Home School News Blog

Posts Tagged ‘homeschool’

As a parent who has chosen homeschooling as the best educational option for your child, online curriculum resources can be an important component of your children’s education. If you have an Internet connection and consistent access to a computer, there are many online tools that will help you provide your child with the skills they need. An online homeschool curriculum can work to supplement your own individualized curriculum, and can also provide a complete learning solution for a variety of subjects. While homeschooling can sometimes feel like a lonely endeavor, online homeschooling resources provide plenty of ways to feel connected.

In order to work with these resources effectively, you should have a clear role in mind for using online curriculum resources. If they are a secondary tool, it’s a great place to find reading materials, individual activities, or worksheets which can be downloaded directly from a website. Often, a variety of sample materials will be available, which gives you the opportunity to review the material first. If you like the material, you will then have the ability to place an additional order.

However, online homeschooling curriculum has evolved and can be a much more sophisticated tool than just providing worksheets. Your child can attend an online school, plug into specific courses, and complete learning modules and activities at their own pace. This option can be a better choice if you would like to spend less time planning their lessons, or if you have specific learning outcomes that may be easier met by a more structured curriculum, such as higher level math skills, or practicing a foreign language.

Before purchasing a curriculum, it’s a good idea to spend sometime looking at homeschool curriculum reviews. You can find many review sites online, and in addition to finding reviews on particular programs you are already interested in, you will also find up-to-date reviews on a variety on new programs as well. You will also find helpful tips and techniques from other parents. If you do a search online for ‘homeschool curriculum review,’ you are sure to find plenty of choices available.

Online homeschool curriculum programs can play a an important primary or a secondary role in your children’s education. The internet is a vast learning resource, and it shouldn’t be neglected as a valuable tool for homeschooling. With its ease of use, and adaptability, there is room for online resources in any educational plan.

Just because you’ve decided to forego participation in the Halloween festivities doesn’t mean you can’t make fun on your own. Furthermore, there are ways to use the Halloween season as a way to spread Christ’s love and the redeeming power of the gospel message. Here are just five ways to have some fun without risking the safety of your Christian children.

1. Have a Game Night

So your kids are longingly looking at the kids outside with tear-filled eyes. What is a homeschool parent to do? Why not create your own fun? Have a family game night complete with a variety of board games and fun activities. Go wild with candy prizes and autumn-themed goodies. If your homeschoolers want, you can even dress up. You can still pass out candy to the neighbor children if you stay home. I know parents who pass out candy accompanied with small tracts or Bible verses. This is a great way to expose kids to God’s word. Whatever you do, don’t shut yourself in and ignore knocks on the door. That only sends the message that you are strange and even unfriendly.

2. Go to a Harvest Party

Each year, my church throws a Harvest Party on October 31st. There is a leaf pile surrounded by bales of hay that kids can dive into for a period of time to search for candy. There are competitions of all kinds, including target shooting, jousting, pillow fights, wrestling, and more. Each room of the church is devoted to a specific Bible-themed game. The cafeteria cooks pizza, popcorn, and nachos that come free with admission. My homeschoolers usually come home from the harvest party marveling as to how the harvest party has to be so much more fun than trick-or-treating. If your church doesn’t have one, why not look into starting one of your own? You could even host one with your homeschool co-op.

3. Go Bowling

On Halloween night, bowling alleys are usually pretty empty. You can take your family and to a bowling alley and have an all-night bowling party. Don’t just limit your fun to bowling. Laser tag, goofy golf, and other fun activities can be easily substituted. You could even get together with other homeschooling families for some friendly competition. You can make it especially fun by turning your family into a team. Each Christian homeschooling family can have its own colors or even uniforms. Be creative!

4. Throw a Costume Party

So your kids really want to dress up. Well, what’s wrong with that? As long as they don’t dress up as anything evil, a costume party can be a great activity for a church or homeschool co-op. Award prizes for the best costumes. One Christian homeschool friend of mine threw a Noah’s Ark party. Each homeschooler dressed up as a different animal and they put on a short play about Noah’s Ark.

