations; they do not need to have teacher certification. The parents need to file a notice at their local school that they intend to homeschool in the low to highly regulated states. Those that fall within the medium to highly regulated states will also need to keep attendance records, file quarterly reports and a grade narrative for each of the subjects taught. Highly regulated states may require an annual assessment at the end of the school year.

The general requirements for homeschool vary greatly from state to state. The parents should be well versed in the legal aspects of homeschooling before they decide to attempt it. Most parents will find that the red tape at the beginning is well worth it.

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If you need an online tutor, courseware or wish to offer your services as a paid online tutor contact our website. Magic Learning Systems also provides excellent products to enhance the homeschool experience for teachers and students. For additional information visit the Homeschool Success News website.

One of the options that parents have when homeschooling their children is to go with an accredited homeschooling curriculum. These types of schools can give your child the same education as they would otherwise get in a public school, yet accredited home schools make this task a bit easier.

Accredited home schools basically have the same type of curriculum as those of the public schools. However unlike their public school counterparts these accredited homeschooling curriculum allow for the students to learn the subject matter at their own pace. Parents and kids can also telephone their teachers and receive extra help that they might be. This type of coverage will very from subject matter and from one accredited type of homeschool to another.

These types of homeschooling programs are gaining popularity with many parents. With the growing concern of not only the educational quality of the public school, but the safety of the children while in these public schools as well; accredited homeschooling is becoming a more and more viable option for parents wanting to educate their children outside of the public school system.

Another great advantage to homeschooling your children is that with homeschooling as parents you aren’t subjected to attendance rules and strict scheduling requirements found in the public school system. Homeschooling your children is all about flexibility both with the education and with the family schedule.

As we speak there are over a million children now who are receiving some sort of homeschooling. Parents opting to use some form of accredited home schools enjoy the advantage of having the accredited schools keep track of their students progress and also have any records of the students and their studies if such documentation is needed. Although most state colleges readily admit home schooled children, some parents preferred the peace of mind to have the documentation handy from an accredited homeschooling source.

As a parent if you’re considering homeschooling your child there are certainly a number of considerations to be aware of. Don’t let the vast amount of information available to you get you overwhelmed. Take your time in looking over all of the material that you gather, but don’t try to gather it all. Take into consideration your family values and what you consider important in your child’s education.

If you’re new to homeschooling, you may wish to get started using a prepackaged curriculum or some type of accredited homeschooling program. Many parents find this type of structure the best use of their time and their child’s education.

No matter what type of homeschooling format you choose, I think you’ll find the work is hard but just as rewarding as you watch your child grow into an adult knowing that you’ve provided the best foundation that you could for their lifelong successes.

The simple fact of the matter is that there are many, quality studies which show that, on average, home schooling produces superior students. To an extent of course this is understandable as parents clearly have an effect on education no matter which route they take. A parent who is genuinely interested in the education of his or her children will help to motivate them, producing better results.

But there is certainly more to it that this and there are many cases, in a great enough variety of situations, to take even this into account and still come to the conclusion that home schooling produces better results.

Even the Unites States Department of Education agrees. In one study which they sponsored themselves home schooled students produced exceptionally high test scores. The median scores in every grade were far higher than those of public schools and even higher than those of private school students. The average home schooled student in grades one through four was a grade level above that of public school peers and, by the time home schooled students reached the equivalent of the 8th grade, they were as much as four years ahead of students attending public school.

As if this were not enough, costs were also lower. On average, government schools spent $6,500 per student each year and private schools spent $3,500. By contrast, parents undertaking home schooling spent about $550 per student each year. This figure for home schooling does not of course take into account the time spent by parents on home schooling for which a public school teacher would be paid.

The public school system as we know it today evolved during the second half of the 19th century as one state after another made school attendance compulsory. Perhaps the most interesting question however, and one which rarely seems to be asked, is why, if public schooling offered such superior value, it was necessary for the states to make it compulsory and to force parents to put their children into the public school system.

