Homeschooling is On the Rise in Australia: Who is Doing it and Why?

by Rebecca English, The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/homeschooling-is-on-the-rise-in-australia-who-is-doing-it-and-why-110268

Homeschooling is legal in Australia and thousands of families are doing it. from shutterstock.com

This is the first article in our four-part series on homeschooling in Australia. The series will answer common questions including whether homeschooled children have enough opportunities for socialisation, and how their outcomes compare with children who attend formal schooling.

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Home education is a legally recognised alternative to enrolling a child in school in all Australian states and territories. Children need to be enrolled in either a school or home education from around the age of 6 until completion age (around 17 years-old). If the parent chooses home education, they must apply to the state or territory authority for permission.

In most states and territories, the parent or a hired registered teacher is responsible for the education of the child, usually at the child’s home. Any parent, regardless of their educational background, is legally able to apply for, and homeschool their child.

Parents must submit a plan for their home education, which, in most cases, should show an alignment between their child’s learning and the national curriculum. Parents can buy a program, but in most cases, they develop their own, in line with their philosophies of education.

How many Australian children are being homeschooled?

Across Australia, there are around 20,000 homeschooled students and the numbers are growing. Around 1,100 students were being homeschooled in Queensland in 2013. By 2018, this had increased to 3,232 students.

This means there are around the same number of homeschooled students in Queensland as the population of Brisbane State High School.

The numbers are rising in other states too. In New South Wales an estimated 4,700 students were enrolled in homeschool in 2017 compared to around 3,300 in 2013.

Around 5,300 children were being homeschooled in Victoria in 2018, compared to 3,545 children in 2013.

These numbers may not tell the whole story as they only represent families who have registered to homeschool their child. Research suggests there may be thousands who haven’t registered, and so are homeschooling their children “illegally”.

Why do families choose to homeschool?

There are many reasons parents choose to educate their children at home. For some families it will be because of religious beliefs. Geography or financial reasons might stop these families from accessing a suitable private school.

Some families choose to homeschool for cultural reasons. from shutterstock.com

Other families might be ideologically opposed to mainstream schooling and see it as an unnecessary or inappropriate intrusion into family life.

Some of the biggest growth in home education is in the “accidental” home education group. These are families for whom school was a first choice, but it did not work. There are many reasons school may not have worked, but often it’s down to special educational need. These families would traditionally have moved their children around between schools but are now homeschooling instead.

Studies suggest families who take their children out of school, when they have a special need, and homeschool are more satisfied with their child’s education than when they were in traditional school.

The rise in homeschooling also appears to have links to worldwide changes in education. Many parents see schools as failing their children including for cultural reasons, and believe homeschooling is a suitable alternative. Some families feel schools are not meeting their primary objectives of education and (healthy) socialisation for their children.

What about assessments?

After a period of time (in Queensland, for instance, it’s ten months) parents report to their state or territory’s education department on their homeschooled child’s progress. The reporting requirements differ across states and territories. 

For some states, such as NSW and WA, the report is delivered to a person who visits the family. For others, such as Queensland, the parent writes the report and sends it to the department.

Unlike traditional schools, parents don’t usually “assess” their child’s learning through exams or assignments. The reports must show progress in key areas. Some homeschooled students might choose to participate in NAPLAN testing while others won’t do any testing at all.

Homeschooled students can choose to go for an ATAR and do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, even though they don’t do assessment.

Is it the same as distance education?

Some parents may like the idea of home education but feel they want a more school-like experience. They may choose to enrol their children in distance education.

While it’s also conducted at home, distance education is not home education and the enrolment counts as a “school”. Because it’s technically a school, distance education students are not counted among home education numbers.

The differences are many. Home education is conducted by the parent, but distance education is a school program delivered by teachers at home frequently using the internet. It is also usually delivered to a group of children, rather than a family.

There are private and public distance education schools. Some states, such as New South Wales, limit the enrolment to students who are geographically isolated or may be experiencing a special need that stops them from going to school. In others, such as Queensland, any child can enrol in a distance education school.

What about outcomes?

The volume and quality of the research on outcomes for children in home schooling is limited. In Australia, studies have focused on NAPLAN results. These suggest home-educated students score higher than state averages across every measure. The effect continues even if the child returns to school.

These children may be doing well because they receive one-on-one attention. Or it could be because the child’s learning is personalised and the child has agency over their learning.

Studies from the US, where there is far more data, suggest home-educated students enjoy benefits in reading, language, maths, science and social studies. And many families there cite dissatisfaction with schools’ achievements as a reason to home educate. There is no difference between home education in the USA and Australia.

The rise in numbers poses issues for education departments and government authorities charged with managing the practise. They may not be set up to deal with large, and increasing, numbers of registrations. For most departments of education, the numbers of families choosing home education has traditionally been low.

In addition, authorities may be unable to police those families who choose not to register.

The increasing choice of home education is an issue that should be on the radar of every state and territory education authority.

Rebecca English, Lecturer in Education, Queensland University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Is There A Better Way to Homeschool?

Homeschooling Group (Photo credit: hcplebranch)

by Bekki Sayler

If you ask 100 homeschoolers what is the best way to homeschool children, you will likely get 100 different answers!

That's right! SO which way is the best way to homeschool? Your Way.

What makes your way A Better Way?

