MorningStar’s Home Education News

By Mimi Rothschild

“My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.”

Many from my generation remember reciting that solar system mnemonic as kids. Teachers are going to have to think of a new learning tool, as our solar system is now an eight-member family. The International Astronomical Union met on August 24th in order to discuss the definitions of celestial bodies. As a result, the icy planet Pluto has been demoted to “dwarf planet” status. Not wanting to hurt Pluto’s feelings, scientists have now crowned it the “King of Icy Dwarves.”

On the surface, this name change is rather innocuous. After all, teachers need only come up with a new mnemonic. However, if we look a little deeper into educational implications, we will uncover a serious limitation of public schools. Public school curriculum is embodied almost entirely in the form of traditional paper textbooks. These textbooks, aside from being “astronomically” priced, are only updated once every few years. Students are not given updated textbooks for up to ten years!

Homeschoolers, however, are on the forefront of innovative, up-to-date education. Online texts and e-books, such as the ones offered by Learning By Grace’s academies, are easy to update. In fact, our entire curriculum has already been changed to account for Pluto’s new status. Unfortunately, this is not possible for most educational institutions. And people say homeschool families are old-fashioned! Far from it, we are years ahead of the curve.

Julia Osborne, Science Editorial Director for Pearson Prentice Hall has stated that textbooks for this school year are already in traditional school classrooms, so for “most students this fall it will be out of date.” Even textbook manufacturers are admitting their limitations. Not only are they in danger of losing millions of dollars printing new textbooks, but they are also teaching our youth obsolete information. On the other hand, the students of MorningStar, Grace, and Jubilee Academies are always taught the most current material.

Here at Learning By Grace managed academies, we are ready to welcome the new King of Icy Dwarves, days after the status change. Hmm… “My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos?”

By Mimi Rothschild

While it may at first seem that the most important home-schooling subjects would be math, English and science, possibly the most vital lesson you can teach your child is first aid. Teaching your child the basics of first aid could save their life – or the life of another – somewhere down the line.

When done correctly, home-schooling can be perfectly successful – in many cases providing a much better education than if you sent your child into the school system. However, many home-schooling parents neglect to teach their children important life lessons that will keep them safe – instead concentrating only on academic studies.

But don’t worry – the basics of first aid can be taught in just a few short hours. Why not spend one morning every week for a month to instil the bare bones of first aid training, and then keep up a monthly refresher course to make sure the information sticks?

You should bear in mind that basic first aid training isn’t simply about teaching the child how to bandage a wound or clear an airway. A complete first aid education should include teaching the child to keep their head in an emergency. After all, all the training in the world is useless if the child is frozen into inaction in an emergency. Part of your first aid training should involve explaining to the child that in a medical emergency, it’s important to act quickly. If you can instil in them enough confidence in their abilities, they should be able to perform in a life or death situation.

Basic first aid training should include lessons on how to perform an assessment of the situation: is the patient breathing? Is the airway clear? What about the pulse? The child should be able to make an assessment quickly about whether the patient requires CPR or to simply be placed in the recovery position until help arrives.

One thing you should consider is whether you should teach your child first aid yourself or bring in a more qualified teacher to do it. Of course, if you have a first aid certificate or medical training you’ll do fine, but if you don’t know the basics you should consider asking a qualified friend or relative to donate a little time. Maybe you could learn a little something too!

By Mimi Rothschild

In a public school environment, experiential learning, or learning through hands-on activity, cannot be practiced very often. In the home school environment, however, experiential learning has become a regular part of the curriculum. Home schooling parents know that learning through teamwork, public service, community involvement, and problem solving through physical activities can be extremely beneficial for students.

What are the benefits of experiential learning? For one thing, it puts home school students out into the world, allowing them to learn firsthand about the communities in which they will soon be an integral part. Teaching your home school children about housing and employment problems within a city, county, or state will allow them to memorize facts, but having them volunteer to help feed or clothe the homeless will drive the point home in a very tangible way.

