Opponents of homeschooling argue the fact that children who are homeschooled have a much more difficult time with college admittance, than do children who have attended a traditional classroom setting.

Fortunately the vast majority of colleges are eagerly accepting students who were schooled at home. The number continues to rise, with each new year.

The largest hurdle homeschooled students face when it comes to applying to the college of their choice is the lack of traditional transcripts and diploma. Since these things don't physically exist, some colleges will ask the student to obtain a GED. Most colleges require the student to take other standardized tests, such as the ACT and/or SAT.

In addition to these tests, students can also put together a portfolio, of sorts. Include a detailed account of all completed course, the results of any other advanced placement tests, proof of attending community education or pre-college courses and volunteer work.

They might, also, consider the inclusion of character references from family, friends and employers. Maybe even an essay, which explains their interest and goals for the future.

The lack of records problem can be resolved by enrolling your child in an online homeschool educational program. These schools do offer hard copies of transcripts and report cards. These documents are usually sufficient, in the eyes of the Admissions Dept.

Do a search for accredited online school programs, using your favorite search engine. You will probably be surprised at the number of accredited online school programs available to you. They, of course, cost more than if you create your child's curriculum, yourself. But, it's worth it if you are new to homeschooling or don't have a great deal of extra time to allocate to course preparation.

Like traditionally schooled students, homeschooled students need to take the time to find the college which will best meet their educational needs. It should be a well thought out decision that entails contacting several schools.

Make the final choice after determining which schools are the most willing to assist homeschool graduates with the admission process. You will find that many colleges are very receptive to the needs and wants of students schooled in a home environment.

You may think that because you are unorganized you’ll be facing a next to impossible task, when it comes to planning your child’s homeschool curriculum. You’ll be happy to learn that, with the help of the Internet, even the most disorganized Mom can achieve lesson-planning success.

Probably the simplest way to ensure your lesson plans will be organized is to purchase a complete curriculum package. There are many online vendors that offer this option. These packages are readily available for all grade levels, and are very comprehensive.

Unfortunately, these packages are a bit on the pricey side. This re-enforces the fact that convenience does not come cheap. But, if your budget allows, many parents can tell you this is the way to go.

If you find that you can’t afford to purchase a curriculum program that covers the entire school year, consider purchasing packages that cover just one or two subjects. If you choose this option, you may want to choose packages that cover subjects you aren’t particularly fond of and would find less enjoyable to create yourself.

Many times these packages are made available on popular auction sites, like eBay, at a fraction of the original cost and in like-new condition.

There are many homeschool-related sites on the Internet that provide printables which work wonders when trying to stay organized. Everything from lesson planning forms, to calendars, to grade sheets, to blackline maps, to book report forms, to award certificates, to so much more. Why buy a fancy day planner when you can download this type of printable for just the cost of paper and ink?

Visit your local bookstore or library. There have been a great many books written on the art of organization. The great thing about these principles is that once learned they can be applied to all aspects of your life, not just lesson planning. Your family will be more relaxed in an organized environment and your house so clean.

Buy a file cabinet. It will quickly become your new best friend. Start a separate folder for each subject you will be teaching. Start folders for such things as field trip ideas, completed projects, potential projects, etc.

Try to file away the papers you won’t be using for that day, instead of letting them pile up on your desk. Remember you can close a file drawer but you can’t close a desktop - unless of course you are lucky enough to have a roll-top desk.

Whether you are new to homeschooling or a seasoned pro, chances are you’ll always need and be on the lookout for updated information and material. The good news is there are literally thousands of resources available on the Internet, alone.

At the time of this writing, a Google search using the keyword phrase ‘homeschooling resources’ resulted in over 3 MILLION hits. You will quickly discover that there are websites on every topic imaginable, for every age group.

Regardless of your needs, you will have no problem locating the teaching aids that best meet your requirements. There are sites that offer low cost or no cost worksheets and lesson planning materials. There are both vendors and online schools that offer top-notch curriculum packages and programs that cater to every budget.

Visit your local library or bookstore. There are many very informative books which have been written on the subject of homeschooling. Together with all available materials on subjects you are planning to teach, putting together your own curriculum package is probably easier than you think. If you choose the library option, consider books that feature worksheets, blank maps and other teaching materials that can easily be duplicated, for just the cost of making the copies.

Join a homeschool discussion group or forum. There is a wealth of great groups out there. You will become acquainted with families who are new to homeschooling and families who have been learning at home, for years. Browse popular online auction sites or sites that strictly sell used curriculum. You will discover almost every teaching aid youíll ever need, most at a fraction of the original cost.

Another resource that you might not be aware of is your local school district. By law, districts must allow homeschooled children to participate in extra-curricular activities such as band, sports and drama. The majority of time, you will be required to provide transportation, but that is a small price for the benefits your child will receive.

There are several print magazines that are geared toward homeschooling. They feature write-ups on almost every aspect of teaching your children, at home. Many of these articles are written by parents, well versed in regard to homeschooling methods and more than eager to share their knowledge.

As a rule, when you homeschool your children, you aren’t presented with the same social opportunities that you would be if your children attended a traditional classroom. That is to say, roles such as ‘lunch monitor’ or ‘PTA Mom’ are usually not the norm in a homeschool setting.

For the homeschooling mom, there are still a variety of social situations out there waiting for you. Many of them are family oriented and can be incorporated into your lesson plans. Better yet, several are low cost or free of charge.

Join a homeschool group, either online or in your area. These groups are becoming more popular each year and are located in almost every medium to large city. If there is not a group near you, take the plunge and organize one yourself. You’ll make great connections with other parents who homeschool.

Don’t overlook joining an online group. It is possible to build friendships and ëbe sociable’ in Cyberspace. One of the neatest aspects of these groups is that you’ll come in contact with moms from all over the United States and beyond. This can be a big help if you find yourself struggling to come up with not so boring geography lessons.

Have you acquired a skill or taken up an interesting hobby? Teach a class to other homeschool moms. It can be a purely recreational class or something educational, which can converted into lesson plans.

Take the class idea one step further and teach it at the community education level. Most school districts offer enrichment classes on a wealth of different subjects. Not only will this option afford you the chance to interact with your peers, it will also give you the opportunity to earn extra money.

Volunteer with your children. There are many not for profit organizations which allow families to volunteer together. Depending on your duties, it will give you the chance to interact with your neighbors and assist a great cause, at the same time. Animal shelters, nature preserves and soup kitchens are examples of ëfamily friendly’ organizations that are always on the lookout for volunteers.

