Everybody knows YouTube.com, the free video media site. It seems like everyone these days is using YouTube’s services to make themselves a star, market their products and services and generally make sure that every bit of anything important is captured on video by someone somewhere. But how many of you ever considered using YouTube for your homeschooling?

How in the world, you ask, could someone use user-uploaded videos for teaching purposes? Easy, if you do a bit of looking around beforehand. You’ll probably spend more time sifting through available footage for just the “right” stuff, but with a little perseverance and patience, and perhaps a little bit of luck too, you’ll find plenty of material to add to your learning experiences.

YouTube for Social Studies: Much of the 20th century’s greatest moments and it seems as though all of the 21st century’s, as well, have been captured by video cameras. Don’t simply read about an event – witness it firsthand. Search for the event itself – 1968 Olympics – or for a key figure – Neil Armstrong. You may not have been born when the moon landings occurred, but you can still watch them with all the awe and wonder of those who were there. For events previous to the days before moving pictures, there are a wide choice of videos including entire movies (The Crossing, for example,) documentaries (National Geographic’s Ancient Egypt) and home movies of costumed reenactments. And then there are the travel documentaries, giving you a real world view of cultures and places you can’t truly experience with a book.

YouTube for Science: Everything from nature documentaries to home-made science experiments have been posted to YouTube. You can even see a frog dissection, a fine example of Bernoulli’s Principle in action or a volcanic eruption caught on film.

YouTube for Maths: Having trouble with algebra? Or calculus? Or are you stuck on long division? There’s a video tutorial for all of it. You’ll probably find what you’re looking for quickly and easily by add “Basics” to your keyword search – Algebra basics, basic long division, etc.

YouTube for Language: From phonics videos with catchy tunes and animation for the little ones to a college professor giving a tutorial on effective essay writing, to scenes from Shakespearean productions to both the famous and the not-so-famous reading or reciting poetry, YouTube has a plethora of videos to add some spark to your language lessons. You can even see a vid on how to do the dreaded sentence diagramming. Not that you’d want to, but you can…..

YouTube for Foreign Language: YouTube has at least one channel devoted to teaching foreign language basics – foreignlanguagehouse. However you can also find music videos, newscasts, even soap operas and movies, in a wide variety of foreign languages.

YouTube for the Arts: Want to watch a biography of Leonardo da Vinci from the History Channel? Or how about a video series on watercolor technique? Or have a front row seat at a performance of Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz by the Vienna Philharmonic? You can have that all in one afternoon thanks to YouTube’s more culturally literate side. Talk about a music video!

You may not have thought of YouTube as an educational aid, but as you can see, it has a great deal to offer your homeschool. And it’s all for free, which makes it even better!

Suzanne Stewart is a professional freelance writer and marketer, and the author of Homeschooling on the Cheap. She has been homeschooling her children since 2002, using mostly Charlotte Mason’s methods and philosophies. She has studied Charlotte’s writings, as well as others’ works on Charlotte and her ways. She is currently the Charlotte Mason “expert” for the Christian Homeschoolers Taking a Stand blog. She lives just the other side of nowhere in rural WV with her 2 children, 2 dogs, 4 cats, a fish and a hamster. When not writing or homeschooling, she enjoys reading, playing flute and bowed psaltery, tramping across the hills and hollows of home, and practicing the arts and sciences of homemaking and motherhood.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suz_Stewart

Thinking about homeschooling? Want to avoid the homeschooling mistakes most people make? Below you’ll find what we’ve discovered from homeschooling our 5 children from birth to college.

In 1987 homeschooling was just as newborn as our first child. We looked at homeschooling for a number of reasons which were mostly related to our academic goals. And yet, our first child’s Cerebral Palsy tipped the scales. The simple nature of having a young and impressionable soul around active and undiscerning ‘friends’ made it clear that we should homeschool.. We really didn’t want our son settling into confusion about what he was capable of doing. So, we decided to give it a try until he was old enough to physically function well around others who were his age, but weren’t his friends. We thought it would be through third grade—it lasted until he went to the University of Texas in Austin.

Now, these 23 plus years later, we know seven things that we make sure all of our homeschool coaching students start to understand–inside and out. If you want a successful homeschool embrace these seven (or violate any of these at your own risk)!

