What Your Children Should Know When You Choose Home Schooling

Every so often we hear about parents deciding to home school their kids. Normally it sounds as if the parents were solely the ones who decided on it. While it is true that the parents should ultimately be the ones to make the decision to switch over to home schooling, the children should have a say in it as well.

They are the ones who would be most affected by it and so they should be aware of what they're getting into. Children should be made aware of the difference between home schooling and traditional education. They might not fully understand it yet, but they should be told.

As parents, here are some of the most important things that you should explain to your children about this:

Why?- You should explain to your children why you are choosing this for them and you should be honest with what you tell them. If you are switching them away from traditional schooling, then you should explain it long before you do the actual switch. If they have never known any other form of education then you should still explain things to them.

The Advantages- There are advantages to this and that is the reason why you decided to switch over to it. You have to explain things to them so that they would know why it is actually to their benefit that they are following a different education program from the other kids. They should see that they are actually getting something good out of the situation.

The Difference- Letting your child grow in ignorance of how the world works would not turn out well in the long run. You have to explain to them the way that traditional education works and how children learn in it. You have to answer their questions about it in an honest manner.

Ask Them- When you think that they can decide on their own, you need to ask them again if they would like to try traditional education. You should explain the advantages and disadvantages of doing so without exaggerating anything. They should know things as it is.

Exposure- You have to expose your children to the outside world as much as you can if you are going to decide that you want to home school them. You need to take them out to different places so they could learn from them.

Socialization- An important component of home education is the part where you would take them to meet other people. It is crucial that they should be able to socialize with children of their age as well as adults too. They should feel at ease when talking with other people.

The most important thing is that they should never feel that they are losing something because they are being home schooled. If anything they should feel the privilege of having the freedom to do a lot of things that other children cannot do. That should be one of your aims when you decide to get in your kids.

Completing Homeschool High School Records

Do you have perfectly crafted homeschool transcripts and course descriptions, ready even now for the event (soon to come) in which someone will ask you for them? Most folks don't, either, so don't feel badly. I have a friend who called me recently in a panic, because she needed a transcript on Monday (it was Friday). Since she homeschools in California under the private school law, she had never even considered that she might need a transcript some day. When her son decided that he wanted to enlist in the Navy, surprise--the Navy wanted a transcript!

I have another friend that needed help with her homeschool records. Her problem was that she just wasn't quite sure what school work they had done. She said that she was a binder person, but when she showed me her homeschool binder during our first day together, I opened it up and there was nothing there! She had some labeled sections, but there were no papers, no curriculum, nothing there! So we dug through the tub of stuff that she had brought with all of her homeschool pieces, and I helped her put together a transcript.

We went through every little bit of her homeschool. We went over how many hours she spent on American Sign Language, and every little bit of their activities. As I was leaving, I asked her what her plans for the weekend were, and she said that they were going to a Latin competition. This was the first time she had mentioned Latin! Latin was not in her binder or her tub--she had forgotten that they did Latin!

When it comes to keeping homeschool records, it doesn't matter how gifted of a home educator you are and it doesn't matter what wonderful intentions you have; there also has to be at least a small amount of follow-through. To be real, you can do your follow-through the same way I do my taxes: once a year, I panic and do my taxes. If once a year you get your act together, that is enough follow-through for you. To be honest, if this mother had made her transcript every year, she would not have forgotten four years of Latin; you just can't forget four years of Latin year after year.

So make sure you take some time each year to record what you did that year! That way, you'll avoid trying to remember four years of homeschooling in one sitting, and be ready to create great transcripts for your high school graduate!

Forgetting about record keeping is one of "The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School." If you are thinking about transcripts, you are probably not going to make this mistake! Learn how to avoid all 5 mistakes in my free e-mail mini-course.

Tips for Teaching Young Children

How do we teach in a way that hooks into a child's natural desire to learn?

Children are naturally curious. They explore, experiment, touch, ask questions, and are motivated to learn. To them it's all play, and they don't need adults praising them for their efforts.

Wondering how you can help children succeed? Consider the following characteristics of how they learn to help you teach in ways that improve their ability to make sense of new concepts.

1. Young children learn when subject areas are integrated
Offer children thematic units rich with content and they will be interested and motivated, especially if you can bring real things to touch and explore that relate to the theme.

