Does your child love to get dirty and explore the world around him?
Is she a child who loves to sit down and listen as you read a story?
Is he an analytical thinker, who tends to question what is happening around him?
Is she one who can connect events and experiences to lessons in life?
Does he seem to thrive when able to create with his hands?
Does she naturally “get it” the first time she hears it?

These kinds of questions can help to define the best kind of learning approach for your child. A hands-on learner will not be content to sit and fill out worksheets or listen to you explain concepts. A student who has strong auditory skills will thrive with a curriculum that uses interesting stories to teach about history, science or literature.

A student who needs to hear or try something several times before she is able to grasp it will need a mastery curriculum with a lot of repetition and review, while a student who seems to “get it” right away should focus on a curriculum that provides ample opportunity for critical thinking.

Knowing your child’s academic level is also critical to a successful program.

Many parents make the mistake of simply purchasing curriculum that is aligned to their child’s chronological grade level. However, in many cases, that math course is too difficult because the right foundations have not been laid or that English course is too easy because your child is an accelerated learner.

Testing your child to determine his or her actual academic level will ensure that your program will be a successful one.

That is why Bridgeway Academy tests each student upon enrollment to determine the best academic level for that child. This information combined with a detailed survey and parent interview provide the basis for designing a program that will work effectively for each student.

If you prefer to design your own program, contact Curriculum Express (610-266-9148) to order a diagnostic placement test that will help you to identify your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses.

Go directly to Starting Homeschooling Step Five-Find a Homeschool Support Network

Starting Homeschooling Step Four-Know Your Child

I am certain most homeschoolers have been following the disturbing battle that homeschool families in Germany are fighting. Freedoms have been stripped away, families must fear losing their children if they continue to homeschool, and children have been torn from their homes without warning.

The climate appears to be getting worse and families are facing difficult decisions every day.

The Home School Legal Defense Association provided this update recently. Could we end up in the same struggle? I truly hope not. But whether it is on our horizon or not, we need to be on our knees praying for the homeschoolers in Germany and for Germany’s leaders.

We also need to make our voices known to California lawmakers and stop this battle before it begins in our country! For information on the California case and how to contact the judges who made their ludicrous decision, click here.

Homeschooling in Germany-the Struggle for Freedom