Define Homeschool Success for Yourself
Use a Curriculum that Matches Your Definition
Don’t Compete with Public or Private Schools
Find a Support Group(s) or Network
Learn to Use Systems for Success
Make Discipline a Nice Word
Find a Coach

Here’s a quick summary to get you started:

Define Homeschool Success for Yourself

Definitions determine everything. If your definition of “learning math” is to ‘get through the book’—then things will turn out very different from the family whose definition is to “learn how to do math.” The definition for homeschooling success that we use is our basic understanding of education. Education is learning how to learn. We want our students to develop skills for learning so they are prepared for anything. How sad when people think knowing information means education…especially when information changes and your are obsolete because you didn’t keep learning.

Use a Curriculum that Matches Your Definition

There are as many curricula as there are people (so it seems). Every curriculum is build on some set of assumptions or educational philosophy. Some writing curricula believe (falsely) that we learn to write by studying grammar, while others show the students the power of learning to write by actively writing (for example see http://www.advanced-writing-resources.com). Whatever the curriculum for whatever subject-make sure it matches your own definition so you aren’t caught wanting one result while using a process that takes you in the opposite direction.

Don’t Compete with Public or Private Schools

One of the great mistakes is to compete with schools. A homeschool does not have large buildings, massive funding, and a variety of specialized teachers. So, trying to produce the results they aim for will simply exhaust you. Homeschool can actually produce greater skill and knowledge, but trying to match all the subjects a school offers is chasing the wind. By the way, the students aren’t always leaving a school system as educated as you think!

Find a Support Group(s) or Network

It is the height of arrogance and the height of inefficiency to go it alone. Why not benefit from the wisdom and knowledge of others? Why not let others benefit from the insights you’ve gained along the way? There are groups online, groups in your part of the world, or groups just waiting to be started by you and a few like-minded families. You’ll never be like the people you don’t hang around…so get busy and connect for your own good.

Learn to Use Systems for Success

One of the great insights in life is how things operate by cause-and-effect. Good cooks can reproduce the same quality meal over-and-over because they follow some type of system (recipe). The practical results you see in life are largely the result of the systems we use. Homeschooling itself is a ‘different system’ of education which is aimed at a bit different result (included the character, sense of family, etc., it often affords). If you don’t have an overall sequence of steps you are moving toward following, then you can rest assured your results will be as shoddy as your system.

Make Discipline a Nice Word

One of my favorite mentors, Robert Fritz, offers a helpful definition of discipline: “Discipline is when you itch, but don’t scratch.” The truth is that some amount of discipline is necessary for learning. Very few children naturally gravitate to wanting to learn in all the areas important to education. It turns out then, that we must help them do what they don’t “feel” like doing, so they can ultimately benefit. External discipline tends to lead to life-long internal discipline. We all need help doing what needs to be done. Homeschool (or any school) simply won’t work without making discipline a nice word which is practiced often.

Find a Coach / Mentor

In many ways it is the ultimate hypocrisy to ‘tutor’ our own children without having a ‘tutor’ for ourselves. There is something powerful when we discuss, interact with, and learn from someone who is ahead of us in any field. Sports training knows the value of coaches because the competition and economics involved are so great. Without a coach you can’t compete. If you find a voice or two you trust, a person or two whose results you want to see in your life— find them, pay them, beg them to coach you. Nothing will save you more time and heartache than to learn from someone with wisdom.

Dr. Lybrand is an author and educator who is responsible for changing the lives of students all over the world through his innovative approach to applying systems thinking to practical learning. Go to http://www.homeandschoolsuccess.com for a free learning gift.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_Lybrand

The threat and delivery of a swat for misbehavior is still used in many homes. I’m supposing most private Christian schools have now abandoned this practice, but like I said in a previous article, it was a disciplinary practice utilized in a private Christian school that employed me as a second grade teacher. It was designed to keep the boys in line. And it did for awhile. But like most school disciplinary policies, there was a backup plan if it stopped working. If the swat did not have its desired result, the teacher could send the student to the vice principal’s office. Like room 101 in George Orwells book, 1984, no one returned smiling.

After many “go-rounds” with one particular student, I finally decided it was this time to call upon the vice principal for “sterner” measures. I escorted the student to the V.P.’s office.

