Sunday, October 19, 2008

The SAT's - A Fair Fight?

Teaching Teens: The SAT's - A Fair Fight?

College is the aspiration of thousands of young adults everywhere. In today's modern society, you cannot typically excel in life without it. To some degree, students want to see themselves in a better place one day. Many parents come down harshly on their children to do well and achieve. Do admitting average or mediocre students debase American higher education? I strongly believe it does not. It has already been debased, by other factors.

You ask yourself, "What makes a average/mediocre student?" Is it the low grades, SAT scores, environment or social behavior? What makes a student fail? There are many factors involved, many which would take a lot of in-depth research. I'll concentrate on the areas I just brought up.

The SAT is a poor tool to determine collegiate eligibility. Today, the SAT is still used to debase American higher learning. From countless conversations, and personal experience, I do not believe the SAT should be used as a dividing tool in selection. The SAT is biased and misused entirely.

I have also read over many articles that exclaim the SAT is severely flawed, and too unreliable. You cannot tell me that public schools stimulate enough interest or ethics to prepare today's students for the SAT. I, being the product of public schooling, do not believe my high school faculty mentally prepared my fellow classmates and I for the SAT.

I remember my first attempts at the SAT. I was reading through a test pamphlet of certain words that I had hardly ever heard used in the common English vocabulary. I was also looking at math equations that were never hinted on, or stressed on for that matter. To further comment on the math portion of the SAT, a graphic calculator is barred from use, but used as a constant crutch in today's schooling. Of course with the proper "coaching" techniques, including expensive books and videos, one may have an edge with the SAT's unpredictable questions.

How can this test be called "standardized" when certain students may have an edge over the students who could not afford the expensive training methods? This brings up the problem of extortion, used by the SAT's and it's affiliates.

The SAT is a biased and misused entirely. The option of integrating your SATS scores into your academic portfolio could easily eradicate the problem. Those students who feel their SAT scores correctly present their academic skills can include them, and they who feel the latter, may not.

Many colleges are now not using SAT scores for a majority of academic decisions like Allen University of Columbia, SC and American Academy of Art of Chicago, IL just to name a few. These colleges rely on a combination of grades, recommendations, and a portfolio/special project.

Teaching Teens: The SAT's - A Fair Fight?: Part II

If you have excelled in some type of sports activity, and you are chosen to be on your college's team, you will get a free ride throughout college. All of that is contingent on the grounds the student achieves a substandard GPA. Here I see a related issue with today's higher education debasing itself. We are taught as young children, "why worry about your grades, when you can get through life with sports." This is where you can see college and sport's apparent misconception/corruption.

Should I have to point out that there have been many scandals exposed where top name colleges pay students exorbitant amounts of money or possessions to sway students to play for their colleges? I'm sure the coaches really had their eye on those student's minds. Do these students deserve to attend college, aside from their fellow "mediocre" classmates? No.

Webster's Dictionary defines a "student" as an "an attentive and systematic observer." Many say a student can be only as good as his teacher, but that can only be true to some extent. The student must take the initiative to want to learn and be "attentive" as explained in Webster's. Many students will not see the inherent effects of poor educational habits. These students will fail out their first year from a combination of drunken college parties, TV, and computer games/internet services just to name a few. The stereotypical movies we see depicting college life, and our real-life peers don't help us much at all. Too many colleges are seen as a party rather than a learning environment.

It is from my experience moving from state to state and other countries that many high school instructors fail to accomplish their task in preparing today's young adults for college. In this instance, the system has already been debased before higher education comes into play. Many of my high school teachers did not incite a positive image of wanting to learn more of the subject they were teaching. Some students would simply lose interest, daydream or sleep.

There was a difference in military operated schools verses civilian. There are many exceptions, good and bad varying from each institution. In military run schools, the teachers had a small advantage with behavior. The military children were more behaved than civilian students. This behavior was coming from the effect of a stricter child rearing method. The teachers were given a calm environment, free from common complications, such as misbehaving or violent children; thus resulting in a more efficient learning environment.

With all of these problems affecting the structure of college, no wonder this question is being asked. It's time to see past the illusion that there are not really any mediocre students, but a mediocre system (SATs) scrutinizing them.

In conclusion, American higher education has already been debased by its poor base structure. The United States scores lower than many of our foreign counterparts. Maybe its time we rethink and restructure the methods used to teach and scale a student in today's education system.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, children's rights activist, author, and Founder and C.E.O. of online education company Learning by Grace, Inc. Rothschild and her husband of twenty-eight years reside in suburban Philadelphia with their eight children.

Feeling that “our current system of education has broken its promise,” Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. to provide families with Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children all over the world.

In addition to her twenty years of experience as a homeschool mother, Rothschild has written a number of books dealing with education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education Websites Blog consists of helpful online content and activities for Christian homeschooling families.

Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.

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Monday, October 6, 2008

Controversies: By Mimi Rothschild

A Growing Rift in Home Schooling

There is a chasm growing in the world of the home school. Home school used to be almost exclusively for religious people who didn't want their children in traditional school so they could focus more and more on bible studies. As home school grows in popularity, more and more non-religious people are starting to utilize home school for their own children. Like in many areas, the fundamental rift between religious home school parents and secular home school parents is starting to cause some problems throughout the country in home school support groups and other home school businesses and associations.

