Hello homeschool hopefuls! Today, we will discuss a critical topic that
some of you may have already been thinking about, and that is, is
homeschooling legal in my state?
Although homeschooling is legal in the U.S. as stated by the HSDLA, the
rules and regulations vary across states. But the most important thing
to know is that you MUST follow the rules for your state. The
consequences of not following the rules are just not worth it.
Homeschool advocacy groups have worked hard and done an excellent job
in fighting for the rights of homeschoolers. But it wasn't very long
ago that the yearly modern homeschoolers (circa 1970-1980) had to look
behind their shoulders to make sure child custody services or public
school officials werenít harassing them by threatening truancy and
child abuse. ...read more
The Health-Literate Student
PART I
by Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT
A healthier, happier child is generally more successful academically.
What is involved in helping children learn the skills they need for
better well-being? Health is more than physical fitness and the (much
modified) “food pyramid”. Health has been defined as a complete state
of physical, mental and social well-being. This broad reach of
“health” encompasses skill building that falls within diverse fields of
study, such as physical medicine, psychology, communication,
interpersonal relations, mind-body medicine, physical education,
nutrition, and much more.
The breadth of essential knowledge and skills that students need in
order to become “health literate” is gained in many learning
experiences. The home school and school environments are important
places where children can gain the knowledge and skills
that they need
to make informed decisions, modify behaviors that adversely affect
health, and change social conditions in support
of well-being. ...read more
Learning Inside the Project Categories
By Daniel Yordy
One of the chief problems with weaving learning around what children
naturally enjoy is that it is not long before “stilted” learning
exercises make what started out fun to become boring. Yet learning
cannot be all fun and games; discipline is also a great value. My
16-year-old daughter notices a huge difference between her piano
students who practice a lot, partly because they enjoy it and partly
because their parents make them, and those who practice little. It is a
real eye opener for her.
The key, I believe, is to place something of great value, something
that is real, at the core of your child’s learning experience.
And for most children, if at all possible, that would start with
raising an animal, or for some, gardening or nature exploration –
especially if there is a chance to win a prize, such as the fall fair,
or a dog show, or to put food on the table, not just for immediate
family, but for relatives and friends as well. “Johnny grew all this in
his garden, and harvested it and cooked it as well!” “Wow, Johnny, this
is the best corn on the cob I have ever tasted.” ...read more
Combating Childhood Obesity with FUN
by Yvette Garfield
Childhood obesity is at an all time high in America as families are
consuming more sugar and processed foods and moving less than ever
before. Families can implement simple changes that will make a huge
impact on their health.
Celebrity trainer, Mari Pratt, offers parents several suggestions that
they can incorporate into their routines to keep their families healthy
and active:
1. Take the kids for a bike ride in your neighborhood while the parents walk or run.
2. Play at the park and create and fun obstacle course...read more
eTextbooks-Sorting Through the Excitement
by Bruce Friend
The discussion around the use of digital textbooks (or etextbooks) has
been one of great debate within the education community in the past
year and will certainly continue to be a topic of interest in the years
to come. The prospect of using digital textbooks instead of
traditional hard-copy texts that all of us are familiar with provides
many attractive features. Chief among these appealing factors for
using digital textbooks is cost. The expense of traditional texts and
their replacement cost runs into the hundreds of millions dollars for
many school districts. If comprehending how much texts cost on an
individual level, just go speak to any current college student.
Another reason that digital texts have become popular is their
portability. Not only can their use provide relief to backs of
students who currently lug around extra weight in their backpacks;
digital texts can be accessed through various electronic devices that
make “anytime” learning more feasible for students. The use of digital
textbooks fosters the use of technology in the teaching and learning
process. With access to digital content, teachers and students can
further maximize the investment that the schools (and their parents)
have made in computers, handheld devices, and interactive whiteboards...read more
Labels Part Two- Dyslexia and Other Disabilities Myths
by Naomi Aldort
Q: I have read your first column on labels in the last issue and I
understand that most labels are useless at best. But what about
symptoms like dyslexia? Isn’t that physical? And don’t drugs offer a
great relief in some situations when a child simply cannot sit still or
learn?
A: Relief for who? Not the child; she has nothing to feel relieved
about in the first place. In order to feel relief by the drug, the
child has to be taught that something is wrong with her and that she
should please us rather than herself. Dependent on approval, she will
then feel relieved to meet our expectations, setting herself further
away from optimizing her own talents. The authentic child is learning
happily all the time, while running around, climbing, giggling and
connecting with herself or with others. She follows the guide from
within.
Obviously if diet needs to be changed to optimize your child emotional
experience, or if toxins must be cleaned up, it is important to take
care of these biological issues...read more
Teaching Reading from Whole to Part
by Sarah Major, M.Ed
I loved to read growing up. One of the stories that made a deep
impression on me was about Robert the Bruce, the Scottish military
leader. He’d tried six times to defeat the enemy and had failed six
times. While resting in a cave, Robert watched a spider trying to spin
a web. The spider swung towards the opposite wall six times, and six
times it fell to the ground. But the spider persisted and on the 7th
try, it reached the wall and began its web. Robert the Bruce took this
as a sign; he went out to battle one more time and this time was
victorious.
