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7th Grade Girls Honors Homeschool

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  I decided to post my 7th grade daughter's curriculum before Jackson's, because, frankly, it was much easier to put together!  She will be following the public school calendar and the Virginia state SOLs pretty closely, so I was able to create a comprehensive program for her in about a weeks time.  Jackson's program has taken me all summer to think through, and I am still not even close to finished...ugh!! I know many of you homeschool at least one other neuro-typical child, so I thought a quick blog about Caroline might be helpful, and also make you feel less guilty about not having all your ducks in a row for your autistic child's upcoming school year.  

As an FYI, Caroline is 12 and going into 7th grade.  While in public school, she was enrolled in the gifted program (called AAP or Advanced Academic Program here in Fairfax County).  We homeschooled her in 5th grade just for a one year experience, (she was jealous of her brother), but we found that when she went back into middle school for 6th grade, it was not a good fit for her...1500 out-of-control kids between the ages of 11-14 was just too much for my shy, introverted, witty, serious and intense kid.  She will finish all her work for the following program by noon every day and spend the rest of her time with her many other homeschool friends or in the gym, where she is happiest.


As Caroline's mother, this has been my favorite age so far by a mile!  I am so looking forward to spending more time with the most interesting, kind and funniest person I know, second only to my husband.


Math: Algebra 1

Math-U-See: Algebra 1

Caroline is a visual learner who needs a multi-sensory approach to new concepts. Math-U-See uses a manipulative number system to help students learn new concepts in a variety of ways and styles.  This curriculum also offers an option for live online co-op support groups for extra help, as well as instructional DVDs, student & teacher manuals and an extensive test book.

Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra

I love the Life of Fred series, it is a textbook like no other.  It presents math concepts in the form of a novel about a kid named Fred Gauss and his life adventures that revolve around the need to use math to solve his various problems.  Since Caroline's major weakness in math has always been word problems, this series is essential to her developing a stronger understanding of Algebra.

Hot X: Algebra Exposed

This is such a cool series of books written by Danica McKellar, the actress who played Winnie Cooper from Wonder Years.  Caroline has read all her other books up to the Algebra level.  McKellar's focus is to help girls feel powerful and confident in their math skills while maintaining their right to be a girl first.  So many STEM programs attempt to turn gifted girls into stereotypical "math nerds"and disregard their unique identity and interests as girls.  Caroline has the right to like to make-up and nail polish as well as complex equations and brain matter.

Hands-On-Equations

Caroline used this introductory algebra program during her 5th grade year.  We had the single student set and finished levels 1 and 2.  It can be used with kids as young as 1st grade, and is a fantastic tool for students with multiple learning styles.  This year, she will be doing level 3 using the iPad app only.  Since we still have all the boards and pieces from 2 years ago,  she can easily incorporate those if the app is not hands-on enough.


Science: Life Sciences

Caroline will be doing all of her science exclusively through a STEM Enrichment Learning Center called Ideaventions.   She will take 3 classes per term that meet once a week for a lab session with a project assignment to accompany each lesson.  This fall there are over 20 class offerings for grades K-8 ranging in topics from Kitchen Chemistry to Newtonian Physics to Ninja Robotics.  Caroline is the most excited about having the opportunity to dissect a cow's brain!


Social Studies:  U.S. History 1865-Present 

History of US

I used this text as a supplement to my 10th grade U.S. Government class because of its excellent use of primary source materials and well organized format.  PBS created a 16 part series, called "Freedom: A History of US", based on this text that is an excellent supplement to the program.  Caroline will only be using books 7-10 for her 7th grade curriculum as they align with the time periods to be studied.  This text also comes with teacher support materials such as an assessment book, resource guide, and teacher's manual.  I enjoy reading them as well, so I am excited to deepen my education into the history of us as well!!

Historical Fiction

I was very dismayed that Caroline was not required to read 1 single book last year during 6th grade.  Not one in any subject!!  I am a strong proponent of the benefits of literature in the development of a well rounded understanding of history.  So as part of each unit (9 weeks), she will be required to read between 3-5 novels that fill out the picture of life during each of these unique periods in American history.  For example, her 1st unit is " Reconstructing America: 1865-1890"   Therefore, she will be reading the following books:

1.  Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia McLachlan
2.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3.  Water Street by Patricia Reilly Giff
4.  Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli


Language Arts: Oral and Written Presentations

I am very excited to have a new language arts teacher in our ranks this year!  My husband will be taking over as Caroline's writing teacher!  He will be focusing on her presentation skills to include both the oral and written formats.  While she is an excellent creative writer, and feels very confident with short stories and poetry,  she needs to begin developing her organizational writing skills as well.  Paul will bring a discipline to her work that has not been taught, nor even expected before, while challenging her to elevate her writing to a level that rivals the work he edits daily at his job.

Music/Art:  Digital Music Mixing and Drawing

Mixed in Key: MashUp 2

For the first semester, Caroline will be learning how to mix digital music files.  Her music interest does not translate into playing an instrument, or performing, but she does seems to gravitate towards music appreciation.  Through this software program, she will learn to identify and match tempo and key in order to create new and unique pieces of music.

DrawSpace

Caroline loves to draw.  She has played around with sketching with charcoals and other pencils.  We found this basic online drawing program that seems to be a good match with her current skills.  We expect to try a new program next semester that aligns with another artistic interest of hers: photography.

Physical Education: Strength & Conditioning

Tennis Lessons

Caroline will be taking tennis lessons from a friend of ours who is a wonderful teacher and super passionate about the game!  She has maybe hit a ball twice in her life, so this is a new adventure for sure.

