We think the homeschool environment can be a spectacular experience for parent and child alike for quite a few reasons. In addition to the family bonding and unity it can create, you are also given an incredible gift through schooling from home – a unique flexibility to turn your classroom into exactly what you want it to be. Remember that it doesn’t have to be inside! You have the freedom to choose your learning “spot” and to venture out into the world just to see what the day may bring forth as a learning experience.

The spring season is the perfect time to move your classroom out of doors – the simple act of being outside and breathing fresh air, and feeling the breeze on your skin can be invigorating and inspiring for parent and student alike. Taking learning outdoors shouldn’t just be a case of half an hour of story-time in the sunshine. The outdoor classroom is a world full of opportunities for learning, creating and exploring. We’ve taken the opportunity to put together some fabulous spring learning ideas for you!

Outdoor Classroom Ideas

Develop a Learning Garden

Teacher Elmarie Gunther decided to set up an outdoor experience that her children could visit on a regular basis, by incorporating learning experiences from all aspects of both gardening AND business. “We transformed our home corner into a garden centre. Every week we introduced something new and different to the garden centre for the children. We had Christmas trees and measured their heights, we planted beans in preparation for our Jack and the Beanstalk role play, we had a flower shop which involved taking orders, making up bouquets, writing messages for the bouquets, delivering the bouquets to the right person within school at the right time and handling the money.”

Kerry Hutchings of the Nurture Group Teacher and Environmental Education Coordinator at Camps Hill Primary School has found that, “Many children are very natural and engaged horticulturalists if given the opportunity. Engagement is never a problem when the children are learning outside and their sense of ownership in their growing and nurturing activities is really strong. It’s really fun when they are able to grow, harvest and then see their food being served in the school canteen. Once they were fully grown we used our pumpkins to make pumpkin cake and to roast them with potatoes and carrots.”

Create a Sensory Mystery

Have your children record the sounds from several streams, creeks or rivers that you may have access to. Play them back to family members and see if they can guess where you were when you made the recording, and what made the sound. Have your child think of clues ahead of time to help others to guess.

Next, using your nose and a tape measure, determine how far you can move away from a flower or identified scent and still smell its essence. While the smell of trailing arbutus may only be discernible for several feet, spring lilacs can be scented from much farther.

Using a camera with a good close-up lens, take pictures of the same buds on several different trees or bushes every day for a week or two in a row. Arrange the pictures from first to last and note the different rates for leaf out. Which tree or bush leafs out first, last? Make sure to identify them all, and what nuts or berries they may produce for local wildlife.

Investigate Landscapes Through Art

Outdoor art is a great and inspirational venue for creativity and fun. Take a whole box of art supplies – watercolors, sponges, paper, and even easels if you have access to them along on your adventure. If you’re not naturally artistic, there are many online drawing resources to help you prepare ahead of time!

Leaves also make excellent specimens for charcoal or colored pencil rubbings – the texture and outline of the leaf will come right through. You can later identify what trees the leaves belong to by researching online, with a book or manual. Make sure to pay attention to the texture and color of a tree’s bark as well – it helps with identification!

Spend a Day at a Nature Preserve or Conservation Organization

Spring is the time when most conservation groups and wildlife refuges begin a flurry of programs for children. Hop online and look around your area – you will most certainly be surprised at what you find. Spend a day focusing on our entire ecosystem and its local flora and fauna, and investigate our own individual roles in the conservation of precious resources.

Participation in these types of programs not only teaches our children about wildlife and natural resources, it helps to build a sense of pride and community – and a feeling that they CAN make a difference in their own future through their actions now. Showing a child how non-profit organizations come together and form groups through the hard work of volunteers will leave an invaluable and permanent impression – that in order to truly have, you must be willing to give.

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Homeschool parents know that the best lessons happen in the midst of real life experiences. Verbal lessons are sometimes difficult for children to absorb. It’s much more fun to take the teaching outside, both investigating and learning at the same time. Enjoy the spring!

Homeschool Classroom – Take Spring Learning Outdoors!

Did you ever imagine that the world of homeschooling could be filled with big game animals, dangerous hunts, and wild adventure on far away continents? Bridgeway Academy student McKenzie Sims of Evanston, Wyoming – and star of the television show “Young Blood” on the Outdoor Channel – tells us firsthand how exciting the life of a homeschooler can actually be with the right opportunities!

