It has been stated that home schooled children score higher on standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT than students in the traditional school setting. Why? Speculation is that the environment is more relaxed than in a regular school.

The one on one treatment that students get in the home school environment leads to a better understanding of school subjects. The deciding factor is time. In a structured setting each class is in a block of fifty minutes. At home, you may spend two hours on one subject that is particularly difficult and thirty minutes the next. The flexibility allows for a child to learn at their own rate until they know the information like the back of their hand.

The truth of the matter is, as long as a home schooled student can meet the requirements for college admission, they will be admitted to school. The point of complying with state requirements for home schooling sets a student up for success after high school. It is advised that parents start well in advance of the college years preparing for college paperwork.

If your child has an idea what colleges they would like to apply to, begin a relationship with them. Find out what types of things they look for in their potential students. Add a class to the curriculum that deals with college preparation. Give your kids an idea of what they have to look forward to and how well they must perform to get admitted.

Several colleges admit home schooled students. From their performance on standardized tests, advanced placement classes, and other academic criteria home schooled students have as much chance as any other student. This is the same with regular schools. Just because you get a traditional education doesn’t mean that a college will admit you.

Getting into college is a matter of strategy and careful planning. A smart person, who doesn’t take the time to write a good essay or study for the SAT, won’t impress a college committee. A confident student who knows their subjects, whether home schooled or public school taught, will make it into the college of their choice. Parents don’t worry. Home schooling is not a hindrance but a plus.

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What is your philosophy of teaching? Many parents may think that they don’t have one but if you have a reason for taking your child out of public school, then you do. The philosophy is directly related to those reasons. You want to influence change that will give your child a better education. The public school is not doing a satisfactory job in your opinion or you would be considering the option of teaching your children at home.

There are several curriculum plans in existence today. Each is based on a different philosophy of teaching. Some curriculums are less stringent which allows for children to experience a variety of subjects and teaching structures. Children can experiment with their learning process to find what fits.

Other programs are quite rigid. Every aspect of each subject is planned down to the day as to what will be taught and in what order. For the new home schooling parent, this takes the guesswork and headache out of the structure of the learning process.

Home school curricula are not just based on academics, but religion. Spiritual components of education resulted in Christian home schooling. These programs comply with the state requirements but emphasize Biblical education.

Once parents become comfortable with home schooling, they can move from a rigid program to a less structured one or a curriculum guide. Curriculum guides are cheaper but only serve as rough guidelines. The parents still have to purchase worksheets, study guides, and other materials for teaching. This is not a concern with complete packages because they include everything for your dollar.

Some curricula have an online component as well. Part of the program involves book work and activities that kids can do online. It is easier to record keep online than with a paper and pencil. Some people like paper and pencil though because computers crash or get temperamental and lose your stuff. After all of that, it is time to do a lesson plan for each class for each student grade level.

Before the fun of teaching your children can begin, you need to have a plan. This is the tough part. It will involve a lot of head scratching and sweating, but once it’s done, the next time will be easier.

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The home has taken on new meaning in the past thirty years. It used to be that people ate and slept in their homes. Now, businesses are conducted from home and so is schooling. When you take that first long relaxing look outdoors, it could be eleven o’clock instead of 6 a.m. Household dynamics have changed, but one thing has not – organization is the key to running a tight ship.

The first thing to tackle is the setup of the school atmosphere. Just as with a home business, the idea is to create a separate room or area where only that particular activity is conducted. Confusing two spaces will confuse the children as well.

Pick an area with a table such as the dining room where all of the main work can be conducted. Use bookshelves, rolling containers, and other storage media to keep supplies organized and in one area. If you are home schooling children in different grade levels, separate their items into different containers so materials are easy to locate when you need them. This area will double as your grading and lesson plan area when class is not in session.

Decide how many hours a day will be devoted to school. This time can begin at eight o’clock or at ten o’clock. The schedule will work around the best time of day for you and the children. Sleepy children do not make good students.

With that issue taken care of, don’t forget chores. Design a master calendar or white board for a chore listing and one for class schedules. Each child will know when the school day begins, when and what chores they need to do each day, along with other activities. This will help your child to establish their own routines as well, by knowing where to start each day.

The house will not be neat as a pin all the time. There will be toys, books, clothes that need washing and the rest. A list of chores enlists the aid of the entire family to keep the house organized in light of the home school atmosphere. When you don’t have to tackle everything by yourself, the stress level goes down for you and the rest of the family.

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