Homeschooling Curriculum - Have You Considered Sonlight? By Don Rodriguez

You have decided to teach your children at home. However, have you given thought to what curriculum you will adopt? This article will introduce you to Sonlight Homeschool which is worth considering, particularly if you want a Christian-based curriculum and homeschooling adventure.

According to its website, "Sonlight Curriculum is a Christian company specializing in literature-based homeschool curriculum programs" for preschool and grades K-12 and is based on what Sonlight's website describes as "Literature-rich homsechooling." By that designation is meant its textbooks tend to be filled with excerpts from literature, including movies and songs. Because of its dependence on literature, reading aloud to students is an essential requirement for parents who adopt this innovative curriculum. It would seem that such a requiremeYou have decided to teach your children at home. However, have you given thought to what curriculum you will adopt? This article will introduce you to Sonlight Homeschool which is worth considering, particularly if you want a Christian-based curriculum and homeschooling adventure.

According to its website, "Sonlight Curriculum is a Christian company specializing in literature-based homeschool curriculum programs" for preschool and grades K-12 and is based on what Sonlight's website describes as "Literature-rich homsechooling." By that designation is meant its textbooks tend to be filled with excerpts from literature, including movies and songs. Because of its dependence on literature, reading aloud to students is an essential requirement for parents who adopt this innovative curriculum. It would seem that such a requirement would make the homeschooling experience more time consuming. However, the school states that "Despite our emphasis on reading aloud to your children in the younger years, Sonlight takes a relatively small amount of time when compared to classroom school." It would have been more helpful if the comparison would have been made with other home schools.

This author reviewed several of the textbooks available through the school and noted that even in its American history text, it emphasizes God's providence in American history. Without a doubt, the school is true to its claim to offer a Christian-based curriculum.

Sonlight Homeschool also offers a wealth of information and resources to homeschooling parents. The school provides a website with numerous resources, including a parents' forum where parents can interact with each other as well as ask questions and share experiences. The school also offers materials to support homeschooling and while its textbooks and curriculum modules are designed to comply with minimum state requirements and more, this author did not see where the school advises parents on the requirements of laws in their particular states and thus parents will still need to join a homeschooling association to alert them to state law requirements for parents who teach their children at home.nt would make the homeschooling experience more time consuming. However, the school states that "Despite our emphasis on reading aloud to your children in the younger years, Sonlight takes a relatively small amount of time when compared to classroom school." It would have been more helpful if the comparison would have been made with other home schools.

This author reviewed several of the textbooks available through the school and noted that even in its American history text, it emphasizes God's providence in American history. Without a doubt, the school is true to its claim to offer a Christian-based curriculum.

Sonlight Homeschool also offers a wealth of information and resources to homeschooling parents. The school provides a website with numerous resources, including a parents' forum where parents can interact with each other as well as ask questions and share experiences. The school also offers materials to support homeschooling and while its textbooks and curriculum modules are designed to comply with minimum state requirements and more, this author did not see where the school advises parents on the requirements of laws in their particular states and thus parents will still need to join a homeschooling association to alert them to state law requirements for parents who teach their children at home.

If you would like more information about homeschool lesson plans as well as general information on homeschooling, please visit http://homeschoolingbasics.info

Keystone Homeschool - A High School For Today's Active Students By Don Rodriguez

Do you have an active teenager who is ready for high school? Think you are going to have a tough time finding a curriculum to interest your teenager? Is your high school aged child constantly using the B word (bored)? Then you should consider Keystone Homeschool, more properly named Keystone National High School, as your homeschooling school.

No doubt, one of the reasons you decided to home school your child is because you believed the school s/he was in was not keeping up with your child's interest and your child was not being challenged. You also probably did not like the fact that your child spent a lot of time waiting for other students to catch up. Well, meeting those concerns is one of the reasons that Keystone is reported to be the number one homeschooling high school in the USA.

Keystone promises to provide a curriculum which holds your child's interest while allowing your child to proceed at his/her own speed. The school has over 30 years experience offering a flexible and innovative approach to education which respects the values of parents who teach their children at home. In addition, the school doesn't just send you boxes of textbooks with lesson plans and leave you to the task of teaching your child. With two modes of delivery, correspondence or online, the school has certified teachers which assist you and your child. Further, you can choose from standard courses or honors courses or a combination of the two.

And, returning to your child's interests, in addition to the core classes, Keystone offers a host of electives, such as music appreciation and art. Keystone is fully accredited and allows your active teenager to earn a high school diploma which is widely recognized and in which s/he can be proud.

