The young children of today are our hope for a future full of language diversity, appreciation of other cultures, and a world of more peace and love.  Raise a child from birth hearing a second and even third language via music, multimedia platforms or local ethnic events and celebrations, and you will have yourself a child wired for a global future.   

We all know that our economy is tied to the world.  We read, hear, and experience daily how our ties around the globe keep our nation ticking.  We may not agree on all of the ramifications these global connections have on our nation, our people, our lives, but the reality is there.  Being prepared to deal with other countries is no longer an option, it is a necessity.  We realize that speaking more than English is a must.  And who better to begin teaching than our little children? 

Did you realize that humans have evolved into beings uniquely equipped to learn, understand and speak many languages?  Just as birds are born equipped for great sight and dogs for a great sense of smell, we humans are wired through the auditory cortex in our brains to convert sounds into words which then convert into meaning for our species.  Because of this way in which we are born, infants learn languages before they ever recognize a letter or read a word.  These young children show us that through imitation, context clues, and association with any language they encounter, they are able to acquire new languages innately.

Are you concerned that your child will be language delayed should you start the second language introduction too soon?  Do not be.  Recent research by Drs. Alison Mackey and Kendall King clearly disputes this myth in their book titled The Bilingual Edge.  They point out the simple truth we as parents have felt in our guts all along.  Babies, toddlers and preschool age children learn languages through the act of common conversation combined with repetition of vocabulary words and concepts.  It has been proven that a baby can learn two words for the same object, say a word in English and a word in Spanish, just as easily as he can learn only one word for that same object.

Allow your child to learn more each day.  Make the learning fun by interacting with your child in two languages.  Oh, and if you do not speak a second language yourself because you never took high school Spanish too seriously or skipped French class to go get a burger, it is okay!  These two PhDs and other linguistic experts tell us that being a native speaker is not a prerequisite to introducing your child to some of our world languages.  All you need is some parenting common sense when it comes to choosing books, CDs, programs, and products that will bring the new language into your daily routine.  I know you can do that because you are reading this!

Beth Butler is the founder of the BOCA BETH Program. Scoop your child up onto your lap and sample the BOCA BETH bilingual music and movies for free at http://www.bocabeth.com 
Call toll free 1.877.825.2622

I own a company that provides in-school field trips for private schools, public schools, and even home-school groups. The time when my doubt is heaviest usually is when I come back from presenting three or four Science shows back to back in a day. Just this past week, I presented my Wacky Wild Science Adventure shows to four second grade classes. The children love it. The children spew "wow's" and "oohs" and an occasional "awe snap!" And the teachers…well usually one, maybe two out of four sit with the children sharing the fun and fascination. They participate and show the children that they too are interested, interested in learning, interested in Science, interested in them! The other two to three teachers sit in the back checking their emails online, paying bills, grading papers and not paying attention. Not to the content, nor to the kids. 

To be fair, teachers today are stretched to almost a breaking point. There are many dedicated loving teachers out there. But too many teachers have too many students, too many meetings, too many "non-school" issues to deal with and not enough time, money, resources or administrative backing. Oh, and then the "No Child Left Behind" testing and requirements that strip their ability to teach to the children because they must teach to the test. Whatever the reasons, if a teacher shows no interest, no passion, no love, no motivation, no excitement for exploring and learning new things with their students, then the students will not care to learn. 

It is these thoughts that make my wife and I question whether home-schooling is right for us. We know it is not right for everyone, but today, if you were asking yourself the same question, you might feel a bit more confident in knowing what I know and see everyday.

Seth Prezant is the founder and Bugmaster of www.CoolBugStuff.com  His award winning web site was created to help promote fascination and education in science using nature’s most abundant creatures…Bugs! Seth is a true EEE (Education & Entertainment Entrepreneur) providing educational and entertaining nature shows for schools, camps, aftercare programs and home school groups all around South Florida. The Bugmaster can be reached @ seth@coolbugstuff.com

You can find many more easy parent/child projects to do together on Seth's website www.coolbugstuff.com. 