Basketball

Caroline's typically takes a few months off from basketball from July-Oct to refresh her body and mind.  She just finished up her summer swim team, and is looking to find a new basketball team for this fall/winter.  This fall, she will be doing light training during open gyms and guest playing on different teams.  We avoid joining teams until the winter season, so she can rest from the intensive Nov-June season that she currently participates in.


Personal Physical Training

As Caroline's basketball gets more serious, she needs to be adding as much muscle as she safely can for a girl her age (12yrs).  She is currently 5'7" and 100lbs soaking wet.  She plays with girls who have 30 lbs on her and it is getting to the point where she is constant danger of getting injured because of her aggressive style of play.  We are looking into everything from CrossFit Kids, to P90X, to a personal trainer (to be done with a friend), to daily workouts here at home with my husbands extensive gym equipment.  She is too young for weights, so body mass resistance is the main focus of whatever program we finally decide on.


Bible Study:  Proverbs 31

This year, Caroline will be focusing her Bible studies on gaining a better understanding of what a Godly woman looks like based on the model presented to her through Proverbs 31.  There are many great small group and individual studies available on this topic.  She will begin with both a new Bible and the book P31 Bible Study for Teens.


How to Select an Autism Homeschool Curriculum

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This is the time of year that I get the most requests for advice on how to homeschool children on the autism spectrum.  Sometimes it is from parents who have decided to start this journey from day one of the new school year, and other times, it is from discouraged and disappointed parents who have encountered too many roadblocks in their child's traditional school situation to justify continuing to send them to their existing school.  Regardless of the exact situation, it is likely that any parent would feel quite a bit of anxiety at the prospect of bearing the responsibility of their child's special needs education.

So for everyone...

Step 1:  Relax!

Most homeschool "experts" encourage new families to take at least a month off after leaving the traditional school setting.  This is time for both the student and parent to decompress and unlearn some of the bad educational habits picked up from an unhealthy learning environment.  For my son, he left school after an extremely stressful 6 weeks of constant punishment and meltdowns over a terribly executed ABA program that sent him to the corner behind a taped line for 90% of his day.  He needed a full month to stop crying and self-injuring every time he "made a mistake".  We all benefited from the renewed sense of safety and security of a newly peaceful and calm 11 yr old boy!  From this point, I could embark on...

Step 2: Connecting

I have personally found that connecting to other special needs homeschoolers has been an invaluable part of our success over that past 4 years.  I jumped right on Twitter the week we pulled Jackson out of 6th grade.  I started this blog the following week, and joined up with Hip Homeschool Moms shortly after that, then linked them all to a Facebook page a few months later.  Just those 4 simple acts have helped me feel a part of a much larger community of passionate and dedicated parents who are committed to providing their children with the best possible educational experience!  I have also connected locally with other homeschooling families of both autistic and neurotypical children.  These friendships have grown into my closest relationships since my college days of actually living with my favorite people.  Shared pain and shared victories have a way of helping us all through the roller coaster that is parenting - of ALL abilities and gifts!


Step 3:  Schedules

Even before you select your curriculum and materials, you need to develop an outline for your daily schedule.  I would recommend expanding it from wake-up to bed-time, not just for your expected school day activities.  Homeschooling autism includes so much life skills work, that even breakfast is a learning moment that shouldn't be over looked.  Within a year of homeschooling our son, he was able to shower and get dressed on his own!  That would never have occurred so quickly if I had not been so deliberate about teaching him...often times for up to an hour at a time (and who has that luxury when trying to shuttle them to the bus at 7:00 am).  Prior to this, he was still taking nightly baths, with me pouring a cup of water of his head...sometimes getting hit in the face, sometimes not...

The first year I homeschooled, my son's schedule was broken up into 15-30 minute blocks.  I created blocks for Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science even before I found the materials for each subject.  Once I found the right flow to our day, I was able to insert academic work very easily.  Here are Jackson's daily schedules for 6th-9th grades:
I have used worksheets, clipboards, white boards, notebooks, chalkboards, & iPads to display the daily schedule, as my son needs a visual roadmap to follow along with, and even check off activities as he finishes them.  Once you create a loose outline for your day, you will begin to get a sense for how much work you will reasonably be able to accomplish in a day, weeks and months time.  If your child can only sit for 10-15 minutes at a time and do work (which would be an awesome accomplishment!) that will help you choose the best curriculum for him.  If your child works best with an iPad and/or on the computer, then that will also direct your choices.  Don't invest in any materials until you have a general daily plan.  Otherwise, hundreds of dollars of good ideas will collect dust in the corner as you struggle to manage your day.  At this point you should feel confident enough for...

Step 4:  Curriculum and Materials 

I use both the words "curriculum" and "materials" here, because in the 4 years that I've homeschooled, I have never bought an official, pre-packaged curriculum.  I prefer to buy individual materials (books, workbooks, worksheets, games, puzzles, experiments, arts & crafts, downloads, apps, software, etc...).  I am of the mindset that homeschooling should not break the bank or tax your family financially.  It can be done with a very modest budget and no one should be intimidated by the perceived cost.  The $500 curriculum packs are an option, but definitely not the best option for an autism program because most kids on the spectrum have very uneven academic development.  Investing in a "4th Grade Language Arts" curriculum will likely be a waste of money as your child might be at 4th grade for reading, but a 2nd grade for reading comprehension, 5th for spelling, 3rd for vocabulary, and even 1st for handwriting.  I relied heavily on the following resources during my 1st year of homeschooling.  They were very inexpensive, required no long term commitment, and I simply printed a weeks worth of work and was able to readjust if the materials didn't work.  


