Using Homeschooling Software to Educate Children

Although many people have a different opinion about the subject, homeschooling software has become popular for many different reasons. Lots of situations call for different solutions, and it isn’t any different when it comes to homeschooling. For this reason, homeschooling software has come into the picture and is here to stay.

How is Homeschooling Software Used?
The software can be purchased and used at home as an educational tool, or it can be used by participating in an online homeschooling program. In either case, it’s important for parents to supervise the school time of children, but homeschooling software would take care of all the essentials in general education. Reading material, course studies, instructional video and homework along with testing is all part of homeschooling software.

What homeschooling software does not do but should be implemented by the parents themselves, is offer on hands learning in the way of field trips, experiments, playing music or doing art projects to name a few.

Using Homeschooling Software Via an Education Program Online
This option would require a tuition fee, and sometimes even an enrollment fee. However parents don’t have to invest in the homeschooling software used through the homeschooling program. Everything is taken care of, and progress reports as well as “grades” are documented and shared with parents.

Keep in mind that homeschooling over the Internet still requires parent involvement in order for it to be successful. There are sometimes tutoring programs in addition to the general education programs offered through homeschooling programs online, which helps to enhance the learning experience for kids, especially in grade school.

Purchasing Homeschooling Software for Use at Home
This option may be more expensive up front depending on the quality of the homeschooling software you choose to purchase, but it can be well worth it. Using homeschooling software at home is ideal for parents who plan to be home with their children and assist with homeschooling, but don’t have the expertise or experience they feel they should have to create a complete school program themselves.

Many times, this software helps to inspire parents and give them ideas to help broaden and enlighten their children’s learning experience, making the software that much more valuable.

Some parents choose to use homeschooling software for part of a school day, and then finish up the day on their own. This works well too, as the software can pick up the slack where a parent might not be as skilled in teaching. In the end, it’s thought that homeschooling software can benefit a child’s schooling at home no matter what the situation is.

What There is to Know About Homeschooling

 

When it comes to learning about homeschooling, the job is never done. Learning something new every day doesn’t apply up to a certain age, and being a teacher and mentor to someone else, it’s important to learn something new every day.

 

However in order to provide a quality education to your child through homeschooling, it’s important to learn at least the basics before attempting a school year at home. This means the need to take some steps in preparing yourself to learn what there is to know about homeschooling.

 

The Basics

An important thing to know about homeschooling is that there is no one way to go about it in order for it to be successful. In this regard, it means that teaching techniques and styles, homeschooling material and other things such as study schedules can range from a relaxed environment to a strict environment and still meet the same basic goals of providing a quality education.

 

There are 3 different ways to go about homeschooling, and finding the right one for you and your family is the key to success.

 

Hire a Tutor

Instead of doing the teaching yourself and struggling with the fine line between being a parent and a teacher at the same time, consider hiring a professional with experience in homeschooling. About any tutor specializing in home visits should have the expertise.

Using a tutor can create a solid foundation for education in the way of a set schedule, class time and homework which can create more of a school environment within a child’s own home.

 

Do it Yourself

Take homeschooling classes to learn about homeschooling, create your own lesson plans and create an education outline; you’re well on your way! The use of support groups and local services can be of use if you plan to teach your children on your own, and other resources can be found online. You can also use homeschooling software to help create lesson plans, study material and a full school day schedule.

 

Internet Schooling

Believe it or not, children can now get an education over the computer to earn their high school diploma. This works very similar to how accredited distance learning colleges work, as online homeschooling programs are accredited through the department of education. They provide a ton of information about how their homeschooling program works, making it easy to do a little research and easily determining which online school is right for your child.

Make Sure You Have all The Homeschooling Supplies You Need

 

When it comes to learning about homeschooling, figuring out which homeschooling supplies are important and which ones are not is a big part of the equation. After all without the proper homeschooling supplies, it becomes hard to effectively teach children from home. Since the school system cannot be relied upon to provide the things we don’t have to usually think about as parents (such as text books and school work packets, etc.), it’s more important than ever to put together a homeschooling supplies list and make sure it’s checked twice.