If you would like more information about homeschool lesson plans as well as general information on homeschooling, please visit http://homeschoolingbasics.info

Online Homeschooling - Something You Should Consider By Don Rodriguez

Deciding to homeschool your children does not mean you have to follow what the brick and mortar schools do in terms of the delivery of your educational content. Online homeschooling offers some compelling reasons why you should consider this mode of course delivery for your children. And one of the leaders in the field warranting your attention is CompassLearning.

CompassLearning provides online curriculum for preschool through eighth grade under the rubric of Time4Learning. According to its website, Time4Learning has been voted number one by homeschool.com and provides a unique, interactive experience for students. "Time4Learning's software is easy to use and is web-based so there is nothing to download and you can access it from any computer."This means your children are not confined to home but can go to libraries and other sites with an Internet connection.

Time4Learning provides ease of use, portability, and some degree of record keeping. Record keeping is critical in those states where annual progress reports are required for all children who are bing home schooled. Time4Learning promises to make those chores less cumbersome and confusing. Also, its curriculum is designed to comply with state mandated teaching requirements.

One of the great benefits of online homeschooling is it offers an innovative approach to teaching which allows parents to vary their teaching style and methodology so that their children's interest is kept fresh and active. Your children are not just reading books. They watch videos, participate in interactive exercises and have opportunities to express their creativity.

Another important advantage of web based learning is the avoidance of constantly having to buy new textbooks which have been updated, usually with only minor changes. Here updates are quicker and less costly.

CompassLearning provides a "risk free" money back guarantee to parents wishing to give their software a test drive. So what do you have to lose? If you are looking for an innovative, interest building curriculum for your children, then Time4Learning is well worth considering.

If you would like more information about homeschool lesson plans as well as general information on homeschooling, please visit http://homeschoolingbasics.info

Homeschool Program - How to Decide What's Right For Your Child By Don Rodriguez

You have decided to home school your child or children. No doubt, a lot of study, meditation, and consultations went into making this critical decision for your child's education. Unfortunately, your work is not done. Your next biggest decision is which homeschool program you will select for your child's education. Following are some important factors you need to consider in making a decision.

The first is which curriculum base you are most interested in using for your child. There are various curriculum sources: Montessori, religion based, classical, unit studies, Waldorf, to name a few. In conjunction with this consideration should be whether you will want a secular or religious-based education for your child. There are various choices within each category.

Next is whether you should acquire your textbooks from a school supplies store or sign up for a school and acquire your textbooks from that school. The first you make all the decisions as to which textbooks you will use and then order them. The latter offers certain textbook tracks and modules and you decide which one you will employ. However, the school will provide you with many more services and resources other than textbooks and thus there are compelling reasons for deciding in favor of a school from which to obtain your textbooks.

Finally, you want to give some thought to the ages of your children and the type of textbooks which are most appropriate for them at their particular age. Keep in mind that younger children learn differently than older children and so you might explore activities based textbooks for younger children and more critical thinking oriented for older children.

Once you have worked through the above concerns, you are now ready to consider the specific courses you will offer. That is a much easier task if you have done the above satisfactorily. No doubt, your state will require you to teach a core group of courses which ought to receive top priority. Only after making sure the basics are covered should you add other courses.

If you would like more information about homeschool lesson plans as well as general information on homeschooling, please visit http://homeschoolingbasics.info

Lifepac Homeschool Curriculum By Don Rodriguez

The Lifepac homeschool curriculum is a provider of Christian based curriculum for home schools which seek a more structured method of course delivery. The main focus of the curriculum is it's boxed sets of five core subjects: Bible, language arts, math, history and geography, and science. The courses come with tests to be administered by parents. There are also a number of additional courses available for being taught as electives so there would not be an urgent need to buy textbooks outside the system.

These five boxed sets of courses are the heart of the Alpha Omega home education curriculum, designed to be a complete track of courses for the entire 12 years of a child's secondary education experience. Its teaching methodology is primarily that of concept mastery in which a student masters one concept or topic before moving on to the next one. This mastery is assessed through the use of exercises, pre-tests, reviews, and examinations. Thus, both parent and student know at all times whether or not the student is making progress and to what degree.

There are also labs and independent projects to stimulate the student's interest and to help drive home the point of the lesson as well as allow both parent and student to be creative. Interestingly, some of the criticisms of the program are in this area as some parents complained the idea of boxed sets stifled creativity and was too rigid. Others complained they did not like the idea of having to proceed in a specified order of instruction. Nevertheless, there were just as many who praised the curriculum even if not with high enthusiasm.

If you are interested in a Christian based curriculum for your child, then you should consider Lifepac and give it a test drive. Its structured course delivery system might be just the right mix for you and your child.

