From Homeschool to Online School to College (Guest Post)

I am off to a college visit with my daughter. Thought this was a good time to leave you with a pretty informative guest post I've been holding onto. Enjoy.

Notes From a Homeschooled Mom has before written about what it takes to prepare homeschooled students for college, and for getting the jobs they ultimately want. Estelle Shumann builds upon this conversation with the following blog post, which talks about how the technological advances in education (especially online education) help homeschooled students with college preparedness in a way never before thought possible. Estelle writes at http://www.onlineschools.org, a website dedicated to online education.

From Homeschool to Online School to College: Technological Advances Prepare Students for the University

As technology has encroached into seemingly every facet of modern life in recent years, the nature of homeschooling has changed as well. In the past five years, online education programs have gone from a strange niche to a mainstream multi-billion dollar industry. As the technology facilitating online

Think I am going to change my guest post policy

What do you think?


Maybe I'm just too nice, but I get a lot of guest-post requests and hate to say no.  Lately, I have been trying to give guidance to make sure the posts are something that I want to read, and really only 1 in 4 are.

I tell people I prefer guest posts from people who have homeschooled and so they all say they have, but the posts don't read that way to me.

Anyway, from now on, I will only take guest posts from individuals... not companies.

That means that if typical mommy blogger wants to guest post (which they never seem to want to) then I am all for it.  If XYZ semi-commerical, college list, nanny site wants to guest post, the answer is no.

Before I push the button and make this official, I would love some feedback on the guest posts on my site.

Thanks.

(PS... to review my most recent guest posts to see for yourself, you only need to click "guest post".

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Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling (guest post)

(This is a guest-post from someone who's actually experienced both worlds)

 

My little brother and I are six years apart. This is a big enough age gap that most people assume that we wouldn’t be close growing up, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. We are, and always have been, best friends. That being said, we have vastly different personalities. I was outgoing, popular, and involved as I went through grade school. I did well in school, I had plenty of extracurricular activities, and I always had friends to hang out with. My brother, on the other hand, never had a lot of friends, he was shy around new people, and he had trouble focusing, which contributed to his extremely poor grades in school. While I was flourishing in the public school system, he was failing.

In the second grade my mom made the decision to pull my brother out of public school and homeschool him instead. The

4 Tips for Transitioning from Homeschool Parent to College Parent (Guest Post)

 This information is very timely seeing as I have a child just now starting college:

 Going to college for the first time is never easy. Students have to say goodbye to their parents and prepare to begin their adult lives. Parents have to watch as their children leave the nest, potentially for good. This transition, however, can be even more difficult for parents who have homeschooled their children, sometimes for their entire lives. You are used to determining what your child will study, why and for how long, and it may be difficult to finally let go of the reins and allow your child to make those decisions. College is, however, one of the most special times in your child's life. So, once you get past the initial growing pains, the experience of supporting a college student can be one of the most rewarding transitions you've ever made. Here are some tips for starting out:

1. Try not to meddle in their coursework.
Even though you are very accustomed to knowing exactly what your child is studying and how they're doing,

5 iPad Apps for College Freshman Preparation (Guest post)

I thought this guest post was especially relevant because many of our kids are taking college level tests and CLEP exams.  We don't have to wait for college to take advantage of these "college apps".

The iPad is such an amazing, new tool for education. Many homeschooling groups are now using this tool to supplement traditional book lessons. In addition to complementing current class content, the iPad can also help incoming college freshman prepare for their first year of college.
The following five apps are perfect for helping high school seniors prepare for common first-year college courses.