McKenzie’s extreme love for the outdoors, animals, and the sport of hunting began on his family’s 90 acre ranch in Wyoming. For the Sims family, hunting is a tradition that they consider a privilege and not a given right. They practice good stewardship toward the land and the care and preservation of the animals that live on it. Hunting together as a family has brought them a sense of unity and pride in their accomplishments. And a homeschool education through Bridgeway is the way they manage to juggle long travel commitments and film schedules!

Here McKenzie tells us of his exciting African safari hunt in his own words:

I became involved with hunting at a young age. At two years old, I was riding horses with my parents as they hunted elk. Once I was old enough to sit in a saddle by myself, my dad would lead my horse in the mountains. I would also go out hunting small game and coyotes. I enjoy both bow and rifle hunting. I enjoy a challenge!

In 2010, I went on my quest to be the youngest kid to complete Africa’s Big 5: the harvest of a lion, a leopard, a cape buffalo, a rhino, and an elephant. I wanted to accomplish this on film in one safari. I knew it was going to be tough and long but I never would have thought it would take 45 days!

I started my adventure in South Africa where I darted (green hunt- no kill) my white rhino and hunted some plains game. When I darted my white rhino, she was put to sleep so the people could check her health and for pregnancy. I spent 7 days there. From South Africa, my dad, cameraman and I flew to Tanzania where I intended on completing my quest and spent 28 days in Tanzania.

When I arrived in Tanzania, we spent the first few days hunting leopard and lion bait. The best bait for lion is cape buffalo. Then I had two of the big five down. During this time, we were also tracking elephants and looked at a lot of them but could not find one legal bull. In Tanzania, there is a specific weight criterion that the tusks on the bull need to be 35 pounds or more. If you shot a bull under that weight you would be penalized by fines and possible jail time. I finally got my leopard on day 10 and I got my third trophy for the big five.

Now all my attention was focused on the lion and the allusive big tusker (elephant). In the 18 days we spent looking for the legal bull we could not find one. I was pretty burned out and thought about giving up. Every day we would either see elephants from the road or track in on them but we could not seem to find the right one. On day 19, I got my lion. That is when my dad decided that we needed to come up with a different plan for harvesting my elephant.

My cameraman called a good friend of his in South Africa to help us find a backup plan. Marius told me “There is a permit available at the Timbivati Game Reserve, would you be okay to wait a couple of days for the paperwork?” I of course replied “Marius, whatever you can do to help us I’ll be forever grateful.” In the meantime, I decided to go out for one last day in Tanzania to try for some of the plains game I had not harvested.

Next, we were off to Nairobi to catch a commercial flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. After another short charter flight and a 30 minute drive, we were at Buffaloland Safari’s. This is the place I would be staying and hunting plains game while I finished waiting on all the paperwork and permit to be completed.

Finally, everything was ready for me to begin. As my group arrived at the Timbivati headquarters to pick up our game scout, I was so ready to just find this elephant and get it over with. After driving around which seemed to be a lifetime but was only 3 or 4 hours, we saw lots of elephants but not a single shooter. As my team and I pulled up to a water hole to have lunch, we spotted a big bull in the water bathing himself and drinking.

I was ready to go after this great animal but by law you cannot harvest an animal within one kilometer of water so I had to wait for the bull to walk away from the water. After about thirty minutes, he slowly went out of sight and I began to track him.

Then there he was 30 yards away from me eating on some Keisha tree. My dad just turned around and asked me, “Are you ready son?” That is when I finally completed my big five by harvesting this magnificent bull. His tusks weighed 78 and 83 pounds. I was so happy that words could not explain. All the effort we made to get this quest completed was all i could ask for but being able to make it a success was the icing on the cake.

I want to add that I am able to do all of these amazing travels because of my dad and mom. They have been very supportive of me through all of this. My dad finances everything for me – I am very grateful for all they have done for me.

McKenzie dreams of one day becoming a professional hunter and opening his very own museum to showcase the amazing animals he has come across in his worldly travels. Good luck and happy hunting McKenzie Sims!

Homeschool Student Spotlight: On the Hunt for Big Adventure with McKenzie Sims

“Tell me and I may forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.”

