How Much Does Homeschooling Cost, Really?

You'll definitely find that homeschooling entails more expense than conventional public schooling, but also that it will cost considerably less than the annual ,000 to ,000 per child that private school tuition typically runs.

The least expensive option is a public school program tailored to homeschoolers. Those programs that allow more flexibility in choosing materials are often a bit more expensive because they may only provide or reimburse for certain "approved" texts and materials, or they may established yearly budget limit for each student. If you choose to other texts than the program recommends, you may end up having to cover the costs yourself. Some programs offer equipment, such as microscopes or computers, for loan during school terms.

Also often provided are "consumables" - items like paper, pens and pencils, workbooks, and so on - although, as well as the other materials, supplies may be limited to specific amounts each school term.

How Much Does Homeschooling Cost, Really?

Private homeschooling programs vary mainly accordingly to the services they provide. Some programs, such as Calvert sell mainly complete curriculum packages. In 1995, the average tuition for a complete Calvert curriculum for a single grade was around 0, with their advisory teaching service (grading, testing, record maintenance) costing an additional 0. Calvert requires that textbooks and the teacher's guide be returned when the course is completed.

Other programs like A Beka Books (a popular Christian-based program), sell individual courses and books as well as complete packages. In 1995, A Beka priced individual books from $.75 to and teacher curriculum guides at about . Like Calvert, A Beka sells both curriculum-only packages ($ 120/year at elementary level) and full correspondence programs (around 0/year for elementary grades, 0/year for high school). Homeschoolers at the high school level often use conventional correspondence courses available through public and private universities. Such courses are relatively expensive, typically 0 to 0 per course; textbooks and other required materials may or may not be included in the course fee. For homeschoolers who desire formal credit in specialized topics, particularly in mathematics, sciences, and foreign languages, such courses can be well worth the extra expense.

Less structured private programs may offer per family pricing rather than per child or per course. The Waldorf based Oak Meadow School offers enrollment for an entire family at about 0 per year; curriculum packages (mainly storybooks, novels, and activity guides rather than formal textbooks) range from 0 to 0 according to grade level. Families can opt for teacher assistance for grading, record keeping, and general advice at to per quarter. Clonlara School is extremely flexible with its services and specializes in helping unschooling families. Their 1996 to 1997 fees for record keeping and curriculum advice were 0 for one student, 5 for two or three students, and 0 for four or more students per family. Books and other supplies are additional and vary depending on the type of program you and your family chooses.

Costs for unschooling families are almost impossible to predict, but most families estimate they spend somewhere between 0 and ,000 for the entire family. Many families buy lots of books, crafts, games, toys, and other "stuff" without keeping official track of whether it is "educational," and can count items such as computers as general family purchases it rather than as specifically educational. (Some of us deliberately avoid trying to calculate educational expenses, fearing to see the grand total.) Especially with younger children, though, it's difficult to say that such expenditures differ much from those for conventionally schooled children.

How Much Does Homeschooling Cost, Really?
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Joshua Poyoh is the creator of [http://homeschoolingreport.com/]. He writes and researches into the area of the homeschooling information [http://homeschoolingreport.com/homeschooling-information-and-terms.php]

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

The concept of one-to-one correspondence requires two skills: (1) matching pairs and (2) comparing sets. Matching places two like items together as a pair while comparing determines which set has more or less. In these projects, the key is to focus on the language, emphasizing mathematical terms.

Books to Read
The following books teach one-to-one correspondence using stories. I love the impact a story has on understanding, and these books do a great job of packaging the mathematical ideas in a way that young children can comprehend.

Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy
Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

Projects to Learn Matching

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is a matching set. Word emphasis: match, even, pair, each.

There are three cups and three straws. It is even. Three children and three cookies. It is a match! A pair of socks for your feet. One foot for each sock, and one sock for each foot.

Project #2
Provide the following items and allow the children to sort into pairs. Word emphasis: pair, match.

1 ice cube tray
2 screws
2 washers
2 electrical circuit binders
2 matching butterfly clips
2 matching hair pins
2 pennies
2 matching buttons

Project #3
Have a tea party with stuffed bears. Set one place setting for each bear. You could say, "One seat for each bear, and one bear for each seat." Word emphasis: each.

Project #4
Serve a lunch with matching shapes to make their own snacks. I used cookie cutters to cut the bread, cheese, and lunch meat into matching shapes. I provided at least two different shapes so that they would have to find the match in order to build their sandwiches. Word emphasis: match.