• You take your children's strengths and weaknesses into consideration when choosing the kind of work you will require.
• You enjoy learning right along with your kids.
• No one knows your child like you do.
• Your child's passions can be knit intricately into their school day.
• You can share your passions with your children and call it "school".
• You get to decide what your school day looks like.
• You get to choose whether to use a shrink-wrapped curriculum or books form your local library to teach your children.
• You are free from the trap of measuring your 11 year old against the next 11 year old you meet. They are each unique.

It is A Better Way, because it is your way

It is a journey, a process. If you are anything like me, your homeschooling will morph as your children and you settle into your routine. Homeschool is a living breathing thing. As your child grows and develops strong interests, your schooling bends toward them.

Do not let yourself get trapped into a pre-packaged idea of what your child's education should be. Sure, you need basic goals for them to achieve, but so much of their education will be captured alone the way.

Relax. Enjoy your kids. Embrace the unexpected and capitalize on moments of intrigue and excitement.

• Did your boys bring home tadpoles from a friends house? Search YouTube and Discovery Channel to find videos that teach about the life cycle of Frogs and Toads.
• Look for journaling pages that have lily pads on them for them to write down their observations.
• Teach them how to do research online to discover what those tadpoles need to eat to survive.
• Visit your local pet store and talk with the people working there to find out more about frogs.
• Go to the library and check out a few books about life cycles (butterflies, frogs, people, etc).
• Teach Venn Diagrams and compare and contrast frogs to any other living creature. How are they the same, how are they different?
• Make a lapbook.
• Get a frog kit and observe how those frogs do compared to the wild variety.
• Let the kids make their own documentary.

Ride tides of excitement like a surfer who caught the perfect wave! Embrace your better way to homeschool!

Sharing tried and true homeschooling resources, templates, tips, advice, and encouragement is our passion. Visit http://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/ today!

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Homeschool Tip: Do a Mid-Year Evaluation

Homeschool Picnic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Tawnee M Hinton

One of the things that most experienced homeschoolers will recommend is doing a mid-year evaluation.

But what should you evaluate and how? There are many ways.

It doesn't have to be fancy or formal if you don't want to but it is good to evaluate a few things mid-year so you don't get too far off track.

Preschoolers

There are many online sources for analyzing preschool skills. If you are doing a preschool program, it is likely there is a mid-year or year-end evaluation available. However, if you do not find something you like, make sure you evaluate how you are doing and what progress you have made.

You can compare to a beginning of the year evaluation. If you did not do one, that's OK, just do one now evaluating skills your preschooler has been working on and then you can evaluate at the end of the year what you have accomplished.

Elementary School and Middle School

Many elementary programs have evaluations or a syllabus that states what you will be learning throughout the year. You can use these as a basis for a mid-year review.

There are some online resources available as well, that can help you analyze and evaluate where you on with skills for your elementary of middle school student.

However, the most important step for a mid-year evaluation for your elementary and middle school student is what is working and what isn't. This is the best time to make sure that changes are made if necessary.

High School

With high school, you will probably want to make sure that you are evaluation according to your high schoolers long-term goals.

If he or she has sights set on college, you will want to make sure you are on the right track to meet college pre-requisites in addition to making your way through personal goals for accomplishments.

In many cases, your high schooler can complete a self-evaluation to help you out first. Again, it is important to evaluate the curriculum or plan you are using during this mid-year review and make any changes necessary.

Charlotte Mason

If you are using a Charlotte Mason style of education in your home, you will likely be doing an end-of-term oral exam. This is an excellent way to evaluate how your student's skills are developing and what needs additional attention.

You will also be able to judge if they are comprehending the material and know whether you need to slow down or speed up on your material.

Classical

As a classical educator, you may wish to have a mid-year exam to see where you student is in his or her studies. Keeping track of these exams can help your child see what he or she is accomplishing and help you figure out if there are areas that need additional attention.

Other Methods

Many other homeschooling methods have mid-year evaluation built into their programs as well. If yours does not, there is no reason you cannot make your own.

This does not mean you need to give grades or worry about getting to a specific point in your curriculum if your student isn't ready. It just gives you some guidelines to work with and helps you see what you have accomplished so far this year.

Overall

One of the most important aspects of a mid-year evaluation is to evaluate what is working and what is not.

If you have tried a new methodology or curriculum, how are you and your student enjoying it? Are you progressing? Have you hit a standstill? Is there something that is a fight every day? If you are fighting through a particular subject every day, is there another program, curriculum or method that might work better for your student?

Your mid-year evaluation is an excellent time to make changes and see what needs tweaking. It's also an excellent time to give your kids some much needed accolades for what is going right.

If you don't give grades, a mid-year review is a good way to give a certificate or reward for good work to help them continue to be motivated.

What do you do for a mid-year review?

Tawnee is a freelance writing, homeschooling mother of 3. When she isn't reading to her kids, planning a science experiment, or figuring out the next field trip, she loves getting the kids outside and getting active.

She does writing on many topics including real estate, business, and education. Tawnee loves the freedom of writing on the topics that are of interest to her and is thrilled to be blessed with the opportunity to homeschool.

When not teaching or writing for a client, Tawnee enjoys working on her homeschool blog, http://www.adventuresinhomeschooling.com.

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Tips for Homeschoolers: Take a Break

Homeschooling afternoon (hbakkh)

by Tawnee M Hinton

Taking a break can be very important to a successful homeschool.

I do not mean that you need to take a lengthy summer or Christmas break several times a year and I don't mean that schooling year-round is bad.

I mean, that you need to recognize when your kids, and YOU, need a break.

There are many ways to take a break so you can recharge and be ready to get back into the swing of things and your normal schedule.

