Education - Homeschooling and Learning Resources Welcome to More4kids, Education and Homeschooling!

this visual learner is reading a bookWhether or not you homeschool your child, it is important that you have a good understanding of the different learning styles. This will not only help you to understand the method that your child uses to learn, but it will also help to customize the method that you use to teach your children. As a parent, don't assume the way you learn, is the way your child learns best. If you are able to teach in ways that compliment a specific learning style, you will find that your child is able to retain more information over a longer period of time. You will also find that learning is more exciting for both you and your child. Learning how your child learns can open up many exciting opportunities for them. Here, you will gain an understanding of the importance of learning styles. More on Understanding the Importance of Learning Styles

by Angie Shiflett

autistic child performing a congnitive excercise for pattern perceptionTeaching the autistic child or homeschooler can be quite a challenge. This disorder is considered to be “neurobiological” in nature. When a child experiences autism, the skills that are social, physical, mental, and even those that are directly related to language are often affected. While this condition is most often diagnosed in boys, girls can suffer from the condition as well. If you are a learning coach for your child, and you homeschool your child, you will likely face numerous challenges on a daily basis. However, as disheartening as it may sometimes seem, it is completely possible to be successful in teaching the autistic child.

What Is Autism?

Autism is considered to be one of “Pervasive Developmental Disorders” that impact the ability to properly develop. This is actually a very complex condition that generally comes out in the early years of a child’s life. In cases of autism, the brain of the child does not function appropriately. As a result, it is extremely difficult for the child to communicate appropriately, socialize in an appropriate fashion, and even learn according to the stages of development. Studies have indicated that for every 150 births that occur, there will be at least one child that is diagnosed with autism – although it may not occur until several years after birth.

Teaching Tips

1. If your child is autistic, it is absolutely essential that you obtain teaching tips from the doctor that sees your child on a regular basis. The doctor may even be able to refer your child to a specialist that is noted in working with and tutoring children with autism. Your doctor and any referrals to specialists can prove to be a valuable resource if you are the learning coach of an autistic child.

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by Angie Shiflett

confident homeschooled childBuilding confidence in your homeschooler is an essential component to instilling success in the child. It has been established that the child who has a high level of confidence will excel in the area of academics, socialization, and emotional intellect. As a parent who interacts with their child on a continuous basis, it is important that you know and understand the value of assisting your child achieve a positive sense of self – not only in the homeschool classroom, but other areas of the child’s life as well! Here, I will provide some effective strategies for building confidence in your homeschooler.

Knowing What NOT To Do

In order to learn the things that you should do when it comes to helping your child develop confidence, knowing what NOT to do is essential. The first thing that you should avoid at all costs is negativity. This is negativity in response to their actions, the actions of others, and even the actions of yourself. Children often reflect ideas, thoughts, and behaviors that are exhibited in their environment. For example, if you slip up and refer to a child who attends a public school as making a “stupid” mistake by failing a test that could have been studied for, and your homeschooler slips up and does not take the time to study and does the same, they may automatically believe that they, too, have made a “stupid” mistake. Be sure to remain positive in every single way that you can. More on Building Confidence in Your Homeschooler

physical activity is important for the homeschooled childThere are several different homeschool ideas for physical education. Unfortunately, many homeschool families place such an emphasis on the academic assignments that physical education is often neglected. If you homeschool your child, it is important to know and understand that each state has standards that children must meet according to grade level in the area of physical fitness and education. Here, I will provide you with some homeschool ideas for physical education.

Limbo Lights

Everyone loves the limbo! If you are looking for homeschool ideas for physical education, limbo lights are a great activity to pursue! This activity is best performed in a room that is dark. You do not have to worry about setting up any type of structure for this game. All you have to do is grab a flashlight, some music, and you are all set! Simply line up your homeschool students and get the music started! The beam of the flashlight serves as the “limbo bar”. Whoever gets hit by the beam is completely eliminated from the game. You may want to select a prize for the winner that makes the game more exciting.