Project #5
Play the memory game. Word emphasis: pair, match.

Projects to Learn Comparing

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is not enough or there is too much to go around. Word emphasis: more, less, fewer, even.

Oops, I grabbed one straw too many. There are three cups and four straws. There are more straws than cups. We have six chairs at our table, but only four people in the family sitting at the table. That leaves two empty chairs because there are more chairs than people. Today we have company, so we have eight people and only six chairs. We have fewer chairs than people, so we will need two more chairs. Three children and four cookies. There are more cookies. If I eat one, it will be even.

Project #2
Invite the children to collect toys to put inside two hula hoops. Then count to see which hula hoop has more toys and which has fewer. Ask, "Which set of toys has more? Which set has fewer?" Word emphasis: set, more, fewer, even.

Project #3
Pour two cups of water and compare the volume. Which cup has more? Which has less? Word emphasis: more, less, even.

Project #4
Make sugar cookies and put chocolate chips on the frosting. Compare two cookies to see which has more chocolate chips. For an added lesson, determine how many chocolate chips need to be added to make them even. Word emphasis: more, fewer, even.

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence
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Rita Webb is a homeschooling mom for three young children, aged two, four, and six. Rita researches many homeschooling and parenting resources and writes reviews on these materials in her http://mrkreview.blogspot.com blog.

Top 30 Fun Sight Word Games and Activities

Learning sight words is an important part of learning to read.

Sight words are service words. They are not meant to be sounded out. Learning these words helps the reader to maintain reading fluency without getting caught up on meaning.

I like the Dolch Sight Word List, but there are many other lists available. I like to pop them onto cards about 12cm x 6cm.

Top 30 Fun Sight Word Games and Activities

Use these cards to have some fun with 30 FUN SIGHT WORD GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

1. Play Battleships with sight words on a grid with a partner or
as a class.

2. Play coin toss - words on floor - children take turns to
toss a coin onto a word and say that word.

3. Have a box of small blank mini cards or paper you can
purchase great sized post it notes these days (approx
10cm x 2 cm) on hand at all times so that children can
write down words from word walls, charts etc and then
take the card back to their writing. It is also handy to
write words on when doing writing conferences.

4. Play who am I? for example, I am yellow, I have 5 letters, and I
end in ___.

5. Make a letter twister chart with chalk on a concrete
floor, children place their feet and hands on the letters
to spell words.

6. Around the World Sight Words - flash a word - first player
to say word out of that pair moves on to the next person
to make a pair and another word is flashed, etc, etc.

7. Play Hangman using the word card words.

8. How quickly can you find a certain sight word in individual
reading books during small group reading.

9. Play dominoes using same end letter/ beginning letter.

10. Circle letters within words using white board marker on
laminated sight words cards.

11. Play Chinese Whispers - say a word - pass it around.

12. Circle smaller words within words using white board
marker on laminated word cards.

13. Children go outside and practice writing their words with
chalk on the concrete.

14. Practice handwriting by tracing over words using
white board marker on laminated sight word cards.

15. Place sight word cards in alphabetical order.

16. Flashlight words turn off lights flash a torch on
words on display for look and say.

17. Children make their own word wall/dictionary using
photocopied small sight words and scrapbooks labeled with a
letter of the alphabet on each page... can be added to
throughout the year.

18. Play tic tac toe, here I go, where I stop I do not know -
children say the word that you stop on.

19. Cloze - children find the missing word
within a sentence.

20. Play musical words - children pass words around in a
circle until music stops - that child says the word - can
be played with 1 or more words.

21. Go on a word walk / drive - find words around the environment -
signs etc.

22. Make words using play dough.

23. Make words using string gluing.

24. Make words using letter tiles -scrabble pieces.

25. Make words using stencils.

26. Make words using alphabet stamps.

27. Make words using magnetic letters.

28. Play stepping stones - place words on the floor and
children walk over them saying the word as they go to get
to the other side of the stream.

29. Beat the clock - how many times can a word be written
in 1 minute etc.

30. Children write their words in list form and then write
over the words 2 or more times using different colors
to create rainbow words.

There are so many way you can make teaching and learning sight words fun - I am sure you can think of more as well.

Top 30 Fun Sight Word Games and Activities
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Donna is a retired K-3 Teacher with a passion for developing hands-on quality educational resources. See more of Donna's ideas for sight word games and general hands-on printable teacher resources at her K-3 Teacher Resources website.

