learning

How Homeschoolers Measure Up with Test Scores Homeschoolers tend to do GREAT on standardized test scores. For example: on average, homeschoolers score above the 79th percentile in reading. But what does that mean to you? How does your homeschooler measure up? Are you average? Of course not! Homeschooling alone can't guarantee that your child will score in the 79th percentile in reading, because every child is unique! But what homeschooing CAN do, is allow your child...

"Honey, There's a Crazed Mob of Scholarship-Wielding Colleges Pounding on Our Front Door!!" While we can't promise that this will happen to you, "The HomeScholar Guide to College Admission and Scholarships" really is a treasure trove for college bound homeschoolers and their parents! This paperback book is available now on Amazon. Grab your copy today ! Find a College - and Afford it! This book will help your student find a college to love, a college...

What advice would you give to a mom who is considering homeschooling?  These are comments from my  Facebook  friends.  What do YOU tell someone who is thinking about homeschooling for the first time? Diane Don't be too hard on your kids. it's all going to be fine. if you are stressed, they'll be stressed. Dianne You don't have to do it all, you don't have to be perfect, and your kids will learn anyway and be...

I was watching a bunny run across my back yard.  Now, bunnies always catch my attention - but it was the reason for running that KEPT my attention. Apparently, Mr Bunny did NOT want to mess with a family of raccoons.  One mommy raccoon and four baby kits we slowly making their way toward our neighbor's house.  I've never seen a raccoon with four babies before! When they came to the gate, mommy and three babies...

As homeschoolers, our job is to teach our children at their level, in every subject, all the time.   It's difficult to determine what "at their level" means, because even if they have finished their math book, that doesn't mean they are ready for the next level.  What if they missed a critical concept?  What if it was so easy for them they should really skip the next level? Colleges feel the same way.  They want to...

In spring and summer parents may look back on the year and feel VERY discouraged.  They see how little they got done, they notice what was not finished.  They clearly see the difficulties and traumas that got in the way of  formal education.  But all is not lost!  You can't actually PREVENT a child from learning.  That's where standardized tests can help.  They can show you how much your children have learned while you weren't even...

Hi Lee, I was wondering if you have any thoughts on Rosetta Stone software for learning a foreign language? Thanks, ~ Diane R. Dear Diane, I've heard that it's a good curriculum WHEN it is a good fit for the child.  It's just not always a good fit.  I would try it to see. We used PowerGlide , and that was very effective for us.  Others love Tell Me More. These can also  be found from...

Children learn all the time, even when we aren't looking - and even over summer!  You might want to "pre-test" your children in some subject areas before you start school next year.  For example, Spelling Power offers a placement test for their program, and you can check their spelling level at the beginning of each year, to make sure they are learning something new.  In most math books, the first chapter or two is review. You...

My experience with LD and ADHD is not first hand, but through friends and college advisers.  In talking with them, I came to recognize that the core issue of the LD crowd is the same as it is for the gifted crowd: Teaching every subject at their level all the time. That's how I provide guidance.  I can tell you that I have spoken to many colleges who are eager to have all children, and are...

Homeschoolers can make accommodations for struggling learners, just like they do in other school situations.  If your child needs extra help learning, then you can provide that help.  The important thing is that they learn!  Mary had a question about how to accommodate her daughter in biology, and still determine credit. Good Morning Lee, Thanks for the information on credits that was helpful. My daughter did biology last year and struggled. She did the first part...

  When you are thinking about taking classes at a community college, using the dual enrollment option, it's tempting to have your children take their weakest class.  Community college can quickly provide missing classes, but always remember the long term goal.  If your child is doing poorly at home in a certain subject, they may not do better in a community college.  Spend some time looking objectively at your child, and decide if he or she...

  I'm a nurse, and I know too much about the human body.  My husband teases me about it all the time.  When a family member is sick, and I get worried, my husband will laugh and say, "What is it this time?   Spinal menningitis?  Homonymous hemianopsia? "  There have been times when I've had my child in the hospital, and I knew WAY too much!  When Alex had his ER visit for peanut anaphylaxis,...

Distance learning means time on the computer - and kids LOVE computers!  But what do you do when they love being online too much? My daughter is taking distance learning this year so she is online a lot.  I am homeschooling my 16 year old daughter with an online Gifted and Talented organization. We have a net nanny programmed but there are still plenty of sites to keep her busy doing anything but school work. Have...

When did you start the Delight directed Learning?  Did you find it hard to get through a year-long school course when doing it 4 days a week?  Did you just tell the kids they could do whatever they wanted on the non-school day, or did they have certain things they always did, like going to a class in a homeschool coop?  Did you allow them to watch TV or play video games during the free day?...

How do I know that homeschooling works?  My children are now 19 and 21 years old, and in college.  How do I know that homeschooling high school was a good thing for them?  Today they each updated their Facebook status.  What do they think of their academics? My younger son is in the honors program, majoring in Political Science.  His status: Alex really enjoyed his Faith & Science II class My older son is majoring in...