Spring 2011

Homeschooling

Who Should Homeschool? by Antonio Buehler

The reality that homeschooling is superior to public schooling has come as a very inconvenient truth to the public school advocates who attack homeschooling.  They used to argue that those without college diplomas and teaching certifications could not do the job of the teacher.  However, in EVERY academic study (controlled or not) I’ve ever seen, homeschoolers have done as well or better than those in public schools. They then argued that homeschoolers could not be properly socialized.  However, in EVERY behavioral study (controlled or not) I’ve ever seen, homeschoolers have done as well or better than those in public schools. More...

Dealing With Distractions by Suzanne Sniffen

Distractions are a constant struggle with homeschooling.  I deal with them very imperfectly, but I have come to realize that there will always be distractions.  We hold ourselves often to an ideal—our house should be clean and picked up, meals always made on time, shopping done, kids happy and quiet.  But, I don’t think that is the way life really is. More...

Let’s Think About It
by Shirley M.R. Minster, M.S.Ed.

think: ‘to picture in one’s mind, to consider, to contemplate, plan’ (The World Book Dictionary)

Whether educating oneself or others, the process should always include thinking. That should be as obvious as the nose on one’s face, but adults do not seem to consider it often enough. Then frustration enters the picture. Adults perceive that actions are proof of what children believe, but this is not a good indicator. Actions may speak louder than words, but words are the better basis for good communication. More...

Mentoring: Introducing The Titus Brigade by Mary Hood, Ph.D.

As the author of “The Relaxed Home School” and “The Joyful Home Schooler”, I have always fielded a lot of phone calls from new homeschooling parents who are searching for answers. Curiously, within the past few years, as the movement has seen explosive growth, the phone calls actually seem to have dwindled.

I believe there are two reasons for this phenomenon. More...

Preparing Our Kids for a Challenging Future
by Barbara Frank

Our economy is in shambles, with millions of people out of work and even more overcome by debt they can’t repay. But don’t worry; over at the White House, the president and his cabinet are working hard to find a way out of this economic mess by creating jobs somehow. But they’re having trouble, maybe because only 20% of them ever had a job in the private sector*. All they’ve got to work with is the theories they’ve learned from books and professors. More...

Let's Write! Help With Meaning (by Dave Marks)

It's not uncommon to hear, "I read it again, but I still don't understand." The problem of making meaning (sense) out of a piece of writing is not very great for us, but for a beginner it's sometimes overwhelming. We all learn things at different rates, and very bright people sometimes have trouble with making sense out of words. When I was in the early grades in school, I had what was called "a reading problem." More...

Learning & Education

Two Studies Help Us Understand How Children Learn
by Linda Dobson

With all the talk about school-related money and budget shortfalls and teachers unions and education reform and school closings and teachers’ arrests, what’s more important – and what’s never addressed – is helping people understand how children learn. Given that all this talk and political maneuvering and dire threats of unemployment really miss the mark of true education, these two studies can help parents think about how children learn, and how well the government schools they attend support true education. More...

Readiness for Reading by Dr. Reneé Fuller

I was seven the first time my grandfather expected me to finish the story he had started to read to me. It didn't happen. How could it? I couldn't read. Even at age nine, when my grandfather persisted in his attempts to have me finish a story he had begun, its ending remained a mystery - I still couldn't read. More...

Family Values

Why am I chasing rainbows? by Tracey Fleger

Well...lots of reasons. What do I mean by "chasing rainbows?" I mean, going after things, working for things, that have something at the end that I want. That's what life really is, isn't it? Chasing after what we want; running a race. For me, as a Christian woman, I am praying that what Jesus wants will be what I want. That's the trick, though, knowing whether or not something is my will, or His? More...

Teaching Our Tweens and Teens Time Management
by Cheryl R. Carter

Ultimately, we have to teach our children there is really no such thing as time management. Time cannot be saved up or stored to be used on a rainy day. In fact, no matter how brilliant we may be all of us were each dealt a hand of twenty four hours. Our children understand too all well: they know time is more than its spatial implications. It is a matter of managing themselves. More...