5. Pumpkin Party

Carving Pumpkins was always my favorite element of Halloween. I can’t think of a good reason to not carve a pumpkin. Why not have a pumpkin party with your homeschoolers and other Christian friends? You can go to a pumpkin patch, pick out your favorite pumpkins, and then carve them into silly faces. I heard of one ambitious family carving Bible verses and inspirational messages like “Jesus is Lord” into a series of pumpkins. Just don’t throw away those seeds. Dry them out and add some salt for a fun snack!

More than any other issue, the socialization question seems to scare away parents from homeschooling. The thought of raising a socially-awkward child is more than most parents can bear, and for good reason. To raise a child without opportunities to socialize with peers is doing children a disservice. The question is: Are homeschooled children given opportunities to socialize, and if so, are they able to assimilate well into adult life as a result?

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, the concern of socialization is mostly unfounded. In areas of emotional, social, and psychological development, homeschool students met or surpassed their public school counterparts. In fact, homeschoolers were found to be more socially comfortable speaking with adults. Peer interaction, self image, leadership skills, family cohesion, and self-esteem are other categories in which homeschool students scored high.

As far as community involvement goes, homeschoolers lead the pack. Whether through athletic groups, scouting groups, 4-H clubs, political activism, volunteer work, or church activity, homeschoolers are showing that the home education experience is more than being cooped up in the house all day.

The HSLDA shows that homeschoolers successfully enter the workplace and become comfortable within their communities in a recent study as well. The idea of the misfit homeschooler that spends the rest of his or her life isolated in mom and dad’s basement is disappearing. Home educated students are able to excel in academics without sacrificing social skills. Parents should stop worrying about the socialization issue because it is an inaccurate stereotype.

Homeschool Graduations Announcements for the Graduate

In the last two decades, more and more young people have been getting their education at home. The home schooling movement does not just include people from strict religious backgrounds, although they did help gain acceptance for this approach to education. Today, millions of students are beginning to complete their school requirements and are preparing for homeschool graduations announcements, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/homeschool/cards/productlisting-3-21.htm

Graduate from Home School

If you or your child has been taught at home, you need to prepare for graduation. Different states have different requirements for graduation. However, most states take a very hands-off approach to this method. That means the parents or the overseer of the education determines graduation. Students must meet the minimum requirements for graduation established by the state. Good records should be maintained.

In some cities, you can find home school graduate programs that allow students to go through a ceremony similar to that experienced by traditional graduates. The ceremonies are usually small and are sometimes held at local churches. If you’re part of a Homeschooling group, you can ask about these programs or you could even work together to form your own if a large number of students are nearing the end of their education.

Although standardized tests aren’t going to be required for the homeschool graduate announcements invitations cards, http://www.express-invitations.com/graduation-announcements/homeschool.php to complete his or her basic studies, the ACT and/or SAT will be required if he or she plans to attend college. The good news is that most colleges and universities today are welcoming students who attended school at home with open arms. That’s because so many of them have been proven to be overachievers.

Mailing Announcements

Typically, you should start searching for HomeSchool graduation announcements, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/homeschool/cards/productlisting-3-21.htm prior to the completion of your child’s education. Of course, if there’s not going to be a specific ceremony, you can pick the home school stationery any time you desire. Most parents will wait until their child has completed the requirements, until the child has passed the ACT or SAT or until the child has been accepted to a college before mailing out the announcements. In these situations, the parents can help celebrate several pieces of good news for their child at the same time.

Remember to send the announcements to all of your friends and family members, even those people who did not necessarily agree with your decision to have homeschool graduations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/homeschool-graduation.htm If your family or child is active in church, in clubs or in other types of groups, be sure to send announcements to them as well. Leave off any type of gift registry details since presents are not required with any type of graduation. You don’t want any one to feel obligated.

