Homeschool Resources – Home Based Education

By Terri Johnson – co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers

We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments…

Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways. However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be.

The flipside to this statement is that no one wants to fail when it comes to teaching their children at home. So, what are the five necessary ingredients to homeschooling success?

The first one is the desire to foster a closer relationship with each of your children and your kids with one another. If you don’t want to spend more time together and deepen these relationships (or, at least, want to want to spend more time together), then homeschooling may not be the best choice for you. However, I am sure that you have heard it said before that at the end of the day, no one is going to say, “I wish that I had spent more time at work… or by myself… or with my canary…” No, the universal regret that aging and dying people declare is their sadness over not spending enough time with their loved ones. Teaching your children at home is an amazing opportunity to spend more time with your dearest loved ones and have no regrets.

The second ingredient to homeschooling success is a teachable spirit on the part of the parent. This is essential because, like it or not, you will learn so much more teaching your own children than you ever did in school the first time around. So, you might as well like to learn.

On that same note, the third essential ingredient to successful homeschooling is creating a home environment that is conducive to learning. This may show itself differently in each of our homes, but the result is the same – a place where kids can learn and enjoy it.

A home that is conducive to learning may have quiet and cozy reading nooks, bookshelves crammed with great books, a listening corner complete with headphones and a beanbag chair, uncluttered smooth surfaces for writing, stacks of coloring/activity books and colored pencils, a place to gather together and talk about the day’s events. You get the idea… Create centers in your home that make learning fun and accessible.

The fourth ingredient for a successful homeschool is 2 hours of your time to devote to your children’s studies. Truly, when the one-on-one teaching method is employed in your home, you do not need all day in order to get things done. In fact, a child in K-2 grades might be finished with her schoolwork in as few as 45 minutes (of course, that probably does not include the time that you spend reading together because who can get enough of that!).

At the other end of the spectrum, you might not need that much time with your middle schooler or high schooler either, because they become such independent learners by this age. The kids that will need the majority of that time that you have designated for school – those full 2 hours – would be your students in 3-6 grades as math and grammar assignments might get a little more involved.

The final ingredient for homeschooling success is a library card. That’s right! With access to a huge roomful of books, a world of learning opportunities is at your doorstep. Let’s say that your child is interested in insects or flowers, electricity or magnetism, transportation or inventions… check out as many books as he can devour on the subject and then some more. Watch your child light up with the delight of learning.

With these 5 essential ingredients incorporated into your homeschool, you will experience successful learning in the lives of your children, because this is the measure of success – children that love to learn!

Enjoy those learning moments…

Terri Johnson

Co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers. Don’t let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible! Sign up for class at HomeShcooling ABC’s

Best of Success to you,

Todd and Terri Johnson

Knowledge Quest, Inc.

——————————————————————————–

P.S. – Need to contact us? Just send an email to terri@knowledgequestmaps.com

15 million school age children in the US have learning problems that public and private schools can’t solve. There are 72,000 special education students in LAUSD, alone. Every day these students sit unhappily in class, losing hope of ever realizing their dreams. Students are living in pain and shame. They are not learning to be successful students.

Their parents are frustrated in their attempts to find suitable education for their child. They’ve tried working through the public schools. They have hired tutors. Parents are calling for real solutions.

In order to thrive, these students need special educational methods that address their unique profile of strengths and needs. But even more importantly, these children require a new mindset of success.

Educational therapy offers help and hope to children and adults with learning challenges such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and learning disabilities. Educational therapy is an appropriate and highly successful approach to helping students of all ages achieve their maximum potential.

Educational therapists use state of the art educational programs and methods that have been proven to teach students with learning problems the skills they require to be successful. Educational therapy shows students how to overcome their learning problems and lead successful lives.

All throughout the school years, foundations for future success are laid down. Not only are students learning essential skills such as reading, they are also learning to value education. But most importantly, they are learning to believe that they are successful students!

When students experience repeated frustration and failure, they develop self-doubt along with dislike or distrust of educational experiences. These negative views influence how much students can learn, at every level from elementary school through college!

