Posts Tagged ‘homeschooling’

Fear In School

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Do you have happy memories of your school years? Do you have happy memories of teachers and school friends? If you do then you were lucky, because some children hate each minute of being in school and not because they are no good at it either. Frequently it is the clever kids who are taunted for being swots and teachers’ pets. They are safe in the class, but the travelling to and from school and the school breaks can become nightmares.

However, it is not only bullying from other children that causes fear in school children. There are other reasons for fear in school too. Sometimes, children think that a certain teacher does not like them and occasionally children are only scared of failing or doing badly. Occasionally teachers are frightened of doing badly too. It can all lead to an atmosphere of fear at school. It makes you wonder how anyone could have enjoyed their school days, does it not?

This atmosphere of fear can be greater in state schools because the teachers are subject to success charts and the children are more open to bullying. Furthermore, all of the school shootings in the world have taken place in state run schools.

However, the most subtle form of fear in school comes from teachers who are afraid of missing the targets set by the state, because that will cost them their jobs. This fear is passed on to their students. The regime of fear is exacerbated by over-sized groups. Why?

Because teachers can hold the attention of only so many pupils - as we all can in regular discourse. Therefore, if the class is too big, the teacher will have to switch roles from being a teacher to a controller. When this happens, education suffers for the sake of keeping order.

For all of these reasons and more, many parents are turning to home schooling. Some of the reasons why parents are deciding to educate their children themselves are: distrust of the state education system; fear of bullying or worse of their children; a desire to teach their children in a more conventional or religious manner.

There are education packages that parent-teachers can buy to give them a course of action on what to teach. There is also a lot of help available on the Internet. The problem facing any parents who wish to educate their own children is providing a rounded education.

People have a natural tendency to specialize in one subject or group of subjects like, say, astronomy or the sciences, which is why schools supply many teachers, so that every one can teach his or her favourite topic. However, if you are the only teacher you will have to teach all the subjects yourself.

This is why it is best to have a program or set of guidelines to follow. It is difficult to teach maths if you have no aptitude for it, so look at your strengths but also your weaknesses before you take the momentous decision to withdraw your children from school and teach them themselves

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on numerous topics but is currently involved with Fear At School and home Schooling. If you would like to read more, please go over to our website entitled Home Schooling.

Home Schooling And Computer Learning

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

There is access to a computer in almost every home in the West nowadays and the rest of the world is catching up very quickly. Therefore, it is very important for you to have one at home too, because of the many advantages it can bring, especially if you have an Internet connection. Nowadays, you need to have have some computer experience, if you want even a reasonably-paid job, so learning how to use a computer must begin at school. You and your children can have a unique educational experience with a computer at home. Children of today should learn about this very important instrument from the very earliest age possible and one of the best ways to achieve that is through home schooling computer programs.

At present, even kindergarten children are being taught how to make use of computers and their associated peripherals. If you choose for home schooling, you and your child will also spend a lot of your time making use of a computer and the Internet. Teaching your children can be a lot more efficient when done online, because of the diverse resources available there. Your child will be provided with some of the best educational resources, from which he/she will benefit greatly not least because employment market trends today involve the Internet.

One of the biggest ethnic groups that prefers to make use of home schooling is the African Americans because some see some society problems and they can keep themselves informed about their own heritage by home schooling. The parents of children from minority groups can assist their offspring learn more effectively by having an Internet connection at home. The children’s education can be better supported by parents and they can also assist in improving the mindset of their children as well. Parents can educate their children about their own particular history by means of the various online resources.

It is important to remember that home schooling only works if the parents are willing to support their children the whole works. They must also be committed and ready for the challenges that they will come across. The parents should look for a good computer program or book to assist their children learn about using computers. Frequently, the lessons are divided into several sections or series in order that the children can learn them easily. Children have different learning capacities and since too often children are not given much chance in traditional schools, the use of computers is an ideal opportunity to bring out the best in them.

Home schooling is no longer new, so if you suspect that your child is not doing well in school, consult with the teachers and get some information regarding your child. The guidance counsellor can also assist you to select the best education for you child. Home schooling is already accepted and maybe it can help your child learn more in the safety of your own home.