 

The List

The following is a detailed list of important homeschooling supplies that are considered necessary for a successful homeschooling experience. Although please remember, this list by no means covers all possibilities of homeschooling materials that are available.

 

The Obvious-
Notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, rulers, glue, art supplies, pencil erasers and sharpener, pencil boxes and calculators are a given. Make sure plenty of this stuff is kept on hand, and used wisely. Because school supplies are so costly, this is a good opportunity to teach your children not to be wasteful and to conserve which is something hard to do at a traditional school due to the teacher to student ratio.

 

Text Books-
These don’t have to be the traditional text books found in public and private schools, they can be compiled copies that are bound together to create the perfect homeschooling materials to learn with! This also allows parents the opportunity to find the most useful information from a number of different places and leave the not so needed material out.

 

Books-
Of course school books are important, but supplying books on a number of different topics is ideal. This should include fantasy stories, sci-fi, mystery and other topics your children enjoy. Reading is a great way to develop many skills and there’s no better way to encourage reading than to provide what children want to read.

 

Lesson Plans-
These are homeschooling materials you simply can’t do without. Whether you create the lesson plans yourself or you purchase them ready made, they’re a vital tool to be used for homeschooling. Without them, it’s hard to stay on track with education and scheduling, as well as having a steady learning environment.

 

Lesson plans can be found at teacher outlet stores, on the internet or through homeschooling support groups (most cities have these). Learning how to create your own lesson plans is possible through internet resources, and local homeschooling classes.

 

School Time! So, What Homeschooling Materials Are Needed?

 

Homeschooling can be a great experience, and can even produce some very talented children. However, in order for homeschooling to be successful, materials need to be on hand. Homeschooling supplies such as paper, pens, pencils, math accessories and art supplies are all important and necessary, but homeschooling materials such as lesson plans, text books and work sheets are just as important, if not more so.

 

The Bolts and Nuts of the Must Haves

When it comes to creating a list of needed homeschooling materials, it can get overwhelming. Breaking it down so you have an understanding of the basics as well as where to find what you’re looking for can help to make the process easier.

 

Teaching Tutorials

An important part of homeschooling materials is to insure teaching tutorials are kept handy. These come in handy when you’re looking for lesson plan ideas or field trip and study ideas to keep things fresh.

 

These tutorials can help parents stay organized, learn teaching techniques and stay on track for the academic year. They can also help both parents and children keep school time and home life separately.

 

Lesson Plans

Lesson plans are essential homeschooling material as they provide the structure needed for children to learn. From math plans to art projects, lesson plans come in useful the entire school year. In fact, some parents rely solely on lesson plans to provide their child’s education. Teacher stores (which provide teachers with lesson plans for public and private schools) is always a great option for finding lesson plans, but getting the material online is fast becoming popular.

 

Text Books

Text books are the kind of homeschooling material that isn’t required in order to provide a challenging, quality education for children. In their place, study packets (copied pages of books or compiled information printed out) can be used. However, if text books are used, make sure they come from a certified text book provider to ensure the correct information is offered in the books.

 

A Quiet Place to Study With No Distractions

An area of the home with no television, radio or other distractions is best for homeschooling. This isn’t about the homeschooling materials needed in this case, it’s what materials should be lacking during school time. The less in the room, the better unless it has something to do with learning. For example, younger children may enjoy the ABCs to be seen on the wall, while teenagers may enjoy a selection of educational books to read.

 

General Homeschooling Information for Parents

New to Homeschooling?

When it comes to homeschooling, information can be obtained in numerous ways, many of which will be discussed here. From the most popular to the most important, read on to get a general understanding of what information is needed to successfully home school children, and where to find reliable homeschooling information.

 

The Main Components

There are certain aspects of homeschooling that simply cannot be overlooked if a quality education and social life is the goal for your children.

