Archive for December, 2008

by Alpha Omega Publications
Did you know that only 40 years ago it used to be the “norm” to teach your preschooler at home? Not only did parents teach their little ones moral values of right and wrong, manners, and socialization skills, they also naturally developed their own preschool curriculum to teach their child how to recognize shapes, colors, numbers, and the alphabet. Parents didn’t see themselves as incapable of teaching and rarely considered sending their child to a preschool program to be taught by “experts.” In fact, in 1965, fewer than two in ten four-year-olds attended preschool. Providing a rich, nurturing environment with learning opportunities and work responsibilities, parents taught their children through their examples, conversations, and experiences.

Although today’s society may dictate otherwise, the combination of parents and home is still the best option for giving a child a quality preschool education. Children are happier and more content learning at home, as they have an opportunity to grow and develop physically, mentally, and spiritually at their own pace. Plus, teaching a preschooler at home forms a lasting family bond between parent and child that is irreplaceable. Parents who homeschool a preschooler enjoy the benefit of saving time and money over expensive day care or preschool costs. What’s more, today’s affordable, easy-to-use preschool curriculum resources make discovering, experimenting, and exploring God’s world with children more exciting and easier than ever. Michael Smith, President of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, said it best: “Young children are better off at home. We are in danger of over-institutionalizing them. A child will develop naturally if the parents give the child what he or she needs most in the formative years–plenty of love and attention. In this way, the brain can develop freely.”

Not sure you have what it takes to teach your child at home? Debating if you should send your child to preschool to prepare him for kindergarten? Consider this. For the past several years, you’ve already been teaching your child. He’s learned thousands of important lessons about the world and himself through ordinary activities that also include academic significance. For example, when you’ve read books or sang songs together, you’ve created a lasting impact on your child’s literacy. Add to these teachable moments an engaging and flexible, hands-on preschool curriculum, and you’ll have everything you need to help your preschooler easily learn what he needs to know before entering kindergarten.

Can all parents with time, love, and motivation create a quality preschool program to teach their child at home? The resounding answer is “Yes!” Don’t let the fear of your child falling behind cause you to miss the greatest blessing you can enjoy as a parent. Like past generations before you, teaching your preschooler at home is easy. Simply keep in mind your primary goals of what you want your child to learn and what skills you want him to master. Enjoy the awesome adventure of preparing your little one for future academic success.

Learn how to get started in a preschool curriculum and successfully educate your children at home. Create a fun-filled learning environment your children are sure to enjoy with the right preschool curriculum.

Article Source: Teaching Preschool Curriculum at Home

by Carletta Sanders
Before making the decision to home school, parents should seriously consider homeschooling pros and cons. Home education has many advantages in the areas of academics, socialization and cost. However, it has disadvantages in those areas as well. Here is an honest look at the strengths and weaknesses of homeschooling.

Academics

When educating their children at home, parents can choose materials and teaching methods that fit their children’s learning style. Parents can more readily control the topics their children are exposed to and give their children more opportunities to pursue their interests. Children can also move through their lessons slowly or quickly, depending on their abilities.

However, home educators must take care to expose their children to a variety of subjects, and work to strengthen their weaknesses instead of only catering to their strengths. Some parents feel overwhelmed by the bearing sole responsibility for their children’s academic development. They may also feel unprepared to teach gifted or special needs students.

Socialization

The home environment is a physically and emotionally safe environment for children. At home, children can grow and develop in an atmosphere that is free from bullying, harassment, and peer pressure. Homeschooling allows children to spend their time in the same diverse, real world environment where adults spend their time. Unlike their peers who attend public school, home educated students are exposed to individuals of a variety of age ranges and socioeconomic backgrounds. Their flexible schedules also allow them to spend more time building strong relationships with parents and siblings.

Some homeschooled students feel they need more social interaction than the home environment provides. They may want to spend greater amounts of time with children their own age, or learn from teachers outside of their homes. At times, some homeschool families feel the strain of too much together time. Both parents and children need time to develop as individuals and pursue their own interests.

Cost

For parents who live in cities that have poorly performing school districts, homeschooling is a low cost alternative to private education. However, unless they are homeschooling through a publicly funded program, home educators are responsible for purchasing books, supplies and other materials for their children, in addition to paying school taxes.

Overcoming Challenges

There are simple solutions to most problems faced by homeschoolers. Parents who are concerned about academics can purchase programs that use teaching techniques and content similar to those used in public schools. Those with gifted or special needs children can seek help from one of the many organizations available for such students.