If you are will to commit yourself to home schooling, you will have to talk over the subject with your child. You could begin by asking your child about his experience in school and then bring up the subject of home schooling. See what your child thinks about the idea. Explain its benefits. You could say that computer learning will be easier. It’s better if you and your child both agree to home schooling, since you have to work closely together. It might not be easy to persuade your child to give up traditional schooling, where he has all his friends, so you will have to spend time with your child and know his/her interests. Explain that computer programs can help a great deal in home schooling. Tell your child that they can learn more about their particular interest, if they know how to use the computer.

So why not look for the most suitable home schooling computer program now? Talk to your friends, ask at the library, go online and do your research. There are lots of home schooling programs to choose from and it could take some weeks before you can find the right one.

If you are thinking about home schooling then please visit our web-based resource at http://home-schooling.the-real-way.com

categories: homeschooling,teaching,school,parenting,children,books,reading,writing,mathematics,computers,science,motivational,stress,other

Learning History At Home Schooling

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

Do you think that passing time in traditional classrooms is a waste of time? For some people, that is probably true. For example, an exam is due and the students are told to memorize a lot of dates and names. However, after taking the exam, they will probably forget 90% of those dates and names. That’s what most students do when they have tests. If you are one of these people, you will find traditional history lessons boring, so home schooling, which focuses more on the history of the world, will surely interest you more.

Simple memorization is not enough to know the significance of famous people and important events. Through home schooling in history, you can learn about the different cultures of the past in a unique, but interesting way - your own way! Through the study of history, you will also understand the current situation of the world today.

However, if you think that home schooling is the most effective method for your child’s education, you should also be prepared to undertake certain responsibilities. Since there will be no teacher present ‘on site’, you will have to supervise your child’s educational development by yourself.

Let’s suppose that your kid is interested in sports. Through history and home schooling, you could start by simply putting a map on the wall of your child’s room. Mark the location of his favorite sports team and make sure that you track all the team’s activities and schedules. Then, you could go back to history by reading biographies of the various athletes, who had been popular in the particular sport that your child enjoys. Apart from that, you could also look into the history of that specific sport and discover where it originated, its inventor, and the other things happening in that particular time.

For instance, if your child likes baseball, you can teach your child about the history baseball, government hearings on the use of steroids and other favourite sports at that period in time. But remember that you can adapt this concept to any interest like dancing, cars or any invention. You can also have conversations with your child about current events or read interesting historical documents and other books. Apart from that, you can also watch documentaries together with the rest of the family. There are various resources that you can use in home schooling, like TV, maps, newspapers, books, a globe, an atlas, and encyclopedias. Due of the exciting adventures that you and your child will read about and see on film, he/she will find it easier to remember the names and dates of the history lessons. After all, learning is better when it is done in an interesting way.

These methods are recommended for when your child is still young, but once your child is older, you must choose an appropriate home schooling program that is suitable to his/her age group. The programs are available at the elementary, high school, and even college levels. You simply have to search the Internet for these different programs. A good thing about these programs is that you can tailor them to suit the requirements of your child. However, you must ensure that all the lessons are learned by your child.

Once you and your child decide to try home schooling, you will have to be prepared to make some changes in your life. The educational environment will now be in your home not at a school and through the various resources that you think best, such as a computer and the Internet.

If you are practicing Home Schooling then please pop along to our site at Home Schooling Information

categories: homeschooling,teaching,school,parenting,children,books,reading,writing,mathematics,computers,science,motivational,stress,other

Learning Speed Reading

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

What have you been reading lately? In a gathering, you can soon tell who the broad-spectrum readers are, since frequent readers are often quick thinkers and good public speakers too. They quickly win the adulation, respect, and fellowship of others. After all, reading expands the mind and many people think of it as one of the most satisfying pleasures known to mankind, being a combination, as it is, of mental agility and physical relaxation well above the level offered by television or the cinema.

