Homeschool Legal Issues

You know the wonderful thing about being an American?.... our freedom!  Yet even within this country of ours there are correct legal procedures to follow simply to protect ourselves in case of someone out there who doesn't appreciate our freedom. There are several non-profit organizations that help homeschool families stay abreast of current issues, and also help them if a disgruntle neighbor of family member complains and causes issues that may ultimately infringe upon our right to homeschool.

In many cases, homeschool families have simply been just doing "their thing."  They have been looked at as being different, or possibly having too many children and someone has made a complaint.  Yes, homeschooling is different and many people don't understand things that are different. However, we need to protect our right to the freedoms that we have been granted as American citizens.  This includes the freedom to educate our children in the way we see fit, as long as the child is achieving and making significant gains in learning.

The sad thing is,that there are parents out there who for some reason choose to say they homeschool - yet do nothing of the sort. They don't teach their children,and they don't nurture them. Their children are basically in prison. These are the parents who cause the rest of us to have endure criticism and hardship.  Let's be responsible with homeschooling and make sure that we are encouraging our children to be the best that they can be!

Adding Creative Writing to Your Homeschool

What makes creative writing such a difficult subject? Why do young people hate doing it? Why can't they just jump at the chance to make beautiful pictures with their words? Ok...reality... some need creative writing help. Creative writing takes time, effort, and some foundational tools. The seventh grader needs to have a good grasp of the English language, the ability to use grammar, and a solid comprehension of spelling and vocabulary. Yet, if all of these tools have been integrated into the education of the Junior High School student prior to this time, they will fall into place as they begin to write.

Usually, the difficulty arises when the student doesn't know what to write. I recently realized a quick and easy way to get my daughters writing creatively without pain and torture....blog writing! In this medium they were able to express themselves creatively not only in writing, but also in the presentation of their own blog. The loved the ability to make their blog cute, and then writing became easy for them as they wrote about things that happened to them everyday. It was the best revelation I have had in a long time!