EDUCATION TIPS
Get Education Tips here………..

I know that each parent can determine what is right for their own child. My job is to support independent homeschooling, however. When I get questions about alternative education programs, I do not want parents to feel that I am being judgmental. On the other hand, I do try to point out alternatives that retain independence, so you can ensure the successful education of your child.

Online and alternative education classes may be appealing because they are often free. The big problem is that this kind of material is only financially free – there are other costs involved. Online classes with accredited programs often are rigid and inflexible, with strict rules requiring certain things. That can limit your ability to teach your child in the way they learn best. It is important to recognize that while classrooms progress in a plodding, standard speed, children do not learn that way. Kids learn in spurts. In classroom setting (physical or online classrooms) kids may get frustrated when the class goes to fast or bored when the class goes too slow.

If you are feeling tempted by online science materials, consider free materials that are available to independent homeschoolers. There are many colleges that offer online classes in a variety of subjects. MIT is just one example, with their free online classes called “Open CourseWare” You can also find high quality science lectures in the library. Although not a lab science, the learning is fabulous!

A simple Google search of “online virtual labs” will provide abundant material for every branch of science, with labs tied to many different books. Some online virtual labs are intended for high schools, and others are tied to particular textbooks. There is some amazing free material that anyone can enjoy!

I have recently had a few clients contacting me about alternative education and accredited programs. A few of them have had their children fail online classes due to illness, and are now facing a devastating-yet-official grade point average. One mother paid for an expensive program, and her daughter earned a 1.75 GPA for her first year of high school. Ouch! The appeal is easy to see, but the costs may be hidden until a year later. My advice is to tread carefully, and search for alternative that support your independence as a homeschooler

I was doing a Bible Study on Work. I remembered all those summers with my homeschool high school boys. It’s so important to teach a strong work ethic! Perhaps it’s a good time to take a moment with your teens and reflect on these verses. These could be great for memory work and discussion topics before summer.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground Work is satisfying,  the sleep of a laborer is sweet,  whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. 6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. 14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

As a Christian, we have ideologies and messages we want to pass onto our children in their everyday lives.  Along with their A-B-C’s, we want them to learn the word of God and understand the fundamental principles which are taught in the bible.  This type of teaching is not often used in regular public schools, if at all, and the same goes for those who have chosen to homeschool.  Most homeschool curriculums don’t teach about faith and God, or any of the teaching that a Christian parent would like passed onto their children.

Christian homeschooling takes the basic lessons of reading, writing, math, science – everything that a child needs to learn – and combines it with the lessons that can be learned from the bible as well.  Christian principles are taught as part of the daily curriculum, and the messages from the bible are the foundation of how everything is taught.

So, where can a Christian homeschooling parent find resources they can use in their daily teachings, to ensure that their children are getting the best possible education?

Answers In Genesis has a store that divides the categories into pre-school, early elementary, junior elementary, high school, as well as adult teaching.  There are some great resources – books, kits, DVD’s and anything you could need to implement the teachings in your Christian homeschool curriculum.

You can find some really good tools to use in your homeschooling by looking around the Answers In Genesis bookstore.

Another very good idea which we found that you can use to teach your younger kids about scripture is called Memory Cross cards.  These cards are an amazing tool that interests children and is great at teaching children about the bible.  They encourage kids to learn and are a fun way of sharing the gospel.

These are just some unique and useful tools that you can use in your Christian homeschool curriculum.  Teaching our children the messages from the bible is important, and making it a part of their school learning is essential to raising Christians who will continue to live their life with God, and pass the messages on to their own children.

These are lessons our children will never get in a public school setting, and we owe it to them to provide them with the lessons which are important to being a Christian.

Complete Curriculum is the place to get online textbooks cheap. We are an elementary school curriculum provider that serves people from across the educational spectrum, from students, parents, teachers and homeschoolers. We offer a unique product at prices accessible to any budget.

At Complete Curriculum, we provide e textbooks in language arts, math, science and social studies in an easy to download format. When you are planning your elementary school curriculum, you can access our e textbooks on our website by locating and using our Web based bookshelf. Whether you are looking for a mathematics lesson plan or fresh ideas for a science project, Complete Curriculum is the place to get your online textbooks cheap.

When students engage with our elementary school curriculum, they are not only learning academic skills, but valuable technology skills as well. Our mathematics lesson plan and other subject areas are presented in a digital, interactive format that today’s kids are already accustomed to using. As the need for workers who are technologically advanced continues to grow, kids who complete their assignments on Complete Curriculum’s website will already have a competitive advantage over their peers who learned from books only.

When you become a customer of Complete Curriculum, you will not only get online textbooks cheap, you will also have the ability to choose up to 10 e textbooks from any grade level or subject. If you choose to complete the lessons online, simply provide your children or students with the password for them to complete the assignment digitally.

If you are a parent, homeschooler or teacher and would like to find out how Complete Curriculum can help with your mathematics lesson plan or provide learning materials in science, social studies or language arts for Elementary school curriculums, please peruse our website today at: www.completecurriculum.com.

Complete Curriculum’s K-12 Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies digital textbooks provide teachers and parents quality, affordable, accessible, digital educational content. The content is provided in an easily downloadable format accessible through a user friendly web based bookshelf that allows the instructor to customize instruction while engaging the student through the developmental use of 21st century skills. By blending academic, social and interpersonal skill development, Complete Curriculum’s digital texts afford educators and parents the opportunity to effectively impact a student’s ability to accelerate – in and out of the classroom.