Before ninth grade, make a plan for your student’s high school education. Make sure he or she takes challenging courses that focus on language, math and critical thinking skills. Have your student improve their vocabulary by reading good classical books that will increase his or her word repertoire. Work to accumulate credits in some of the higher math classes (Calculus or Pre-College Math) and higher sciences. (Chemistry and Physics) Three credits in a foreign language is a wise addition to their transcripts. Also, look into honor societies and programs geared toward homeschoolers. Make sure to include courses that colleges require.  The one thing you don’t want to do is get half-way through high school and wish you’d given them a different route academically.  

Make a point to encourage good grades since high school is when grades start to really matter. Colleges will be looking at your student’s transcripts as a homeschooler and they will compare the work load to those of students who were educated at an institution. It is a good idea to record the curriculum used along with a synopsis of the classes. Remind your student to not take any class for granted and to always work hard. Grades matter throughout high school, not just in the junior and senior year. 

Another important aspect of a successful route for college is to realize test prep starts now. The SAT is important for homeschoolers because it is a standardized test that offers colleges an unbiased and verifiable evaluation of your student’s ability to the ability of students from other educational methods. A mistake that many school guidance counselors make is to ignorantly tell their students that SAT prep is only important when they are a senior. Not only does this put a lot of pressure on seniors to get a decent score, turned into college, but also the longer they wait to prep, the less time they will have to improve. As a home-educator, you have the flexibility to incorporate the learning of test-taking strategies throughout your children’s high school career and to give them the time needed to work on practice tests. By starting in ninth grade, your student can be alleviated from the pressure incurred by last minute preparation.  

College is just around the corner for the ninth-grader. Graduation will be here before you know it so it is important to think like an incoming freshman in college and not just in high school. This mentality will save a lot of time, heartache and stress in the next three years. Focus on the future and have your student make a list of things they are interested in studying. Browse the internet and send off for college literature of possible colleges. Students should have in mind the college size, price and atmosphere. Finding what suits them best will help narrow down the choices. College readiness starts long before a student’s senior year. 

Being a well-rounded student is highly coveted by colleges but difficult to attain at the end of the high school years. Students must begin an extracurricular portfolio in ninth grade. It is important to get involved in outside organizations that will help your student start building a strong resume for future college applications. The summer can also be an excellent time to start volunteering with local community service. College admission boards highly view students who have been a real asset in their community because it demonstrates an importance in involvement and how these students will represent the college well. Always keep good records of all your student’s activities, and be sure to get letters of recommendation from people who worked with your student. Volunteering not only helps others, but also benefits your student and his or her college resume. 

Staying on course requires good planning and a strategic roadmap to follow. Charting your student’s path to success is important because it starts him or her off in the right direction and as a home-educator it will keep you on a great education track. As home-educators, you are not only parents but also guidance counselors and your job is to be the captain and navigator of your student’s high school journey. With a well thought out plan the academic road you have chosen for your student can end with a successful final destination-graduation and a bright future at college.  

 For more information visit www.collegeprepgenius.com or contact Jean Burk at info@collegeprepgenius.com   Also sign-up for our free No Brainer Scholarship Newsletter.

While boarding a train; everyone should be responsible for his or her own things. Nice roomy backpacks make wonderful portable school-rooms. If you’re like our family (and many home-educators are) you will want the family to be together as you travel. Passenger trains do not have the “reserved” seating we are accustomed to when flying. If you reserve seats in rail Coach Class for example, it means simply that you have seats in that class. Those seats are not numbered and there are no guarantees that you will find two or more empty seats together. To address this, we arrive early and get right into the” first come first serve” line. So far, we have been able to seat our five together every time.