~ Chinese Proverb

As a homeschooling parent and teacher, I am sure that by now, you have figured out this one major truth in education: there is so much more to teaching a child than merely covering the appropriate curriculum. Even as adults, after years of learning “practice” – at a dry boardroom lecture, could you fully focus and grasp every aspect and angle of the presentation? And then move on to recall it, and use it appropriately and creatively in future applications? If you can, I would be enormously surprised – you may just be a genius WITH the added benefit of a photographic memory!

Even the best of us fall prey to our daily routines; and we trudge through them without really looking around us. There are lessons to be learned (easy ones without the involvement of online research and complicated curriculums), and these are the life lessons that can really stick with a child as he grows to adulthood.

Such lessons can be found in three basic ways: through taking note of events in the natural world around us each day, through something known as Observational Learning, and through active involvement in experiencing our world’s history. Let’s take a look at how we can incorporate all three into our daily learning!

The Natural World

Professor of Outdoor Education at Idaho State University, Ron Watters, tells us “I have been in education all of my life, and I’ve always believed that for the learning process to be effective it has to be related to life experiences.” He believes that spending time outdoors, immersed in nature and observing it through each one of our senses is vital for both physical and mental development.

Throughout the entire course of history, children learned, played, worked, and grew – largely out of doors. It has only been recently that we have transitioned to a more sedentary lifestyle, behind the computers, the televisions and the desks. How do we turn this around in today’s academically competitive world? Is participation in sports really enough? Dr. Watters firmly believes the answer is NO.

Experiencing the outdoor world as a family can jump-start the learning process by doing, as well as building bounds. It reduces stress, and increases mental and physical well-being. Even if you are just walking outside with your child – think like a naturalist. Why did that particular butterfly alight on that species of flower? Is it migrating? When will it lay its eggs? What is the lifecycle of that butterfly? The questions become endless, and the excitement built by experiencing that butterfly firsthand is untouchable within the classroom walls.

Observational Learning

According to Wikipedia, Observational learning (also known as social learning or modeling) is a type of learning that occurs as a function of observing, retaining and replicating novel behavior executed by others. Observing a particular behavior does not mean that you automatically adopt that behavior, but that your brain files it away for later use.

This can be applied to teaching by watching how other people, strangers, friends, celebrities, or national leaders react to various situations — then discussing outcomes. It can stimulate logical thinking, creative strategizing, and the visualization of differing outcomes to situations should a different tact be adopted. In a sense, it can lead to an “exponential” form of brain power – and one that can be invaluable in the academic or business world.

Observational learning can also have behavioral consequences – negative modeling can produce a not-so-healthy response if your child decides they want to give it a go as well. Of course, all parents have experienced this issue at one point or another! Just make sure the unpleasant consequences of certain behaviors, should you happen to observe them, are a large part of your discussion as well!

Historical Learning

History is ripe with lessons for children to draw and learn from. It also has a tendency to be as dry as the Dustbowl period of the 1930’s. Kids can quickly tune it out – they can’t visualize it, so they don’t grasp it. So how can we make history come alive for them?

According to Kate Kelly, of America Comes Alive , effective storytelling skills by the parent or teacher are essential in generating excitement and a feeling of history being “real.” You need to find correlations in little things from our world today and relate them to the past.

“Children can learn about the past at almost any age; they just need to have the story be told in a way that they can understand it,” says Kelly. “If you’re re-attaching a button to one of their shirts and your child is watching, you might note that in your grandmother’s day, her mother had to MAKE clothes for the family — store-bought clothes were too expensive.”

Kelly also feels that there is nothing more compelling than when kids can identify with children of another era. For example, Lewis Hine (1874-1940) documented the plight of children at labor. His work with a camera was so persuasive that it eventually led to changes in child labor laws. You can visit this excellent resource for bringing history to life for your child at HistoryPlace.com – on this site, your student can get an excellent idea of what their fate might have been if they had lived seventy-five or one hundred years ago. This may help them to appreciate all the opportunities afforded to them in today’s world.

The World As A Classroom

Remember to keep your feelers up for any little teachable moments that may come up during the course of the day. Take time to get outside the house, observe and investigate your surroundings, discuss events that are happening in today’s world as well as the amazingly rich history in our nation’s past. You might find that you are learning and absorbing just as much as your child!

