There are a lot of different types of curriculums available on the homeschool market today. Instead of simply trying them all until you find one that will work for you, it is a good idea to take a look at your child’s learning style. This will actually help you to find the right curriculum for your child in a much shorter time period than if you had tried another method.

Considering Learning Style

Take a good, close look at your child’s strengths. As a homeschool parent, you probably already know what subjects your child really enjoys and which ones he really needs some help with. These are some things that you should keep in mind as you begin to look at the way that your child learns the best.

Whenever you are looking at your child’s learning style, there are some questions that you should ask yourself. These include: Does your child learn best whenever they use workbooks? Create notebooks? Act out a story? Or do something else?

Questions like these will help you to reduce the amount of inappropriate curriculum that you purchase and thus save you money. However, if you are still uncertain about what curriculum will work best for your family, you can always go online and look for a “learning style test” via the Search Engines. This will help answer your questions about your child’s learning style and understand it better too.

Consider The Various Options

Take a look at all of the options that are available to you as a homeschooler. There are also a lot of different methodologies available as well. You will find everything from “school at home” to unschooling (very relaxed, child led learning). It is easy to find a list of these homeschool styles with descriptions of each online. Consider visiting different homeschool curriculum websites too. There you will find a variety of textbooks and curriculum packages to choose from. You will need to make sure that they will cover the learning requirements within your state. Also, keep in mind that a complete curriculum package will contain all of the materials that you will need for the whole school year.

Related posts

• Benefits Of Homeschooling (0)
• Special Needs Children and Home Schooling (0)
• Planning a Home School Curriculum (0)
• How to Homeschool in California (0)
• Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission (0)

The advantages of homeschooling over public schooling:

• Homeschooling provides individual attention and quality time to each learning student which is not possible in a public school. A parent can observe how their kids progress and can help them in areas they find difficult to cope.

• Homeschooling is more flexible than public schooling as the schedule can be adjusted to the child’s suitability. Flexibility also helps in changing the curriculum according to what is easy for you and your child. Parents can help children understand the subject matter and yield good results.

• Children are made to learn in a practical environment thereby involving them in a variety of situations. Children tend to learn faster and enjoy working in such situations.

• Another big advantage of homeschooling over public schooling is the cost structure. Homeschooling is comparatively less expensive as compared to public and private school fees. You can involve your child in social activities that can help them to develop their social skills and hence save a lot of money too.

• There is no age classification for homeschooling children; hence children not only get engaged with same age group but also with children of different ages and adults as well.

Such factors have induced many parents to opt for homeschooling but one should not forget the positive aspect of public schooling which a child lacks in home based schooling. The advantages of public schooling over homeschooling are:

• Public schooling provides social development of the child. Although a homeschooling child can be involved in social activities, none will be as effective as being a part of some social groups for years to come. The classroom setting provides the benefit of socializing for your child.

• The parent is left with the complete responsibility to educate the child during homeschooling. Thus, you might not get time for yourself and your job which is otherwise possible in public schooling. This also helps in reducing financial stress for parents who are both working.

• Public schooling has trained teachers who are well equipped with the knowledge of teaching a wide range of subjects. Homeschooling, on the other hand leaves no option but for the parent to understand each and every subject before making it easy for their child to learn. Moreover, the parents have to research and gather the curriculum for each of their child.

Related posts

• How to Homeschool in California (0)
• What is a Christian Home Schooler? (0)
• Socialization Skills of Children Taught at Home (0)
• Qualifications Needed to Home School (0)
• Public School Versus Home School – A Comparative Study (0)

For the majority of Christian parents education is not only about subject content. Education comes from the Latin educare which means “to bring up”. It is at the end of the day the parent’s responsibility to steer the child in the right direction and Christian homeschooling parents believe they cannot always fulfill this responsibility by letting education in hands of others.

Many Christian parents choose homeschooling because they believe that all learning material should fundamentally being view from a biblical point of view. God’s glorification is the most important in every action of their lives. In interviews with various Christian homeschooling parents it was clear that, though, fundamental biblical guidelines in subject matter is important to them, it is most of the time not the only reason they choose homeschooling.

