Freedom to Learn Who You Are by Rebecca Auerbach
Perhaps the most common argument against homeschooling is that children who do not experience the school social scene, especially in high school, will never be able to learn how to handle the difficult aspects of relating to peers. After their "sheltered," "protected" lives as homeschoolers, they will enter college or the adult world incapable of fitting in, coping with peer pressure, or making friends. But as a graduate of twelve years of homeschooling who now attends college and lives on campus, I have found that my homeschool background is largely an advantage. Homeschooling gave me the opportunity to become sure of my identity, my priorities, and my beliefs. Now I can meet the college social scene with confidence, free to choose my level of conformity without doubting myself or becoming a slave to the judgments of my peers.
How Homeschooling Isolates Me by Rachel Cote (Homeschool Student Guest Editorial)
Homeschooling is a wonderful thing. I think it's a lot better than public or private school. Home schooling isolates me, but in a different way. It isolates me in a good way.
Adding Humor (and Fun) to Homeschooling by Lois Corcoran
Home schooling is one of the most serious responsibilities one can undertake, but that doesn't mean it must be a somber experience. Not only does humor generate enthusiasm, it increases the likelihood of retaining knowledge.
That said, how can we inject levity into the learning process’ Here are some ideas for a variety of subjects and grade levels:
Much Too Early by David Elkind
Children must master the language of things before they master the language of words.”—Friedrich Froebel, Pedagogics of the Kindergarten, 1895
In one sentence, Froebel, father of the kindergarten, expressed the essence of early-childhood education. Children are not born knowing the difference between red and green, sweet and sour, rough and smooth, cold and hot, or any number of physical sensations. The natural world is the infant’s and young child’s first curriculum, and it can only be learned by direct interaction with things. There is no way a young child can learn the difference between sweet and sour, rough and smooth, hot and cold without tasting, touching, or feeling something. Learning about the world of things, and their various properties, is a time-consuming and intense process that cannot be hurried.
Dads: How to Have a Presence in Your Absence by Derek Carter
Working outside the home has always frustrated me because I always want to connect with my kids in a tangible way. It has long been documented that a father's proactive presence in the home really seals a child's success. I have worked with families in crisis for over twenty years and have seen the agony of fatherlessness up close in fragmented families, and the long term personal and societal pain. Thus, I have always wanted to really spend quality time with my family. This desire was intensified the more when my wife and I decided to home school our children. I was convinced more than ever that I needed to have a strong presence.
Men of Character, Boys of Fortune by Rebecca Hagelin
Picture the scene: Boys and their parents gathered to discuss a “youthful indiscretion” and its consequences. I was once at such a meeting, and I was struck by the thought that what America needs perhaps more than anything else is fathers who will father.
Decluttering Our Lives by Cheryl Carter
All of us recognize that clutter is a deadly vice in our lives; none of us will argue with that assertion. It is just that we do not know how to begin to de-clutter our lives. So let's get to the root of the problem. Much of our clutter is accumulated because of fear. We hold onto things because we think we will need them one day. I have worked with clients buried in masses of clothing but afraid to throw any of it away, because they thought that one day, they might need it. Unfortunately, what they could not see was that even if they really needed it one day, they would not be able to locate it because they were buried in clutter.
Have Kids Will Travel by Dale Bartlett
When the Bartlett family goes on vacation it isn't just around the corner. They have traveled the world visiting such places as England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and many more. They have accomplished this for less than the average family spends for a week at Disneyland. Dale and Michelle Bartlett have four children, and to say the six of them have the travel bug would be an understatement. They have however, found incredible ways to travel the world, most of the time for the cost of food and fun.
How Do I Know if My Child Gets It? by Kathryn Stout
It's easy to believe a child "gets it" when he answers a question using the exact words he just heard or read. Actually, all that proves is a good memory. I used questions from a study guide for discussion of a book I hadn't read, and, at first, wasn't sure whether or not the student I was tutoring was quoting the book. His answer to the third question, however, seemed unusual. I asked what he meant by "erratic." He then confessed that he had no idea what the word meant, but that's what the book said (and he was right). Even after using a dictionary to find its meaning, he could not explain how it fit the context.
