Home School Me!

Jessie Mathisen asked:


I’ve been a private tutor in New York City for the past five years, and in that time I have worked extensively with eight different homeschoolers and had contact with a number of others. Some of these families are providing their children with absolutely magnificent educations. Others are doing a very poor job of it. I’ve given a great deal of thought to the characteristics that set successful homeschooling families apart from unsuccessful ones, and I believe I have some useful ideas for helping families determine whether or not they ought to take the plunge. Of course there are both academic and non-academic considerations to take into account with education, but my topic here is to primarily discuss the academic issues.

My first question for any parents considering homeschooling is: Why? There are many possible answers to this question, but I think most of the time, the answers fall into one of three categories. First, there are families who simply feel that they can provide their child with a better education than they could get in any available school. Next, there are families who find themselves in a difficult situation, and homeschooling seems like it might provide a solution (although it was never a first choice). Finally, there are families with children who work (usually as actors) and who can’t reasonably go to regular school, too.

All of these categories contain both successful and unsuccessful homeschooling families, although the most common the pitfalls seem to be different. Among families who want to try homeschooling because they believe they can provide a truly superior education, I’ve noticed one major downfall- parents who assume that their interests form the core of a good education. For example, I had a friend in college who was rather bitter about the fact that her parent’s (both math majors from Harvard) version of homeschooling led her to be rather competent at beginning calculus by the age of 11, but sadly unable to write more than a simple sentence or two until she entered public school in the 6th grade.

On the other hand, I now have a homeschooling student whose parents know they can’t do math or science justice- that’s why they’ve hired me and it’s why they make a great effort to make sure a variety of adults who are fluent in math and science contribute to her education. That child is getting a great education in the humanities from her parents and a great education in math and science from me and other people.

Unfortunately, no one is fully competent in every subject that a child should be exposed to, especially as they get older and material gets more complicated. Have you thought about how you will address all of the subjects that your child should be studying, and not just the ones that are your own personal favorites? Have you considered what the implications are of potentially passing on your own academic weaknesses or prejudices to your child? Do you have a plan to avoid, or at least ameliorate, this potential pitfall?

In my experience, families who consider homeschooling because of a difficult situation are perhaps the most diverse group. These are also some of the families who have the most trouble making homeschooling work, for the simple reason that they are already under some sort of intense stress, which makes everything more difficult. The questions I would pose to these families are: Why do you think homeschooling will improve your situation? Do you realistically have the time and energy to devote to this important project? I have seen families who were forced into homeschooling make it work very well and I have also seen homeschooling degenerate into something quite awful.

My favorite example of a family that was forced into homeschooling by circumstance but made it work well for them is a family consisting of an aunt and uncle who adopted their very troubled and severely school-phobic nephew. By the time they adopted their nephew, he had already learned to associate school with failure and responded to it with a mixture of indifference and aggression. It was bad enough when he was a prepubecent child, but as he entered adolescence the situation became absolutely untenable. For this student, homeschooling has been a wonderful second chance that has allowed him to begin learning without having to carry the baggage from his previous failures around. He has made enormous progress in the years since I began working with him. I truly believe that he could not have made this amount of progress in any other environment.

On the other hand, I once participated in the homeschooling of a boy whose mother was terminally ill. The situation was even worse than you might think because she was on medication that made her quite literally and dramatically insane. The poor woman had many frightening hallucinations and became so fearful that she sometimes didn’t allow her son to leave their apartment for stretches of several days. Although homeschooling by a team of professional educators allowed him to more or less keep up academically, the emotional cost of being isolated from his friends and the outside world while he was trying to deal with his mother’s illness made a terrible situation even worse. I truly believe that it would have been better for him to go to school. Even if he had failed every subject, just getting outside of the house and seeing his peers would have been an improvement.

Finally, there are families with a professional child. In these situations, the relevant questions aren’t so much about homeschooling, they’re really about the child’s career. Can this individual child handle a career? Is the desire for a career truly coming from the child? If the career doesn’t carry over into adulthood, will he or she have the skills necessary to make a life in another way? I’ve only known one professional child personally, and she was a charming 8th grade girl who truly loved acting. I homeschooled her while she was performing in an off-Broadway play. She was quite driven to succeed in all aspects of her life, and she was able to do remarkably well in terms of keeping up with her academics as well as her career. I had a lot of admiration for the way she handled all aspects of her life. I also respected the fact that her parents supported her desire to pursue a career in acting, but they absolutely did not push her. Her situation was close to ideal. On the other hand, she told me some disturbing stories about other professional children that she knew who were essentially coerced into pursuing acting careers that they did not want for themselves. Obviously, that is a deeply unethical choice for parents to force on their child. Homeschooling is really beside the point.

