There are ready made home school programs available for you to buy but is it really a good idea to get one of them? These home school programs might make it easier for you to spend more time teaching and less time planning out the lessons which is a good thing. However the same home school programs can be expensive and there is a chance that you may feel obliged to continue using it once you have bought it even if it does not really seem to fit into your way of working with your children. This is a bad thing.
You need to browse through the home school programs available in the market to see the one which is most likely to fit in with your notion of how things should be taught. Here are some features that you can consider to make your decision of buying a home school program easier.
What support will they offer?
Is it a home school program which offers you constant help after you have bought the package? Or it is one where there is no further interaction after the sale is made? Do they have an interactive forum on their website where your queries can be answered? Have they got support groups in your city with whom you can organize activities based on the curriculum for your children? Take all the support that they offer you into consideration. Ask around for people who have used the product before you. Get their opinion and review before you make a decision.
Does it Suit You?
Is it a program which you can see yourself following? Is the cost prohibitive for you? Parents tend not to mind spending money on educating children, I know it is natural to want the best for your child. However is the cost justified and affordable? Also such programs come made for the average student. If your child is gifted or special you will need to make extra effort to use the home school curriculum with their needs in mind. So take all these matters into consideration before you choose to pick up a ready made home school program.

I wrote to you yesterday to share what I learned about some homeschool curriculum publishers.  Well, I never expected the response I got.

Thank you for all the emails of appreciation.  I really devote my heart  and soul to creating great experiments and curriculum material for kids. It’s so good to hear that it truly makes a difference for you and your kids.

I had also mentioned that I’d offer a discount to anyone interested in my Science Mastery Programs.  It was originally a “private sale” just for e-Science members, but as my way of saying “Thanks” to you, I’m going to extend this rather large discount to all my subscribers.  But just until Thursday (8/26).

Here are the details: Until midnight on Thursday August 26 you can get my most popular science programs for up to $200 off.

In fact, you can chose from my 3 most popular Science Mastery curriculum programs.  I’m giving a special discount on the Science Mastery Diamond, Gold and Silver programs. These are truly the best homeschool science programs available.

The coolest thing is that kids will have a total blast with these curriculums while getting a great science education at the same time.  If you’ve ever felt torn between fun activities and educational ones, I can relate.

These science programs will be totally engaging for your kids, AND they’ll be learning about physics, pressure, energy, forces, light, chemistry, robotics, electricity, digital electronics, aerodynamics, hydraulics, mechanics, and lots more.

Visit the previous blog entry to find out where you can grab a Science Mastery for a big discount. I’m holding this special sale as a way to say THANK YOU to all the people who read my Homeschool Science newsletter

Happy experimenting!
Aurora

I don’t usually just blurt out my feelings in emails to my email subscribers.  After all, tens of thousands of subscribers (like you) trust me to give them quality guidance about homeschool science each month.  And I’m grateful for this trust.  People probably don’t want to hear about my daily frustrations (yes, I get frustrated too

But this made me so mad, I just have to share it.  Besides, it may affect you too.

On occasion, I review other homeschool science curriculum to make sure I’m not missing any good ideas as I  continue to add to my own e-Science curriculum and Science Mastery programs.  This time, I was looking at one of the most popular curriculum available (I won’t mention the name out of professional courtesy).  As I researched it, here’s what I found that made me so mad:

They didn’t even try the experiments before they put them in their own books!

Then they sold them to thousands of homeschoolers.  It turns out they hired professional researchers and writers (not scientists) to gather “typical” science experiments and explanations for each topic from other science textbooks and online resources. They never even took the time to try the experiments.

Ask any college science student what would happen if they turned in a report with explanations and results of an experiment without actually doing the experiment themselves.  If they’re lucky, they just get an F on the assignment.  Depending on the assignment, stricter schools will suspend them or maybe even kick them out.

It turns out that this company got so many complaints that experiments didn’t work that they recently decided to have one of their employees go through the book and do the experiments so they could correct them.

And they’re still one of the top homeschool science curriculum.  So I looked at other curriculum publishers, and started asking questions.

It got worse.

It seems that quite a few other science curriculum publishers do the same thing.  Their books are not written by scientists and they have NEVER actually tried the experiments they tell kids to do.  Some said that the authors of their curriculum were “confidential.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my kids being educated by material from someone who refuses to reveal their name, let alone their qualifications.