If you are going to have a graduation party, choose to mail out invitations instead of announcements. Be sure to include RSVP information, too. You may also want to send out invitations if you are going to participate in one of the home school graduation ceremonies. Keep in mind that some people may not give homeschool Graduation Announcements, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/ as much respect as traditional graduations but the important thing is to remember that you’ve worked hard to get where you are and are now ready to tackle the next big education challenge.

Some Home School shoppes offer MANY advantages to shopping with them, the largest and best place to purchase online invitations and announcements cards, such as:

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A recent survey indicated that nearly 30% of American parents are seriously considering homeschooling their children rather than sending them to school. Home schooling is a different way of education for many parents. It allows children to be educated at home free from the daily school assignments and pressure. It also allows more bonding time between the child and the parent fostering closer relationships.

There are 4 main reasons why you should homeschool your child.

They are

1) Academic Results

One of the reasons parents are hesitant to adopt homeschooling is because they are afraid their child’s academic results will suffer. However studies have shown that children who are homeschooling have the same and if not better academic results than those going to traditional schools.

You could also say some of the world’s most famous people were homeschooled. Examples include Benjamin Franklin, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison. Their achievements do not compare less than those who went to school.

Home Schooling allow the parent to cater the study schedule according to the needs of the child. In school, since a teacher has to teach 40 to 50 students at a time, it is quite impossible to cater a specific teaching schedule for each child.

2) Social Reasons

Another important reason why you should homeschool your child is because traditional school do not deal with this aspect of education. Teaching your child to be comfortable with dealing with people.

By introducing your child to church programs and other volunteering programs to help others, it educates the child’s moral values which are just as important as academic results.

Homeschooling also shields the child from bad habits due to peer influence. Examples are smoking, alcoholism, gambling, sex, drugs and violence etc

3) Family Bonding

Since homeschooling allows more time between your child and parents, the family relationship is strengthened and there is more family bonding. The child self-confidence and self-esteem improves. Studies have also shown that homeschooled children values family ties and kinship more.

4) Religious Reasons

Schools have always kept away from religious issues due to its sensitive nature in our country. The schools typically has a neutral stand regarding religion and spirituality. Therefore, most schools do not have any kind of religious education

Homeschooling does not have that limitation. Parents can pass on their religious values to their children. This has a great impact on the spiritual development of the child.

Welcome to The MorningStar Academy Easter Activities page. We hope that you and your homeschoolers enjoy these fantastic free crafts, printables, and other activities.

Wooden Spoon Bunny Craft: Families First will teach your homeschoolers how to make this fun bunny craft.

Why is Easter so Happy?: Bible Kidz Funzone chronicles a kid-friendly story of Easter. Your homeschoolers need to know why Christians celebrate this holiday.

Easter Egg Hunt: Kaboose has several pages that should get you started on the best Easter Egg Hunt you’ve ever hosted. You would be surprised at all the creative things you can do!

Easter Chicks: Homeschoolzone has a fun Easter Chick craft that your homeschool students are sure to love.

Easter Riddles: Learn some fun Easter-themed jokes, riddles, and brain-teasers at Black Dog. Just click the “Answer” button for Easter laughs. Why did the Easter Egg hide?

Easter Printables: About.com has a host of Easter printables that your homeschoolers will love.

Easter Printables: Hershey’s website will provide your homeschooling paper with all of the chocolate-themed wall papers, screen savers, and activities you need for a well-decorated Easter.

Easter Crafts: As usual, Enchanted Learning has dozens of crafts, games, and other goodies for homeschoolers.

Easter Basket: Kids Domain will show your homeschoolers how to construct an adorable Easter basket. Turn that regular old basket into a dazzling and cute Easter basket.

Easter Songs: Songs of Praise has several Easter songs and devotionals that you can do with your homeschoolers. Christ the Lord is Risen Today and others can be found at Songs of Praise.

Easter Stories: You can find dozens of stories, devotions, and sermons at Glorious Easter. Oswald Chambers and Our Daily bread are just a few of the sources you can find here.

