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The Results of Home Schooling vs Public Schools

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:57:41 +0000

One of the very first questions that most parents ask about home schooling is whether it actually works. They are only too well aware of the fact that the public schools have problems, but really wonder whether they can do any better. One natural response for some parents is to try a little harder to see if they can afford private schooling but, even if this were possible, are the private schools faring any better than the public schools?

The simple fact of the matter is that there are many, quality studies which show that, on average, home schooling produces superior students. To an extent of course this is understandable as parents clearly have an effect on education no matter which route they take. A parent who is genuinely interested in the education of his or her children will help to motivate them, producing better results.

But there is certainly more to it that this and there are many cases, in a great enough variety of situations, to take even this into account and still come to the conclusion that home schooling produces better results.

Even the Unites States Department of Education agrees. In one study which they sponsored themselves home schooled students produced exceptionally high test scores. The median scores in every grade were far higher than those of public schools and even higher than those of private school students. The average home schooled student in grades one through four was a grade level above that of public school peers and, by the time home schooled students reached the equivalent of the 8th grade, they were as much as four years ahead of students attending public school.

As if this were not enough, costs were also lower. On average, government schools spent $6,500 per student each year and private schools spent $3,500. By contrast, parents undertaking home schooling spent about $550 per student each year. This figure for home schooling does not of course take into account the time spent by parents on home schooling for which a public school teacher would be paid.

The public school system as we know it today evolved during the second half of the 19th century as one state after another made school attendance compulsory. Perhaps the most interesting question however, and one which rarely seems to be asked, is why, if public schooling offered such superior value, it was necessary for the states to make it compulsory and to force parents to put their children into the public school system.

It could be, and sometimes is, argue that this was due to the ignorance of rural parents who did not see the value of education. However, it is interesting to note that adult illiteracy rates in 1840 Massachusetts were a low 2% and that, by 1995, this figure had risen to 19%, in spite of apparently enormous advances in the intervening years. In 1840 libraries were rare and today they are everywhere as books are both relatively inexpensive and easy to trade.

Today over a million children are home schooled in the United States and thousands of home schooled students have attended colleges and universities, including many of the most prestigious and difficult to get into.

Whatever your own thoughts about home schooling vs public schooling there is no doubt that the results clearly show the advantage of home schooling.

Home Schooling and Computer Learning

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:59:49 +0000

More and more mothers have decided that their children can learn more through home schooling, either full time, or as a supplement to public schools.

Home schooling is not new, and if you think that your child is not performing well in school, talk to the teachers and ask for some feed back regarding your child. The guidance counselor can also help you in determining the best education for you child. Home schooling is already accepted and perhaps it can help your child learn better in the comforts of your home.

But make sure you establish a time for teaching, and provide the tools and materials children are using in school and home, such as a computer….

A computer is a must in any schooling program today. You’ll find having a computer available at home is helpful, because it can speed up learning. With the help of a computer, you child can have a unique and interesting educational experience. You will also.

Children today should learn about this very important tool, even at an early age and one way to achieve that is through schooling computer programs. At present, even pre-school children are already taught how to use the computer and other support resources.

If you opt for home schooling, you and your child will also spend most of your time making use of the computer and the internet. Educating your children will be much better when done online because of the diverse resources. Your child will be provided with an exceptional education which he/she will greatly benefit from in the near future, since the job market trends today involve the Internet.

Parents of school age children can help their kids learn more effectively by having an internet connection at home. The education of children are better when supported by the parents and they can also help in improving the mindset of their kids as well. The parents can pass on to their kids their great heritage through the various online resources.

Remember that home schooling will only work best if the parents are willing to support their kids all the way. They must also be committed and prepared for the challenges that they are about to encounter. The parents should look for a good computer program that can help their children learn all about computer usage.

Often times, the lessons are divided into several parts or series, so that the children can cope easily. Kids have various learning capacities and since they are not given much chance in traditional schools, this is their chance to bring out their best through the use of computers.

Before you decide to home school your children, bring up the subject. See how your kid reacts to the idea and tell him/her about its advantages. Tell them that the online computer classes will help them with their studies, and learning will be a lot easier,

It’s better if you and your child both agree to home schooling. Persuading your child to commit to it will not be very good and so you have to seriously talk now. Spend time with your child and know his/her interests. Explain that computer programs can greatly help.

Besides, tell your child that they can indulge more in their interests if they know how to use the computer.

So why not look for the best-suited computer program now? There are lots of online schooling programs to choose from, and it will take some time before you can find the appropriate one. In addition to the standard schooling programs, you’ll find information on my website.

Rallie Rallis is a business adviser and information marketer. To learn more about computer programs that can increase learning and internet skills go to my site smart-media-desktop-review/

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The Truth About Home Schooling

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:00:43 +0000

Parents will opt for home schooling for several reasons from a wish to instil particular values to the desire to remove a student from an unsafe public school setting to the aspiration to offer a better quality education. But the most general, basic reason for many is the well established belief that home schooling is ultimately healthier for their child.