The Farmer and the Teacher by Shirley M.R. Minster
A farmer works in all seasons. He is a futurist, always looking to future but not forgetting the present and the past. He knows that by being prepared, he will save time. The soil is continually studies and a timeframe is followed. There is a time for the ground to lie fallow so it will be better prepared for the next season of growth. Once the harvest is complete, the resting begins. Not for the farmer, though. He has many steps to take so that the soil will be its strongest for its next job of providing sustenance to plants. The farmer walks his land for closer inspection, checking the soil for moisture content and removing stones so young plants will not be hindered in their growth. Then fertilizer is added to restore nutrients. Lastly, the soil is tilled, turning it over to mix the fertilizer in and to allow the air to do its part.
Breakfast in Moonlight by Jon Remmerde
We had many interruptions of our scheduled home schooling classes, and it never bothered any of us. We all understood that learning was not confined to classes but came from the entire process of living.
College Visits: Worth the Trip by Lynn Scully
After my last student went out to his car and was out of earshot, his concerned mother agonized, “He doesn't seem interested in college at all! When we ask him where he wants to go, he shrugs. Big? Small? Private? Close to home? We get no response! I don't know if he is just lazy, or if he doesn't really want to go. It's as if he wants us to do all the work!”
Math SAT Tip - Mind and Body by Larry Shiller
This Math Tidbit marks our first foray into helping students ace the math SAT. It is excerpted from my new book 100 Days/100 Ways to Ace the New Math SAT.
Inseparable...
To take care of your mind you must take care of your body: Think of your SAT test as a sports event for your brain and you will realize that mind and body training start well before the test.
Profession Found by Peter Kowalke
Unschoolers at College
Recently I set a Hampshire College record for youngest student to run the campus newspaper. Well, technically I might not have been the youngest-I entered Hampshire a few months ago as a 19-year-old transfer-student, and I'm probably not the first 19-year-old to run the paper. I am the most green, however, having been at Hampshire less than a semester.
Public School Access by Michele Giroux
While it is steadily becoming a trend for individual states to permit homeschoolers to have wide range public school access in the U.S., relatively few homeschooling families actually use this resource.
Those Awful Gimmes by Dr. Renee Fuller
The screams from the raging child were deafening. She had thrown herself on the tile floor of the discount house shaking her four-year old fists and even legs at her mother. The mother looked tired, overwrought, at the end of her tether. It had been one of those days.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Slayings highlight how easily teens can keep secrets from their parents
(Every parent and family needs to be vigilant.)
By KATHLEEN BRADY SHEA and SANDY BAUERS, Knight Ridder Newspapers
PHILADELPHIA – Perfect parents. Perfect home. Perfect kids. Or so it seemed.
Then, unbelievably, two families in agony. A community in shock.
The double-murder case in Lititz, Pa., – 18-year-old David Ludwig charged with shooting the parents of his secret girlfriend, Kara Beth Borden, a 14-year-old he met in their Christian homeschooling network – has provoked more than speculation about the Nov. 13 incident itself.
It has caused a wave of anxiety among many parents in the region, who wonder if anything ever truly is what it seems with their children.
“It’s so frightening,” said Kathy Roth of Lititz, mother of an 18-year-old daughter who has graduated from high school and lives at home.
You monitor them, you stay observant, you lead by example, “but what if it’s not enough?” Roth asked. “I guess you just never know. That’s the scary part.”
The Bordens and Ludwigs were, by all accounts, involved in their children’s lives.
Zach Acox, who went to school with the oldest of the five Borden children and has set up a trust fund for the family, said the Bordens were loving, supportive and “devoted” to their children.
Michael Borden, who worked at a scientific publisher in Ephrata, Pa., was an elder and a popular Sunday school teacher at his evangelical Plymouth Brethren church. His wife, Cathryn, was educating the family’s three school-age children, including Kara Beth, who baby-sat, was a fan of Christian rock bands and loved to play soccer. The parents had laid down the law
By KATHLEEN BRADY SHEA and SANDY BAUERS, Knight Ridder Newspapers
PHILADELPHIA – Perfect parents. Perfect home. Perfect kids. Or so it seemed.
Then, unbelievably, two families in agony. A community in shock.
The double-murder case in Lititz, Pa., – 18-year-old David Ludwig charged with shooting the parents of his secret girlfriend, Kara Beth Borden, a 14-year-old he met in their Christian homeschooling network – has provoked more than speculation about the Nov. 13 incident itself.
It has caused a wave of anxiety among many parents in the region, who wonder if anything ever truly is what it seems with their children.