In my experience, homeschooling families generally do pretty well (and often extremely well) when they enter into homeschooling with their child’s interests truly front and center. They often run into problems when homeschooling is more about the parents than the child. Ask yourself why and how you want to do this before you start. Be as honest as you can with your answers. The way you think about your child’s education will undoubtedly change over time, but if you keep those questions in mind, your chances of making the right choice for your family is quite good.



Master Design

Katie Criss asked:


Educators, Parents, Students lend me your ears, my name is Katie Criss and I am going to discuss home schooling with you. Currently there is a very heated debate over the issue of Home schooling in America. Today I am going to present you with my views on this critical subject. When I say “my views” I’m not going to stick my finger in the air to see what way the wind is blowing with this issue of home schooling. I know there are two sides, and supporters of both.. Rather I am going to present to you my viewpoints with opinion and research on why I am a critic of home schooling.

When I asked myself the question, How do you feel about home schooling? I first thought “Why would anyone do that” So I researched exactly that, What are the reasons that people give of why they choose to homeschool and how valid are they.

One reason that I frequently found through research was that parents home schooled their children because of the violence found in public schools. My response to this is Yes, there is violence in public schools, However, there are many preventive measures that are taken to avert this violence and most schools have incorporated a Zero-tolerance policy. Parents justify themselves by reciting isolated incidents to help build their case for home schooling. My message to parents who use this excuse to validate themselves is, first ask yourself the question, Is their violence in my neighborhood. I am sure if you are living in Harlem, New York compared to South Park, Pennsylvania there is going to be an immense difference in the crime of the area. My next question is, how do you expect to protect your child from all the dangers of society? Home schooling your child is a parents attempt to isolate their child from the real world scary stories. If you are afraid of your child being bullied, what will happen when your child becomes an adult and meets a bullying boss? This is a real-world story; children need the exposure to different people. Why? Simple, because nobody in this world is the same.

After doing much research and learning that parents question the safety of their children in public schools, I myself questioned the safety of home schooled children. From this research I concluded that current home schooling laws allow people who mistreat children to keep them in social isolation in order for the abuse and neglect to go undetected. To back this statement up I will cite a few of many incidents.

Smithfield North Carolina October 13, 2003. A sign hangs on the wall that reads so this is not home sweet home, adjust. In the bedroom, 14-year-old Brandon had committed suicide after killing his brother and sister. Yes, these children were home schooled, but the real point of this story is that the Warrens had home schooled their children before, in Arizona, where they were convicted of Child Abuse. An investigator in Arizona recorded that the children were tortured physically and emotionally. However, that is information that North Carolina school officials are not required to collect. In fact, since home schooling became legal in North Carolina in 1985, the number of home schooled students jumped from just a few hundred to more than 50,000. BUT there has been no change in the number of state employees that oversee the program- there is just three for the ENTIRE state.

In Iowa, a father is serving life, and a mother will go on trial this month, for killing their 10-year-old adopted son and burying him at their house in the backyard. Because they were home schooling no one noticed that he was missing for one entire year.

In Texas, Deanna Laney, home schooling mother of three, told investigators that she beat her children with rocks because she was saving them from Satan.

Another notorious and similar case is that of Andrea Yates, Texas home schooling mother of five who drowned all five children in her home bathtub. Many claim that Yates had been overwhelmed by the demands of constantly spending time with her children due to the fact that she was a home schooling parent.