Unschooling is a method of learning that is not set in stone. In fact, it tends to mean different things to different people. It is the preferred teaching method of a great number of homeschooling families.

Unschooling is natural learning, which is based for the most part on day-to-day life experiences. It is not based on the traditional curriculum choices and teaching methods utilized by the public school system. Little emphasis is placed on things such as textbooks, quizzes, and scheduled subjects or class times.

When you think back to your school days, what do you remember? Were you stimulated by what you were learning? Were you bored with what was being taught? Was learning fun?

It stands to reason that most children (and adults, for that matter) learn at a faster pace and retain more information, when subjects are presented in an enjoyable manner. Simply stated, learning should be fun!

Unschooling is not an exact science, which makes it very appealing to many parents who decide to teach their children at home. It is also appealing to children who are given the opportunity to learn about things that aren’t offered in the local classroom.

Suppose you have an eight year old who has expressed an interest in learning Japanese or astronomy or genealogy. Chances are slim that these interests would be addressed in a conventional school setting.

Even though unschooling has few rules and many definitions, there have been several wonderful books written on this method of home teaching. If you are new to the concept of unschooling, take the time to do some reading. You’ll no doubt be surprised at the wealth of information that is available.

Join a local homeschool group and online discussion forums. You will come in contact with many homeschooling families who successfully utilize unschooling methods. These folks will answer your questions and steer you in the right direction, if you are just starting out. They can recommend things like books, online resources and teaching materials.

Christmas Morning

Eyes wide and beaming with ear-to-ear smiles, a two year old boy and his five year old sister ripped open their Christmas presents one by one. A battery-powered doll that ”sings”, a new bike complete with flashers, siren and lights, a battery-powered set of race cars that pits two vehicles against each other around a closed track. Battery-powered lights flash, wheels whirl and engines “roar” while an overhead banner counts laps with colored lights and finally, declares a winner. It was a scene of utter joy on the part of the children and parents alike. But wait. I was becoming a bit leery of the scene unfolding before me.

“Does everything use batteries”, I asked.

Apparently getting my point, the father nodded sheepishly in the affirmative before laughing out loud. How much value are such toys in the education of children and in helping to mold young, eager minds?

The two year old began to illustrate my point. He didn’t want to simply watch the red and black cars race around the tiered track. He wanted to play with the cars. Snatching the red one up, he rolled it back and forth on the floor in front of him ignoring the flashing lights and sound effects behind him.

“R-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, he trilled, imitating a car engine.

“No, no son”, father responded, showing the boy how to turn on the battery-powered car sounds. The child watched and listened, fascinated for a few moments. Then, he’d have none of it.

“R-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, he sounded again, the car back in his hand whirring across the cool tile floor.

What is a Toy?

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “toy” as “an article to play with; especially a plaything for children.” The key point I want to make is that children play with or use the toy. They are not passive observers. Toys should NOT be the kind that a child just sits and watches. They MUST be “interactive” tools for children to have any true development.

What Toys Do

Toys can provide numerous aspects and functions. Some of the more important of these include:

• Stimulate role play and modeling of cultural behaviors

• Help to develop critical perceptive skills

• Help to develop and fine tune motor skills

• Directly stimulate right brain development of visual-spatial aspects and color

• Aid in development of critical thinking

• Provide a channel for development of emotional intelligence

• Educate children in a variety of ways (which can be positive or negative)

• Entertain young, developing minds

In considering what toys to provide for their children, parents should allow for a variety of toy types and kinds. Modern toys as well as traditional toys need to be available to permit a full range of emotional and intellectual growth. Which toys are really “best”? This actually depends on several factors such as the culture, practicalities and the child himself or herself.

Traditional vs. Modern Toys

Traditional toys are still available in quantity because they not only provide vital outlets for child development, but have survived the test of time itself. Tops, Yo-yos, rag dolls, carved case and trucks, bicycles, skates, rubber and other balls of every size and material, and the classic, age-old wagon are examples of traditional toys. “homemade” noise-makers are also included as traditional toys. “Have you ever watched – and listened to a tot bang on pots, pans, bottles, furniture and even the floor for, gasp!, hours on end?” These need no batteries, sound effects or automatically-provided motions to be highly effective, absorbing to the maximum a child’s full attention span. They work on some of the best power imaginable – the child’s own mind. In Mexico, wooden traditional toys have been all the rage for decades. Better-made, less expensive and longer-lasting than most “electronic-based” and battery-operated toys, they will likely continue to be so.

This is not to say that modern toys have no place. They do, and can be highly effective as well – if judiciously selected based on the needs, temperament, personality, mental development and desires of the child. Games, dolls (with “active” elements) and scenarios like train or race car sets can be welcomed and effective developmental toys for children when combined with other types which stimulate play, imagination and aid in aspects of the child’s mental development. What are the best toys for your children to play with? Know the personality, character and developmental needs of your child and you’ll be much better prepared to make successful choices.

Education is the cornerstone of success and it begins in early childhood with the first portal of learning – The Pre-School. If statistics are any index, then ninety percent of the human brain is developed by the age of three years and near complete development has occurred by the age of five years – which makes preschool the most impressionable of all the learning institutes that the growing child would attend in the years to come!

THE CONVENTIONAL MODE

In the not-so-recent past, it was simple and effective to put a child in preschool – all it entailed was consulting the directory and calling the school closest to home and the child was admitted!

The perceived needs of the parents were limited to:

A safe, secure and warm classroom environment for the budding child

The focus expected being primarily academics

Logistically, the school needed to be close to the home and convenient to attend

The changing times have witnessed exponential increases in both the number of preschools and the expectations of the parents per se.

THE ENHANCED LEARNING CURVE

Present day parents are more discerning and aware considering that preschools play such an important role in development – the expectations are high and the perceived needs of the parents are more spatial than ever before. The new age expectations from a preschool are more than a safe and mere academic institution. The expectations from the modern day preschool need to encompass some or more of the following:

An institution which could inculcate spatial personality development

Preschools with a reputation and a prestigious name

Aligned to the perceived needs of the parents – be it religious or values driven

Availability in synchronicity with the work schedules of the parent(s)

The Curriculum – well-structured or play-based method depending on the preferences of parents

Feedback – present day decisions are strongly driven by feedback – even more so for preschools considering it is important to assimilate and analyze the real time experiences of parents and children

THE OPTIONS

The present day Preschools could well be demarcated:

The traditional half –day school program being in alignment with those not wanting to overburden the child very early in life

A school with a full-day program - as in a state-sponsored program which would predictably be the option of choice if both parents or single parents work all day

The religious school environs could well be need of offering a non-secular environment

Discerning parents then would address this critical decision conscientiously, considering that it entails enormous planning and judicious decision-making which invariably begins with identification of preschools, followed by an in–depth researching of facilities and track record of the institutions – moderated by the feedback of others and finally conclude based on the personal real time visit perceptions before making the decision.