Look, Listen, Learn. The World Around You as a Homeschooling Teacher!

Many of us envision “leadership” as something that takes place in the boardroom, or in a graduation valedictorian speech. Leadership is seen as the measure of ultimate success in the business world or in academia. But truly, leadership encompasses more of the very manner in which we live our daily lives, the decisions we make, the way in which we carry ourselves, and the full measure of our inner self worth. Leadership is about how much we love and trust ourselves, and how well we communicate with others.

Is Your Child A Leader?

Some scholars will argue that certain children are born with a natural capacity to lead – the theory being that they have either “got it” or they don’t. These scholars believe that leadership is more of an innate skill than one that is learned. Admittedly, some kids are born exhibiting the traits of leaders they are the ones who can stand up and speak for themselves, rally their friends and peers during playtime and in school situations, and in general, show much less public fear than other children. They draw attention (sometimes negative) but whatever the case, other children flock to them, and want to do as they do.

Now consider the shy child, the one less likely to raise his or her hand. The one who dislikes being the focus of attention. This child is more likely to follow others, to go with the flow, and to not branch out into an individual direction. This child may need to be poked, prodded, and pushed into certain social activities sports, or other things outside the realm of a normal routine day, and parents can find this very frustrating. Is this innate as well? Does this child have a chance at flowering as an individual, voicing a strong opinion, and standing up as a leader in adult, family, or business situations down the road?

As with most issues in life – nothing is truly black or white – but actually just a shade of gray. Although some children may be blessed with a natural ability to lead, such traits can be taught and enhanced by teachers and parents. They absolutely can!

What Can You Do as a Parent and Teacher?

First and foremost, realize that we all make mistakes in both parenting and teaching.  But where we can be proactive is in making a continuous positive effort to get back on track when patience is lost, or plans go awry. The teenage years are particularly a tumultuous time and rebellion is going to happen – it just is. Ask yourself – as both parent and teacher – have you been controlling your child’s actions too much – or conversely giving him or her too much freedom with little responsibility or consequence when they mess up? Be sure to ask for deeper explanations as to why your teen opts for pink hair – what EXACTLY is their personal motivation for this? And if it’s truly just for a little attention in the moment, what will the consequences be down the road?

It’s All About Dialogue

Even with younger children, you need to approach all sorts of situations with open, frank dialogue .  Begin having “adult” discussions with your child at a young age. It is up to us to stimulate children to think about “why” they do the things they do, and “what” the outcomes may or may not be. Here are some ideas to get you going:

• Begin early in childhood by simply modeling the kind of behavior you wish your child to someday exhibit. How you handle stressful situations is paramount! Also start very early with assigning responsibilities to your child – small ones initially, then larger with age. Don’t slack off because it’s just “easier to do it yourself.”
• Teach organization. Build structure and order into all your school (and home) projects by beginning with a clear vision, a course of action in accomplishing tasks, and a time frame. Of course, this is easier said than done, but as mentioned earlier – when things go awry, just get back on track the next time!
• Build communication skills. This is probably the most important leadership skill there is. Ask children questions about what THEY think, and why – all the time – and do NOT give them your thoughts or your opinions right away. Reading is also the cornerstone of communication, so read, read, READ with your child!
• Allow them to make their own choices. Yes, even if you think it’s the wrong one. Use empathy – suspend your own judgment and give up being right for the moment. Let your child voice in the end why he or she feels the decision was a good one or a bad one.
• Approach problems that arise by searching high and low for a win-win agreement with your child. Discuss what a “win” in a problem situation would be for you (the parent/teacher) and your rationale. Then conversely, discuss what a “win” would be for your child, and why. Can you problem solve, and come to a joint solution that works for you both by meeting both of your needs at the same time? Go as far as to put it on paper to create accountability. This takes practice!!

Summary

As parents, it is natural to want to tell our children what to do, and expect complete respect and compliance. It’s the way many of us were taught, and in some respects, the way it should be. However, teaching leadership is going to involve deviating from a dictatorship and delving more into the art of democracy. You will be surprised at just how much of the “adult world” children can grasp at a young age if given the freedom of choice, thought, and a thorough investigation of the many possible outcomes.