The question is what, if anything, can be done to mend this rift in home school philosophy. The answer to that question is probably not much. Just like in public life, secular and religious people have basic fundamental differences which can make it difficult to work together on many issues. However, the fact that there is growing diversity in views among the home school set indicates that the field is growing in prestige and vitality.

Although conflict might be difficult, it can also pave the way for advancement. Religiously oriented home school parents may balk at the notion, but the growing number of secular parents may help them out substantially. Having lots of non-religious home school parents means that the government is less likely to take action or persecute a religious group of home school families. Religious home school families can use their secular counterparts as a buffer against undue government intrusion. On the flip side, secular home school families have benefited greatly from the ground work religious home school families have laid in the area of home schooling, both in terms of curriculum and the law. The rise in the total number of home school families benefits both groups because it means that there are more resources available to home school families of all stripes.

Perhaps the best that home school families can hope for then is a sort of truce. As home school rises in popularity, it will most likely be the case that there will be religious and secular curriculums, support groups and other resources divided on the basis of religion. The one thing all home school families agree on is that traditional school is not for their children. However, this is not going to be enough to bridge the gap between the secular and religious home school camps.

School Districts Can Help With Your Home School Needs

Many home school parents don't realize the number of resources available to them through their local school districts. More and more, school districts are setting up special programs designed for home schooling parents, with resources available for meeting state standards and help in teaching methods. Home school parents have an increasing number of resources at their disposal, and should utilize many of them in order to increase the chances of being successful at setting up and maintaining a home school situation for their children.

One service that some school districts offer is help in meeting state guidelines. Most states require that home school students, regardless of other factors, meet certain state and federal bench marks. Most commonly, these bench marks involve being able to read at a certain level and having math skills at a certain level by a given age. Apart from this, many states also have standards with regards to other content areas such as history, civics, science, etc. Some school districts can help you by outlining these standards for you and showing you how you can prove to the state that your child is meeting or exceeding these minimum standards.

Another service that many school districts offer teachers is curriculum planning. Oftentimes, school districts hire one or two fully certified teachers to help you iron out the kinks in your curriculum. A certified teacher on the state's payroll can offer suggestions for methods of teaching various subjects. For example, a certified teacher may be very useful in giving you ideas for your home school science curriculum. She can suggest some appropriate science topics and show you how to do a demonstration or experiment as part of your home school science curriculum. She can also give you ideas on working through other content areas and effective methods for teaching your child in a home school setting.

As a student gets older, they can take advantage of even more services offered to home school students through the district. Home school students planning on college are often eligible to use the college resource center at their local high school. They can also talk to school counselors regarding college or career planning. Home school students can also take part in extracurricular activities like math club or band or choir and also participate in sports at their local schools. Having your home school child participate in activities and athletics through the local high school is often a cost effective option for parents. Similarly, classes like foreign language are sometimes open to home school students. Instead of paying for a tutor or a special correspondence course, your student can attend a couple classes at the school.

Check with your local school district to see if it offers support to home schoolers.

Some Unscrupulous People Give Home-school a Black Eye

Although home-school families are by and large upstanding people, several recent cases involving home-school families have given home-school a black eye in the mind of the public. While most parents, whether they home-school or not, wouldn't dream of such behavior, several recent well-publicized cases show some parents using home-school as a cover for the neglect and abuse of their children. In these cases, critics of home-school often point out that if the child had been in school, a teacher, school nurse, or counselor would have been able to report the abuse sometimes years before local authorities caught on. Home-school advocates point out that these people are not indicative of the vast majority of home-school families; however, that declaration does little to repair the image of home-school in the wider community.

So how can your home-school family cope with these new criticisms and suspicious looks from family members, friends, and other members of the community? Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a lot that you can do. Living your life well, treating your children well and remaining a committed, involved and upstanding member of your community, however, will help demonstrate how good home-school can be. It will also show that home-school does not breed abusive parents; it is simply another cover for abusive parents' unacceptable behavior. The best way to counter that image, then, is not to withdraw, but to remain a model for positive parenting in your community. Showing by example is perhaps the most powerful tool you can use to convince people that home-school is a positive thing for families.

Another step you can take is to write letters to your newspaper editor extolling the virtues of home-school for kids. An even better step might be to make sure that the press is alerted when a home-school child in the area does something notable. Keeping the local press in the loop with regard to the social and academic achievements of home-school kids increases the chances that home-school will be covered in a positive light in your local newspaper and television stations. If a home-school child wins a national essay contest or science fair or an award for community service, allow the press to cover it and grant them interviews. In this way, you can help the larger community to see all the well-adjusted families who choose home-school.

Striking a Balance between Freedom for Parents & Protecting Children

While most home school kids are in happy, well-adjusted families, there have been some well publicized cases lately of parents who claim that they have set up a home school for their children when the truth is that they are abusing their children, neglecting their children, or worse. This has caused politicians and government workers on both sides of the political spectrum to question how much freedom should be given to home school parents to direct their children's education with minimal government interference. Critics of home school claim that many parents use home school as a cover for abusing and neglecting their children while proponents of home school point out the high rate of home school kids that go to college as evidence that they don't need further government intrusion into their lives. The question becomes, then, how can home school families repair the damage that these cases are doing to the collective reputation of home school and how can we protect children who are being abused when they are not in school?