One of the greatest obstacles facing parents who wish to take their children out of the public school system for home schooling is fear – especially fear about their abilities to teach. No parent wants to be responsible for their child missing out on any important educational elements but, in most states, parents don’t have to be certified teachers in order to instruct their children at home.

When it comes to home schooling, parents have to be prepared for the fact that they’re going to be doing some learning of their own. You can’t automatically be an expert in every topic that you’ll need to help your child with, and each parent will find their own strengths and weaknesses. The key is to avoid passing those weaknesses onto your child. Angela MacArthur, editor of homeschoolingplus.com, reminds parents that “The trick is to be ready to be flexible and creative. The fact is, parents can teach – and they might actually prove to be the best teachers for their children!”

Really, the great thing about home schooling is the flexibility – you decide what’s going to be taught and how. This means, if there’s something that you don’t feel comfortable with you can always find alternate ways to teach it to your child. This is where you really get the chance to give your child an education they’ll never find in a traditional school. Many home schoolers take advantage of video and internet sources (as do many teachers and professors in campus school settings). Some also decide to learn with the student so that a sense of exploration and discovery shape the lesson. Instead of providing straight answers and direct guidance, parents join the child in solving problems and researching the topic.

There are a number of different resources and paths to take when you’re teaching your child. Why take the ‘traditional’ route when you’ve already decided that it’s not right for your child? When it comes to subjects you’re unfamiliar with you could:

• sign your child up for an individual class (either in school, online or at a community center)

• arrange for your child to sit in on college lectures

• attend a speech or other community event

• attend a tour guided by an expert

• consult an author or other type of expert for tips, or even invite them to your home to speak with your child

• canvas other home schoolers and see if there are lessons that you could ‘pool’: you teach several children in your area of expertise and your children attend ‘classes’ at another home schoolers place for any topic that you need help with

If none of these options appeal to you, then it’s your responsibility to educate yourself in the subject area so that you can pass that knowledge on to your child. Make sure you do your homework and be prepared for questions!

Don’t let fear or uncertainties stop you from home schooling your children. Remember, teachers don’t know everything! Most public school teachers specialize their learning throughout their post secondary education and have to refresh their memories – or even learn something new – when they’re preparing to step into the classroom. Things will be no different for a home school teacher.

Homeschooling statistics show the obvious advantages of homeschooling. In fact, any form of home schooling, whether it is Christian homeschooling or even homeschooling online with homeschooling software, research shows that all homeschooling programs will benefit children greatly. Read further and see just how much homeschooling will help a child.

The Homeschooling Advantage

Statistics show that a student who is partaking in homeschool will outperform any public school student on standardized tests. The reason is because a homeschooling curriculum places a heavier emphasis on ensuring that a child is actually learning that which is being taught to them. The reasons for this phenomenon are as follows:

* Parents design the curriculum, ensuring that children are taught relevant, interesting information.

* Children are given more attention because of the smaller class size, allowing for more one on one time.

* Children have less distractions resulting from social pressure from other students.

* Children have greater respect for their parents than any one else, meaning that children will cooperate more with parents than public school instructors.

* Parents will be allowed more time to bond with their children in a very positive way.

The Homeschooling Disadvantage

The disadvantage to homeschooling a child is that they are being removed from the social context placed upon them in public schools. Because of this, they will not have the same opportunity that other children have to develop social skills and relationships. However, as strong as these disadvantages are, homeschooled children have a greater potential for learning crucial information, as taught directly by their parents.

Homeschooling Resource

Many resources are available for parents who are interested in homeschooling their children. These resources come in two forms, guides and homeschool counseling. Guides can be found all over the internet and, with a little research, you will surely be able to find a guide that will aid you in creating the homeschooling curriculum that you feel is right for your child.

Homeschool counseling is a service by which parents get advice on how to operate a homeschool. These counselors will give parents all the information they need to ensure that the curriculum they create is on par with standards set by school boards and state legislatures. Either route is beneficial, meaning that you simply need to decide which is right for you.

Before deciding to take the plunge into the world of homeschooling, you must keep in mind that homeschooling is not right for everyone. Make sure that you can afford to take the time your child will need to get the most out of this education practice.

You will also want to make sure your child is open to this idea, as not all children will be as optimistic about the importance of education as parents will be. If you decide that homeschooling is right for your family, do not fret about whether or not your child will be falling behind other children, as statistics are available to show the obvious benefits of this type of education.

Being a parent is a huge and very important job! You provide your children loving care for their physical needs as well as their emotional and spiritual needs. You are the one they look to for love, help, care and concern. You fix boo-boo's, read stories and chase away scary closet monsters at night. You play games, tell stories, and if you are like a lot of parents, you prepare and then send your children to school.

But wait! You have made the awesome, wonderful, and sometimes scary decision to homeschool.. So that means YOU'RE THE TEACHER! But what do you teach? Many homeschool parents are always in the market for the best homeschool curriculum. What is home school curriculum? It is organized "classes" or subjects prepared for you by an outside company. They are generally teacher's manuals, workbooks, quizzes, tests, and study material for you and your child. You CAN homeschool without using curriculum, but due to the extreme amount of work, time and effort, and preparations that it would take; most homeschool parents choose to use curriculum.

Now, whether you are new to home schooling or have been doing it for years, parents are always looking for the best home school curriculum. During your journey, you will find curriculum you love, curriculum you hate, and curriculum that is just ok. The idea is to know what you are looking for in a curriculum. This way you can better judge if it is right for you and your family. I will outline 5 important steps to finding the best homeschool curriculum.

1.) Know what you like and what you don't (and what your kids like and don't)

This step is the most important step to finding the best home school curriculum. You need to know what motivates you, what motivates your kids and what doesn't. For example, my son HATES boring black and white worksheets. He loves math, but hates black and white worksheets. Once I figured this out, I could look for the best home school curriculum for him for math. We found it! It is a math curriculum that has lots of colors and even some pictures. It is essentially the same work and the same problems, but once I knew what motivates him and what doesn't; I could find the best curriculum for him.

