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Showing posts from February, 2008

fundamental beliefs

In The Bias Against Homeschool Posted by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) , the writer mentions that the bias against homeschooling relates ... to a fundamental belief that children should be educated in a classroom, along with their peers, though clearly the days of the peaceful one-room schoolhouse, or effective public school are more or less long gone. The phrase fundamental belief really caught my eye. I want to linger on it awhile. The word fundamental in this case can be best defined as profound, or being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incompatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles" So in other words the belief that children belong in a classroom instead of in the home is profound, ingrained, fundamental and rudimentary. This would mean that putting a child in the classroom is a natural and basic thing to do... that a child is as inclined to belo...

Grizzly Mama: The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List

Another gem from a fellow homeschooler: Grizzly Mama: The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List UPDATE: Please see the first comment regarding credit for the post I have profiled here. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

More on Getting into College

This is a follow up from a previous video Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Barbara Frank: Homeschool vs. Public School

Here's a great gem from a fellow homeschooler. Barbara Frank: Homeschool vs. Public School

Homeschooling Mom Gets Mad, really mad

This video is in response to a tirade from someone who was offended by my homeschooling videos on youtube. People like this are the real problem with public schools. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

"Y'all are just bad kids"

Am I the only person who is sick and tired of teachers getting reassigned for abusing kids? In this case, the abuse is verbal, but it is very bad. see link here http://abcnews.go.com/Video/player?ip=74.160.41.80&affil=&debug=&catId=&id=4350016 Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Reasons I am glad I homeschool: Rape

Of course there is no guarantee that my daughter will never get attacked out of school, but to be double victimized by a school that tries to hide the assault is ridiculous. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Outrageous Rape on School Bus

This happened last week and I am just now getting a whiff of this news. How a child gets raped on the school bus and no one does anything to help... From watching the story, the rape was done in a way that it was hard to detect what was going on? I'm really confused here. And they say we are overprotecting our kids.... should we just hand them over to the school system who does nothing to protect them? Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Children searched like criminals

While I had mixed feelings about this story of a Kindergartener getting suspended for his hairstyle. My feelings are clear when it comes to this story of a third grade students getting searched like criminals. The schools barely took action against the offending teachers. The school's principal gave written reprimands to four instructors who had physical contact with the students. The principal, Sarah Newman, declined to comment and phone numbers for the four teachers could not be located Wednesday. Had my child been searched, they would be dealing with one crazy woman right now! Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

A hair-raising school suspension

My son hasn't cut his hair since before he started homeschooling over 5 years ago. It is quite long and depending on how it is styled, is all the way down his back. Most strangers mistake him for a girl, and he just corrects them. For a black child, his hair is just too long, and definitely an oddity, but he likes it that way. So when I read this story about an Ohio school that suspended a Kindergartener over his Mohawk, I had to wonder how much grief my kid would get if he were in school. I mean the school had given them 2 warnings that the hairstyle was unacceptable, but the mom continued to shave the sides of the kids head and spike the hair on top. Was she out of line... after all, this is a little boy? But she said he likes it that way. I know my 13 year old bristles when we say 'haircut' but he does go out of his way to pull his braids neatly into a band when he goes to his classes or to church. He is also a big fan of newsboy hats which make him look quit...

Kill the Potty Mouth, Build the Vocabulary

Reading the Google News Alerts this morning, I came upon at a couple of blog posts or articles where parents complained about bad words and potty mouths for different reasons. In one instance the child in public school was tempted by the potty mouths of others and found himself using a few choice words. Another complainted about the potty mouths on sports teams . I can remember where I found the other... possibly a comment of agreement. Anyway, dealing with potty mouths is a part of raising kids. Maybe I was lucky, but I have not had to deal with this in a big way. Now I am not saying my kids have not dropped a bomb or let a word slip. What I am saying is that each time it happens it is a new word... they never repeat the previous word again. With each new explitive that I hear, I stop, find out where the word came from and in a matter-of-fact manner explain exactly what the word means and why it is not appropriate for civilized conversation. I think because I don't make a...

Losing friends to homeschooling

A post by Mother Crone caught my eye today. It was about homeschooling, and lost relationships, and not wanting to be judged. I lost a few friendships and have had other personal relationships strained since we started homeschooling. Some relationships were lost because I found them toxic to my kids well being. Other relationships were lost because others felt my personal decisions were judgements on them. While I have to admit that it all makes me very sad... and sometimes lonely, I realize I am not here to make friends... at least not in this stage of my life. Instead I am here (right now) to make my kids the best they can be. I can't let anyone or anything interfere. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

California Colleges offering AP and Honors Classes

California is offering AP and Honors classes to homeschoolers and others to make sure kids can qualify for UC colleges. I hope GA colleges comes up with something like this soon. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Homeschool Programs: Masters Academy of Fine Arts

I have often mentioned that my homeschooled kids attend a homeschool "school" type program. With a new location opening up in Texas , I thought I would take the time to tell you more about it. Masters Academy of Fine Arts is a program that entwines the arts with history so that the child is immersed in history. Each year a different historic period is covered. There are six periods in all and each year the child will learn a different history. If a student stays in the school 12 years, he will go through each time period twice, at different levels, of course. My children have been in the program since our second year of homeschooling. This is their fourth year in the program. My daughter takes the fine arts/history program, and my son has moved up to the Artios program for high school and is concentrating on film design. He plans to study Multimedia design in college. In addition, our location also has a program called Cordis, where the kids also take their academic ...

