What Does Homeschooling Mean To Me? By Cynthia Brandolini

What does homeschooling mean to me? It has become such an integral part of who we are as a family, that it would be difficult to analyze it separately. It truly has become our way of life.

Homeschooling means I spend more time with my children - all of them, not just the little ones. My older kids attended a 'regular' school for several years before we started homeschooling, and I always felt out of touch with what was going on in their lives. We were growing apart, both figuratively and literally. Why has society accepted that parents should want to be with the babies and toddlers, but once the kids reach school age, we're supposed to prefer to not have them around? I didn't have children in order to send them off to spend their day with some other adult. I didn't feel that way when they were born, and I don't feel that way today. I deeply enjoy each and every one of my children, and I love having them with me every day.

Homeschooling means we are free to discuss our faith openly, and apply it to all areas of life and study. God is not relegated to only Sunday school, or even only Religion class. History is full of faith-filled people whose actions and ideas were directly related to their faith, including the founding fathers of our country. I really don't see how one could teach about how America began without mentioning God. Science is in reality a study of God's creation. How can one look at such an amazing world and not appreciate the Source of all? Writing and reading can include faith-related topics. When dealing with discipline issues, God and His teachings can be included in the discussions. It would seem unnatural for a person of any faith to spend their entire day forbidden to mention their God.

Homeschooling means I have an incredibly open and close relationship with my two teenagers. They will talk to me about anything, and are not embarassed to be seen with me or our whole family. We laugh together, and actually enjoy each other's company. My sixteen-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son have become great friends to each other. They have not been made to feel that parents are irrelevant, or the enemy. More time together means we know each other much better.

Homeschooling means I know, and select, which books my children read and learn from. I am also aware of, and guide, the topics of discussion. I don't have to wonder what 'life lessons' they are picking up at recess, on the school bus, or even in class. I choose when they learn certain things, when they are ready (and it has been at a different age for each of them). I plan and direct their education, a level of involvement which is very important to me.

Homeschooling means my children can progress through their studies at their own pace. When they learn something quickly, they can just move on. When they need more time with something, we can slow down to make sure they master it. And I know right away when they need more help. Problems are not hidden until they become major issues; we can take care of them right away. I know and love my children better than anyone else, so their success is paramount.

Homeschooling means my older kids get to see the younger ones grow and develop. They were just as amazed to hear the youngest laugh for the first time as I was. Everyone is learning more about child care, and patience, and putting the needs of others ahead of their own. These are life skills that are important for anyone.

Homeschooling means a more relaxed daily schedule - OUR schedule - which results in less stress. Our day is flexible; we can schedule appointments at less busy times. We don't have to get up before dawn to catch a bus at 6:50 am. I really don't think anyone should have to be out of bed while it is still dark out. :)

Homeschooling means more free time to pursue other activities. We can finish a day's work in less time since we don't have to continually organize a classroom of 20 or 30 students, or spend time walking up and down long hallways.

Homeschooling means we can visit DisneyWorld during the off-peak times, instead of fighting crowds of people stuck to school vacation schedules.

Homeschooling means, on the other hand, living in a house that is never quite all clean. Having six children home all day, every day, creates more mess (especially in the kitchen), and makes it more difficult to keep up with the cleaning, laundry, etc. It doesn't bother me as much as it did at first, because I had to set priorities. The education and growth of my children come first. They do help with chores, but not at the expense of schoolwork. Every couple of days, when I reach my limit, everyone takes a break and cleans up. But until they all move out, there will still be some mess.

Homeschooling means I can slow down and live in the present moment when necessary. I have grown to really appreciate the time I have with my younger children, taking a few minutes at any time to watch them take such joy in each new skill they learn. I definitely feel less rushed since we started homeschooling, and I am able to be there for each small, yet monumental moment in the life of a child.

Homeschooling means, in short, more time and opportunity to fully live out my vocation of motherhood.

[Please don't misconstrue my words to imply that these things are not possible for anyone who does not homeschool. This has been a discussion of what homeschooling means to ME. Every family is unique; every family has their own path to follow in finding what is best for them.]

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173396&ca=Education

Homeschool Your Child To Vedic Math - The Worlds Fastest Mental Math System By Gaurav Tekriwal

Some questions to ponder:

- How could the Aryan civilization, near the Hunza Valley, 5,000 years ago, mentally compute mathematical operations that today only a calculator could achieve?