There are several ways a good home school family can prove to its community that home school is a good thing for children. The primary thing is not to retreat, but to let you and your kids be seen as a happy family together. Become a model home school family and show your community what a happy home school family looks like - don't merely tell them. The second thing that you should do is find a contact in your local press. If a home school child in your area does something noteworthy, such as getting into an Ivy League college or winning an essay contest or science fair, your local press should know about it. Often, they will run at least some kind of public notice of the child's accomplishment. This gives good home school families much needed positive press and portrays home school families in a positive light.

Finally, home school parents are just as concerned about protecting abused and neglected children as anyone else. Instead of shutting down when a politician or government official makes a suggestion, try working with your local school boards and community governments to come up with solutions that protect both your privacy and your right to home school how you see fit. Home school families are praised by college admissions boards for their fostering of creativity. This is the perfect situation to put that creativity you cultivate in home school to good use.

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Education News

The Maine Reform Experiment - More is Not Necessarily Better
By Mimi Rothschild

In 1996, the state of Maine undertook one of the most ambitious educational reform programs in the country. Called the Maine Learning Results Program, the reform called for higher standards in eight subjects and required 220 school districts to create their own individual programs for improvement. Massachusetts, on the other hand, chose to lower its requirements for students. Which state was more successful in its educational reforms? In a few short years, Massachusetts students outperformed students in Maine. What are the reasons for these surprising results and what are the implications for homeschooling?

Maine attempted to improve its educational system, but it only increased bureaucracy and red tape. Massachusetts, on the other hand, decided to be less ambitious and to require remedial tutoring for all students who fail. Many homeschooling parents feel vindicated by these findings; it shows that blanket reforms don't cover everyone, and kids are not necessarily better off in the traditional school system than in a homeschooling setting.

Money was not a factor, either. Maine spends $1,000 more on each student than Massachusetts, in spite of the Bay State's mandatory tutoring program. Personal attention provided to homeschoolers like that matters more than money in creating optimal educational results. Homeschoolers need not worry that a lack of funds will mean mediocre performance. This study shows that pushing kids through an overburdened system is not better than homeschooling. It also shows that giving kids one-on-one attention can only be provided in a homeschool environment.

Are you better off homeschooling your child than sending him or her to public school? The choice is up to the individual. The study does not prove that homeschooling is the right choice for every single student. What it does demonstrate is that more is not necessarily better. It is not the case, as opponents of homeschooling often argue, that the public school system can provide a student with a better education than homeschooling simply because the public school system has more money and resources. Homeschooling does not require fancy reforms or elaborate programs. Meeting the needs of each individual student is the advantage of homeschooling over traditional education. No amount of money or panel of experts can replace the personal care and attention provided by homeschooling.

Massachusetts' educational program was successful because it provided tutoring for students who failed courses. Homeschooling, on the other hand, provides constant "tutoring" even for students who succeed and this enables them to consolidate their success. With homeschooling, your child can enjoy a personalized educational experience.

Homeschooling & Online Education
By Mimi Rothschild

Online education is changing the way children around the country learn, including homeschool students. Years ago, textbooks and workbooks were the primary educational resources. That's all changed, as great numbers of homeschool parents and students choose to use the Internet as the ultimate learning tool.

In the past, only a select few students had the opportunity to learn online. In fact, in the early years of the Internet, very few students had access to the Internet at all. Some homeschool students were able to use computers to play games and take advantage of educational software, but most were unable to reap the benefits of the information superhighway. That's all in the past as today's homeschool students are likely to be extremely tech-savvy and often they are more computer proficient than their parents.

According to research studies, over 90 percent of children over the age of 12, who use the Internet, do so for education-related activities or research. A significant number of children in sixth grade and above have their own e-mail addresses and over 70 percent have one or more instant message (IM) screen names. Many of these Internet-accomplished children are homeschool students, using the Web for everything from studying and research to keeping in touch with friends and playing games.

Homeschool students use the Internet with ever-increasing levels of sophistication. Often, the level of sophistication at which most homeschool children use computers and online education far outpaces that of their parents. Simply put, the younger generations seem to absorb more information faster when it comes to computers and online educational tools. Furthermore, they seem to feel greater overall comfort with using the Internet as an educational tool.

Homeschool students use the Internet as an online educational tool in various ways. For starters, homeschool students use the Net for research and studying a full range of topics. They use it to gain help with difficult subjects and develop greater levels of understanding in others. Some homeschool students use the Internet in lieu of textbooks to learn an amazing variety of subjects. Many actually take online classes offered by public or private educational institutions. Additionally, homeschool students use the Internet for guidance and advice. Of course, entertainment is also a very popular reason for using the Internet.