Families who are in need of more social interaction can join a homeschool support group, sign their children up for a sport, or participate in church activities and community organizations. Those who are concerned about the expenses associated with home education can use discount or used materials, or design their own curriculum. Parents who are creative and resourceful will find that homeschooling pros far outweigh the cons.

Here is some additional information about homeschooling pros and cons. Carletta Sanders is a homeschool mom of 3. For homeschool information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for her homeschool newsletter.

Article Source: Homeschooling Pros and Cons - The Truth About Home Education

by Alpha Omega Publications
Children are always eager to learn, and they yearn for ways to express and explore their independence. In order to satisfy their children’s inquisitiveness, parents should begin looking for the best preschool homeschool curriculum, as a means to educate and develop their children’s creativity. At an early age, children develop a strong sense of curiosity and wonder. They love seeing, engaging in, and interpreting the world around them. So, what should parents look for when choosing a preschool homeschool curriculum, and how can they find a curriculum that’s both easy to teach and implement? Because each child has different needs and interests, there are no easy answers to finding the appropriate curriculum; however, here are some of the most important aspects parents should look for when choosing a preschool curriculum:

Includes Activities for Learning
Four-year-olds have a limited attention span and many haven’t mastered sitting still, so parents need to find a curriculum that integrates activities and learning. The curriculum should provide supplies, as well as ideas, for parents to use in instructing their child. For instance, if the curriculum teaches the recognition of various shapes, it should provide an activity for the child to stimulate learning. The activity could be as simple as matching shapes on a piece of paper or putting cut-out shapes in designated boxes. While the child performs the activity, parents can constantly name the shape and request the child to repeat the name. Even though the child is having fun, he is also learning and developing memorization. If a preschool homeschool curriculum doesn’t provide activities, it will be difficult to keep the child engaged and enthused about learning.

Centers the Curriculum around Books
Books are the key to unlocking a whole new world of wonder in a child’s life! Therefore, when parents choose a preschool curriculum, they should make sure the materials are book-centered and the curriculum promotes an early development of literacy. For example, the curriculum should offer books about letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. These books are not only instructive but also entertaining. With this enhanced focus on books, parents will help their homeschoolers develop an appreciation for literacy. Because books are an important element in expanding a child’s vocabulary, imagination, and comprehension, parents should also research whether or not there are additional resources available with the curriculum. A preschool homeschool curriculum that doesn’t utilize books requires parents to instill the appreciation of literacy without curriculum assistance.

Promotes Creative Thinking
Young children have a very active and creative imagination. In a child’s mind a box is transformed into a castle, a can becomes a telephone, and an umbrella becomes a means of transportation. In order to provide a foundation to teach their children about the amazing world around them, parents need to look for preschool curriculum that stimulates and nurtures creative thinking. As children grow, this creative thinking will help them solve problems and be an active member within a community. Creativity is always a useful and indispensable resource!

Develops Respect and Values
Because young children are very impressionable, a preschool homeschool curriculum should focus on developing respect and Christian values. Parents should look for curriculum that engages children, but also teaches them manners, promotes a proper attitude, and honors others. These are the same values that are important to a family, and a homeschool curriculum needs to support and emphasize those same characteristics. By creating an early development of respect and values, parents will provide their children with a solid foundation that will last a lifetime.

Choosing the most appropriate preschool homeschool curriculum is an important decision parents make for their children, and because of each child’s unique abilities, interests, and gifts, it’s not an easy choice. However, by looking for a curriculum that includes stimulating activities for learning, is book-centered, promotes creative thinking, and develops respect and values, parents can be assured they are adequately preparing their children for kindergarten and the rest of their education. More importantly, they are supporting their children’s natural desire to learn, while also giving them the necessary foundations for a successful life.

Learn how to get started in a preschool homeschool curriculum and successfully educate your children at home. Create a fun-filled learning environment your children are sure to enjoy with the right preschool homeschool curriculum.

Article Source: Choosing a Preschool Homeschool Curriculum

by Vicone
Remarkably, those who produce the Leapfrog Tag Reading System are able to claim that their learning aid has proven to be as popular with its young users as it is with their parents. Because the device arouses such joy and enthusiasm in those exploring new worlds through their reading, large numbers of children are discovering that reading isn’t a grind or a chore - it’s really fun!

Leapfrog have introduced an electronic learning aid - the Tag Reading System - which has been getting rave reviews from kids and parents alike - an unusual situation as it’s not often that the little ones share their parents’ enthusiasm for gadgets which are designed to “be good for them”.

The Tag Reading system allows children to touch a word or phrase and get a response from the book. The touching device is in the shape of a pen and it elicits words, songs and various sound effects when applied to the surface of the page. Children love having this sense of power in being able to control their own learning experience.