Home school children not only learn about their communities through experiential learning, they can also learn about teamwork and problem-solving. Though it is important for home school children to study subjects such as math and reading, it is equally important for them to learn deductive reasoning and problem-solving skills through real-life situations. Groups of home school children, through a coordinated home school field trip, can tackle outdoor projects together. Home schooling parents can plan these projects so that there is a specific activity that has an end goal. It is at this point that the parents need to sit back and watch their children develop skills in teamwork, deductive reasoning, and problem solving.

With experiential learning, memorizing a lesson is a given – there is no reason to study or be tested. Home schooling parents and children can, however, sit down and have discussions after an experiential learning experience. Without being too specific, parents can gently guide conversation so that their home school children can discuss among themselves how teamwork helped them reach a specific goal, and how they came up with unique ways to overcome obstacles. This type of discussion will serve to reinforce the valuable lessons that the children learn through experiential learning.

There is no reason why home schooling parents need to always stand back and let the children do all the activities. Parents can participate in the experiential learning activities with their children, although it is better for them to let the children take the lead whenever possible. Home schooling parents could take their children out hiking one day, for example, and let the children plan the hike from beginning to end. Though parents should be prepared for any emergency, they should still let their children experience the consequences of poor planning or enjoy the rewards of careful planning.

By Mimi Rothchild

Children, adults, families, students, and teachers alike all need to have a little fun sometimes. So, how are you going to incorporate some family fun into your homeschool curriculum? Most importantly, how are you going to do this on a conservative budget?

There are countless events, activities, and places that are not only fun, but affordable for just about any family. Think of these activities as school field trips. Field trips are often not just for entertainment, but also are experiences in which children also learn. Your homeschool students need never know the difference. Here are some entertainment ideas that are proven to be enjoyed by people of all ages and are easy on the budget.

If you don’t already have some, then buy some board games for you and your homeschool children to play. Consider the age of each homeschooler, and purchase games accordingly. You don’t have to buy them brand new, because you can find plenty of used board games at thrift stores or garage sales. Don’t forget about cards, either. There are lots of fun games with a regular deck of cards that you and your homeschool children would be able to play together, but you could also buy card games like UNO, Crazy eights, and Old Maid.

Pick up a flier at your local library of upcoming events. Libraries are always holding family fun recreational activities, and you couldn’t pick a better setting for a homeschool field trip. Usually these events do not cost anything either, and almost always end up serving as a learning event.

Another activity that doesn’t cost anything (except for maybe the cost of the sack lunches you make and bring with you) is going to the park. Pick a nice day and walk with your homeschool children to a local park, unless you all have a favorite park to go to that’s not within walking distance. Even if you have to pay for the gas to drive there, it’s still usually an affordable trip, and will be quite fun as well. You can turn your trip to the park into a learning experience by having your homeschool children study the surrounding environment. Talk about different kinds of trees and flowers, or even bugs! Your students will love it!

By Mimi Rothschild

There are some people who perceive the home-school as the seat of academic, social and spiritual education. The way these home-schools are being applauded and appreciated, one should note that such was not the case six years ago. People who would choose to home-school their kids were either thought of as people who were social misfits or as those who were foolish enough to make their children intellectually inferior. Needless to say, with the astounding results of home-schools in the US and in other places around the globe, the parents who chose to home-school are finally receiving the recognition they deserve.

Academic experts have recently found that parents are quite capable of teaching their children efficiently and effectively. They even found that the home-school children were socially active and they possessed the same social skills if not better, than their traditional school counterparts.

Recently, tabloids, the television and the Internet are have had a field day talking about how home education is a fashionable new method of education. Certain sections of the press, however, would look at home-schools as a sort of political movement or a cause to bring people away from the Church. As they ventured further, the press began to laud home-schools as a favorable educational alternative. There are trends that come and go, but home-schooling is here to stay.

By Mimi Rothschild

There have been many battles waged and won in the name of homeschooling throughout the last several years at school board meetings and even the courts The homeschool community has come a long way because of them. We struggled for years to be free and independent of the controls of the public education system in the U.S. Today it is legal to homeschool in all 50 states.