2.) What subjects do you want to teach?

This sounds easy.. But wait until you get your first home school curriculum catalog! If you are anything like I was/am, you will get lost in all the wonderful things you can buy to help you teach your children. There's French, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, math, science, reading, handwriting, calligraphy, printing, phonics, history, history of the bible, ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, civil war, pilgrims, history of the wars, dictionary skills, public speaking, spelling, vocabulary, and the list goes on and on and on!!!!! And who wouldn't want to teach their kids all of those things? I know I would! So narrow it down and figure out what subjects you want to teach. This will help you find the best home school curriculum.

3.) Do you want curriculum for a Christian perspective or a worldly perspective?

Just about every subject that you can teach your child can be taught from either a Christian or a worldly perspective. There are some great Christ centered companies! It is important to decide what you are looking for before hand. If you want only Christian curriculum, you can narrow your search and skip all the companies who do not present their curriculum in this manner. And if you want more of a worldly view you can do the same. This is a very important step to finding the best home school curriculum.

4.) Look for a good return policy!

As a rule, I do not buy it unless I can return it. Keep in mind that most of the time you do not have these books in your hand when you choose them. You are essentially reading a "sales pitch" for each and every piece of curriculum being offered in that catalogue. They all sound great! But I can tell you from personal experience, they are not all great! So look for a company that will let you return items if they are not what you had in mind. Curriculum is not cheap! It is REALLY not cheap if you buy something you don't like, and you can not return it. There are companies that will let you return materials within a certain period of time. I would highly recommend them over any others!

Making reports, filing papers, fielding phone calls and placating your boss at the office takes only eight hours. Do you rest when you return home? The answer is no as you have to prepare dinner, share stories with your husband, spend time doing homework with the kids.

This is a situation typically encountered by working mothers, who for 24 hours and 7 days balance the innumerable demands of career and home. The children are however always at the receiving end and this is the problem. The reason for this needs to be asked.

The cause being the tendency of parents, particularly mothers to submit their children to schools with the faith that the children would be provided the best education by the institution.

Some parents however, in today’s changing world have realized that in order to provide the best education to their children sending them to school is no longer the best option. This is the reason for their choice of home schooling to provide their children the kind of education they desire for them.

Most parents devote their time and attempt to give their children the best education at home in home schooling. This does not imply however that more time should be devoted to home schooling than to household chores. Home schooling uses the ‘one to one’ teaching method as its fundamental tenet. The reason being children can understand the concept quicker and easier due to a more individualistic method.

To plan the right amount of time needed in home schooling given here below are some guidelines:

1. Learning style of the children.

Examples can be found that the time requirements in home schooling may be dependent on the children’s learning style. An example would be that you would have to dedicate much less time if your child can learn things at a much quicker pace. You would however have to dedicate more time explaining certain concepts of the subject matter being taught, if your child requires more time to understand the things which are taught to him.

2. The kind of method used.

Teaching methods relating to home schooling are many in number. However they differ regarding the time required by the parent to be dedicated to each program, as each has its individual teaching method.

3. The number of children within the family.

Having many children in the family would mean long hours of teaching similar to a typical classroom setting where usually the number of children are many. The reason being that you would have to inculcate in students the substance of the subject matter, and would have to explain all over again if one of them fails to understand the idea.

A practical alternative or replacement to schooling institutions is home schooling. In conformity with your state laws concerning this kind of education, parents teach their children to study and learn themselves.

Parents have different explanations as well as justifications as to why they want their children to be educated through home schooling. Parents are concerned regarding the safety of their wards, as well as the quality of education that provided in public schools. The costs of private schooling and the struggle that the child undergoes to keep up with the entire class is one of the major factors in favor of such alternatives.

Most parents feel defenseless when their kids are labeled as ‘slow learners’ by their peers, or other such emotional baggage.

In a large class, usually teachers have limited options and remedies to act on such children who might be “slow learners” compared to others. This leads to the need for tutoring, where they are provided the attention they seek, and can learn at “their own pace”, without having to compete with others children even while maximum attention is being paid by the teacher.

Again, a student who is very enthusiastic about learning and who generally does well in class is a good candidate for home schooling, since he can successfully juggle the absence of interacting with his friends and encouragement for excellent work that are components of a regular classroom.

A home schooling teacher must be have suitably eligibility, which suggests that he or she has at least had a “high school education” to educate lower elementary students.

The parent or teacher must be inspired and encouraged enough to educate the students, since home schooling entails hard work as well as rewards; it is, nevertheless, a satisfying job, when the results are for you to see.

Home schooling is also known as home education, and is a method of teaching children in the family home, rather than at an institution, such as a public school. Originally, all schooling was done in the family home, or informally within small communities. Very few children ever went to school, or had private tutelage. Children who did have this type of education were considered to be privileged, and were mainly from wealthy families.

Informal education, mainly conducted in the home, was the only way for children to gain an education. In the US, there were books dedicated to home education, such as "Helps To Education in the Homes of Our Country" authored by Warren Burton. Parents were the main teachers of their children, although, where possible, local teachers would assist parents, and take classes. It is said that before schooling was institutionalized, the US was at its height of literacy skills.

The 19th century saw many significant changes to the way education, and schooling was conducted with the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws. It is now considered a human right that children are given an education provided by the government.

Over the years, there has been much controversy over the effectiveness of institutionalized schooling, and some people have even gone as far as saying that the compulsory schooling system is damaging to younger children, especially boys who are slower to mature.

In the early 1970s, Ray and Dorothy Moore, who later become well known home schooling advocates, researched the bearing that early childhood education had on the mental, and, physical development of children between the ages of 8 to 12 years of age. Through these studies, the Moores produced evidence that formal schooling was damaging to children, and a cause for some behavioral problems commonly found in school aged children.

According to these tests, illiterate tribal mothers in Africa had children that were more socially, and emotionally advanced than children in the western world. The Moores believed that this was largely due to the bond between parents, and their children being broken when children were institutionalized in schooling systems.

In some English speaking countries, it is still an option for parents to home school their children rather than to send them to an institutionalized school. There are a wide variety of home schooling methods available to families who choose to home school their children, rather than send them to schools, including methods such as classical education, Waldorf education, and the Montessori method.

Home schooling can also refer to schooling done in a home environment, with supervision by teachers through correspondence schools. While children are schooled at home, they must still complete compulsory educational subjects, and take tests.

One of the main reasons that parents choose to home school their children is that they feel the schools are unable to offer their children the same quality of education, or social environment that can be taught at home.

The most compelling reason to hire a Singapore private tutor is to let a student understand and better grasp concepts taught in schools, and one of the biggest benefits of hiring a private tutor is the individual attention a student will receive. As a result, finding a quality tutor is important for the betterment of the student.

If you are a Singapore private tutor, there may be some areas that you may overlook when giving tuition to a student. Avoid these and you will become a good tutor:

1) Continue teaching without checking whether the student understand the topic or not While it is good to be passionate about teaching, tuition becomes futile if you get overly enthusiastic and keep rambling on a particular topic or subject, then failing to check if the student actually understands. This becomes a waste of time for both tutor and tutee as nothing is being absorbed. Take some time to understand the psychology of the child at hand, and play around with different techniques that best suit the character of the child so as to aid efficient and effective learning.

2) Taking up tuition assignments for the main purpose of earning fast cash If you are assigned to a particular student that has requested tutor services, it most probably means that the student is not performing to par and requires assistance in her school work.

If you care more about the money gained rather than the student, s/he will suffer invariably. Concentrate on improving the student's understanding (and grades) and don't let tuition be 'just another job'. Let their continual improvement be a source of pride for yourself.

3) Show unhappiness over a student's progress It is perfectly normal for tutors to have high expectations of the students. And as with all good tutors, you will wish for your students to excel academically. If a particular student does not meet up to your expectation, do not overreact and exert unnecessary pressure on them. This will affect them emotionally and add on additional stress to perform. Be a constant source of motivation and encouragement, and bear in mind that everyone learns at a different pace, and concrete results or improvement may take awhile to see.

These are some areas that you can avoid, and parents will be more satisfied with the Singapore private tutor if they do not make the mistakes that have been mentioned above. Whether academically or non-academically, focus more on the student and you will become a good quality private tutor.

A home schooling education is a prized asset to anyone's background. It demonstrates independent work completed in a timely manner, often reflecting an education well above the average education level of that from a public or private school.

A home schooling education most often involves well thought out planning and instruction from a loving parent or guardian who's gently guided the child through many series of targeted lessons. The lessons have covered in-depth information on not only main topics of focus as required by the local laws by often much more advanced training with onsite visits at local industry establishments and interviews with their company workers as part of the lessons.

The more customized and in-depth lessons learned by those with home schooling education provide a much more well-rounded real-life education for after high school years. While their peers from public and private schools battle learning good independent life skills, work and study habits, their home schooling peers already excel in those areas, for example.

The child's home schooling education has included plenty of socialization within peers groups of other home schooled children and children who attend their local churches, on average. Plus home schooling education means an average of 3 children or more per household, so others to play with, plus neighborhood children, library groups, etc.

Grades, maturity levels and college work / study habits of those who have had a home schooling education are on the whole at more advanced levels than those of their peers in public and private schools. Those educated at home with a more Christian approach, especially, tend to not have dealt with the negative issues like early sexual activity and pregnancy, substance abuse, neglect, abuse, etc. as witnessed in their public and private school peers. And those with a home schooling education are accepted more often in universities and colleges, often having had scholarships offered, too.

While public and private schools have time-tables for sessions, breaks, months to complete lessons, etc., home schooling education offers a much more flexible training program. It can go with families when they travel, take breaks, are transferred for work / military or other reasons. And home schooling education offers much more flexibility with materials; books, online learning, non-violent materials, Christian materials with incorporated religious training and daily activities, etc.

In summary, a home schooling education can offer a very valuable asset. Anyone interested in giving their child or children a head start in life, a solid foundation for learning and growing should delve further into the subject.

The A Beka curriculum is a very popular choice for many homeschooling families. It is also used in quite a few Christian schools across the country.

The A Beka Books were developed at Pensacola Christian College. They are based on experience and information gathered over a period of fifty years in the classrooms of Pensacola Christian Academy by many writers. They are unique in that they do not use any currently published works for their curriculum, but instead research and develop their own. Dr. and Mrs. Arlin Horton are the founders of A Beka Book, and the series is named after Mrs. Horton, whose first name is Rebeka.

The A Beka home school curriculum is fundamentally Christian based. The main goal of this program is to ground children in the Christian faith. Every aspect and subject points toward the Christian worldview. It is a workbook based curriculum and is very detailed. It goes step by step through each concept and is very comprehensive. This is a good curriculum for those home school families who are very organized or need a highly structured program.

There are three choices when working with the A Beka Book home school program. There is the A Beka Academy DVD option, which provides two options. The first is the Fully Accredited College Preparatory Program in which A Beka keeps all of the records. The second is the Non-Accredited program in which the parent keeps all the records. Each covers the exact same material. The only difference is the price. Basically, in addition to the workbooks, the DVDs feature teachers who help to explain the subjects in greater detail.

The second option is the A Beka Academy Traditional Parent-Directed option. This is a fully accredited college prep program. A Beka provides you with teacher manuals that explain exactly how to follow and teach the curriculum. You teach the material and A Beka keeps your records for you. It is very much like a traditional school without the school building. You send in all of the work and tests and they grade them and issue a report card. There is an academic calendar along with progress reports. This is much the same as the DVD option minus the DVDs.

The third option is the Textbooks/Materials for Home Schooling. This is simply the curriculum. There is no other involvement from A Beka besides the materials. You will keep all the records and set your own pace. You can order the entire program or just the items that you feel are appropriate for your child. Many parents who choose this option will use parts of another curriculum along with the A Beka materials.

A Beka Book is a good choice for home school families. It is very Biblically based and structured. It sets a strong foundation during the early years in core subjects such as reading and math, and continues to challenge students all the way through high school. The A Beka Book home school curriculum is a great tool with which to teach your child and offers many options.

The Montessori home schooling method was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900s to educate children from poor families in San Lorenzo Rome. Dr. Montessori developed a method of teaching children as children, rather than smaller adults. Instead of pigeonholing children into the common institutionalized methods such as grading and testing, the Montessori home schooling method allows children develop their talents, takes note of weaknesses, and encourages children to develop both their weaknesses, and natural talents in their own time.

The Montessori home schooling method is taught to children from as early as birth, and can go as high as year 12 education. Rather than grading, feedback and analysis is usually provided in the form of a list or narration of the child's talents, and weaknesses. An emphasis on and an approach to improving the child's weaknesses are then taken, as education progresses.

The wonderful thing that the Montessori home schooling method offers a child is a focus on what the child needs as an individual, rather than pre-set needs for the class as a whole. Learning is done at the child's own pace, and teachers take the role of a guide rather than a lecturer. One of the main goals that this method uses is to encourage children to keep their natural joy of learning, without pressuring them to compete with each other and learn when they are not yet ready, or mature enough.

Through this method of teaching, children are encouraged to be independent, and are given freedom with some set limits and responsibilities that come with having freedom.

The entire approach used in Montessori home schooling method is that children learn in an entirely different way than adults. Lessons are specially structured to children's needs, and the natural way that they learn to give children the best advantage in both an academic, and social learning environment.

Montessori Method Lessons

The Montessori method ensures that a child is never given an activity without being shown how it is of use to them. After the activity has been demonstrated, the child is then given the freedom to use this newly acquired knowledge with no limits, other than their own imagination, or when the materials or child has a risk of being a danger to themselves or those around them.

Each activity is carefully selected, and will pave the way for later activities, and concepts. Children are encouraged to repeat an activity as many times as they want to, until they become bored with it. At this stage, it is a sign that the child is ready to start the next activity.

The Mother Is Crucial In Preschool Teaching

Preschool teaching is as important as a classroom. Any one who teaches is a teacher and anyone who learns is a learner. It is a fact that we learn throughout our life and so it is not just the classroom where we get knowledge. We learn something at office, from special situations in life such as a birth or a death, and even from a tribe’s way of life in an exotic locale. And what we learn has a deep impact on us, and goes a long way to shape our thoughts and our personality. How we react to situations also depends on what we learn in our life.

Mother Is The Most Important Teacher And A Role Model For A Child

The Mother interacts with the child the most and can have an impact on the child’s character from the birth itself. Initially, the child sees the world through his or her mother’s eyes, and perceives dangers and pleasures the way the mother sees them. The bond that the mother establishes right from the first time the baby is breastfed is later translated into a teacher-pupil relationship where the child copies everything the mother does and learns through the process.

The mother can influence the child to question, experience, investigate and to learn. The mother of a Nobel laureate said that she asked her son… “What good question have you asked in school today”, instead of just inquiring what he learned, and this obviously kindled curiosity. This thirst for knowledge will come from the preschool teaching the child experiences at home, and at his or her school. It is not essential that the kid has to go through formal pen-and-paper activities. Just doing day-to-day chores can impart equal knowledge and become an effective preschool teaching activity.

This preschool teaching need not be formalized into lessons and pen-and-paper things. The child can learn a wealth of knowledge just by participating in the day-to-day chores.

Preschool teaching can include many things such as fixing small things, putting toys in the right place, filling water in a glass properly, folding a tissue and others. That is the real life things. All children – each love to “help” their mother around the house. But you will see that mothers are discouraging this because they feel that they have to do it all over again. On the other hand, if mothers are encouraging the children, then this can become an effective preschool teaching. Yes “helping” around the house should be encouraged as much as possible.

Good parents encourage their children to become curious and ask questions to get answers to their queries. They never get irritated even when the kids ask too many. Children learn and conclude quickly and so when their natural curiosity is limited or disciplined, they use this limit in their studies as well. And so they limit their knowledge to class only.

Parents have every right to educate their children at home, based upon knowledge gathered throughout their lives. They should and can do so, with a fair dose of responsibility. I admire who is capable of achieving such a deed, because the amount of stress involved in the task is only comprehended by those who actually do it. However, the results are unmatched by the ones obtained by the public school system. We have the example of the Villena Family, in Brazil. This case serves to show how a country’s educational system takes a long time to be updated in comparison to the advances achieved in the world as to child education and about the citizens´ right to seek the very best way to educate their children.

In 2004, I was asked to give some theoretical support to the Villena Family, defending the choice that they made to teach their 6 kids at home. In the occasion they had just entered with a judicial order, (in Portuguese, “Mandato de Seguranca” (MS 7407/DF) seeking the Superior Justice Tribunal of Brazil to evaluate the demands that the educational system had required from them. In fact, what the government was asking for went against the family’s goals, since they wanted to keep home schooling their kids. The educational system intended to obligate them to enroll their children in the Brazilian formal educational system. At the time, the Minister Dr. Franciulli Netto, asked for evidence in the legal procedure, and I sent (under their family name and at their request) a theoretical justification on the importance of educating children at home. My intent was to aid in the Minister’s decision, thus helping the resolution of the case.

About four years ago, I read an interesting article in a Home Schooling online newsletter. It seems a parent who choose to Home School her kids in Denver CO, area was discussing that one of the reasons was the violence in the schools. She took her kids out of school long before the Columbine Massacre there not more than 25 miles from her home.

One gentleman online stated; “The Liberals have neutered our Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice systems.”

Obviously this statement comes from the perspective of a Christian Home Schooler parent and of course he is speaking to the issues of the concept of nothing being wrong or right, simply perspective based.

Many would agree with him and the lady from the Denver area also, as this could be said to be at least partly true, political correctness, takes away personal responsibilities. It is not Johnny's fault that he brought a knife to school, because he grew up with a rough childhood. Indeed that is a consideration.

I spoke recently at a High School in TX to a noon-time FBLA Club and they had metal detectors in the school as I went in. Interesting I thought. The kids seemed fine, I did not feel threatened but that reminder of the metal detector made me think about the changes over the past 20 plus years.

I think as a parent I would be concerned indeed. I asked about it and they said that nothing had happened this year only one incident after a football game in the parking lot, but hey its Texas right and you know their football. Apparently a couple of years back there were a string of incidents, gang related there. The teacher-advisor of the club did not go into details, but said the faculty was afraid too, it got that bad.

Yes, you are saying so what, one HS right? Well if you read the local newspapers as you travel the nation, these are not uncommon occurrences anymore; happens all the time. Perhaps one of the very good reasons for home schooling; allowing your child to get on a bus should not have to be a risk.

One bus driver from Little Rock, Arkansas told me that the new seatbelts self-retract, but as they are to protect in an accident and keep kids in their seats, they also are being used as a weapon and used like a sling to hit other kids crossing in the isle.