- And if the Math could not be done mentally, how could they do everything we know today, IN ONE-LINE? eg: converting the fraction 1/19 into a decimal is an 18 digit answer that requires 35 lines of exhausting long division, how could they do it in a one simple line solution?

- Why is NASA using this MENTAL ONE-LINE SYSTEM OF ARITHMETIC in the field of Advanced Artificial Intelligence? Why is INTEL using it in chip designing?

- How can your child become a Human Bio-Calculator?

- Is the current Western Math Curriculum keeping our Children in a state of limited intelligence?

You are home schooling your 14 year old teen in Math. You feel you can instill better values, character and education to your children. You want to give the Best to your child. You want to provide quality which is unattainable in schools. Imagine how your child would feel when he immediately realizes that you are teaching him powerful ways to do Math Calculations without any extra burden on the both of you. Infact he would now want you to take the Math Classes more often so that he gets a hang on to these new systems.

This system of teaching Math can complement your family’s strong learning system and can instill the values you want to develop in your child. It requires just knowledge of multiplication tables up to 9 to start learning it and it is easy to learn, Master and teach your child without being overwhelmed. Infact once you spend 2 minutes with your child on teaching him how to do this sum (shown here) he can at once teach 5 more of his friends to do it. It’s that simple!
Here’s a quick example of one of the Technique:

65 x 65 = ?

It is quite simple since both digits start from 6, so you take 6 and multiply with the next number 7 which gives you= 42 , the first part of the answer and take 5 and multiply by the next units 5 which gives you 25,so the final answer is 4225. Try 85 x 85 now. Answer 7225. Try 95 x 95 – Answer 9025 in the similar way.

Now how long did that take? This method can also be said to be the fastest in the world in mental math.

This system has the prowess to speed up Math Calculations by up to 1500% and supposedly seemingly difficult calculations like 998 x 997 can be solved in less than five seconds flat. With this system you can home school your child into becoming a Human Bio Calculator in a matter of a week’s time.

The answers to the question posed by this article in the beginning are found by understanding the ancient Indian system of High Speed Vedic (Sanskrit for Knowledge) Mathematics. It was rediscovered by Tirthaji (1884-1960) who was dux of India in Math and Sanskrit Philosopher who wrote and spoke perfect English. He reached the position of a Respected Pope in India, toured the United States in 1958 giving math lectures in Stanford, Caltech and even MIT and discovered the math knowledge which can solve every known math problem mentally and faster. He called his book and the subject ‘Vedic Mathematics’ after the Indian Scriptures called Vedas which mean knowledge. It is absolutely mathematical, scientific and global in nature and has nothing to do with any religion. Which means any person of any religion, country, ethnicity, color or race can use it and apply it and enjoy its tremendous benefits all across the world. No wonder it is being used by students from around the Globe of every race and origin to making their math calculations easier and is increasingly getting popular. Even NASA, INTEL and Microsoft are using it for the high end applications of Vedic Math.

A Look at this High Speed Vedic Mental Math tutorials and slide shows confirms the fact that it is indeed a miracle waiting to happen to your child.

Any teenager can learn Vedic Mathematics and enhance his numerical abilities. It helps the students not only in traditional academics, but it also enhances the IQ by enhancing the analytical skills and thought processes. This happens because the system is very coherent and intuitive and uses both sides of the brain thereby giving the student the winning edge. It is very satisfying to see young children’s eyes brighten when they see and learn the High Speed Vedic system and techniques.

Thomas, a 16 year old was able to apply these techniques with ease and without confusion when he learnt the Vertically and Crosswise Formula of multiplying two and three digit numbers Mentally and in One Line. He was able to solve correctly over 75 problems in less than 10 minutes which normally takes from 45-90 minutes to solve. This is simply incredible.

So how do you get started and homeschool your child into this system in a week’s time?

First your child should be over 14 years of age and should know multiplication tables upto 9. That is the only criteria to learn this system.

Try going through the High Speed Vedic Mental Math tutorials and see if your child enjoys the new methods. Show them the slide shows. You would have live results for your self whether or not to choose this as an alternative means to learn Math.

Squares of Numbers ending in 5

Multiplying numbers by 11-19 in less than five seconds

Instant Subtractions

Speed Division by 9.

