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By James Masterson
Homeschool parents benefit from technology to enhance and
complement traditional ways of teaching on school campus.
There
are several educational software and teaching packages that
can
help develop a curriculum. The internet is a very useful means
that is full of educational resources; online dictionaries,
libraries, encyclopedias and museums.
Depending on your State's homeschooling law, the following may
apply:
1. School officials can inquire about the parents’
qualifications to instruct or teach their child; however
instructing parents do not necessarily need to have a
particular educational qualification. A high school graduate
or
less can instruct the child, provided that she has the
capability and a sound mind.
2. Children in the elementary level should be taught the
following: English, which includes reading, spelling and
writing; math, geography, science, civics, history, physiology
and health, music, physical education and art.
3. Children in the high school level, should be taught the
following: English, which includes speech, language,
literature
and composition, science which will include chemistry and
biology; social studies, geography, economics, history of the
U.S.A, world history, mathematics which will include algebra,
geometry and statistics; music, art, physiology and health,
physical and safety education.
4. School officials can inquire regarding subjects that the
child should study, demand the length of homeschool year, and
allocate instruction hours for every subject.
While they can determine instruction hours for every subject,
they should not control the method in which these subjects are
to be taught.
This means that homeshooling parents can determine and
evaluate
instruction hours based on their method of homeschool, not
necessarily to be able to imitate the public school, rather
equal and match it according to efficiency and systematic
approach.
In homeschooling, it is up to the parent to determine the
child’s intellectual needs. Subjects to be taught do not
require specific hours of teaching, although each subject
needs
an allotted time, in order for the child to absorb fully what
is
taught.
Moreover, schedule keeping is not a significant factor in
homeschooling where usage and understanding of time are so
much
different.
5. School officials can recognize and classify instructional
materials, only for the reason of determining the subject and
the child’s grade or level. They should not utilize this right
to demand the way or style of teaching, with which subjects
are
to be taught.
When the child is having difficulty in a certain subject, for
instance in reading, then the parent should allow longer hours
for reading allowing the child enough time to learn that
particular subject.
On the subject that the child willingly and easily learns and
grasps, the parent may shorten the time spent on that subject
and allocate the extra hours for subjects which the child
finds
hard to comprehend, to subjects that the child poorly
progresses
on.
At homeschooling, the child can take the time to learn and
explore each subject at his/her own speed, in his or her own
capacity. And the parent can find creative ways to make
learning and teaching fun.
A few efficient and helpful teaching materials that are not
tangible, such as community service, travel, visits to parks
and museums, etc., will definitely grant significant learning
skills and knowledge aside from those learned from books.
6. Parents and school officials must reach an agreement on a
system of evaluation or assessment for the child; either
standardized testing, periodic reports on the child’s progress
or dated samples of work.
Determine your child's learning ability and style so that:
1. You'll know what approach to use or be well equipped in
teaching them. It is a wrong notion that some parents have, to
presume that their kids learn the way they do. For example,
when parents are visual learners, they also expect their
children to be visual learners. Just remember that children
are
different individuals; usually having distinct learning styles
compared to their parents and even their siblings. The sooner
that you learn and comprehend each child’s learning style the
sooner that you can effectively teach them.
2. You'll be prepared to decide on a curriculum for
homeschooling. If you are not familiar with your child’s
learning styles, there is the possibility that you will select
a curriculum that can not be an effective tool for your
child’s
learning.
3. You can better identify and understand your child’s
educational needs. When children fail to effectively
communicate, they, much like everyone else, get upset and
discouraged. However, if you understand your child’s learning
styles, you can be able to assist your child to understand
themselves better, enabling them to interact and correspond
better with their peers.
Understanding their learning styles and their capabilities
will
enable you to determine how many hours they need for each
subject; homeschooling does not require strict hours of
teaching your child in any subject. It all depends on how well
your child progresses; if he can do his math in less time in
regard to the curriculum set for him, then good. If you feel
he
needs to spend more time in reading, then he should.
About The Author: It doesn’t matter if you just want to
explore
home schooling possibilities or have made the decision and are
looking for a guide to point you in the right direction, "The
Parents Guide to Home Schooling" will provide you with the
information you require.
www.free-online-course.com/homeschool
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