• Have an UNSCHOOL DAY - If you are a traditional homeschooler, and not an unschooler, you may wish to have an UNSCHOOL day to break from the norm. Tell your kids that you they can pick anything they want to work on and learn about today. See where the day takes you (don't worry, one day won't kill the schedule!). If you are an unschooler, maybe plan the day for the kids with worksheets and reading lists and see what happens.

• Take an unplanned fieldtrip - Feeling like no one wants school today? Take an unplanned fieldtrip to a park, museum, library, even the shopping mall. Decide to walk around, talk about whatever you want to talk about, stop and relax (and don't think of the schedule). Have a lunch out. Walk outside. Go to the dog park and name the types of dogs. Look at nature and talk about trees. Just get out of the house and away from the schedule for the day and see how much more focused everyone is the next day.

• Let the kids teach - Tell the kids that today, they do not have to do school, but you need to learn. Have them teach you for the day. It's silly but everyone will have fun and both you and the kids will be surprised how much you learn.

• Have Game Day - Spend the entire day playing board games, cards games, and physical games. Have everyone play even if it's a game for little ones or big ones. Help the little ones by working in pairs. Have big sister suffer through Candyland. Everyone will have fun playing games, taking turns picking what is next, and just spending time together.

• Take Dad lunch - Need to take a break from the grind and get out of the house? Take dad lunch at work. Meet him in his lunchroom, at a park, or, if that's not feasible, find a restaurant nearby and take him there. Enjoy talking to dad over lunch for a change. Maybe show the kids around his office. The kids will like to see dad and even dad will enjoy the break!

• Don't be afraid to have movie day - If you really need a total break. Head over to the library or local movie store and rent some movies. Make some popcorn and cuddle up for some movies. They can be a mix of educational and fun. Let each person in the family pick a movie. Movie day can be fun and educational.

• Take it outside - Even in the winter months, you can take some time outside to enjoy the weather and take a break from school and chores. Got snow? Build a snowman or have a snowball fight (look at you sneaking in PE). Walk around the block and enjoy the beauty (name a few trees and you have Science). Just get out and breathe in that rejuvenating air.

How do you take a break in your school?

Tawnee is a freelance writing, homeschooling mother of. When she isn't reading to her kids, planning a science experiment, or figuring out the next field trip, she loves getting the kids outside and getting active. She does writing on many topics including real estate, business, and education.

Tawnee loves the freedom of writing on the topics that are of interest to her and is thrilled to be blessed with the opportunity to homeschool. When not teaching or writing for a client, Tawnee enjoys working on her homeschool blog, http://www.adventuresinhomeschooling.com.

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Tips for Homeschoolers: Start the Year Out Right

Homeschooling in Action (Robbi Baba)

by Tawnee M Hinton

As a homeschooler starting a new school year, one of the best things you can do is make sure you start your year out right.

This doesn't mean you have to make a big production or a party.

Just remember that it's a new year and sometimes that's a great time to make any necessary changes.

Whether your changes are big like a whole new math curriculum or small like changing your schedule, the beginning of a new school year is the best time to start.

If you have decided to make some changes, determine which changes you are going to make and then decide what needs to be done to make the changes happen. Get started right away.

If you have been homeschooling for a while, you know what is working and what isn't. But remember, just because a specific curriculum, game, or schedule worked for another child, it does not mean that it will work for all children.

Be sure to make changes that appropriate for your particular child's learning style as well as to the schedule that best suits your entire family.

Many families use the new year or the new semester as a time to try something new. Maybe you want to set new goals this year or try out a new homeschool group.

Just because you make a change to something new doesn't mean it will be the best fit and you'll want to stick with it. Don't be afraid to try something new, you can always change it up again if it isn't working.

If you just find that you are in a rut and need a change - any change, try out a different teaching style.

For instance, if you are a unit study family, try out a box curriculum or if you are a strict schedule person, try out a little unschooling. You might be surprised to see how your family thrives when you mix it up a little.

Maybe you need a new approach, a new attitude, or a new subject to mix things up? Consider adding an internet class or online game to change things up. Start your morning with some exercise or a nature walk. Look into a homeschool group or extra curriculum activities.

Whatever you feel your need are, and no matter when you begin your school year, remember... it's a new year. Now is the time to make the changes you need to make your homeschool run more smoothly and effectively.

What changes will you be making this year?

Tawnee is a freelance writing, homeschooling mother of 3. When she isn't reading to her kids, planning a science experiment, or figuring out the next field trip, she loves getting the kids outside and getting active.

She does writing on many topics including real estate, business, and education and loves the freedom of writing on the topics that are of interest to her.

She is thrilled to be blessed with the opportunity to homeschool and enjoys working on her homeschool blog: http://www.adventuresinhomeschooling.com

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Do You Fear Homeschooling High School?

Homeschooling (IowaPolitics.com)

by Tina M Jackson

Quite often parents fear homeschooling high school because of the complexity of the subjects.

I was one of those parents who thought it was impossible.

After all, I didn't have a bachelors degree, nor did I remember much of what I had learned in school.

I later discovered no specialized education or training was required according to my state homeschool laws.

If you are apprehensive of homeschooling at the high school level here are action steps you can take to determine whether or not you could be successful:

Research

Check out several books from your local library. You will learn valuable information on the topics of configuring credit hours, averaging grades, creating transcripts, and evaluating high school subjects.

The internet is also an excellent tool to pursue research. Search for blogs and forums that share information on how to create transcripts or correctly average grades. Also search for authoritative websites such as state and national organizations who support homeschooling.