“It’s so frightening,” said Kathy Roth of Lititz, mother of an 18-year-old daughter who has graduated from high school and lives at home.
You monitor them, you stay observant, you lead by example, “but what if it’s not enough?” Roth asked. “I guess you just never know. That’s the scary part.”
The Bordens and Ludwigs were, by all accounts, involved in their children’s lives.
Zach Acox, who went to school with the oldest of the five Borden children and has set up a trust fund for the family, said the Bordens were loving, supportive and “devoted” to their children.
Michael Borden, who worked at a scientific publisher in Ephrata, Pa., was an elder and a popular Sunday school teacher at his evangelical Plymouth Brethren church. His wife, Cathryn, was educating the family’s three school-age children, including Kara Beth, who baby-sat, was a fan of Christian rock bands and loved to play soccer. The parents had laid down the law
Monday, November 28, 2005
Have Kids Will Travel
When the Bartlett family goes on vacation it isn't just around the corner. These homeschoolers have traveled the world visiting such places as England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and many more. They have accomplished this for less than the average family spends for a week at Disneyland. Dale and Michelle Bartlett have four children, and to say the six of them have the travel bug would be an understatement. They have however, found incredible ways to travel the world, most of the time for the cost of food and fun.
10-year-old girl going on 20
‘10-year-old going on 20’
Youth waits on tables — and adulthood
November 28, 2005
By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer
There have been many jaws dropping at T.W. Boons lately, and it’s not just because the food is good.
It’s because the 10-year-old barely able to peep over the counter is taking orders and waiting tables just as well as peers twice her age.
Sarah Ellen Wideman might have to stand on a folding chair to ring up orders and stretch a little farther than most to reach the sweet tea canister, but the 4-foot tall waitress handles a couple of tables with as much ease and charisma as if it were all pretend. But unlike other girls her age who pour tea to their teddy bears with a snuggle in return, Sarah Ellen receives tips from customers who say she’s the best waitress they’ve ever had.
Tony and Anna Wideman, owners of T.W. Boons and parents of Sarah Ellen, said they hadn’t really planned to let their daughter waitress at first.
Youth waits on tables — and adulthood
November 28, 2005
By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer
There have been many jaws dropping at T.W. Boons lately, and it’s not just because the food is good.
It’s because the 10-year-old barely able to peep over the counter is taking orders and waiting tables just as well as peers twice her age.
Sarah Ellen Wideman might have to stand on a folding chair to ring up orders and stretch a little farther than most to reach the sweet tea canister, but the 4-foot tall waitress handles a couple of tables with as much ease and charisma as if it were all pretend. But unlike other girls her age who pour tea to their teddy bears with a snuggle in return, Sarah Ellen receives tips from customers who say she’s the best waitress they’ve ever had.
Tony and Anna Wideman, owners of T.W. Boons and parents of Sarah Ellen, said they hadn’t really planned to let their daughter waitress at first.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The Stress Test
Note: As in many states, the standardized tests administered in certain grades
to test the efficiency and effectiveness of the school curriculums, teachers and
administrators has become most effective at inducing anxiety in children and even
parents and teachers. Washington state is just one example.
The Stress Stest from the Seattle Weekly
Choose all that apply: (a) The WASL was intended to improve schools and pupil performance. (b) It's become an unhealthy obsession among teachers, parents, and students. (c) The WASL inspires alarming anxiety among 9-year-olds. (d) It's actually stultifying public education.
by Nina Shapiro
Susan and Nathan Conners of Normandy Park working on science and social studies at home—because they get short shrift at school. In the world of WASL, the three R's rule the classroom.
(Pete Kuhns)
One morning last spring, 9-year-old Tyler Stoken awoke in his modest rambler in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, and asked his mom to make him bacon. He was about to take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, the statewide test better known as the WASL ("Wassle,"), and Tyler had been told at school to have a good breakfast. The test was important to Central Park Elementary, as it is to all schools. The WASL is the linchpin of a decade-old movement in Washington, mirroring efforts in other states and at the federal level, to reform education by raising standards. Newspapers publish the test results, underperforming schools are subject to potential federal sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act, and, as Central Park Principal Olivia McCarthy later told an investigator for the local Educational Service District (ESD), educators "are under constant pressure to perform."
to test the efficiency and effectiveness of the school curriculums, teachers and
administrators has become most effective at inducing anxiety in children and even
parents and teachers. Washington state is just one example.