After boarding; any segment of time spent on the tracks that totals less than an hour is hardly worth breaking out the books for. KNOW YOUR ITINERARY. If you use some sort of internet/virtual curriculum, know that many train stations have Wi-Fi but the stations are not the best place for learning. Most trains do not yet have continuous hot-spots so you will want to bring your own Laptop Connect Card if this is your style of curriculum.

The curriculum of choice for rail travel is DVD and/or audio. It seems that the gentle rocking of the train combined with a great deal of reading is sure to send even the super-hyper into a deep sleep. This is also information you can use when you WANT the kids to sleep. We utilize a combination of satellite and book curriculum, so we record the satellite program on DVD and the books on CD.

If you want to have some fun with book curriculum before you leave, have the kids act out some assignments on video for the DVD, or let them verbalize their notes in the form of a jingle (they might call it a “beat box” or “rap”) for audio. If you simply must use something internet based, try plugging that time in at the hotel. Above all, have fun. The best part of home education is flexibility, so if things start to stray far from the plan…. Relax. Enjoy your learning adventure.

PLAN * Make memories * Take one-thousand pictures * Laugh at yourself * Learn* See you next month* To view past segments of this series visit the Home Educators Classroom

John Bizelli is a Geospatial Information Systems Analyst and a home-educating father of 3 teens. So it was only fitting that he and his wife Pamela would start a travel company with an emphasis on education. Visit www.MyGetawayPlan.com  and click on “Education Travel” to find out more about accredited education programs at sea such as “The Scholar-Ship”, an academic program hosting both undergraduate and postgraduate students on semester-long voyages around the world. Also if you’re a Doctor, Nurse, Lawyer, or Dentist you will want to find out about our CMEs - Continuing Education Accreditation while traveling.

What you take and how you pack will depend on your type of tour, level of support, tour route, and budget. In general, what someone takes on a tour is the same for a weekend trip as it is for a three-month odyssey. You do not need the latest and the greatest in equipment, but you do need dependable gear that will function at all times. 

Weight, bulk, versatility, and suitability for anticipated conditions are the primary considerations when deciding what clothing to take on a tour. You should think in terms of on-the-bike clothes and off-the-bike clothes. Try to avoid materials that are bulky or require a long time to dry. When it gets chilly, it’s best to layer clothing for warmth. If the weather is erratic, you should keep on-the-bike layers easily accessible while riding. 

Cycling shorts, raingear, tights, and cycling gloves can make time on the bike more comfortable. Lined bicycling shorts are recommended. However, many kids are self-conscious about tight cycling shorts, so you can suggest that they layer thin shorts over them. Mountain bike shorts often have a "baggy" outer short over normal bike shorts.  A good rain shell to use while on the bike is essential, and this can serve for off-bike use as well. A wool sweater or synthetic pile jacket is a good insulating layer. Feet often swell slightly when riding, so make sure to choose shoes that allow free movement of your toes and accommodate an extra sock layer. 

Clothes should do double duty, and you should consider if your off-bike outfit can double as an on-bike warmth layer or for sun protection. A light, loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt will protect the skin from the sun’s rays. Shorts are comfortable and don’t weigh much. That also goes for athletic sandals. Check out Adventure Cycling’s Cyclosource online store for cycling gear recommended by Adventure Cycling leaders and participants. To find a full pack list, visit Adventure Cycling’s How to Department. 

If you are going to have a vehicle carry your gear and support you on the road, you will want to think about what you will need access to on the road. Although weight and bulk don’t at first seem to be as much of a concern in comparison to self-contained touring, you will still need to limit the number, size, and weight of bags. Your child (and you) won’t be needing the kitchen sink. 

Wally Werner, one of Adventure Cycling Association’s trip leaders, shares that “There are all sorts of systems for packing and loading cycle touring gear … I have seen cycle tourists with plastic detergent tubs bolted to their racks. I’ve seen all sorts of pannier and trailer set-ups and loads ranging from several pounds to over 100 pounds.”  

