How To Be A Better Parent



Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Home Schooling: The Advantages And Disadvantages

Home Schooling: The Advantages And Disadvantages

People new to the idea and concept of homeschooling often have a thousand of questions to raise. Here is some helpful information to guide you in weighing things out:

Some homeschooling advantages:

1.Allow quality time, providing individualized attention and instruction. Homeschooling parents can better understand their children; observe how kids progress, what areas they find difficult and help them out.

2.Children learn in their own pace. At homeschool, children can advance at any time, not waiting on others or if the kid is a slow learner or having difficulties in a certain subject area, she/he can remain to focus on that area without pressure that others are already moving on.

3.Parents pattern their teaching style and curriculum in accordance with the childs learning style, allowing him/her to successfully understand the subject matter, thus better results are achieved.

4.No peer pressure. At a homeschool, age classification is not a factor, therefore children not only associate with children their same age level, but with children of different ages and adults as well, so they can decide on their own without the influence of peers.

5.Hands on learning. Activities which are outside the context of books are very much essential to the childs learning process. Trips to the park, the museum, the zoo, going fishing with mom and dad can be a great time to spend an afternoon educating your child.

Some homeschooling disadvantages:

1.For the homeschool parent, much time and effort is required for preparation of teaching materials, lessons and managing the childs opportunities in order to cultivate friendships and expand on the childs interests.

2.Parents who homeschool do not have enough time to spend for themselves when kids are constantly at home. This frequent time of being together can be at times suffocating and, therefore, can not work in certain families.

3.Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers. For many families, this really is not a problem and is supplemented by taking the kids out to play in the park, attend lessons in ballet, jazz, etc. However it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to insure that their kids have these opportunities.

Whether to homeschool or not, it all depends on you, as a parent, on how much are you willing to give your child. On top of all the learning materials, the field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement.

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Saturday, December 20th, 2008

How to Solve Your Dilemma on College and College Degree Selection

How to Solve Your Dilemma on College and College Degree Selection

Deciding to go to college and finish a degree is a life-defining move. You must agree that the choices you make in this stage of your life will most definitely affect your career path and your future in general.

Since this is so, be sure to read these tips in choosing the best college degree:

1.First, you must know what your skills are, academically speaking, that is. Are you mathematically-inclined? Or are you much better in the languages and science? You see, it would be a nightmare for you to take up law when you are much more interested in, say, writing.
2.If you can, sign up for internships so that you can get a ‘feel’ of the work environment in each college major option that you have.
3.Aside from your skills, choose a course that offers flexibility when you start job-hunting. Is this course that you’re deciding to take up gonna require more training before you are hired?

Now that you have some degrees in mind, the next level is to choose the college that you will attend. Here are, again, some tips in choosing the best colleges that would offer your chosen field:

1.First, be certain if you would rather attend a college near your home or one that would take you miles away from family.
2.Consider if you would want a big and famous university or a small and private campus. Your personality would dictate this. If you are the type that likes crowds, then go for the university that offers it all. If you are more of an introvert, then, by all means, go for the college with less population.
3.If you are sports-oriented, be sure to check out campuses that offer gyms or outdoor fields that can support sports of your choice. If you are more of a computer geek, there are colleges that offer a much subdued environment that is conducive to learning.
4.If you belong to a different denomination, as much as you can , look for a university that supports your belief or, at least, respects it. For example, Mormons have the Brigham Young University which was founded by people that share their belief.
5.The next thing to consider is your budget. There are several public and private colleges in the country. By rule, private colleges are much more expensive than the public ones but that doesn’t mean that they provide a less quality in education. Just be able to scout for the right public school.

These tips are just here as guidelines. What matters most is still YOU. What does your heart dictate and crave?

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Friday, December 19th, 2008

Home-Schooling The Preschool Children

Home-Schooling The Preschool Children

Different children have varying interests and learning needs not to mention attention spans. And so, for parents who are pondering whether homeschooling is for them or otherwise, it is best to do an initial evaluation of what the preschool child’s needs are.

Several online resources provide lesson suggestions for preschoolers. Parents and tutors will most definitely find these materials very much helpful. But of course, consider them only as guides to provide the children’s learning some direction. It is highly advised on most of the popular homeschooling websites to be aware of the learners’ interests, be it an inclination to writing, sports, arts and crafts, or any other subject, so that these may be incorporated into the learner’s list of “things that a homeschooled child should know.”

For different age groups of children, parents and tutors may be required to employ different methods and techniques for homeschooling. And in order to know which methods and activities best suits the child under a specific age group, this short list may be of help.

Children of age 2 are found to be the most difficult as the child often gets bored and at times frustrated when being taught. Stimuli are needed in order to catch their interests. Children of this age group are most eager to learn, often walking around, and climbing steps. Common behaviors of this age include self-centeredness and possessiveness. Their sense of humor also develops. Do activities relating to these capabilities of the child.

Homeschooling three-year olds is even more trying. At this point, the child is more physical in affection and also in play. They don’t mind change, love having friends to play with, and they take verbal instructions very well. Use these to stimulate them to participate in learning activities. At this age, they are already capable of communicating their needs.

Four-year olds are usually capable of working with scissors, hopping around on one foot or skipping. They start to learn to draw and possess a lot of physical energy. Let them try new things, as this will be their number one interest. They are very imaginative so give them an opportunity to develop and express this creativity.

Remember that all children grow at their own rate, and surprisingly in their own ways. And to achieve maximum benefits for the homeschooled preschooler, parents and tutors should trust them and give them sufficient freedom to explore, inquire, and ultimately learn.

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Thursday, December 18th, 2008

A Good Referral Letter Can Get You In A Good College

A Good Referral Letter Can Get You In A Good College

Spread the good word. This doesn’t only apply on products and services, this can also be the perfect adage for college and university applications.

College recommendation or referral letters are important for a high school senior. High school advisers guide the students in choosing the person they will ask to compose a letter for recommendation for them.

A referral letter is one of the necessary documents that are carefully examined by the college or university panel in determining whether the student will be accepted or rejected.

Referral letters may be candid but these are honest. The person who writes the recommendation letter for the student must be someone who knows the students study habits and potential extremely well. The student must select an adviser, a teacher or a counselor who can best put into words what he can contribute to the college or university of his choice.

Now that you have selected the faculty member who will be composing the letter of recommendation for you, present a copy of your transcript. Also include a list of your extracurricular activities and a copy of your essay that is required in submission of a college application. Make sure that the person writing your teacher knows you on a deeper and more personal level, not just as student.

Make sure that your adviser has all the forms that he needs - questionnaires and everything else that are attached along with the application form. Inform him of the special procedures he will have to follow, if there are any. Some universities and schools prefer that the letters of recommendation be directly mailed by the letter writer. There are others instructing the student to include it with his application materials.

The key to remember in selecting the writer of your recommendation letter is a teacher of a subject your performed exceptionally well in. Make sure that he knows a couple of your notable qualities from your academic achievements, perseverance, self-discipline, participation in extra curricular activities, service to the school, social skills, maturity and intelligence.

It may not be possible to read the finished composition of your letter but you may ask him to include your good points in order to beef up your application. The language must be strong but still sound sincere and not exaggerated.

Ask your letter writer to include his contact information. You can also request that he save a copy of the letter. This will come in handy if you will need another referral letter from him for another school.

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