Consequently, homeschool families, as they enjoy their freedom, begin to wonder if a homeschooler can receive his education at home while continuing to participate in some public school programs—such as music, art, sports, language classes, clubs, or teams.

It all depends on what state your family lives in and can sometimes even depend on the particular school. Participation in public school programs is not considered a right for any homeschooler—it’s a privilege granted by the state, and it can also be left up to the discretion of your local public school. Whether or not your child can participate in public school programs is not up to you—unless you’re local school allows it. This lack of control can be difficult to deal with, as it seems to go against everything that we hold dear about homeschooling.

However, even in states where equal access for homeschoolers and public school programs is granted, there are still strings attached and requirements to meet. For example, homeschool students must abide by the state’s homeschool law, meet the eligibility requirements for the class, club or team, and prove to the state they are meeting academic requirements.

In states where it’s up to the school district, a homeschooler—along with a parent, if necessary—will need to make a presentation in front of the local superintendent or school board. Further, if your child is interested in joining a sports team, you will all likely have to deal with the interscholastic sports league, which can get tricky.

It’s not always a simple process to get your homeschooler access to public school programs that interests him or her. However, it can be done, and if you know that this will be something beneficial to your child, you’ll want to do whatever you can to make it work.

By Mimi Rothschild

As the popularity of home schooling grows in different parts of the country, there are allegations by people who are feel threatened by its ongoing success. The California Department of Education, for example, represents one such entity that is insecure about the growth of home schooling. One should not treat the intentional salvos unleashed by the Department of Education as just another insular event that should be brushed aside. The sad fact is that the section of society that does not want home schools to flourish can gang up to thwart their progress.

Parents and concerned members of society should be aware that the debate is not for education, but for matters beyond. The California Department of Education needs to be shown that they have no right to judge what is right or wrong for our children.

There is a reason why people home school their children. Parents who patiently waited for a change to transpire in public schools finally decided that enough is enough. They were tired of the callous attitude shown by public and private schools toward their children. Furthermore, if private schools were advocating a partial approach toward some children, the public schools were hiring teachers with questionable academic credentials. Disillusioned, parents found out that home schooling was the best way to educate their children in an equitable and ethical manner.

The elite and the bureaucrats are not concerned about the children’s interests. If they really cared about academic performance, they would have appreciated the performance of home school children. The root of this controversy is money. The state education department has a deficit budget because the school districts receive funds based on the number of students attending public schools. As the number of children drifting to home school increases, the state education departments are receiving less money. Though budget is a primary reason why the bureaucrats are crying wolf, it is an undeniable fact that they are feeling threatened because they are no longer able to control what goes into the heads of children.

Regardless of the tirade against home schooling from petty-minded bureaucrats, the home school movement continues to progress; thanks to the dedication and support of forward-thinking Americans who want to free their children from the dangers of inferior education.

By Mimi Rothschild

It is hard to avoid the common cold, but there are a few tips for you to adhere to that will help your home-schooler avoid getting sick. First, wash your hands regularly with warm soapy water. A good rule of thumb is to sing the Happy Birthday song as you wash, so that you wash your hands the right amount of time it takes to kill the germs on your hands. You can also use a hand sanitizer if you can’t get to a sink. You also need to make sure your homeschool children get plenty of rest, at least eight hours. This is not only important for doing well in school, but it helps keep their immune system strong.

By exercising regularly, your children will keep themselves healthy and avoid the common cold. You should have a regular exercise routine in your home-school plan. Every home-schooler needs physical education, and needs to learn the importance of exercise. It is also very important to teach your home-school children to eat as healthily as possible. Cut out as much sugar from their diet as possible. Sugar almost immediately weakens your immune system. Eating healthy will make them less prone to catching the common cold. If they do, a healthier body can fight it off better.

Don’t let your children around cigarette smoke. This weakens their lungs and can make them more prone to getting sick. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking itself. Remind your children that they should never share their drinking cups with anyone. No one should drink after anyone else, because this will increase everyone’s chances of getting sick.