The Stress Stest from the Seattle Weekly
Choose all that apply: (a) The WASL was intended to improve schools and pupil performance. (b) It's become an unhealthy obsession among teachers, parents, and students. (c) The WASL inspires alarming anxiety among 9-year-olds. (d) It's actually stultifying public education.
by Nina Shapiro
Susan and Nathan Conners of Normandy Park working on science and social studies at home—because they get short shrift at school. In the world of WASL, the three R's rule the classroom.
(Pete Kuhns)
One morning last spring, 9-year-old Tyler Stoken awoke in his modest rambler in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, and asked his mom to make him bacon. He was about to take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, the statewide test better known as the WASL ("Wassle,"), and Tyler had been told at school to have a good breakfast. The test was important to Central Park Elementary, as it is to all schools. The WASL is the linchpin of a decade-old movement in Washington, mirroring efforts in other states and at the federal level, to reform education by raising standards. Newspapers publish the test results, underperforming schools are subject to potential federal sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act, and, as Central Park Principal Olivia McCarthy later told an investigator for the local Educational Service District (ESD), educators "are under constant pressure to perform."
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Lifelong benefits of cuddling your baby
Lifelong benefits of cuddling your baby
by JULIE WHELDON, Daily Mail09:39am 22nd November 2005
Cuddling: vital to emotional wellbeing
It may come as no surprise to parents, but cuddling your baby provides them with social benefits for years afterwards, according to scientists.
They found a clear link between love and attention in the early years and healthy emotional responses in later life.
Children who have been deprived of physical contact as babies have lower levels of social-bonding hormones, the researchers found.
Read entire article by clicking on the title.
by JULIE WHELDON, Daily Mail09:39am 22nd November 2005
Cuddling: vital to emotional wellbeing
It may come as no surprise to parents, but cuddling your baby provides them with social benefits for years afterwards, according to scientists.
They found a clear link between love and attention in the early years and healthy emotional responses in later life.
Children who have been deprived of physical contact as babies have lower levels of social-bonding hormones, the researchers found.
Read entire article by clicking on the title.
Stepbrothers work aids hurricane kids
Stepbrothers' work aids hurricane kids
Stuffed animals go to those affected by Katrina
By Marie Ratliff
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Stefan Saus, 12, and Chris Mann, who turns 8 today, have proved that some hard work and caring for others can benefit many.
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Lieutenant charged in infant son's death
Driver of pickup goes into pond
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Dayton No. 17 on danger listing
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The stepbrothers launched Project Teddy Bear as a response to Hurricane Katrina after members of Chris' family, who live in Hattiesburg, Miss., were affected.
Stuffed animals go to those affected by Katrina
By Marie Ratliff
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Stefan Saus, 12, and Chris Mann, who turns 8 today, have proved that some hard work and caring for others can benefit many.
Tools
Print this page
E-mail this page
Most popular
Top 5 stories
Lieutenant charged in infant son's death
Driver of pickup goes into pond
Woman indicted in boyfriend's slaying
Dayton No. 17 on danger listing
Sinclair law officers to decide on union
RSS headlines available
The stepbrothers launched Project Teddy Bear as a response to Hurricane Katrina after members of Chris' family, who live in Hattiesburg, Miss., were affected.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
For one local family, homeschooling the right choice
Allegheny Record
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
At first she was totally against it.
Now, she and her family willingly make sacrifices so that they can make it happen.
"It" is home schooling, and Jeny Jansen says that, although she had fought against it for her family in the past, it actually is well worth the luxuries they sometimes may have to do without.
Both Jeny and her husband, Robert, think that the benefits of educating their daughter themselves at their North Fayette home far outweigh the disadvantages.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
At first she was totally against it.
Now, she and her family willingly make sacrifices so that they can make it happen.
"It" is home schooling, and Jeny Jansen says that, although she had fought against it for her family in the past, it actually is well worth the luxuries they sometimes may have to do without.
Both Jeny and her husband, Robert, think that the benefits of educating their daughter themselves at their North Fayette home far outweigh the disadvantages.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Graham Elementary, where family learns together
By Kristy Graver, Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
When class is in session, Victoria, Christiana and Elisabeth Graham sit at their kitchen table surrounded by books, binders, pencils and paper. As the girls work quietly, their mother circles the room, peeking over their shoulders with a proud smile on her face.