Reading is mostly a mental activity, as you read with your mind and use your imagination to depict the setting of the action thriller you are reading. You use your mind to imagine the pain that the main characters in the story are experiencing as the plot unfolds; or you contemplate the various arguments and ideas theorized by the author of that self-help book you are holding.

Being able to read effectively helps you to develop a wide vocabulary through reading different styles of books. A skillful reader recognizes a wide range of vocabulary. The reader may not know exactly what every word means, but he/she will have a general idea of what the sentence means.

Reading makes you more alert and more curious about new words. Some readers develop ‘the dictionary habit’, which means that every time they come across a new word, they try to figure out what it possibly means in the context. If they are stumped, they refer to a dictionary.

Similarly, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing the reader to a variety of subjects. He/she learns to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. Just as in other kinds of education, he/she is learning by actually doing and while he/she is reading he/she is automatically learning about the subject matter of the book too - a free by-product!

Basically, reading teaches you to have an active and open mind. Only grasping the writers point of view is not really good enough, you have to have a reply to what you have read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Try to develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the writer. Always keep your mind open; understand and consider the ideas that you have read. A practical part of active reading is the development of one’s own opinions.

Now let me mention the concept called speed reading. All of the above applies between three and ten times over, because speed readers can read that much faster than the average reader! Consider that! - Being able to read, comprehend and remember all those books and articles. You would surely become well-read in your subject much more rapidly than others. Just imagine how that could help you at work, in school or in university …

Now, let me tell you the four primary rules for better reading and better comprehension:

1) Try to read more and more every month. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. 2) Develop the habit of reading for main ideas, ie look for the subject and predicate - the main ideas 3) Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Good readers read with understanding. 4) Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit for a specific text that you are reading.

Reading is a wonderfully stimulating mental activity. It expands your reality and capability. You have so much to gain in discovering the joys of reading. So, go ahead and take down a book right now.

Are you interested in speed reading for yourself or a loved one? If so, please visit our web site called Speed Reading.

categories: speed reading,reading,books,articles,hobbies,career,entertainment,education,school,college,self help,self improvement,homeschooling,other

Speed Reading - Where Do You Start?

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Nobody actually knows when speed reading was first used, but it may well have been a long while ago. For centuries, reading was the privilege of a small group of the most well-educated individuals in the world, the overwhelming preponderance of whom were monks and priests. This small, select group of men guarded their privilege and were loathe to teach the general public to read. Furthermore, all through those centuries there were relatively few books to read compared with nowadays. Books were also very dear as they all had to be copied out by hand. Perhaps the only fact that has not changed is that the Bible was the most common book in existence and even now the Bible is the most popular book.

The world is fast devolving into a place where individuals are slowly but surely turning their backs on books and becoming fixed in front of monitors or television screens. In such a world, parents should not fail to notice the importance of developing a passion for reading in themselves and their children. Reading is a habit that should be established when the child is relatively young, so what can you do to foster this habit?

Well, there are several strategies you can employ, although one of the best to lead by example. Read with your child every day, even if its only for 10-15 minutes. Allow your child to see you reading. By this I mean, don’t only read in bed before you go to sleep, but instead of watching television from time to time and read your children a bed-time story. Encourage them to read too. You could also:

Register your child for reading lessons, if you honestly don’t have much time or your child is a little slow at reading. There are many well-structured after school reading classes that aspire to make books more appealing to children. They help children with pronunciation, idioms and phrases. These lessons can be pleasurable with animated characters and pictures, especially for young children,. They frequently use Illustrated books, nursery rhymes, comical songs and short stories to enliven the imagination of younger children.

You will have to learn how to arouse your child’s interest. If your child has a favorite character, pick a series of books that include this character. Endeavor to encourage your children to read proper books not comics. The style in comics frequently leaves a great deal to be desired with its sloppy English and street slang. As an alternative, go for series of books like Harry Potter or Tarzan.