Many parents choose to homeschool their children. They do this for a number of reasons, the primary one being that they don’t like the education that’s being offered at the schools in their area. They also don’t want their children being attracted to the bad element that seems to be affecting school children these days; they don’t want their kids exposed to drugs, alcohol and pre-marital sex. So, they homeschool their children themselves using a homeschool curriculum that they deem appropriate.

Just Like Formal Schooling

The best homeschool curriculum follows just like formal schooling, with the children completing the recommended studies for preschool, elementary school, high school and sometimes beyond. The children study just as they would in a normal school, with subjects like math, history, social studies and more. The only difference is that the children are being taught by their parents instead of a teacher.

This can make the homeschool curriculum challenging, as the parents will have to ensure that they set ground rules if they hope for their children to learn effectively. For instance, during the homeschool curriculum, the parent should limit certain computer software, or just limit computer time altogether, unless it has to do directly with the homeschool curriculum.

In fact, parents should eliminate, or limit, certain distraction that will inhibit the learning process, such the television, radio and internet. There are now so many distractions in the home, as technology gets more advanced, that it can be a real challenge for parents to keep their kids’ attention.

Where To Find Homeschool Curriculums

There are many educational institutions that offer homeschool curriculums that can be tailored however you wish, depending on what you wish to teach your children. Just like in a formal school, you will be sent text books, materials, the tools to test your childs’ progress, as well as anything else you think you may need.

To find a homeschool resource, search online or ask your local school if they know of any homeschool curriculum companies that you may benefit from.

Home schooling your children can be difficult and it’s not for the faint of heart. However, when done correctly, your children can potentially receive a better education than they ever would have in a formal school. At least you can take comfort in knowing that your children won’t be tempted by any bad seeds that attend the local schools in your area.

The curriculum for homeschool programs is often thought to be limited to a few academic courses. High school homeschool courses are particularly believed to have limited advantages. This is untrue. In fact, this form of education has a large set of advantages over both private and public schools that allow children to thrive and grow. Limitations are not the only misconceptions about education at home.

1. The Curriculum for Homeschool Programs Eliminates Electives

Just because parents would like to educate their children at home does not mean they have to go without classes such as art, music, physical education, and languages. Many different courses are available for these subjects at both the preschool and high school homeschool levels.

The mix of topics and ideologies in each subject allow students to build their own curriculum for homeschool electives that fits their particular tastes. If the student would like to emphasize these subjects further, they can always take additional hands-on lessons or join groups to further their education.

2. Preschool and High School Homeschool Limits the Style Of Learning

With public and private schools, the large teacher-to-student ratio often makes it difficult for educators to alter their teaching style to match each student. They find a method that works best for the majority of students and the rest fall behind or are forced to pay for additional tutoring.

The curriculum for homeschool programs allow the students and parents the opportunity to incorporate their own resources in order fit the child’s learning style. They can take a more ‘hands on’ approach, or can add additional resources to their textbooks.

The learning concepts can also be customized to incorporate certain lifestyles, beliefs, and cultures with their studies. One example of this is adding biblical lessons and beliefs into their preschool through high school homeschool courses. In other educational facilities, this is rarely an option. It is also beneficial to students who do not have religious or cultural based schools in their area.

3. It Is Too Difficult To Enroll In Secondary Education

Many people feel that high school programs designed for home education make it almost impossible to enroll into a college or university program. This is a complete myth. Just like public and private schools, the curriculum for homeschool education has to follow a basic guideline.

Many suppliers have the needed courses available in one package along with the requirements for grade 12 diplomas as well as universities and colleges. You can also develop your own program that satisfies both requirements while gearing your child’s education towards a particular area of study. This better prepares students for their chosen fields than many traditional schools with a general curriculum.

Whether you are starting your children in a preschool program or high school homeschool courses, the curriculum for homeschool education can meet their needs. It can be tailored to fit a particular learning style, belief system, or career goal. With home education systems, children can reach their full potential.