Studies show that students, including those who homeschool, view online education not as a fun distraction or educational side dish, but as an educational necessity. Many would like to see the Internet become even more integrated into their homeschool environments. Homeschool students want to be able to use the Internet more to gain access to real, up-to-date information, instead of having to rely on textbooks (sometimes outdated) for information.

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________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Handling Homeschool Skeptics and Critics

Handling Homeschool Skeptics

By Mimi Rothschild

When you decide to homeschool your child – even if you just consider homeschooling your child – you will immediately see a domino effect of raised eyebrows. The homeschool skeptics will throw a bunch of words at you, like “socialization” and “peers” and “normal.” If these skeptics are strangers, you don't owe them an answer, right? But even strangers can have their hearts changed by the right words from a homeschooler, making it easier for homeschool parents and children who come across this person in the future.

In all stages of life, we come across those who disagree with the decisions that we make. Homeschool is no different. As adults, we are more prepared to handle critics than your child may be. It's important to be open minded when people criticize us and our homeschool choice and we should allow our children to see us practicing a relaxed and open hearted nature in the face of skepticism.

That is the foundation of dealing with skepticism by homeschool critics. The next step is to know your stuff. There is research and statistics that support homeschool as a positive choice for children in all aspects of life. This includes socialization and academics and future prospects: the favorite catch phrases of the skeptics. Facts are the best weapons against prejudices and fears. Having “experts” back up what you know in your heart is the right thing may be the non-emotional incentive that a critic needs to finally understand your position on homeschool.

Being open minded and prepared to discuss homeschool with those who openly disagree is not enough to change anyone's mind. Neither is being armed with an arsenal of pro-homeschool statistics. In fact, nothing that you say or do alone is going to change the mind of the hardcore skeptic. You may be planting the seed for future understanding or watering the seed that another homeschool family planted. Or your words and arguments may fall on deaf ears. The important thing is that you stand by what you believe about raising your children without any investment in whether or not you change anyone's mind.

Opposition comes in many forms. The important thing is that you don't protect your child from the criticism that homeschool receives from skeptics, but show them by example how to handle it: diplomatically and with an open mind. Everyone is different and everyone is allowed to have his or her own opinions. And thank goodness for that. It's this same open mindedness that allows them to be a homeschooler in the first place.

Responding to Critics of Home School

When you decide to take your children out of traditional school and put them in a home school situation, you are likely to run into all sorts of opposition and bizarre questioning from everyone who knows you. Friends, family, even people you barely know may demand explanations and throw in their two cents about your decision to home school your child. However, you know that your reasons for taking your children out of school are correct and your loved ones will eventually come around. Maybe, they will even come to think that your decision to home school your child was a good idea.

That being said, perhaps the best way to deal with a naysayer is directly. If you don't know a person well, or you believe they are just being nosy, you don't really owe them an explanation of your decision to home school your child. Your family and closer friends are another matter. The most common objection to your decision to home school your child might be that your child won't get enough socialization if you home school. To this objection, point out that you are not moving to a deserted island; your child, in addition to home school, will still be participating in music lessons, dance classes, swim teams, girl scouting or whatever other activities she enjoys. Also, point out that lots of people decide to home school their children, and there are a lot of resources for meeting other kids in home school and setting up play dates and group activities.

Another commonly heard objection to home school is that the parent doesn't know enough about a subject to teach it. While your child is young, home schooling in most subjects, with the possible exception of foreign languages, won't be much of a problem. As they get older, point out to critics of your plan to home school that there are all sorts of resources for home school. Tutors and online telecourses can bridge the gap between what you are comfortable teaching in home school and what your child needs to know.

Whatever your reasons for considering home school for your child, there will be people who object for one reason or another. However, if you are confident in your decision and have done your research into home school properly, there should be no reason why you need to get defensive. You may even help convince another person that home school is a better alternative for a child.

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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Myths: Home-School Myths

Real Truth
By Mimi Rothschild

Despite statistics that show facts to the contrary, home-school critics still continue to make statements about home-school with the intent of putting this educational choice in a bad light. Home-school parents and students alike know that these statements are without merit, but many people who are considering home-school and do not know the real facts may be discouraged from making the choice due what the critics are saying- and this is unfortunate.

One of the most common complaints from home-school critics is that children who are being educated through home-school are socially isolated, and become ill-prepared to deal with the real world as adults. Not only is this completely untrue, it is also more of a true statement to say that home-school students learn earlier and better how to function in all aspects of society. Home-school students socialize with their peers through clubs, recreational activities and community sports programs. In addition to this, home-school students also tend to be more active in community programs and volunteer organizations, giving them the chance to interact with people who are older and younger than they are.

Another complaint from critics is that home-school parents are not qualified to teach their children effectively. Statistics simply prove this to be untrue. The majority of home-school parents have no teaching degree, yet home-school students consistently score higher in academic tests than their publicly schooled peers. The personalized attention that a home-school student receives and the parents' desire to give their home-school children a superior education makes a teaching degree unnecessary. Home-school parents take their children's learning seriously, and they use every resource available to ensure a quality education. Statistics prove that they are succeeding quite well in reaching this goal.