When he returned, the day proceeded without incident. However, the next day a different student seemed to go out of his way to “push my buttons”, which he did, and for which he also was sent to “Vince.” Later in the week a third student boy required the same action, and then I overheard a conversation between students that went something like this: “It’s not so bad, it only hurts for a minute, you can take it, I dare you…”

What was intended to be “punishment” for oppositional behavior had actually become the means of obtaining reward: membership in an “elite” group.

So what am I saying? I’m saying that I didn’t really understand an aspect of motivation, motivation that is extrinsic in nature. The better we understand it, the more effective we can be in leading our students to accomplish our educational goals.

So what is it exactly? Essentially, the weaker the relationship to the reward and the activity necessary to securing it, the more extrinsic this motivation is. And the more extrinsic motivation is, the more likely it will not deliver the desired results in a dependable, consistent manner over time.

Four examples of extrinsic forms of motivation are:

• Rewarding your student with money for doing their work

• Using “time out” to manage bad behavior

• Turning in all your algebra assignments to pass the course

• Requiring your child to do his chores before going outside.

As parents, we all use and are influenced by extrinsic motivation. However, like I said, the weaker the relationship between the reward and activity necessary to securing it, you can count on it failing sooner or later.

The four examples of extrinsic motivation cited above may work for a while, but likely will fail you eventually.

• Get ready to pay more as your child gets older. I’ve heard quotes of $50.00 paid out for each “A” earned for college classes taken by a home schooler.

• Some kids may like to be “timed out”. Then they can use their technology, read, or daydream.

• Doing algebra assignments to pass an algebra class may not be a big deal to some kids. Their thinking is, “When will I ever use this?” (Don’t let on that they may have a point…).

• “Going outside” may not be very desirable to the sedentary types.

One client of ours used a form of extrinsic motivation with her son when he came in for his annual achievement test. The deal she struck was if he checked his work during the test, she would take him to get an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen after it was over. That appeal may work with most seven-year-olds (assuming they like ice-cream), but it won’t carry the same weight with your average twelve-year-old, and will likely be responded to with an eye-roll if suggested to your sixteen-year-old.

I’m not saying we should discard the use of extrinsic motivation. We just need to be aware of its limitations. There are other factors that can be put to work to help us reach the educational goals we have for our children. I’ll discuss them in later articles.

Thanks for reading.

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

We’re pleased to announce the release our new interactive e booklet, How to Ask Questions That Matter. Besides helping you drill down deeper into your student’s understanding of the content you’re covering, it will also help you prepare your student to answer the kinds of questions that appear in the new Terra Nova 1 test that has replaced the CAT 5. Higher level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are explained and may be practiced.

Click here to go to this product page and see some sample pages.

Please feel free to forward this to home schoolers you think would benefit. Also, you have permission to copy this article to your blogs, forums, social network pages, or other websites. We only ask that you provide the live link at the bottom of the article that leads back to www.basicskills.net

Curt Bumcrot is the founder and director of Basic Skills Assessment and Educational Services. He has earned degrees in Biblical Studies from Grace Institute in Long Beach, California, a B.A. in English from California State University at Dominguiz Hills, and a M.R.E. (Master in Religious Education) from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary. He has been active both as a teacher and administrator in Christian Schools. He and his wife, Jenny, who home schooled their three children, currently reside in Oregon City.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Curt_Bumcrot

You spent months agonizing over the curriculum you were going to use with your homeschooler. You negotiated room in your already full house to prepare a learning environment within your home. You steeled yourself against your family’s doubts over whether or not homeschooling was the best decision for your family, and hopefully you triumphed! You have done everything you can to get your child prepared for the road ahead completing their high school education, but why stop there?

Let’s face it, college is necessary these days. Whether your child wants to be an engineer, a minister, or a stay-at-home dad with something interesting to talk about, you need a college degree! It’s not news to you that homeschoolers are at a disadvantage in the college admissions process, in fact, if you’re like me, you’ve heard nothing but pessimistic views on a homeschooler’s ability to get into a university of their choice. Even trying to serve my country the army, my transcripts were looked at with the suspicious eye normally reserved for the shadiest of characters. I wish I knew then what I know now.