To compare, Yates and Laney, Both of these mothers were religious. Both were subservient wives handling childcare pressures. Interestingly, both utilized Christian home schooling for their doomed children. Both “talked to God.” Both fundamentalist Christian mothers say they sacrificed their own children “for God.” Each of Andrea Yates children, like Mrs. Laney’s, were home-schooled and had Biblical names. These are Two examples that are very similar to each other, both mentally ill mothers trusted to be at home with their children and give them their education. Which leads me to my next finding, Parents claim to home school their children to provide them with a better education then public schooling can give. My question is, How is a parent qualified to provide their child with an education? Home schooling parents have no set curriculum to go by, but not to worry they simply can purchase books of the internet entitled “Home schooling for Dummies” if they are having trouble, that should fix any problems. I would like to address educators and prospective educators, and ask them the question, Could you replace your studies with one do-it-yourself dummies book? I am sure that if you could then that would be the route of study pursued, rather then long hours of tedious work provided by a college institution. In order to even pursue a career in education in the state of Pennsylvania, one must provide clearances that show a clear background check, take Praxis Tests to show knowledge, complete at the minimum a 4 year education program with at least a 3.0 average, a speech and hearing test, observation hours, supervised student teaching, and lifelong learning credits in order to keep their certification in the field. Yet, to homeschool in California the only requirement is that parents provide notification that they will be home schooling their child. The only qualifications to teach listed are that the parents are “capable of teaching”. Even more shocking is the state of Texas, home to both Andrea Yates and Deanna Laney, has no requirements for home schooling, in fact parents do not even have to notify the state that they will be home schooling. They must possess no qualifications in order to teach. That’s it, if they want to be a teacher, they are!

Please note that every state is different. In South Carolina, colored moderate regulation a parent must have at least a GED or high school diploma to teach. However in New York, which is considered high regulation, no qualifications are necessary. Therefore if a parent did not even get a high school diploma in New York they are still qualified to teach their child high school material. I have concluded from this information that a child can only go as far as their parents have, and in some instances that may not be very far. Therefore these children are being cheated out of a valuable education.

Also I have questioned, having a parent as a teacher… are they teaching their children their bias’s? In an institution goals are made to make sure that the material being taught is bias free. However in a home, a parent is free to choose, and some knowingly, others unknowingly are teaching their child their own biases. In a world that is culturally diverse, one must be exposed to different people and situations in order to appreciate our differences. However if a student had already formed biases then they are virtually closed minded to accepting these differences. Similar to this subject, being that both lead me to a valuable question is how home schooling parents can justify teaching their children for a child’s entire childhood. When a student is in a public school they have many different teachers, who use many different teaching methods. However in a home a parent, especially with no education on how to educate, would use only one teaching method. Of course if they are teaching at all, and not just using books and videos. Through different teachers you learn virtually how to learn in different ways. You also learn how to understand people better. My valuable question that ties all these subjects together is how will a child develop his or her socialization skills if they are not exposed to different people? The school environment is much like one’s work environment. If a child has never been exposed to such an environment how will they know how to adapt? How will they react to all the different people, different opinions, and different viewpoints? How will they work with groups of co-workers? All these questions address the issue of socialization of children who are home schooled. Closely related is one of my biggest questions, that is How can a parent make such a crucial decision without their child’s consent to remove them from a world that is considered to be the “norm” and place them in a world in which they in effect are isolated? These children will develop low self esteems and forever question why it was their parents did not want to send them to school, to show them off to the world, instead they will wonder why are they hiding me? Most importantly, These children will not have the experience that public school provides, they will not have the experience that unites us citizens and provides us with a common background. They will not get to experience the simple things like go to prom’s, participate in sports in which an entire school is benefited, have a school lunch, a lock on their locker, a ride on a school bus, recess, watching for their school to be cancelled on TV from snow days, and all the other little but character building events that take place in a public school students life.

In closing, American citizens, together let’s promote our very prestigious and notorious public school system and crusade against the leniency of home schooling that consequently will benefit our country by providing a solid education for all.



Master Design

Michelle Bery asked:


Many parents, faced with inadequate schooling for their children or a child’s particular educational needs that a district can not effectively handle, choose instead to home school their child. Home schooling - when done appropriately and responsibly - can be enormously effective in educating children in particular situations. However, qualified home school teaching is paramount to achieving results.

Parents choose the option of home schooling for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the quality of education is lacking in their area school district, classrooms are overcrowded, or particular educational needs can not be met by existing programs. While private schooling may sometimes be an option, in many cases it is cost-prohibitive. In other cases, learning or physical disabilities hinder students regardless of what traditional school environment they attend. In all of these cases, home schooling can provide an efficient and successful alternative to traditional learning environments.