School Integration

If I hadn't lived there myself, I might not believe that in this day and age, this kind of nonsense is still going on in schools. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Did anyone do the math?

There is a movement called ED in "08" that is working to get presidential candidats to address education in American. A documentary they filmed is called 2 million minutes which they claim is how many minutes the average student spends in highschool in America, India, and China. The purpose of the movie is to show how much of ths time is sqandered by American students. Let's look at the numbers: 2,000,000 minutes 33,333 hours 833.33 hours per month (based on 10 month school year for 4 years) 193.79 hours per week (based on 4.3 weeks per month) 38.75 hours per day (based on 5 day work week) ...wait... there are only 24 hours in a day. There is no way any child in any country spends that much time in school, even if you include homework and extracurricular time. To get 2,000,000 minutes of education, a student would have to work 33,333.33 hours in the four years 8333.33 hours per year 694.44 hours EVERY MONTH with no break 161.49 hours every single week meaning 23 hours...

Answering question about getting into college

This video answers the question What does it take for a homeschooler to get into college. For more reading on this subject see these articles I have previously written: Can Homeschoolers get College Scholarships? http://www.associatedcontent.com/arti... Homeschoolers can start college before they are done with homeschooling http://www.associatedcontent.com/arti... How to Colleges Respond to Homeschoolers (video) http://www.associatedcontent.com/vide... Homeschoolers and the SAT http://www.associatedcontent.com/arti... ( less ) Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Cool Homeschooled Kid gets an Early Start in Business

I have been trying to impress on my kids for some while the importance of starting businesses at very young ages. In fact, it is my desire for my kids to have businesses started and running before they graduate from homeschool high. Here is the story of one kid who is well on her way: Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Where we homeschool

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Nerd Mom at NerdFamily asked the question, where do you homeschool. I will start with where we don't homeschool. This is my kitchen table... We only use it for eating. It is usually too sticky for any other uses. This next picture is where I keep all of our homeschooling materials. It is the sitting area of our bedroom. The room is very long, like a bowling ally, so I put the bed in the center of the room using the large headboard as a divider. I made the back half of the room my office. I used to use the home office, but my husband kicked me out so he could work from home... he rarely uses it though. You can see my video camera set up on the table for you-tube-ing. Next you will find my daughter in her favorite spot. Wrapped up in a blanket like a cucoon on the floor in the great room. She does the majority of her work here. (Don't tell her I took this picture of her with a wrap on her head! My son's favorite space is in the basement where he plays with the dogs in betwe...

112th Edition of Carnival of Homeschooling

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My post in this week's carnival is eerily and coincidentally right in line with this weeks theme . I had previously submitted another entry , but when I saw the theme I asked the host to change it! Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

More on Clayton County Accreditation loss

Writing one blog post about this fiasco did not satisfy me. Here is my video response. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

The Bigger Picture Speaks Volumes

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This is a photo of the entry into the US Department of Education building in Washington DC. If you search the internet for photos of the building you will find that this is the only image on the official US Dept. of Education Websites. While this entry facade was originally installed to protect employees and visitors during a dangerous construction period in 2002, the little school houses have been left up to promote the No Child Left Behind Program and to remind workers that they "serve the ideal of the little red schoolhouse." (quote) Sounds nice, doesn't it? This is what the building really looks like. Instead of the ideal of the little red schoolhouse, what I see is schools being crushed under the weight of a restrictive and overpowering bureaucracy. Sometimes you just have to look at the big picture. (the structures were supposed to be removed in 2007, but I cannot find any evidence that it has happened.) This post was inpired by Michael Umphrey. update: the pics ...

Teaching Subjects I Don't Know or Don't Like

This is the answer to a question from a person from Germany who wanted to know how I teach my kids subjects I don't know or don't like. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Ironic and Disturbing accreditation loss in Georgia

If you live in my neck of the woods, you heard this past week that Clayton County Public Schools (ALL OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CLAYTON COUNTY) is losing its accreditation. The agency that issues the accreditation said the entire school system is "fatally flawed" In a scathing report. The report delivers a devastating blow to the 53,000 students in Clayton County. Whether the schools actually lose their accreditation or not will depend on two things -- a September 1 deadline, which officials have until to disprove the agency's findings; and the national accreditation board has to approve the recommendations made regarding the Clayton County system...The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) said the problems they found are overwhelming and extreme. The irony is in the fact one of the major concerns about homeschooling is the lack of accreditation when mom teachers student. However, 53,000 students are about to lose accreditation as well. This puts these st...