Having a curriculum where faith and worship can be incorporated into learning is a choice that parents do not have with public school, which obviously helps some parents decide to home-school. However, this does not mean that these home-school parents only emphasize religious instruction to the exclusion of all other learning. Home-school parents want the best possible education for their children, and through home-school this is being successfully achieved. Many simply want the choice to include religion, and public school denies that choice.

Though home-school critics also claim that all home-school children are taught in the same manner, the opposite is actually true. One of the benefits of home-school is that it incorporates flexibility and a personal approach to learning that is advantageous for home-school students. No two home-school families are alike, and the variety of home-school methods reflect this.

More Myths about the Practice of Home School

There are many myths surrounding the practice of home school. It is incredibly difficult to separate the truth from the fiction regarding home school. Although it is a growing trend, home school makes up such a small percentage of schooling that goes on in this country that it can be difficult to make any inroads at all with the general population. Armed with a little knowledge, however, you can inform your friends, neighbors, and loved ones of the truths about the home school option for this country's children.

One of the great myths of home school is that it is primarily a bastion for upper-middle class white people. While it is true many home school kids are white and some do have a decent amount of money, the fact of the matter is that home school families often have to give up a lot financially in order for home school to be viable. Basically, home school requires that one of the parents quit his or her job and take on the responsibility of teaching the children, giving up careers, second cars and bigger houses for the sake of their kids.

Another myth about home schooling is that home school parents cannot possibly match the qualifications that teachers have and cannot possibly do as good a job educating children as certified teachers can do. While there are some dedicated teachers out there working in a long uphill battle who truly want to teach your children, the fact of the matter is that formal educational theory has little place in the real world of teaching students. All the conferences and post-graduate work can't help a teacher to teach if the teacher doesn't have the supplies and the support of the school district.

Finally, there are persistent thoughts among the larger community that home school is for reclusives and religious fanatics. This is not the case at all. Many secular people as well as modestly religious people choose alternative education like home school for any variety of reasons: from inadequate local schools to medical reasons, and many other private matters. The home school community is a diverse group. Sure, there are lots of extremely religious people of many faiths who choose to home school, but home school is also the province and the right of every American. More and more, average, middle-of-the-road people are choosing home school for their children.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.

Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.

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Friday, August 8, 2008

Online Learning:

By Mimi Rothschild


Growing with Online Home-Schooling

If you've ever wished that you could home-school your children but lacked the confidence in your own academic abilities to take control of one of the most vital areas of your child's life, help is at hand. You can now home-school your children, and you don't have to be an expert teacher. Whereas parents used to have to stay home and virtually become full-time teachers if they wanted to home-school their children, online home-schools are now available so that you can stay home with your children while they benefit from a professional teacher's guidance, as well as your presence.

Online home-schools are expanding throughout America, and many parents are taking advantage of the flexibility that these institutions offer, as well as the chance to be personally involved in their children's education. Due to this change in the face of education, there is a move toward giving home-school children the same status as publicly schooled children in some states' legislatures. This would mean that online home-schools would receive state funding for the children who attend them. This is excellent news for online home-school institutions, which are at present severely limited in the number of students they can accept due to lack of funding.

Many parents find home-school to be a valuable alternative to public school. Often this is due to their children being involved in activities that prevent them from attending a public school regularly, as in the case of children who may be involved in sports, acting or music. Home-school can also be vital in ensuring that a sick child does not fall too far behind even if he or she has to stay at home for long periods of time. Other parents simply prefer their own influences being the primary ones in their child's life rather than the ones they would find in the public school system.

Online home-school allows the parent to use online lesson plans and tools to assist their child's learning, but they also give them the independent assessment that comes with having their children's work graded by a professional. There are also some extra benefits to online home-school: some home-school institutions provide computers and printers free to their students.

The expansion of home-school onto the Internet has heralded a revolution in home-schooling. It is now easier than ever to ensure that your children are learning the skills they need to get along in the world, and to be even more enriched by their home-school experience.

How Virtual Learning Enhances Home Schooling Efforts

Virtual learning is a growing trend in the United States today. Home schoolers are adopting virtual learning as a supplement to the home school curriculum, and some are even embracing an entire virtual learning experience. Virtual learning involves “classrooms” that are entirely online, with interaction between students and instructors taking place through e-mails, Internet message boards and online chat rooms. Home schoolers are quickly discovering the benefits of virtual learning, and many home schooling parents incorporate this method into their daily home school routine.

The process of virtual learning is a powerful and exciting alternative for home schoolers and public educators alike. Virtual classrooms can combine home schoolers and public school students in an environment that nurtures learning and facilitates a love for education. Online classes meet the challenge of social interaction many home schooling families face by allowing for connectivity with other students. This exposes home schoolers to new instructors with different ideas. Can virtual learning be considered the wave of the future for home schooling?

Signs point to yes. Virtual learning is becoming more acceptable by the public at large as well as the home schooling community. Parents are quick to realize that a virtual learning environment is well suited to the goals of the home school setting. In order to succeed in an online class, students must be self-directed, self-disciplined learners who are able to stay on target and do the necessary work for the class: all thing home schooling parents attempt to instill in their children. Therefore, virtual learning becomes a natural extension of the home schooling principles. Many parents who home school have already overcome their initial worry and find that online classes do not prove more distracting than enriching, and therefore are embracing this new teaching method.