No wonder it’s so frustrating to kids and parents to get the experiments to work, let alone learn much from them.

If you’ve ever been frustrated trying to get an experiment from some textbook to work, perhaps you can relate (I know I can).  It’s even worse if you don’t have a background in science yourself.  Plus, if you were hoping your kids could really learn science on their own (without you there with them), it’s even more frustrating.

And, I know I feel guilty putting my kids through dry, boring material that I know isn’t as good as they deserve.

Okay, I’m done with my rant.

Whatever you do for science this year, PLEASE make sure that your kids are learning from a curriculum that was created by someone who is actually a scientist, AND who has actually done the experiments in it.

How can you tell these things?

Well, sometimes it’s obvious (Like in my Science Mastery and e-Science curriculum, you see me personally on the videos guiding your kids step-by-step through the experiments).

But, if you’re going for a curriculum that is mostly book-based (i.e. few videos or live online presentations), call or email the publisher (or company that sells it) and ask these questions:

“Who wrote this curriculum?  What are the authors names?”

“What is their background in science?”

and “Has someone at your company tested out all of the experiments in the curriculum?”

If you get an answer like “That’s confidential” or “Our research team”, it’s probably time to look for another curriculum.

I mean, do you really feel comfortable immersing your child in material from a company that won’t even tell you who wrote it?  I know I don’t.  My kids deserve better.

BOTTOM LINE:

Get a science curriculum for your kids that was created by someone who knows science and has actually done the experiments themselves.

I’m sure you know that I sell complete top-of-the line curriculum that also include all the parts and pieces you’ll need for 1 to 3 years of science education.  Me or one of my staff personally takes your kids through the experiments in the curriculum using step-by-step videos.  You don’t need to be there yourself, and you don’t even need to buy any parts – they’re all included.

These top-of-the-line curriculum are called Science Mastery.

I’ll warn you, they are not for everybody – these are only for parents who are really serious about giving their kids the best homeschool science education available.  If you don’t think science learning is important, please stop reading now (but please…do give your kids some consistent science education).

So, I recently had a special discount on Science Mastery programs just for my private e-Science members (These programs almost NEVER go on sale – this was a very limited special).  But given these challenges I’ve discovered with other popular curriculum, I’ve decided to made this discount available to all my email subscribers. I figure this gives as many kids as possible the chance to get a great science education.

If you want to learn more about my Science Mastery programs, go to this link now:

www.SuperchargedScience.com/smpl8-1.htm

Regardless of whether Science Mastery is right for you, PLEASE ask questions before you invest in any science curriculum or program you’re considering.  I know you want to do the best you possibly can for your kids.

Thanks for being so devoted to your children

Warmly,

Aurora

Homeschooling allows a parent to teach a child through actual activities rather than merely reading things in a book. The exploration of a theory though a series of experiments can result in the child learning far better than if he were to just watch a video or read a book. Here are some free homeschooling activities that you can try out at home with your children.

Germination Project

We all have some soil near our homes and this can be used to develop a free homeschooling experiment. Even if you don’t have a garden and live in an apartment you can always get a few pots to do this project. Take seeds of three different plants. Now soak them overnight in water to get them from dormant to active. As the seeds begin to germinate plant them in the ground with labels near each.

If you are on not on the ground floor use pots to plant the seeds. The seeds must be watered each day and any growth activity seen should be recorded in a notebook. This free homeschooling activity will instill discipline in a child. It will also teach patience. To spice up the somewhat slow activity you can have a plant race to see which of two saplings reaches a fixed height first.

Conservation Project

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These are the mantras that the child will learn through this free homeschooling activity. Essentially delegate a fixed time each day or week when you go through the house with your child and pick up stuff which you can reduce, reuse or recycle. Then plan activities doing just that. It can be fun getting creative with some old card and left over paint. Or you could do something more useful to society.

For instance the month’s newspapers, bottles and cans can be taken in to the recycling plant. Old clothes can be used to make kitchen dusters or dolls clothing. You can even take the ones in better condition and donate them to the local orphanage or church. It will teach your child a far more valuable lesson in charity.