Basic literacy and math concepts can be taught and reviewed as the theme content is shared. A "winter" theme offers many opportunities to teach the letter W, to count and record the number of mittens on snowmen constructed in an art lesson, or to create patterns for paper scarfs.

A child learning about the life cycle of a butterfly may act it out with creative movement and poetry, paint the process with a large paper and paint, illustrate and label the stages in science and literacy lessons and listen to related stories and songs. Avoid pursuing a theme if the children have lost interest. Ask yourself if you are presenting enough "real objects". New themes get everyone motivated and enthusiastic.

2. Children learn in lots of different ways
Visual learners watch closely when you demonstrate an activity and like to draw and play with shapes and puzzles. Auditory learners understand ideas and concepts because they remember information they have heard, follow spoken directions well and remember songs easily.

Although all children learn through touch, some learn best combining touch and movement (tactile/kinetic learners). Some children like structure while others learn more easily in an unstructured environment.

If you want busy, happy and on task children, give them a variety of lessons that meet the needs of different learning styles.

3. Children often do not have the vocabulary to express themselves
Inexperienced teachers sometimes misinterpret a child's unwillingness to participate as stubbornness or bad behavior when in reality, the child may lack the skills to explain himself. Use reflective listening to help children communicate why they are upset.

Sometimes children work well in groups, learning to share and develop ideas. At other times they just need to be alone with ample time to figure things out for themselves.

Do not expect perfection. Relax and have fun with your students!

4. Children progress when concepts are taught in a structured, step-by-step way
When concepts are presented in a structured step-by-step process with each step building on previous knowledge, children learn with less effort.

For example, expecting a young child to understand the concept of a food chain without previous experiences with, and vocabulary about, chains and links is assuming too much.

5. Children's abilities to observe and process information develop at varying rates
Some four-year old children have superb small motor coordination and draw and cut beautifully, but have delayed speech patterns. Other children may be verbally eloquent but be physically uncoordinated or be at a scribbling stage in drawing.

Just as children develop physically at different rates, they also progress academically, socially, emotionally, and artistically at varying speeds. Effective teaching happens when teachers remember that learning is developmental.

Offer open-ended activities to meet the developmental stages of all students. An open-ended activity involves children at a wide range of developmental levels. Children are less frustrated working at their own level and they do not have to compare their results to a set of identical worksheets.

6. Children learn best when given things, objects, and stuff to explore
When teaching young children, always use concrete materials, as children need sensory experiences when learning new ideas and concepts.

Take advantage of the many educational learning materials available to teach geometry, number sense, pattern skills, symmetry, classification and other math concepts.

Use science materials like magnets, light paddles, scales, weights, and collections of birds' nests, as well as book character toys and puppets to enhance literacy.

7. Children need instruction, practice and time to learn new skills and concepts
A child doesn't learn to ride a bike by only looking at the bike and exploring its properties, he/she also needs time to practice and guided instruction.

Practicing concepts and skills does not need to be dull and repetitive. Do not automatically think "worksheet" when you think of skills practice. There are lots of ways to practice skills using puzzles, games, diagrams, art and more.

8. Children won't learn if they are over tired, hungry, upset or worried
Be flexible and understanding with young children. Check to see if kids are hungry. It's easier to let a child eat part of her lunch early, than attempt to make a hungry child concentrate on a task.

Sometimes a child needs to be left alone and creating a small retreat space in the classroom can help students who are too overwhelmed by home or other circumstances to cope with their peers or teacher.

9. Motivated children pay attention
Young children are generally motivated to learn about everything. Unless they have often been made fun of when investigating or presenting their knowledge, they have a strong desire to find out and share information.

Reinforce thinking processes rather than praising the child. Saying "That's an interesting way you sorted your blocks. Tell me what you were thinking" rather than, "Samuel is so smart" will focus the children's attention on exploring the blocks. Making too much fuss of any one child can result in a competitive atmosphere.

10. Children learn by teaching others
When children have an opportunity to communicate their new knowledge to adults or other children it helps solidify concepts. Some children need extra time to find the correct words to explain what they are thinking so patience is necessary.

To help children share their knowledge, use descriptive words as they play or work and they will copy your vocabulary.