See if he shows an interest. It shouldn’t overwhelm or burden him in any way. It should be as natural as possible.

Ask Questions to us. Go through the FAQ on our website below. Clarify your doubts you would have before deciding to introduce your child to it.

If you feel satisfied and your child is showing interest order a book or a DVD Set of over 10 hours on this phenomenal system which would suit your child best. I am sure if you could do these methods and are wondering why you didn’t learn them as a child-remember you could relive your childhood by introducing them to your child now. You could be igniting such a spark in your child now that he could be using this system for all his life and even introducing them to the next generation.

Give your child the best of education unattainable in schools.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=172500&ca=Education

How To Make Your Teaching Lessons Interesting? By Sky Joe

Being a teacher can be a very challenging and enriching career for a lot of people. The task and responsibility of a teacher is to enrich the knowledge of the young, preparing the students for their future endeavors. In the midst of doing all these, the teacher is actually shaping the future of the whole nation. If you have chosen to become one of them, you should be proud of yourself.

However, being a teacher who is able to conduct effective lessons is not an easy task to achieve. This is mainly because it’s very difficult to capture the full attention of the students throughout the whole day. For a typical student, the time to concentrate fully can only last up to two hours. This means that schools are spending more efforts to employ teachers who can engage their students in interesting lessons.

One of the basics for teaching is to conduct lessons that interest your students. Bored students won't remember much of the lesson. Refrain from giving long lectures that will only encourage your students to wander to slumberland. Instead, keep students involved and interacting with them in English. Some students may prefer to listen quietly as they are shy to make any comments. If this kind interaction makes your students nervous, provide plenty of support by giving clear and very specific directions. In addition, make your lessons livelier by adding games or using real-life objects such as a telephone, cook book, or musical instrument. You can also bring your students out of the classroom for a educational tour. This will greatly increase their attention lifespan and assist to absorb the knowledge easily.

Another effective way to attract their attention is to provide some rewards during the lessons. Studies have shown that students will be able to learn better when they perceive a personal reward. To boost internal motivation, remind them of the benefits that English can provide, such as English-speaking friends, better job opportunities, easier shopping, or less stress at the doctor's office, and then teach language that will bring them closer to those benefits. External motivation can be achieved by praise and encouragement as well as tangible rewards like prizes or certificates. These rewards have been proven to be very effective in encouraging the students to put in extra efforts in their daily learning.

Learners will remember material better and take more interest in it if it has applicable contextual meaning. This means that good teachers should be able to relate the teaching materials to daily usage or practical examples. By providing appropriate applications, students will be able to remember them better and longer. Arbitrary rote learning (word lists or grammar drills) may be useful in solidifying language forms, but unless there's a real-world application, sooner or later it's likely to be forgotten.

Experienced teachers usually motivate their students to build up their self-confidence. In other words, teachers should allow them to use their own ability to complete a task. If they lack self-confidence, they tend not to take risks, and risk-taking is necessary in language learning. By trying out new or less familiar language, they may find that they are indeed capable of more communication than they thought. On your part, you can encourage them to interact more by reducing feelings of embarrassment when mistakes are made, and give far more compliments than criticisms. You can also instruct them to perform tasks that are easily achieved so that everyone is guaranteed success. This will help to develop their confidence gradually and increase their learning abilities.

For more information on the different ways of teaching English, teaching opportunities available or getting a teaching degree, please visit the following website: http://teaching.mygeneralknowledge.com/

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=94986&ca=Education

How Hard Is It To Learn Spanish? By Anthony Dwyer

One of the things that turns a lot of people off learning a new language is worrying about how difficult it is going to be. And, depending on the language, this can be an issue. Not all languages are created equal. Fortunately for you, learning Spanish is not rocket science. Yes, it will take effort and commitment, but, for an English speaker, Spanish is one of the easier languages to learn.

For starters, if you haven't already realised, English and Spanish use the same alphabet. This is due to the Roman invasion of most of Europe. So, from day 1, you'll be able to read Spanish easily. While there are a couple of minor differences, it doesn't take more than a couple of minutes to learn all these. Compare this to learning a language like Chinese, with tens of thousands of different characters!