 

The first thing to think about before choosing to home school your children is to decide whether or not you have the resources to give your children an opportunity to have friends and a social life. This is an important aspect of homeschooling because it offers a complete life balance.

 

Consider resources such as the boy’s and girl’s club, boy scouts and girl scouts and children’s social networks (many designed specifically for those being home schooled). You can also network with other parents, arranging play dates and other meetings for kids throughout the neighborhood.

 

Other homeschooling information to look for is that in terms of education. Homeschooling material, lesson plans and study time in addition to a well prepared, appropriate room to learn in are all important. A lot of information about homeschooling math, English, science and other subjects are easy to find through home school support groups, the education department in your State and on the internet (only accredited websites should be given consideration).

 

Finally, the last main component of homeschooling that requires information is learning and study time. It’s important to learn how to structure an adequate and quality school day for your children. Taking a prep class is a great idea, and monthly classes are excellent for extra support. Calling the school board may result in scoring a list of support resources available in your area, but advertising in your local paper and at local public schools for resources is common as well.

 

Don’t be afraid that you’re collecting too much homeschooling information, the more the merrier. Even if the information you collect can’t be used immediately, it might become useful in the future.

 

In the end, if you have trouble finding adequate support groups and services for homeschooling information, don’t hesitate to start your own group! Using forums online and placing ads on local websites should yield plenty of interested parents that can become a valuable resource for everyone involved in the end.

 

A Homeschooling Book Can Offer Many Resources

 

Homeschooling information is relied upon by many parents on a daily basis. Finding reliable information when it comes to putting together learning plans is essential, and can be found in a number of ways whether it’s by way of a homeschooling book or through a support group. The internet has also brought additional resources to parents who teach their children at home.

 

Why Homeschooling Books are Important

There are a couple of different aspects to a homeschooling books; one that teaches techniques and lesson plans to parents of homeschooled children, and one that is used as a text book for class. Both aspects are helpful and text books are essential, but although it isn’t required for parents to use a homeschooling book as an aid, it is a beneficial tool that can create a routine and positive learning experience for children being homeschooled.

 

Homeschooling books can be found in a couple of different ways. First, there’s a subscription type of book, which is either purchased or sent as a subscription on a weekly or monthly basis. These kinds of homeschooling books can be found as general education lesson plan books, and for each individual subject that make up an all around education (such as math, English and science among others).

Yearly or periodical homeschooling books that highlight resources, tips, ideas and instruction for parents to create their own lesson plans are also popular tools for parents. These can be found as manuals, as volume sets and for individual subject matters.

 

Without the use of homeschooling books, parents may find it hard to put together a year long schedule for school time. Being a parent as well as a teacher is not an easy task, so help is something that offers nothing but benefits. Homeschooling books provide calendars to keep track of lesson plans, whether ready made or parent made. They also offer structure that leaves parents free to focus on educating their children instead of having to waste time planning, creating and implementing.

 

In addition to homeschooling books, other resources available are in the way of neighborhood support groups, some who even put together play dates and group activities which helps with socialization. Internet groups are also proving to be useful, as long as the programs and websites are legitimate. Most homeschooling programs online will be certified to offer the programs and resources available to parents. Programs can even be attended by children from home over the internet, however parent supervision is strongly recommended.

 

The Basics of Home Schooling Your Children

 

Home schooling your children can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Depending on the time and effort you choose to put into home schooling, you and your children’s experience could be an excellent one.

 

A few steps can put you on the right path to a great home schooling experience, the first of these steps is to take into account all of the aspects that go along with home schooling and then to make sure they are all applied correctly.

 

A Real Learning Environment

Of all the aspects that go along with home schooling, providing your children with a relaxed but professional learning environment is crucial and most important. The learning environment you choose should be a room free of distractions such as televisions, phones, computers and food.