Leapfrog have provided a library which to date includes over twenty books and games and the characters are taken from TV, movies, and even classic tales.

The activities have proven to help children expand reading and vocabulary skills, improve word recognition and comprehension of what is read, as well as build listening skills.

The involvement of the child in the story-telling allows them to set their own pace and they can follow the stories at a faster or slower rate, depending on what is comfortable for them.

It’s also possible to connect to the online Leapfrog Learning Path and this enable parents to monitor what their child is learning and how they are progressing. This also makes it easier to plan the child’s learning stages and reading choices according to the level of reading skill that has been achieved.

The device uses a little camera which is stored in the tip of the “pen” or reader. This identifies words and symbols which have been stored on specially printed paper. The children soon recognize that they have many options and and starting points for the stories. As well, if they stumble, there is an immediate and non-judgmental aid (the Tag Reader) to come to the rescue and help them get past the difficult bits. As result, their confidence in reading is greatly enhanced and they feel able to attempt books which previously they might have found too difficult.

A special selection of books has been assembled and prepared for the library. Naturally, these are compatible with the system and include much loved characters as Sponge Bob, Kung Fu Panda, and Square Pants. These help the children become involved with new stories. Leapfrog have also made arrangements with National Geographic Kids and the team effort has produced activity cards that depict different animals. The sounds produced by the Tag Reader bring the animals to life in a thrilling “as if you were there” experience.

This innovative system undoubtedly makes learning to read memorable as well as enjoyable. Also, the system has been designed to grow as the child’s skills develop. The world of fact and fantasy which this opens up for young minds to explore is bound to endure long after the Reader is no longer needed.

Customer comments as well as additional product features and special pricing are available at Leapfog Tag Reading System and at http://www.TagReadingSystem.info where a growing collection of articles on the system is also available.

Article Source: Leapfrog Tag Reading System Review

by Alpha Omega Publications
Is choosing the right Christian home school curriculum as difficult as making the decision to home school itself? For many first-time, inexperienced Christian home schooling parents, it can be. Knowing how to find a home school curriculum that is both easy to teach and Bible-based can be a painstaking process. After all, there are literally hundreds of home school curriculums from which to choose. However, not all these curriculums are Christ-centered. Some are considered secular in content, and others merely tack on Scripture references here or there. Plus, other K-12 curriculums have a definite denominational bent that may not be in agreement with your understanding of God’s Word.

So how do you decide what Christian home school curriculum is right for your family? If your first concern in home schooling is teaching with biblically-based content, the place to begin is deciding your own core spiritual beliefs. What do you want to teach your child about God, Jesus, sin, Christ’s sacrificial death, salvation, eternal life, and spiritual growth? What do you want your child to learn about your church’s traditional values and doctrine? What foundational truths do you want to instill into your child’s life by the time you have finished home schooling? Based on the answers to these questions and others, you’ll develop a guide that directs you to the Christian home school curriculum that will best meet your needs.

Next, consider how you want to incorporate your core beliefs into your child’s home schooling. Are you looking for a Christian home school curriculum that presents the Bible separately as its own course of study, or do you want to broaden your child’s Christian worldview by teaching with a curriculum that also reflects spiritual truths throughout math, science, language arts, history, and other subject areas? In addition, when parenting and discipline issues arise throughout the home schooling day, do you want the flexibility of a curriculum that allows time for spiritual emphasis to take precedence over academic growth?

Developing a child’s character should be the next consideration when choosing a Christian home school curriculum. Do the reading assignments include quality literature and stories that nurture godly ideals and values such as truthfulness, obedience, and thankfulness, or are they merely rhyming, nonsense-type stories with no plot? Do the math examples, science experiments, and language arts’ sentence and paragraph examples all incorporate a spiritual focus, respect, and reasoning based on God’s Word? Does the health and physical education content see the body as “God’s temple” and promote purity to honor the institutions of marriage and the family?

Finally, when choosing a Christian home school curriculum, examine the curriculum content for its emphasis on missions and Christian outreach. Does the content encourage a child to think outside of his own world and be concerned about the welfare of others? Does the curriculum give a child the evangelistic tools necessary for sharing the Gospel, as well as develop lifestyle discipleship principles for helping others in today’s world?

In summary, choosing a Christian home school curriculum that benefits your family most is best done with prayerful consideration. By taking the time to pick a Christian home school curriculum that mirrors your beliefs and clearly teaches academics from a biblical perspective, you will give your child what Christian parents pray and hope for most when home schooling–a dynamic, personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

Learn how to find Christian home school curriculum and successfully educate your children at home. Create a learning environment your children are sure to enjoy with the Christian home school curriculum information you need.