‘Better’ can imply an assortment of things, but it includes as many deficiencies as it does positives. The omission of bullying or peer pressure are two major features of public school that many home schooling parents aim to remove from their child’s life. But the positive side is as equally important. It has been well studied that an improved education can be achieved by home schooling over public or even the modern private schools.

And the research undertaken largely agrees: home schooling is superior for education in the vast majority of cases.

There are numerous individual achievement stories. Winning student of the 1997 National Spelling Bee contest was home schooled. Four sisters went on to achieve Master’s degrees from an Ivy League university after being home schooled.

But cases like this might be dismissed, declaring that these students, and their parents, were unusual. Also the numbers indicate that the typical home schooled pupil is within the 60-70th percentile by 12 years of age. From this, on average, they are a grade in front of their public school peers.

The figures for the elder children are often even more notable. After the average home schooled pupil reaches the equivalent to 8th grade, he or she will likely be four grades ahead of their peers. That’s to a great extent due to the poor results of some public schools as it is great results of home schooling. The figures are based upon research not purely by home school supporters, buy also by the U.S. Department of Education itself.

Although, as most home schooling tutors are aware, nothing good will come easy. Parents can feel the effects of burnout, especially when first beginning with the home schooling. As with any new assignment, it will need time to gain the knowledge require to instruct a child everything needed to develop suitably.

In accordance with a well established home school philosophy children are natural sponges for soaking up knowledge. But many home schooling tutors will feel the need to study the curriculum options, guide children, define goals, and several other duties.

But are the results from home schooling worth the effort? If the desired outcome is a keen minded, well-adjusted student ready to begin life’s challenges, for many parents that will be a simple question to respond to.

Darren Lintern writes extensively for www.andallabout.com, a popular informational website that provides helpful tips, advice, and resources on many home schooling topics including Home Schooling Programs [http://www.home-schooling.andallabout.com/Articles/If_Im_Teaching_My_Child_Why_Do_I_Need_a_Home_Schooling_Program.php], and Home Schooling Curriculum [http://www.home-schooling.andallabout.com/Articles/How_to_Plan_a_Home_Schooling_Curriculum.php].

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Home Schooling – Institutions At War

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:13:50 +0000

Home Schooling. Let’s start off by saying that home schooling is not just for the rich and powerful. Anyone can be home schooled. How do we know that? Because today in the United States there are over 1.2 million students being home schooled. It is doubtful that all of them are very rich.

Yes, home schooling does cost money but a child can be home schooled for as little as $1000 a year. Unless a family is truly poor this is not a large sum considering that comes out to about $3 a day. We spend more than that on our lunches at work.

So what about home schooling as far as it’s benefits? Is it worth it? Do kids learn better? Are they smarter when they finish? Is there anything about home schooling that is bad?

Statistics show that students who are home schooled have better grades and actually learn more than students who go to public or private schools. Of course many people argue these statistics saying they are skewed and inaccurate and some say they are outright lies.

Why the battle?

Because the one truth that can’t be argued is that home schooling is eating into public and private schools’ pocket books. The growth rate for home schooling has been rising about 15 to 25% per year of late. This is about 20% of the students outside the government school system when you look at the raw numbers mentioned above. Another 250,000 children are expected to enter home schooling in the coming year.

The number of home schooling students do present a threat to government schooling, as they are finding that you don’t have to hire super qualified teachers to get a good education for your child. And the truth is, an average family only spends about 10% of the per pupil cost that public schools spend on each child, which refutes the theory that you need to spend a lot of money to educate a child.

This does pose a significant economic threat to public schools since their school budgets depend on attendance. It is estimated that over $7 billion has been lost to public schools because of the number of children who are being home schooled.

Home schooling families are also a very powerful force in government. When a bill was introduced that all home school instructors be certified the home school community made such a loud noise that the bill was defeated by a vote of 424-1 when it came up in the house.

In an attempt to battle back, defenders of the public school system are fighting with every legal resource at their disposal. One of their tactics is the undermining and co-opting of the home schooling movement by establishing government home schooling programs which try to lure families by offering them free resources. Yes, the battle goes on and it won’t be ending any time soon.

In the next article we’ll go over exactly how home schooling works and how students earn their diplomas.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Home School
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Home School Administration

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:57:19 +0000

The resources that home school parents leave behind when they remove their children from public schools are significant. However, the benefits gained from learning in an environment that mimics the world to a greater extent than traditional school are immense.

So many times parents bite off more than they can chew and they do not realize the problem until they are already behind or have set bad habits. Home schooling is not simply about teaching children or taking them on field trips. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that must be completed in order to give the children the full benefit of education.

These behind the scenes responsibilities include, lesson planning, diagnostics, chore charts, transcripts, record keeping, tracking, report cards, etc. They are the same things that many public school teachers also complain about. They are the less glamorous side of teaching but no less essential to the success of students.

