Sunday, December 03, 2006

Financing Home Schooling

When people talk about teaching their children from home in the absence of any definite or structured curriculum, it is perhaps natural to think that homeschooling is cheap.

But this is far from the truth. Although homeschooling does not stick to any particular text, this is perhaps more of a bane than a boon, when it comes to
finance.

When you need to make sure that your children receives state-of-the-art education so that they can compete with regular school goers, expenses will naturally mount. The actual cost of educating a child at home is surprisingly high.

Up-to-date textbooks, course materials, a library, computing equipment, lighting, specially designed furniture all cost money.

In this case, the cost may be slightly lesser when it comes to homeschooling the second child. Add to this any additional tuition cost for tutors who come to teach subjects that cannot be handled by parents, like higher-level math or science. The total cost can be a bit mind boggling.

If you take another important factor into consideration, homeschooling costs may effective triple. The need for having one of the parents tied to the house and fully dedicated to providing education deprives the family of a second earning member.

The average homeschooling teacher is usually a lady with a college degree. This means that she can easily bring home a pay of $35,000 or more. It is also nteresting to note that most families that have more than 2 children do not opt for homeschooling at all.

But, there are those who have been successful in carrying out homeschooling at low rates. This is dependent on the size of the family, the support group, the type of materials used and the availability of the material.

When successive children can reuse the materials, cost goes down. Much of the course material can be got from vendors of homeschooling materials.

A membership in a public library, theatre, concerts, ballets and other cultural events also help in cutting costs. Sometimes, it is even possible to barter expertise.

For instance, the mother of an 8-year old gives dancing classes, and her daughter receives drawing classes for free. Support groups allow you to divide the cost of field trips, science projects and fairs.

Whatever the cost, advocates of homeschooling say that the benefits far outweigh these considerations. When you are able to decide what knowledge your child receives and when he or she should be taught and to what extent, it gives you a lot of freedom and a lot of power.

Both the children as well as the parents benefit from this mutually enriching experience.

Proceed now to Online Learning

Entrepreneur School

Global Filipinos to organize and harness economic, social, and political power of Filipinos through networking. Click to Pinoy

ituloy angsulong

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Holiday Shopping, Party Planning Tips and More Articles in The Blog Directory

Christmas shopping tips, decorating for Christmas, holiday games and activities, New Year's Eve party planning, etc.

Entrepreneurship, joint ventures, internet marketing.

Hobbies, self-improvements, technology, travel, home security, sports, and recreation

More topics can be found in your content-rich Article Blogs Directory.

Proceed now to Online Learning

Entrepreneur School

Global Filipinos to organize and harness economic, social, and political power of Filipinos through networking. Click to Pinoy

ituloy angsulong

What is Homeschooling

The term 'homeschooling' basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household.

The laws that define homeschooling vary from State to State. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the
State.

For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school.

This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here.

Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form.

Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this
method.

This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose.

Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents.

It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the
homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative.

Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling.

Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start.

Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a 'Notice of Intent' to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a 'Private church' school or a 'qualified non-public school'.

The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child's attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test.

Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling entails.

Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work.

But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.

Proceed now to Entrepreneurship School

Global Filipinos to organize and harness economic, social, and political power of Filipinos through networking. Click to Pinoy

ituloy angsulong

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Disadvantages of Public Schooling

When we consign our children to public schools, we feel satisfied that they are receiving 'quality education'. But, are we really getting our money's worth?

More importantly, are the children gaining anything from this kind of a learning procedure?

Socialization is hailed as one of the greatest advantage of schools. This is the place where the child picks up the rudiments of social skills that help him survive.

But in truth, a regular school-going child can interact only with his peers. He may bully younger children or fear older ones. He does not know how to behave with an adult.

This is because in the school environment he interacts only with his peers. A homeschooling environment brings in a more natural social environment.

A regular school going child cannot read literature. He cannot keep silent or think in depth about any one thing. The artificial 'busy'ness imposed upon him by the school disallows quiet contemplation.

Rowdy and destructive behavior, as seen among peers, is more noticeable in school-goers.

There is little long-standing knowledge among regular school goers because most things are learnt for the exam. There is no correlation of facts with life.

The child may know a lot, but understands very little.

This is where the homeschoolers beat the regular school goers. Ultimately, homeschoolers emerge more adept at facing the outside world.

Proceed now to Entrepreneurship School

Global Filipinos to organize and harness economic, social, and political power of Filipinos through networking. Click to Pinoy

ituloy angsulong

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Benefits Of Home Schooling

Why let Tim and Lisa learn at home than send them to school?

Well, first of all, you don't have to wake them up at 7 every morning and bundle them off to school with umpteen numbers of instructions, and wait with an anxious heart till they return.

Home schooling gives you more control over the influences that affect your child.

The growth and development of your child is removed from the realm of the unknown.

You, and you alone can decide what your child needs to do or learn. Tailoring the curriculum to suit the needs and interests of the child is one of the most obvious benefits of homeschooling

Individual attention is another salient benefit of homeschooling.

For instance, if Lisa needs more time to learn Math, then she can reduce the time for her English lessons.

There are no fixed hours of learning per subject. This means that a child has the advantage of assigning more number of hours to the subject that seems tough WITHOUT any additional pressure.

The amount of time needed to learn each subject will depend on the abilities and interests of the child.

The schooling of the child becomes an extended family activity. Parents get involved in every step of the learning procedure. Field trips and experiments become family activities.

Thus, the child receives more quality time with his parents. The entire family shares games, chores and projects. Family closeness becomes the focus here. The child is also free of any negative peer pressure while making choices and decisions.

Competition is limited when it comes to homeschooling.

The child does not need to prove his ability with regards to other children. His confidence remains intact.

Since parents have a deep understanding of their child, they can plan the learning
program to pique the child's interest.

It is also possible to intersperse difficult tasks with fun activities. A tough hour
with Algebra can be followed by a trip to the nearest museum. Learning becomes fun.

Parents can also tailor the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. Some children learn through reading, while others need to write, and still others need to see objects in action.

Homeschooling allows parents to take control over the moral and religious learning of the child. Parents have the flexibility to incorporate their beliefs and ideologies into the child's curriculum.

There is no confusion in the child's mind either because there is no variation between what is being taught and what is being practiced.

Lastly, more and more parents are getting disillusioned with the public school system.

They believe that their children are being pushed too hard or too little.

Other worrying issues pertaining to discipline and ethics also make the school system less welcome. Many repudiate the educational philosophy of grouping children solely on the basis of their age.

Some parents themselves have unhappy memories of their own public school experience that motivates them to opt for homeschooling when it comes to their own children.

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

Proceed now to Entrepreneurship School

Global Filipinos to organize and harness economic, social, and political power of Filipinos through networking. Visit Pinoy

ituloy angsulong