Educators who use virtual learning in public settings point to parental involvement as one of the deciding factors in the success of an online student. Again, home schooling has a natural advantage: parents who home school are automatically involved in their children's education. Virtual learning can open up possibilities to home schooled students that their parents might not have otherwise been able to offer. There are online classes on just about every subject imaginable, and home school students can take advantage of this wealth of resources available on the Internet to enhance the quality of education they receive. The barriers previously presented through the challenges of home schooling are being knocked down one by one, and virtual learning goes a long way toward this goal. Home schooling parents should not neglect the possibilities presented by online classes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.

Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.


Saturday, August 2, 2008

Three Good Reasons to Choose Home School

By Mimi Rothschild
Posted By Bobby Cole, A Learning By Grace Affiliate

Opponents of home school cite a hundred and one reasons why home school is a bad idea. However, most of these reasons are based on pure myth. Home school is an excellent way to instill quality education and values in children, particularly for the Christian family who may be disillusioned with the public school system's purposeful disregard of God and faith-based teaching. Each of the reasons put forth by home school opponents can be dismissed as hearsay and bunk by the realities of the home school environment.

The issue of socialization represents perhaps the loudest murmur of discontent among detractors of home school. According to the misinformed, home school children lack the opportunity to interact with society and develop healthy social skills. However, take a look at the typical day of a home school student and it becomes clear that the opposite is true: home school children are generally more social than their publicly educated counterparts. Most home school students spend quite a bit of time out and about in the community, interacting not only with children their age, but also with adults, seniors, and older or younger children as well. The traditional public school system creates an unnatural atmosphere with twenty to thirty children of the same age spending six to eight hours a day together. Nowhere else in society is this anomaly found.

Another point that strengthens the argument for home school is the atmosphere in which children learn. It is true that school-age children lack social skills—but the public school system is not the best place for them to learn these skills. Children can be cruel to other children. Often in public schools this cruelty goes unnoticed by teachers charged with controlling dozens of children at once. In a home school setting, natural childhood squabbles are noticed and dealt with accordingly. Parents who home school are presented with the opportunity to develop character and instill Christian morals in their children on an individual level.

Perhaps the most compelling argument in favor of home school is the constant battle against peer pressure and conformity. Peer pressure thrives in a public school atmosphere. Peer pressure often has consequences for children: from low self-esteem to deadly violence. In public schools, children learn more than the basics of education. They learn to fit in and follow society's directions—or else. The home school environment is one of family and values. When children are raised in a setting that allows them to develop in their own ways, guided by conscientious parents, they tend to become comfortable, intelligent and responsible adults capable of making decisions to thrive in the real world. After all, isn't that what we all want for our children?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.

Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.

An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Christian Home School Programs

Learning By Grace Christian Home School Programs

Posted By Bobby Cole, a Learning By Grace Affiliate

Learning By Grace, Inc. is a provider of on line educational solutions for Christian home school families. Through several on line Christian schools offering PreK-12 curriculum for home schooling, Learning By Grace is changing the way people view education.


Learning By Grace is dedicated to providing an affordable Christian home education to families all over the world. The home school curriculum used is comprised of engaging multimedia activities through etexts, workbooks, on line education assignments, video, audio, interactive field trips, and so much more. By providing children with a quality home education, parents can take an active role in instilling Godly values in their children. With just a computer and internet connection, parents are now able to offer their children something more.

Because the Learning By Grace home school curriculum is so flexible, students are able to work at their own pace. Special needs students and quick learners both are able to achieve academic success by taking as much time as they need to comprehend the course material - no more, no less. Learning By Grace provides an alternative to the negative influences that permeate the nation’s public schools such as worldly thinking, humanist teaching, and moral relativism. Free from peer pressures, distractions, and a rigid educational formula, our home school students can pursue educational excellence.

Christian Home School Programs Managed By Learning By Grace

The Morningstar Academy Home School Program Online. MorningStar's comprehensive Christian on line program provides a state-of-the-art, multimedia-rich interactive experience. Traditional texts are accompanied by CD-ROMS, videos, web adventures make us the most outstanding Christian home school program available.

Home School Program is Safest. Secular influences can rob your children. Our Christian on line program cultivates Biblical values. Keep your precious children safe! Help them to develop a Biblical worldview by educating them in an on line Christian program. Our Christian on line program has been designed to meet all of your home schooling needs!

Home School Program offers Biblical Curriculum. The K-12 MorningStar Academy provides not only the best on line education program but everything you need to give your child a world-class Christian education. Earn your High School Diploma on line at our Online High School Program. We Encourage You to Visit The MorningStar Academy Online Home School

The Jubilee Academy is a nationally recognized, accredited curriculum provider for preschool through 12 families. Jubilee Academy families receive a comprehensive interactive accredited Christian program. For less than what many families spend on books alone, you get everything you need to have a successful academic year.

Students interact with one another through our state of the art learning management system. Kids love our Social Center where they socialize in a safe and Christian environment. Our Teacher/Parent Message Board enables parents to have unlimited interaction with their student's teachers and other Jubilee Academy parents. Parents are always in complete control of your child's education at Jubilee.