Educating yourself will assist in building a foundation of courage and confidence toward getting started down the right path.

Seek Counsel

Talk with other parents who've been successful. It's not enough to only gain knowledge. It's incredibly helpful to seek advice from other families. This provides you the opportunity to compare book related information with what other families are doing.

Even though every family is different some of the experiences you hear or witness could be beneficial. Nothing is better than acquiring the opportunity to model an expert.

Search for High School Curriculum

Your job is to locate curriculum and resources designated to instruction equivalent to high school. Checking out online reviews is a great start. Began with the core subjects of math, science, history and English.

Make arrangements to attend curriculum fairs and peruse bookstores. Ask vendors questions about their products. Also check online to compare curriculum reviews.

For example: My daughter's English books were labeled, "grade 10" on the front cover and within the introduction.

Attend Workshops or Trainings

Most likely the state or local homeschool organizations in your area will schedule high school workshops/trainings. Place the date on your calendar and plan to attend.

Write out any questions in advance. Connect with other parents after the training. You're not alone in your feelings of inadequacies.

Develop a Plan

Congratulations on taking action! Now it's time to take your action to the next level! Compile all your notes and review them.

You are well on your way. You now have knowledge and understanding which should remove any fears of homeschooling through high school. Continue to educate yourself as you continue your journey.

http://homeschooleasy.com

Contact me at:tina@homeschooleasy.com

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Education Websites Can Promote Integrated Learning

Method for learning & education (Wikipedia)

by Helen G Gibson

Teaching can be intimidating. If you have taken on the task of homeschooling, it can be especially intimidating.

How do you cover all the necessary subject matter and create the links for higher level thinking, which is the ultimate goal of education?

Technology has increased a number of great opportunities that any teacher can reference. Authority sites, museum sites, curriculum sites all offer ideas and opportunities.

Most of these sites also encourage project based learning and have ideas or interactive opportunities that community members can participate in.

Take a look at your local libraries and museums to see what programs may be available in your area.

Some education websites also offer project ideas that meet new Core Standards for education. How do you pick a project?

1) Pick a core area and look at what the "meatier" end result should be

At the end of a particular unit or year, students should minimally be able to do what? (Remember that Core Standards were devised as minimum requirements for higher education and employment skills).

These "meatier" content and skill requirements are a great place to aim for deeper learning. Because projects take time, and have lots of "moving" parts, they make it easier to use integrated learning and teach to more than one modality in the same project.

2. Develop projects that target multiple standards

Use project based learning to "spiral" in standards you may have already targeted for continued practice and assessment. If you are a homeschooling parent, you will be more acutely aware of what areas your child is mastering and what areas need further understanding.

Target those areas that need greater understanding and create ways to tie those skills to another project. When students see the links between ideas, they will more quickly develop the necessary literacy.

3. Project based learning encourages a higher level of critical thinking

If we want the knowledge to "stick," then we must help students think critically. When designing or using lesson plans from project based learning curricula make sure that it targets your end result needs.

Always keep your end result, or the driving questions, in mind. Design and implement with critical thinking in mind, and make sure the project based learning lesson demands it.

There are of course other reasons why project based learning works, especially for kinesthetic learners, and there is so much research to support it. I think we need to stop being afraid to try new ideas and to teach in new ways.

We need to embrace education websites that support integrated learning and project based lessons and stop worrying that change will ensue. Change will ensue, and it is often a good thing - if not a great thing!

Let's do what's best for our students, our children, and our community and focus on project based learning and units that focus on deeper learning of the content, where students integrate the material, learn to think critically, and apply their knowledge in new contexts.

Check out the tools and resources that the education websites have to offer and join the growing number of home school parents, public and private schools and after school programs that are successfully using integrated learning and project based lessons to redefine education standards in a positive way.

A new education website that promotes integrated learning through project based lesson plans is becoming the home school teacher parents secret weapon.

www.CrafternoonDelights.com is focused on helping the homeschooling parent to up their teaching skills, and educate their children in a fun and responsible manner.

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Paired Reading: How To Beat The Summer Doldrums

(Photo: www.mysafetylabels.com)

by Nori Rem

Summer vacation is quickly coming to a close and by now many parents are ready to pull their hair out, because their little darlings have used the phrase "I'm bored" one too many times.

My usual response to that statement is "go find a book to read."

However, I have rediscovered the value of reading stories and books online.

There are thousands of virtual books and stories that can be accessed on a computer or tablet.

Many of them are animated and reading books on the computer is a wonderful way to combine learning, spending time together and fun.

I rediscovered this resource last week when I was blessed to spend time with my young nephew. He has some neurological concerns that make holding a book challenging. In spite of that, as soon as he uttered the word "bored" I opened up my laptop and we started reading.

I pulled up a popular children's educational website, with animated story characters and the time flew by! We had so much fun that he did not want to stop reading. I can still hear him laughing at the animated characters each time we reread the short story.

What made our time together even more significant, was that I was able to use the same reading strategies that I've used in the classroom with actual books. We were able to work on his vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and pacing using the computer.

I was even able to conduct an informal reading assessment, to gage his independent reading level. The computer has many amazing applications such as a highlighting tool to emphasize unfamiliar words, and audio devices to read stories out loud.

These mechanisms can be quite effective to use when implementing reading strategies, and thankfully most of them are quite simple to use.

Here are some tips that will not only help beat the summer doldrums, but will enable you to spend some quality time with your children. When new stories are introduced, these strategies will help prevent stress during reading sessions and promote good reading habits.

1. To avoid frustrating struggling readers, choose stories that are on or slightly below the student's independent reading ability (once the student gains confidence in their reading ability, the level of difficulty can be gradually increased).

2. Make sure struggling readers have a buddy when reading stories on the computer. This can be a parent, or older sibling (if you don't have the time or the patience, consider hiring a college student in the neighborhood to sit and read with your child for no more than ninety minutes per session).

3. Have students look at the pictures first, and ask them to make a prediction about what is going to happen in the story.

4. Next identify any sight words or vocabulary that might be challenging for the student. Say the word and ask the student if they can find the word on the page.

Example: soft
Parent Asks: Can you find the word soft?
Parent sounds out the word: s-o-f-t
If the story is appropriate for the child's reading level there should not be many difficult words.

5. Parents or buddy readers should read each new sentence at least two times while the student listens. Place your finger on the screen and tap under each word as you read. Next, read the sentence two more times along with the student. Finally, allow the student to read the sentence independently. The next time the story is read the student should be allowed to read to the parent or buddy reader.

If this article has been helpful to you, or if you know anyone who struggles to read, please feel free to pass it on. Happy Reading! Nori.

Nori Rem is the author of It's in Your Hand! A Seven Step Multi-Sensory Method to Teach the Fundamentals of Reading and Writing to Children & Adults.

If you are searching for a resource for your teacher or parent toolbox click http://www.its-in-your-hand-reading-help.com. If you have questions you can email Nori at nori@its-in-your-hand-readinghelp.com.

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A Day of Homeschooling

by John Steely

What does a typical day look like for a homeschooling family? In many ways, it is the same as anybody else's day.

Parents go to work, chores are done around the house (you hope), and kids do their homework, either with or without their parents' help. However, in many ways the day is very, very different for the homeschooling parent.

The Differences

The main difference is that the child (or children, but let's work with just one), does not need to get out of bed, rush to get dressed, bolt down a breakfast and then catch the bus.

The parent is not left alone for hours, and the child is not attending a class somewhere else. The parent does not have to guess or even worry about what is going on with their child because the child is right there.

This difference leads to many other differences. The family may go on a field trip, with the parent learning right beside the child. The child's craftwork can be shown to the parent immediately and even considered for a fair or craft show.

The questions of the student can be answered when they arise, with any needed tutoring provided quickly and effectively. Communications are quick, loving, and productive.

A Possible Schedule

Let us work through an ordinary day in homeschooling, seeing what is done and how long it takes. A key fact to remember is that all times are subject to change as determined by either the teacher/parent or the child.

Many homeschoolers start their lessons in the morning, but notice that there is no bus ride, homeroom, or assembly. Therefore, the child can take time to dress, to eat, and to get comfortable.

Lessons start when the child and the parent are ready to start, not at some administratively determined timeslot.

A typical homeschool day covers four or five subjects. Each lesson is individually created for the child, with input from both the parent and the child.

Some lessons will take a short period of time, say 30 minutes, and some will take longer, up to hours. Lessons will include reading, writing, mathematics, art, and other activities as needed and desired.

If we take an average of an hour per lesson, the student is done in the early afternoon. Lunch is handled when there is a break between lessons, and after the lessons are done the child is free to run and play without a time limit.

The child can control the amount of time needed, while the parent sets the target results.

On other days, there are field trips, library trips, and other outside activities. The child can participate in sports, organizations, and other outside activities without fear or guilt in missing classes.

The teacher knows the child will be able to do special activities without having to make arrangements with third parties, and the administrative paperwork is kept to a bare minimum, taking almost no time at all during the normal day.

I guess the main point is that the day is both a lot less structured and a lot more productive than is possible in a school.

The time can be structured according to the needs of the student, not the needs of somebody else. The material can be covered as many times as needed and extra activities are welcomed, not treated as a burden.

In short, the child can learn as an individual, with an individualized schedule. There is no typical day, just the day of the child. Learning as it should be.

John Steely has been teaching mathematics, study skills, and habits of success for over 25 years. You can access a number of free resources he has found and made at Steely Services

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Boredom Poison: Boredom Is to Integrated Learning As Cyanide Was to the Roman Emperors

by Claire A Madgwick

"Boredom was everywhere in my world, and if you asked the kids, as I often did, why they felt so bored, they always gave the same answers: They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it". 

"They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around. They said teachers didn't seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren't interested in learning more. And the kids were right: their teachers were every bit as bored as they were" - John Taylor Gatto in Against School.

The dictionary describes boredom as 'the feeling of being bored by something tedious.' At six years of age my son didn't have the words to sum up his school experience, the closest that he could muster was to provide me with the description of the feeling that it evoked in him. This feeling was 'boredom'.

Furthermore he often relayed to me that he did 'nothing' during his school day. I knew this could not be entirely accurate however I sensed this was a reality for him.

In time I reached the conclusion that if he had the wisdom of experience he would have communicated something along the lines of - 'learning in school is making little sense to my life, I am therefore unable to engage in the activities being presented to me, consequently I live in this state of tedium which makes me feel bored.'

"We ask children to do for most of a day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn't interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any" - John Holt in How Children Fail.

In contrast whenever my son spoke about football his eyes would light up. He would clue me in on anything that I wanted to know about the subject matter, from rules of the game to top scorers in the premiership league table.

He would press me to take him to his favourite team's matches and would spend every spare minute practising his football skills outside. When someone had some titbit of information on football he would stop and listen adding his opinion.