You should build yourself a library of your own books. This may sound a little impressive, but after all, a library is only a collection of books. Begin with a good-looking bookshelf that you can easily add to. A skill like reading cannot be learned in only one place, so you cannot afford to leave all the difficult work to the day-school or even the after school curricula. You have to collect books that you think your child will like too. Use the Internet as a resource for learning about the modern reading games that will attract little children to the excellent and ancient art of reading,

When you child is engrossed in reading for its own sake, you might buff up on speed reading. Speed reading is best suited for educational learning and background reading. It’s immensely suited to cramming or studying for examinations. It is perfect for school and university. However, the first task, before you can think about speed reading, is to get your child reading in the first place.

Are you interested in speed reading for yourself or a loved one? If so, please pop along to our web site focusing on Speed Reading.

categories: speed reading,reading,books,articles,hobbies,career,entertainment,education,school,college,self help,self improvement,homeschooling,other

The Seton Study Course For Home Schooling Students and Parents Who Are Wanting A Catholic Foundation

Monday, October 26th, 2009

The Seton home schooling program was initially designed as a Catholic home education course out of the all-catholic Seton High School in Manassas, Virginia. The Catholic home school society grew fast and demand for the school’s new home curriculum course was high.

The school’s founder, Dr. Anne Carroll, decided to have the curriculum taught at the school to be offered by correspondence. She acknowledged the fact that many parents didn’t have the resources to board their children at a private educational institution. This was when the Seton Catholic home school course began. The Catholic home schooling notion gelled and out of it originated the Seton home schooling lessons in the year 1980. It was further improved by Dr Mary Kay Clark in 1985.

Nowadays this course is employed by more than 10,000 predominantly Catholic students all over the world. Seton has also turned out to be the biggest Catholic home school curriculum publisher in the United States textbook and workbook industry for young children. The home education curriculum with its numerous home school materials is famous worldwide.

You can be certain that Seton Home-schooling Prospectus is not a part of a “diploma mill” but is accepted universally as an accredited educational curriculum for home school students. It meets all the educational standards of a bona fide, quality, completely accredited educational organization recognized by the US Department of Education. Accreditation will aid your home-schooled student once they decide to go to college. It even helps cope with special needs children.

Seton’s course offers the essentials when it comes to study curriculum such as English, Math, Science as well as more Christian oriented lessons. The lessons give a moral basis of Catholic teachings to increase the abilities of the parents to be the main instructors of their own children with home-based schooling. The course gives a moral foundation of Catholic instruction to increase the abilities of the parents to be the primary educators of their individual children with home school.

The Catholic Church has continuously taught to go ye into all the world, but Catholic home schooling parents can firstly evangelize their children in a spiritual residence through catholic home-schooling instruction from K-12. The entire emphasis is on the eternal good of the young person.

So if you are a Catholic and want to make a true difference in the child’s value system, think about home-schooling. Seton is in simple terms the best option. You will be happy you chose it.

Find out more about Home School Best Curriculum at Seton Curriculum Home School.

Home Schooling and Learning by Computer

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

There is a computer in almost every household in the West these days and the rest of the world is catching up very quickly. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to have one at home too, because of the many benefits it can bring especially if you have an Internet connection. Nowadays, you must have some computer experience, if you want even a half-decent job, so learning computers must start at school. You and your child can have a unique educational experience with a computer at home. Children of today must learn about this extremely important machine from the earliest possible age and one of the best ways to achieve that is through home schooling computer programs.

Currently, even pre-school children are being taught how to use computers and their associated peripherals. If you choose for home schooling, you and your child will also spend a lot of your time making use of a computer and the Internet. Educating your children will be a lot more efficient when done online, because of the diverse resources available there. Your child will be provided with exceptional educational resources, from which he/she will benefit hugely not least because employment market trends today involve the Internet.

One of the largest ethnic groups who prefers home schooling is the African Americans because of certain society issues and they can keep themselves informed about their heritage through home schooling. The parents of children from minority groups can help their offspring learn more about their history by having an Internet connection at home. The children’s education can be more strongly encouraged by parents and they can also assist in improving the psyche of their children as well. Parents can educate their children about their own particular history by means of the various online resources.