The Jubilee Academy offers over 150 accredited preschool through Grade 12 multimedia-rich on line courses, including preschool through high school. The Jubilee Academy gives you up to six courses. Each course contains 180 lessons and runs for 36 weeks. All of our courses are designed from a Christian worldview and include a rich collection of videos, graphs, audio files, and offline activities.

Jubilee gives you Daily Online Assignments, a Customized Calendar, Automatic Grading of most tests, Answer Keys, Progress Reports, Grade Records and so much more! You are guaranteed to get all the help you could ever need! We Encourage You to Visit The Jubilee Academy Online Home School

The Grace Academy is more than just a school. We provide a fully-featured educational framework that is changing the way that people think about education. Our cutting-edge technology allows parents to provide their children with a world-class private Christian education at a fraction of the cost of traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Unlike other homeschooling curricula, we do not just provide textbooks. We provide a variety of educational tools, materials, and services which homeschoolers all over the world use to achieve academic excellence.

The Grace Academy gives you the best qualities of Christian Curriculum, Private
Tutoring and Online Homeschooling Programs. You receive powerful on line tools,
expertise and gentle assistance that will enable you to give your student a quality
education. The Grace Academy teaching teams are available during regular hours to help
students and their parents.
The Grace Academy gives you daily/weekly homeschooling lesson plans for every course, helping your
student successfully complete the school year. A comprehensive selection of home education courses that
cover many academic topics, including electives; choose up to 6 each year, creating a customized course
of study. The Grace Academy Teaching Teams are available on line during school hours for an unlimited
number of questions. Teaching teams provide homeschooling assignments, tests, quizzes, projects and
curriculum. We Encourage You to Visit The Grace Academy Online Home School

Our Learning Management System enables us to synthesize all of the branches of our organization so that we can provide an efficient, quality, hassle-free service to you. This on line home schooling system coordinates all of our course material, scheduling, grading, administrative tasks, record-keeping, progress reporting, and other efforts. With this cutting-edge technology, we are able to provide parents with all the information they need for a top-tier on line home schooling experience.

Visit us and make a wise decision for you student today. Select a Learning By Grace today for your child's future tomorrow. Click on the banner or link of your choice.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Controversies: A Growing Rift in Home Schooling

A Growing Rift in Home Schooling
Authored By Mimi Rothschild
Posted By Bobby Cole

There is a chasm growing in the world of the home school. Home school used to be almost exclusively for religious people who didn't want their children in traditional school so they could focus more and more on bible studies. As home school grows in popularity, more and more non-religious people are starting to utilize home school for their own children. Like in many areas, the fundamental rift between religious home school parents and secular home school parents is starting to cause some problems throughout the country in home school support groups and other home school businesses and associations.

The question is what, if anything, can be done to mend this rift in home school philosophy. The answer to that question is probably not much. Just like in public life, secular and religious people have basic fundamental differences which can make it difficult to work together on many issues. However, the fact that there is growing diversity in views among the home school set indicates that the field is growing in prestige and vitality.

Although conflict might be difficult, it can also pave the way for advancement. Religiously oriented home school parents may balk at the notion, but the growing number of secular parents may help them out substantially. Having lots of non-religious home school parents means that the government is less likely to take action or persecute a religious group of home school families. Religious home school families can use their secular counterparts as a buffer against undue government intrusion. On the flip side, secular home school families have benefited greatly from the ground work religious home school families have laid in the area of home schooling, both in terms of curriculum and the law. The rise in the total number of home school families benefits both groups because it means that there are more resources available to home school families of all stripes.

Perhaps the best that home school families can hope for then is a sort of truce. As home school rises in popularity, it will most likely be the case that there will be religious and secular curriculums, support groups and other resources divided on the basis of religion. The one thing all home school families agree on is that traditional school is not for their children. However, this is not going to be enough to bridge the gap between the secular and religious home school camps.

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Develop Good Morals At Home

Christianity & Home School: Develop Good Morals At Home
Authored By Mimi Rothschild
Posted By Bobby Cole


As a home school parent, you're aware of just what a hard job parenting can be. You seek to help your home school child develop into a well-rounded individual, both educated and of high moral character. Perhaps you have the educational part covered, but would like a little help on the morality issue.

Often, home school children hear about the importance of being moral. Many are told they should be moral because that's the way God wants it. Many are raised to believe they should behave and live in moral ways without fully understanding why. Still others believe the reason lies simply in the fact that their parents wish it. Though it is undeniably important to endeavor to live up to the expectations of God and parents, home school children must develop their own sense of morality. They must discover right from wrong and build moral conviction, starting with a firm foundation of parental and religious guidance. With this guidance, the home school student can begin to develop a firm sense of moral self, making the right choices and decisions without supervision and guidance.

To help your home school child filter out all the negativity the world offers to develop a good, strong, moral character, start with prayer. Spend part of your day in prayer and reflection, determining your values for everything. Reflect on things from the basics, like television watching, to major things, like telling lies. When you have a firm hold on your core values, you are better equipped to impart them to your home school child.