Each year, more and more homeschoolers are graduating and moving into the world. Many choose to take their education further and attend college. The good news is that more and more colleges have altered their admissions policies and are accepting, even actively recruiting children. There are also a large group of homeschool graduates who chose to not attend college and head directly into the work force. The question is though, how are they doing?

Homeschoolers who have made the jump into the workforce are getting good feedback from their employers. The national food chain, Chick-fil-A® is so pleased with their homeschooled employees that they actively recruit them. Characterizing homeschoolers as smart, ambitious and very driven, recruiters are pleased with their high level of loyalty and diligent work ethic.

Employers have discovered that the same work ethic that brought homeschoolers through their education carries over into their careers. In fact, homeschoolers seem to view work as simply an extension of their education. Children are being described as self-starters who are reliable, creative, intellectually prepared, and read voraciously and watch television less.

Most people are aware of the axiom, “it’s who you know.” Because homeschooling is a relatively new phenomenon, there may not seem to be a huge “gold old boy” network out there for them to exploit. The truth is that homeschooling is a tightly knit community with more and more of its proponents in positions of influence, and this community can be very effective at finding jobs. There are however, plenty of pointless bureaucracies and short-sighted managers out there to make prospects difficult. In some companies, employment is dependent upon a diploma that is certified by the state or the possession of a General Equivalency Diploma, or GED.

A GED has been described as a test that dropouts can take to be given a second chance at a formal education, making GED holders the equivalent of dropouts. This situation is hardly the equivalent to a high school diploma and an employer who demands that of a homeschool graduate clearly show his ignorance or bias.

Because of their homeschool background, they are ready for the uncertainties of a changing economy, the ups and downs of the business cycle, and are prepared to deal with bosses, customers, and all of the other people in the business world. Homeschool graduates are as prepared as any high school graduate and may be more suitable for an uncertain future. Students are raised as individuals, not farmed out of institutions for plugging into the workforce.

When you are homeschooling, there are so many decisions to make. From curriculum choices and scheduling, to field trips and extracurricular activities, it is all in your hands. Most homeschool parents relish the opportunity to have real influence on the minds of their children and seek to instill in them a true, lifelong love of learning. If this is your homeschool goal as well, unit studies can help you to accomplish it.

Unit studies are very popular as a homeschool teaching method. They are essentially thematic units that work to encompass all or most subjects through the study of just one topic. For example, a homeschool history unit study might contain history, math, reading, writing, geography, spelling and more. Instead of studying several separate subjects, a unit study allows the homeschooler to learn several different subjects as they relate to one another.

All too often, especially in traditional educational settings, students become bored and lose their natural love for learning. Instead of really absorbing information, they begin to memorize for the sole purpose of passing tests. Though it may seem that students have learned because they earn good test scores, they actually end up forgetting much of what they memorized. This is because they weren’t able to develop any real enthusiasm for the topic. Furthermore, many textbooks and other types of curriculum materials cover subjects only briefly, never giving the student the chance to really learn or develop an authentic appreciation for it. This is not the case when parents choose to homeschool with unit studies.

Most homeschool parents want their children to do more than simply memorize a bunch of facts only to forget them later. Homeschool parents want their children to fully experience the joy knowledge can bring. They also want them to retain as much of the information they absorb as possible.

Unit studies can help homeschool parents make subjects really live for their children. Often, unit studies use a variety of living books, making the subject more interesting and exposing the student to a mix of resources geared toward the chosen topic. Unit studies allow homschool parents and children to immerse themselves in a hands-on approach to a particular topic, studying it from all conceivable angles. They also provide for more interaction between the homeschool parent and the child by providing interesting topics for discussion. Often, activities lend themselves to collaboration.

Unit studies can be used for just one homeschool student or a whole group of them. Instead of using a different unit study for each homeschool child within a family, unit studies allow parents to study the same topic with children at different age levels. All the homeschool children in the family can participate in learning the same topic. They simply use materials and do activities geared to their appropriate levels. Furthermore, unit studies can even help homeschool parents teach children with different learning styles within the same family.