Home school software programs that have the capacity to streamline all of these less glamorous tasks are now available for surprisingly affordable prices. For as little as $50 – $100 per year you can have instant access to numerous different records, statistics, teacher help, student help, paper work, charts graphs, etc. This is much of the same information and resources that are used by public school teachers.

Home school software allows your children to be prepared, whether it be prepared for the next grade or for college entrance exams. Anything that can help give your child an edge in the competitive world is priceless. And, anything that can make the frazzled fragmented life of a home school parent easier and more effective is priceless.

For anyone considering making the switch from an old record keeping system I urge you to give it a try. Most of the companies offering products offer some sort of try it free guarantee, so you risk nothing, except for not providing the best level of education possible. Do not hesitate, do it now, be a person of action. Many people in this world are constrained by indecision while the individuals that push forward are the ones that accomplish new feats that seem impossible to the people left behind. Anything that can give a small edge or advantage in the beginning time will only magnify over the long term.

More on http://www.Homeschoolsoftwareguide.com

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

Saxon Homeschool Curriculum

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:47:08 +0000

Saxon Homeschool Curriculum has earned its reputation for quality, reliable and affordable home school programs. It started as a curriculum for students who had difficulty in mathematics, but has grown into a complete core curriculum program, and is a leader among secular providers. If you are still deciding what homeschooling program to use with your child, this article may help you determine if Saxon will fit your needs.

The main focus of Saxon homeschool curriculum is helping students establish a strong foundation, and learn the concepts they need to live successful, productive lives. While Saxon offers programs for public schools, private schools, and large groups, its most popular program is its personal distance-learning course.

Saxon has expanded its offerings from math courses to other disciplines. Saxon home school curriculum now includes primary, middle and high school mathematics, as well as phonics, grammar, writing and science.

The home school phonics program is designed to assist children who struggle with reading and spelling. This course covers consonants, vowels, decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension. For grammar and writing, the curriculum uses a book produced by Stephen Hake, which is designed in the Saxon Math model of incremental development and continual review.

Saxon physics is designed for both average and gifted students. The topics are practiced every day, and gradually increase in complexity. It gives children time to become comfortable and master the concepts taught in each lesson.

The main difference between Saxon homeschool curriculum and other programs are in the arrangement and delivery of lessons. Saxon does not rely on rote memorization, nor does it encourage a “take it or leave it” chronological system of education. Instead, it presents concepts systematically throughout the year in a manner that allows for maximum understanding and mastery.

Saxon promotes hands-on learning. Because it relies on manipulatives and a multisensory approach to learning, children are left with a firm grasp of the concepts. Its straightforward approach to academics makes it a fine option among secular home school programs. Its unique approach makes home instruction easy for parents, and makes learning easy for children.

To read reviews of Saxon that were written by other homeschoolers, visit Saxon Homeschool Curriculum Reviews.

You may reprint this article by giving credit to the author. To post this article on your website or blog, provide a live link to http://www.successful-homeschooling.com.

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Homeschooling History

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:31:54 +0000

Centuries ago, in many countries and cultures, homeschooling was the only option available. Children were educated in a specific skill which would have lead to an occupation later on. For girls it was mainly about cooking, handwork and house management while boys were trained in the skills of the military. This differed from country to country and culture to culture. It was mainly elite groups that had the assistance of outside trainers such as the governess in the Victorian times.

Alexander the Great was homeschooled by Aristotle 2500 year ago and some resources see that as the first example of homeschooling. It is, however, so that many children were homeschooled until the late 19th century when governments introduced legislation that forced parents to send children to public schools.

Homeschooling as we know it today is believed to have started around 1960. John Holt’s name appears as the person that initiated the road back to homeschooling. He was a teacher and Ivy League graduate, unhappy with the public school system. Reforming the public schools was an impossible and task he started looking at homeschooling. He believed learning should be initiated by a child’s natural curiosity and not by a structured system. He wrote and researched this extensively over a period of 20 years.

Raymond Moore was another believer in homeschooling. His arguments against public schooling came from his Christian point of view. He believes parents should be responsible for children’s education to ensure that the education is morally and spiritually accountable.

Around the early eighties state laws in America that prohibited homeschooling started to change and today homeschooling is an acceptable alternative for parents. Tax regulations changed for Christian schools in the 1980s which resulted in some of the smaller schools closing down. Most of the parents affected by this chose to rather homeschool their children than sending them to a public school.

The internet has become a major resource for homeschooling parents with many useful websites and online curriculum. A large number of support groups as well as news letters and other resources make it easy for parents who choose homeschooling. Parents have various reasons for choosing homeschooling of which religion and the deterioration of discipline in public schools are some of the most offered. Research shows that by the end of 2009 up to 2 million learners in America will be in homeschooling.

Allan Tan is the co-founder of Foot-Care.org He provides more helpful information on Free Online Homeschooling, Negative Effects Of Homeschooling and Free Homeschooling Curriculum that you can read up in the comfort of your home on his website.

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