Special needs students experience three major problems with learning:

Teachers and tutors use the same methods for every child. Children are unique and each learns in his or her own way. Teachers and tutors usually do not understand how to modify their approach to address different learning styles.

Teachers and tutors only teach subject matter. Students who experience repeated academic failure lack the underlying foundational skills to be successful students. They often don’t know the best study methods, how to manage their time, or what the real secrets are to academic success.

Teachers and tutors do not address the root cause of continued academic failure—learned helplessness. When students experience failure after failure, they develop a mindset that they are “stupid” and “can’t learn.” They give up on ever being a good student! But, when students believe they can succeed, they begin to try. When they believe they can learn, they begin to study. When they believe they can have impressive futures, they make powerful choices. Students have the right to believe in their innate intelligence and skill!

Educational therapists generally begin their professional careers in special education, child development or counseling. The Association of Educational Therapists is the national professional organization that sets the training standards for educational therapists. There are three levels of membership in the Association of Educational Therapists: Associate Professional (introductory level), Professional (experienced), Board Certified (seasoned).

According to the Association of Educational Therapists: “Regardless of previous background, all Professional members of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) have met rigorous professional requirements in the academic areas of elementary and/or secondary education, child development, educational assessment, learning theory, learning disabilities, and principles of educational therapy. All members have a B.A. degree and are required to hold a Masters Degree or equivalent in post-BA course work. They have completed at least 1500 supervised direct service hours, and are required to complete 40 clock hours of Continuing Education every two years.

To become a Board Certified Educational Therapist (BCET)®, a member must meet the following additional requirements: Masters Degree (required); one year membership in AET at the Professional level; 1000 hours of professional practice; formal written Case Study evaluated and passed by the AET Certification Board; a written examination that demonstrates professional expertise in educational therapy.”

To locate an educational therapist near you or obtain more information about educational therapy, visit the Association of Educational Therapists website.

By edarticle.com

TOEFL® iBT Transitional Words

Transitional words, called also linking words or signal words, are of huge importance for building your written and spoken responses at TOEFL iBT Exam. As the name suggests these words help you to move from one idea to another in a smooth and coherent way. They also signal the reader or listener what will follow after the transitional word. That is why transitional word will be helpful not only to do better in your TOEFL iBT Speaking and TOEFL iBT Writing but also to better comprehend the information presented in the TOEFL iBT Reading and TOEFL iBT Listening sections.  The use of transitional words is not only limited to the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL®) but also to any other English tests, like  IELTS (International English Language Testing System), FCE (First Certificate in English), CAE (Certificate in Advanced English), CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English), etc. 

In this document we provide a list of some transitional words and their usage within the text. We do not claim that this is the complete list of transitional words, but we may state that it covers the most common transitional words. Studying this list will greatly improve the organization of your responses and thus enhance your chances of better result at TOEFL® iBT Exam. 

Transitional Words Grouped according to their Purpose

To add extra information

• and 
• also
• additionally 
• alternatively 
• and then 
• apart from
• as well
• as well as
• besides
• besides that
• coupled with
• equally important
• finally
• first, second, third, and etc
• following this further
• further
• furthermore
• indeed 
• in addition (to)
• in fact
• last, lastly
• last but not least
• likewise
• moreover
• not only …, but also…
• not to mention
• or
• then, too
• too
• what is more

Example: Likewise the speaking section, the TOEFL® iBT writing papers are sent to the ETS’s Online Scoring Network where they are scored by certified raters.

To give examples

• for example
• as an example
• chiefly 
• for instance
• especially
• illustrated with
• in this case
• in another case
• in particular
• in this situation
• including
• markedly 
• namely
• notably
• on this occasion 
• particularly
• in particular
• specifically
• such as
• take the case of
• to demonstrate
• to illustrate
• as an illustration

Example: Most of English Language Exams are divided into separate parts that test different language components. For example, TOEFL iBT has four sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Some other exams, including Cambridge FCE, CAE and CPE include Use of English or Grammar in their formats. 