Unlike the above, this will be news to you: homeschoolers have a distinct advantage over traditional school children when it comes to preparing their transcripts. Unlike the average graduate entering college, the homeschooler’s transcripts can be customized to illustrate the value that their education and achievements will bring to the school of their choice! rather than just being one of a thousand printouts at the end of the year, you as a parent hold the keys to your child’s future at the tips of your fingertips. You will be the one crafting the transcripts for admissions departments to read.

I don’t expect that you know how to craft a transcript that will impress college admissions naturally, but with the right guidance and some serious effort on your part, you can be crafting amazing transcripts that show how much your child has to offer their community.

To find out more about how to make your student’s transcripts shine to readers, Click Here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Roberts

As a homeschooling parent you undoubtedly put in all the time and energy you could to select the best tools available to educate your child. Researching the best curriculum in a sea of options, making sure you could properly instruct your child without the help of an educational institution. I personally remember when my parents decided that Accelerated Christian Education and Alpha Omega were going to be my high school education! When time for college rolls around, you know your child received the best education possible, but will the college admissions people know it too?

Chances are, when it comes time to enter college, your child will be met with the same skepticism I was. College admissions representatives are well-meaning, but somewhere along the line most of them get the idea that a homeschool diploma is somehow less valuable than a traditional school one. You know this isn’t true, but how do you convince them?

The best way to convince a skeptic is to disarm them from the get-go. What’s the first thing admissions sees when reviewing your application? A high school transcript! And here’s a little secret, your child’s transcript is your secret weapon. They see hundreds of transcripts a day that all look the same. Boring old documents rattled off of an old dot-matrix printer that the public school hasn’t replaced since the Reagan years. Now what is this that’s coming across their desk? A well-formed transcript that shows off the student in a way that only a document created with loving hands can.

How can you create a transcript that jumps off the page and into the imagination of a college admissions office? By doing a few simple steps developed by a homeschool professional who knows what it takes to get their child into college. No one can fault you for not knowing how to prepare a perfect set of transcripts from scratch, but when you have the tools at your disposal to create flawless documents that will rocket your child to the front of the college admissions mind you can do wonders. Take the time to learn as much as you can as early in your child’s education as possible so that when the time comes you will be prepared to send them off with the confidence of knowing you did your best by them. Their smiling faces picking up that diploma will be all the reward you need!

I don’t expect that you know how to craft a transcript that will impress college admissions naturally, but with the right guidance and some serious effort on your part, you can be crafting amazing transcripts that show how much your child has to offer their community.

To find out more about how to make your student’s transcripts shine to readers, Click Here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Roberts

As a homeschooling family, I am sure this question has entered your mind. The idea of putting together a homeschool high school transcript can be daunting.

Many more questions are circling around in your head as your child(ren) get closer to high school, or perhaps they are already in high school. Some questions you might have are:

* When should I begin putting a high school transcript together?
* What should I include in it?
* How should I format it?
* How long should it be?
* What about grades? I haven’t been keeping grades. (most homeschoolers don’t)

And the questions can go on and on. I am sure you have plenty more.

Fortunately for you, there is a ‘go to’ person who has done all the hard work. She has put her knowledge and experience together and can help you put together your homeschool transcript. All your questions can be finally answered.

There is no need for you to feel overwhelmed, weary or extremely frustrated. Creating your child(ren)’s school transcript can be simple and easy, like it should be.

Once you know how, you can relax and feel confident about your child(ren)’s college preparation. Colleges will love the transcript you deliver to them.

Another big concern you might have is accreditation. Does your transcript have to be accredited by some agency or school? The welcomed answer is, no, it does not. You can sigh a sigh of relief now. That in itself is a big weight lifted from your shoulders.

You can go on homeschooling as usual and the course will teach you how to neatly include everything in your transcript.

So head on over and discover the 4 simple steps to create a homeschool high school transcript. Stop fretting and continue to enjoy these wonderful homeschooling years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_Albright

If you are worried with how your child is performing at school and if you have been looking for ways on how to help your child improve his grades, then a home tuition can be just the perfect solution to your problem. A lot of parents out there also have the same dilemma as what you are going through right now. Thus, many have opted to seek help form home tuitions. You may want to personally teach your child, but your time would not allow you to do so. This is the reason why home tuitions have been developed. Home tuition or private tutors have been proven effective to help a child improve their grades in school. It has also been the answer to every parent’s concern of wanting to follow up their child’s lessons in school, however, there busy schedules would just not allow them.