Once I gained confidence in both my and Jackson's abilities, I added more resources and activites including:

New York Times
Books on CD
Devotionals
Piano
Painting
Daily Chores
Treadmill

Some other curriculum and materials that other autism homeschoolers recommend are (in no particular order):

Online/Computer Based:
Easy Peasey

Traditional Materials:
Life of Fred
Math-U-See
Beast Academy
Singapore Math
Saxon Math
Horizons Math
Teaching Textbooks
Timberdoodle
All About Spelling
Spell and Write and Read 
Handwriting Without Tears
K12
A Beka
Sonlight

At this point, you are probably pretty overwhelmed with the choices and possibilities in front of you. This leads perfectly into the final stage of the process to beginning your homeschool journey...

Step 5: Be Flexible 

Unless you are willing to throw out everything you've just read and try something totally different, homeschooling might be a rough road!  Trust yourself and your child.  If something is just not working, no matter how many mommy bloggers swear by it, then pitch it and don't think twice.  Your kid needs exactly what your kid needs.  Don't waste precious time and energy forcing a program that is not the right fit.  If you all have to go a few weeks glued to the TV while you try, and try, and try again to find better materials, then you lose a few weeks, and not a few years, which is what many of us feel was lost to our children while in public school.

Many blessings to you and your family as you begin, what I hope, are the best years of your family's lives!  And just think, your days of making lunches at 7:30am are over too...it's the small things that usually make me the happiest, that and this guy...

  




Creating Your Own Home Schooling Lesson Plan

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The first time you write a home schooling lesson plan may seem challenging.  Once you finish this first home schooling lesson plan, any other curriculum will come that much easier.  I recommend writing a math plan to start because it is very logical and organized.  English, Social Studies, or any foreign languages will have different requirements and are really up to your own interpretations as how to best instruct whereas math is straight forward.  This will make your home schooling lesson plan very easy to develop.  Completing a home schooling lesson plan is probably the most fulfilling things you can do as an teacher.

What To Include In Your Home Schooling Lesson Plan

The first thing you want to make sure of is that you cover the material required.  Whatever grade you have and whatever age of the student, be absolutely sure that the required material is covered.  You can find this home schooling information online very easily. 

Once you have done that you need to develop fun activities to instruct your student or students.  These can be games, memory cards, or even real world applications that make the math seem fun.  For addition I like to set up a small store and have my child buy thing then add them up.  I then make them pay and figure out how much change they get so that they can do subtraction as well.  Multiplication and division can be worked in as well. 

For higher level math you can set up a hardware store and have your child design rough rudimentary geometric shapes for make believe construction projects.  I find this works well even with high school kids.  This can be as complicated or as simple as you want.

As you can see the key to developing your own unique home schooling lesson plan is to make it fun.  The rest will fall into place as long as you stick to the guidelines laid out by the school.  Do this and you should have no problems writing additional lessons for your kids.  All these follow similar guide lines, but you will have more freedom as the material is a little bit looser in the arts.  The sciences however you should be able to apply the techniques you learned writing your initial home schooling lesson plan.

Hopefully this has helped you to determine what you need to do to write your home schooling lesson plan.  Follow these steps and the rest should quickly fall into place.  

Developing Your Own Home School Math Curriculum

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The first time you develop home school math curriculum may seem daunting.  Once you complete this initial home school math curriculum, any other curriculum will come that much easier.  I recommend doing math to start because it is very logical and organized.  English, Social Studies, or any foreign languages will have different requirements and are really up to your own interpretations as how to best instruct whereas math is straight forward.  This will make your home school math curriculum very easy to develop.  Completing a home schooling lesson plan is one of the most fulfilling things you can do as an instructor.

Things To Include In Your Home School Math Curriculum

The first thing you want to make sure of is that you cover the material required.  Whatever grade you have and whatever age of the student, be absolutely sure that the required material is covered.  

Once you have done that you need to develop fun activities to instruct your student or students.  These can be games, memory cards, or even real world applications that make the math seem fun.  For addition I like to set up a small store and have my child buy thing then add them up.  I then make them pay and figure out how much change they get so that they can do subtraction as well.  Multiplication and division can be worked in as well. 

For higher level math you can set up a hardware store and have your child design rough rudimentary geometric shapes for make believe construction projects.  I find this works well even with high school kids.  This can be as complicated or as simple as you want.

As you can see the key to developing your own unique home school math curriculum is to make it fun.  The rest will fall into place as long as you stick to the guidelines laid out by the school.  Do this and you should have no problems writing additional lessons for your kids.  All these follow similar guide lines, but you will have more freedom as the material is a little bit looser in the arts.  The sciences however you should be able to apply the techniques you learned writing your initial home school math curriculum.

Hopefully this has helped you to determine what you need to do to write your home school math curriculum.  Follow these steps and the rest should quickly fall into place.  Good luck and keep teaching!

Creating High School Home School Curriculum

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If you have ever thought about home schooling your teenagers but believed that setting up the curriculum was impossible, than this article is here to show that it is not.  High school home school curriculum can be simple to develop if you know where and what to look for.  There are plenty of groups out there that offer free home school curriculum and you can use those to build your own high school home school curriculum.

Requirements For Your High School Home School Curriculum

There are several things that you need to be very aware of before you begin developing the high school home school curriculum.  You need to have a good understanding of what the home schooling laws are.  Each state has different laws and you need to look up what the laws are for your state before you can begin developing any kind of high school home school curriculum.  Things like home school math curriculum will have very specific requirements.