He would read the latest football magazine from cover to cover and save up every penny to purchase the football cards that he religiously collected. When passionate about a topic we are much less inclined toward tedium. This was one of the main reasons why we started to home educate nearly eight years ago.

Characterising our home education approach as life learning unschoolers, I recently found myself falling into the trap of providing a schooling style approach to learning during a weekly lesson with my daughter (never home schooled), and five of her friends.

With the help of another Mom we assumed the running of these science based lessons. Every child chose to attend these lessons and could leave at anytime, in other words they wished to learn about science in these lessons.

For the first six months the children seemed engaged as we followed the Usbourne Science book, working our way through basic science kitchen experiments. However in the latter months they appeared to lose enthusiasm.

As their interest waned, I lost spirit in these gatherings. Disheartened, I could hear myself coercing them to participate, even raising my voice so as to be heard over the top of their disinterested chatter.

"The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher" - John Holt in How Children Fail.

My instincts warned me that these lessons had lost their mojo. I found that I couldn't continue any longer, this way of learning had developed into lessons that went against everything that I had come to believe in. We held a meeting with all of us ensconced on the floor in a circle.

During this non-judgmental setting the children found a place to express their lack of connection to the science that we had been attempting. Through this dialogue a phoenix of an idea arose out from the circle, gathering form as we animatedly visualised the unexpected shape of our future science meetings.

In mock Harry Potter style we now arrive every Monday morning and symbolically enter our Room of Requirements, where each individual is working on a project that they have selected to study. A project may take one week or many months.

The boys are currently building a potato rocket launcher, one of the girl's is mastering a deeper understanding of gem stones and the remaining two girls' are building their own dolls house - complete with working solar lighting and a water fountain.

This process demonstrated to me the power of non-judgmental listening and hearing, none of us could have ever imagined this would be the outcome.

"We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way" - John Holt in Teach Your Own.

One of the main key's to the success of integrated learning is to 'do' and through the doing we learn. There is another crucial element to successfully integrated learning - the learning needs to be in 'context' for the learner.

A subject matter described as being in 'context' are those subjects which pique the learner's interest. I had reassured myself that we were 'doing' the experiments, unfortunately the lessons being explored lacked 'context' for the children.

The random experiments, grouped roughly together under themes, held no meaning in the children's lives. One of our lessons involved an experiment that demonstrated ice melting at a different rate when salt was applied to it, an interesting fact, but how does that fit in with our lives here in Africa?

In Canada this experiment would have a higher probability of being in context, particularly during winter time when driveways need to be cleared of snow with minimum effort.

Formal teaching normally approaches learning in reverse, initially teaching a 'concept' which is then followed by applying the 'doing' and the 'context' is relegated to last position and often entirely neglected. There is a hornets' nest of problems associated with this unnatural approach to learning.

The largest issue being that often the lessons taught have little relevance to the children's lives, resulting in detachment from the subject matter and ultimately boredom.

By reversing the learning experience where the children get to choose what they want to learn, they are inspired and motivated. With context firmly in place it is more likely that integrated learning is the end result.

When initially presented with a new learning experience we naturally look for prior hooks that we may have in place, we ask the question's 'Have I tried to do this, or something similar, before?' 'What was the experience like?' 'How successful was I?' 'Where did I fail? 'What did I learn?'

John Holt, in How Children Fail, believes that we learn through doing and the prerequisite to that is to be able to imagine ourselves doing the doing.

We have to picture ourselves swimming, skiing, playing a particular song on the piano, and prior to the taking of our first step when learning to walk. This leads to a trying it out period of learning, doing it, learning from our mistakes and trying again.

At this point we may need some instructions from someone who has mastered this experience previously, it makes sense for us to watch her doing what we were trying to do, and then we can try the doing ourselves.

It is important that it is the learner, not the teacher, who drives the learning process at the pace that best fits him, whilst this is in place then context remains king.

My daughter, at 5 years old, was concerned that she would be leaving behind her toys, and bed, when we explained that we were moving to a new house. With no hook for her to attach this unchartered experience, she was left with feelings of confusion and worry.

Prior to her first hook of 'the meaning of moving' was in place, if we had described to her the abstract act of moving house, it is highly likely that she would have little interest in this out of context experience.

Unfortunately this is what a schooled setting applies regularly, teaching subjects that have little context in a child's life. We may have been able to capture our daughter's interest by giving her an account of someone moving house in story form.

Possibly through identifying with the person in the story she may have become more engaged. Although I would argue that this is a whisper of the real experience.

Successful resolution of 'what it means to move house' would involve a complete understanding, in the child, of what it feels like and what it physically means to move house.

It is through the actual experience of moving, the doing of moving in context, which truly engages the integrated learner in the child, providing the full meaning behind what it means to move.

It was this 'doing of moving in context' which settled once and for all the questions that my daughter had regarding her bed and her toys accompanying her when she moved to a different house.

"When you teach a child something you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself" - Jean Piaget.

Learning doesn't always have to involve being there physically. I've been reading aloud Harry Potter to my nine year old. Those of you who have read the books will be aware of the character Sirius, Harry Potter's godfather, who changes into a large dog at will.

In a separate discussion with my daughter, I relayed to her that there is a Star in the sky that is called Sirius and it can be found in a constellation referred to as The Great Dog.

It was a classic integrated learning moment when she made the connection, for herself, between what we had been reading about in Harry Potter and the information she had just gleaned.

Taking it one step further she commented on the cleverness of J.K. Rowling basing a character on the name of a star and connecting this character, through its actions in the book, to the name of its constellation.