It is vital to remember that home schooling will only work properly, if the parents are willing to give their kids their complete support. They must also be committed and ready for the challenges that they will come across. The parents should look for a rally good computer program or book that can assist their children to learn about using computers. Frequently, the lessons are divided into several sections or series in order that the children can learn them more easily. Children have different learning abilities and since sometimes traditional schools cannot cope with that, the use of computers is an ideal opportunity for you to bring out the best in them.

Home schooling is no longer new, so if you think that your child is not doing well in school, talk to the teachers and get some information about your child. The guidance counsellor can also help you to determine the best education for you child. Home schooling is already accepted and perhaps it can help your child learn more in the safety of your own home.

If you are will to commit yourself to home schooling, you will need to discuss the matter with your child. You could begin by asking your child about his experience in school and then bring up the subject of home schooling. See what your child thinks about the idea. Explain its advantages. You could say that computer learning will be easier. It’s better if you and your child both agree on home schooling, since you will have to work closely together. It might not be easy to persuade your child to give up traditional schooling, where he has all his friends, so you will have to spend time with him and get to know his/her interests. Explain that computer programs can help a lot in home schooling. Tell your child that he can learn more about his particular interest, if he knows how to use a computer.

So why not start searching for the most appropriate home schooling computer program right now? You could talk to your friends, ask at the library or / and go online and do your research. There are lots of home schooling programs to choose from and it could take a while before you can find the right one.

If you are thinking about home schooling then please pop along to our web-based resource at http://home-schooling.the-real-way.com

Home Schooling and the Study of History

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Do you think that passing time in traditional classrooms is a waste of time? For many people, that is probably true. For instance, an exam is due and the students are asked to memorize a lot of dates and names. However, after taking the exam, they will probably forget 90% of those dates and names. That’s what the majority of students do every time they have exams. If you are one of these people, you will find traditional history lessons boring, so home schooling, which focuses more on the history of the world, will probably interest you more.

Simple memorization is not enough to realize the importance of famous people and important events. Through home schooling in history, you can learn about the different cultures of the past in a different, but interesting way - your own way! Through the study of history, you will also understand what is happening in the world today.

But, if you think that home schooling is the most effective option for your child’s education, you must also be prepared to undertake some responsibilities. Since there will be no teacher physically present, you will have to supervise your child’s learning development by yourself.

Let’s say your kid supports a particular sport. You could combine history and home schooling by just putting a map on the wall of your child’s bedroom and mark the location of his favourite sports team. Make sure that you track all the team’s games, scores, activities and schedules. Then, you could go back to history lessons by reading biographies of the various athletes, who had been famous in the particular sport that your child likes. Apart from that, you could also look into the history of that particular sport and discover where it started, its inventor, and the other things happening in that particular time in history.

For instance, let’s say your child likes baseball, you can teach your child about the history baseball, government hearings on the use of steroids and other favourite sports at that period of time. But remember that you can apply this concept to any interest like dancing, flight, cars or any invention. You can also have conversations with your child about current affairs or read interesting historical documents and other books. Aside from that, you could also watch documentaries together with the rest of the family. There are various resources that you can use in home schooling, like TV, maps, newspapers, books, a globe, an atlas, and encyclopedias. Due of the exciting adventures that you and your child will read about and see on film, he/she will find it easier to remember the names and dates of the history lessons. After all, learning is better when it is done in an interesting way.

These ways are recommended if the child is still young, but once your child is older, you must select a home schooling program that is suited for his/her age group. The programs are available at the elementary, high school, and even college levels. You just have to search online for these different programs. One good thing about these programs is that you can tailor them to fit the requirements of your child. However, you must ensure that all the lessons are studied by your child.

After you and your child decide to try home schooling, you must be prepared to make some changes to your life. The learning environment will now be in your home not at a school and through the various resources that you think best, such as a computer and the Internet.

About the Author:

Homeschooling and the Family

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

According to the National Center For Education Statistics, almost 1.1 million children underwent home schooling in 2005 alone. That’s a lot of children. Once upon a time, homeschooling used to be a radical statement - something like a declaration of independence.

It was the (right-wing|conservative Christians who pushed for homeschooling in the 1980’s and legalized it in every State. But the average homeschooler of today is not religiously motivated.