Not long ago in preparation for a book I am writing I participated in an online forum about Home Schooling. The number one reason that parents said they choose Home Schooling over public schools was the violence issue in our schools.

Interesting they should mention this stuff. I went to a very large middle school and a kid brought a knife and we got into a fight. Long story short I got a large cut on my hand, funny thing was the kid did not need a knife; he was twice my size. The High School I went too was large 4000 students or so and there were large Mexican Gangs; it was a rough school.

Indeed safety for your children might be a very good reason for home schooling. I truly believe that the education as these parents said is another important reason. Many believed the public schools teach severely under the children’s abilities and that they are NOT Challenged enough. This fact sickens me, the wasted time is a tremendous loss of years in educating a youngster.

Teachers complain about the misbehaved kids and the school districts keep putting more kids packing them in like sardines into the classrooms. Flu Season comes and good luck then because parents do not take time off work and kids are sent sick to school. Yet more issues to consider.

Proponents of public school say the home schooled kids do not receive the proper socialization. They also make a good point about the social skills and yet in school these kids are not taught in a positive way about getting along with others. More like the teachers use the students against each other to enforce behavior.

For instance you are all staying after class if anyone says another word, type stuff, somewhat uncalled for and leads to problems. But aside from that sort of thing, the socialization in classroom is one of disrespect like the sitcoms of the 90’s or even that Donald Trump “Apprentice” type show; Not very favorable. There are so many reasons for home schooling.

I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

What do home schooling groups need to do to keep their parents up on the latest and insure that their kids get a quality home education. There are many things to consider and with groups of parents working together they can learn a lot from each other. Here are some thoughts below;

• Of course I am a huge proponent of mentorship from parents and others with specialties, although I was not home-schooled I know the mentorships I received helped me for sure.
• If the parents feed their kids sugar and crap before school they act out more and if there is little or no discipline at home, how could there be in the classroom and it only takes a few disruptive kids to destroy the classroom setting of course. Parents of home schooled kids have this advantage and can control their pre-study diets and have no disruptions from other kids
• Kids in Public Schools are more extra-introverted than those kids from home schooling. Socialization strategies must be considered if the kids are home schooled.
• Home Schooled kids may not be more intelligent, granted but they are probably forced to study harder if their parents are there watching them. and perhaps less afraid to ask questions and thus this aids greatly in learning too. Children afraid to ask questions in a public school might be at a disadvantage.
• Homeschooling Parents must teach their kids to tackle unknown, even thrive on it, seek it out and learn. That is important, that can happen thru sports, new activities and such.
• It is very important, if home schooling parents can teach children to become Rennaissance Style learners. I think this can be done with home schooling and perhaps groups of homeschoolers working together in teams, where the expertise of one parent is taught to the entire network of many other local homeschooling families, and as we search these things online it appears that is starting to happen.
• Special programs, videos libraries and such all geared to the homeschooling parents, even educational retail stores, some good is happening due to demand and free market mechanisms too.
• Home schooling parents do a good job teaching the kids right and wrong and when they get out in the real world, it's a total shock.

Are you a homeschooled student, really have not taken standardized tests, and are a little leery of how well you can do? You should know the information below because it can help you with a little sanity to the process.

First, take a deep breath. Homeschooled students tend to do better than public schooled students (as well they should; fewer students should achieve better results) on the SAT. This is big. There are a number of reasons why this is true and much is related to the typically larger amount of reading that homeschoolers do, but also to the entire process. Public schools rarely have money for field trips. All good homeschooling families know and take advantage of the library, museums, and much more. This interacting with the learning world around them is really powerful.

Second, consider taking the PSAT in what would be your junior year of high school. This can really help you focus on those areas where you might need extra help. In some states you are allowed to take it at your local public high school, but you will want to check with them and with the College Board to make sure of the rules for your unique situation.

Third, consider using one of the many study guides out there. However, here is the caveat: Only if this is a way that you learn. Some people know and appreciate study guides, and some have no interest whatsoever. Know which kind you are can be helpful for more than just the SATs.

Fourth, there are always, in most big cities, programs by Kaplan and others, that teach you how to do better on the test. While I am not necessarily a big fan of shelling out large amounts of money for test preparation, these programs do what they purport to do and that is to raise your test score. It is no mistake that the typical teacher for one of these courses did very well when they took it.

And finally, fifth, while it is anethema to homeschoolers, there are some states that allow you to sit for the state proficiency tests. Clearly, this is your choice, but it's not necessarily a bad thing to have sat through one standardized test in twelve years of education. The insider knowledge you gain can be invaluable. Now, is that insider information any different than if you you took one of the practice tests in the back of a test prep book? My instincts say yes because it is done in a true testing environment. However, choose whatever fits into your homeschooling philosophy.

The biggest point is that you already have many of the skills precisely because you have been homeschooled and have been taught in a certain way. Now you may just need the application part of the equation.

Not long ago our Online Think Tank tackled some of the criticism coming from teachers and College Professors about Home Schooled kids. One College Professor stated that academically they were a mixed bag. Some were extremely well schooled and others had problems in some subjects. However as one 17 year veteran college professor put it; they ALL had social deficiencies.

Of course the college professor did admit that she had not taught for about 20 years. Other more recent teachers although they did not approve of home-schooling did not give home schooling kids such a low report card on social skills. All these are indeed, interesting insights. Because it seems that Home Schoolers are more organized today than ever before.

The reason I say this is as I travel around the country and talk to folks it seems they are sharing and have huge groups online too to assist and there are some pretty large home schooling networks now online.

Some of the Charter Schools are getting better too as I see. I think education in America might just be the edge we need to stay on top as a nation. Personally, I enjoyed public school, class president, varsity sports, clubs on campus, but I also felt that it was under whelming in many regards; not good enough academically, more babysitting if you will.

So I ask what would you do to make things better? Should home schooled kids perhaps have a pre-re-entry course prior to coming into College? Why do I mention this, well because I do a lot of public speaking at colleges and one business college; University of Phoenix that I commonly speak at for MBA students and such, has a course that everyone takes to re-train them in how to best excel in the college, how to study and get the most out of it.

This might be the answer to the problem stated by college professor observers about the social issues of home schooled kids? I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

We began unschooling without knowing that’s what we were doing.