A Christian mother’s, main reason for removing her child from a public school was because of teasing and bullying. Many other Christian parents are concerned about the lack of discipline they found in certain schools. They believe their children won’t get the necessary attention and won’t be able to excel as well as they are capable of because teachers have to spend too much time on the unruly children in the school. This doesn’t only apply to Christian parents but a large number of homeschooling parent regardless of their religious convictions.

There are parents that believe their children shouldn’t mix with peers from different religions or people with secular lifestyles. However, most Christian parents don’t have a problem with their children mixing with peers that have different beliefs from their own. Many parents realize that it is necessary for children to interact with other children and most homeschooled children, Christian or not, belong to sport or culture clubs where they get the chance to socialize.

Christian homeschooling parents believe education should be from a Christian viewpoint and in public schools that is not happening.

Related posts

• How to Homeschool in California (0)
• Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission (0)
• Homeschooling With the Right Learning Style (0)
• Homeschooling Vs. Public School – Pros And Cons (0)
• Homeschooling in Massachusetts (0)

Compulsory Attendance

The law states that “Every child between the minimum and maximum ages established for school attendance by the board of education,” must attend school. In Massachusetts, compulsory attendance begins the calendar year in which your child turns 6 and ends at the age of 16. The word “homeschooling” does not appear in any statute in Massachusetts which places homeschoolers into the “otherwise educated” category.

Requirements under Charles and Brunelle

There are no laws to specifically regulate homeschooling in Massachusetts. Instead, homeschoolers must look to what is called case law, specifically the Charles and Brunelle rulings. According to Charles, there are four pieces of information that a school district can (not must) request:

An education plan which simply provides a brief description of the proposed curriculum and the length of the homeschooling year may be requested. Unlike some other states, Massachusetts does not have a state approved curriculum that homeschoolers must use. This freedom allows homeschoolers to choose a curriculum that best suits the needs of their child. Your education plan also does not need to duplicate the public school system. A sample education plan can be seen at the Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts website.

According to the Charles ruling “…Certification would not appropriately be required for parents under a home school proposal…nor must the parents have college or advanced academic degrees.” The Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71, section 1 states that teachers “shall be of competent ability and good morals.” To comply, parents can simply state in their plan that they are of competent ability and good morals or they can list their academic credentials if they wish.

A review of materials, texts and resources, but only to determine the subjects to be taught and the grade level of the child is also an allowable request. The Brunelle ruling indicated the courts understanding that “…some of the most effective curricular materials…may not be tangible.” The majority of homeschooling parents simply provide either a list of the texts, materials and resources they intend to use or photocopies of the table of contents section of their textbooks.

One mutually agreed upon method of assessment may be requested annually. While Charles does allow for school district to use standardized testing as a measure of acdemic progress at the end of the school year, they are not required to take the statewide MCAS test required under No Child Left Behind. The other assessment options available to homeschooling families include portfolios, dated work samples and narrative progress reports however, under the Brunelle decision, home visits may not be required.

Important Considerations

* It is important to know your district’s policies as well as familiarizing yourself with the case laws in order to be your own advocate.
* Once you have submitted your education plan you have fulfilled your legal obligation to the district. You should keep all contact with your district in writing and always send your education plan to your district by way of certified mail with return receipt requested.
* Some towns will send you an approval letter and some won’t. It is not necessary to receive an approval letter, however some businesses may ask you for one in order to extend their educator discounts to you.

Massachusetts Home Learning Association

In conclusion, homeschooling in Massachusetts is fairly easy if one adheres to the guidelines outlined in the case laws. An educational plan, list of curricular materials, competency of the parent as an instructor and a method of assessment all should be considered when planning a homeschool program. For more information, or to connect with a local support group visit Massachusetts Home Learning Association.

Related posts

• What is a Christian Home Schooler? (0)
• Special Needs Children and Home Schooling (0)
• Qualifications Needed to Home School (0)
• Planning a Home School Curriculum (0)
• How to Homeschool in California (0)

Homeschool Laws in California

According to the California Education Code §48222, all children between 6 and 18 years of age are required to enroll in public school unless they are attending a full-time private school or are being taught by a tutor who holds a valid California teaching credential. Most homeschool parents meet §48222 by establishing a private school in their home or enroll in a school that offers independent study, either of which negates the requirement for a parent to hold a California teaching credential.