You may want to check with your children’s pediatrician about getting them a flu shot and giving them vitamins. If it is approved, then you can give your home-schooler a daily vitamin. They can help boost your children’s immune systems and a flu shot can help prevent them from catching the flu. By following these tips, you can help your home-school children avoid the common cold and other illnesses that go along with it.

By Mimi Rothschild

The process of college admission can be a very intimidating thing, especially for homeschool families and their homeschooled teens. There are ways for homeschooled applicants to avoid many of the pitfalls and problems that can crop up. With a little preparation and some planning, the process can be relatively painless for college bound homeschoolers.

The most important factor in gaining admission to the college of your choice is your grades. More specifically, how well you perform in your college preparatory curriculum. The ideal curriculum to prepare you for college is one that includes the maximum number of classes you can manage in the subjects that matter most to colleges. Mathematics, English, science, social studies and foreign language classes rank highest on the college watch lists. There are other factors that colleges will consider, but class performance in these subjects holds the most weight.

A common misconception is that grade point average is everything. Many parents and homeschooled students believe that if they simply choose easy classes and get the highest grades they can, then colleges are certain to line up to admit them into their schools. In fact, students have been turned down solely based on the fact that they chose easy elective classes instead of more demanding classes.

Another big mistake homeschool students make is ignoring great resources. Many homeschool students ignore or fail to identify resources available to them when choosing and applying to colleges. Contact current students of colleges to get an inside perspective on the school. Look to counselors and administrators to get specific information on their admissions processes. You can even use your friends and parents for third party advice or to bounce ideas and information off of to get a different perspective.

Do not choose a college based on a friend’s choices or because your parents went there. This is your future and you must decide on the best choice based on your own personal preferences. Personalize your search to include your own values. Evaluate the schools themselves based on the information you gather directly rather than from anecdotal evidence or the many myths that surround colleges. The point is, the homeschooled student will only be comfortable in an environment suited to their personal preferences.

Once you have narrowed your search down, explore your choices in more depth. Investigate college campuses, their specific courses, location and environment. During this process, ask yourself questions about what you want from the college and whether it matches your abilities and interests well. A major mistake many homeschool students make is simply choosing a school for its reputation and popularity and find later that it was just not a good match for them.

By Mimi Rothschild

As parents, deciding to home school is an honorable decision, but full of risk and sacrifice. Sadly, in today’s world it is not often possible for one or both parents to stay home and dedicate the days to home schooling their children. Does this mean that parents who work cannot home school? Absolutely not. With some careful planning and complete dedication, it is possible to work and home school your children.

The first thing that you’ll want to do is examine your work schedule. Are there certain times during the year that your work is slower than other times? Could you possibly have more flexible hours, or do you have to stick to a set work schedule? It is possible to schedule home schooling around your work, as long as you can make it work for everyone. One of the benefits of home schooling is that it can be flexible. There do not have to be any set school hours, so you and your home school children can design a schedule that fits into your life as well as theirs.

If there are slow times during your work year, then these would be the times that you could concentrate more on home schooling. That doesn’t mean that you would stop home schooling altogether when work is busier, it just means that there would be a certain “ebb and flow” to your home schooling schedule. Perhaps the winter is slower for you at work, and you and your home school children could add more subjects to study during that time. In the busy months, you could cut down on classes accordingly. In the long run, your children will still be learning everything that they need to learn.

You could dedicate one of your days off per week to field trip learning activities, making it a family affair. This takes some planning, but is beneficial for everyone. You could also dedicate a certain amount of after-work hours each day to one or two subjects, making sure to get all necessary subjects in during the week. Home schooling parents could also try to coordinate their schedules so that there is almost always at least one parent home. This takes teamwork and the willingness to work together.

Your children are your priority, and it is this attitude that will help you find what works best for your family when it comes to home schooling and working. With God’s provision, any obstacle can be overcome. Look to Him during the balancing act.