Before you decide to hire a personal tutor for your child, you will need to ask few questions to ensure that the person you will be hiring is really qualified for the position. You must understand that every child has different learning needs; therefore, it is very important for you to be able to discuss and clarify these details. The questions listed below will help you assess the skills of the tutor. This is important so that your child can get the maximum benefit from his home tuition.

What is your educational background?

It doesn’t matter who you are hiring. What is important is his educational background. Ask about their academic achievements and what subject covers their specialty. You may also need to ask about the course they took up in college, and how well did they do with their studies.

Do you have any experience in tutoring?

Experience is always a major plus in every job. Although there are some parents who is not very particular with the experience. There are times that even a newbie, a fresh graduate for that matter can get the job. For as long as they are hardworking, reliable, and passionate with their job, newbie can be as effective as experienced tutors.

What is your method of teaching?

Every home tutor has their own method of teaching. It will be an advantage for a tutor who uses different form of teaching medium such as magazines, internet, and books. Variations in the teaching method can be really effective. This will allow the child to understand the subject matter easily. And also, it prevents boredom from stopping your child to gain interest with the subject matter.

How do you deal with a child who is difficult to handle?

There are times when a child will become receptive to their tutors. A child may be shy or simply would not want to participate with the personal tuition setting. In cases like this, it is very important that the private tutor is able to handle the child’s stubbornness appropriately.

What is mentioned above are just some of the important questions that you should ask any tutor. It is very important that you are able to clarify things with the tutor before you hire him. This way, you can be certain that you’re child will really get all the necessary attention that is expected of a home tuition.

Clara own and run personalized home tuition services for student and parent in Singapore. Home Tuition Singapore aim to provide best services to help students get the tuition services that suit their needs. Feel free to visit http://www.hometuitionsingapore.net/ for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clara_Goh

Not every adult knows a second language, and not every child admitted to college has a foreign language. In fact, in Washington State if a child earns an AA degree from a community college, and transfers into a state university, they may be able to bypass the entire language requirement. Some colleges do not have a language requirement at all, while others will insist on foreign language study before they will grant a degree. Essentially, if you do not have it going IN to the college, some want you to get it before you leave.

Foreign language study can serve a few purposes. First, it is a wonderful way to learn about English. When you study a foreign language and learn about verb tenses and grammar, it can increase knowledge of the English language. It can also help you understand the differences between languages – for example, some have articles (the) and other’s do not.

Second, a foreign language is great critical thinking. It is often a way for colleges to see how well your child studies and learns, and if they have the study skills necessary for a new language. It does take effort and thought. Much like math, a language is easier to learn when you do it daily, even if small amounts if necessary.

Third, not all countries speak English. In fact, one of the biggest complaints about Americans is that they think everyone does speak English. One reason for the “rude American” stereotype is when people insist on speaking English-only in a non-English speaking country. In order to successfully interact with people in other countries, whether as a guest or as a missionary, speaking their language is considered the polite thing to do. Even if it is just an attempt at their language, it can make all the difference.

If you cannot fit a second language into your normal homeschool week, there are options. You can search for a college that does not require a foreign language. You can strive for an AA degree from a community college, so that a foreign language requirement may be waived. You can incorporate natural language learning, rather than textbook learning. For example, you might learn Spanish during a mission trip to Costa Rica, interacting with native speakers, rather than sit in front of a computer doing Rosetta Stone.

There are a huge variety of languages to choose from; languages that are spoken around the world, languages that form the basis of scripture. American Sign Language is accepted at most universities, and it is a great language for kinesthetic learners. Latin is accepted almost everywhere as well, and it can be a great fit for a logical or non-linguistic child.

Need help homeschooling high school? Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, helps parents homeschool to college. She is an expert in how to craft a winning homeschool transcript. You can find Lee online at TheHomeScholar.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Binz

One of the most challenging topics in a typical math class is the learning of fractions and their operations. Why does Johnny (Jenny) struggle with the concepts of fractions, decimals, and percentages?

I believe that these ideas are not taught effectively in most elementary classrooms. Teachers tend to move quickly through the lessons at this time in elementary school (usually 3rd or 4th grade), and tend to treat fractions as an abstract idea.

When learning to speak, infants are taught to point to an object and repeat the word that the adult speaks. These nouns become the building blocks of language, and numbers and counting is done the same way.