Keep in mind that California requires all private schools to teach certain subjects. For example, English, math, science, social studies, fine arts, health and physical education must be taught. Additional subjects are required in grades 7-12. California Education Code §51210 and §51220 detail the subject requirements.

Despite court challenges on constitutional grounds and infringement of religious freedom, homeschool parents need to teach the above subjects to stay legal. Currently, there is no provision in California law for supervising the instruction of these required subjects. This means parents are free to determine how the required subjects are taught. With freedom to design curriculum, parents can get learning materials such as homeschool textbooks inexpensively or even free.

Setting up a California Homeschool

To set up a home based private school, submit an electronic private school affidavit (PSA) on the California Department of Education website between October 1st and October 15th of each year. That website also has additional information on setting up a home based private school.

After the school has been set up, contact the child’s previous school and inform them that he or she will be attending another school. If notification to the school is not done, the government will consider the child to be truant. At the same time, request student records from the previous school so that the homeschool has complete cumulative student records as required by California law.

Other options for setting up home schooling include enrolling in independent study programs with a private school, charter school, or even some public school districts. In exchange for restrictions on curriculum and tuition, independent study programs provide materials and support for homeschoolers. Contact local schools and local homeschooling groups to find available options.

California Homeschooling High School

Public school students are required to take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) to graduate. Private school students are not subject to this requirement. Homeschool students need to meet the graduation requirements of their school, which may be entirely determined by the parents.

The GED or the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) may be taken to validate a student’s academic program, but this is not required. Only a diploma from the homeschool is needed.

College admissions tests such as the SAT, ACT, or the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) exam do not require attendance at any particular high school. For example, it is not necessary to have taken any formal AP class in order to take an AP exam.

Colleges are not required to waive any admissions requirements for homeschoolers, including those that have to do with standardized tests. It is important that students who want to go to college learn how to do well on standardized tests, even if the tests were not part of the homeschool curriculum.

Related posts

• Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission (0)
• Homeschooling Vs. Public School – Pros And Cons (0)
• Grown-Up Homeschoolers and College Admissions (0)
• What is a Homeschool Friendly College? (0)
• What is a Christian Home Schooler? (0)

Homeschool Letters of Recommendation for College Applications

Larry and Susan Kaseman, in an article entitled “Credentials for Homeschoolers,” published in the January/ February 2007 edition of Home Education Magazine, advise homeschoolers and unschoolers to begin acquiring letters of recommendation early and choose which letters to use judiciously. The more prestige and influence the letter-writer has will be important, as will their grounds for writing the letter.

Ideally, letters of recommendation will come from influential adults (alumnae of the intended University, perhaps) which speak about the student’s written and oral communication skills, leadership skills, passion for the proposed course of study, ability to work with a group and other character traits as well as professional skills.

SAT Testing and AP Testing for Homeschoolers

SAT and AP test scores are an important part of college applications, especially for students who enter without community college experience or transcripts. AP tests can be self-studied. AP Course descriptions are available online at no cost, and can be used as study guides. AP testing occurs in May at community colleges, check the College Board website or your local high school guidance counselor for AP and SAT testing dates and registration. CollegeConfidential.com also has resources for helping homeschoolers meet the testing requirements for College admission.

Books About Homeschooling and College Requirements for Homeschoolers

The first published account of the steps it takes for homeschoolers to get into Ivy League colleges was that of David & Micki Colfax, who authored Homeschooling for Excellence [Warner books, 1988] whose children ended up attending Harvard University.

Cafi Cohen’s Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition [Prima Publishing, 2000] provides a workable plan for homeschoolers and helps families understand what admissions offices are looking for and how homeschooling families can plan ahead to provide a portfolio that shows colleges what they want to see.

College Without High School: A Teenager’s Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College, by Blake Boles [Friesens, 2009] gives an up-to-date discussion of the changing face of college admissions and helps unschoolers and home schoolers find ways to manage their study time.

Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller [Global Publishing, 2001] outlines the steps his mother took to ensure that each of her ten homeschooled children had their bachelor’s degree by the time they were 18, for less than $5000 each. Their method involved self-study, challenging some courses, testing out of as many classes as possible and reliance upon their local community college.