At "Graham Elementary," everyone's the teacher's pet.
Even before the arrival of their first child, South Fayette residents Robert and Deborah Graham began weighing the pros and cons of home-based education, taking into account their own lackluster public school days.
"We wanted to be able to have classes with a Christian perspective," Deborah says. "You can't do that in public school because of the separation of church and state, and private school is too expensive."
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
When class is in session, Victoria, Christiana and Elisabeth Graham sit at their kitchen table surrounded by books, binders, pencils and paper. As the girls work quietly, their mother circles the room, peeking over their shoulders with a proud smile on her face.
At "Graham Elementary," everyone's the teacher's pet.
Even before the arrival of their first child, South Fayette residents Robert and Deborah Graham began weighing the pros and cons of home-based education, taking into account their own lackluster public school days.
"We wanted to be able to have classes with a Christian perspective," Deborah says. "You can't do that in public school because of the separation of church and state, and private school is too expensive."
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Why emphasize "Homeschool" in PA murder case
Leave it up to the media to draw a conclusion that
there must be a psychopathiclink between homeschooling
and a motive to commit murder. I'm referring to the
murders that took place in Pennsylvania. Read the story
(and media spin) here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05319/606646.stm
If these two young people attended public school
or had met at the community recreation center would
the name of the school and the local town have been implicated?
Anti-homeschooling types will have another field day with this bitterly sad tragedy
there must be a psychopathiclink between homeschooling
and a motive to commit murder. I'm referring to the
murders that took place in Pennsylvania. Read the story
(and media spin) here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05319/606646.stm
If these two young people attended public school
or had met at the community recreation center would
the name of the school and the local town have been implicated?
Anti-homeschooling types will have another field day with this bitterly sad tragedy
Monday, November 14, 2005
Not all homeschoolers fit the stereotype at UNL
(Do you think homeschoolers are stereotyped?) Hmmm...
By MARK CODDINGTON
November 14, 2005
After a year and a half at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Burke Street couldn’t keep his background as a homeschooled student a secret any longer.
His friends were looking up online satellite photos of each of their high schools, and finally the dreaded question came to Street: “Burke, where’s your high school?”
“I couldn’t duck that question. Other things I could just kind of be ambiguous about,” said Street, a finance and economics major. “But I was like, ‘Well, actually, I was home-educated.’”
Now a senior, Street said waiting until midway through his sophomore year to tell his closest friends he was homeschooled was probably a bit excessive. But he was simply trying to avoid being hassled with the stereotypes that haunt many other homeschooled students at UNL, he said.
Like Street, many of UNL’s homeschooled students say they’re frustrated by the stereotypes of the homeschooler who is impossibly book-smart, painfully socially awkward and extremely sheltered and conservative.
By MARK CODDINGTON
November 14, 2005
After a year and a half at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Burke Street couldn’t keep his background as a homeschooled student a secret any longer.
His friends were looking up online satellite photos of each of their high schools, and finally the dreaded question came to Street: “Burke, where’s your high school?”
“I couldn’t duck that question. Other things I could just kind of be ambiguous about,” said Street, a finance and economics major. “But I was like, ‘Well, actually, I was home-educated.’”
Now a senior, Street said waiting until midway through his sophomore year to tell his closest friends he was homeschooled was probably a bit excessive. But he was simply trying to avoid being hassled with the stereotypes that haunt many other homeschooled students at UNL, he said.
Like Street, many of UNL’s homeschooled students say they’re frustrated by the stereotypes of the homeschooler who is impossibly book-smart, painfully socially awkward and extremely sheltered and conservative.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Schoolhouse crock - by Doug Powers - WorldNetDaily
More on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' Ruling Trampling Parents' Rights.
Posted: November 7, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Just when you thought kids were safer now that Michael Jackson is out of the country ...
In Kelo vs. New London, Conn., the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that it was OK to rob people of their property if the community (community of government) could collect more taxes if somebody else owned the property. Now, out west, the legendary 9th Circuit Court has, in essence, proclaimed that the government has a sort of sexual eminent domain over children in public schools.
"Eminent domain" is the right of the government to seize peoples' private property for public use.
Posted: November 7, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Just when you thought kids were safer now that Michael Jackson is out of the country ...