The room should offer a whiteboard attached to the wall that will outline what the day’s schedule is, and a wall shelf for children to keep school work and other school related materials is also necessary.

Finally, a sturdy study table and comfortable chair should be provided, making it enjoyable, relaxing but realistic for your children to learn!

 

School Materials and Lesson Plans

Home schooling requires someone to act as a teacher that can be relied upon to prepare lesson plans and make sure children are learning what they should for their age and grade group. This can be done a number of different ways:

 

1. Hire a tutor to bring learning materials and lesson plans with them, and to teach your children for a few hours per day. This is helpful to those who work or have active schedules, and want to provide a routine for their children.

 

2. Do it yourself with purchased learning material. Whether it be online or through a support group, there are resources available to provide learning material for home schooling. Whether it be a homeschooling book or workbook material among other things, this option works well for those that do have the time to teach their children but don’t have the expertise to create their own lesson plans.

 

3. Do it yourself, from scratch. You can type and print up your own lesson plans if you know what your children should be learning. In most cases, home schooling parents find that self discipline and good management skills is all it takes to take this route.

 

Finally, there are other home schooling options available such as Internet home school programs which are becoming quite popular and are continuing to become more and more available. Finding a local or internet home schooling support group can help to put you in touch with many resources that are valuable.

9th Grade Boy's Autism Curriculum

9th Grade Theme: Decisiveness  

True Story #1:

I came home from an hours shopping trip to find Jackson on the couch with a towel wrapped around his waist.  He had taken a shower while I was gone, and upon finding no clean shorts in his dresser, he just sat in his towel until I got back to find him clean clothes.  He promptly said, "Pants please" when I walked in, to which I responded, "this year, buddy, we are going to work on your problem solving skills!".  There were clean shorts in laundry basket NEXT TO the dresser! 

True Story #2:

Jackson's favorite drink at Starbucks is a Cool Lime Refresher, but occasionally they are out of the mix that is required to make the drink.  When this occurred last week, I turned to him and asked, "What would you like instead?"  He looked at me like there were worms crawling out of my head, even though I know he likes many other drinks there, like lemonade, iced tea and this yummy berry concoction.  So I said, "this year, buddy, we are going to work on your decision making skills!" and promptly ordered him an iced unsweetened green tea, which he sucked down before we left the parking lot.  

I have always assigned a general theme to each year of Jackson's homeschooling, and this year is no different:

6th:  Recovery Year - Trying to undo the 8 weeks of stress that middle school caused and get his academics back up to speed, so the vibe was peaceful and comforting.  

7th:  Push Forward Year - Challenging him in all areas of academics, behavior, and life skills, which lead to a more angst filled home as we challenged him to push himself. 

8th:  Free at Last Year - After a year of raising our expectations for Jackson, he beautifully embraced his independence and showed us just how much he could do on his own!  This did cause some friction with people and organizations that still treated him like a needy child and not the confident young man he was becoming.  

9th: Decisive Year - This year we are going to focus on helping Jackson learn to be decisive.  This is a character trait the my husband values above almost anything else (go figure as a former Army officer), and one that we have emphasized with out 12 yr old daughter so much that she knew the meaning of that word at 5!  We have never expected decisiveness from Jackson though, and we can see how this has been a detriment to his development.   Problem solving activities and decision making scenarios will be the two focus areas that will help foster this skill.  

Problem Solving

1. Critical Thinking Book Series:

• Following Directions by Teacher Created Resources
• Puzzles and Games that Make Kids Think by Teacher Created Resources
• Building Thinking Skills by The Critical Thinking Company 

Each of these books come in a series ranging from K-5th grade.  I have started at the 1st grade level for all 3.  This will help Jackson quickly gain confidence in his problem solving and critical thinking skills.  Each book addresses a different topic and helps build his non verbal, written, and audio problem solving abilities.  