The most common thread of advice is to look into colleges early and start communicating with their admissions office in order to learn what they want from homeschoolers, meet deadlines, be professional in both written and verbal communication.

Related posts

• How to Homeschool in California (0)
• Grown-Up Homeschoolers and College Admissions (0)
• What is a Homeschool Friendly College? (0)
• Quantity Versus Quality For Homeschoolers (0)
• Homeschooling With the Right Learning Style (0)

Kristina’s initial homeschool experience was in 4th grade, following incidents with a peer who was treating her badly. Kristina’s mother removed her from school and told her to read college books. Kristina says “the first time we tried homeschooling, my mom went to a local university bookstore at SIU to buy me books. I can clearly remember her telling me at that age that I should just read through these intro college algebra, biology, and literature-related books and not worry too much if I didn’t understand everything. So I did, and there was plenty I didn’t quite grasp. But even the material I didn’t understand, I remembered. Eventually, the missing pieces settled into place.”

This style of teaching and learning is in direct opposition to current educational practices that break everything down into baby-step lessons that progress through the years. Kristina states that “This type of studying worked really well for me, though I can certainly see it not being optimum in all situations.” However, the practice of starting at the top, rather than at the bottom has a reputation for success among the unschooling community, where formal academics aren’t even addressed until the college years, if at all.

Homeschooling in Middle School

Kristina’s family has moved a lot. In her young life, she’s called nine U.S. states home, plus Malaysia and Norway. Having inherited an outspoken personality from her mother, Kristina engaged in a “heated argument” with a 7th grade teacher who accused her of cheating in Algebra because she wasn’t showing her math. Instead of confronting student & parent, the teacher just gave Kristina half credit. When confronted, the teacher admitted that she needed to see the steps because she didn’t personally understand the answers.

Related posts

• How to Homeschool in California (0)
• Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission (0)
• Quantity Versus Quality For Homeschoolers (0)
• Homeschooling With the Right Learning Style (0)
• Homeschooling Vs. Public School – Pros And Cons (0)

Individual attention is another salient benefit of homeschooling. For instance, if Lisa needs more time to learn Math, then she can reduce the time for her English lessons. There are no fixed hours of learning per subject. This means that a child has the advantage of assigning more number of hours to the subject that seems tough WITHOUT any additional pressure. The amount of time needed to learn each subject will depend on the abilities and interests of the child.

The schooling of the child becomes an extended family activity. Parents get involved in every step of the learning procedure. Field trips and experiments become family activities. Thus, the child receives more quality time with his parents. The entire family shares games, chores and projects. Family closeness becomes the focus here. The child is also free of any negative peer pressure while making choices and decisions.

Competition is limited when it comes to homeschooling. The child does not need to prove his ability with regards to other children. His confidence remains intact. Since parents have a deep understanding of their child, they can plan the learning program to pique the child’s interest. It is also possible to intersperse difficult tasks with fun activities. A tough hour with Algebra can be followed by a trip to the nearest museum. Learning becomes fun. Parents can also tailor the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. Some children learn through reading, while others need to write, and still others need to see objects in action.

Homeschooling allows parents to take control over the moral and religious learning of the child. Parents have the flexibility to incorporate their beliefs and ideologies into the child’s curriculum. There is no confusion in the child’s mind either because there is no variation between what is being taught and what is being practiced.

Lastly, more and more parents are getting disillusioned with the public school system. They believe that their children are being pushed too hard or too little. Other worrying issues pertaining to discipline and ethics also make the school system less welcome. Many repudiate the educational philosophy of grouping children solely on the basis of their age. Some parents themselves have unhappy memories of their own public school experience that motivates them to opt for homeschooling when it comes to their own children.

Homeschooling is the best way to teach a child if you have the time, the ability and the interest to follow through with his education. After all, nobody can understand or appreciate your child more than yourself.

Related posts

• Special Needs Children and Home Schooling (0)
• Planning a Home School Curriculum (0)
• Homeschooling With the Right Learning Style (0)
• What is a Christian Home Schooler? (0)
• Socialization Skills of Children Taught at Home (0)