Using online homeschooling websites you can design your own assignments and projects for your kids. Pick up a wide variety of ideas and then mold them to your child’s needs helping him or her learn in an easy and fun manner. Plus using the ready resources saves you hours of time which you can put to better use.

Define your topic as clearly as possible

Here is a guideline that you can adhere to for your online homeschooling research. The more specifically you define the topic that you wish to teach your child the easier it will be for you to gain material on the subject. Teaching science is a very broad topic, now define if you want to teach biology, physics or chemistry. Then come down to a specific topic in the science sub group.

Narrow down your search to relevant terms

It is easier to hunt for online homeschooling assignments on air pressure rather than trying to find Physics assignments. So make a list of the specific relevant terms that you want to teach your child and then get on the net to do your research. Make a separate folder for downloading all this bulk material on your computer. Don’t waste time reading too many details right now.

Stay focused on what you want to teach

Once you have downloaded all the online homeschooling resources that you could find about a specific term get down to sorting the material out. There will be some pages that you can use right away, others which may be too advanced for your child to use right now, others still which may be used a bit later. So sift all the material and pick out only the stuff which relates to what you want to teach right now.

The rest of the useful information is already there on the computer for you to go through when you have some spare time. You can always get back to that information when you need to make additional and more advanced assignments on the same topic. It is a readymade data bank waiting for you to dive into.

For most parents teaching homeschool science creates the kind of stress that could be very counterproductive to actually doing homeschool science lessons with their children. That is why it is nice to know that there is an alternative to the homeschool science textbook which can make life so much easier for both parents and children.

Explain principles rather than mug them up

The homeschool science curriculum offers a lot of scope for practical experimentation. Unfortunately many parents do not know how to make the teaching of science hands on experience. So they struggle to explain concepts and formulas while the child gets frustrated trying to learn it all up by rote without really understanding what is being taught. So by the end of the class the child knows what words he needs to mug up but can not apply that principle in practical life.

Seeing is believing activities rule

To explain a concept in practical terms it is important that a child see just how the principle functions in real time. If you are talking about astronomy and constellations you will do much better to take the child out into the yard at night and point them out rather explain the formations according to diagrams penciled into the books. The whole astronomy lesson will come alive if you can see the stars in the constellation twinkling down at you.

Use readymade science kits

It is difficult to think up of all the equipment that you will need to teach a particular experiment. Rather than go crazy collecting everything from individual resources pick up readymade science kits which explain the concept in the curriculum. That way you will ensure that you have all the teaching aids that you need at hand when you begin the lesson. There will be no breaks to the garage or storage area to see if you can find another wire or LED.

There are many options to teaching science at home today and using practical experiments is a really effective one. Children love to use their hands and the whole concept comes alive with the experiment. It is ideal for hassle free science lessons.

Are you planning on home schooling your child? Does the concept draw you and worry you at the same time? It is perfectly natural to be anxious about the schooling of your child. More so when you are planning to take on such a major role in that education.

Make the decision and stick by it

The decision to home school a child is never one that is made in a light vein. Before the decision was taken the parents have probably poured hours of thought into why they want to home school their child. They have to decide if it is the ideal solution or if it will be a potential disaster. It is not an easy decision to make.

Use the sites available

Once the decision is taken there is a sense of relief and one of panic. Relief because you know you will be able to train your child into a confident and independent person. Panic because you realize that it is not going to be an easy journey. However with online homeschool resources being so readily available these days you can let that panic subside a bit.There are many online homeschool sites where you can get additional material to supplement the material already in your syllabus.

Join a Home Schooling Forum

The online material is good quality stuff that you can just take print outs of and use with the kids.  Some of this online homeschool material is available free of cost. All you need to do is join a good online homeschool forum and the parents there will guide you towards the best material that you can lay your hands on.

Be active in the community online

The online homeschool community is always looking out for each other. There is a sense of unity of purpose which binds the community together. The strength of the community is the fact that they are all driven by a common goal. To find the best way to educate their children at home. And if you can contribute to that goal positively then you will be a welcome member of the community. So go ahead and share any material that you have developed with your friends online.

No matter what home school curriculum you follow, you may feel the need to incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy in all of your home school lessons. Bloom’s Taxonomy is essentially a category based learning hierarchy. It builds on what you already know over a series of steps. It is ideally suited when following a home school curriculum.