2.  "What Should We Do?" Scenarios

Instead of trying to always make every experience with Jackson and smooth and trouble free as possible, I am going to create daily situations that require him to think through solutions, without me jumping in to fix everything.  For example, if his book on CD is skipping, instead of giving into the "Mom, fix the CD please",  I will ask him what to do...as he's seen me take it out and clean it with my shirt 50 times. These may seem like little things, but creating an environment of self-reliance is crucial to his future ability to function independently, and me jumping in at every wrinkle will not set him up for success.  At this very moment, the dog is barking at a crew of painters who are roaming around the outside of our house.  Usually,  I will just go quite the dog down as to not upset J, who hates the sound of him barking, but I need Jackson to figure out how to handle the dog on his own. If that means him deciding to ignore the barking and deal with the loud noise, then that is a problem solved as far as I'm concerned!   

Decision Making

1.  Schedule 

In the past I have always dictated his daily schedule...see them all here: 

• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade

But this year, he will be required to plan out his own day.  I will give him a packet of work for the week on Mondays, along with a calendar of the pre-determined activities, i.e. yoga class, Adapted PE, appointments, Caroline's classes, etc... But from there, he will need to make decisions about when he wants to work out, shower, eat, study, play, shop, and so on.  I imagine there will be a steep learning curve for both of us, but I am willing to stick it out if he is willing to engage in this process.  

2.  Life Skills Book Series:

•  Building Real Life Math Skills by Scholastic
•  Building Real Life Reading Skills by Scholastic 

Each of these books will present everyday choices for Jackson to learn how to work through.  I plan to use each of these scenarios as a jumping off point to recreate in his daily life.  For example, he will be required to read Caroline's basketball schedule and decide which games he's like to go to.  He will also be required to begin paying for all his items in cash so he has to make some hard choices about whether or not he is going to buy strawberries or grapes with the $10 he has, because he can't get both. This might take a loooong time to master, but we need to begin at some point, and now is as good a time as any!  

Academics:

This year, Jackson's school work will consist of a math and reading focus.  We will do some special social studies and science units, but both within the context of math and reading.  We will continue to push forward with more complex math that will help with his real life decisions.  Fractions, money management, measurement, geometry, and pre-algebra are all very important for daily life success.  Reading will focus on non fiction and technical materials to help him develop a familiarity with consumer related options and choices.  He loves spending long periods of time reading and listening to books on CD, so we will definitely continue that practice.  He is reading the Artemis Fowl series this summer totally by his won choosing.  We are excited to add a "NightTime" unit to his program, as he is obsessed with being outside at night.  We will be doing everything from constellations to moon phases to animal's nighttime habits to special lighting and photography.  

Life Skills:

Jackson's life skills have taken a giant leap forward in the past 12 months.  He is able to do things we never thought possible 10 yrs ago.  To us, that means he might not have to live with us for the rest of his life, but can possibly achieve semi-independent living.  If history serves us well, we can not even imagine what he will be like 10yrs from now, so we are choosing not to limit him anymore.   So check back with me in June of 2015 to see what amazing things he learned how to do that are not even on my radar right now:)

I hope this summary of J's 9th grade curriculum has provided you with both encouragement and motivation that you can also create something uniquely amazing for your special needs kiddos!  The sky's the limit when us parents are at the helm and throw wide open our doors of expectation and wonderment at our children.  

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10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Homeschool

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart.  It is for the determined, the committed, and the passionate.  But before jumping in with two feet, it can be helpful to ask yourself a few honest questions.  Discussing and sharing ideas and expectations with your family is a critical part to the homeschooling journey, as this is not a solo mission!  I answered these 10 questions myself to give you a frame of reference.  And the beautiful part of being a homeschooler is that all of our answers will and should look totally different.  The goal isn't to fit into a "autism homeschooler mold", but to find your sweet spot in a wide open world of possibilities...because that is what homeschooling offers at it's core - possibilities.


1.  Why do I want/need to homeschool? 

Tremendous anxiety in public middle school caused behavioral problems, inability to learn, and stress at home.