It will take your guidance. It will test your patience. You will need to fight that parental urge to always protect against a negative outcome. But in your child, it will build pride, foster self-worth, and increase confidence in the future. Plant the seed and nurture it!

Plant the Seeds of Greatness in Children– Growing Our Leaders

Andrea Victoria Porrata is a homeschooling student of few words. Victoria, as her family calls her, is an only child in a military family and along with her mother was diagnosed with cerebral epilepsy. They were transferred from Puerto Rico to California, and – as a Recruiter-in-Charge for the Coast Guard Recruiting Office Los Angeles – her dad travels…a lot! Her mother, Consuelo, says Victoria is so humble that she actually makes it hard to be a proud parent. She never asks for anything, and seeks no recognition.

It seems that – in our era of growing skepticism, apathy, selfishness and cynicism – Victoria never got the memo.

Victoria herself won’t talk about her accomplishments. She doesn’t look at them that way; she believes that the activities she pursues are typical behaviors…the way everyone should act, all the time. Once you understand the scope of her charitable works, you become amazed…and when you remember she is twelve years old, you feel a true sense of wonder meeting this soft-spoken, humble pre-teen.

Instead of buying a Halloween costume for herself one year – she stuffed her money in a UNICEF box.  At twelve, she’s an anti-bullying mentor for other girls in her neighborhood. She says, “Bullying is serious and I can’t stand to watch someone do it to someone else. It’s not right. I like helping others because it makes them feel better and feel like someone cares about them.”

Victoria gathers groups of friends together for anti-littering campaigns as well as toy and clothing drives for less fortunate kids. And she often donates her allowance to St. Jorge’s, a hospital at which she has received treatments.

“My favorite charity is Operation Smile. I felt so bad for those kids and it was so easy to help that I just decided to do it.” Going door-to-door, Victoria asked for just one dollar from everyone she met. She raised enough to change the life of two children forever – fixing two smiles and providing blankets.

Everything about Victoria is uplifting. The laptop she does her schoolwork on? A gift from Operation Homefront an organization which assists families while troops are participating in a tour of duty – as a thank you for her hard work.

Homeschooling: The Key to Flexibility & Charity

Victoria, who attended public school through fifth grade, has been homeschooling for the last three years. Her mother Consuelo mentioned that Victoria was always antsy in class and that the gifted & talented program didn’t meet her needs. Combined with daily medications for epilepsy, it was a smart choice to begin homeschooling. So what does Victoria say? Now she has more time for charity work!

When asked how homeschooling is different from her public school experience, Victoria responds “I get extra time to study and there aren’t any classroom distractions. I also have more time to do things. It’s not classes all day and homework until 8:00 at night. I’m done by 3:00 pm and I can do other things.”

What Victoria likes the most about homeschooling are the homeschool groups. “Well, I do like everything, but I really like the homeschool groups. A group of homeschoolers get together every week, we study and hang out.” And while she misses seeing her friends during school, “I still get to see them in the afternoon because they are in my neighborhood.”

And the future? She hopes to graduate from homeschool two years early, and is thinking about becoming a veterinarian. “I love animals…I have two Chihuahuas. They fall asleep if I’m not playing with them, so they’re quiet when I’m studying!”

Her latest charity venture is helping the families of the soldiers killed in the August 8th crash in Afghanistan. When she saw the newspaper article, she asked her mom to take her to Michaels, where she spent her allowance on canvases and paints. Victoria is painting a variety of beautiful images to raise money for Christmas gifts for the kids and families who lost a parent in the crash. She is looking for donations for her paintings and is headed over to the local Chamber of Commerce this afternoon to ask for their help.

Help Make the Holidays Happier!

If you would like to purchase one of Victoria’s paintings or donate to her efforts at making the holidays a little brighter for our honored service members’ families, please contact Consuelo or Victoria Porrata  at 787-232-6339. The Porattas would be grateful for your help!

Victoria is one special girl with a really big heart! Bridgeway Academy is so very proud to have her in our family.

How does homeschooling help you participate in your favorite charities?