There is a constant debate among those who are self-contained bicycle travelers whether it is better to use panniers (front and rear "saddle bags") or trailers to carry their gear. The fact that this debate "rages on" is your first clue that there are pros and cons to each approach, and that it is really mostly about personal preference. Here is a brief discussion of some the issues that might influence your choice: 

Trailers:
·        Are more stable on gravel roads and trails (though you would want a narrow one for single track touring) but can be a problem when making sharp turns
·        Are a bit more aerodynamic
·        Are easy to "over-pack" due to their high capacity
·        Can be disconnected from the bike when you want to take a side trip or a short errand
·        Don't require luggage racks on the bike (mountain bikes usually can't take racks)
·        Don't put the load on the bike's tires, wheels, and hubs 

Panniers:
·        Are lighter than trailers
·        Allow easier compartmentalizing of gear
·        Make it easier to maneuver the bike if you have to walk
·        Handle better at road speeds
·        Can serve as carry-on luggage on a plane
·        Can be taken inside your tent if it rains 

Packing a Trailer:

Aim to keep your load between 15 and 45 pounds when packing a trailer for a tour. Most of the gear needed for a tour will fit inside of the cargo bag that comes with many trailers. For the greatest stability, try to keep the heaviest gear low and toward the front of the trailer. Experiment with weight distribution to find the best results for your particular bike. If you have them, tarps and a spare trailer tire can be securely placed on the trailer below the trailer bag. Most trailers on the market come with a waterproof bag. If not, line your bag with a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag. Use stuff sacks, like the kind used by backpackers, to organize your gear inside the trailer bag. If you want to keep some gear handy while you ride — like food, rain gear, small tool kit, pump, lock, etc. — you can put it in a separate bag (some people use the waterproof roll-top bags normally used for canoeing and kayaking) and bungee it to the top of the trailer bag. 
 

Packing Your Panniers:

When touring with panniers, try to keep your total load between 15 and 45 pounds. Your bike will be most stable if you put more weight in your front panniers - roughly 60 percent of weight in front and 40 percent in back. Experiment with weight distribution to find the best handling results for your particular bike. Items like tools, spare bike parts, cooking equipment, fuel bottles, food, and on-the-bike clothing usually go in the front panniers and light, bulky items like clothes in the rear panniers. Your sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and tent are usually strapped to the rear rack and add to the weight on the rear wheel. 

Before packing, line your panniers and sleeping bag stuff sack with heavy-duty plastic garbage bags. Despite sometimes being labeled "waterproof," some panniers can still leak, especially in hard rains.  

Once you get your gear together, you are just about ready to go! Throughout this series of articles, we will be referring to the vast cycling resources that already exist in North America. The articles should be supplemented with other resources that address bicycle safety, camping skills, and group dynamics if you are traveling with several kids. Happy bicycle travels!

Becky Douglas is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at Adventure Cycling Association. Thanks to Kerry Irons for his help in writing this article. The mission of Adventure Cycling Association is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. They help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fun, fitness, and self-discovery. Becky is the administrator of the Pedal Pioneers Program, which aims to inspire and empower adults who are taking kids on overnight bicycle adventures. She is also the author of Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids and can be reached at outreach@adventurecycling.org

Then I heard a mother asking her daughter to go to across the store and bring back a gift card. The girl told her mother to go get it herself; she did not feel like it. This one about knocked me over. I just could not believe what I was hearing; young daughters refusing to obey or to perform a simple favor for their mothers!

I could not help but think the girl would have done that little favor for her girlfriend without hesitation. But how did these girls come to refuse to help in such small things? 

The first way we learn  our behavior is by watching and imitating those closest to us; not necessarily those closely related, but those most important to us. When we’re very young the world is filled by our parents and family. But teenagers often believe- or pretend to believe- their peers are their role models.

Don’t let yourself be dismayed by this attitude. Most of us are well aware of the phases we grew through, and kids are pretty much the same now as we were.

They have bigger, faster toys, and play War Craft instead of Monopoly, but their basic emotions and reactions are as young people’s have always been.

Since our kids learn first by watching us, we need to watch ourselves. Some adults are conscientious about visiting their elderly parents, then on the drive home they talk about the elders’ “old-fashioned, out-dated ideas.” 

“They just can’t understand the world today. It all moves too fast for them.”

That might be so, but why teach your children that the next-older generation is too slow to keep up with the modern world?

The truth is that your child doesn’t have any grasp of age and time. When the longest time a person has lived is 6 years or 16 years, how can they comprehend 40 or 60 years?  To a kid, anyone over 20 is old, and grandparents are just REALLY old.  A child divides ages into babies, kids, big kids, grown-ups, old people, and the ancient. You might do better not to ask a small child which group you are in; it can be daunting even to ask a teenager that question!

We have children who hear that older folks don’t get it, and although in my head I’m a very young 35, in a child’s eyes I’m as old as Grandma. And Grandma’s don’t get it; old people don’t understand that kids are different, and don’t think the way people did back in the Old Days. The truth is that kids think the same way, they are just dressed differently, own more gadgets, and can design web pages even if they cannot recite the multiplication tables through the twelve.

So to teach children to be loyal to their parents, we must be loyal to ours. We can speak of our parents’ wisdom, their life experiences, how they’ve overcome difficulties and prospered. Our children need to hear that “No one in the world will love you as much as your parents. Parents love you no matter what; they may discipline you when you goof up, but they still love you.” (For that matter, we should tell our spouse; it’s always good to hear our family loves us). A family stays together by the efforts of parents, and hopefully the children will grow into that ethic and continue to stay close throughout life.

All the wonderful traits we have that we’d like our kids to see in us, we need to take notice of in our elders. It is good to have children grow up learning that adults are valuable. Our society tends to lose sight of the wisdom of our elders, and we can enrich our children’s lives by teaching them how to appreciate the valuable resource of their aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and the old people who live in our neighborhoods. There are many wise people and excellent role models in our lives; we do our children a good service by extending their respect to include other adults.

Loyalty to family is vital in keeping a family together, and courtesy and good manners are the WD-40 of family communications. Watching their parents being courteous and well-mannered is the first step to having our children be courteous. The second step is to remind them.

Some kids will see and imitate, but some will see and ignore, or be so busy they don’t even see. These kids need to be engaged in the action, to be asked to hold a door open, say please, thank you, etc. It’s natural for children to focus on themselves; we all start out that way, but then expand our attention to the family, then friends, neighbors, and so forth. The trouble is that some people do not do this automatically; they need a gentle push to expand their focus and thoughts beyond themselves.

Like the girl in the mall who would not help her mother, some kids are allowed to grow up believing they are the only ones who matter. A parent who does everything for the child, asking nothing of the child, is a parent who is teaching selfishness.  Kids need to do tasks for parents whether they want or not. Have you never had your own parent say, “I did not ask if you want to do it. I just said do it. So get going...”

Of course that was always followed with “Thank you.” 

Those basic, consistent lessons do work, even in a world of WebKinz and the X-Box. The games have changed, but the minds have not. There’s an anti-drug campaign that says “talk to your kids, they hear you.” That is true. Our kids hear us when we tell them we love each other, we care for each other, we are a family and we watch out for each other, we’re loyal and we’re kind to each other.

Then we as parents act this way, and we require the kids to act this way.

Is it easy? Hey! This is Real Life; of course it’s not always easy. Sometimes you treat someone kindly and they slam the door in your face. But never give up on courtesy; tomorrow someone will hold that door open for you!

Diane Spoehr is a 3rd Dan Degree Black Sash in the ancient Korean Martial and Healing Art of Hwa Rang Do®, with 10 years of experience teaching children and adults of all ages. She has taught many children and their parents how to develop self-discipline, demonstrate courtesy, and achieve their goals. Diane Spoehr is the Head Instructor and Owner of the Hwa Rang Do School of Jacksonville, located in Mandarin and Julington Creek.