It could be, and sometimes is, argue that this was due to the ignorance of rural parents who did not see the value of education. However, it is interesting to note that adult illiteracy rates in 1840 Massachusetts were a low 2% and that, by 1995, this figure had risen to 19%, in spite of apparently enormous advances in the intervening years. In 1840 libraries were rare and today they are everywhere as books are both relatively inexpensive and easy to trade.

Today over a million children are home schooled in the United States and thousands of home schooled students have attended colleges and universities, including many of the most prestigious and difficult to get into.

Whatever your own thoughts about home schooling vs public schooling there is no doubt that the results clearly show the advantage of home schooling.

While public schools are funded to handle children with special needs, these locations are not always the best arenas for autistic children. One of the reasons that home-schooling your autistic child is a good idea is because special education programs may lump autistic children in with others who have maladaptive behavioral problems.

Remember, autistic children have behavioral problems due to their developmental inability to properly function normally in social situations. If they are placed in with others who have emotional problems they may regress instead of progress. However, if home-schooled, parents can control the social influences that are likely to either help or hinder the progress of their child. They can keep them away from insensitive teachers, bullies, and have greater control of their education.

Due to their obvious differences, many autistic children are treated with cruelty. This horrible fact of life can undo much of the progress that your child may have already made. Most autistic children function best when routines are set. Home-schooling is the best way to ensure these routines are established and followed.

In addition, home-schooling is a good choice because many autistic children are sensitive to sound. If they are in a classroom with a bunch of other children making noise, it can be difficult for them to focus.

The home-schooling setting is normally more quiet and conducive to learning, besides, it offers autistic children a typically 1:1 teacher to student ratio. Plus, if you’re following a GFCF diet it’s much easier to implement this at home and you can be sure that your child is only eating what you’re giving them.

Furthermore, research has demonstrated that autistic children who are home-schooled score better on problem behavior assessments.

In order to make the most out of your child’s home-school experience, it may be a good idea to keep a journal. Write down anything about your child’s behavior and performance that is important. For instance, you can keep track of when your child is most productive, when he or she learns best, and what are the potential distractions. Remember you’ll need to adapt your teaching style to suit their learning ability. Trying to make them learn ‘your way’ will just lead to a lack of progress and frustration all round.

As a parent and a teacher it is important for you to read up on recent literature involving the education of autistic children. There are many resources that provide information on teaching strategies, learning methods, and the different types of intelligence. Knowing this information will enable you to tailor a home-school program that will meet your child’s needs.

The beauty about home-schooling is that if one approach doesn’t work you can adapt your style until you find an approach that does work.

Home-schooling is fast becoming a common educational choice for parents of autistic children. The research involved clearly outlines the benefits of home-schooling. However, you must ensure that you will have the time and the dedication to follow through with home-schooling. Simply keeping your child at home is not going to do any good if learning is not occurring. It is important that you address academic, behavioral, and social needs.

When a family homeschools, this reciprocal relationship is magnified. Homeschooling participants are affected by more than just the person who sit at the homeschool table. All generations create and reinforce the bond between family members. Home schooling families spend their time laughing, learning, playing and living with each other 24/7.

You can choose the best curriculum to promote an intrinsic love of lifelong learning. The homeschool curriculum is flexible. The parameters are determined by the best teachers available, the parents, who know and love their children.

Learning never stops in the homeschool environment. The parents are not just lecturers or observers. They are active participants who expand, explain and encourage their children to be inquisitive and explore the specific areas that interest them without the constraints of arbitrary rules set up by an outside source.

Another benefit to homeschooling is that the parents model and reinforce valuable behavior and deemphasize undesirable behavior in a natural manner.

Historically several generations lived in the same home. Everyone benefited from this multi-generational living arrangement, coming away with valuable lessons that cannot be taught in a book. Plus most of the time there was the added advantage of the multi-grade/level schoolhouse for the formal education.

Presently we often put the older generation in nursing homes when they get too bothersome (only to visit them on holidays), and we settle for a failing public school system that has been tasked with being everything to everyone but alienates most participants.

Homeschooling is the best of both worlds. It’s good for both the family and for your children’s education.

The benefits of home schooling are limitless. As a parent who homeschooled three children, I feel that homeschooling is the greatest gift a parent can give their child. Try it. You’ll like it!