In Kelo vs. New London, Conn., the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that it was OK to rob people of their property if the community (community of government) could collect more taxes if somebody else owned the property. Now, out west, the legendary 9th Circuit Court has, in essence, proclaimed that the government has a sort of sexual eminent domain over children in public schools.
"Eminent domain" is the right of the government to seize peoples' private property for public use.
9th Circuit Court of Appeals - All your children belong to us
The 9th Circuit has a well-deserved reputation for judicial rulings that fly in the face of common sense, let alone coming from the outlands of Left elitism. The latest ruling is jawdropping in its patently offensive and blatantly anti-parent basis.
Parents' rights were not violated when a Southern California elementary school conducted a psychological survey of their children and asked them about sexual feelings and masturbation, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. ...
"Parents have a right to inform their children when and as they wish on the subject of sex,'' said Judge Stephen Reinhardt in the 3-0 ruling. "They have no constitutional right, however, to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual or otherwise.''
This is not just about the appropriateness of demanding six year olds to answer questions about masturbation and suicide, this is a direct ruling that parents, once they deliver their children to the school house door by legal compulsion, have no inherent rights to control, oversee or even question what the teacher wishes to teach to the children.
No wonder vouchers plans and homeschooling are hated by the Education Elites ... it interfers with their Great Social Experimentation on a legally captive audience.
Nov 6th, 2005: 12:31:50
Parents' rights were not violated when a Southern California elementary school conducted a psychological survey of their children and asked them about sexual feelings and masturbation, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. ...
"Parents have a right to inform their children when and as they wish on the subject of sex,'' said Judge Stephen Reinhardt in the 3-0 ruling. "They have no constitutional right, however, to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual or otherwise.''
This is not just about the appropriateness of demanding six year olds to answer questions about masturbation and suicide, this is a direct ruling that parents, once they deliver their children to the school house door by legal compulsion, have no inherent rights to control, oversee or even question what the teacher wishes to teach to the children.
No wonder vouchers plans and homeschooling are hated by the Education Elites ... it interfers with their Great Social Experimentation on a legally captive audience.
Nov 6th, 2005: 12:31:50
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Overturning establishment oligopolies
Another voice added to those who applaud parents for their creative "entrepreneurial skills" in education and elsewhere.
The Washington Examiner (Click on the title above to read the article.)
By Paul Chesser
The success of Lowe's and Home Depot aren't the only reflection of the do-it-yourself movement's popularity. An increasing number of Americans are discovering that they can handle the work of two other traditionally outsourced services all by themselves: education and the media.
Sure, there are some that are sloppily measured and whose angles are off, but the successful ones that make people take notice are doing so because they outperform the so-called "professionals."
The academic achievement of homeschooled students is well-documented. Set aside the highly publicized victories in spelling and geography competitions and just look at the overall statistics. As a group they do better on standardized aptitude tests than publicly schooled children. For those concerned about "socialization," studies show that they adapt to society just fine.
As for bloggers, they are the standard-bearers of the Internet. The line on the news is not official until the bloggers have scrutinized it and made sure all the facts are known. They include important context that newspapers often can't or won't provide (largely due to space limitations).
The Washington Examiner (Click on the title above to read the article.)
By Paul Chesser
The success of Lowe's and Home Depot aren't the only reflection of the do-it-yourself movement's popularity. An increasing number of Americans are discovering that they can handle the work of two other traditionally outsourced services all by themselves: education and the media.
Sure, there are some that are sloppily measured and whose angles are off, but the successful ones that make people take notice are doing so because they outperform the so-called "professionals."
The academic achievement of homeschooled students is well-documented. Set aside the highly publicized victories in spelling and geography competitions and just look at the overall statistics. As a group they do better on standardized aptitude tests than publicly schooled children. For those concerned about "socialization," studies show that they adapt to society just fine.
As for bloggers, they are the standard-bearers of the Internet. The line on the news is not official until the bloggers have scrutinized it and made sure all the facts are known. They include important context that newspapers often can't or won't provide (largely due to space limitations).
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Home-schooling in France on the rise
Mon Oct 31,10:13 AM ET
FONTAINEBLEAU, France (AFP) - When twelve million French children return to school in early November after a two-week holiday, several thousand others will stay home because their parents have opted out of a system they claim no longer adequately teaches basic skills.
Home-schooling in France remains marginal compared to other countries.