Website: www.hwarangdofl.com
Email:   hrdjax@bellsouth.net

Family and friends of Jill Sabet and Jonathan Schulte established the Gillian Sabet Memorial Foundation and the JourneySafe outreach program. The JourneySafe program focuses on "positive peer pressure" as a tool to protect each other when traveling with other teens. DrivingMBA has committed to support the Journey Safe program through weaving their message and resources into our programs. Unfortunately, Jill and Jonathan's story are all too familiar, yet parents and teens seem to be oblivious to the fact that teenage driving is in fact a national crisis. As a mother of a 16 year-old daughter, the thought of losing her is unimaginable to me. The more I learn, the more I want parents and teens to wake up and take notice. We need to change our attitudes about driving and like most things, it starts at home. Log onto www.journeysafe.org  or www.gilliansabet.com  to learn more.

Maria Wojtczak is the owner of DrivingMBA and is responsible for marketing and the operation of the organization.  DrivingMBA is a unique driver tutoring program geared towards better preparing teenagers for the responsibility of driving.  To learn more about DrivingMBA visit the web-site www.drivingmba.com.    Before Maria and her husband Richard, opened Driving MBA Maria worked as a consultant for over 20 years in the field of organization development working with a wide range of organizations.  In addition to the use of traditional organization development techniques, she is highly skilled in large systems change and organization learning, with formal training in both specialties. She has extensive experience in the field of adult learning concepts, and in the design and facilitation of adult learning experiences. 

Smithsonian Books
Serving: Worldwide

MY Access!® Home Edition / Vantage Learning
Serving: Worldwide

The Game Institute
Serving: Worldwide

AVKO Educational Research Foundation
Serving: Worldwide

LearningSuccess™ Institute
Serving: Worldwide

Brunswick Bowling & Billiards
Serving: United States

Boy Scouts of America Education Relationships S326
United States, U.S. territories, U.S. Dependents overseas

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Serving: Southern USA   

Phoenix Yamaha Music School, Inc.
Serving: North Phoenix, Arizona

East Bay Dyslexia
Contra Costa, California area, but willing to travel for program

Noonan Family Swim School, Inc.
San Diego and Riverside Counties, California

Pickford Music Studio
Serving: Colorado

Artful Journey – A Fine Arts School
Serving: South Metro Denver, Colorado

Hartford Children’s Theatre
Greater Hartford County and surrounding areas, Connecticut

Expressive Arts Florida
Serving: Sarasota, Florida

American Tiger Karate Academy, Inc
Greater Chicagoland – Woodfield Area, Illinois

Upper Limits Rock Climbing Gym & Pro Shop
Serving: Central Illinois

The 80th Anniversary coupon is good through April 17, 2008 so grab the code above


  80th Anniversary - Shop now and save 15% instantly on select products
 

Tri-City Homeschoolers - Fremont, Newark, Union City, California

High Country Home Educators -  Colorado Springs / El Paso County, Colorado

Homeschool Cooperative Educating in Central Florida - Central Florida - Apopka
FL Seminole Homeschooled Inspired Paths - Seminole - Pinellas County, Florida
Homeschoolers - Florida
South Broward Homeschool Support Group - Broward County, Florida
Home Educators Network of Central Florida - Central Florida ( Orlando area)
P.A.C.E. Parents Advancing Christian Education - Flagler ,Volusia & seminole counties, Florida
HOME -Homeschool of Miami Enrichment - Miami Shores, Florida
FBIKids Academy@yahoogroups.com - orlando/ocoee, Florida

HAHSA (Homeschool Association of Harford & Surrounding Areas)- Maryland

Blue Springs Area Homeschoolers - Blue Springs and Surrounding Areas, Missouri

Clark County Eclectic Homeschoolers - Las Vegas, Nevada

Lynchburg Area News and Information for Christian Home Educators (LA NICHE) - Virginia

back to top