To clarify the information you have presented

• above all
• I mean 
• in other words
• in this case
• that is to say
• to put it in another way
• under certain circumstances
• up to a point
• what I mean is

Example: To put it in another way, five are the components that you should pay attention where preparing for any English Language Test – Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Use of English or Grammar. 

To present consequence

• accordingly
• as a result
• consequently
• for this reason
• for this purpose
• hence
• in that case
• otherwise
• so then 
• subsequently 
• therefore
• thus
• thereupon
• under those circumstances 
• wherefore

Example: As a result, most ESL (English as a Second Language) books and training programs are organized around this kind of division and closely follow this format. 

Once again, using transitional words and phrases help you write or speak organize your thoughts in more logical and understandable way. Transitional words clarify the conjunctions and transitions between ideas and thoughts and thus facilitate the reader or listener’s comprehension. From that perspective, the right usage of transitional words will pay back with a better score on your TOEFL® iBT Exam. 

See also our section with TOEFL iBT Test Taking Strategies for more tips on writing good essays. 

Practice you writing skills with i-Courses TOEFL iBT Full Tests. You will benefit from the professional scoring that gives you feedback on all the weak points in your papers and ways to overcome those weaknesses.

By edarticle.com

KenKen is the hottest puzzle craze since Sudoku. It combines the logic of a Sudoku puzzle with arithmetic. You have to add, subtract, multiply and divide to arrive at the numbers given in KenKen puzzle. 

In KenKen, like Sudoku, there is a grid of 4×4, 6×6, 8×8, or 9×9 cells. That means the grid has 16, 36, 64 or 81 cells. The puzzle can actually be even larger, but those are for really advanced solvers. In both kinds of puzzles, you must have all the digits in one row. In other words, if a row has 4 cells, like in a 16-grid puzzle, you must use the numbers 1-4 in each row, and in each column. No digit may be left out of row or column, nor may there be duplicates in a row or a column. 

So far, that’s totally easy to understand. If you look at a puzzle, you can see what I mean in a second. 

The diabolical cleverness of KenKen, which sets it apart from Sudoku, is that:

• some adjacent groups of cells have a thick border around them. Those groups are called “cages.” Each cage has a number printed in it, along with an operation sign. 

• The cells within that cage must be filled with the digits that will amount to the number given. Let’s say the cage has two cells surrounded by a thick border, the number in it is 6, and the operation sign is multiplication (x). That tells you that you must find two numbers that multiply to 6.

 You may be tempted to say, “That’s easy. The answer is 2 x 3!” But don’t jump to conclusions! The answer could just as well be 6 x 1. Furthermore, you don’t immediately know which of the two cells the 2, 3, 6 or 1 belong in. You have to find that out from looking at the other cages and narrowing down your possibilities. 

It takes about two minutes to learn how to do KenKen, but it can take years to master. There’s something for all levels of solvers. 

Good math teachers will look into this puzzle and learn some strategy, then introduce the puzzles to their students. There are very inexpensive books of KenKen, as well as online sites where you can download free puzzles. One of them is http://kenken.com

Once you understand how KenKen really works, you will start learning all about factoring, exponents, and mathematical logic. You won’t need a workbook, and there are no grades (if the teacher is smart). The only stress is the gentle strain on your brain, and you’ll be developing that brain with every KenKen puzzle you solve. 

It’s easy to get good at KenKen with some practice. The nice thing about the practice is that you won’t be able to stop. KenKen is the most addictive puzzle around!

Imagine a student being able to hone his or her basic math skills without worksheets, flash cards, charts, rote-memorization, or quizzes. Imagine that student loving math like never before!

KenKen was invented by Tetsuya Miyamoto, a Japanese math teacher who says, “I believe that if you give children good learning materials, they will think and learn and grow on their own.” If you teach yourself, your child or your students basic math with KenKen, they will develop a lifelong love of mathematics, and you will have done them a wonderful favor. 