College Algebra
This app has received top ratings from users who say that it helped them get through their college

Guest posts, blog spammers, and other housekeeping

 So, It's clearly time to spell out some policies:

Guest posts:  As of June 2017, I have decided to severely limit guest posts.  The requests are getting out of hand and I feel like the posts that are sent to me are not really what I am looking for in a guest post.  For the few I accept I will look for the following:

What I look for in a guest post:

• Writer must be a homeschooling parent, homeschooling student, or former homeschooling student. 
• Relevance to homeschoolers, as in you have something concrete to offer homeschoolers whether it be subject specific, experience specific, a unique perspective or something of that nature. 
• Uplifting topic, as in I don't want to read another article about the downfalls or problems in

Why You Should Teach Your Child a Second Language Now (guest post)

I thought you would enjoy the topic of the guest post.  I am strongly encouraging discussion of the idea of getting kids learning foreign language early.  ~A.hermitt

Monolinguals are fast becoming an exception to the rule. Whereas in the past, English was thought to suffice as a single language to unlock the hearts and minds of everyone on the planet, this is no longer true. Speaking a foreign language isn’t just a nice addition to a CV any more – it is becoming an almost essential commodity. An almost essential commodity your own children will soon require.

There was a time when teaching a child more than one language was discouraged. Doing so was only thought to confuse and disorientate, leaving them speaking a nonsensical hybrid of two languages. Fortunately, such myths have now largely been dispelled. Children learn far better at an early age because it involves little effort on their part, so there is never a better time in life to teach them a language. As the Multilingual Children’s

3 Pitfalls of Homeschooling and How to Avoid Them (guest post)

 I occasionally allow a guestpost from someone who I think has something valuable to add to the topic of homeschooling.  This post is from a former homeschooled student.

3 Pitfalls of Homeschooling and How to Avoid Them

Having been homeschooled throughout grade school and middle school, I can say from experience that the whole process was incredibly rewarding. Being taught at home by my mother helped cement a bond with her that I think very few people have had the pleasure to experience. Learning alongside two of my siblings made us likewise close. I believe also that homeschooling helped me develop my own learning styles and methods, just because I didn't have a specific way of learning shoved down my throat as do many students who go to traditional schools. Notwithstanding, after enrolling and attending a traditional high school, I was able to see that there were some inefficiencies in homeschooling that I could have prevented had I known. Here are

Ongoing Money Management Lessons for Children Help them Avoid Costly Mistakes

I am glad to offer you this guest post from another homeschool mom and freelance writer:

It doesn’t seem to matter whether your children go to public school, private school or are homeschooled – financial lessons and money management are lessons our children need to learn before they need to make financial decisions.  Money management strategies cannot be taught during a one time lesson; instead, children need age-appropriate information throughout their childhood so they have time to form sound financial habits that carry over into their adult years, and are armed and ready with the information they need to make good financial decisions.

Elementary Age Kids and Finances

My own children are ages 6 and 9.  My 6-year old seems to think if we need money for something, we need only visit the bank or ATM and ask for it; while my 9-year old understands you have to have the money in the bank to withdraw it, but doesn’t quite understand why we

First day of College- What's in store for your homeschooled child

As my son prepares to enter college, I can't help but wonder what his experience will be like after homeschooling for so many years.  I am hoping this guest post from Jemima Lopez at Zen College Life will be helpful.


Research shows that not only do homeschooled children typically receive higher ACT test scores than their non-homeschooled peers— which incidentally makes them more desirable to college admission officers—but they also typically excel more than their peers once in college as well: homeschooled students earn more college credits at a faster rate, have higher G.P.A.s, and have an overall higher graduation and retention rate than those who graduated from a traditional high school, according to the Journal of College Admission. That said, succeeding academically should not be a concern. But adapting to the whole college atmosphere can be somewhat intimidating for some homeschooled children, especially those who have

Making Math Make Sense

 If you read my blog post the other day, you know how important math is to me.  

With that said, I am sharing with you a blog post from a new friend... a public school mom. 

Confessions of a Public School Mom:

Homeschooling was not an option for my children. Private school was out of reach so public school was the only choice for our family.  I am in awe of moms who home school their children. It is an amazing act of love. However, in our case it would not work because of my history of learning disabilities.

As the mother of 5 children, I had to quit helping my kids with math about 2nd grade because it was important for them to advance to 3rd grade and beyond. Seriously though, I clearly was not a parent who could help my kids with math.  There had to be a better solution than

Child Killer and Enough

A guest post by Blondee.