Teaching Christian Religious Education - A Review

In ten chapters or one hundred and eleven pages, the author presents a compendia of methodology of teaching Christian religious education. The purpose of the study, countless misconceptions of students, the etymology of the word 'methodology', definition and reason for religious education, kinds of research methods and hints of note taking are discussed in the first chapter. These give students the opportunity of revising when writer rather than presenting new information to them. The importance of the second chapter is that it gives a systematic approach to finding research/project problems, approach to find a research topic, formulating the research topic, sources of information, reviewing relevant literature, sources of information, reviewing relevant literature, hypothesis and format for research writing. Like the first chapter, the dimensions are not new but serve as a useful guide. The Nigerian approach to moral and religious instruction as stated in the 1981 Revised National Policy on education moved from rote memory of biblical passages to affect the psychomotor and affective domains. Approaches to the study of Christian religious education discussed in Chapter 3 include the Bible-centered or salvation history approach, the phenomenological approach, teacher-centered approach, and the Bible to life, life experiences and life-centered approaches. New life was therefore injected in teaching religious education as students discovered the religious implication of their actions.

Working on the premise that there are several teaching methods in each discipline, the writer identifies some methods and factors that determine their suitability and the right time to use them in the fourth chapter. He rightly observes that the Christian religious studies teacher should not be dogmatic but should apply a method as the situation demands. These methods are divided into teacher centered (lecture, questioning), learner centered (project, assignment) and joint (drama, field trips, story telling, role play) methods.

In Chapter 5, the writer successfully defines technical terms like teaching and teaching practice. Parameters used to identify the competency of the teacher are discussed. The section of preparing to teach is in consonance with Hendrick's law of readiness. The discussion on the management, organization and administration of teaching practice and micro-teaching and its advantages are geared towards enabling the teacher to teach effectively especially if the assessment instruments at the end of the chapter are implemented.

Teaching Christian Religious Education - A Review

The sixth chapter clearly traces the history of the religious studies curriculum which protects the child from receiving any instruction that is contrary to the wishes of his parents. The origin and objective of the word 'curriculum' and the vital role of parents, learners, teachers, local community, religious bodies, ministries of education and other national bodies are discussed. The seventh chapter expands on the discussion in earlier chapters. The sample of a syllabus is a useful reference material to every Christian religious education teacher.

The eighth chapter on lesson plan logically follows the seventh since the classroom experience tests what has been planned. The writer realistically observes that the success of the teacher is dependent on the mastery of the subject and his/her job is incomplete until evaluation is done. The importance of educational objectives, the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains cannot be overemphasized.

Commenting on the application of teaching materials, the writer observes that a good material among others should relate to the objective and age of the learners, match their ability and elicit interest in them. The penultimate chapter presents a vivid description of the use of instructional materials in teaching. The impact of visual and audiovisual materials is amazing. Although they create an opportunity for students to come face to face with reality, they should be seen as a means to an end.

The last chapter clearly presents justification for moral education in the school in an era of moral decadence. The aim of religious education therefore is to facilitate desirable changes in an individual since it encompasses theoretical, practical, moral, spiritual, human and divine aspects. The entire society - the home, school, church, voluntary organizations, mass media- has a role to play.

Although the book presents a rather interesting evaluation of Christian religious education methods, the author himself admits that he is not trying to offer new dimensions in the first two chapters. Even though he presents a format for research writing, the technical terms are not defined leaving the reader in a difficult position to see the relationship among them. Several typographical errors undermine the richness of the presentation. The above notwithstanding, this illustrative text of the Nigerian educational experience has graphic illustrations and review questions which stimulate critical thinking. A commendable insight is the lucid distinction made between the curriculum and syllabus which are treated as synonymous terms. The clear presentation of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives is also imperative. Perhaps another insight is how the wrong use of textbooks could hinder self-initiative and transforms learning merely into a routine.

Teaching Christian Religious Education - A Review
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AUTHOR SIGNATURE Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Program at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Center; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

How Homeschooling Affects Children's Social Skills

Hands down, one of the biggest concerns about homeschooling is the fear that homeschool students are not learning effective social skills or are not being properly socialized. The presumption is, the best way to socialize your child is to do it through large gatherings of same-age peers, and without having those regular interactions, children will somehow be missing out on important learning experiences. Where does the truth meet the presumption, and how does homeschooling really impact a child's social skills?