Secondly, a lot of words are similar looking or sounding. You'd be surprised to know how many words are very similar and this makes learning a Spanish even easier. Imagine being able to start learning a language already having a vocabulary of a few hundred words. Due to Hispanic influence on Western culture, you may come to realise that English speakers are already using some Spanish words in conversation. Just another reason to breathe a sigh of relief.

Thirdly, Spanish is quite easy to pronounce. There are some sounds they have that English speakers don't, like the rolling r, but as a whole, Spanish is pretty phonetic. You would be surprised at how well you can already enunciate your words.

Another reason why Spanish is so easy to learn is the fact that there are so many opportunities for you to use it. With Spanish speakers approaching 30% in the USA, I'm sure you know some people who speak the language you are trying to learn. This means more people to practice with and as you know, practice makes perfect.

Ok, that's about it. If you're still worried about the difficulties involved with speaking Spanish, definitely get yourself over to my site where I can take you through the motions without the usual pains. Check the author bio for more details.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=111902&ca=Education

Raleigh Schools Continue Transition To Year Round Schools By Patricia Hawke

Since 1989 the Wake County District of Raleigh Schools in North Carolina have been experimenting with year round schools. In the Raleigh Schools, a year round school requires that children attend the same 180 school days, but on a non-traditional schedule. Rather than the conventional September to June calendar, with a long summer break, students and teachers in Raleigh Public Schools year round program attend on a continuous cycle of 45 days on with 3 week breaks between. While the concept of year round schools has been approved by educational experts for decades, resistance from many parents and teachers has the prevented the concept from becoming as wide spread as many would like. But Raleigh Schools’ gradual implementation of the concept is gathering many devotees.

From 1992 to 2004 the district added 13 more year round schools. In the 2006-2007 school year, another 5 were added. And 2007-2008 will mark the fastest growth ever when the Raleigh Schools will add 26 more schools to its year round model. 4 of these will be brand new and 22 will be transitioned over. Parents and teachers are coming to accept and enjoy the flexibility of the year round model. And the benefits to the district are meaningful.

Benefits of Year Round Raleigh Schools

Cost savings are the biggest benefit to the administrators of the Raleigh Schools. By rotating groups of classes in and out of buildings throughout the school year, the district can accommodate up to 33% more children, and save on both construction and operating costs. Here’s how it works.

A typical year round school may have 4 separate tracks of students and teachers, all on separate schedules. So three tracks will begin the school year on July 10th, while the fourth track will be on their break and have the first day of school on July 31st. Because the tracks will rotate into a different classroom each time, the school uses less classroom space, and even needs fewer school buildings to accommodate the students. While cost savings vary based on capacity and enrollment, the Raleigh Schools have experienced average savings from 20-33%. These savings roll over to books, materials, and other equipment.

What about benefits for families and teachers of the Raleigh Schools? Many are surprised by how much flexibility the schedule allows. Families love the ability to take vacations during less popular travel times. And the biggest concern- childcare, is proving manageable for most. The Raleigh Schools have lists of day care providers who accommodate the year round schools. Another benefit is that students retain information better than over the long summer break. Raleigh Schools also provide remedial and enrichment tutoring during students’ break time. Of course, there are challenges.

Challenges of the Year Round Raleigh Schools

The greatest challenges to the Raleigh Schools have been cleaning and maintenance scheduling, siblings on different tracks, the initial work of finding day care, make-up weather days that must be held on Saturdays, and interference with traditional summer activities. In spite of these challenges, the program is gaining in popularity. Many educators in the Raleigh Schools feel that the biggest challenge is getting families to give the new model a chance. As the nation calls for sweeping educational reform, Raleigh Schools think that year round schools may be the future of education.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=171599&ca=Education

How To Write A Successful Application Essay By Alex Martin

So you are now ready to join the college. But getting admission into the college of your choice won’t be that easy, as more and more pupils are applying for the limited slots every academic year. You are now facing the challenge of writing the most successful application essay for the eyes of admission officers; who would also be judging the essays of all the other applicants, probably with the same profiles, backgrounds and test scores as you have.

This 500-word application essay becomes the bases for the acceptance and rejection, as it is the only way admission officers can judge the worth of the applicant. It is very natural to feel concerned at this stage; standing out in a crowd is not an easy task and thus calls for extra care and preparation. But what ever the case may be, let not the essay stress you out, be very playful to gain utmost.