There is no relationship that lasts longer in this world than the relationship of siblings. God's gift of best friends to us in life. Meet Lauren Belius and her twin sister Erica. Beautiful baby girls, aren't they?

The girls were inseparable, Lauren being the brave 'older' sister, and Erica being the shy little sister.

Older brother Nolan didn't just have to share the spotlight with one cute little sister, but two! These three joined our Taekwondo studio last spring. Busy little kids that we all got a kick out of watching as they learned their counters, kicks and kata's.

Lauren and Erica- blessings beyond words, beautiful memories made of first birthdays, milestones, holiday mornings and their sweet personalities.

Until one horrific morning in July of 2011.

David Trebilcock stabbed Lauren to death in her own bed as her twin sat inches from her in the very same bed, horrified and screaming for help. David had been plotting her murder, going as far as to lock the family dog in the garage and barricade the bedroom door with a dresser before approaching these amazing girls, naked- to fulfill his plan of killing a child.

By God's grace, Lauren and Erica's mom was able to break into the room and attacked David, incapacitating him so she could get her girls out of his evil clutches. Lauren succumbed to her injuries, tragically the little girl with the big grin left her family that day and went to Heaven where she would feel no pain, have no fear, and never be harmed again.

Now a little sister who was shy and dependent on her older, brave sister would be left to navigate the world alone. Her twin, her other half, torn from her right in front of her, torn from us all.

David Trebilcock admitted to murdering Lauren Belius. He did not take the stand in his own defense, instead pleaded not guilty by defense of insanity. He then requested a bench trial instead of a jury of his peers and last week was found NOT GUILTY of killing Lauren.

Our community has been devastated by the murder of this sweet girl, a family broken forever, and a mom has been left to look over her shoulder the rest of her life for a man who made statements that make us all concerned that her other children may be in grave danger when he is released. This man had the foresight to lock a family dog away from the girls it would have fought to protect. He shoved a dresser in front of a door that would have allowed these girls to escape. This man is not an insane man, he's a cold, calculating murderer who just worked our system and has been freed of all charges by Judge Dwyer of Oneida County.

Our laws need to be changed!

There should be NO plea of insanity if you murder a child, and there certainly should be no bench trial demanded by the murderer!

 

David Trebilcock can be out in the world amongst you and me in 12 months!! A man who admitted he had intercourse with a 12 year old child. A man who admitted to having drug problems in the past. A man who hid his past from others and left other states when he knew he was in trouble. The very same man who murdered Lauren in cold blood.

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Allison, Lauren's Mom is asking for help in spreading the word of this injustice. PLEASE, I am asking all of my readers to help me spread the word! Repost this on your own blog. Make every community aware of what our laws really do. Help us gain national exposure to get the ball rolling and make it so David Trebilcock and other child killers can not get away with this!

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Please do not just link to this blog...too many readers ignore links. Please cut and paste! Right click to copy the photos.

I thank you for your help.

Lauren's Mommy thanks you for your help!

Blondee

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How to Choose the Best Tutor to Supplement Your Homeschool Curriculum (Guest Blog)

How to Choose the Best Tutor to Supplement Your Homeschool Curriculum  


By David Greenberg, Parliament Tutors

You're a homeschool mom that's teaching three children. It's Friday afternoon and the weekend seems so close. You have just gone over the same algebra problem six times and you think your daughter finally gets it. You have a smile on your face and then she turns to you and says, "Mom, I just don't understand."  

Some students really need that extra attention to grasp a concept.  Sometimes a new and fresh perspective is the best approach.  So... you turn to your favorite search engine, and within seconds you're drowning in listings from tutoring agencies and independent tutors, all vying for your attention.  How do you navigate through the thicket?

Any good tutor would tell you that to tackle a big task, break it into smaller steps.  So let's take this task step by step.  First, let's get to know who we're dealing with, from top to bottom.

On top of the pyramid are the large companies with popular publications to their name and offices around the country.  They offer group classes and private lessons, and their teachers are carefully trained and given scripts to follow when they teach.  Their most affordable services aren't the most desirable, and their most desirable services aren't the most affordable.