Those providing home school teaching - most often the parent of the child being home schooled - must make a commitment to keeping the student on par with the curriculum being offered through the public school system. Each particular state offers their own guidelines regarding home school teaching requirements. Those interested in home school teaching should possess a strong desire to have a positive impact on their student’s education; the rest will come with experience. Home school curriculum in line with state guidelines can be found online and will lead instructors step-by-step through the process.

Parents who choose home schooling are often intimidated by the teaching process. What they will soon discover is that home school teaching is ultimately the communication of information in a way that works for each particular student. For example, if your child learns best through sound, you may find that you do well with the use of DVD instruction in your home school teaching. Other students need a more hands-on approach. If you listen and observe the needs of your child you will often find a way to customize your home school teaching.

Home school teaching can bring learning into focus for a variety of students. Released from the social, emotional, and educational obstacles sometimes found in traditional school environments, students are left with a clear path to learning. Approached responsibly, the home school process can instill confidence and a lifelong love of learning.



Master Design

Tamma DeHart asked:


Homeschooling support is a social care committee devoted to do the following functionalities:

To support guardians who are concerning Homeschooling support to make an informed choice.

To provide an informed non profit organization of homeschooling support.

To recommend homeschooling support and information to individuals who are all philosophical persuasions who are homeschooling support.

Organization of homeschooling support is a comprehensive group dedicated to help out all homeschooling members in the common aim of educating their children at home. There are many homeschooling support organizations over worldwide. Presently like all features of homeschooling support association, some families use their local groups and some do not. Some families seek such homeschooling support associations as they want to teach their child right from their home.

Homeschooling support offers with customized leaflet and methods which let them to study and grow naturally, normal children climb the academic ladder in a drastically shorter time frame as compared to their peers in traditional schools. They are teaches in a responsive, relaxed setting with procedure matched to their own fastidious learning style and are therefore free to dedicate extra time to discussion, thinking, and exploration of their interests in a full variety of activities, many of which comprise work and service to others.

Possibly the most important advantage is the option that homeschooling support organization have the funds for these families to get back money and rebuild the family unit the backbone of all society. Some extra time is given to the important feature of character training and the development of essential values which form the base of positive spiritual, social and psychological development of the child. Family unit are capable to develop relationships, communication skills and utilize the quality time required in living, working, playing and serving others jointly.

All of this careful preparation is creating exceptional persons and responsible intellectual thinkers who will eventually profit their association and country. Already, universities, colleges, schools and business enterprises are energetically pursuing home educated students to carry brilliance into their own educational bodies. Such educational bodies realize the possible management value and positive brainpower of these young men and women who are passed out from homeschooling support organizations. These young people have had much spend into them by those with the maximum interest in their future - their own parents and families.



Master Design

Michelle Bery asked:


The face of schooling has changed over the years. From learning at home from one’s family, to one room school houses that served as the classroom for children of many ages, to schools housed in massive buildings where students have access to resources that used to be reserved for the finest universities, schools have constantly evolved throughout contemporary history. Today we are witnessing a reversal of that trend as more and more students find themselves out of the public schools and back at home receiving a home school education.

There are many reasons that parents may opt to provide their children with a home school education. Some parents prefer a home school education because public schools are not legally allowed to provide religious guidance and instruction. Other parents may believe that a home school education can provide higher and more stringent academic standards, or a safer learning environment than the public schools can offer. For others, a home school education is the best option because the parents travel extensively, or the child has special needs that are best met at home. For those reasons, and many more, home school education is a booming business that is gaining momentum with each passing year.

For those who are considering home school education, and those who are already engaged in that endeavor, there are several factors on which to focus. Public schools offer more than just academic instruction, and a good home school education needs to fill those gaps in order to be most effective.

Socialization is a primary concern of many parents who provide a home school education for their children. While students can learn the “Three R’s” at public school or at home, they also need to learn how to share, listen, take turns, and get along with others. Students who are receiving a home school education are often enrolled in clubs, sports, and other extra curricular activities that will help develop the child’s socialization skills.

Educational resources are another element of education in which home school education must strive to match the level of the public schools. Public libraries, internet, and specialized home school education publishers and curriculums can help parents provide an adequate and effective home school education for their children.