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by Angie Shiflett

young-jedi.jpgMotivating the young homeschooler can be an especially difficult task. As we approached the new school year, I became increasingly worried because of the fact that our youngest son was not quite motivated when it came to learning. We had attempted to work with him over the summer and became quite worried that he may not be on target according to the state standards, and that we would never find a way to reach him. Now, our oldest son was right on target, and continues to be. However, we had to overcome the challenge posed to us by our youngest.

If you are a homeschool parent that has faced the challenge of motivating your child, you know the frustration, worry, and pure exhaustion that comes with trying to develop plans to win the child over. While my youngest did seem to be receptive to the new super positive route we were trying, we noticed issues with that too! We started to see that if we explained a mistake that he made, it hit him really hard and he would almost close up to an extent. He seemed to develop a real issue with being “incorrect” or not getting every little thing right.

More on Motivating the Homeschooler - Thinking Outside the Box

a job well done - mom giving daughter high fiveHomeschooling is becoming more and more popular as parents start to recognize the benefits of such an endeavor. There are many advantages to making the choice to educate your child at home. As you work through gearing up for the process of homeschooling your child, it is essential to have some sort of “checklist” that will enable you to make sound choices, take care of all the details, and get the kids ready for a fresh new start with you as their teacher. This is a very challenging, yet exciting time in the lives of parents and children as well. The following will identify some items that should be on your checklist for beginning homeschooling.

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Mom homeschooling her daughterMany parents may believe that homeschooling is a very difficult task designated only for a select few parents. While it does take a little bit of extra effort to homeschool your children, just about anyone with a little time and dedication to educating their children and preparing them for the life that lies ahead of them can do. There are many obstacles that you will face as a homeschool parent. One of the most common issues that I have discovered among homeschooling families is burnout. Just about every parent that performs this task has experienced this issue at one point or another – myself included. This is why I felt it appropriate to compose a guide on how parents and families in general can avoid homeschool burnout.

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a grocery store can be a great learning opportunityOne of the main advantages to teaching a child at home is the fact that you can use many different creative outlets in doing so. While your child’s peers are tucked away in the “traditional” classroom setting, you and your children can be out engaging in activities in different areas of your community learning all sorts of new and exciting things. Here, you will learn about unique learning adventures for homeschoolers that can be pursued by you and your family.

Math

There are many exciting adventures that can be participated in when it comes to teaching your child math. One of the easiest and most effective learning adventures for homeschoolers is going to the grocery store with you. Of course, you can take your child other places to teach important math concepts as well. You could take a trip to McDonald's for a Happy Meal, the toy store, or a local pet store to purchase supplies for your pet. The important thing is that the student is introduced to the concept of money. You may also want to integrate the fact that tax is charged on certain items, and the importance of making wise financial choices.

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mom reading to daughterReading is one of the most empowering tools that you can give to your child. Reading allows a child to experience magical new places, interesting new characters, and encourages them to be creative and implement the use of their imagination. In addition to this, reading provides children with the resources that they need to succeed as adults as well. Pre-reading development is the first stage to reading. Here, you will learn some important strategies to pre-reading development for homeschoolers.

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mother homeschooling daughterby Angie Shiflett

As a homeschool parent, I understand the importance of ensuring that my children have a high level of emotional intellect. Emotional intelligence is a basic form of intellect that deals with the part of life that is naturally emotional in one way or another. There are many different aspects of emotional intellect. One good example is the ability to appropriately handle interpersonal dealings and relationships in an effective manner. In the homeschool classroom, it is important that the emotional intellect of the child is enhanced.

The first method that you can use to teach emotional intellect in the homeschool classroom is to display a high level of emotional intellect yourself. You may be wondering exactly how to do this, right? Well, that is the easy part. One of the main components of emotional intellect is the process of being aware and comfortable of your own emotions and/or feelings. This includes knowing the way that we truly feel about things, and being able to effectively manage those emotions.

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homechooled kids from different families playing together in park - by Angie Shiflett

When parents educate their children at home, one of the most common concerns from other individuals includes that of socialization. People often are under the impression that the lack of interaction between the homeschooler and other children that attend public and private educational institutions can actually cause severe social damage. This is much farther from the truth than many realize. Here, you will be introduced to basic socialization concerns for homeschoolers, as well as many ideas to increase socialization among homeschooled children.

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