Also near the top are other national companies with slightly less name recognition, but which offer similar services.  Be careful: some of these companies tend to strongly encourage students to sign up for many, many hours of instruction in their learning centers--more hours than they need, some reviewers say--and these hours can get pricey for the parents.  But if the time and money are available, the students will almost certainly benefit.  These companies seem to be expert at marketing, but it can be difficult to predict whether they'll be best for you.

Next come smaller companies which cater to more specialized markets, usually defined by either a particular subject or a smaller geographical area.  They can be harder to find, but it's worth the effort to search for them, because if they happen to cater to your needs, chances are they are well prepared to help you--they might know better the peculiarities of your school district's math program, for example, or they might already have a relationship with your school's counselors.

On the ground level are the individual tutors who work hard to do it all, both tutoring and publicizing.  They usually offer the best prices for individual tutoring, and many of them are wonderful, but some of them are not the kind of people you want to have in your homes, and it can be daunting to try to find out, on your own, which tutors provide reputable teaching services and which ones need a tutor themselves.

Now that we know who we're dealing with, think about what's important to you.  Are you looking for a tutor who can teach a certain amount of material in a certain amount of time?  Are you looking for a tutor with certain credentials, or a certain minimum amount of experience, or perhaps a certain type of personality?  Think about your ideal tutoring experience, and jot down some notes about the elements you envision.  Assemble a list of questions, in order of importance to you, to ask prospective tutors.  Some examples:

1. Is your schedule flexible?
2. Can you meet me in a location of my choosing?
3. Can you provide materials such as practice drills for the subject you'll be teaching?
4. What's your teaching pace?  Are your lessons usually energetic and stimulating, or do you focus on being reassuring and patient?
5. Do you have experience teaching people who have my learning style?
6. How much do you charge?  Can I afford your services, or if not, will you give me a discount?

Remember: even if you’re working through a tutoring service, it’s important to speak directly to your tutor to discuss the items most important to you before scheduling a lesson.

Good luck and happy studying!

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Spanish for Sophie

The following guest post introduces an interesting approach to learning Spanish: 

 Authored by Leandro Delgado

I wanted to teach my daughter a second language, Spanish, so that she could communicate with my side of the family, which was from Mexico. She is only four and it definitely makes sense to teach her now while she’s so absorbent so I signed us up for clear wireless internet so we could start taking Spanish tutorials together online. She has a private tutor who speaks with her via webcam once a week and the other days she does lessons on her own, usually in some type of game or cartoon which she finds really fun and stimulating. She’s picking Spanish up so quickly, I can’t believe it, and pretty soon she&r! squo;ll be speaking it better than I do! She can already pronounce many of the vocabulary words from items in our home and she’s loving the online tutor. He’s in Mexico and we’ve all agreed to meet up the next time I go home to visit my family, which should be lots of fun. I’m glad I started her young and hopefully she’ll thank me!

Getting Excited about Science with the Global Experiment (Guest Blog)

In his State of the Union address a few days ago, President Barack Obama stated that “We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.”  Yet it is sometimes difficult to get students excited about studying science.  Enter the International Year of Chemsitry (IYC), a yearlong, worldwide celebration of chemistry sponsored by some of the leading international chemistry organizations in the world.  As Andrew Liveris (president of the International Council of Chemical Associations, one main sponsor of the event) notes, “95 percent of the things that touch our lives — such as food, water, shelter, transportation, and medicine — are made possible through chemistry,” and the goal of the IYC is to help show people just how important chemistry is in daily life.  

To get students involved in the celebration, the IYC designed a Global Experiment called “Water: A Chemical Solution,” which has the potential to be the largest chemistry experiment ever.  Students from all over the globe will participate in the water themed experiments by testing how chemistry can be applied to purify water so it can be consumed. More specifically there are four activities that students will complete while taking part in the experiment: 1) acidity 2) salinity 3) filtration 4) solar still. Here is a more in-depth look into what students will be exploring in each required activity.