Meet Victoria Porrata, the Amazing Homeschool Philanthropist

In March 2010, my life drastically changed when I made the biggest decision of my life – an experience that would forever shape my future. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the air was a crisp 70 degrees, and I was very anxious to start the first day of my high school year. The plan was typical; I would go to high school for four years and then eventually move on to college and begin my new career. As I was on the bus on my way to school, I caught a glimpse of a rainbow as the clouds cleared the morning sky.  I looked around and gazed at the students that I would see for the next four years.

The First Day of High School

The bus finally pulled up to my school and as I walked out I saw at least two hundred kids in the courtyard hugging and reacquainting themselves with their friends they haven’t seen in about three months. I walked over to my “crowd” of people who happened to be the football players, and on our way to class we talked about the girls we were going to date, homecoming, and the Nick’s game on Sunday. Luckily, my first class was German and several of my football buddies were in the class with me. By the end of the day everything seemed to be looking up; new friends, cool teachers, and plenty of pretty girls.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go as I planned during the months of October and November. The workload began to get overwhelming and I was failing tests left and right. On a positive side, my social life seemed to be booming. I walked down the narrow hallways saying, “Hello” and exchanging inside jokes, all while dodging juniors and seniors. At home, my parents started adding pressure on me to succeed…but it just made things worse. I found myself zoning out and talking in class. My seat was constantly changed due to talking and I cared more about my social life than my academics. In November, I finally started caring about school. But it seemed the harder I tried the worse it got. By January, I found myself skipping lunch and my free time just to keep up with all my schoolwork.

The Challenges of Learning

In the second grade I was classified with a mild learning disability, for which I needed more time and a little extra help. In the spring of eighth grade, as I was getting ready for my first steps into high school, I tested out of the Special Education program and was declassified. Even though I was ecstatic about finally being on my own, I was relieved when the high school counselors reassured me that I would have plenty of support if needed. As time went by, I realized all the help the teachers were promising me faded away. My school guidance counselor didn’t even know me; to them I was just a number in a sea of overachievers and failures. I saw my successful friends get extra help and rewarded by their teachers while I was completely ignored. Most of my teachers gave up on me; therefore, I gave up on myself.

One day after class a teacher pulled me aside to look at a chart. She explained that the chart contained three lanes; the 1st lane consisted of math courses that would guarantee me to get into any good college, the 2nd lane were courses that would knock 23-30 colleges off my list and then there was my lane. “Your lane’” might get you into a state school or an average school.” she snidely remarked. She made me feel like a failure before I even started and to boot, she said, if you start out in this lane you can never switch unless you earn a perfect score and that would be highly unlikely. The feeling was like a pinball machine where the balls fall into different lanes. My ball always fell into the last, never to come out. I felt like the school was going to just let me slip through the cracks and see how I ended up. They were focused on the high achievers – the ones who would most likely attend Ivy League schools.

Changing Learning Lanes

It was now March and I was excited about Saint Patrick’s Day coming up, even though the last several months had been very difficult. My parents were really concerned and decided to formulate a new plan.  Again, I found myself in a similar situation as before, with two lanes to choose from – I could continue to be miserable and lose all self-confidence (whatever was left) or I could be homeschooled. My parents went on to explain that this program is only temporary, it could reverse all of my grades, and I will be able to steer my education into whatever lane I chose. The only thought that went through my mind was, “Hey, let’s give it a shot.”

After I made my decision, my parents gave me a day to say goodbye to all my friends. It was pretty hard to do, especially since I knew I would be finding out who truly was my friend and who was not. It’s easy to lose friendships when you’re not in contact every day. The next morning I woke up at an early 10:00 and I began the first day of the rest of my freshman year. It was a hard transition, but I eventually got used to it.

Most of my grades were pretty bad in freshman year but I was able to redo it. I finally completed freshman year before August and I got my first glimpse of summer. Although my summer was extremely short, there was nothing better than earning a 93.8 grade point average! It wasn’t easy, but it was totally worth it. When I received my report card in August, I was elated and felt on top of the world and in my own lane…one where I have the choice to pass or not!

My future looks pretty bright now. I started playing a new sport – rugby – which has taken the place of football, and I like it so much more! As part of my educational plan, I have the opportunity to do things that I always wanted to do, such as take piano lessons and attend an art school to learn how to oil paint. My extra time has been spent working diligently on becoming an Eagle Scout, along with training for a two-week hike in Philmont,New Mexico. My decision to be homeschooled was a great one, after all, and I hope that my life will continue to look up for me as it has already!

