by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

As homeschool becomes more popular and widespread, there are many questions that people ask. As a mom who has educated her children at home, as well as enrolled them in traditional school, I have been asked a fair share of questions regarding educational methods at home. With more people homeschooling, some people may wonder if groups of homeschoolers should buy big buildings together. In fact, when a group of readers were asked for back to school concerns,theBarefoot asked this very question. So, why don't homeschool parents form a school together? There are many answers to that question.

Social Interaction With the Outside World
Contrary to what some may believe, social interaction is very important to most parents of children who attend school at home. The ability for kids to interact with the outside world during the day, rather than being restricted to a building is one reason that using a traditional school building may not appeal to some homeschooling families. It can provide a great opportunity for children to socially interact with kids their age, as well as a variety of age groups. This type of outside world interaction could be a great preparation for when kids graduate and get out into the "real world."

Differences in Curriculum and Learning Styles
One of the main benefits to homeschool is the ability to choose or develop a custom curriculum plan for each child, based on his or her needs. Not all homeschooled kids will be using the same curriculum. For this reason, it may be more difficult to hold school in a building in a traditional class setting. Since everyone may not be using the same plan or methods, parents and other teachers might all be talking at once. This could be a very distracting and confusing learning environment that may even hinder the educational process.

Flexible Learning Environment
Some homeschool parents choose this form of education because of the flexibility it provides. Children in a homeschool environment have the unique opportunity of being able to learn everywhere. Class does not necessarily have to be held behind four walls, sitting at a desk. Math and nutrition might be taught in a combination lesson at the local farmer's market, for instance. Of course, some learning will still be completed with paper, pencils, and books, but there is often more flexibility in a “home” learning environment. This flexibility could possibly be one reason some homeschool parents would choose not to hold school in a traditional school building.

What About Homeschool Co-Ops?
There actually are some homeschoolers who choose to learn together. This type of arrangement is often called a homeschool co-op. Usually in these arrangements, the classes are offered as a supplement to what the kids are already learning in homeschool. The classes are usually held only on certain days, still leaving room for the flexible learning environment that home school can provide. There also are homeschool co-ops in which a group of parents work together to form a teaching plan. In these type of arrangements, a parents who specializes in a certain area may have the opportunity to aid other students in that area.

Which Method is Best?
When deciding between public, private, or home school (or various homeschool options), the answer will differ for everyone. That's often why parents choose to homeschool. They likely have come to the conclusion that not all children have the same educational needs. What works for one child may not work for another. Education is about providing a child with the best learning opportunities possible. For the most information to be gained during learning, a child's individual needs, as well as the available options, should be taken into consideration.


Note: A special thanks totheBarefoot for asking this question. He's a freelance writer and IT expert who writes about a wide range of topics. His content subjects include politics, writing, news, relationships, and many more. Expect his work to be entertaining, informative, and engaging.

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*I originally published this content via Yahoo Contributor Network

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

The year my daughters started high school was crazy. It was so hard to believe they were that age already. Like many moms out there, I was both excited and a ball of nerves. A combination of research and relaxation helped me get through the mommy jitters that occur when a child starts high school.

Take a tour of the school. Sometimes the unknown is the scariest part about sending a child off to high school. Why not take a tour of the school beforehand to get an idea of what things will be like? Some schools offer this as part of the orientation process. Others may have it as an optional choice. Generally, you can call the school ahead of time to get information on their specific procedure. Taking your teen along for the tour is a good idea. Be sure it is understood where all the classes are. This helps avoid that lost feeling on the first day of school - one more reason to ease up on the mommy jitters.

Read all you can about the high school. In addition to visiting the school, read up on their policies, history, and scheduling processes. Does your child have a career counselor available? What are the test scores? Who might be teaching your child and what are their credentials? What are former parents and students saying about the school? Hopefully, this info soothes some of the mommy jitters. If there are red flags, such as low test scores and all negative reviews, you may want to consider another high school.

Have a mommy-daughter talk. By high school age, there are certain things your teen should know. Fill in the blanks with stories and anecdotes from when you were a teen. Your child may roll eyes, stomp off, or otherwise pretend to ignore your advice. But believe me, it's just a show. Your teen needs to know scenarios related to dating, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and more. These topics may seem difficult. But they will be even more difficult if you have to deal with them in a more active way because you didn't warn your teen. Knowing that your teen is informed can also help clear some of the mommy nervousness centered around high school.

Outline what you expect. Lay down those big bad rules and make sure your teen knows you intend to keep them. Focus on the what, how, and why. When you know that your child is informed, it's easier to avoid the nervous mom jitters. Teens may not always listen. But teens who know the rules and know them well, including consequences, may be less likely to cause their parents a reason for concern.