Moreover she has created an additional hook to build onto in the future - what it means to create and name characters when planning to write a story.

The learning process is sacred to the individual, whatever their age. Hijacking an individual's natural learning approach is tantamount to theft and something we should guard against at all costs. When this occurs learners are left with boredom as their only line of defence.

In a learning setting where boredom is prevalent, used as a barometer, it will red flag that somewhere in the learning approach something has gone awry.

When we entrust the learning process to the learner 'context' is a given, the learner naturally selects that which holds meaning for her and the poisonous trickle of disconnected boredom is eliminated.

Claire Madgwick is a home educator, with over 12 years experience, and is learning every day. She is currently taking part in an experiential learning experiment, accompanied by her nine year old daughter.

They are producing a blog covering their weekly learning process, following an unschooling approach - for one year. You can follow their progress on http://www.365DaysLearning.com or read their daily tweets @365DaysLearning

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How Home Tuition Prevents Your Child From Falling Behind In School

by Elen Moja

If you are a parent, the term home tuition may not be new to you. Even though some might dismiss this as an excuse for tutors to make extra money, home coaching goes a long way in ensuring your child never falls behind in his or her school.

If your child is falling behind in school, you will most likely be the last person to know. The child might be too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about his or her struggles with studies.

Nevertheless, if you observe several signs, your child will not need to ask for help because you will tell that there is a problem and take proper measures.

Signs your child is falling behind

Increased neediness

If your child is normally independent and likes to do things on his or her own, you will know there is a problem in school if he or she suddenly starts to become overly needy and dependent on you.

Avoiding the topic of school

According to child psychologists, if something is going on at school, the child will run around, fidget or do anything just to avoid any conversation about school.

Depressed or distant behavior

Yes, even children can become depressed. If you observe that the energy level of your child has gone down particularly during school time, this could be a sign of trouble.

Getting heated over nothing

If your child suddenly becomes aggressive and gets heated over small things especially during school time, then something is wrong.

How home tuition helps

Staying on top of schoolwork

The first thing a home tutor will do is to ensure that your child does all his or her school assignments. The tutor will also provide assistance where the child does not understand during these assignments.

Preventing a lax attitude during the holidays

It is true that long holidays provide a needed break for children to relax their mind but if they are not careful, they could become lax in their studies. A home tutor helps keep the child active in studies ensuring they never fall behind.

Testing and improving cognitive skills

According to top experts in child education, one of the underlying reasons that cause learning struggles for children is poor cognitive skills. They are mental tools that make up the child's IQ, including things like attention, memory, reasoning and logic. A good home tutor will be able to detect the absence of these skills and nature them to improve the child's performance.

We provide the best info about home tuition. For further details please visit the provided link.

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8 Simple Tips For Selecting The Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum

by Jason Castellucci

When I was an English teacher, curriculum planning was a breeze. The curriculum committee at the school district decided what learning materials were appropriate for the students in my classroom. At the beginning of the semester, everything I needed was delivered to me in a large, heavy box.

With the help of the dense-packed teacher's manual and numerous ancillary materials, I was able to create daily lesson plans with little difficulty. But for most homeschool parents, the curriculum planning process is seldom so straightforward.

Because writing is a foundational academic skill, many homeschool parents place special emphasis on selecting an appropriate homeschool writing curriculum for their children. But with so many options, finding the best homeschool writing curriculum can seem like a formidable task.

As a foster parent, I've investigated a variety of homeschool writing curriculum options for the child currently in my care. Here are some guidelines to make the decision-making process a little easier for you and your family:

1. Build your homeschool writing curriculum from any item or opportunity to help you teach writing. This includes activities as simple as writing poems or song lyrics. Young children especially are natural poets. Inspiration to write poetry can be found anywhere. Reading some children's poetry books can help stimulate the creative process.

2. Since writing is a fundamental skill, buy your homeschool writing curriculum first. To keep from being overwhelmed by all of the options in the marketplace, read reviews online and talk with other homeschoolers about their experiences with the curriculum.

3. Because writing covers a broad range of topics, some families buy more curriculum than they actually need. This problem can contribute to impulse spending, as some parents fear they won't do a good job unless they have all their bases covered.

4. Not all homeschool writing curriculum needs to be purchased. Library books can be used for teaching literature, and you can share books with other homeschoolers.

5. Keep your own personality and needs in mind when considering a purchase. Some writing programs, such as those published by Bob Jones University Press, require active planning and participation by parents while other programs, such as Houghton Mifflin English Curriculum, tend to be self-directed and require less parental involvement.

6. Keep your child's personality and needs in mind as well. A child lacking motivation to write would not be engaged by a traditional homeschool writing curriculum emphasizing grammatical rules and formal language structure. A better option might be a workbook that's fun and breaks the writing process down into manageable sections.

Many students enjoy the sense of accomplishment they feel when they complete a writing workbook. These positive feelings can carry over into their next writing workbook. You can also supplement any written work with oral assignments.

7. If you don't like writing, or if you prefer to have everything organized and planned out, consider using a traditional textbook and teacher's manual. Although this option is more expensive, you'll benefit from having expert guidance to take you step-by step through each concept.

Teacher's manuals also assist parents with evaluating their children's written work. Some include extra printable worksheets and other instructional materials on CDs.

8. Above all else, remember that teachers teach, books don't. The actual amount of learning that occurs depends largely on the quality of interaction between you and your child.