My Life-Changing Decision to Homeschool: Guest Post by Eddie Majkowski

Homeschool parents know what makes you kids tick better than anyone. They live with you and teach you, and they’re strongly connected to you as a teacher, authority figure, tutor, your biggest supporter…and just plain old mom and dad. Those connections are part of what makes homeschooling so successful.

It makes you wonder if some of those anti-homeschool types are just jealous of the relationship you have with your parents. After all, that parent doesn’t get to watch their kids grow; but your parents get to be there for you…cheering on your greatest triumphs and supporting you when you really need them. While an ever-shrinking number of people continue to worry if you’ve been placed in some sort of homeschool box, you wonder why those folks can’t see the bigger picture outside of the box. You’re not limited to connections by class size, because the entire world is your classroom and your parents are right there with you – along for the ride with you and any brothers and sisters you may have.

Not only is homeschooling a great way to build stronger bonds with your brothers and sisters, it also helps you build closer relationships with older relatives, like your grandparents. Many homeschooling families get grandparents and aunts and uncles involved, inviting them to teach you subjects with which they are familiar. Grandparents love to play an important role in your education, and they’ve certainly been witness to a much larger chunk of history than you or your parents.

And remember, whether your classroom is run by Mrs. Mom or Mr. Dad, both parents play an equally important role in your education. Having them both available to you – as a student – is critical.

So if you want to spend more time with family members (go on … admit it, you do…we all do), here are three things you can do as a homeschooler to strengthen those family ties with your parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents:

1. History Class

Grandma and Grandpa have seen it all, from Vietnam to hiding under their school desks during the Cold War to the rise of Asia, the beginning of space exploration and the fall of the Soviet empire. They are a valuable resource…and not because they give you an envelope with some cash on your birthday! If you love history, spend some class time listening to the people who lived it…and made it. Learn how your family was involved in world-shaping events.

2. Tutoring at Home

If you homeschool with brothers and sisters, tutoring is a great way to help them out and become closer to them. They’ll appreciate the help (and maybe cut you some slack the next time Mom is demanding to know who left the cookies out for the dog to steal). Spending time together with your siblings leads to stronger life-long bonds than if you attended traditional school with other kids.

3. Leave it in the Classroom

One of the most important things to remember about school is that it represents only a portion of your day (and your life!). Make sure you leave your relationship with the teacher in the classroom…and “come home” to mom and dad at the end of the school day. Healthy family relationships are strengthened in the homeschool classroom, but – at the end of the day – they are family, so make sure you have plenty of good old-fashioned family time!

Education is about more than doing coursework and taking tests – it’s also about learning and building connections. Who better to learn from than the people to whom you are most closely connected…your family!

Have any of your extended family been invited into your homeschool classroom to teach?

Teen Post: Can Homeschooling Improve Your Family Relationships?

Now that the first generation of modern homeschoolers is well established in society, I’m hearing a lot about how well these young people are doing. They are running businesses, excelling in college and homeschooling their own children. One has even written a best-selling novel! So what makes these wunderkinds so successful, and is it to be expected?

Maybe. Today’s homeschool student is in impressive company – from Presidents and military leaders to business leaders, famous authors, inventors and artists. And don’t forget, they also perform extremely well in spelling bees.

How well? While homeschoolers make up about 3% of the student population in the U.S., they represent about 20% of semi-finalists in national student competitions. That makes them about five times more likely to win than a public school student. In fact, in 2007 homeschoolers swept all of the major national competitions!

Homeschoolers who have achieved success share a number of similar traits:

• They have a tendency towards self-reliance
• They have a preference for self-employment
• They are generally happy in their chosen occupations and doing what they love
• Many are very talented in certain fields because they were allowed to pursue the interest as a part of their homeschooling

So who are some of these super-students, and what have they done? Homeschooler extraordinaire Abraham Lincoln may be old news…but here are six folks you’ve probably heard of more recently:

1. Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon, which is Book One in the four part Inheritance cycle. The book spent 121 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and became a major release movie.
2 & 3. Venus and Serena Williams, both of whom have held the title of the world’s #1 tennis player and continue to dominate the sport.
4. LeAnne Rimes, country music singer and songwriter who released her debut single when she was just 13 years old and went on to sell over 37 million records worldwide.
5. Todd Lodwick, considered the most successful American Nordic skier in history, competed in over 143 World Cups, became world champion in 2009 and won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
6. Elijah Wood, actor, is probably best known for his role as the main character, Frodo, in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Wood has starred in over forty movies and has been nominated for – and won – numerous awards.