More recent surveys show that parents are quite fed up with the public school system where a lot of the learning is superficial and compulsory. They are also concerned about the negative environment in school, ranging from drugs and abuse to negative pressure from their peers.

As a result, we have a surprising mixture of people who make up the homeschooling world of today. They cut across all religious creeds and all regional borders. Their chief aim is providing meaningful and productive learning through a method that strengthens the bond between all the members of the family.

All these families have one major thing in common - a long standing commitment to the sanctity of childhood. The children of these families are given a primary position. Many believe, and, probably, rightly so, that home schooling allows parents to bring up their kids in a more natural and caring environment.

Public schools can make a child nervous, subservient and thoroughly nasty. Children who receive their education at home are protected from these damaging, negative influences until they attain an age where they can deal with them.

Home-schooling draws the whole family into the almost religious job of teaching. Everyone has a role to play. The parents together form a bond with the children. Any experience can be turned into an educational experience. Both the parents are aware of exactly what is going into their child’s education.

Parents also have a greater say over the kind of religious and moral values that the child is learning. Even watching a film together can become a learning experience. Journeys to the libraries, zoos, museums and other places become educational experiences as well as recreational ones.

A home-schooling family is usually dependent on the income of one earning member. That means that often spending has to be curtailed and proper planning of expenditure is a must. This helps to bring the family members together and everybody gets involved in the task of saving money.

Just having a parent at home to supervise, to nurture and to care for the children brings with it a lot of love and caring. Even the husband chips in and there just is no room for boredom.

All right, problems do crop up, and there will be a lot of misgivings in your mind, but when you know that your kids can always count on you, and your kids know it too, then homeschooling becomes a richly rewarding experience.

About the Author:

Speed Reading

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

What have you been reading lately? At a meeting, you can soon see who the frequent readers are, since wide readers are often quick thinkers and good public speakers too. They quickly win the adulation, respect, and fellowship of others. After all, reading expands the mind and many people think of it as one of the most satisfying pleasures known to mankind, being a combination, as it is, of mental agility and physical relaxation well above the level offered by television or the cinema.

The act of reading is primarily a mental activity. After all, you read with your mind and use your imagination to paint the setting of the detective thriller you are reading. You use your mind to imagine the pleasure that the main characters are experiencing as the story unfolds; or you bring into play the different arguments and ideas brought up by the author of that self-help book you are holding.

Reading effectively helps you to develop (an extensive|a wide by reading various types of books. A skillful reader recognizes a wide range of vocabulary. The reader may not understand exactly what every word means, but he/she will have a good idea of what the sentence is trying to say.

The act of reading makes you more alert and more curious about hitherto unknown words. Some readers even develop ‘the dictionary habit’, which means that every time they come across a new word, they try to work out what it possibly means by the context. If they are stumped, they refer to a dictionary.

Similarly, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing the reader to different subjects. He/she learns to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. Just as in other kinds of education, he/she is learning by actually doing and while he/she is reading he/she is automatically learning about the subject matter of the book too - a free by-product!

Reading teaches you to have an active and open mind. Merely grasping the writers idea is not really good enough, you must have a reply to what you read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Try to develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Always keep your mind open; understand and consider the ideas that you read. A practical part of active reading is the development of one’s own conclusions.

Now let me introduce you to the concept of speed reading. All of the above applies three, four, eight, nine, even ten times over, because speed readers can read that much faster than the average reader! Consider that … being able to read, comprehend and remember all those books. You would certainly become well-read in your subject far more quickly than others. Just think how that could help you at work or in school or college …

Let me share four primary rules for effective reading and better comprehension:

1) Try to read more and more every month. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. 2) Develop the habit of reading for main ideas. Look for the subject and predicate. Do not waste time on details or little words. 3) Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Do not let your attention wander somewhere else. Good readers read with understanding. 4) Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on a specific piece that you are reading.

Reading is a wonderfully stimulating mental activity. It expands your understanding and capability. You really have so much to gain by learning the joy of reading. So, go ahead and get down a book right today.

About the Author: