Thursday, May. 26, 2005 Posted: 1:21:50AM EST
Socialization is no longer an “issue” for homeschoolers, according to some researchers on the long-running debate over public and independent schooling.
Susan McDowell, author of "But What About Socialization? Answering the Perpetual Home Schooling Question: A Review of the Literature,” has researched 24 studies on the socialization of homeschoolers, according to Bristol Herald Courier.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
What I Learned on the Government School Bus
by Barry Bright
As a country kid I spent two hours a day on that big yellow instrument of torture some people call a school bus.
Often through my government school career I was one of the first if not the first to have to board that diesel-snorting, cold, hot, stinking, dangerous because it was often driven too fast on narrow roads, redneck-bully-filled monstrosity. So I usually avoid thinking about my term of imprisonment there.
But tonight, while thinking about how alienated the average ‘patriot’ really is from mainstream society, it occurred to me that I learned a few things on the government school bus that I never imagined might still apply in the adult world. I was so wrong. Here’s what I learned:
Acting as if you know anything at all is the quickest way to get branded a ‘know it all.’
Acting as if you care about anything that really matters is the quickest way to get ignored.
Trying to tell others about what really matters, or telling anything that varies from the accepted stories, is the quickest way to get hated or feared or beat up.
Ignoring bullies is not possible. If they can’t irritate or abuse you one way they’ll find another.
Most people will sit idly by and let the bullies beat the stuff out of you. (Read on.. click on title link above)
As a country kid I spent two hours a day on that big yellow instrument of torture some people call a school bus.
Often through my government school career I was one of the first if not the first to have to board that diesel-snorting, cold, hot, stinking, dangerous because it was often driven too fast on narrow roads, redneck-bully-filled monstrosity. So I usually avoid thinking about my term of imprisonment there.
But tonight, while thinking about how alienated the average ‘patriot’ really is from mainstream society, it occurred to me that I learned a few things on the government school bus that I never imagined might still apply in the adult world. I was so wrong. Here’s what I learned:
Acting as if you know anything at all is the quickest way to get branded a ‘know it all.’
Acting as if you care about anything that really matters is the quickest way to get ignored.
Trying to tell others about what really matters, or telling anything that varies from the accepted stories, is the quickest way to get hated or feared or beat up.
Ignoring bullies is not possible. If they can’t irritate or abuse you one way they’ll find another.
Most people will sit idly by and let the bullies beat the stuff out of you. (Read on.. click on title link above)
Cranes in Whitney Valley by Jon Remmerde
If you live in New England (or the northeast for that matter),
spring has been unkind this year - except to the ducks and frogs...
they are on her "favorites" list, obviously.
There's been a nor'easter spinning off our Atlantic
shores now for days and it's been annoying. Oh, I
love the rain, when it comes, does its job and departs.
But steady mist, drizzle and, at times, horizontal sheets
that cut like knives... well, be gone. However, being
cooped up inside HAS given me opportunity to enjoy
Jon Remmerde's essays (as he calls them) - more like short stories -
that he sends to appreciative folks every little while.
I'm posting one here, simply because I like his writing...
and it's good writing to share with your family... and he takes
us to some place in Oregon that I would like to visit.
But, second best is visiting that place through his stories.
Jon and his wife homeschooled/unschooled their two daughters.
Many of their learning adventures are reprinted on the web site:
http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes.
You can subscribe to his regular e-stories
by clicking on the linked title above and
visiting his web site.
Thanks Jon for brightening our days. - JB
Cranes in Whitney Valley
by Jon Remmerde
excerpted from the book, Somewhere in an Oregon Valley
I spaded the garden soil. Laura hung wet clothes on the clothesline below the garden. Juniper and Amanda swung in the swings I built for them the second year we lived in Whitney Valley. They sang and made up poems and laughed.
For the first time that spring, we heard the sandhill cranes. They called from up Camp Creek Valley, and their very loud trumpeting echoed across both valleys.
Then we saw the two birds. They flew toward us, close above the willows along Camp Creek. Majestic, grey, red-crowned birds, they powered their huge wings down in slow, curving strokes against the clear mountain air, stretched their necks straight, and trailed their long legs behind. They crossed the highway and flew above the barn and then over us, not more than twenty feet above us, calling all the way. They flew across the river and across the meadow and landed by the edge of the timber and fell silent as they began to eat.
It took us a while to remember what we were doing before we heard the cranes. Laura said, "They came to say hello, to let us know they're back." (Read more - click on title above.)
spring has been unkind this year - except to the ducks and frogs...
they are on her "favorites" list, obviously.
There's been a nor'easter spinning off our Atlantic
shores now for days and it's been annoying. Oh, I
love the rain, when it comes, does its job and departs.
But steady mist, drizzle and, at times, horizontal sheets
that cut like knives... well, be gone. However, being
cooped up inside HAS given me opportunity to enjoy
Jon Remmerde's essays (as he calls them) - more like short stories -
that he sends to appreciative folks every little while.
I'm posting one here, simply because I like his writing...
and it's good writing to share with your family... and he takes
us to some place in Oregon that I would like to visit.
But, second best is visiting that place through his stories.
Jon and his wife homeschooled/unschooled their two daughters.
Many of their learning adventures are reprinted on the web site:
http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes.
You can subscribe to his regular e-stories
by clicking on the linked title above and
visiting his web site.
Thanks Jon for brightening our days. - JB
Cranes in Whitney Valley
by Jon Remmerde
excerpted from the book, Somewhere in an Oregon Valley
I spaded the garden soil. Laura hung wet clothes on the clothesline below the garden. Juniper and Amanda swung in the swings I built for them the second year we lived in Whitney Valley. They sang and made up poems and laughed.
For the first time that spring, we heard the sandhill cranes. They called from up Camp Creek Valley, and their very loud trumpeting echoed across both valleys.
Then we saw the two birds. They flew toward us, close above the willows along Camp Creek. Majestic, grey, red-crowned birds, they powered their huge wings down in slow, curving strokes against the clear mountain air, stretched their necks straight, and trailed their long legs behind. They crossed the highway and flew above the barn and then over us, not more than twenty feet above us, calling all the way. They flew across the river and across the meadow and landed by the edge of the timber and fell silent as they began to eat.
It took us a while to remember what we were doing before we heard the cranes. Laura said, "They came to say hello, to let us know they're back." (Read more - click on title above.)
Maintaining Focus (or... Reality Check!)
You started off well... full speed ahead, organized, on track, then sudden derailment. First came the flu making its ugly way through the ranks . . . followed by assorted aches, sniffles and coughs. Surviving those, you dove back into homeschool projects with a vengeance for two weeks and then found routines being upset once more by the busyness of the holiday season or surprise visits from long lost relatives. January 1st came bringing hope and the resolve to get back on track and stay there ... but when you looked over the sad, empty pages in your planner and stacks of lesson plans engineered last summer, guilt and helplessness overwhelmed. “What’s the use,” you think. You’ll never catch up.
You’re right. What freedom! The beauty is you don’t have to catch up. What and who are you trying to catch anyway? Homeschooling means moving at your pace - the speed of your life - and turning your attention to your life-priorities. For practical purposes, this includes the things that really interest your children AND you and focusing on a few areas that need work.
You’re right. What freedom! The beauty is you don’t have to catch up. What and who are you trying to catch anyway? Homeschooling means moving at your pace - the speed of your life - and turning your attention to your life-priorities. For practical purposes, this includes the things that really interest your children AND you and focusing on a few areas that need work.
The Opportunity Cost of Homeschooling
The following article (click on linked title above for full version) has received a great deal of attention since I reprinted in Home Educator's Family Times both online
and in our print edition. Since most homeschool families use their ingenuity to survive on one income, this is a thoughtful look at what it takes, and what the "sacrifice" is worth. ~ JB
The Opportunity Cost of Homeschooling
by Barbara Frank
Lost income is probably the biggest opportunity cost of homeschooling, and my situation is not the most extreme. For example, if you have an advanced degree in law or medicine, homeschooling could cost you a six-figure amount in lost income each year. And even if you never went to college, you are likely missing out on $20-30,000 annually.
This brings us to the question: is it worth it? Does homeschooling reward your family enough to make up for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars of income?
The answer depends on how much you value the intangible rewards of homeschooling. Looking back on the past 20 years, I think of all the memories my children and I made. There were games and projects, frustrations and solutions, fighting and forgiveness. We had so much time together, thanks to homeschooling. As my two older children have grown into adults, that time has dwindled, and has gone from daily life to occasions. How can I put a price on those years we had together?
and in our print edition. Since most homeschool families use their ingenuity to survive on one income, this is a thoughtful look at what it takes, and what the "sacrifice" is worth. ~ JB
The Opportunity Cost of Homeschooling
by Barbara Frank
Lost income is probably the biggest opportunity cost of homeschooling, and my situation is not the most extreme. For example, if you have an advanced degree in law or medicine, homeschooling could cost you a six-figure amount in lost income each year. And even if you never went to college, you are likely missing out on $20-30,000 annually.
This brings us to the question: is it worth it? Does homeschooling reward your family enough to make up for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars of income?
The answer depends on how much you value the intangible rewards of homeschooling. Looking back on the past 20 years, I think of all the memories my children and I made. There were games and projects, frustrations and solutions, fighting and forgiveness. We had so much time together, thanks to homeschooling. As my two older children have grown into adults, that time has dwindled, and has gone from daily life to occasions. How can I put a price on those years we had together?
Monday, May 23, 2005
At home school, kids kept from bullies and taught Christian values
At home school, kids kept from bullies and taught Christian values
By Brad Stanhope
FAIRFIELD - It's not what other kids think it is.
When other kids find out Teri Speel's two children are homeschooled, they're entranced.
"They think we watch TV all day," the Fairfield resident said.
It's not what other adults think it is.
"There's a whole mythology that kids need to go to school to learn how to deal with bullies and those things," Fairfield resident Betty Raines Azwell said. "Kids go to school to be educated, not to learn socialization. And a lot of socialization is negative. If people acted in the workplace like they do in the school yard, it wouldn't be OK. That's not empowering kids, that's turning them into victims and tyrants."
By Brad Stanhope
FAIRFIELD - It's not what other kids think it is.
When other kids find out Teri Speel's two children are homeschooled, they're entranced.
"They think we watch TV all day," the Fairfield resident said.
It's not what other adults think it is.
"There's a whole mythology that kids need to go to school to learn how to deal with bullies and those things," Fairfield resident Betty Raines Azwell said. "Kids go to school to be educated, not to learn socialization. And a lot of socialization is negative. If people acted in the workplace like they do in the school yard, it wouldn't be OK. That's not empowering kids, that's turning them into victims and tyrants."
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Approaching Memorial Day Weekend and Return of Summer Mark the Time to Take Precautions – and Remember – Active Supervision is Key to Preventing Child
More Than 400 Children Under Age Five Drown In Backyard Swimming Pools Each Year And Nearly 3,000 Children Are Victims Of “Near Drowning” Incidents. Experts Fear Drowning Epidemic As 8.3 Million Backyard Swimming Pools Open This Spring – A 9.5 % Increase In The Number Of Pools Since 2002 – Combined With 6.4 Million Hot Tubs And Spas – A 14 % Increase In Two Years
Top Graduates Of UI College Of Liberal Arts & Sciences (includes a homeschool graduate)
SWISHER: Kally Ann Marks, a 2002 homeschool graduate, graduated with highest distinction from the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Saturday, May 14. Marks won the 2005 Ernest R. Johnson Memorial Prize for the graduating senior with the highest academic standing in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She earned a degree in actuarial science and mathematics and was one of only 31 of the College's approximately 1,800 graduates to earn highest distinction by graduating with a grade-point average between 3.99 and 4.00. She is the daughter of Joe and Veronica Marks of Swisher.
Over one million U.S. kids homeschooled
The Federal Department of Education estimates that 1.1 million children were homeschooled in 2002-03, but experts at the pro-homeschooling National Home Education Research Institute say it may be closer to 2.2 million, depending on how states define "homeschool."
Socialization of homeschoolers a non-issue
BY DIETTE COURRÉGÉ
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 18, 12:00 AM EDT
Homeschool students work on painting a still life in Emily Cortrill's art class at Calvary Baptist Church in Bristol TN.
BY DAVID CRIGGER (Bristol Herald Courier)
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Fourteen-year-old Kayla Freeman has heard it before – that those who learn at home must be social dunces who don’t feel comfortable meeting new people and don’t have any friends.
In her three years as a homeschooled student, however, she’s found the opposite to be true.
She knows more people than she did while in traditional school, and she has discovered better friends in the homeschool community, she said.
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 18, 12:00 AM EDT
Homeschool students work on painting a still life in Emily Cortrill's art class at Calvary Baptist Church in Bristol TN.
BY DAVID CRIGGER (Bristol Herald Courier)
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Fourteen-year-old Kayla Freeman has heard it before – that those who learn at home must be social dunces who don’t feel comfortable meeting new people and don’t have any friends.
In her three years as a homeschooled student, however, she’s found the opposite to be true.
She knows more people than she did while in traditional school, and she has discovered better friends in the homeschool community, she said.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
We became a family again
BY DIETTE COURR?G?
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 15, 12:00 AM EDT
Jessa Williams, 11, works on her math during her homeschool schedule time.
BY DAVID CRIGGER (Bristol Herald Courier)
BLOUNTVILLE – Twenty years ago, Brent Bradley couldn’t convince Christian publishing companies to sell him teaching guides for his homeschooled children.
Now, such companies market and provide entire catalogs for families like his.
Because of homeschooling’s growth, opportunities and support for such families also have blossomed.
Many homeschoolers cite Bradley as a pioneer in this region’s homeschooling effort. He and his wife, Bunny, started homeschooling their children in 1983 and have helped countless others since then.
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 15, 12:00 AM EDT
Jessa Williams, 11, works on her math during her homeschool schedule time.
BY DAVID CRIGGER (Bristol Herald Courier)
BLOUNTVILLE – Twenty years ago, Brent Bradley couldn’t convince Christian publishing companies to sell him teaching guides for his homeschooled children.
Now, such companies market and provide entire catalogs for families like his.
Because of homeschooling’s growth, opportunities and support for such families also have blossomed.
Many homeschoolers cite Bradley as a pioneer in this region’s homeschooling effort. He and his wife, Bunny, started homeschooling their children in 1983 and have helped countless others since then.
Can homeschoolers compete at college?
BY DIETTE COURR?G?
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 16, 12:00 AM EDT
EMORY – It’s tough for Emory & Henry College freshman Joel Font to find free time in his weekday schedule.
Besides maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average, he volunteers as a tour guide for the college admissions office, plays on four of the college’s eight intramural sports teams, sings in the school choir and participates in Bible studies.
He has thrown himself into his college experience, never mind that it’s the first school he’s ever attended.
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
May 16, 12:00 AM EDT
EMORY – It’s tough for Emory & Henry College freshman Joel Font to find free time in his weekday schedule.
Besides maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average, he volunteers as a tour guide for the college admissions office, plays on four of the college’s eight intramural sports teams, sings in the school choir and participates in Bible studies.
He has thrown himself into his college experience, never mind that it’s the first school he’s ever attended.
More than a million U.S. kids call teachers Mom or Dad
(Another story on the "Treehorn School" in California.)
JACKIE BURRELL
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - (KRT) - It doesn't get more exclusive than Berkeley, Calif.'s Treehorn School.
With an enviable 1:1 teacher-student ratio, this unorthodox private school blends anthropology lessons with math, history and plenty of baseball. It's no use salivating: Unless Lucy Kuntz is your mom, you won't get in.
JACKIE BURRELL
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - (KRT) - It doesn't get more exclusive than Berkeley, Calif.'s Treehorn School.
With an enviable 1:1 teacher-student ratio, this unorthodox private school blends anthropology lessons with math, history and plenty of baseball. It's no use salivating: Unless Lucy Kuntz is your mom, you won't get in.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Conquering the Mississippi (homeschool student follows his dream)
By Trevor Persaud
Special to the E-E
Teens and young adults are often encouraged to follow their dreams. For some, that might involve acting, dancing, trying out for a basketball scholarship, or appearing on a show like "American Idol."
Then there's Shane Nix, who, with his mother Peggy, decided to travel the Mississippi River this spring in a pair of 17-foot kayaks.
"We've had some people say that they wish they could go along," said Peggy, before they left in March, "but nobody's willing to do it. You know, it's easy to sit there and say, 'Wow, it sounds like fun,' but it's another thing to actually put your feet forward and get going and actually do it."
Shane, 18, is homeschooled along with his sister Michelle; Peggy is retired from the Tulsa Police Department.
Special to the E-E
Teens and young adults are often encouraged to follow their dreams. For some, that might involve acting, dancing, trying out for a basketball scholarship, or appearing on a show like "American Idol."
Then there's Shane Nix, who, with his mother Peggy, decided to travel the Mississippi River this spring in a pair of 17-foot kayaks.
"We've had some people say that they wish they could go along," said Peggy, before they left in March, "but nobody's willing to do it. You know, it's easy to sit there and say, 'Wow, it sounds like fun,' but it's another thing to actually put your feet forward and get going and actually do it."
Shane, 18, is homeschooled along with his sister Michelle; Peggy is retired from the Tulsa Police Department.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Homeschool StreamTeam (Since 1989 this homeschool group has been learning science while cleaning up around their state.)
Homeschool StreamTeam
By: Jason Lindsey
Perry County, MO -- A group of Heartland homeschool kids are taking science class outside. They're known as the StreamTeam and you'll find them all over Perry County cleaning up trash and testing streams for pollution.
The StreamTeam started back in 1989 and members have removed over 187 tons of trash from Missouri streams.
These homeschool kids love learning science hands-on and StreamTeam leader, Dixie Troyer says, the kids learn more than science.
Trayer told Heartland News up to now, water quality testing has not been done in Perry County, so far the StreamTeam has found a lot of pollution. They report their findings to the Department of Natural Resources.
By: Jason Lindsey
Perry County, MO -- A group of Heartland homeschool kids are taking science class outside. They're known as the StreamTeam and you'll find them all over Perry County cleaning up trash and testing streams for pollution.
The StreamTeam started back in 1989 and members have removed over 187 tons of trash from Missouri streams.
These homeschool kids love learning science hands-on and StreamTeam leader, Dixie Troyer says, the kids learn more than science.
Trayer told Heartland News up to now, water quality testing has not been done in Perry County, so far the StreamTeam has found a lot of pollution. They report their findings to the Department of Natural Resources.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Young Entrepreneur
Sixth-grader uses government youth loan program to start own business.
ARIZONA CITY - A 12-year-old boy has taken advantage of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Youth Loans program to start up his own business.
Kurtis Kelley, a sixth-grade home-school student, recently borrowed $3,600 to buy a lawnmower, power weed cutters, shovels, rakes and other items to help him cut down some of the huge amount of weeds that have grown wild with the unusually heavy winter rain Arizona experienced this year.
The program is designed for youths ages 10 to 20 to establish and operate modest-sized, income-producing projects. The projects must be by members of 4-H clubs, FFA or similar organizations, or with a vocational teacher or county extension agent.
ARIZONA CITY - A 12-year-old boy has taken advantage of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Youth Loans program to start up his own business.
Kurtis Kelley, a sixth-grade home-school student, recently borrowed $3,600 to buy a lawnmower, power weed cutters, shovels, rakes and other items to help him cut down some of the huge amount of weeds that have grown wild with the unusually heavy winter rain Arizona experienced this year.
The program is designed for youths ages 10 to 20 to establish and operate modest-sized, income-producing projects. The projects must be by members of 4-H clubs, FFA or similar organizations, or with a vocational teacher or county extension agent.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Hard work, challenge pay off for legions of do-it-yourselfers
Posted on Mon, May. 09, 2005
As homeschooling joins the mainstream, more than a million American children now call their teachers Mom or Dad
By Jackie Burrell
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
It doesn't get more exclusive than Berkeley's Treehorn School.
With an enviable 1:1 teacher-student ratio, this unorthodox private school blends anthropology lessons with math, history and plenty of baseball. It's no use salivating: Unless Lucy Kuntz is your mom, you won't get in.
Kuntz homeschools her 7-year-old son Aaron, using one of four education options allowed under California law. She started her own private school, with its own homegrown curriculum. Friday included a jaunt into Richmond for an evolution workshop, followed by batting practice.
As homeschooling joins the mainstream, more than a million American children now call their teachers Mom or Dad
By Jackie Burrell
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
It doesn't get more exclusive than Berkeley's Treehorn School.
With an enviable 1:1 teacher-student ratio, this unorthodox private school blends anthropology lessons with math, history and plenty of baseball. It's no use salivating: Unless Lucy Kuntz is your mom, you won't get in.
Kuntz homeschools her 7-year-old son Aaron, using one of four education options allowed under California law. She started her own private school, with its own homegrown curriculum. Friday included a jaunt into Richmond for an evolution workshop, followed by batting practice.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Homeschooling: A Growing Educational Alternative
by Jayne Matthews
Baltimore Times
Originally posted 5/6/2005
At one point in my quest to find an educational setting that would best meet my son's needs, I gave some thought to homeschooling him. Looking back, I am sure I was considering homeschooling more out of frustration with his lack of academic progress than a real desire to remove him from a regular classroom. I felt that role of parents was challenging enough and thought that assuming full responsibility for educating him was daunting to say the least. Then there was my concern that he would miss the opportunity to develop good socialization skills with his peers. Another concern was the cost. Not just the cost of teaching materials, but how would it impact our family financially if I had to reduce my working hours in order to be available to meet the Maryland Department of Education's mandated hours of instruction. (Read full story as writer interviews homeschoolers in Maryland.)
Baltimore Times
Originally posted 5/6/2005
At one point in my quest to find an educational setting that would best meet my son's needs, I gave some thought to homeschooling him. Looking back, I am sure I was considering homeschooling more out of frustration with his lack of academic progress than a real desire to remove him from a regular classroom. I felt that role of parents was challenging enough and thought that assuming full responsibility for educating him was daunting to say the least. Then there was my concern that he would miss the opportunity to develop good socialization skills with his peers. Another concern was the cost. Not just the cost of teaching materials, but how would it impact our family financially if I had to reduce my working hours in order to be available to meet the Maryland Department of Education's mandated hours of instruction. (Read full story as writer interviews homeschoolers in Maryland.)
School's out but homework is in (homeschooling story from Ireland)
School's out but homework is in
Roy McLean (32), a dairy farmer, and his wife Naomi (29), from Straid, Co Antrim, decided when their first child Abigail was born six years ago that they would educate their family at home. Now, they have three more children: Andrew (4), Sarah (3) and Samuel (18 months) and a fifth on the way. Naomi tells Judith Cole about her unusual lifestyle
09 May 2005
Some people thought we were mad when we decided to educate our children at home. They'll turn out odd, they said, because they won't be mixing with others their own age. But we haven't regretted it one bit - the flexibility and one-to-one attention we can give each child is worth it.
Roy McLean (32), a dairy farmer, and his wife Naomi (29), from Straid, Co Antrim, decided when their first child Abigail was born six years ago that they would educate their family at home. Now, they have three more children: Andrew (4), Sarah (3) and Samuel (18 months) and a fifth on the way. Naomi tells Judith Cole about her unusual lifestyle
09 May 2005
Some people thought we were mad when we decided to educate our children at home. They'll turn out odd, they said, because they won't be mixing with others their own age. But we haven't regretted it one bit - the flexibility and one-to-one attention we can give each child is worth it.
Census Bureau Reports "More Moms Staying Home" (and more homeschooling,too)
ABERDEEN (AP) -- Andrew Rohrbach greets visitors by introducing some of the members of his family.
"This is my Jessica," the 3-year-old says, throwing his arms around his older sister. "This is my Joy," Andrew says, pointing at an infant crawling on the floor. "And this is my mom."
Andrew's mother, Vickie Rohrbach, and her husband John have chosen a traditional route in raising their seven children -- 14-year-old twins Michael and David, 11-year-old Jordan, 9-year-old Matthew, 6-year-old Jessica, Andrew and Joy. John works at Student Loan Finance Corp. during the day while Vickie is a stay-at-home mom.
"One of the greatest things about being a mom is seeing how my kids react with each other every day," Rohrbach said. "I'm happy I'm home to do so."
Rohrbach, 41, has her hands full, but she is not alone.
Almost 5.5 million parents -- 5.4 million moms and 98,000 dads -- chose to stay home in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And 88 percent of them do so primarily to care for their children, according to the bureau's report.
The Census Bureau says it's a growing trend, based on the increasing number of children who live in such households. In 2002, there were 10.6 million children with stay-at-home moms -- or about one-fourth of all U.S. kids. That's a 13 percent increase over eight years.
"This is my Jessica," the 3-year-old says, throwing his arms around his older sister. "This is my Joy," Andrew says, pointing at an infant crawling on the floor. "And this is my mom."
Andrew's mother, Vickie Rohrbach, and her husband John have chosen a traditional route in raising their seven children -- 14-year-old twins Michael and David, 11-year-old Jordan, 9-year-old Matthew, 6-year-old Jessica, Andrew and Joy. John works at Student Loan Finance Corp. during the day while Vickie is a stay-at-home mom.
"One of the greatest things about being a mom is seeing how my kids react with each other every day," Rohrbach said. "I'm happy I'm home to do so."
Rohrbach, 41, has her hands full, but she is not alone.
Almost 5.5 million parents -- 5.4 million moms and 98,000 dads -- chose to stay home in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And 88 percent of them do so primarily to care for their children, according to the bureau's report.
The Census Bureau says it's a growing trend, based on the increasing number of children who live in such households. In 2002, there were 10.6 million children with stay-at-home moms -- or about one-fourth of all U.S. kids. That's a 13 percent increase over eight years.
Friday, May 06, 2005
A Mother's Day Message
May 6, 2005
By Susan Sachs - Common Sense Media
Six years ago I celebrated my first Mother’s Day. My daughter was not quite 2 months old. The C-section had healed, the hormones had subsided, and I was beginning to emerge from a fog of sleep deprivation. And then one day during a routine diaper change, two large eyes dancing about, grabbed my attention and stopped me dead in my tracks. Instantly the enormity of my responsibility hit me like a brick and the words of Abraham Lincoln echoed in my head: “All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” This innocent impressionable young mind was mine to shape. Where would I begin? Compassion, knowledge, integrity, perception, social justice, good judgment -- the list seemed endless.
Now with 6 years of parenting under my belt it’s clear to me that despite my best efforts to pass on all of these worthy qualities, I ultimately wield only so much influence on the development of my child. Each year I see less and less of my daughter. In fact, someone else is starting to spend more time with her. And it’s not her teachers, or her coaches or her instructors. Someone else is seeping into our household almost without my knowledge -- spending an hour or more a day with her. Often without me. It’s the Other Parent -- the media in her life.
By Susan Sachs - Common Sense Media
Six years ago I celebrated my first Mother’s Day. My daughter was not quite 2 months old. The C-section had healed, the hormones had subsided, and I was beginning to emerge from a fog of sleep deprivation. And then one day during a routine diaper change, two large eyes dancing about, grabbed my attention and stopped me dead in my tracks. Instantly the enormity of my responsibility hit me like a brick and the words of Abraham Lincoln echoed in my head: “All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” This innocent impressionable young mind was mine to shape. Where would I begin? Compassion, knowledge, integrity, perception, social justice, good judgment -- the list seemed endless.
Now with 6 years of parenting under my belt it’s clear to me that despite my best efforts to pass on all of these worthy qualities, I ultimately wield only so much influence on the development of my child. Each year I see less and less of my daughter. In fact, someone else is starting to spend more time with her. And it’s not her teachers, or her coaches or her instructors. Someone else is seeping into our household almost without my knowledge -- spending an hour or more a day with her. Often without me. It’s the Other Parent -- the media in her life.
The Mommy Brain- Motherhood Makes You Smarter
From Time Online Edition
No, diapering does not make you ditzy. Motherhood, argues a new book, makes you smarter
By AMANDA BOWER, KATHERINE ELLISON
Monday, May. 02, 2005
Every mom has a story that could support the notion that child rearing turns a woman's mind into mush: putting milk in the pantry and cereal in the fridge, losing the thread of a conversation in midsentence, misplacing the car keys for the 10th time. So widespread is the belief that babies make women brainless that when a satirical website released a fake study showing parents lost IQ points when their first child was born, MSNBC picked it up. But Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer-prizewinning reporter and mother of two, doesn't believe in the dumbed-down mom. In her new book, The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter (Basic Books; 279 pages), Ellison lays out the scientific evidence for a baby-boosted brain. She explained her thinking in an interview with TIME.
No, diapering does not make you ditzy. Motherhood, argues a new book, makes you smarter
By AMANDA BOWER, KATHERINE ELLISON
Monday, May. 02, 2005
Every mom has a story that could support the notion that child rearing turns a woman's mind into mush: putting milk in the pantry and cereal in the fridge, losing the thread of a conversation in midsentence, misplacing the car keys for the 10th time. So widespread is the belief that babies make women brainless that when a satirical website released a fake study showing parents lost IQ points when their first child was born, MSNBC picked it up. But Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer-prizewinning reporter and mother of two, doesn't believe in the dumbed-down mom. In her new book, The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter (Basic Books; 279 pages), Ellison lays out the scientific evidence for a baby-boosted brain. She explained her thinking in an interview with TIME.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Home Schoolers Lobby Legislature
Three days a week, Kelly and Andrea are home schooled by their mom. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they're at C.S. Lewis Hall.
"I like that we get to spend more time together. It's kind of a bonding between us," Andrea said. "We do a lot of things like science experiments or we do a discussion in class of the book we're reading, or we do a math lesson, so that what we do at home is mostly all the work."
The Texas Home School Coalition says home schooling is on the rise -- about 10 percent a year. According to the THSC, 300,000 Texas students are home schooled, about 3 percent of the number in public schools. About 300 members of the THSC were in Austin Tuesday to lobby for HB 530. The bill would make home school eligible for state grants to attend college.
"I like that we get to spend more time together. It's kind of a bonding between us," Andrea said. "We do a lot of things like science experiments or we do a discussion in class of the book we're reading, or we do a math lesson, so that what we do at home is mostly all the work."
The Texas Home School Coalition says home schooling is on the rise -- about 10 percent a year. According to the THSC, 300,000 Texas students are home schooled, about 3 percent of the number in public schools. About 300 members of the THSC were in Austin Tuesday to lobby for HB 530. The bill would make home school eligible for state grants to attend college.
School Without School
By Carrie Simmons/ Staff Writer
Thursday, May 5, 2005
On a recent spring morning, Linda Brown asked her three children to pretend they were firefighters who needed to put out a large forest fire without using any water.
At their kitchen table, Caitlin, 10, Zachary, 7, and Brittany, 4, took turns combining baking soda with vinegar in a beaker and watched it bubble onto the table. Linda held the container over a lit candle and watched her children marvel at how the flame was smothered by the gas.
Seemingly uninterested, 2-year-old Aidan continued to cut through a mound of play dough with his plastic knife in his highchair.
The Brown children, like an estimated 20,000 school-aged children in Massachusetts, are home schooled by their parents. On any given day, their kitchen table is dusted with baking soda, colored pencils are stuffed in the sofa cushions and their living room walls are papered with historical timelines and poems about the 50 United States.
"Home schooling is messy but you just have to get used to it," said Linda Brown.
Thursday, May 5, 2005
On a recent spring morning, Linda Brown asked her three children to pretend they were firefighters who needed to put out a large forest fire without using any water.
At their kitchen table, Caitlin, 10, Zachary, 7, and Brittany, 4, took turns combining baking soda with vinegar in a beaker and watched it bubble onto the table. Linda held the container over a lit candle and watched her children marvel at how the flame was smothered by the gas.
Seemingly uninterested, 2-year-old Aidan continued to cut through a mound of play dough with his plastic knife in his highchair.
The Brown children, like an estimated 20,000 school-aged children in Massachusetts, are home schooled by their parents. On any given day, their kitchen table is dusted with baking soda, colored pencils are stuffed in the sofa cushions and their living room walls are papered with historical timelines and poems about the 50 United States.
"Home schooling is messy but you just have to get used to it," said Linda Brown.
Home-School mom charged with allowing truancy
(Editor. -There seems to be a rise in these kinds of stories - truancy being linked with homeschooling. Are parents guilty of this? What do you think?)
BY JOHN D. HOMAN
the southern
MARION - Williamson County State's Attorney Charles Garnati is taking a tougher stance with parents who fail to follow established curriculum guidelines when home schooling their children.
On Thursday, he announced at a press conference that he has charged Marion resident Kim Harris with permitting truancy, a Class C misdemeanor punishable up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Harris is said to have willingly and knowingly allowed her 15-year-old son to be truant.
BY JOHN D. HOMAN
the southern
MARION - Williamson County State's Attorney Charles Garnati is taking a tougher stance with parents who fail to follow established curriculum guidelines when home schooling their children.
On Thursday, he announced at a press conference that he has charged Marion resident Kim Harris with permitting truancy, a Class C misdemeanor punishable up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Harris is said to have willingly and knowingly allowed her 15-year-old son to be truant.
Truancy Problems Lead to Homeschooling
(Some parents who can't keep kids in school - say they're "homeschooling". )
WLNS.com (Michigan)
Patrick Wilson, Attendance Coordinator: "I have put some parents in jail 5 or 6 times in the 7 years I have done this."
Some parents have come up with a way around truancy laws- homeschooling. A new twist for local officials working to keep kids in school. Some parents have found a new excuse to avoid being prosecuted for their children skipping class.
On a brisk spring day, you can catch Patrick Wilson cruising in his car trying to keep students from cutting class. Wilson is an Attendance Coordinator for Isabella and Gratiot counties and tries to keep kids in school, but he says parents can make his job tougher.
WLNS.com (Michigan)
Patrick Wilson, Attendance Coordinator: "I have put some parents in jail 5 or 6 times in the 7 years I have done this."
Some parents have come up with a way around truancy laws- homeschooling. A new twist for local officials working to keep kids in school. Some parents have found a new excuse to avoid being prosecuted for their children skipping class.
On a brisk spring day, you can catch Patrick Wilson cruising in his car trying to keep students from cutting class. Wilson is an Attendance Coordinator for Isabella and Gratiot counties and tries to keep kids in school, but he says parents can make his job tougher.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Student wins national honor with beetle-survival research
KENNAN JEANNET'S scientific curiosity took flight early on. In kindergarten, she did a science project on butterflies. Later on, she became intrigued by tropical insects, having read about their abundance in the Amazon.
Now 16 and a home-school student, Jeannet has discovered that she doesn't have to travel too far to find fascinating insects.
Working with Todd Sformo, a doctoral student at the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, she has delved into the mechanisms that allow beetle larvae to survive temperatures of 40 and 50 below zero in Interior Alaska.
"I never realized before that there were insects that produce an antifreeze protein. It's really fascinating the systems that insects have developed to survive in the cold climate here," she said.
Study Shows Nevada Home, Private Schools Save Districts Millions
Written By: Krista Kafer
Published In: School Reform News
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
A new study by the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) finds homeschooled students save Nevada taxpayers millions of dollars each year, refuting the notion that homeschooling costs school districts funding.
According to the report, "Homeschooling in Nevada: The Budgetary Impact," by John Wenders, Ph.D. and Andrea Clements, Ph.D., homeschooling saves the state's taxpayers between $24.3 million and $34.6 million a year. Private school students save taxpayers between $101.9 million and $147 million.
Published In: School Reform News
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
A new study by the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) finds homeschooled students save Nevada taxpayers millions of dollars each year, refuting the notion that homeschooling costs school districts funding.
According to the report, "Homeschooling in Nevada: The Budgetary Impact," by John Wenders, Ph.D. and Andrea Clements, Ph.D., homeschooling saves the state's taxpayers between $24.3 million and $34.6 million a year. Private school students save taxpayers between $101.9 million and $147 million.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern Maine publishes study on homeschooling
Ed Collom is Assistant Professor of Sociology at
the University of Southern Maine. He has just
had two of his research papers regarding
homeschooling published and they are available
in PDF files. I have his permission to send this
information to the homeschool lists and the
Home Educator's Blog. These are very
comprehensive studies and will take some
time to read through... thus the PDF file links.
I have only had time to scan them, but both
papers seem to contain valuable information
about the "social impact" of homeschooling.
1.Homeschooling as a social movement: identifying
the determinants of homeschoolers perceptions;
Ed Collom and Douglas E. Mitchell
http://www.usm.maine.edu/soc/collom/collom&mitchell.pdf
2. The "Ins and Outs" of homeschooling: the determinants
of parental motivations and student achievement
http://www.usm.maine.edu/soc/collom/collominsandouts.pdf
Jane R. Boswell
Home Educator's Family Times/Homeschool Support Network
P.O. Box 6442, Brunswick, Maine 04011
http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes/newsworthy.htm
the University of Southern Maine. He has just
had two of his research papers regarding
homeschooling published and they are available
in PDF files. I have his permission to send this
information to the homeschool lists and the
Home Educator's Blog. These are very
comprehensive studies and will take some
time to read through... thus the PDF file links.
I have only had time to scan them, but both
papers seem to contain valuable information
about the "social impact" of homeschooling.
1.Homeschooling as a social movement: identifying
the determinants of homeschoolers perceptions;
Ed Collom and Douglas E. Mitchell
http://www.usm.maine.edu/soc/collom/collom&mitchell.pdf
2. The "Ins and Outs" of homeschooling: the determinants
of parental motivations and student achievement
http://www.usm.maine.edu/soc/collom/collominsandouts.pdf
Jane R. Boswell
Home Educator's Family Times/Homeschool Support Network
P.O. Box 6442, Brunswick, Maine 04011
http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes/newsworthy.htm
What Mothers Are Really Worth... in $$$...
A study suggests that stay-at-home-moms have a "dream job"
which is worth over $131,000/year ... because of all the overtime.
SAHMs are on call 24/7 and work an estimated 100 hours a
week "overtime"... the article/study states,
..."Mothers are responsible for the mental and physical well being of the family - putting a price on that isn't easy," said Lena Bottos, compensation market analyst for Salary.com. "But we looked at it as what you would have to pay other people to do the same work if the mom weren't there."
Even if these mothers were getting paid what they'd be worth on the market, Bottos added that they still wouldn't be adequately compensated. "When you take into account that it represents a 100-hour work-week, and doesn't even begin to factor in that they are on call 24 hours a day, it's not so large. Plus, stay-at-home moms get no benefits in terms of pension or 401(k)."
which is worth over $131,000/year ... because of all the overtime.
SAHMs are on call 24/7 and work an estimated 100 hours a
week "overtime"... the article/study states,
..."Mothers are responsible for the mental and physical well being of the family - putting a price on that isn't easy," said Lena Bottos, compensation market analyst for Salary.com. "But we looked at it as what you would have to pay other people to do the same work if the mom weren't there."
Even if these mothers were getting paid what they'd be worth on the market, Bottos added that they still wouldn't be adequately compensated. "When you take into account that it represents a 100-hour work-week, and doesn't even begin to factor in that they are on call 24 hours a day, it's not so large. Plus, stay-at-home moms get no benefits in terms of pension or 401(k)."
Homeschoolers protected by new Utah law
Parents elsewhere battle in court and in legislatures
Written By: Karla Dial
Published In: School Reform News
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
A bill shielding homeschooling parents from requirements that they meet state credential standards and give public school officials records of what they teach passed unanimously in both houses of the Utah legislature in February.
Senate Bill 59, sponsored by freshman Sen. Mark Madsen (R-Lehi), also prevents school boards from requiring homeschool students to take standardized tests. It passed the Senate 26-0-3 on February 16 and the House of Representatives 70-0-5 on February 28. No legislator voted against the bill, though three were absent from the Senate and five from the House the day votes were cast. Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) signed the bill into law March 18; it took effect May 2.
Written By: Karla Dial
Published In: School Reform News
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: The Heartland Institute
A bill shielding homeschooling parents from requirements that they meet state credential standards and give public school officials records of what they teach passed unanimously in both houses of the Utah legislature in February.
Senate Bill 59, sponsored by freshman Sen. Mark Madsen (R-Lehi), also prevents school boards from requiring homeschool students to take standardized tests. It passed the Senate 26-0-3 on February 16 and the House of Representatives 70-0-5 on February 28. No legislator voted against the bill, though three were absent from the Senate and five from the House the day votes were cast. Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) signed the bill into law March 18; it took effect May 2.
Creating a new conventional wisdom
Conventional wisdom can be fickle. Something is "conventional wisdom" until it is shown to be inaccurate and a new conventional wisdom takes its place. The world is full of examples of assumptions people have made that have turned out to be wrong. Perhaps the most famous is that the Earth is flat.
Outdated conventional wisdom also affects the home-school community. Despite decades of proven success and rapidly expanding numbers, many people maintain an outdated view of home-schooling. In other words, they still hold the conventional view that home-school families isolate themselves and do not wish to interact with society. People who hold this view also tend to make the seemingly logical leap that home-schoolers must be poorly socialized.
Outdated conventional wisdom also affects the home-school community. Despite decades of proven success and rapidly expanding numbers, many people maintain an outdated view of home-schooling. In other words, they still hold the conventional view that home-school families isolate themselves and do not wish to interact with society. People who hold this view also tend to make the seemingly logical leap that home-schoolers must be poorly socialized.
Autism One 2005 Conference May 26-29
Autism is considered "epidemic" ... this conference is expected to be
one of the most comprehensive.
... David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm, will deliver the keynote address. David has written a fascinating book chronicling much of our community’s recent history, including the big picture power plays, while detailing the struggle and obstacles each of us as parents face.
one of the most comprehensive.
... David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm, will deliver the keynote address. David has written a fascinating book chronicling much of our community’s recent history, including the big picture power plays, while detailing the struggle and obstacles each of us as parents face.
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