All of these kids dreamed big and reached for the stars. Homeschooling plays a major role in helping children become successful by giving them the flexibility to focus more time on those things they are passionate about.

Did you know that Alexander the Great (privately taught by Aristotle) is referred to as one of the world’s first homeschooled children?

Spelling Bee Champs and Published Authors – Homeschooled High Achievers

Whether or not you believe the public school system is broken – or whether you feel it just isn’t for everyone – homeschooling has proven to be a successful education model for families around the globe. I can tell you that homeschooling isn’t a new fad. There was a time when it was virtually the only way to get an education, and up until the 1850′s nearly all Americans were homeschooled. But is there a current trend toward homeschooling in the 21st century?

Numbers on how many children are homeschooled in the U.S. each year can be difficult to nail down precisely, due to inconsistent reporting by individual states. Experts agree that between 1.5 and 2.5 million kids are homeschooled. This represents about 3% of the overall U.S. student population, and the number of homeschooled children is growing by about 10% each year. So, yes, there is a growing trend toward homeschooling. And it isn’t just an American phenomenon: Canada, the UK, Japan, Australia and many other countries report increases in homeschooling among their populations.

One reason the trend toward homeschooling is picking up steam is the rapidly fading stigma attached to it. What was once seen as a curious way to educate your child is now widely accepted, especially by other kids. Most of us in the homeschooling field agree that the growth trend will continue – at least for the foreseeable future – largely due to technology. The internet provides parents like us with significant resources- giving us access to support groups and invaluable information. Technology also makes homeschooling a more realistic option for families in the military or ex-pats working abroad.

So why do parents opt to homeschool their children? Well, there is a variety of reasons. For some, the decision is faith-based. Others choose to homeschool because of intense frustration with the local schools. It could be a feeling that a child wasn’t being challenged enough or the need to care for a special-needs child. Safety concerns, scheduling flexibility, and the opportunities for more family time are also strong reasons to choose homeschooling.

And if all of that wasn’t enough – we’re finding that adults who have been homeschooled are more likely to vote, get involved in community service, attend and graduate college, and share their parents’ values and belief systems.

Here are a couple of interesting facts about homeschool trends:

• Ten years ago, minorities accounted for fewer than 10% of all homeschooled students, but minorities now make up about 15% of homeschooling families.
• Homeschooled kids tend to score 15-30 % higher than public school students on standardized tests, and a study conducted by the National Home Education Research Institute found that the average homeschooled student generally performed 30-37% better than public school students across all subjects.

There’s no doubt that homeschooling is growing in popularity and in fact, may be the fastest growing trend in education these days. With recent state cutbacks in education, the ranks of homeschooling families may soon swell even further.

If you’ve never considered homeschooling your children, why not?

Is the Homeschooling Trend Growing?

For years we in the world of homeschoolers have known about the significant success of homeschoolers.  We have watched as our children and others have grown up with a desire for excellence, a commitment to community, to church, to our country, to their ideals.  We have seen them achieve great things at young ages and influence those around them for the good.

We have also heard the homeschool stereotypes, we have fought the “homeschool socialization” battle, and we have struggled with family who don’t support our efforts.

In addition, we have fielded the many questions from “Is that legal?” to “How do you do it?’ and “Don’t you think your kids should be in school with other kids?” to “What do you do all day?”

But that misguided perception of homeschooling is quickly changing.  College recruiters have long been seeking homeschoolers, more and more parents are seeing the incredible value of homeschooling and those who oppose homeschooling are losing ground.  With homeschoolers scoring significantly higher on standardized test scores, exceeding their peers in college and university, and earning greater and greater respect among college admissions officers and employers, there is little left to argue.

Combine the success of homeschoolers with the increasing decline in our education system and I think we will see homeschooling on the rise for many years to come.

So to all of you on the front lines of homeschooling, I have one thing to say . . . Keep up the awesome work!

Homeschool Success