Patricia Bennett asked:


In today’s fast-paced, understaffed and sometimes dangerous public school environments, it is a heavy burden for parents to decide where to send their child to be educated. Socialization has such a large impact on children, and the wrong environment can set them up for a life of problems: Not to mention worrying about whether your child will be given the attention and direction they crave. It is for this reason so many parents are deciding Homeschooling is the best option.

Every family provides a certain amount of homeschooling, teaching children many life lessons and educating in different areas. Choosing to homeschool your children full time is a wonderful experience for any parent, as well as an opportunity for your child to be steps ahead of others their age. This is because one on one teaching means more information can be learned in less time, where as in school, children are absorbed in classes of forty or more.

Not only are homeschool parents responsible for their child’s academic education, but they also have to ensure their child has plenty of opportunities to interact with others their age. Sports, having friends over and vice-versa, telephone conversations and social outings should all be regular parts of their weekly curriculum.

Some parents prefer to homeschool their children up to a certain age, feeling it better prepares them for mingling with other children and contributes to the development of a stronger identity earlier in life. For example, you may opt for homeschooling until your child is ten years old, then upon discussion with them, enroll them in school. By this time, you have had many talks with them about subjects such as peer pressure, bullying, choosing friends, respecting authority and getting the most out of their education. Of course, every child is different and many parents like to gauge from the child when they are ready to attend. Most children will reach a point where they start to ask why they don’t go to school like other children. For this reason it is also a great idea to socialize with other parents who homeschool so your children don’t feel like they are the only ones.

Ignoring all external factors, you need to seriously consider if you are the right type of parent to homeschool your child. You have to be very honest with yourself because it isn’t for everyone. Ultimately your main reason has to be that you will thoroughly enjoy interacting, teaching and learning from and with your child, growing closer and getting to know each other better. Other questions to ask include:

I. Are you a patient person?

II. Do you possess excellent communication skills?

III. Do you multi-task with ease?

IV. Are you naturally organized?

V. Can you give constructive criticism and correct mistakes with your child?

VI. Are you naturally creative?

VII. Can the family survive on one income?

If your answer is yes to all but one or two, and they are areas you’re aware you need to work on, you may still like to give home schooling a try on a trial basis: If you answer yes to all of them, homeschooling is definitely suitable for you. The next thing to look at is how does your child feel about being home-schooled? Some children are fully aware that in a short while they will be old enough to attend school, and they simply can not wait! Others are more sensitive, less sociable and less aware that is what children their age are doing. As best you can, have several discussions with your child to determine how they feel, and if they seem pleased to learn at home with mommy or daddy then you can begin.

Each state has its own level of control over children undergoing homeschooling. There can be either no regulations, low, moderate or high regulations: As the name suggests, each state exerts rules in relation to exam and test results, hours of study and evaluation, and high regulation states are extremely difficult to home school in. States with no regulations don’t even require you to notify education departments or government authorities that your children won’t be attending regular school, and low usually requires notification only with no monitoring of competencies for students.

In preparing for homeschooling your child, you will need to gather materials such as books, lesson guides and plans, movies and other activities. The best thing you can do is work out whether your child learns more easily through looking, listening or hands on processes and design your lessons around that. The best resources are the library and websites designed specifically for homeschooling parents, and second hand shopping at flea markets or charity stores will often lead you to some excellent text books at very low costs. There are also pre-packaged home schooling courses available for extra guidance. It is a wonderful idea to try and incorporate the local environment whenever you can: for example, when learning about water, spend a day visiting different types of water in the local area. Educational outings are a great way to ingrain knowledge through all the senses, so research ahead of time where you can possibly take your child for some real life examples that relate to what they are learning.

There are some common mistakes made by parents homeschooling their children, and being aware of them is all it takes to avoid them. Be sure to make your child reach beyond their current knowledge, as far too many parents don’t express any expectations and fail to motivate the child to do better. Be sensitive to the way they learn instead of teaching the way you find it easiest to learn, and don’t give the child control over the schedule. Make sure the class plan is clearly established, stating upfront how long you will spend on each subject and enforce rules in the “classroom” relating to being tidy, raising their hands with a question, break times and consequences for their actions, good or not so good.

When you are sure this is the avenue you want to take, you should subscribe to some good homeschooling websites or newsletters such as Homeschool Success News. There are programs to aid parents in teaching at home, chat rooms and other networking mediums for parents to compare and learn from each others ideas and experiences. Homeschooling is an opportunity for parent and child to bond deeply in a safe and controlled environment, and they are years you will treasure in your memory forever.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Carnival of Homeschooling- The Spring Fever Edition

Janice Campbell hosts the carnival this week with some pretty spring pictures. Enjoy!

Is anyone else ready for spring? The daffodils are up, forsythia is glowing at the edges of the woods, and from my cozy spot by the woodstove, the bright sunlight offers the illusion of warmth. It’s quickly dispelled by the damp chill when I open the windows, but the boisterous bird song renews faith that spring is on its way.With spring almost here, I thought we all might enjoy a lovely floral journey for the March 31, 2009 edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. Our writers have submitted some excellent posts, so gather ’round and enjoy the Carnival! Read more…

30 Poets/30 Days!

April is National Poetry Month!
Gregory at GottaBook will be featuring previously unpublished poems by a great list of children’s writers, including current Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman, past Laureate Jack Prelutsky, Nikki Giovanni, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Douglas Florian, Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Linda Sue Park, Kenn Nesbitt, Nikki Grimes, Pat Mora, Adam Rex, and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka.
Bookmark his blog so you will be sure to visit everyday in April.