By edarticle.com

You many have just heard of KenKen. It’s the invention of a Japanese math teacher named Tetsuya Miyamoto, who says, “I believe that if you give children good learning materials, they will think and learn and grow on their own.”  Imagine that! 

KenKen is a brilliant puzzle which takes the logic of a sudoku puzzle, and adds the use of basic arithmetic to make KenKen a truly fascinating challenge on many levels. 

But you don’t have to be a math whiz to play KenKen. The rules are truly easy to learn. A typical grid has 16 squares, with four rows and four columns. Just as in sudoku, you must use the digits from one to four in each row and in each column. You cannot repeat a digit in a row or column. 

KenKen has the additional trait that some groups of squares are bounded together by a bold border. Within those squares is a number, say 6, and a mathematical operation sign, say a plus (+) sign. That simply means that the digits in those squares must add up to the number 6. 

If you’d had the number 15 with a multiplication (x) sign next to it in two squares bordered in bold, you’d know that the digits that go in those squares must multiply to 15. 

Simple enough? Yes, it is – even a second grader can start doing KenKen puzzles. That’s how easy it is to begin.  But the level of play can get tougher – much tougher. 

KenKen can be played on grids of 6×6 squares, or 8×8, or even 9×9 squares. 

Filling in the 81 cells of a 9×9 grid can take hours, or days. Or more! Once you start though, you’ll find the time to do KenKen. You won’t be able to stop! Your mind will learn so much logic and arithmetic, without you even noticing. 

KenKen is possibly the best brain exercise you ever may try. That’s why you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you are a parent or a teacher, KenKen can become the greatest tool in your educational toolkit to get your child interested in math. 

It doesn’t feel like math at all – it’s just pure fun

You can get free, downloadable KenKen puzzles at http://kenken.com. For free KenKen video lessons, all the way to the very advanced level, check out http://mathmojo.com/kenken. 

By edarticle.com

There aren’t many students, teachers and parents who don’t dread having to deal with long division problems. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Even though most teachers use the same old, tired algorithm to teach long division, there are shortcuts and especially good ways to check the answers that those teachers should be exploring.

Calculators have been infiltrating elementary schools for years, depriving children of the experience of learning vital mental skills. There’s no need for calculators for even large division problems. Certainly nothing an elementary school-age child will ever be faced with should require a calculator.

Did you know that most division problems can at least be reduced to half their size, and very often much less? Many examples, like 87,345 / 72, can be reduced to 9,705 / 8, in seconds, without even using a pencil and paper. It only takes a few seconds to learn, and a few minutes to practice.

Imagine looking at a problem like 4,028 / 128 and just “knowing” the answer without doing any “work.” Some readers may already be able to do this, and if you are one of them, you should check out the other tips. They will turbo-charge your math skills!

It turns out, that after a bit of learning and practice, anyone can face a test question like:

719,973,728 / 739 =

a. 845,541 r. 432 b. 974,254 r. 22 c. 974,254 r. 21 d. 479,254 r. 22 e. none of the above

and answer it with a great deal of certainty, in about 10 seconds.

If you had to do the problem now, could you do it without just guessing? Could you prove your answer? How long would it take? Even if you were allowed to do it with a calculator, do you realize that most calculators will not give you an answer with a remainder, so a calculator would only be of limited help anyway?

On questions like the one above, anyone who can do division at all will be able to lop off many valuable minutes on tests, and be much more confident of his or her answer, by using just some common sense and a simple technique you can learn.

The techniques are not just for tests, but for everyday use as well. Figuring out bills, taxes, etc. are all made easier when you can do division confidently.

Obviously this skill is not just for students. One benefit of learning alternative mental-math methods, is that parents and students are on equal footing. The method is new for both, so they share a learning experience, instead of having a parent just teach a child. When a child feels like he or she has an equal status with the parent, the “intimidation factor” is solved, and the child doesn’t have to feel stressed, and the parent doesn’t have to feel like he or she has to be an expert. Everyone can relax and learn at an equal speed.