Acidity- In the first activity students will use pH strips and learn about the pH scale in order to measure the pH of their local body of water. They finish by learning methods for testing the reliability of their results.

Salinity- The Salinity activity provides students the experience of making their own water meter and testing the conductivity and salt presence in their particular water sample.

Filtration- Students must work with household or classroom found materials to construct a functioning water filtration system. In addition, they must test out and rank the filtration abilities of different materials. Then they will end this activity by carrying out an actual water treatment and filtration and record their findings on the Global Experiment website.

Solar Still- The Solar Still activity provides students experience in alternative methods of purifying water, with specific attention to the distillation process.

The Global Experiment assumes that teachers will direct students when they are carrying out each experiment, but the experiment encourages guidance and supervision from any adults willing to get involved. It does not matter if a teacher or parent has background in chemistry; the experiment comes with specific directions with regard to the methods and materials necessary for the successful completion of the modules.  According to the IYC, the experiments will cost very little, if anything at all, to get as many people participating as possible.  Finally, they designed experiments based on the level of education for those involved.  Elementary school children can follow simpler experiments while those in middle or high school have increasingly complex and challenging tasks.

The International Year of Chemistry kicks off February 6th, and the Global Experiment runs all year, so if you believe that your child or your class would enjoy participating in the experiment visit the website!  It is an easy yet terrific way to get students excited about science, and it also gets students involved in helping to solve the problem many countries have accessing clean drinking water.  When Liveris was in grade school he says he became “hooked on the knowledge that chemistry would open the door to innovations that would make the world a better place.”  Hopefully, by getting involved with the Global Experiment, more and more students will start to feel this way!

Alan Parker is a blogger based out of New York, NY who writes about alternative energy, green business, sustainability, and climate change.
Follow on Twitter @AGreenParker


(Thank you Alan Parker for this very valuable guest blog)




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Are Online Classes an Option for Your Family?

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Note:  I rarely have guest bloggers, because most people that have asked aren't as familiar with homeschooling as I would like and so their prospective posts don't really add much to the conversation of homeschooling.  (Do we really need a blogger who's never homeschooled telling us how to homeschool?) This is one of those rare cases when a guest blogger greatly impressed me, as did her service to homeschoolers.  Enjoy the following guest blog!

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The beauty of homeschooling lies in the total versatility of selecting curriculum and classes for our children. As homeschool parents, we control what knowledge our children receive and best of all, who shares that knowledge with them. As a mom, I love this aspect of schooling my children, but the part that throws me occasionally into a panic attack is the responsibility that accompanies it!

The panic subsides to some extent

Will This Month's Ruling in California Affect Us All?

In February, a state appeals court in California ruled that parents without official teaching credentials could not legally homeschool their children. Naturally, this sparked outrage across the country and not just within the homeschooling community. If this law could be passed there, why not everywhere? Are our civil liberties at risk throughout the nation?

The judge in this outrageous case used a state education law to support his ruling. He stated that, “parents do not have a constitutional right to home-school their children.” Thankfully, the appeals court is going to rehear the case this month. There are currently over 160,000 children being homeschooled in California and their way of life is being threatened.

It is estimated that the homeschooling population is growing 7 to 12 percent a year. This has the public school system and some higher government officials running scared… but for all the wrong reasons. While they may hide behind the guise of concern that parents aren't qualified to teach their children, it is obvious that their main worry is the fact that they lose money when children are pulled out of the system.

So, rather than improve the quality of public schools, officials have opted to twist the arms of homeschooling parents. Although the appeals court ruling in California may appear to be a fluke, it is sobering for those of us who cherish our constitutional right to teach our children without government interference.

Now, more than ever, homeschooling parents should become more familiar with their rights and any laws that could affect their livelihoods. The official site of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a great resource for the latest news that may affect homeschoolers in America. Without our active involvement, the anti-homeschooling movement could spread very quickly.

Guest Blogger By-line:

Heather Johnson is a regular commentator on the subject of college degrees. She welcomes your feedback and potential job inquiries at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Related article: California Ruling & HSLDA

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