When you are looking for private education for your children, one of the most important things to look for is the curriculum that is being taught. Many people prefer private education to public education for their children because of the high level of college acceptance by children who have received a private education as well as the advanced curriculum that is sometimes offered in these alternative places of education.

Some of the things that can be offered in private elementary or secondary levels might include the following:

• Age appropriate material presented in the classroom setting to enhance the learning environment for any level of education, all the way up through twelfth grade.
• Classrooms that offer a variety of mixed ages for children, depending on the grade level that each child is currently enrolled in.
• An involved array of educational options in each classroom designed to let your child choose what type of educational activity most interests him or her, while under supervision by some type of instructor.
• Blocks of time that are set aside as uninterrupted in order to facilitate a solid learning environment for children of all ages.
• Modes of education that involve self-discovery and constructivist modes of thinking that can help provide students with a learning environment in which they are free to learn by working directly with their own material, rather than learning consistently by instruction.
• Specialized learning materials that are directed to help promote critical thinking and independent problem-solving abilities from a very young age.
• Curriculum that allows for measurable results and testing in order to make sure that material is being held up to benchmark standards that meet the basic requirements in each state.
• Proven methods of education that produce results and have a high rate of graduation and success in post-secondary education work.
• Theories of learning that involve educational freedom, self-motivational skills, and activity in the learning process that is spontaneous and interest-driven.
• Educational modalities that can help a child to develop both academically and psychologically, driven on principles of human development

When you are choosing an educational path for your children, there are many different theories and methods of preparing them academically and socially for life as an adult. It’s important to find a method or style of education that fits with your expectations and goals for the instruction of your children. When you are looking for a Park City Montessori school, keep in mind that this method of instruction is one of the many paths that you can choose for your child

It’s not surprising that many parents who have teens that struggle in mainstream school are considering home schooling as an alternative means of education for their children. While majority of parents don’t see this as a viable option, especially if both parents have to work, there are situations where the decision to home school teens can be a beneficial one for teens. Of course, it’s not an easy decision to arrive at. It takes a lot of commitment on the part of parents/guardians to make this kind of arrangement work for young people. Whether trying online high schools or going through traditional home school modules, there are definitely a lot of things to consider, and not all parents or guardians are up to the challenge.

What are the benefits of this kind of arrangement? Here are a few:

1. Flexibility in classes- Like most alternative means of education, home schooling affords parents to provide a lot of flexibility in the learning environment. Classes can go slower or faster without worrying about other kids in the classroom. Parents can focus on the challenging subjects for as long as the child needs help on it. It’s simply something that’s not always possible in a traditional classroom.

2. Flexibility in schedules – Home schooling children gives more freedom to parents on structuring the daily schedule. Some children learn best when they take short breaks every few hours. Parents can adjust this according to what’s more effective to their children. Their schedules need not revolve around catching school buses, fixed break and lunch time, etcetera. Many children flourish better in this kind of arrangement.

3. More involvement from the family – When children are educated from their homes, they have a better chance of developing their relationship with their family. Parents get to be more involved in the growth and development of their children, they get to know them more, and they get to be more familiar with their childrens’ strengths and challenges.

There are also some negative sides to studying from home. Here are a few of them:

1. Time and availability – Many parents these days are both working to earn a living for the family. This makes finding the schedule and the fortitude to homeschool their child a lot more difficult, especially for middle-class families.

2. Financially burdensome – If one parent focuses on homeschooling a child, it adds to the home expenses. Not to mention the fact that there’s one less parent who will bring in an income to the home.

3. Stressful – For many parents, sending their children to school gives them quiet moments at home. A break from the stress of dealing with and disciplining the children. Parents who homeschool their kids need to deal with them more often than parents who send their children to school.

Many people are divided over the issue of whether this kind of alternative education is good for children or not. Ultimately, parents or guardians should know what is best for their children. Some children respond well to homeschooling, some don’t. Some children and teens have special needs that are best met at home, some don’t. What’s important is to make an informed decision about it.

Home schooling comes in as many shapes and forms as there are families that chose to stay out of the mainstream school system. In the elementary years, it is fairly easy to find teaching resources within the home and the community. In fact much of the learning that takes places requires little more than a pencil, paper, a place to work and everyday household items to use for teaching concepts (such as rulers and measuring cups for teaching units of measurement, toothpicks or other small items for numeracy counters, etc). Once students reach high school grades, however, they often need more in the way of materials and lessons than can be found within the home.

Many college courses, designed for students who have graduated high school, are actually fitting for mature homeschooled students once they have mastered the basics of a subject. This is true of the arts, the sciences and humanities. Introductory courses often cover much of the same material that is taught in the final two grades of high school, and the ability to work hands-on in a science lab, or to discuss literary theories with others, can be invaluable.

It is not uncommon to find colleges that will take students at the age of 16, if they even have an age restriction. So long as the students have completed the prerequisites for the class, and are able to complete the course work, there should be no restrictions to their access to many classes. Even is a school has restrictions, an interview with the professor and with the Admissions office often can result in a waive of such restrictions, provided the student shows they are able to work within the college environment.

For those students who would prefer to work independently, another option is online college courses. The same material is taught through correspondence courses or through an online program of study, which may include teacher-led virtual classrooms, group discussions in online chat forums and a variety of other online resources. These online classes are best suited for students with solid study and time management skills, who are able to work through the courses without too much outside support.