Persistence is an amazing quality. It is what makes any inventor become
an inventor, any published author published. It is what fuels any great
achievement…that refusal to give up or to listen to those who say it
can’t be done. I grew up hearing “If at first you don’t succeed, try
try again.” While I understand that the intention of this phrase was to
instill the character quality of persistence within my young breast,
I’ve learned that there are also times in which trying and trying again
is an exercise in futility....read more
Overwhelmed by Homeschooling and Life Part 1
by Barbara Frank
Lately I’m hearing from a lot of homeschool moms asking how to juggle
homeschooling, homemaking and preschoolers without losing your mind.
Maybe the popularity of this latest topic stems from the fact that it’s
late winter, everyone’s been cooped up indoors for months and they’re
sick of it. But juggling the kids, the house and homeschooling can be
stressful; how well I know that from my own experience.
Looking back on the days when I was running back and forth between the
big kids, the little kids and the washing machine, I recall that it
seemed that there was no solution to my problem. Some say the solution
is to send the kids to school. But that wouldn’t work for me because I
never considered putting any of my kids in school. It seemed to me that
would be punishing them because I couldn’t hack it. I just felt that I
wasn’t keeping up because I hadn’t yet figured out how to do this the
right way...read more
Launched in 2007 by Jamie Gleich Bryant—a Cincinnati-based editor and educator— and mother of two daughters—Kiki provides tween and teen girls an intelligent and engaging alternative to the often too-mature content found in many fashion and pop-culture magazines. Instead, Kiki presents fashion as a lens through which readers can explore their own creativity and develop a sense of self-confidence. In Kiki, creativity and design are front and center.
Award winning
Since its first issue in 2007, Kiki has received multiple nationally-acclaimed awards for content and design:
Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold 2009
Mom’s Choice Awards® Magazine of the Year, 2009
iParenting Media Best Products 2008 and 2009
Parent’s Choice Gold Awards 2008 and 2009
Association of Educational Publishers Golden Lamp finalist, 2009
NAPPA Gold Award, 2008
NAPPA Honors Award, 2009
Design
Each issue features seven departments:
From the Studio showcases design, fashion history, designers, textiles, and shoes; Art Bin offers tips for using art tools, sewing techniques and how-to projects; World Beat profiles cultural trends and international destinations with design traditions; Biz Buzz covers the fashion industry, finance, and managing money; Kiki Care addresses grooming, health, and exercise; Your Style focuses on everyday life, such as recommended reading, imagination, confidence, and friends; and Kiki Fun is full of games, puzzles, and quizzes.
Kiki readers encounter fashion as a college design student would and explore how fashion relates to their lives—how they use it, how they make it, how they change it, and how they feel about it.
Interactivity is a critical part of the magazine. Readers can transform each issue into a personal creativity journal by writing and drawing directly on the pages.
Editorial Mission
Kiki’s editorial mission is to help each reader develop a sense of style that reflects her own personality; and to nurture in her the sense of confidence that comes from being comfortable in her own skin, whatever her style.
Learning is fun!
Here at Kiki, we are committed to providing an educational experience for our readers. Each issue is not only visually appealing, it's also packed full of rich educational content that is just as edifying as it is fun.
Kiki is published by B-books, Ltd., a company that specializes in working with academic materials - everything from research and content creation to design, layout, and pre-press publishing services for subjects across the curriculum. So, a conscious decision is made with every issue of Kiki to enrich readers' knowledge of everything from world culture to illustration to books to money to business, and everything in between!
To heighten the educational experience, Kiki offers teaching supplements with select issues.
Your child could be about to discover their new favorite subject!
Imagine having a history program your child actually loves!
Imagine having a history program that gives your child a powerful
foundation of knowledge, and the tools and desire to learn more.
Imagine having your history curriculum needs expertly taken care of for
all your homeschooling students, for every grade level!
History At Our House is the answer to all your history homeschooling challenges!
The History At Our House program is an integrated, rigorous, and exciting history program for students from 2nd to 12th grade. With
History At Our House students don't read dry textbooks or audio
versions of them. Students either attend live, interactive classes
taught by the program's creator, Scott Powell, via conference-calls
conducted with students across America, or they download MP3 format
recordings of these lectures any day of the week, any time of the day,
on-line, using the Internet—perfect for listening to on a portable
playes, and even in the car! (LEARN MORE.)
TESTIMONIALS
"Thanks again for all that you do to bring history to life for us!"
--Julie N, Maryland
"My son...is so anxious for more that he listens to parts of it again!"
--Rachel B, Oregon
“My daughter has a passion for history, thanks to Mr. Powell."
--Kim M, Connecticut
The History At Our House program offers Ancient, European, and American
history in a three year rotation for lower elementary, upper
elementary, junior high, and high school students. (Also coming soon:
the history of East Asia, and the history of the Middle East!) At all
levels the curriculum includes history, art-appreciation—through the
“History Through Art” program, geography, and more!
TESTIMONIALS
"When we listen as a family, everyone takes away something important."
--Debra R, New York
"I love having one subject that I can learn along side the kids!"
--Stephanie D, Michigan
"The kids are loving it.... I really like the integration of geography... and art!"
--Cheryl H, Alabama
Isn't it time you gave your homeschooling family a history program you
can love? Find out why parents across America are raving about
HistoryAtOurHouse! Registration for the 2009-10 school year opens this
spring, so don't delay. (FIND OUT MORE.)