Ultimately what matters most is that our children are educated. Recent studies show that children receiving a home school education perform as well, and in many cases better, than their counterparts in public and private schools on standardized tests. That success has continued even after students leave the comfort of a home school education and move on to colleges and universities. Parents who feel that their education options are lacking might consider a home school education. It could be the best fit for their child and their family’s needs.



Master Design

Tango Pang asked:


Deciding to home school your children is a big decision to make. Now that you have decided it is the right thing for your family, you certainly have to make sure that your children are getting the best out of the entire learning experience. Having a home school group is a great way to make sure that it happens.

So What is a Home School Group?

A home school group is something that every home school atmosphere can and should take advantage of. You can have a school group with other children who are being home schooled in your town or city. When you have a home school group meeting, all of the children who are being home schooled will be able to get together, to talk, and to share their learning experiences.

A home school group is very important to the development of your home schooled child. One of the benefits of home schooling is that you can be in charge of what your kid is learning, how, and when the learning taking place.

However, one of the major drawbacks of home schooling is that your child is not getting the socialization that is necessary for good social development. If you have a home school group that meets quite often, you are going to be giving your children the right dose of socialization as well.

There are several things that a home school group can probably do. They can get together to participate in sports, or they can even get together to have certain learning classes at the same time. You can also go on field trips with your group.

You can even do things together in a home school group that your children would do in regular school, like holiday parties and other events. If you can have a home school group that your children can be a part of all the time, they are going to also learn how to get along well with others, and you are going to have a well rounded child.

You should check with your local home school association to see if there is already a home school group that your children can join, when you decide to home school them. Having kids at home, but also giving them the support of a home school group is very important to their development as a whole. Remember that this is something that every home schooled child should be a part of during their lives.



Master Design

Jane A. Smith asked:


Home schooling families do have access to grants. If you would be interested in knowing more about what kinds of grants are there for you, you would have to undertake a well-searched inquiry. As per general law one cannot approach the United States government for home school grants; the funds are not too large.

Then what is the way to find such grants? Online surfing is the best way to find out. These grants for home schooling do exist though they are not out in the open and therefore are tough to locate. But as said, these grants do exist and we look at ways at finding them.

At places where large corporations give grant is termed, as corporate grants. Large corporations have frequently given grants to charter & traditional schools. A few of these corporate grants also find their way to home schools but to receive a pie of it you need to know which grants you can send applications for.

Multinational behemoth IBM actively supports initiatives in the field of education; but none of these allowances are for home schools. Wal-Mart does give grants for homeschoolers though. All you need to do is get in touch with the company’s education section and put forward your application for grants. These departments are not authoritative so you could end up talking to various people on the same matter to get the desired results.

In the US home schooling grants from the government home schooling do not exist. Those people who are graduates via home schooling and are going to college can be given scholarships & grants, but federal governments have nothing as such for families of home schools. Canadian situation is completely opposite however. For instance in British Columbia $175 worth of grant is allowed for every kid that joins a home school prior to 1st November.

Grants are available to home schools but only from other home schools. Grants for every student in the state of Alaska is there for the textbooks in the shape of an annual grant. An association with some kind of a home school support group is very important. You can easily approach your home school group to inquire if they issue grants.

Quite of few do, but that may be as like study material and writing material, only a few select issue grants in monetary terms. Just incase your group of home school has a 501 (c) 3 standing as per US Tax code then it brightens your possibility of receiving a grant.

Last but certainly not the least, check with your ministry or even the church. These organizations, if incase they do not run a home school of their own would be more than happy to be of some help. They could donate books that have religious learning and material required by the home school. But remember receiving grants is not easy and you may be required to knock on a few more doors than you set out to but if you need them then do keeping looking for all kinds of grants possible.



Master Design

Jessica L. Parnell asked:


Concerned about extra-curriculars for your homeschooling child? If you plan to continue homeschooling through high school, you may have considered your options for how to address sports, clubs, graduation, newspaper club, etc.

Before trying to reinvent the wheel, check out your local homeschool support groups to learn about homeschool activities they may have already established. Many groups offer homeschool sports teams, homeschool drama clubs, homeschool choirs, homeschool debate teams, etc. Homeschoolers also often establish teams to compete in national math and science competitions.