Level one

It will deal with recall or remembering the knowledge.   Here you need to ask your child questions which help define, name or label the things they know. You can ask questions which begin with when, why or what. To help the child put his answers in a structured step.

Level two

It will deal with understanding and comprehension. This step is used to determine if the child had comprehended the lesson.  You can ask the child to explain what the main idea of the lesson was. Or to compare the concepts leant by contrasting them with others.

Level three

Deals with the practical application of knowledge. This is where ask your child questions with constructing or organizing the data they know. Help them experiment with and plan the activities according to your home school curriculum.

Level four

Deals with Analysis of the data that they collected in level three. Now they learn to classify or distinguish between options. They examine relationships between objects and categorize them accordingly.

Level five

Helps the child evaluate and synthesize the information that he has gained. He learns to interpret the data he collected and critically examine it. He learns to make his own deductions and conclusions based on this process.

Level six

Now the child can create new things based on the knowledge that he has gained. He learns to find alternatives to the set path or estimate results in advance. He can propose and theorize based on the past knowledge that he has gained.

This step by step approach is great for learning anything. In case of regular school and classes the teacher cannot go into such details with every child individually, but when you home school your child you can guide him or her through each stage. This constantly learning and application of knowledge is what makes it such a great teaching technique.

While some resources accompany your homeschool curriculum there is a whole lot more that you can find online. A number of companies which develop homeschool curriculum related study material offer limited time free downloads to excellent resources. You just need to be aware of where to find them.

Don’t let it stay Greek and Latin

I’m going to tell you about a few of them here, but this is in no way a comprehensive list. If your homeschool curriculum includes Latin head over to Textkit’s latin grammar section. The resources are comprehensive and you can easily print them out to practice on. Greek students will also find introductory material to the language here.

Improve the English too

Language and grammar are part of most arts homeschool curriculum and Mcgraw-Hill has wonderful workbooks that you can download for grades K to 6. Look out for what are called the Treasures Workbooks. Download them and print out to use as a comprehensive resource for grammar basics.

Make Math Fun with videos

For those looking for help with Math, check out the videos on Teacher Tenmarks. They have videos explaining concepts such as integers and even teach you how to calculate perimeters. In fact you might want to supplement your Math teaching with the videos here in any case to make life a bit easier.

Broaden your child’s horizons

The understanding of different cultures all over the world can take a lifetime to learn, but you can give your child a head start with the WSU web site. Learn more about mythology and ancient lands. Try out their free reading resources and study guides as well. It is ideal for those home school students who are above eight years old.

Like I said before these are just a few sites that you can use to help enhance your home school studies. If you enjoy these resources, search for some more on the internet. Most sites allow you to use some features free of cost even if you do have to pay for the higher end resources. You may even get lucky and get a free trial for a month on some of them. Just keep searching.

In regular school a subject is just as much fun as the subject teacher can make it. So you owe it to your child to be a good teacher if you are a home schooling parent. To make a subject fun can be difficult if you get frustrated easily and become angry at your child’s lack of understanding. Here are a few things that you can do to make homeschooling fun.

Be Cheerful when you take class

If you look at a glum face you feel glum yourself. It is basic human nature to react to the emotions we see in the person before us. So don’t make your child feel miserable by making him sit through a lesson with an angry or upset teacher. Give yourself time to rejuvenate and be prepared for the lessons. It does not matter if you miss out on part of a planned schedule. You can make it up another day.

Be flexible and ask for support

Even though you have the primary responsibility to home school your child you can always get help from your family and friends. If you are feeling burned out doing classes in the home ask a friend or family member to step in for a couple of days. The break will do you and your child good. Or if there is no one available you can change the way you teach. Instead of sitting at home and studying take a field trip. Even getting your groceries from the super market can be converted into a math lesson.

Click all the pictures that you can

Keeping record of the child’s progress is an important part of homeschooling. One of the ways to do this is to take photographs of activities that you have done. If you made a working model of a volcano get a camera out and take photos. All children love to have their photos taken and it will make the class a whole lot of fun. Plus the lesson will be immortalized in the memory of the child. Try it out it does work.