Announcing 30 Poets/30 Days!

I’m incredibly excited to announce the first annual 30 Poets/30 Days, a celebration of children’s poetry taking place here at GottaBook during National Poetry Month.

Every day in April, I’ll be posting a previously unpublished poem by a different poet. Read more…

Remy Jirek asked:


Homeschooling socialization is by far the most major conflict in relation to homeschooling. The problem is that, by removing your children from the public school environment, you are depriving them of the social development offered by public schools. After all, it would be difficult for a child to develop social skills when they are not given the opportunity to interact with other children. As such, this remains as a huge homeschooling disadvantage.

Is This Best For My Child?

As a parent, a great concern should be placed on your child’s social development. Whether they are in the job market or the super market, being socially adjusted will help anybody excel in life. While research shows that there is a homeschooling advantage (in many different ways), losing the ability to learn how to be social is always a disadvantage to any homeschooling curriculum.

This problem, unfortunately, goes beyond losing the opportunity to develop social skills, as children will also lose the opportunity to develop close, interpersonal relationships with other children. However, as strong as these problems are, they can be avoided by extending your homeschooling program to allow for your child to interact with other children. You simply need to expose them to a social environment, such as a public park or a sports league. After all, with all of the advantages homeschooling offers, taking the time to ensure social behavior of your child is a small price to pay in making sure your child develops as a well-rounded individual.

How Can I Start?

If you are interested in homeschooling your child, find a homeschooling resource to create your own homeschooling program. If you want religious teachings to be a part of your child’s daily education, find a Christian homeschooling guide, as many are available on the Web if you take the time to do a little research. Additionally, you can choose to use homeschooling software to educate your child by finding a program that offers homeschooling online.

For parents that feel as though they need to speak with someone directly to answer all of their questions, seek out homeschool counseling, as these counselors will give you the resources you need to establish your own homeschool. Finally, be patient, as creating a curriculum is not an easy task.

Remember, while homeschools do not offer the same social environment offered by public schools, the advantages are clear. Because of the amount of time you will have to spend with your child, you will bond with him or her in a way that most parents do not get to bond with their children: education. Additionally, because you set the curriculum, you get to decide what information your child should learn and what information they should not learn.

Finally, you will have the benefit of knowing exactly what your child is being taught, meaning that a public school instructor will not have the opportunity to teach things to your child that you do not agree with. Homeschooling is not right for everyone, but if you feel it is right for your child, then it would definitely be worth your time to look into homeschooling as an option.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Homeschool nerds triumph

From Kirsten Love of the examiner.com

It hit me this week: “I really am a nerd after all.” Not that there was a whole lot of doubt on that subject, but this far removed from my own school days, I thought maybe I had ventured out away from my former geekiness. I mean, it’s not like I walk around with a pocket protector or can do complex math problems in my head - we all know numbers are not my thing - but when it comes down to it, I am still that uncool girl. Why else would I be so excited at the prospect of researching curriculum ideas for our upcoming homeschool year? Who else, but a nerd, finds reading history book summaries fun? Well, maybe I’m not alone; maybe I just finally found my niche - homeschool parent. Read more…

Who will raise kids: Mom, Dad or state?

Though efforts to pass a constitutional amendment protecting parental rights have failed in the past, two U.S. legislators are preparing to reintroduce the idea this week; and this time, they say, the effort is backed by more than 60 congressional members.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., who introduced a parental rights amendment by himself last year, told the Agence France-Presse that he will be joined by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., on Tuesday as they renew the fight.

According to a statement released to AFP by Hoekstra’s office, the amendment “would clearly outline in the U.S. Constitution that parents, not government or any other organization, have a fundamental right to raise their children as they see fit.” Read more…

Tim Tebow homeschooling bill stalled in Montgomery

Would you ever consider homeschooling your children?

For some parents, the academic end of it seems overwhelming. For others, the fact that their children can’t play sports in public school is a major deterrent.

In Alabama there are over 25,000 homeschoolers, and that number continues to grow.

Some states allow those students equal access to public or private school extra-curricular activities like sports. For instance, Florida, which produced Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Read more…

Texas Homeschoolers Attend Science Day Exclusively For Them

March 11, 2009 – Homeschooled children ages 7-13 were treated to a unique experience on March 6 at Collin College’s Central Park Campus, where they participated in a Science Day exclusively for them.

“This is important because homeschooled kids don’t have the facilities that you will find in [public] school,” Dr. Donna Cain, a Collin College microbiology professor, said. “This allows them to come here and use some of our resources. The kids had a lot of fun.” Read more…

Bill targets public info about Wash. homeschoolers

SEATTLE — Parents who homeschool their children have asked Washington lawmakers to exempt their registration forms from state public disclosure laws. The Legislature appears poised to grant their request.

Two bills concerning homeschooling and public information have passed the House and on Monday quickly passed out of the Senate Education Committee. Committee Chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe said she had heard no opposition to the bills. Read more…