Homeschool Achievement Beats Public Schools by Sun Bae
Hi everyone.
On August 11, 2009, a summary of a new study,
called “Progress Report 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics”,
was published stating that homeschool students scored 36 percentage points higher
on standardized achievement tests compared to their public school peers.The actual study isn’t due to be
published until November 2009, but the summary provides some good evidence
that, overall, homeschooling works.
Background
Now, this study wasn’t conducted by just anyone, it was done
by the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI).
Founded in 1990, NHERI, is one of the most (if not the most) prominent
organizations specializing in homeschool
research.
... read more
Top Five Ways to Raise a Bilingual Baby
by Beth Butler
Every expecting parent I meet and have the pleasure of speaking with as I travel our country seem truly interested in raising their new baby to be bilingual. I want to share with you the top five ways to raise a bilingual baby. They are fun, easy and affordable.
Thank goodness the English only mentality is disappearing, slowly but surely, from the heart of the United States of America. For years we have proudly called ourselves a melting pot, one that welcomes immigrants, cultures and languages from around the world. Yet all of us realize the hypocrisy with which our system has executed the embracing of the melting pot.....read more
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Financial Education for Teens: Making It Real, Making It Matter, Making It Last
Allowance for Teens: A Callout to My Teammates
By Jill Suskind, WealthQuest for Teens, Ltd.
Money skills profoundly affect the quality of our lives AND our ability
to make a difference in the world in ways that are important to us.
That’s why we are all looking for ways to offer these skills to the
teens in our lives, and an allowance is one tool that can be very a
very effective teaching tool. At the same time, an allowance can be
disastrous.
If you give your teen an allowance, but you don’t like what he or she is doing with it, then please consider this: Your child might just be practicing bad money habits with your money!!
Habits are hard to break, too. However, an allowance, when offered as
part of a financial education, is a powerful teaching tool. In this
context, an allowance can be an opportunity for your teen to develop
great money management habits.
Take it from me; my money was a disaster until I was about 38 years
old. I always had income, but I never had any money in my pocket.
When I was young, I blamed it on my allowance; when I got older, I
blamed it on my teacher’s salary. I always thought I just didn’t have
enough income. More recently, though, when I began to turn my
financial life around, I realized that I was thinking about and
organizing my salary the same way I managed my allowance, with some
minor cosmetic changes that made me think I was being adult about it. ...read more
The Magnificent, Messy Human Brain
Part One: Understanding Your Brain
by Jay Lambert, MSW, LCSW, NHAC
As a professional counselor, I obviously spend a lot of time
trying to help people understand the root causes of their behaviors and the
behavior of others. In doing so, I often find myself having to give a basic
lesson in human brain anatomy. And the more I do it, the more I find that
indeed it is very helpful information if you know how to apply it.
THE BIG PICTURE
The human brain is a fantastically complex organ. It is
often perceived as being a great mystery. I’ve heard many refer to it as the
“final frontier.” Indeed, in many ways we are still trying to figure our own
brains out. But I think we forget that at the same time much of the mystery has
been solved, especially in terms of the big picture of how our brains work.
..read more
Crayons aren’t just for preschoolers anymore! Why not use that box of old broken crayons to create beautiful works of art. More and more artists are using the medium to discover its versatility and ease-of-use. And so can your home school students. Best of all, it’s easy on a limited budget.
Starting your project is easy no matter what the age of your student, in fact, the older the student, the better. First, have your student research how crayons are used by artists and what type of results the artist achieves. The internet provides some great websites for artists who use crayon as their choice of medium. As always, parental supervision is recommended for younger children to ensure that they are viewing age appropriate material. ....read more
Why American Homeschoolers Should Study European History
by Scott Powell
With the onset of multiculturalism in American culture, the classical model of history instruction that focused on Greece and Rome, then Europe (especially England), and then finally America, has been derogated. This type of program is now called "Eurocentric," by which is meant (correctly) that it focuses on Western civilization (of which Europe is the core), but also (incorrectly) that it necessarily implies that all other cultures are inferior or unworthy of attention. Because the term "Eurocentric" is now typically pronounced as an indictment when people use it to characterize history curricula, homeschoolers may feel uncomfortable placing any particular emphasis on European history when instructing their children. They shouldn't. European history is a uniquely important story that is deeply connected to American culture and government. Here's why....
1. The "Eur-Am" Connection
Everyone knows that in 1492 Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic on a westward voyage to Asia and found instead the islands that populate the Caribbean. In today's cultural climate, this fateful voyage is no longer viewed as the discovery of America, but regardless of one's view of whether the Italian mariner is history's true discoverer of America, or whether that title belongs to Norse wanderer Leif Ericson, or perhaps to some Chinese mariner, what is incontestable is that the history of America is bisected by Columbus's exploit. Subsequent to 1492, the "Pre-Columbian" era came to an end and the mostly neolithic cultures of America were rapidly and inexorably displaced by European explorers, conquistadors, merchants, priests and farmers. The history of America from this point onward was rooted in the history of Europe...read more
As you continue the education of your children, don’t forget about a key component: the arts. Because most arts education is specialized, it is sometimes difficult to find quality art programs. As a result, your child may not be receiving the quality arts education he or she deserves. Results from a June 2005 Harris Poll revealed that an impressive 93% of Americans believe that the arts are vital to a child’s well-rounded education. Since the visual arts can help transform the way children learn, how can you ensure that your children are getting what they need?