After you understand the laws I would highly recommend finding a support group.  This group will help you in developing your high school home school curriculum as well as provide an outlet for support.  These groups not only offer encouragement, but they can also help you choose your curriculum, keep records, meet the local and state laws, as well as provide opportunities and activities for your kids.

You also need to understand the basics of record keeping.  It is very important to keep good records of your child’s home school years.  There are several different methods to keeping track of your child’s progress that range from something as simple as a notebook to as complex as a software suite.  Personally I prefer keeping my records on computer as they are easily transferable, easily readable, and easy to back up and keep track of.  In addition you can send this data off very quickly and easily if you are ever required to.

The next thing you need to develop is a schedule for your child.  For this I recommend going with whatever works best for you and your child.  Some children work better in the morning, others in the afternoon.  The key is to find the right time to work with your child so that the two of you can develop a solid schedule for their schooling.

These are just the first steps you need to take before setting up your curriculum.  There are many more, but address these issues first before moving on.   Next you will need to start looking at what material to put in your curriculum, how much and what is needed for each grade.

Writing A Home School Curriculum Review

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If you are looking to help the home school community out there then writing home school curriculum review is one of the best things you can do.  By sharing your experiences through a home school curriculum review you can help the community to find the easiest and best home school curriculum for our children.

How To Start Your Home School Curriculum Reviews

The best way to start is to write like you are talking to your audience.  For home school curriculum review your audience will be very specific, more than likely the parents of the children that are being educated with the material.  Be sure to speak in plain English that they can understand, but to also go into depth with your descriptions of the material and how it worked best for you.

I would start your home school curriculum review with an overview of the curriculum.  What it covers, who it is for age wise and grade wise, and what is included in the curriculum.  Then after the overview, break down each section of the curriculum in your home school curriculum review and review it individually.

Each lecture, test, and reading should be highlighted somewhat and discussed as to why it is good and bad.  While this may seem like overkill, if you expect your home school curriculum review to be beneficial it has to be thorough.  Each section needs to be discussed in depth, but not too much.  Usually one or two sentences should suffice.

After discussing all of that you need to summarize your home school curriculum review.  This should be the longest section of your entire review and you should now expound upon your thoughts of the material as a whole.  Describe the positive and negative effects of the curriculum, as well as what you child and you enjoyed and did not enjoy.   This information will be very helpful to those looking to use the curriculum and again is probably the most important part.

As you can see there are many important components to your home school curriculum review.  Take each step and be thorough because your work on these reviews is very important to you and your other home schoolers.  It is the work of dedicated reviewers that lets the home school community survive and thrive.  Without these efforts the work that is out there would not be able to be quantified and qualified.  That it is why it is so important that a home school curriculum review be as thorough and complete as possible.

Using Free Home School Curriculum For Your Childs Education

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Home schooling is becoming more and more popular these days and with its meteoric rise in popularity there has sprung up more and more websites and forum groups dedicated to providing free home school curriculum.  While most of it is helpful, there is some free home school curriculum out there that can be counter productive to your personal educational goals.   Home school curriculum reviews can give you an idea what the free home school curriculum provides, but to really get an idea what it has to offer you need to look at it yourself.

Things To Look For In Free Home School Curriculum

The first thing you want to make absolutely sure of is that the material is for the right grade and age group of your child.  In addition you also want to make sure that it qualifies with your state and local governments for use in home schooling.  You can check with the local government or with your support group to see whether the free home school curriculum has what you need.  Look around and this information should be very easy to find.

The next thing to make sure of is that the free home school curriculum has all the lesson plans and tests included in it.  Sometimes you will find the curriculum, but none of these add ons with it.  It is imperative that you have these and it will make you job a lot easier.  You can vary these test and even adjust the schedule as you see fit, but it helps to have the structure in place to plan this stuff around.

Lastly you want to make sure that the free home school curriculum is interesting.  The last thing you want to do is implement a boring set of curriculum for your child.  School at home is supposed to fun, both for you and your child.  While education is of course hard work, that does not mean that it has to be boring and no fun.  Anything from biology to history can be exciting with the right material.  Make sure that your free home school curriculum has this or you could be in for a very long year.

As you can see there are a few simple keys to getting the most out of your free home school curriculum.  Follow these guide lines and you should be instructing your kids the fun way in no time.

Setting Up A Home Schooling Curriculum

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If you have ever thought about home schooling your children but thought that setting up the curriculum was too hard, than this article is here to show that it is not.  Home schooling curriculum can be easy to develop if you know where and what to look for.  There are plenty of sites out there that offer free home school curriculum and you can use those to build your own home schooling curriculum.

What You Need For Your Home Schooling Curriculum

There are several things that you need to be keenly aware of before you begin developing your home schooling curriculum.  You need to have a keen understanding of what the home schooling laws are.  Each state has different laws and you need to look up what the laws are for your state before you can begin developing any kind of home schooling curriculum.  

After you understand the laws I would highly recommend finding a support group.  This group will help you in developing your home schooling curriculum as well as provide an outlet for support.  These groups not only offer encouragement, but they can also help you choose your curriculum, keep records, meet the local and state laws, as well as provide opportunities and activities for your kids.

You also need to understand the basics of record keeping.  It is very important to keep good records of your child’s home school years.  There are several different methods to keeping track of your child’s progress that range from something as simple as a notebook to as complex as a software suite.  Personally I prefer keeping my records on computer as they are easily transferable, easily readable, and easy to back up and keep track of.  In addition you can send this data off very quickly and easily if you are ever required to.