In the United States five percent of school-age children -- more than one million -- are educated outside of schools, many on religious grounds, according to the US Census office.
And in Britain about 50,000 kids hits the books at home, almost half of them because of bullying by classmates according to Mike Fortune-Wood, author of "The Face of Home Education in the UK."
Click on title to read entire article.
FONTAINEBLEAU, France (AFP) - When twelve million French children return to school in early November after a two-week holiday, several thousand others will stay home because their parents have opted out of a system they claim no longer adequately teaches basic skills.
Home-schooling in France remains marginal compared to other countries.
In the United States five percent of school-age children -- more than one million -- are educated outside of schools, many on religious grounds, according to the US Census office.
And in Britain about 50,000 kids hits the books at home, almost half of them because of bullying by classmates according to Mike Fortune-Wood, author of "The Face of Home Education in the UK."
Click on title to read entire article.
De-minding our young
(Another voice added to the little heard cries about the dumbing down of education today.)
Yesterday I listened to a discussion, aired by the radio station of the University of Guadalajara, on how to get Mexican children to read more, which it seems theirs don't either. A group concerned with the question had compiled a solid list of suggested reading for Mexican students (including Dumas and Robert Louis Stevenson). I wish them well.
What caught my attention was that, as Mexico tries to raise its standards, we have sought to lower ours, with notable success. It seems a perverse thing to do. My daughters recently graduated from high school (and do read) so I have an idea of the state of bookish affairs. By all reports, even smart children today read little, and still less that is worth reading. I have seen the science fiction and political correctness required of them. It is sorry stuff. They have missed, I think, an important boat.
The wonderful children's books of the past were not merely for children, and were not in the least dumbed down (I prefer "enstupidated") or unsophisticated. Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner are delightful things, notable for the sheer quality of the writing. Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are not easy books, unsurprising since Dodgson was a mathematician, and swim in deep philosophical waters. The Wind in the Willows likewise bears rereading by grownups and, may I emphasize, isn't easy reading unless a child has truly learned to read. These required of children a mastery of the language that adults now do not have. Read entire article by clicking on the title.
Yesterday I listened to a discussion, aired by the radio station of the University of Guadalajara, on how to get Mexican children to read more, which it seems theirs don't either. A group concerned with the question had compiled a solid list of suggested reading for Mexican students (including Dumas and Robert Louis Stevenson). I wish them well.
What caught my attention was that, as Mexico tries to raise its standards, we have sought to lower ours, with notable success. It seems a perverse thing to do. My daughters recently graduated from high school (and do read) so I have an idea of the state of bookish affairs. By all reports, even smart children today read little, and still less that is worth reading. I have seen the science fiction and political correctness required of them. It is sorry stuff. They have missed, I think, an important boat.
The wonderful children's books of the past were not merely for children, and were not in the least dumbed down (I prefer "enstupidated") or unsophisticated. Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner are delightful things, notable for the sheer quality of the writing. Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are not easy books, unsurprising since Dodgson was a mathematician, and swim in deep philosophical waters. The Wind in the Willows likewise bears rereading by grownups and, may I emphasize, isn't easy reading unless a child has truly learned to read. These required of children a mastery of the language that adults now do not have. Read entire article by clicking on the title.
Long hours (in daycare and preschool)...impair social development
Long hours help academically, but impair social development
By Helen Gao
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 1, 2005
Two new studies have concluded that extended time in preschool or day care can thwart a child's social development, a finding already fueling a debate surrounding a nationwide movement to expand early education programs.
HOWARD LIPIN / Union-Tribune
Carlos Juarez, 4, listened to Natalie Beissel read at a preschool class at Whitman Elementary yesterday. Studies show that early education programs help develop children's academic skills.
One study found that the social harm persists through third grade, regardless of how well caregivers work with preschoolers. Read this important article by clicking on the title.
By Helen Gao
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 1, 2005
Two new studies have concluded that extended time in preschool or day care can thwart a child's social development, a finding already fueling a debate surrounding a nationwide movement to expand early education programs.
HOWARD LIPIN / Union-Tribune
Carlos Juarez, 4, listened to Natalie Beissel read at a preschool class at Whitman Elementary yesterday. Studies show that early education programs help develop children's academic skills.
One study found that the social harm persists through third grade, regardless of how well caregivers work with preschoolers. Read this important article by clicking on the title.
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