2.  Strengths and weakness of your child

S: Disciplined with schedule, hardworking, charming, funny, creative, loving
W: Short tempered, easily frustrated, loud, inflexible, destructive, demanding

3.  Strengths and weakness of you

S: Resourceful, confident, flexible, intelligent, adventurous
W: Short tempered, easily frustrated, isolationist, sensory overloaded easily

4.  Child's Interests

Jackson loves music, TV & movies, iPad, photography, drawing, and shopping.

5.  Budget

I prefer to make a smaller investment up front so I can make adjustments during the year as he seems to constantly change. We allot $200 at beginning of school year and $50-$75/month during the year.

6.  Space

Our house is not huge and I do not like clutter, therefore I like to keep all his materials and work in the dining room area, but they seem to have taken over a corner in the living room as well.

7.  Time

I am not a morning person.  So my husband helps with the early morning activities. And I like to be done an hour before my daughter gets home, so I can decompress before all the afternoon activities.

6:30-2:00 Jackson

9:00-2:00 Me (6:30-7:30 with Dad and 7:30-9:00 Independent)

8.  Community

We live in suburban D.C. which has plenty of access to services, therapies, socialization and educational opportunities, but it's heavily populated, so all outings need to be in the morning to avoid overstimulating situations for both Jackson and I.

9.  Support Network

No family and limited friends, as I'm a bit of an introvert.  Most support comes from husband and a few close friends with special needs children.  This can cause loneliness and feeling overwhelmed easily, so I need to take periodic breaks during the school day and time away on the weekends.

10.  State Requirements

Virginia's requirements are minimal which makes my life a lot easier!  We do a letter from a certified teacher who has reviewed and approved my son's work from the school year.  Check for your state's requirements here as some are much, much more rigid: http://www.hslda.org/hs/default.asp


Notice that not one of these questions is about what curriculum to use - that is secondary, and the subject of my next blog.  A lot of people get hung up on WHAT they are going to teach, that they forget that HOW and WHY they are going to teach is more important.  It reminds me of the mistake a lot of couples make when they get married...they focus all their time, energy and money on the wedding, and not on the marriage that follows.  Curriculum choices come much more easily once you understand your child's emotional, social, physical, intellectual, and spiritual needs - all within the confines of your adult realities.

As an optimistic realist, I firmly believe in being brutally honest with myself, but I'm also hopeful that everything will work out in the end:) "What could possibly go wrong??" is the Trotter family motto!

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Broken Things, Not Broken People

I just wanted to post a quick blog about a big lesson I learned toady, one that I have struggled with for years with Jackson.  Earlier today he threw a remote control at our only TV and permanently damaged the screen.  He came up and asked me to "help fix the Tivo please" in a very pleasant tone.  I said, "Sure, buddy" and when I got downstairs, I saw the damage.  I knelt in front of the broken TV and bent my head forward...in tears.

As I cried over yet another costly repair resulting from his anger and/or lack of understanding of how to take care of things, he began to rub my back and kiss my head.  He simply said, "You made a mistake and are sorry for the fix it."

I felt like, for the first time, I could put his feelings of remorse in front of my own of frustration or self-pity.  I learned today that people are more important than things, and I'm ashamed to say that it has taken me a long time to get to this point.

Few people outside of autism parents, (notice I didn't say the "autism community" because you really have to be a parent to get this), understand that there is a real monetary cost to autism that blows apart any estimate on how our finances will be impacted by our special needs kids.  We literally spend thousands and thousands of dollars a year fixing, replacing and repairing things that we NEVER anticipated in any reasonable budgeting process.  It can be exhausting and disheartening as the years march on and on...

But today, I feel like I've come to see that Jackson feels a lot worse that I ever could about these situations.  And instead of trying to lie and manipulate his way out of it, like most teenagers would, his only concern was for my feelings.  He is a true servant and the best model of love that I have in my life, and I need to learn more from him and less from the world about the value of people over things.

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