The Boy was in first grade in a local charter school. His reading level was about mid-second grade, math level a bit less, and his imagination was off the charts. We took The Boy out of the district public school when we were informed by the teacher that we should just do nothing about his education for a couple of years and the other children would eventually catch up with him! We chose the charter school because of its stated policy of teaching students at their own individual levels. We specifically requested that he be taught second-grade reading and math. We were assured: of course-no problem-that’s the policy here. Riiiiight.

First came the testing to determine “officially” where his levels fell in the various subjects. Then we had to wait for the test results. Then we had to wait for the second-grade teacher to agree to add a first-grader to her supposedly crowded classroom. Then we learned that the first-grade teacher kept forgetting to send The Boy to second grade for reading and math. At the parent/teacher conference, we learned that The Boy was helping other first-graders with their reading and math instead of going to second grade to advance his own knowledge.

Questions and complaints. Excuses and the passage of more time. Now The Boy is coming home with reports of being kept in from recess for talking. Back to the teacher for clarification of the problem. Reasons, more excuses, nothing changes.

We began noticing bruises and scratches on The Boy at bath time. I got hurt on the playground, he’d say. Then we realized that his bad dreams started at about the same time. Once he came home with a bite mark on his wrist. A day or two after that, he came home very shaken and upset because his teacher told him she would personally make sure that he didn’t advance to second grade because he didn’t complete a math assignment of writing the numbers 1 to 100 several times. This comment to a child who could add and subtract two-digit numbers!

Well, that was his last day at traditional school. The next day we filed a notification of intent to homeschool with our state department of education. Due to the abrupt decision, we had no sort of curriculum, so The Boy’s Mom instinctively began to mold his education around his interests. He wanted to know about spiders, so they explored the world of insects. I came home from work (I’m Grammy, by the way) and he carefully explained to me the meaning of the word “metamorphosis”, using pictures of a caterpillar and a butterfly to make sure I understood the lesson. The next day or two he recited the names of the continents and showed me on the globe where each is located. He is now adding and subtracting four-digit numbers, including the carry-over concept, and he has moved into third/fourth grade workbooks.

We have stopped worrying about a curriculum. Every day something catches The Boy’s interest and leads to new lessons, subjects, information. The movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, led to the book, Treasure Island. A discussion of dental hygiene led to an examination under his microscope of a scraping from his tooth. (Eeeew!) Cause and effect, astronomy, anatomy (from his Mom’s nursing school textbooks), tae bo with an exercise tape, history both recent and ancient, multiplication with the help of an abacus- all are part of his unschooled education.

We are not experts at unschooling or homeschooling, but our experiences to date give us the confidence to state: if you feel that something is wrong with your child’s school and/or schooling, there probably is; there are more resources available to you than you may realize; not all teachers have your child’s best interests at heart; learning, knowledge and education are not restricted to structured scholastic environments; and there are always options. Thankfully, unschooling is an option that is working for us.

In the past decade homeschooling, once a rare practice, has grown exponentially; currently well over a million kids are being homeschooled in the U.S. From kindergarten children to teenagers, kids are being educated in the home by parents who have access to an ever-growing collection of instructional materials, both printed and online.

But with the growth of this phenomenon come worries about the social skills of these young people. Some homeschooled teenagers are reporting difficulty in relating to their contemporaries, while others miss out on extracurricular activities like team sports, band and chorus activities, and other enrichment experiences.

Some parents have succeeded, either by persuasion or through the court system, in getting their children accepted into the extracurricular offerings of their local school, while retaining their right to homeschool.

I remember when our country had a state funeral for John F. Kennedy. In fact, I specifically remember watching the black and white TV image of the horse drawn carriage pulling President Kennedy’s casket down the grieving streets of our nation’s capital. Now, that may not be the happiest of times from my childhood, but compared to remembering how we were taught in first grade to hold our heads between our knees if we were bombed to smithereens … (as if that would have made a difference), remembering an honorable and stately funeral for a beloved American president might not be so bad after all.

Like me, you most probably have some part of history, in all probability several defining events or times in history, that played an important part of your own childhood. From John F. Kennedy’s funeral to man’s first step on the moon, and even to the first episode you saw of Saturday Night Live or hearing Ronald Reagan’s famous “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” speech, there are parts of history that will remain forever fixed not only in our brains but in our hearts as well. Remembering those defining points of history from our own lives may be the best place to start when teaching our children History, Social Studies, and a Godly worldview of life overall.

Children love to hear stories about their birth. Sometimes they will even come right out and ask where they “came from”. It’s important to a child to know where he or she came from. It means something to them; they can relate it to who they are today. After all, it is THEIR history.

We parents have an even larger base of history in our own lives. We have events that shaped us and made us who we are today. Like our children, we can related to those events personally. Perhaps better than our children, we understand how our own history has ALSO played a part in who our children are today. We also have the depth of understanding to appreciate even earlier historical events, ones that occurred before our own time and their effects on our lives and the lives of our children today.

However, while our appreciation of earlier historical events might be keenly or at least partially developed, we parents are not that much different than our children who ask where they came from. We have a personal interest in our own past because we can personally relate to it. It’s what we experienced. It means something special to us. After all, it is OUR history. And boy, can we remember parts of our history!

Why not share those parts of your lives, events, and times of historical significance during your lives, with your children as they grow in their own awareness and appreciation of the historical events and times that have shaped the world in which they live in today? Your children have an interest in you. They see you, and you mean a lot to them (whether they admit it or not). They can also see you standing right in front of them, and that makes the events you speak of seem a little more real to them, a little more believable. The additional excitement you will naturally have from speaking about those things you actually experienced and can probably remember having feelings about can help bring those events and historical situations to life in the eyes of your children as well.

Whether you have children who are studying history by making “All About Me” books out of construction paper or children who are studying history through high school or college level textbooks, sharing a part of yourselves, those special times and events from history that occurred during your own life, can help your children develop an excitement, awareness, and appreciation of times beyond their own understanding. It’s also just a fun thing to do together which is always nice in and of itself when it comes to parents and children! You might even be lucky enough to discover your children are glad you were not blown to smithereens in the first grade after all!

Chris Stevens has two grown daughters as well as a teenage son, two dogs, three cats, and a multitude of backyard birds. She and her husband have led Christian marriage and family seminars both together and individually, and both have spoken at home school conventions and curriculum fairs. While Chris loves helping couples and families have a better life together, her favorite activity is traveling somewhere in the car with everyone packed in, so long as the driver gives her time for her decaf coffee and potty stops! One of her daughters doesn’t like making stops though, which can be quite challenging for the entire family!