Follow the following while you write the essay:

Brainstorming; a crucial step:

The key to truly presenting an insightful and incisive application essay is to go through the exercise of brainstorming. It brings out the ideas and thoughts out on the paper that might not be consciously significant to you in the first place.

If you are finding it difficult you can always take help from your friends and family that knows you well. There point of view would be different and really revealing at times. If you have a role model, study his or her personality to discover yourself.

It would be better if you set out goals for the life ahead of you. Brainstorming sessions will help you go through it. It might give you a fresh outlook of what you really want out of life.

Prepare a rough, unedited initial draft and consider the following when pondering:

1.Note down your skills, aptitude and interests no matter how meager they seems to be, like wise accomplishments and ambitions.

2.Noticeable highlights of your life, which have changed your perspectives in anyway.

3.The struggles of your life and their outcomes; either positive or negative and how it has changed your life.

4.Your contributions towards the society through community services etc.

5.And most of all, brainstorm why you want to join the specific institute, what is compelling you to apply there and how will you proof commendable of it.

What to write; choosing the theme or topic of the essay:

The essay could be about anything, you can describe you in any way you desire. You can discuss any topic you wish on earth. But the challenge remains of using the essay up to the maximum. Remember it is the only way of proving your self to be outstanding.

Present your goals, ambitions and accomplishments of life. If you are not the high achiever explain why you are not so. Always keep the theme of the essay positive. Show yourself as a stronger person rather than a pitiable one. Present as if you the one who could work against all odds and can put up a good fight against obstacles. You must attempt writing on such topic that shows your individuality and promotes your desire to be the attendant of the college as well.

Choose a theme about which you have ample amount of knowledge. Difficult and tricky topics, merely to impress the readers will render you with nothing. More avoid the complex, controversial topics. Like politics and religious affairs, even if you choose to write about them, write down more about your point of view rather than commenting who is right and who wrong.

Final Draft: Tips for writing good essays:

1.It is quite advisable to visit the desired college or visit its website and read brochures and introductions. This way, you will have the insight of what the organization believes in and you can arrange the essay accordingly.

2.Take your time and understand what you are expected to write. Understand the questions you have been asked and the requirements you have to fulfill. Take about three or four weeks to ponder on the essay and the ideas you have in mind.

3.Analyzing other previously attempted application essays would help you a lot. Writing application must be a new task for you and going through the others gives you a good idea for writing your own.

4.Copying the style of others would not help, be original and be you. There would be experiences in your life that can set you apart from other people and similar actions. So be open to express yourself and your feeling about a topic you decide to write about.

5.Make an outline or a plan to follow through out the process and refer back continually. The paragraphs of the essay should relate to each other, follow the rules of logical flow in writing.

6.You could be creative in your presentation. Catchy openings can do much more then a dry, lengthy and uninteresting essay. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph as the readers are found to maintain the interest for first few minutes. Show off your self as captivating as you can for those few moments. Creating Mystery is one good idea of keeping the interest of the readers for the rest of the essay.

7.Show what have you achieved by using the action verbs and active voice. Describe your life by applying adjectives and descriptive nouns. It would be more impressive and will make a picture in the mind of the admission officers. Imagery presentations are like five-sense experience and eye catching. At the end of the day, after reading thousands of the essays, your way of presenting yourself will be in the minds of the admission officers.

8.Conclude your essay with caution. It might be the last chance of convincing your reader that you deserve to be in there.

9.Your essay should not be the repetition of your information given in the other parts of the
application; it must discuss the dimensions of your personality that needs description.

10.Use different words to express yourself. Do not hesitate to use dictionary or thesaurus. It will give a good perspective to your essay. Remember too much of the repetition of the words would dull the essay and loss of interest on the part of the readers. But using thesaurus doesn’t mean complex words can impress the officers, it might rebound if you use them out of context and if simple and common words are better off.

11.Too many long or short the sentences makes the presentation monotonous and boring.

12.Take great care in using the language. Look out for the spelling mistakes and other common grammatical errors. These avoidable errors make the essay off-putting and the impact on the readers about your personality is ruinous. You might be assumed as careless person.

13.You can proof read the essay before submitting it. Revision is one of the most important key to a successful and custom written admission essay.

14.It would be better if you could leave the essay after writing for few days; and then get back to it. The fresh look might help you improve the essay.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=134161&ca=Education