Breathe. I mean it. Just relax, take a deep breath, hold it for a second, and let go. I know firsthand how stressful it can be letting your teen enter a whole new world. But it does neither you or your teen any good if you are all nervous and jittery. Moms like me may choose yoga as a form of relaxation. Another idea is to make some homemade beauty recipes with your teen. This activity works for boys and girls, depending on what beauty regimens you are using and what boys are comfortable with. Puzzles are also another way the whole family can de-jitterize themselves. No matter the activity, choose something that fits your family's lifestyle and will help calm your nerves.

More from Lyn:
Back to School: Must-Have Accessories for Teens
Should All Schools Go Back to Mixing Age Groups?
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*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Education has become one of the lower priorities in schools over the years. As a mom to many, who also has experienced many different schools as a parent and as a child, I have observed an interesting phenomenon. Our schools are now more focused on other things than they are on what the children are learning. There is a large difference in educational programs offered to help children who are ahead or behind, just since I was a child, compared to what our children are now exposed to. Many wonderful educational programs have simply been cut out of the school structure to add other things. Some of those newer things are good and some are not. While some schools are doing the right thing, many are not. In addition to life experience, I have also researched this topic extensively.

New Playgrounds Every Year
While there are children struggling and behind in their schoolwork, instead of focusing on extra programs that could be helping those children, some schools choose to build a new playground every single year. While children do need playtime, they do not need a brand new playground every year. Playground equipment is built to last. If there are loose bolts, they can be safely tightened, rather than tearing down the equipment, which creates another problem: waste. A new playground is nice, but the education of a struggling child is far more important. If there are no struggling children and the old playground is also beyond repair, the school can then build a new playground. If the playground cannot be made safe, only then is it time for a new one. The old equipment can be resold to someone who can fix it or salvage the parts. The profit can go to the school for funding any other needed projects. If a new playground is needed, the school could hold a fundraising event, in which most communities would be happy to contribute money and even help build the playground. School's educational funds do not always have to be used for a playground.

Standardized Tests
The overwhelming pressure to pass state mandated tests is a huge issue. Many schools are forced to drill the students to no end, in such a way that is required just to pass these tests. Teaching children in these formats is actually hurting their education, due to the fact that valuable time, money, and resources are lost because of that which is spent on preparing the students for these tests. Teachers are being threatened the loss of their jobs, money, or both if the students do not pass these tests. More pressure than ever is being put on teachers as well as students and too much time and money is being spent on teaching the children how to pass these tests, rather than teaching them the core facts, skills, and curriculum they need in order to succeed. This alone may be one of the reasons that many children do not graduate or go on to attend college. The pressure may be too strong or when the students continue to rise grade levels, the work gets harder because there is more focus on testing skills than there is on actual skills.

Free Field Trips
While this is helpful to the parents, speaking from a parent's perspective, I can also say that if there are children who are ahead or behind that need extra help, I'd much rather that money go toward helping the children, even if those children are not my own. There are students that will fit into this category in most every school. Free field trips are fun for the children, but as a parent, I do not mind paying for a field trip, if it means there is more money at the school to educate the children with. I do realize that field trips are an important part of education, but most parents do not mind paying for these, and usually expect to pay for these. This way, more field trips can be scheduled, as the funding will not be coming out of the school's money. If told in advance, many parents would likely not mind chipping in money for the school buses to get there. Even though there will be children whose parents have financial constraints, if other parents contribute, there will usually be enough money to still fund the trips.

Class pizza parties and more
While it is nice to celebrate an event in the classroom together, school funding should not be used for these. Most parents have no problem buying one or two items for a class party. There are many students in one classroom, at least plenty enough that if every student brought one to two items or a few dollars, the party would be more than covered. Most parents would not mind contributing items or a few dollars for a class party, especially if it meant there was more money going toward their child's education.

Summary
There are many other areas in which school funding is not necessary to provide the resources needed. There are many different methods of figuring out how to cover the small costs of extra items. I am a firm believer that the school's primary focus, as well as most of the funding, should go towards learning materials and programs to support the education of children. Teachers and other faculty should also get a fair amount of the funding allotted. If it weren't for the teachers and faculty, there would be no learning. Aside from educational materials and teachers and faculty, if there is still funding left over, and special programs have also been made available, then the funds can be used for these extra items, but not until then. The top priority should always be education. There are even countless websites dedicated to education reform.Education-reform.net is a front runner in those stepping up to help change the way education is being looked at. While there are other priorities besides education, anything else should be placed at a lower priority than educating our children and paying the faculty and administration that help to do so, which is the sole purpose of a school.

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*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network