But if you are starting from scratch, be sure to spend some time organizing, pulling people together who can help, and setting up your plan of attack before you jump. This will help to avoid the frustrations that so often result in burnout and the end of a great idea.

With technology where it is today, homeschooling activities are easy to coordinate and you can create a sense of community among homeschool students with just the click of a button. Better yet, you can have a newspaper or homeschool literary club with contributing members from all around the world.

And as technology continues to make our world smaller, look ahead to ways you can use the developments to your homeschooler’s advantage.

Some great places to start are activities that add that element of “setting themselves apart” to your child’s transcript. Homeschool activities list.

Honor society-the National Honor Society won’t admit homeschoolers, but a home school honor society exists if you’re willing to get one going in your community. Check out homeeducationpartnership.com for Eta Sigma Alpha Honor Society.

Yearbook staff-are you part of a homeschool group? Take your own pictures and allow your kids to put together a ‘yearbook.” A yearbook creates lasting memories and gives your child that sense of belonging. With digital photos and on-line publishing options, designing and printing a yearbook is now easy! There are a number of other on-line programs (such as blurb.com and shutterfly.com that will allow your group to work from any computer with an Internet connection to contribute to your yearbook.

Sections to include:

i) Class pictures

ii) Sports

iii) Clubs

iv) Field Trips

v) Ministries

vi) Events

vii) Group Photos

viii) Friends

ix) Awards & Accomplishments

x) Community Service Projects

Literary journal-If you have a writer in the family, what better way to showcase his or her abilities than to write for a literary journal. Check out narrowroadpublishing.com for your opportunity to contribute to a homeschool literary journal.

Newspaper-If your student is interested in writing or journalism, check into your local smaller newspapers. When I was in high school, I was able to secure a weekly column in our local newspaper where I had the opportunity to write for an audience every week. It was a terrific experience that forced me to think critically about the events around me and to do my research before writing my article. I am so grateful for my parents’ confidence in me and encouragement to pursue my interests in ways that were meaningful.

Sports-check with your local homeschool support groups. Many areas have homeschool sports team that compete against one another or against smaller private schools in the area. Be sure to also look in to community sports and premier sports clubs in your area.

If you have an aspiring athlete, your local premier sports clubs are one great avenue as many colleges and universities do their recruiting from premier teams and tournaments.

In many states, public schools will allow homeschoolers to participate in sports-some require your child to attend at least one class; others allow them to play without attending. Often private schools welcome the opportunity to add homeschoolers to their team rosters as well.

Don’t assume your child will be unable to play his or her sport on an organized and competitive team. Take the time to pursue your options. We have seen many homeschool students go on to college on athletic scholarships as a result of a diligent and committed parent.

Choir-many areas have local choirs or chorus opportunities. My homeschool daughter joined the local public school chorus to gain experience and now can choose to also participate with our county chorus or a local music school choir.

Band-another one where there can be many opportunities. Look into your local 4-H club, a local music school, private and public schools in the area, or a county band. Don’t hesitate to check into your church band as well. Often churches forget to recruit young members, but welcome them enthusiastically.

Leadership-leadership comes in many forms. If you do not have a homeschool support group nearby, find other ways for your child to take on leadership roles. As a high school student, I had the opportunity to start a children’s choir in my church, to teach Sunday School, and to serve as an assistant softball coach through our community sports organization. These were all leadership activities that not only looked great on a college application, but also served to build my character and confidence in my own abilities. And working with younger children is an ideal way to build leadership skills in a child who is otherwise fairly introverted.

Student Government-A student who participates in student government is one who is seen as a leader. In a school setting, this individual helps organize student events, works with school leadership to make changes or improvements in the school, finds ways for the student body to make a difference in the community, and more. You can achieve this same valuable experience with a homeschool support group. And it looks fantastic on a college application. Have your homeschool student government association take charge of planning field trips, finding ministry opportunities, organizing events . . . your kids can do an outstanding job of this and lift some of the burden from your shoulders.

Another fantastic way to provide student government experience is through the Student Governmental Affairs program (sgap.com). With this program, your student receives a monthly legislative newsletter, The Student Forum, which contains nonpartisan, non-political, factual information about issues under discussion in Congress. The highlighted topics are geared to the interests of teenagers and are age-appropriate in both the material presented and writing style. I used this material as a foundation for my student government class with great success. My students would discuss and debate the issues and express their opinions to their elected officials. It was inspiring and opened their eyes to the incredible amount of legislation that is enacted into law every month in this country. Two of those kids have now gone on to college to study political science-one I am convinced will someday serve as our president!