No one is truly bad at math, it’s just that most people haven’t been properly introduced to what math really is. It’s not the school subject that districts beat their students over the head with. It’s a wonderful way to explore and describe your world- your world, which you have as much right to as any mathematician.

You can find out how to check division problems at Division shortcut check at http://www.mathmojo.com/chronicles/2007/08/21/how-to-check-division-problems/

By edarticle.com

Can you do the nine-times tables on your fingers?

When you learn how, you’ll never have to stare at the multiplication tables charts for nine again. The best part is, you only need to be able to count in order to learn this!

And if you practice using the finger method, you’ll be a whiz at multiplying any digit by nine, and never have to “guess” and hope you’re right again.

You can learn it now, in a few simple steps that you’ll never forget. But you must remember that it is not meant to be a crutch. You must practice it a lot in order to get it to the point where you don’t need to do it on your fingers every time you want to multiply by nine.

At the end of the article, you’ll find a great, free resource where you can find a fun way that will make you love to practice it, and it will also teach you why the method works.

Let’s get down to multiplying:

First, you have to number each of your fingers. With your hands palms down, thumbs almost touching, start from the left and call your L. small finger, “one.” The left ring finger is “two,” the left middle finger is “three,” etc. until you get to the right pinky, which is “ten.”

That was easy!

Now, to multiply any digit by 9, you simply bend the finger that has that number inward. In other words, if you were to multiply nine by three, you’d bend the “three” (that’s the left middle finger). Bend it inwards, beneath your hand.

Notice the number of fingers on the left of the finger that’s bent. There should be two of them. That’s how many tens there will be, making the answer, “twenty-something.”

Next, notice the how many fingers are on the right side of the finger that’s bent. There should be seven of them. That’s how many units there will be, making the answer, “twenty-seven.”

Warning! – This should not be used as a “trick.” Don’t make it a crutch. Practice it until you know the “nines-times-tables” by heart. If you still need to use your fingers after a day or two to practice, then you really haven’t practiced enough.

There is a “master method” for using your fingers to learn to multiply. You only need one method for all the numbers from 6-9, so you don’t have to learn a bunch of different “multiplication tricks.” You can find out more at Learn to Multiply.com

By edarticle.com

That boy will be hung,’ said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. ‘I know that boy will be hung.’

- Charles Dickens in “Oliver Twist“

State standards operate under the assumption that most people don’t know what their kids need to learn, nor how well they have to learn it. That’s why the State thinks it has to set standards for every school.

But I think every parent knows this much – their child needs to be able to read and enjoy it, and be able to do all the simple operations of arithmetic in their sleep, and to be able to write to express themselves to their own and their reader’s satisfaction.

Those are the Three Rs – Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic. Anyone who thinks their child doesn’t need to do all three well, is welcome in School Hell. Fortunately, parents like that are few and far between.

In School Hell, though, state standards can mess with the Three Rs. Popular modern “curriculums” can tell you that basic arithmetical skills are not necessary, because kids can use calculators. Word processors can give children the feeling that skill at spelling and grammar are something a machine can do for them. Video games, programs that read books to children, etc. can lull administrators into thinking that if children are “exposed” to books, that is as good as children being able to read well for enjoyment.

Wouldn’t it be better if the child just loved to read and was constantly picking out his or her own books to read for enjoyment?

When I was in Junior High, I had a psycho-nazi teacher from hell who gave us a summer reading list. She said we could just pick out a certain number of the books on the list and do reports on them. I noticed that none of the Tolkien books were on the list. (This was at the end of the sixties, and it was the first wave of mass popularity of “The Lord of the Rings” in the U.S.)