Article Source: How to Choose a Christian Home School Curriculum

by Carletta Sanders
Abeka homeschool curriculum is a K-12, accredited, Christian based homeschooling program that uses teaching techniques that are similar to those used in traditional schools. A Beka Book was founded in 1954 and is a still a favorite among Christian schools. The company’s use of textbooks and workbooks makes it a popular choice among parents who want to make sure their children remain on par with their peers in Christian and public schools.

Abeka homeschooling materials are colorful, thorough and easy to use, making it a good fit for families who are new to homeschooling. The company provides workbook pages that children can use independently, and teacher’s manuals that tell parents exactly what to say and do during instruction time. Parents can also purchase flashcards, charts and games that are scheduled in the lesson plans, along with answer keys for checking workbooks and tests. The company offers a full range of academic subjects. Materials can be purchased separately or as part of a kit.

Although A Beka is more expensive than similar programs on the market, it provides a high-quality education that usually places children a grade level above their public school peers. The company’s lesson plans and other materials can be saved and reused with younger siblings. Because Abeka is a popular program, materials that are well kept can usually be easily resold.

Some homeschoolers have complained that Abeka is too structured, too time-consuming, and too much like having school at home. However, as with any curricula, the program can be adapted to meet a family’s needs. In our home, we only use Abeka for math, phonics and language arts. We slow down or speed up as needed, and eliminate unnecessary activities. We also add in books, projects and field trips to make our program more fun.

Abeka generally works well for children with visual and auditory learning styles who learn in a traditional manner. It may not be a good fit for kinesthetic or hands-on learners. In addition, because the program moves at a rapid pace, it may not be suitable for children with special needs or learning disabilities.

Families who choose to use Abeka homeschool curriculum can use the parent-directed program that allows them to purchase materials to use on their own, or the fully accredited option, where A Beka Academy generates report cards and transcripts for the student. The company also has a DVD program which brings high-quality teaching into the home. In my opinion, the non-accredited, parent-directed option allows more flexibility. Families that live in states that do not have strict homeschooling requirements should have no problem taking this route.

Before purchasing materials from A Beka Book, view samples at the company’s website or attend a hotel meeting at a location near you.

Here are some reviews of Abeka Homeschool Curriculum that were written by other homeschoolers. Carletta Sanders is a homeschool mom of 3 and editor of the website, Successful Homeschooling. For homeschool information and ideas delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for her homeschool newsletter.

Article Source: Abeka Homeschool Curriculum - An Honest Look at the Pros and Cons

by Fredrick Ituma
Computer Basic Training: In our basic computer skills lesson today, we’ll be studying how to clear Browser Cache and the steps to help you delete browser Cache yourself if you are using Firefox or Opera as your browser. In part one of this course, we discoursed how to clear your Cache if you are using Internet Explore. If you missed it, don’t worry; you still can get hold of it later on.

Lot’s of people hardly know that it’s very important to delete browser Cache periodically, yet they complain of slow computer performance. But if I may ask, do you know how to clear your cache? Or, when was the last time you cleared your browser Cache?

Here are the simple step-by-step procedure to help you clear your Cache:

How To Clear Browser Cache: If you are using Firefox:

Cleaning your Firefox Cache is similar to the other browsers too. First, you just open a Firefox browser window, and click ‘Tools’ from the top menu. Have you located it? Then go down to Options’. When the window has opened click on the Privacy icon (it should be on the left).

On the right hand screen, you will have a button down the bottom that says ‘Clear’, which is to the right of the word ‘Cache’ (can you find it?). Click this button to clear the Firefox cache. Once done, click Ok and close the browser window. Have you also seen how easy it is too?

Right! Let’s see the steps to clearing your Cache using Opera for our last browser example for today’s computer basic training lesson.

How To Clear Browser Cache: If you are using Opera:

To delete browser Cache in Opera, simply open the browser then select ‘Tools’ from the top menu, and go down to ‘Preferences’. On the left hand side of the preferences screen, click the label ‘History and Cache’. Have you located it already?

On the right side of the window you will have a button that says ‘Empty now’, select this button. If you have a lot of files in the cache, this can take a while to process. Once done, click ‘Ok’ then close the browser window. It’s just as simple as that.

Well-done! You’ve now learned how to Clear Browser Cache yourself if you are using Opera or Firefox. I hope you did enjoy our basic computer training lesson today? I’ve tried my best to make it as simple as possible for you. It doesn’t matter if you are still learning how to use a computer properly; you should be able to perform the above tasks yourself. Once you’ve cleared your Cache, it’ll help enhance your slow computer performance problem.