The next thing you need to develop is a schedule for your child.  For this I recommend going with whatever works best for you and your child.  Some children work better in the morning, others in the afternoon.  The key is to find the right time to work with your child so that the two of you can develop a solid schedule for their schooling.

These are just the first steps you need to take before setting up your home schooling curriculum.  There are many more, but address these issues first before moving on.   Next you will need to start looking at what material to put in your curriculum, how much and what is needed for each grade.

Demand For Online College Homeschooling Rising

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It is now possible to start your college work at home, which means doing online college home schooling.  In the process, you use the internet, and you may earn a few credits or a college diploma through distance learning.  Homeschooling college is becoming increasingly popular for a number of reasons.  You can actually start your college work through one university and then finish your degree on campus at another. 

You can receive study materials for your university projects through the university sites or through links on the internet which can lead to college credit by examination.  Some colleges have even developed targeted modularized programs for online college home schooling.  In today’s world the learner has the freedom to expand his learning beyond the classroom or textbook.

College Admissions

Before you join college there are several online programs that you can download, which will help your life after home school.  The child should learn to find a life direction that matches his interest, values, skills and personality.  The convenient online program helps to make self-assessments and the program has college exploration tools. 

When a home-schooled applicant applies for a college, his application is seen differently.  Some colleges who encourage online college home schooling admit many home schoolers, whereas others refuse all.  Therefore all home schoolers need to take special college preparatory classes just like traditional students, because it is not included in the home schooling curriculum. 

Degree Program

For online college home schooling, it is possible to get a bachelor’s degree or become an advocate by learning from home.  So you can actually finish your bachelor’s degree from wherever you are.  If you are part of the Online Bachelor of General Studies Degree Completion Program, then you can enjoy the opportunity and flexibility to study anything that is of interest for you and at the same time earn an undergraduate degree.  The program has an accreditation and is therefore very popular as online college home schooling. 

Other Reasons

Due to financial restraints it is often not possible for many students to go to college. Most home schoolers complete their under graduation, and learn a vocation.  Once they start earning money, it is difficult to give it up and then go back to the student life.  But some do not give up easily and pursue an online college home schooling while jobbing all day, so that they can get a university degree. 

Also, it is the average student who opts for online college home schooling.  The really good ones have taken entrance tests for various colleges and acquired scholarships, so that they are financially relieved.  Many home schoolers take to doing home schooling because they were unable to cope with the pressures of school.  Hence, it is only a small percentage of home schoolers who opt for online college home schooling.

Research Helps You Find Affordable Online Home schooling

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It is expensive if you consider home schooling for your children, because all the curricula has to be bought by you and is generally expensive.  Buying online costs a lot of money too.  If you are a single earning family, then it means that one of you is staying home to do home schooling for your kid.  So, in order to have affordable online home schooling, the best option is to order home schooling material from online sources. 

Donna Young
Look for sites on the web, which have lesson plans and lessons for free.  If you are on a tight budget, this would be the best option for you.  For example Donna Young’s website has many lessons on math, science, handwriting and history which are totally free.  There are plenty of free activities available there too, and this makes affordable online home schooling for you.

Finally Fun Home Schooling Curriculum
The website Finally Fun Home Schooling Curriculum can also provide you with affordable online home schooling.  The lessons are not free, but offers a good package for one child.  It has a variety of science programs, for example, or other subjects like math solutions and unit studies.  The complete series of Magic School Bus book is available here with lesson plans, study guides, parent notes and vocabulary.

There are always two options when you are choosing material from different websites.  You can either take a package which includes a full subscription to all material on the site or you can choose the material individually, according to what you require.  Check the packages carefully, and pick and choose what your child needs now or for the entire year.  It is possible to get good bargains, and a little bit of time will enable you to make your home schooling affordable.

Curriculum
Use the internet to chalk out your individual home schooling curriculum that is affordable. At the high school level, it is difficult to get affordable online home schooling, because students need information about a lot of courses.  Students need to attend lab classes if they are learning biology and chemistry, and at this stage it is best to have home school groups to overcome this difficulty.  The same problem may occur if you opt for online college home schooling.

In order to look for resources you can take the help of yahoogroups.com and also look out for local groups and then join them for practical training, etc.  If it is not possible for science students to find a lab where they can attend classes, it is possible to visit home schools based online who offer courses.  You can then complete the study material online and submit the lessons in order to get a grade for that subject.

Accredited and affordable online home schooling is ideal for your child, because that is the best place for you to get the online syllabus.  Though the child is studying in a home school he gets all the benefits of a traditional school like a diploma and grades, simply because it is accredited.

Accredited Online Homeschooling To Maintain Standards

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Many home school groups are facing problems regarding accreditation.   Even if there is no accreditation, home schoolers will not stop joining community college or university.  Accreditation is a type of stamp of approval that is given to a school, but it does not guarantee the educational outcome of its students. But with many parents of children learning at home, it has become an affordable online home schooling.
 
Now there is a lot of accredited online home schooling, because independent study and home education are alternative approaches to education.  Online home schooling is increasing in popularity and accredited online home schooling helps follow professional standards for educational programs.  When an online home schooling has completed the accreditation process, it can provide the public with an assurance of the quality of accountability and supervision of the students who enroll for their home schooling.
 
Accredited online home schooling is generally in private schools offering home schooling, independent study, correspondence home schooling and online home schooling to people in the US.  Such home schooling has all the resources that are necessary for a child’s education. Often home school students who return to public high schools have problems transferring credits. But, if the student has done his study program from an accredited online home schooling, all credits can be automatically transferred.
 