Having just finished “The Hobbit“, I asked if I could exchange one of the books on the list for “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

It was as if I were Oliver Twist asking for “more,” only she didn’t throw a ladle at me. But it was forbidden. Now why on earth would a teacher forbid a child to show initiative? Why couldn’t I exchange “The Fellowship of the Ring” for, say, “Charlotte’s Web“? We’d had that book read to us probably three times in grade school. It wasn’t like I was trying to weasel out of reading something on the list. I would have read all of them, just to be able to present a book-report on something by Tolkien. None of my classmates had read him yet, but lots of them loved to hear me tell them about “The Hobbit.“

Here was a kid dying to turn his classmates on to something fine, but the teacher was ready to report him and send him off to Mr. Bumble.

Looking back in the distance (this was almost forty years ago) (sigh), could it have been that the teacher just hadn’t read Tolkien, and was afraid of facing something in her classroom that she didn’t have total control over? That’s my theory, anyway.

State standards are a form of control. They are necessary for a very small portion of the population. Are they necessary for your child? Read this free post at MathMojo.com about the tyranny of “Math Standards” and “Math Facts”.

By edarticle.com

If your child or student is learning to multiply, a good way to have them start out is learn skip counting. 

Skip counting is simply counting by a whole number other than one. It’s counting by twos, threes, fours, etc. For example, skip counting by twos is the same thing as reciting the two-times tables. 

So what are the benefits of using playing cards to learn skip counting compared to staring at multiplication worksheets? 

*     Well, for one thing, it’s not boring! 

*     For another, if you are actually counting objects, you have the tactile experience of feeling what you are counting. 

*     And there’s the fact that you are saying the numbers (for a reason – after all you are actually counting something.)

*     So with skip counting, you get the trifecta of seeing, feeling and hearing. You experience the numbers in three ways. 

*     And it can be fun. If you teach your child to count, say, playing cards by twos, not only will s/he count the cards faster, but s/he will lock in the two-times tables in his/her head

       without having to stare at boring worksheets, watch or do any of those typical dumbing-down activities like watch cartoons teach them math, sing inane songs, or listen to baby-rhymes.

*     One of the advantages of using normal playing cards (not flash-cards or cards from some contrived kiddie-math games) is that playing cards can remain life-long friends. They are objects          that exist in the adult world, so your child will not have that feeling in the back of his/her mind that they are being pandered to. 

Children can sense when their minds are being respected. When you teach them with methods that respect and foster their thinking abilities, instead of talking down to them, you are doing them one of the biggest favors you can do. You are also doing one for yourself, too. 

You can watch a free instruction video of how to use playing cards to skip count by two and three at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHSfXMYWPK4. It makes some interesting points.

By edarticle.com

Teachers have uttered the mantra of “you must show the work!” since any of us can remember. But is there any good reason for it? 

The only reason that would make sense is to find out if the child understood the problem. 

But if a child can consistently get the right answers to multiplication, or other math equations, what good reason would there be for him or her having to show work? Does the teacher think the child doesn’t know how to do the problem? That would be crazy, because the child clearly just did the problem!

In English class, when they ask a pupil  to read a paragraph, and s/he does it well, do they say, “Okay, now write an essay on how you knew how to read that?” 

How nuts would it be to ask a kid in gym class how they ran that mile, or else the running wouldn’t count? 

What if, in history or social-studies class, students were required not only tell you who won the Battle at Gettysburg, but prove it, with archeological facts. It might be a nice exercise once, but for every question?

“Hey, Picasso, put down that brush and write a 300 word essay about why you put two eyes on the same side of that woman’s head. If you can’t, I’m afraid we’ll just have to rip it up and do it again right, won’t we?”

No wonder Einstein said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” 

All too often, the wonderful experience that should be school is turned into a learner’s nightmare because of ill-thought-out pedagogical dogma. 

Schools seldom take into account that different students have different learning styles. Misguided efforts like the “No Child Left Behind” act (what a cynically sinister misnomer!) would have you believe that there’s one thing to learn, one way to learn it, and one way to test it. (Maybe more than the name is sinister!)

People who do not understand people who are “different” have a hard time reaching them. The loss is on both sides. 

If you’d like some insights to the problem and some possible solutions, you might find them at http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2009/04/16/why-do-we-have-to-show-the-work/ 

By edarticle.com