If you would like more information about homeschool lesson plans as well as general information on homeschooling, please visit http://homeschoolingbasics.info

Save Time and Money With Free Math Worksheets By Debra Proctor

Why use free math worksheets? Easy. These worksheets can save you a lot of time and money and when you're a busy homeschool mom teaching several children, this means a lot.

Save Money

It's easy to see how free worksheets can save you money. If you want, you can skip buying math books and just use worksheets that you get for free on the internet. All you need to do is use a "scope and sequence" book that tells you what your child needs to be doing in math by age and grade. This book is essential when you homeschool.

I recommend getting one of these books when you first begin homeschooling and use it as a reference throughout your homeschool journey. Regardless of how long you homeschool, you'll always have doubts and questions about how your child is performing.A scope and sequence book can put your mind at ease.

Once you have a scope and sequence book, make a list of each area in math that he needs to work on for the school year.

For example for grades three and four, by the end of the year in subtraction, your child should be able to:

• Solve vertical and horizontal computation problems
• Review subtraction of 2 numbers whose sums would be 18 or less
• Subtract 1- or 2-digit number from a 2-digit number with/without renaming
• Subtract 1-, 2-, or 3-digit numbers from 3- and 4-digit number with/without renaming
• Subtract 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-digit number from a 5-digit number

When you have this list, begin searching online for free math worksheets that fit your child's scope and sequence for the year and the goals you have set for your child.

Save Time

Free worksheets not only save you money, they can also save you time. If you decide that it is best for your child to do worksheets especially tailored for his needs, by doing a little research for printable math worksheets found online, you don't have to make the worksheets yourself. This can save a lot of time. Worksheets aren't that difficult to make, but it can be time consuming.

So if you're a busy homeschool mom like me, save yourself a lot of time and money by using worksheets. For free math worksheets visit http://www.Home-Schooling-Haven.com

I'm a homeschool mom with 4 children and 16 years of homeschooling experience. I offer free advice and help for homeschooling families and am adding new worksheets and articles all the time to help you. Stop by for a visit!

Advantage of Homeschooling - Socialization By Randall Webster and Karen Webster

Homeschooling is an education option that is widely debated by comparing and contrasting it to public school. There are always two sides to every story, and there are many topics that always seem to come up in these discussions. This article will focus on one of the popular questions: socialization, by sharing our family's experience as it relates to this discussion.

Home school Kids Don't Have Socialization

This one pops up a lot. I find it hard to understand what people mean when they say this, or why it is usually the first thing they think of when the topic of homeschooling comes up. If they mean that sending your child to spend 8 hours a day with a bunch of kids their age in relatively unsupervised conditions is going to help develop their socialization skills, I am baffled even more.

Kids need much attention. When they are in a public setting, especially on their own, they feel the need for attention, but learn to seek it the way their peers do by example: whining, screaming, manipulation, hitting, etc. I'm not saying that my kids never whine, scream or hit, but we make it unfruitful for them to do so - they don't get what they want. To be consistent with denying their whining or screaming until they ask in a normal tone of voice or accept that no is your final answer may take 5 or even 15 minutes - for the immediate battle and a weeks to win the war. This requires a flexible environment that is rarely available in a public setting. Our experience is that being consistent in denying whining and screaming is that they quickly learn not to do it. Reinforcing this over time it then becomes a way of life.

In the public school setting kids are relatively unsupervised during activities such as lunch, recess, changing classes, gym class, bus trips, assemblies, etc. Anything goes to get what they want. They quickly learn that manipulation of various forms works to get the attention they seek. However, if they aren't one of the "group" they may suffer verbal and sometimes physical abuse that causes them to withdraw and not want to seek communication or relationship with anyone. It only brings pain. Kids can be so cruel to one another.

If you wanted your child to learn how to bowl would you send them to a group of kids their age, or would you seek a mentor who knew how to bowl? The skill of socialization is the same as any skill. They stand to learn a skill quicker and more complete when mentored by a few that are more mature in that skill. Kids learn more how to "survive" than how to properly socialize in a public school setting. They are more likely to get more loving, supportive attention at home than in a public setting. If you communicate with your kids in a truthful mature manner they will learn to get and receive attention the same way.

My wife and I both attended public schools growing up, and we have been enjoying the advantages of homeschooling our children for over 10 years. We understand that homeschooling is a choice, and that it is may not be for everyone. Hopefully this helped you see both sides more clearly. We hope to address some more of the debated questions in future articles by sharing more benefits to homeschooling.

Randall & Karen Webster have been enjoying the advantages of Homeschooling their 5 kids for over 10 years. For a FREE 5-part mini-course visit http://www.FrustrationFreeHomeschool.com