Christian Programs
Many accredited online home schooling programs enroll families to teach them how to encourage home schooling for their children.  Most of these are Christian programs, where families are also taught to respect values and raise and educate their children, so that they can be good citizens. They provide services for pre-kindergarten to the 12th grade.   The family is taught to provide education to their children through home schooling and how the student can graduate from high school and earn a diploma.  Such online home schooling programs are used by every type of family like actors, athletes, lawyers, teachers, single parents and politicians.
 
High School And Beyond
For high school and beyond the accredited online home schooling is CD-rom based and done through cyber schools. Online courses are provided through cyber schools, and the curriculum can be completely grade-based or interest-based.  The best ones receive accreditation and can then be customized to suit your child’s interests and abilities.  You require specific software for it, and of course a reliable internet access which is fast as well.
 
The disadvantage of this type of accredited online home schooling is that one tends to depend too much on new technologies like white boards.  These are not always reliable or sometimes some home computers cannot access them, and they have been known to vanish.  But you should always have non-net ways to contact these businesses.
 
Since virtual courses and degree programs are gaining popularity, it is affecting the American education in general and home schooling in particular.

Online High School Homeschooling For High School Diploma

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Online high school home schooling is a unique experience, because every online high school helps each student to meet his needs.  The rules of education are not laid down; they are tailored according to your unique set of circumstances. Since there are no distractions and obstacles, the students have an opportunity to get a quality education. 
 
Programs
Online high school home schooling implies that the student does not attend a physical high school, but attends it by using the computer.  There are accredited high schools which provide all instruction through distance learning.  It is possible to acquire your high school diploma online through accredited online home schooling.  All the features of a regular high school are available in an online high school home schooling. 
 
The class materials are all up-to-date with regular assignments, exams and quizzes.  There are group discussions and hands-on lab assignments and there is a continuous interaction between the student, the teacher and the parent. 
 
There are some added benefits in an online high school home schooling.  The environment is safe, flexible and peaceful for learning.  The spirit of teamwork is inculcated, as students, parents and teachers work closely with one another. The most attractive feature that sets the program apart is the pace that each student can maintain, which is not possible in a regular high school.
 
Curriculum
All core subjects are offered in the online high school home schooling which are present in traditional high schools.  There are many additional areas of study and the students can also prepare for college or for a vocation. Home study courses are provided and the online high school ensures that the course that you take with them will satisfy high school requirements.  Classes are offered to suit your needs, whether you plan to join college or start working. There are introductory, core and elective classes. 
 
Through the computer and an internet connection the student can access online class materials.  Through the net it is possible to participate in group discussions and access online study guides.
 
Faculty
The faculty provided for online high school home schooling is of the highest quality and each one of the teaching members has the education and experience to provide the students with a superior high school education.  They have a special training to provide instruction in an online high school environment.
 
Tuition
Online high school home schooling can be made affordable to every student with a deferred payment option and affordable monthly payments.  There is always a program to suit your needs. The virtual high school classes help to shape your academic and professional future and the high quality resources which are available in online high school home schooling enables you to get a high school diploma online.

Online Homeschooling Program Allows Great Freedom For Students

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There are several online home schooling programs available on the net, and if you want to start a new home schooling program for yourself, just look at one of the programs on the net, and you will realize that they provide everything you need for the best education.  The children love the multimedia that is part of the program.
 
Such programs are created by visionary curriculum specialists, educators and technologists.  They have together developed online home schooling programs, which otherwise families attempt to do alone.  Now, online home schooling has become much easier, and parents can boast of having more time with their children. If it is successful at the first stage, the children can subsequently be put through online high school home schooling.
 
When an online home schooling program is developed, it opens doors for many parents to provide their children with a quality education. The curriculum is often based on multimedia material.  There are sometimes around 150 courses offered, right from the traditional reading, writing and arithmetic to the modern home school courses like web design and crime scene investigation.  Such courses make use of interactive online activities like puzzles, games and research projects.  Otherwise, the main methods of teaching are through video, audio and offline textbooks.
 
For Students
The biggest advantage of an online home schooling program is the freedom that the students get, because they are able to work through the courses at their own pace.  In this way learning disabilities or fast learners co-exist without any problems of grade levels.  There is no memorizing at all, as the students retain the information that they learn. There are no tests to be passed; it is all about enriching the minds of the students with wisdom and truth.
 
For Parents
This pattern of the online home schooling program is loved by parents, because they have total control and overview of what their children learn.  The learning environment has no peer pressure, negative influences and several other dangers.  Most of these solutions are completely led by parents for today’s home schooler. 
 
Many academies have independent resource centers for home schoolers in kindergarten right up to the 12th grade.  Home school curriculum is delivered online and includes all the material that is necessary to learn.  Everything runs smoothly and perfectly on modem-speed internet connections as well as high-speed broadband lines.
 
Hence, the online home schooling program shows an enhancement of the skills of the student participating in the program, but also a process of learning for every parent who stands by his child during the course of the program.

Free Online Home Schooling With Academic Teachers

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Several educational services sponsor free online home schooling in which an online schoolroom is offered for the use of home schoolers everywhere.  As a teacher any home schooling parent can be taken who creates resources and activities on this site.  Since it is a free online home schooling, all that you need to do is to go to the site and enroll in the class. 
 
Teacher
If you want to be enrolled as a teacher, just post a message in the general introductions forum, in which you talk about yourself.  Some teachers who are enrolled here are in several private online classrooms and online schools  as well as in formal, online courses. At any centre which provides free online home schooling, the home schooling children have access to highly qualified intellectual role models. 
 