Ideally, a children’s art program should provide an enlightened approach to cultivating children’s creativity and knowledge of color, form and design. Art classes should be comprehensive and inspire the best in its students - from working with acrylics and tempera paints to stamp art, sculpting, digital design, collage and more. ....read more
With much talk both on a local and national level regarding the need to
change our educational system, it is important to solicit feedback and
ideas from all who have a stake in ensuring that our students receive a
top-notch education that will prepare them for social, academic, and
economic success after high school.
Perhaps the most important stakeholders are the students themselves. So
what do they think about the quality of the education that they are
receiving and the use of technology to engage them in the learning
process?
The Speak Up National Research Project attempts to answer this question
by conducting an annual survey of K-12 students. Since this effort
began in 2003, over 1.5 million students have been surveyed. As
educators, as parents, as citizens with a vested interest in our
nation’s prosperity, we need to pay attention to what students are
saying. ...read more
BrainSPARK Learning and BrainPro Services are online learning software that trains the brain to maximize a child’s learning potential. Similar to physical exercise that builds fitness for a runner, “brain training” improves the overall brain fitness of your child –showing significant improvement in learning and reading skills in 4-6 weeks.
Designed for children ages 5 and up BrainSPARK provides engaging, individualized games that build key cognitive skills. BrainSpark and BrainPro have been developed from over thirty years of neuroscience research on how the brain learns. BrainSpark is for children at or above grade level. BrainPro is for children below grade level, but not with a diagnosed learning disability.
Parents can keep track of their child’s progress through emailed Weekly Achievement Reports. The report highlights the child’s participation, weekly gains and areas for improvement. The online learning program is being used in thousands of school classrooms around the world with almost 1.5 million learners to date. Start your child’s brain fitness program today and realize his potential for a lifetime of learning!
The Internet provides a wealth of knowledge you can use in
your homeschool program. Unfortunately, finding the right lesson or activity at
the right time can be both difficult and time-consuming.
If your child suddenly declares a passion for the study of
electricity, you don’t want to waste time scouring the Internet for reading
materials and fun projects; you want to get right down to the business of
exploring his interest. Likewise, if you’ve decided to teach your child about
the American Revolution, you’ll want an easy source of information that will
allow you to make history come alive for your child.
LessonPathways.com was designed to help you use the Internet
to your advantage while reserving plenty of time to teach your children and
enjoy other activities. This innovative educational tool provides prescreened
Pathway units for Years K through 3, covering the core subjects of history,
language arts, math, and science.
You’ll find a wide range of resources in each unit,
including:
•Reading
materials
•Worksheets
•Videos
•Games
•Experiments
•Hands-on
activities
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A Ready-to-Use Homeschool Curriculum
You can use LessonPathways.com as a complete curriculum.
Just choose the grade level that best suits your child’s needs and complete one
Pathway per week in each core subject. Our Guided Journeys are carefully
planned, so you don’t have to spend hours on research. Each unit is ready to
use; you can simply click on a Pathway and get started! Has your child already
covered the material in one of our Guided Journeys? That's no problem; just
select the next grade level for that particular subject. You can mix and match
Guided Journeys to fully customize your child’s learning experience.
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A Powerful Educational Supplement
If you have a curriculum you’re happy with for this year;
LessonPathways.com still has plenty to offer you. Use it to supplement your
current homeschool program. For example, use our science Pathways to supplement
your science textbook with fun projects, experiments, and videos. Our Pathways
provide an all-around educational experience that will help your child both
enjoy learning and retain what she learns.
You can also use LessonPathways.com in combination with
other curriculum choices. For example, you may combine our Language Arts and
History Guided Journeys with your current textbooks for math and science.You might use our site for math,
science, and history while employing another choice for language arts. Perhaps
a visually appealing video presentation on volcanoes will enhance your child’s
studies. Maybe long division will be easier if he can see the steps in a video,
apply them to hands-on activities, and complete online drills.
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Take some time to explore Lesson Pathways and experience the
convenience of having quality resources ready for your use, whenever you need
them.
oWatch
your child’s face brighten as he enjoys a multisensory education, with quality
content from a wide range of websites.
oUse
our handy Planner to stay organized and plan your next exciting homeschool
exploration.
oCombine
Pathways to make unit studies that are tailored to your child’s unique needs
and interests.
Don't take our word for it.Here's what other Homeschoolers are saying about us:
"This is something that ALL homeschoolers should want
to invest in.I am in total awe at
how much information is put into each pathway.No book could ever contain all the info that Lesson Pathways
has put together.This is, by far
the most comprehensive curriculum program that I have ever seen.And for the price, you couldn't beat
it!" - Dana Carroll, The Homeschool Mommy on Blog Talk Radio
"I've only known about Lesson Pathways for a few hours
and I already love it! Finally, the exact curriculum I wanted with the same
type of activities and resources, but it's already been pulled together for me!
Thanks! " - Stacy J., NE Ohio
"I am REALLY loving this site!! Thank you!! I am so
excited about all there is to offer!!"- Gabriele, Raleigh, NC
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Our Mission
Lesson Pathway's mission is to offer an affordable
curriculum option that makes use of modern technology components and reduces
teacher planning time.