There are so many unmentioned activities not listed here. Drama, chess, science, photography, foreign language, environmental, nursing, math clubs-you name it, you can create it (even with just two members). If your child has a specific interest, find someone willing to join them and start your own club.

With most of these suggestions come tremendous opportunities for scholarship funding. Be sure to question the financial aid office at the colleges and universities you are considering to learn more about the scholarships they offer to students who have been involved in these extra-curricular activities.



Master Design

Low Jeremy asked:


There are home schooling curriculum for high school students that are available for parents to check out in case they want to put their kids through the program. Contrary to popular opinion, home schooling is not merely limited to primary and lower grade class students. In fact, there are even home courses available for upcoming college students. Whatever age your child is, there are several home schooling resources available that will be able to fill up your needs.

Home schooling has been getting more and more parents in this system of educating their children. To put it more simply, home education is the process of learning where children are taught and educated inside the home. This method of educating children has been around for a long time. But it is only now that it has gathered more interest. The reason for its newfound resurgence may be the fact that more and more parents would want to personally look over the education of their children.

This way, parents will be able to oversee what their children learn and be able to teach subjects that really matter. Home schooling also enables a student to be educated in a very comfortable and familiar environment- their own home. No longer would children have to adapt to new surroundings, as their home is their classroom. Parent and child can also spend more time together through this unique educational system.

If you are interested in having your child home schooled through high school, there are different high school home schooling curriculums available that will be able to provide your child the type of education that he or she needs. The type of curriculum that you choose would depend on the type of education that you want to provide for your child.

There are religion-based high school home schooling curriculums that you can follow if you prefer to incorporate religious component into the lessons of your child. There are also curriculums that focus on the Sciences and the Arts that you might also consider. But also, keep in mind that there are other methods of home schooling available for your child going into high school.

Other home schooling methods available for you include student-paced learning where your child can learn and progress at an individualized speed. It is fairly accepted that every individual have different rates of comprehension, and learning curves. This method of home schooling focuses on the learning rate of your child. This will allow children to master concepts before they proceed to the next lesson instead of adapting to the teacher.

There are also home schooling programs being offered by your local community which you can take advantage of. There are also unit studies that focus on teaching different subjects following a central theme. There are also all-in-one programs that can cover your child’s home schooling needs for the entire year. These programs will usually already include all the materials and resources that the home school student would need. There are other methods in home schooling specifically designed for your child in high school, that parents should also look into. It is an opportunity worth exploring.



Master Design

Michelle Bery asked:


Home schooling is a topic that continues to receive quite a bit of attention. The ability to control the educational environment in which a child learns is often of great benefit to parents looking to supplement the low-quality education found in their school district. In other situations, there are particular educational needs that can best be met by a home school setting. But part of home schooling is consenting to a home school inspection that ensures that you are working within proper guidelines.

Home schooling guidelines are governed by each particular state and require that curriculum offered in a home school environment is in line with that being offered in the traditional school environment. Parents or qualified instructors who take on the responsibility of home schooling are held to these standards in an effort to provide the highest quality education possible for each student.

Depending on the state in which you live, a home school inspection may be necessary prior to you beginning the home school process. Some states also require a home school inspection on a periodic basis to ensure that the proper guidelines are being met and that curriculum is in keeping with educational benchmarks set forth by the state and individual school district.

Educators are often observed periodically in traditional schools and a home school inspection is similar to this practice. But a home school inspection also takes into account the home environment as a setting conducive to effective learning. Inspectors will look for a quiet “classroom” setting specifically reserved for home schooling; it should be an environment that fosters concentration, creativity, and learning.

A home school inspection will also take into account the materials that you are using for your home school program including textbooks, DVDs or videos, computer software, and online resources. All material should generally support and further the curriculum established by the school district.

Ultimately, a home school inspection is for the good of the child. If you keep that in mind, it is less of an inconvenience and more of a necessary component of home schooling. Remember that home schooling is a responsibility and should be treated as such. A symbiotic relationship between you and the school district will only benefit your child and foster a greater educational experience.



Master Design