The answer lies in defining "social skills." If what you are seeking is an environment where self-awareness and self-acceptance is determined for your child by an outside set of teenagers, or if you are seeking the ability for your child to function well in an artificial environment of only similar-aged people, then it's true. Homeschooling may have a hindering effect on your child. Public and private schools can have many advantages, but social skills development is not necessarily one of them unless you seek the limited situations described above.

True social skills are the abilities to develop habits and tools that allow individuals to function in the society around them for the betterment of the community and in meaningful relationships with others. That definition has nothing to do with the confines of a school setting. Rather, that definition is all about the character of the individual as they live out their daily life, and as homeschoolers will tell you, character training happens all day, every day in a homeschool environment. Thus, one of the primary sources of true social skill development is the family itself.

How Homeschooling Affects Children's Social Skills

Social skills are developed as students interact with others of a variety of ages in their own families, and as they witness what goes on in their communities and where the needs are around them. Homeschoolers see daily life every day as they work in a place that has to also function as a home. Homeschoolers must get their work done while the phone rings or the laundry gets done or the business is run, and most homeschoolers also find themselves out in their communities during the week, too. This lets them interact more regularly with business owners and civic leaders, so their understanding of social responsibility can be more acutely in tune.

But these are not the only areas where social skills are developed. Other sources of influence include mentors with whom homeschoolers might work, or clubs that they belong to. It can include churches or church groups that they participate in, scouting organizations, or sports teams.

If the goal is to prepare students to become adults who function in a family, a community, and in a career filled with people of many ages and skills, what better place to develop those abilities than in the homeschool. All of these aspects of daily interaction are afforded to the homeschooler. Positive social skills can be taught responsibly by homeschoolers, and so like anything else, if done well, the affects of homeschooling on social skills development can be hugely successful and rewarding.

How Homeschooling Affects Children's Social Skills
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*Camille Rodriquez is the owner of Polka Dot Impressions, a social media consulting company. She is also the Women's Pastor at her church, Living Stones Church - Sugar Land, and has authored a Christian devotional titled, "When I Die - On Being, Living, and Having the Last Word."

She believes passionately in integrity and intentionality - integrity in living, integrity in business, and personal responsibility to others. Because all that we do leaves an impression, she encourages others to make it a good one!

If you'd like a free copy of her "10 Commandments of Social Media," visit her website and fill out the "Contact Us" form - http://polkadotimpressions.com/contact. Or, you can follow along on her blog site - http://camillerodriquez.com.

Preschool Writing Activities - Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Write

Put down those boring worksheets!  The best way to teach your preschooler to write is to use simple preschool writing activities that make learning fun.  To be ready for kindergarten, your child needs to know how to cut and paste, copy simple shapes, trace vertical and horizontal lines, trace his or her name, and hold crayons, pencils and scissors correctly.

The first step to teaching the above is strengthening the small muscles in the hands and wrists that are used in handwriting.  This process is often referred to as building fine motor skills.  You can encourage fine motor development by having your child use art supplies like crayons, paints, markers, glue and scissors.  Lacing activities, stringing beads and cheerios, playing with playdoh, scooping sand or rice, and activities like pouring and stirring are also great fine motor activities.

When you feel your child is physically ready to write, have your child use a stick or finger to draw in sand, rice, pudding, shaving cream, paint or oatmeal.  Make simple lines and shapes and ask your child to copy them.  Next, let your child practice writing on a dry erase board, chalk board or Magnadoodle.  Preschoolers also tend to have fun with special crayons and markers designed for use on windows and in the tub.  Take care not to rush this process.  Let your child move through these stages at his or her own pace.

Preschool Writing Activities - Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Write

When your child is ready, move on to pencil and paper.  Build confidence by letting your preschooler trace simple lines and shapes, then proceed to letters.  You can eventually teach your child to write his name by letting him trace or copy it daily.  If your child needs help remembering how to spell her name, practice with fridge magnets, letter tiles or alphabet blocks.

Keep preschool writing activities relaxed and fun.  Don't expect or require perfection.  Learning to write is a fun process that will give your preschooler a boost in confidence and solid foundation for future studies.

Preschool Writing Activities - Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Write
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Here are some additional preschool writing activities.

Carletta Sanders is a homeschool mom of 3. For more information about teaching preschoolers, visit the homeschool preschool section of her website, Successful Homeschooling.