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How to Keep Homeschooled Tweens Active

12/25/2014

Physical education is an integral part of the whole picture. Don't put it on the back burner when it comes to academics. In fact, physical activities may help boost student performance in other areas. Keep this in mind when developing your homeschooled tween's daily schedule and curriculum. This is one of the first things I learned when we started homeschooling years ago. Not only is keeping homeschooled tweens active a good idea for academic purposes, but it also helps encourage a healthy lifestyle overall. It also helps them expend any pent up energy and frustration, which can be a good thing for the whole family.

Exercise with your tween every day. This is extremely important in encouraging an active lifestyle. Whether it's family yoga, nature walks, bike riding, skating, playing basketball in the yard, or a workout routine, the family should include some form of exercise in the daily routine. It's easier for the tween to feel encouraged to participate when it is a part of the normal daily activities. Try to make it happen at around the same time every day. Switch up different activities for a more rounded physical education experience.

Get your homeschooled tween involved in athletics. Sports programs are available in most areas. These can be found with private leagues, organizations like the YMCA, and even with area schools. Homeschooled tweens have an advantage in that they can sometimes join either homeschool leagues or those with area schools if permitted. Churches can also have sports and recreational teams and programs. Not all areas will have leagues specifically for homeschoolers. But usually those with neighborhood organizations are all inclusive.

Take field trips often. Get out and enjoy your area and those surrounding it. Base the field trips on current lessons, as well as other things. The zoo, library, and museum are some of the obvious destinations. But also try nature reserves, wildlife reservations, railroads, the airport, historical buildings, monuments, and anything else interesting. If you're inventive and open-minded, you can find a field trip destination for every lesson every day if you want to. You may not choose to have daily field trips. But be sure your homeschooled tween does get out often and see the world - or at least the neighborhood.

Enroll your tween in dance classes. Many tweens love to dance. So this is a good way to get your homeschooled tween to enjoy being active. It also provides an extra way to get some social interaction. Even if dance is not really your tween's best talent, the classes may still be enjoyable. Let your tween choose the style. From ballet, to jazz, to modern, to hip-hop and more, any tween who is interested can find their style. If your tween is up to it, let him rotate between various styles for an even more interesting and rounded experience.

Encourage stretch breaks in between assignments. This is one of the easiest ways to keep your homeschooled tween active during the day. Make it a routine thing to get up and move around in between lessons. Movements may include dancing, stretching, jumping jacks, or other random actions. As long as your tween gets up and flexes, it's good. Try to make it fun so there isn't any protesting. The actual movement doesn't matter as much as the fact that your tween is not sitting in one place all day long.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Why Don't Homeschool Parents Teach in a School Building? Back to School Concerns

8/11/2014

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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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Back to Homeschool: Online vs Text Curriculum
Back to Homeschool: Establishing a Routine

*I originally published this content via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Homeschool FAQ: Common Myths and Questions

4/21/2011

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

As parents, students, and teachers research education from many angles, home school is becoming a more popular option. With that growing popularity comes many questions and concerns. Also, a study has been released that shows students in homeschool again scoring much higher than public school students. Here is a collection of resources on some common myths and questions associated with homeschool.

Why Don't Home School Parents Teach in a School Building?
With more people homeschooling, some people may wonder if homeschoolers should buy big buildings together. So, why don't homeschool parents form a school?

Can Someone Other Than a Parent Legally Homeschool a Child?
When making the decisions involved in the homeschool choice, some will wonder what teaching options are available. One possible question is whether another adult, besides the parents, can legally homeschool a child.

Home School Myth: Homeschooled Students are Unprepared for College
A common homeschool myth is the one that assumes children who are educated outside of a traditional school setting will be unprepared for the academic challenges of a college. Here we will explore that myth.

Home School Help: Dealing With Negative Reactions to Your Choice
When a parent chooses to home school, that decision is generally one of great importance to them. Unfortunately, not everyone will always agree on this issue, leaving most parents who homeschool vulnerable to questions, as well as disapproval by some.

Can a Parent be a Homeschool Teacher Without a Degree?
Schooling children at home is becoming more and more prevalent as parents look at a variety of schooling options for the children. A question that comes up often when choosing to homeschool is the question of whether a parent can really become a child's teacher.

Home School Myth: Homeschooled Teens Can't Get a High School Diploma
As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. It is often assumed that homeschoolers won't be able to receive a high school diploma.

Home School Myth: Kids Who Homeschool Have Poor Social Skills
As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. One myth that is very often assumed of home schooled kids is that they do not have proper social skills.

Child Struggling in School? Why You Should Try Homeschool
Do you have a child struggling or failing in school? Have you tried the options available (extra help at school, tutors, etc) with little to no success? Many parents and children struggle with this issue daily. Could homeschooling be the answer for your family's situation?

Homeschool Myths: Parents Who Homeschool are Rich
As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. One homeschool myth is the concept that families who choose to school at home are rich.

Homeschool Myths: Home School Parents Think They Know Everything
As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. One myth that is often brought up to homeschoolers is the "know-it-all" myth.

Homeschool: Custom VS Pre-Packaged Curriculum
Deciding whether you'll go with a customized curriculum or a pre-packaged one for homeschooling your child can be a daunting task. Here are some things to consider to help make that choice easier.

Homeschool Myths: Home School Kids are Too Lazy for Real School
There are many myths surrounding homeschool. One of those myths is that of laziness on the child's part. Some feel that a child who home schools is too lazy to complete real schoolwork. Is this really true?

Homeschool Myths: Home School Parents are Just Lazy
As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. A common myth that seems to follow many parents who decide to homeschool their kids is the concept of laziness.

Homeschool Myths: Homeschooled Kids are Truant
Many questions and myths seem to follow the topic of homeschool. One topic that frequently comes up during conversations about home school is the one of truancy. It is often perceived that a child who is homeschooled is (or should be) counted as truant.

Homeschooling to Get Positive Social Interaction?
For so many years, choosing to educate children from home was looked at as stripping away their social interaction. However, many homeschooling families will argue with that fact, and for good reason. Here is a newer, more positive look at socialization and homeschool.

Preparing For Homeschool: Frequently Asked Questions
When you make the choice to homeschool your children, there are many questions that will be in your mind. As a mom who has homeschooled, I now know the possible answers to many of the questions you may have on your mind.

Is Homeschool the Best Title for the Education Method?
Homeschooling is many things. But, does it have the correct title? This title implies that schooling is done completely at home, which is very far from the average "homeschool".

Public School, Private School, Homeschool, or...
Choosing the right type of school for our children is a very difficult decision. This decision will ultimately determine your child's success in the future...First, we must remember that each family and child is unique and has differences that play a role in this decision.

Gym Class Ideas for Homeschooling Families
Families who are homeschooling will benefit from these, but they are also great ideas for playing outside with the kids in general, especially on the weekends.

Homeschooling: Enhancing Social Skills
Homeschooled kids have a variety of options for enhancing social skills. Many of the parents that only homeschool inside simply don't know how else to do it. Now, if you are one of the parents that has no clue or just want to learn more, read on.

Why Does Anyone Homeschool Anyway?
Well, I can't tell you why everyone else homeschools, but I can tell you about our decision to homeschool and why we thought it was the best choice for our family.

~ The author is always open to questions and discussion. Please feel free to express your thoughts and concerns.

*This is not a complete guide on homeschooling, nor is it meant as legal advice. Always check with your state's education agency for up to date laws and do the proper research for questions and concerns.

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

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How to Keep Homeschooled Tweens Active

Why Don't Homeschool Parents Teach in a School Building? Back to School Concerns

Homeschool FAQ: Common Myths and Questions

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