If you missed part 1 of this course (how to clear browser Cache if you are using Inter Explorer) you can visit our website to read it over their. Would you like to get our entire previous and subsequent computer basic training lessons? Then visit our website today and sign up for your free computer training lesson. The link is on the next paragraph. Have a nice day.

Fredrick Ituma website about How To Clear Browser Cache and Basic Computer Training. Visit our website today and sign up to start receiving your Free Computer Training lessons. Grab a free computer book and a Free Software, to also learn how to design a website, when you sign up for your free lessons.WWW.LEARN COMPUTER FAST.COM

Article Source: How To Clear Browser Cache — Simple Steps To Delete Browser Cache — Part 2 — Firefox And Opera!

by J. Anne Huss
It is just a fact in the homeschool world that Christian materials are more readily available than secular homeschooling curriculum. Sorry, it just is. Now if you wanted to use commercially available textbooks, like those written specifically for the public schools, then you should be fine, but in all honesty - you are better off leaving your kids in school if you’re not going to take advantage of the two things that make homeschool such a success. Methods and curriculum.

If you do go with a commercial public school publisher like Pearson Scott Foresman (and I don’t recommend it) you will have effectively invited some of the problems in public schools right into your home.

If you are an atheist homeschooler, you will be constantly challenged to try and keep an open mind about curriculum.

Why? (I know what you are thinking - I don’t have to do anything like that - in homeschool I can make all the decisions.)

Yes, you’re right. But if you eliminate homeschool curriculum just because it is religious, then you’re child is missing out on some great stuff.

Now I am NOT saying you need to believe the religious stuff, nor do you even have to READ the religious stuff. You just need to be willing to accept the fact that some of the Christian publishers do a great job in this area and the secular homeschooling curriculum publishers, not so much because, basically, they are non-existent.

I am not really a strictly secular homeschool nor do I (or have I ever) incorporated religious teachings into our program, but I have used a TON of Christian materials without issue. I just skip the stuff I feel is unnecessary and leave it at that.

My kids have never said a word about being “exposed” to (in some cases VERY) religious materials, they read it or not and move on. I have no objections personally to having my kids read things that encourage them to be better people and think of others in a thoughtful way but I just don’t feel it is absolutely necessary to include God in the math curriculum.

And if you can muster up this same level of tolerance, then you will definitely get A LOT more out of the homeschooling experience than by adhering to strict secular homeschooling curriculum.

Please be sure that I am not making light of anyone’s personal philosophy, I am just encouraging you to open your mind to the possibility that religion based materials can be helpful if other options are not available.

In my opinion the homeschool world could use a little more tolerance in these areas. As a middle of the road “faith” person, I think the extreme views on either side distract from what we are all trying to accomplish here, which is a better education for our kids through homeschooling.

J. Anne Huss is the editor over at http://www.the-simple-homeschool.com/ and the creator of Simple Schooling homeschool science and history curriculum. She started singlemom-homeschooling-it over 7 years ago and has never looked back. She is however, still waiting for her somewhat-of-an-unschooler-last-child to build her a robot army that will do her chores…

Article Source: Secular Homeschooling Curriculum

by Carletta Sanders
When I first heard about lapbooking, I thought it would be time-consuming and overwhelming, but it has quickly become one of my family’s favorite learning tools. Lapbooks are file folders that contain homemade mini books about subjects your children are studying. They are fun for children of any age level and learning style, but are especially appealing to visual and hands-on learners.

Lap books help children break information into bite sized pieces that they can easily understand and remember. They give older children an opportunity to strengthen research skills and express creativity. Once completed, these projects can be used for review or shown to family members. Because they are flat, lapbooks are easy to store and won’t fill your home with clutter.

To create a lap book, all you need is a file folder and basic household supplies like paper, scissors, a stapler, a hole punch, tape or glue, and writing utensils. Choose a topic of study and break it into subtopics. Then use one of the many online templates available to make little books about those subtopics. You can make your mini books as simple or elaborate as you choose. You can also add charts, graphs, diagrams and pictures to your lapbooks.

If you are new to making lap books, start slowly by using one of the many preplanned packages that are available online. Print the templates for your mini books in advance, and have your children complete them on a comfortable schedule. At our house, we complete one mini book every day or two.

At the end of your study, tape or glue your mini books to your file folder. Your children now have a completed project that they can use review what they’ve learned, and you have proof that they’re actually learning something!

Here is some information about free lapbooking resources, along with photographs, a video and links to helpful websites.Carletta Sanders is a homeschool mom of 3 and editor of the website Successful Homeschooling. For homeschool information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for her homeschool newsletter.

Article Source: Lapbooking - A Surefire Way to Make Learning Fun