Become a model of moral behavior. All too often parents, including those who home school, say one thing, yet do the other. Avoid telling your child that lying is wrong while asking her to tell the person on the phone that you're not home. Children often pay much more attention to actions than words. Since you home school, your child will spend more time with you than if she attended school. Use this extra time to show her, by example, how to live a moral life. Don't, however, beat yourself up when you make mistakes. Remember, perfection is not a realistic expectation.

Let your home school child see that you are human. Tell him stories about yourself as a child or young adult. Let him in on your moral failures. Children really listen to and learn from these types of stories. Also, this type of discussion may open the door for your home school student to feel confident about confiding in you.

Talk about consequences. In addition to biblical and moral reasons for avoiding certain things, there are very real consequences to face when you stray off moral paths. For instance, having sex outside of marriage can lead to unplanned pregnancy and serious disease. Likewise, smoking can lead to life-threatening health problems. Talk to your home school children about these consequences.

Always keep the lines of communication open with your home school child. The most effective tool a home school parent has in raising moral children is communication. Never stop talking to your children, even when you feel they're not listening. They actually absorb more than you might think. Most of all, listen when they talk back.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.


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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Teaching Faith in Home School

Christianity & Homeschool: Teaching Faith in Home School
Authored By Mimi Rothschild
Posted By Bobby Cole - Learning By Grace Affiliate


A home school environment makes for a perfect setting for teaching children about faith. Outside of a home school environment, most children are left in a confused world with conflicting issues. Faith may be one of those issues that children lose focus on. With some steady lessons on faith in home school, your child may gain the insight needed to be able to face the real world with strong beliefs and an understanding of faith.

Why Teach Faith in Home School

Faith is a concept that means different things to different people. We choose to have faith in God or in other people that they will do the right thing. We use faith in every day life; but the concept may be misrepresented to children, especially young ones. We often talk about it in church, and to bring it into the home school environment only reinforces the meaning and concept.

The concept of faith is often taught in church in broad concepts and stories. The home school classroom is an excellent time to build on the direct understanding of what faith really is. If you ask young children what faith is, you may get different answers. The home school class room lets you develop lessons that help children understand what faith is and the value of having faith in this world.

How Faith is Taught in Home School

Faith may be a difficult concept to actually teach in a home school setting. Children learn about faith in church and from Biblical stories. Teaching the same stories in a home school setting may be repetitive. Sometimes we need to seek outside help to assist us with such concepts.

Home school teachers often start by asking the children what their thoughts are on faith. Some home school children have different opinions of what faith really is. In home school lessons, try teaching children exact definitions that help them understand faith and why we need it.

Some home school teachers may invite other members of their church to come in and talk with the children about faith. This not only grabs children's interest by having a guest come into the home school environment, but also enforces the lesson.

With continued effort, teaching children faith during home school lessons will help build their understanding. In turn, it will reinforce home school children's faith. Teaching lessons on faith in a home school may be difficult at first, but with useful materials you find from church you can provide a valuable life lesson for your students.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

Learning By Grace Managed Academies

The Entrepreneurial Homeschool Advantage

Christianity & Home School: The Entrepreneurial Homeschool Advantage
Authored By Mimi Rothschild
Posted By Bobby Cole - Learning By Grace Affiliate


Parents who homeschool their children are uniquely positioned to raise future entrepreneurs. Many of the skills homeschooled children are taught—independence, responsibility, self-sufficiency, and so on—are those qualities that are truly essential for a successful entrepreneur to possess. In fact, many homeschooling parents are entrepreneurs themselves, and therefore set an example for their children at an early age. You should be aware, however, that homeschooled children of entrepreneurial parents often end up either goal-obsessed and neurotic or spoiled and entitled. How can homeschooling parents avoid these two extremes and raise well-adjusted, successful entrepreneurial children?

One great way parents who homeschool can impart business savvy to their children is by involving them in the business. Any family-based business requires a myriad of small tasks perfect for children to help out with, such as filing, organizing, cleaning, or even answering phones and taking messages for older children. Homeschooled children who are directly involved in business will get hands-on experience that will take them far in the entrepreneurial world. The structure of homeschooling particularly contributes to their ability to participate, as they are not confined to a classroom for the bulk of the business day.

Parents who homeschool have already reinforced their commitment to making children a priority. This knowledge helps children to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, as it demonstrates that business owners can be flexible in order to make time for the things that matter to them, and still get the necessary work done. Homeschooled children understand that even though their parents are working, they are important and valued. They are also able to see firsthand the successful juggling of time and scheduling that goes into creating a balanced environment between work, family and education.

Homeschooled children are naturally encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, and to find their own life paths. This is especially crucial to the future entrepreneur. Homeschooling parents who operate a family business can and should encourage their children to make their own decisions, even if the decision involves a solo venture for the child rather than going into the family business. Often, parents who home school are aware of the necessity to allow children to make their own mistakes. By offering advice but not making decisions for homeschooled children, parents reinforce the skills necessary for success in the business world. Homeschooled children enjoy a better opportunity to become prosperous entrepreneurs, whether it is through a family business or on their own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

Learning By Grace Managed Academies