Primary grade students learn to count objects in their world, moving on to basic number pattern ideas and labels such as multiples of 5 and 3, and the concepts of odd and even. But these are whole number ideas, and partial numbers (fractions and decimals) tend to be introduced on paper as an abstract idea. In other words, teachers should be repeatedly showing students what a third of something is, or how to cut things up into equal pieces, etc.

I am not saying that this is avoided in elementary school, just that students are not given enough exposure to those ideas. Students should not be doing worksheets where they practice adding fractions with unlike denominators until they can draw pictures of these fractions, or show how to cut them up into equivalent pieces. The concrete learning idea of manipulating objects to show a mathematical idea needs to be embedded into the minds of young learners before they can practice similar math ideas on pencil and paper. This curriculum piece tends to be skipped or rushed in most elementary classrooms.

Students who are not ready to move on to do fraction work (or decimals or percentages) are either unsuccessful the rest of their math careers, or memorize the algorithms and get stuck later in higher level math courses.

Either case requires extra help to survive high school or college math curriculum because the developmental phases in mathematics cannot be avoided. If a student didn’t understand a fundamental concept such as fraction operations, they will not be successful in learning topics that use these ideas, such as solving equations, graphing linear relationships, or manipulating precalculus problems.

So, if you are a parent of a child who struggles in math, take a look at how your son or daughter expresses the ideas of fractions. Ask them to show you what 2 thirds looks like, or what 8.6 means, or to make a model of what percent 8 out of 10 represents. Can they do it?

If not, find a quality online math tutor who can diagnose the developmental phases of what your child has missed in the classroom. A highly skilled, experienced teacher can help fill in those gaps in learning, make it fun, and help your child to once again rediscover their math confidence!

A middle school and high school classroom teacher for over 25 years, Terry VanNoy takes pride in his ability to engage his students with creative ways of showing important concepts. He and his students use a shared computer screen, whiteboard, and use text chat and live voice (like a phone call) to work together during the instructional sessions. His online tutoring business caters to middle and high school students who need a confidence boost to get to the next levels and feel excited again about becoming math students who can achieve amazing things!
Terry VanNoy’s class sessions, Math with Mr. V are by appointment only… Call toll free 1-877-317-3317 to arrange a free consultation! Help your child feel more successful in his or her math classroom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_VanNoy

There was an article this morning in our paper about the new math curriculum being used in our area. I cannot believe they are choosing a single math curriculum that is supposed to fit an entire region. How many teachers are involved? How many different students? All those different individuals, and there will be only ONE BOOK???

I started getting concerned when they mentioned the book “Discovering” for algebra and geometry, and said “It’s also the series our school district has chosen.” First of all, any time our school district chooses anything, run the other way. They have a 46% graduation rate. That is our local high school:-)

“Some of the highest-paying and most competitive careers are in science, technology and medicine – all math-intensive fields. Meanwhile, more colleges and universities are requiring applicants to take up to four years of math in high school.”

That is a very good reason to teach math, and a very good reason to be conscientious about it. I would also like to point out that it is not all about pay either. Nursing, for example, is a math-based careers that is more about mission than money.

But do you have to choose between math “investigations” vs. extensive explanations and practice? I love the fact that homeschoolers can have it both ways. You can take a traditional textbook and add supplements that encourage understanding. But you know, some kids need more practice, and some kids need more explanations. Some kids just flat out need more hands on activities! I am not sure how one math book can serve the needs of every student.

I know that homeschoolers feel very concerned about upper level math. How much harder would it be if you were a non-homeschooling parent? Imagine trying to help your child with homework when you did not choose the book, have not seen it all year, do not have a video or an 800 number to call. What a nightmare! My friend had a child who used the Discovery book in public school. The schools were not able to help her and so they hired a tutor. Even the tutor who had a math degree could not figure out the Discovery book!

It was interesting to see them comparing these math books to the whole language vs. phonics debate. I remember thinking that different children learn to read in different ways, and that a mixture of the two can help. Math may be the same way.

Lee Binz, The HomeScholar shares some of her time each week to provide free homeschooling advice to parents. She also shares many free homeschool resources to help parents in the noble cause of homeschooling their kids through high school. Find more information at TheHomeScholar.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Binz