11. Children Need to be Active
If children have been sitting still too long, they will let you know it's time to move. Even the best, well planned, interesting lessons fail if the children need a break.

Take plenty of movement breaks, go for walks around the school, march around the classroom or jump up and down! You will have more alert and focused students.

Summary

As children experience your love and acceptance and realize that you are willing to help them, they relax and learn. Keep a sense of enthusiasm, wonder and curiosity about the world around you, and your students will imitate your behavior. Your classroom may be one of the few places where their opinions and ideas are valued.

How to Decide If Home Schooling Is for You

You might have been attracted to the prospect of home schooling your kids. It is likely that you have seen or heard about parents who talked about the benefits of this form of education and that drew your attention and interest towards it. You want to be able to give the same benefits to your kids.

The problem is that it is not all about benefits. There are also some very real disadvantages to this form of education. You have to be aware of those just as you are aware of the advantages.

Here are some steps that you can follow in deciding if you should switch to home schooling for your children:

· First of all, you should ask yourself why you are considering home schooling for your children. Is it because you want them to have freedom? Is it really for them or are you the one who will benefit from it?

· You should ask yourself if that is something that you can handle. It might mean more freedom for your kids but it would also mean a great amount of responsibility on your part. Is that something that you can handle?

· Try to connect with other parents who are into home schooling their children. There are groups for that in most areas and they would welcome your inquiries. Ask them about everything that you want and need to know about this form of education.

· Tell your children about home schooling and ask their opinion about it. You should never go ahead and switch to this form of education without telling your children first because they are the ones who will be affected by it the most. If they do not agree to it then don't go ahead.

· There are many curricula that are currently available now for home schooling. Search for the one that fits you and your kids. Pick the one that can really help them to improve as well rounded individuals.

· Do some research and if possible undergo training on the proper teaching methods. Remember that you will be taking on the role of your kid's teacher and that is not a simple task. You have to be as well prepared as your children for the change.

· Prepare a room in the house that will serve as their classroom. It is never a good idea to just use the other rooms when you are teaching them, because there are so many distractions there. Invest in setting a dedicated room.

· Have a plan on how you will be undergoing your kid's daily lessons. Make a schedule on when you are going to give them breaks and up to that time you are going to teach them.

· Be sure that you include a plan on when you will be taking your children outside on tours and when you would be meeting other people. This is an important component of their education.

These are just some of the things that you can do in starting out home education for your children. This would be an important step for both you and your kids.

What Your Children Should Know When You Choose Home Schooling

Every so often we hear about parents deciding to home school their kids. Normally it sounds as if the parents were solely the ones who decided on it. While it is true that the parents should ultimately be the ones to make the decision to switch over to home schooling, the children should have a say in it as well.

They are the ones who would be most affected by it and so they should be aware of what they're getting into. Children should be made aware of the difference between home schooling and traditional education. They might not fully understand it yet, but they should be told.

As parents, here are some of the most important things that you should explain to your children about this:

Why?- You should explain to your children why you are choosing this for them and you should be honest with what you tell them. If you are switching them away from traditional schooling, then you should explain it long before you do the actual switch. If they have never known any other form of education then you should still explain things to them.

The Advantages- There are advantages to this and that is the reason why you decided to switch over to it. You have to explain things to them so that they would know why it is actually to their benefit that they are following a different education program from the other kids. They should see that they are actually getting something good out of the situation.

The Difference- Letting your child grow in ignorance of how the world works would not turn out well in the long run. You have to explain to them the way that traditional education works and how children learn in it. You have to answer their questions about it in an honest manner.

Ask Them- When you think that they can decide on their own, you need to ask them again if they would like to try traditional education. You should explain the advantages and disadvantages of doing so without exaggerating anything. They should know things as it is.

Exposure- You have to expose your children to the outside world as much as you can if you are going to decide that you want to home school them. You need to take them out to different places so they could learn from them.

Socialization- An important component of home education is the part where you would take them to meet other people. It is crucial that they should be able to socialize with children of their age as well as adults too. They should feel at ease when talking with other people.

The most important thing is that they should never feel that they are losing something because they are being home schooled. If anything they should feel the privilege of having the freedom to do a lot of things that other children cannot do. That should be one of your aims when you decide to get in your kids.