Need help selecting a homeschool writing curriculum? Get accurate feedback and reviews from homeschool parents here!

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6 Steps That You Can Take To Improve Your Child's Performance In School

by Mkamba M Juke

Every time that a child comes home after the end of a study period, one of the first things a parent looks at is the child's performance.

If the child's report card shows poor grades, a bad remark from the teacher or anything that does not indicate excellence on the part of the child, it often becomes difficult for the parent to keep calm.

However, here are some basic steps that a parent can use to shape his or her child's performance in school, to ensure excellence.

a) Manage your reaction

Your child may seek for assistance from you, but once he or she notices that you have a bitter reaction, he or she may end up being scared. Therefore, even though you might be angry, it is advisable that you cool down and try to device ways that you can make him or her improve.

Using a calm approach towards any problem concerning your child's performance is one of the best ways you can use to solve the problem.

b) Assist your child

Peruse through his or her performance on the report form and identify what exactly happened. Seek to know from your child the reasons that led to him or her attaining the grades that he or she has. This will assist you to come up with steps that will improve his or her performance.

c) Talk to his or her teacher face-to-face

This is vital, as you will be able to know the teacher's views concerning your child's level of learning, also, seek to get specific tips from the teacher on how you can assist your child improve his or her grades.

d) Schedule extra hours to assist your child

This has also helped many poor performing children improve. If necessary, you can also hire a tutor as well. If poor performance is all where your concern is, then spending extra hours with him after his normal daytime lessons at school in form of home tuition can be very important.

e) Motivate your child by praising him or her

Each time your child registers a significant improvement in his or her grades, celebrate him or her through offering rewards to make him or her feel appreciated. This boosts the morale of your child thus making him or her work even harder.

f) Monitor your child's performance

This will avoid the rise of problems again. Encourage him or her to tell you everything concerning school, teachers and assignments as well. Let your child understand that you have a great interest in his or her education and that his or her performance matters a lot to you.

We provide the best info about home tuition. For further details please visit the provided links.

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Homeschooling - What Is Homeschooling?

English: Motivations regarded most important for homeschooling among parents in 2007 (Wikipedia)

by John Steely

There is a fair amount of confusion over what is meant by homeschooling.

This confusion is made worse because each state has a specific definition of what is meant by homeschooling, and the different states have different definitions.

Throw in several organizations with their definitions, the definition of the educational establishment, and a number of professors of education, and you have quite a collection of definitions.

Let us see if we can provide some order to this confusion.

The Fundamental Characteristics

While there are many ways to homeschool, let us limit our discussion to the most basic situation, or what can be called the paradigm, of homeschooling. By understanding this case, we can pull out the key characteristics of the definition of homeschooling.

First, parents who homeschool have made a conscious decision to manage the education of their child to a much larger degree than present in any other schooling option.

In essence, homeschooling parents have decided to control the education of their child in every detail. The homeschooling parents decide what material will be studied, what books will be used, how much time is spent in class, and many other details.

The homeschooling parents do not give these decisions over to any other person, such as a school principal, an individual tutor, or even a government official.

Second, a child who is homeschooled does his schoolwork at home. This seems rather obvious, but again we are looking at the most fundamental characteristics of homeschooling.

A homeschooled child does not go to another location for their education, not a school, not a church, not even the house of another person. While a homeschooled child may take a specific class elsewhere, the central location of education for homeschooling is the home.

Third, homeschooling parents are responsible for the actual delivery of the educational material. While a third party can be hired for a specific topic, the parents hold onto the final responsibility of the delivery of the material.

The parents make sure the child does the work, the parents make sure the work is graded, and the parents are in charge of the records of the child's education. The parents can use outside resources to help them with this task, but the final responsibility is with the parents.

Who Does the Teaching

A homeschool teacher can be any member of the family; it does not have to be a parent. A grandparent, sibling, uncle, or cousin, just to name a few possibilities, can be the teacher for a homeschool child.

Having said that, usually the main teacher of a homeschooled child is either a parent or a grandparent, for obvious reasons (discipline, responsibility, etc.).

While a child can take a class taught by someone who is paid, having a paid tutor as the main teacher in a homeschool can sometimes be problematic. Some states require that if someone is paid to homeschool a child, that person needs a teaching license issued by the state.

If you are thinking about hiring someone to teach your child at home, you need to check with the Department of Education for your state to determine the precise requirements.

What Needs to be Done to Homeschool

There are two different sets of requirements you need to meet in order to homeschool your child. First, there are the legal requirements of the state where you live. These can sometimes be confusing, so make sure you research these requirements thoroughly.

Some counties will also have specific requirements for homeschooling, so you need to check with your local board of education as well. Be persistent with government officials because they may very well try to prevent you from homeschooling.

The second set of requirements is putting together the resources you want to use for your homeschooling effort. This is usually a set of books and a collection of normal school supplies. The books can be either a prepared curriculum or simply a set of individual textbooks.

Both of these can be found online, and many states have conventions for homeschooling where you can buy books as well. You should start off simple, with your focus on the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic.

You can add other subjects later, once you have started; however, if you want to start with other additional subjects (art, history, science, and so on), certainly you should do so.

Call to Action

Many parents are dissatisfied with the education their child can get in the existing school systems. If you are one of these parents, I would strongly suggest that you consider homeschooling as an alternative to sending your child to a school every morning.

From personal experience, I can say that homeschooling is one of the best ways to educate your child.

John Steely has been teaching mathematics, study skills, and habits of success for over 25 years. You can access a number of free resources he has found and made at Steely Services

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