The group of teachers is diverse and better than traditional schools.  The major core subjects are covered, and English is done through college entrance level, and maths is through calculus. The teachers generally have many years of public school experience and they are deeply aware of the problems inherent in traditional schooling methods. 

They provide a highly flexible and inspiring alternative learning environment and a systematic online home schooling program.
 
Moodle
There is a free online home schooling course provided by the Moodle online course software which includes facilities like quizzes, forums, chatrooms, assignments, surveys, journals, lessons and workshops.  This is being conducted presently as an experiment in collaborative online education.  If you use the facilities on this platform, it can prove beneficial not only to you but also for other home schooling families who can learn from seeing what the others are doing.
 
In the free online home schooling the parents have to take over the role of the teacher, and create an educationally friendly environment.  Naturally all parents cannot feel confident about teaching all the subjects to their children.  The home schooling classes which are provided are an excellent alternative to just learning from the parents.
 
Free World U
Another interesting example of free online home schooling is the Free World U, which is a new site for home schoolers.  A method of accelerated learning is used here and it works much faster than the conventional school methods.  The curriculum covers the grades preschool through 12. 
 
Teaching by flashcards is the method of learning here and it works very fast. Every information is broken up into simple fact units and placed on flashcards. and the flashcards have graphics or diagrams as illustrations. The students mark the flashcards as correct or incorrect and through this method they sort the units into learned and unlearned categories.

Hence free online home schooling is actually studying that the child does at home under the supervision of academic teachers, but the parent needs to get involved in the education of the child, but not teach the daily lessons.

Online Home Schooling As The School At Home

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Online home schooling is sometimes an open choice by the parents to educate their children at home.  The parents want their children to get individual attention from them, and so they prefer to keep them at home.  Often children have had problems in school and parents suffer along with the child, till suddenly they realize that it is better to sever ties with the schools and begin to take over the lessons which they would have learnt at school.
 
If you want your child to become a home school student, there are unlimited courses available on the net from grades 2 to 12.  For example, through the Global Student Network there are more than eighty courses available which are deeply rooted to National content standards. All the course material that you need is delivered via the internet and you have the best libraries, museums and educational sites in the world at your disposal.
 
Curriculum
The curriculum for online home schooling is flexible and customizable, but very interactive.  The curriculum is always kept up-to-date with current and relevant material.  The lessons which are provided online basically promote reading, but help the children to analyze, think and then articulate their thoughts.  Online access is 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.  It is totally internet secure, and compatible with all internet features including parental control.
Many American families living overseas prefer online home schooling as an alternative educational solution for their children. Since the complete virtual courses are from grades 2 to 12, the choice of programs in the curriculum is much more diverse than in a local school.  Some of the online home schooling curricula are most cost-effective and comprehensive. 
 
Advantages
The biggest advantage is the time factor, as all the 80 courses are for one full calendar year, running 365 days a year and 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.  The curriculum offers multiple features so that individualized education plans can be strengthened.  At the same time the student’s curriculum can be customized for the appropriate subject grade level.
 
Audio And Video
The audio and video components are important features of the online home schooling.  The audio component reads texts to students and many video clips are shown to students, practically for every course.  The curriculum is totally web-based and delivered completely via the internet.  You get no CDs and no books, and you cannot download any of the material. 
 
All the courses offered for online home schooling adhere to the National Curriculum standards.  The courses are made in such a way that they fit all learning styles and keep in mind the interests and needs of the students and families. This system encourages the students to search for information and find answers on their own.  Parents take over the role of the teacher and their module has the answer keys. 
 
For any course pertaining to online home schooling you have to enroll for the course and fill in the enrollment form. The prices vary according to the courses available, and there is free online home schooling available too. Once you get your user ID and password, you can just login and begin your journey of online home schooling.      

Some Of The Home School Materials You Will Need To Teach Your Student

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There are many different home school materials you will need to be effective at home schooling your student.  There are also many different places to purchase home school materials.  The first home school materials you will need are the essentials such as pencils, pens and paper.  The most important home school materials you will need are books and accredited curriculum from different distributors, the most well known being Scholastic.
 
Make A List And Check It Twice
It is very easy to spend a lot of money on different home school materials that you do not need or could get for a lower price.  You can find great deals from online distributors and even used home school materials such as used books.  There also is always the option of using online home schooling for help and even curriculum programs are available from online home schooling websites.  I know all of this sounds a bit overwhelming, but you just need to plan it out carefully and make a list of all the home school materials you will need for the first six months. Then you can always re-supply yourself as you go and as you learn what new curriculum you will need.
 
There are other ways of acquiring home school materials such as textbooks from actually going to your local school and talking to the librarians and asking if they have any old unused textbooks you can have or buy for cheap.  You will be surprised at how many schools have textbooks that are out dated and they can’t use but are perfectly good for home schooling.  Another very critical part of home school materials is for testing.
 
Most states have different rules about home schooling and testing but most have state approved tests and testing supplies available for home schooling purposes.  The best way to find out if your state has those materials available for you is by simply going to the state education website.  You can usually easily navigate your way through the website to find at least the contact info necessary to talk to someone to find out how to acquire them or to actually get the tests and materials themselves.
 
Now that you think you have all of the home school materials you need you might find out as you start teaching that there are still some home school materials you don’t have.  Don’t be scared, as there are many office supply stores and shops across America that can supply you with most of the materials you might not have.  Your task of teaching your child at home is a very time consuming and full time job.  Do not take it lightly and assume it will be easy because it will consume more of your time than you think.  If you put everything you have into teaching then you can get great results that you couldn’t get at a public or even private school. The advantage of one-on-one attention for your student cannot be found at either a public or private school.