Homeschoolers are suspect

Every Homeschooling Parent is Suspect and a Closet Perjurer As Utah homeschool bills SB36 and SB37 are discussed and/or passed, opponents are being clearer about their problems with public school kids, private school kids, and homeschoolers being on the same p...

Responsible Parents must do Some Degree of Homeschooling

I just ran across this interesting advice column where a family psychologist makes some recommendations to a public school mom. He tells her that if her child's teacher is not doing her job, then mom will have to pick up the slack at home. I have often given this same advice myself and am amazed that people look at me blankly when I tell them they have the power to teach their kids outside of public school. One person in particular has a child who needs a great deal of math help, and I have gone as far as having purchased workbooks and given the parents instructions to help the child, but she seems to feel it is above and beyond the call of duty. The full article is below. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Can Homeschoolers get scholarships?

Can Homeschoolers Get College Scholarships? If you are a college bound homeschooler, or parent of a college bound homeschooler, his is some basic advice for your scholarship search.

From the mouth of babes... err... teens

Read this very eloquent article by a "homeschooled" kid that speaks to some of the misconceptions homeschoolers have to face. I used the "quotes" because she actually does a school at home program and is officially a public school student. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Homeschoolers and the SAT

      Homeschoolers and the SAT The SAT score alone in many cases will eliminate the need for the student to prove that his or her education is valid. A good SAT score often speaks for itself.

My Rights as a Homeschooler

      What Are My Rights as a Homeschooler When people ask me why I homeschool, I have a habit of saying, â€Å“we can, and so we do.â€Ã¯¿½ We homeschool because we it is our legal right and we choose to exercise that ... ...

Stupid things stupid people say about homeschooling

Video of me reading the usual homeschool objections. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

High school Pushouts

          High School Pushouts: Public School Students Forced to Homeschool I recently came across a news article about students being forced out of a middle school in New York for not being immunized with a new booster for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

Penpals for socialization

    Penpals: An Answer to the Socialization Question There are better ways to socialize with other kids than to sit next to them is a classroom trying to ignore each other. One of the numerous ways for homeschoolers to make and keep friends and sociali...  

Making the Decision to Homeschool

      Making the Decision to Homeschool For most homeschoolers, the decision to homeschool their kids come out of a series of life experiences, personal decisions, and life philosophies.

Why do we need black history month?

Why Do We Need Black History Month? Black History is a foreign study for me. Therefore, I am writing this series of articles on black history notables to educate the public and myself on black history in the United States.

Teaching Advanced Math

      Teaching Advanced Math to Your Homeschooler One of the many questions I get about homeschooling is how do you teach your kids Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. After all, how could the average adult be qualified enough to teach th...

Convincing Parents About Homeschooling

Question: How do I convince my parents to stop bugging me about homeschooling? Answer: Ignore thme and do a good job and they will come around.. in themeanwhile, give them homeschool statistics. Homeschooling statistics Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Teaching in spite of weakness

      Teaching Your Homeschooler in Spite of Your Weaknesses People give me many excuses to justify their decision not to homeschool. Here are some of the most common reasons people give me for not homeschooling, and ways you can homeschool your kinds in spite...

Homeschooling Preteens

Homeschooling Preteens: A Peek into Our Lives A fellow homeschooling writer on Associated Content wrote an article detailing her homeschooling experience. Our homeschool experience is quite opposite.

I was recognized today from my YouTube Videos

Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

Where to buy Homeschool Lab Equipment

      Where to Buy Homeschool Science Lab Equipment If a homeschooler does not join a class or workshop for science experiments then they have to be done at home and lab equipment is an absolute must. But where do you purchase lab equipment?

Crazed Teachers Action Causes Families to Homeschool

Ok. The homeschooling part is only an aside... a byproduct of serious problems a school was having with a teacher. This teacher allegedly lost it when she did not get her way. She wanted to teach fifth grade and was turned down, so she began writing death threats on the walls of the school. "Students were pulled out of school by their parents, and some have not returned," Warminster Police Chief Michael Murphy said. "Their parents are home-schooling them." Full story here. Read more Notes From a Homeschooling Mom Visit Free Home Ed. Homeschool For Free!

More Homeschooling Articles written for EHow.com

How to Find Classmates for Your Homeschooler How to Use Real Life as Your Homeschool Curriculum How to Homeschool Your Preschooler How to Teach Subjects Your Homeschooler Dislikes How to Use Public School Websites for Your Free Homeschool Curriculum

Homeschool Articles written for Ehow.com

How to Homeschool Your Preschooler How to Use Real Life as Your Homeschool Curriculum How to Find Classmates for Your Homeschooler How to Evaluate Your Homeschooler Without Testing Them