The Advantages Of Home Schooling High School

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Most people who home school do so from the beginning. But some brave souls decide to take over the role of educator when their children reach high school.  Home schooling high school can be challenging to say the least, especially if the student has been attending public school since kindergarten. For kids that have grown up with home schooling, home schooling high school is a breeze. But for those new to home schooling, drastic adjustments will have to be made.
 
Home Schooling High School Means Change
Any parents attempting to home schooling high school to their own teenager will need to do a lot of research.  Each state has rules and regulations regarding home schooling that must be adhered to. These must be discovered and complied with to ensure that your child will get an accredited diploma.  Some states require certain curriculum, progress reports, standardized testing and some teacher training for example.  There may be a mound of paperwork before you even get started, and ongoing paperwork as you educate your child.  Some states make home schooling high school easier than others, so start early to avoid delays.  If you need help ask for it, your child’s education depends on it.
 
Once everything is in order legally, you will need to plan everyday.  Find resources online, such as forums or groups that you can use to find answers to any home schooling high school questions that may come up.  Networking with other home schooling parents can benefit both you and your child.  The one thing that home schooling high school does not naturally supply like a classroom setting is social functions.  These must be available, especially for high school aged students, to ensure proper social learning.
 
Always get the appropriate curriculum supplies, home school materials and find a teaching style that works well for your child.  This may take a while, as every student learns in different ways.  What works for one of your children may not work as well for another.  One of the biggest advantages of home schooling high school is that your student will get one-on-one attention and can spend as much time as necessary learning something before going on to the next subject.  In an over crowded classroom setting with many teenage distractions this is impossible, most of the learning happens with little instruction and even less understanding.  This may be why home schooled children generally test at much higher grade levels than their traditionally taught peers.
 
It may be difficult in the beginning, like being disciplined enough for a strict study schedule, but home schooling high school is worth it.  It is rewarding for you and ensures that your child learns everything he or she should before going on to college.

A Good Home School Resource Is Priceless

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When it comes to home schooling your child, having really good resources is key.  Your first home school resource should be your state’s education department. They may even have a website that you can peruse and look for information and learn about other home school resources that may be available in your area. To find your state’s education department simply type your state’s name and the words department of education into any search engine.  For example type the words California Department of Education into the search engine to find the appropriate agency for Californians.  By searching this way you will also find other home school resources such as home school associations and services. There are many requirements for home schooling your children depending upon the state that you live in.  It is more difficult in some states than in others to home school and having quality home school resources can go a long way to helping you jump through all the hoops necessary to meet the requirements.
 
Finding The Help You Need
Type the words home schooling into any search engine and a long list of matches appear.  By checking out just a few of these sites you can find some vary valuable home school resources to help your quest. For example, the site homeschooling.com has a resource guide right on the homepage listing literally dozens of specific topics about which to get advice and buy learning tools. This list of topics include curriculum, current events, learning styles, special needs, testing and even home schooling high school to name just a few. You can also find a list of support groups and forums where you can communicate with other home school educators and students.  This is a national site, but you will probably be able to find a local home school resource like this with participants in your area.
 
Having lots of home school resources is important, especially when you are new to home schooling. Teaching your children at home takes patience and discipline, and can be completely overwhelming when you first begin. You will need to figure out what teaching style will work best for your child, or each of your children independently.  This is one of the biggest advantages to home schooling in the first place, so discovering the right teaching style is essential.  Communicating with other people that have experience or training with this can be invaluable to you. Search for the resources that are most helpful to you and never be afraid to ask questions, the information you get can really help you and your child to succeed.
 
Home schooling can be rewarding for both the student and the parent.  Learning is naturally embedded into every day life.  Just be sure to find ways to include social activities regularly into the schedule, as this is important to a well-rounded person.

Start With A Home School Preschool Program

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Whether you plan to home school your children all the way through the twelfth grade or just give them a head start on kindergarten, a home school preschool program is the way to go. A home school preschool program combines learning with playing and also should be the start to your child’s social education as well.  This is why finding the appropriate home school resources are important from the beginning.
 
Sending your toddler off to a preschool classroom setting may have disadvantages in the area of learning things like shapes, colors and even learning the alphabet because of the potential lack of individual attention.  But reproducing the interaction between the children can be close to impossible in a home school preschool situation if you don’t know how.  But if you plan to continue home schooling your children, this is an issue you will have to work on every year.
 
Consider Every Angle
When you first begin to consider home schooling your children, even before deciding whether to provide home school preschool or not, start looking for information and resources right away.  Start with your state’s education department website.  You will discover what will be required of you throughout your child’s education. And besides learning these things you should be able to find places to network with other parents either wanting to or currently doing a home school preschool program. This is the way you will find out the successes and failures from people who actually know from experience. Other sources of information might be your local elementary school or school district headquarters.
 
Once you have a better understanding of the requirements of home schooling you may change your mind about this undertaking.  Home schooling, even doing home schooling preschool program, is not for everyone.  It takes discipline and patience, and you must have the financial freedom to allow you not to work to help support the family.  There will be curriculum and testing requirements as well as progress reporting and other paperwork depending on the state that you live in.  You will need to buy specific supplies and teaching aids, and may need some professional support. These things all have costs attached.
 
For those who decide that home schooling is for them, a good home school preschool program will start your young student off on the right foot.  Home schooling a child after years in public school can be a difficult adjustment.  But as long as appropriate social activities are offered, your child will thrive in a home school environment.