Category: School

Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Should Homeschooled Kids Wear Uniforms?

1/13/2015

Are Uniforms for Homeschool a Valid Option?

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

As a parent who homeschools her children I get asked a variety of questions all the time. In fact, I get so many that I often write about them in case others wonder the same things that are asked of me. One question I've been asked quite a few times is whether or not homeschooled kids should wear uniforms. Based on my thoughts and experiences, here is my analysis of this homeschool topic.

Avoiding Questions About Homeschool

Before you laugh (I almost did the first time I got this question), I actually can see some situations in which a person might feel this would be a good idea. For instance, if a kid in homeschool is on a field trip, a uniform may help avoid questions. Depending on the family, this may be a viable option. I personally don't mind getting asked questions because it gives me a chance to inform others. Questions regarding choice of school methods and how they work can make for some interesting conversations. It also can help quell some of the myths associated with this schooling method.

Safety in Public Places

If field trips take places in crowded areas, uniforms might make it easier to keep track of everyone. I could see them being used on homeschooled kids in situations like this for safety purposes. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the kids need to wear traditional school uniforms. Dressing everyone in your group in a neon green outfit could do the trick. That's assuming they'd all want to wear it. That's the beauty of homeschool. Each family can decide together what is suitable and safe for everyone.

Comfort for the Students

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is allowing the kids to be comfortable. Enforcing a dress code may do the opposite of that. When not on a field trip where the environment is crowded, kids should be allowed to just be kids. The way people dress is part of individuality and some may not feel comfortable in a uniform. If your kids do, then I say go for it, if it makes them happy. But if a homeschooled child is sitting at a desk, computer, or maybe even at the library or park, there may not necessarily be any reason to wear a uniform. A comfortable kid is a happy kid and a happy kid is probably more likely to concentrate on school work than one who is uncomfortable.

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

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Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Why Don't Homeschool Parents Teach in a School Building?

1/13/2015

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

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 may wonder if groups of homeschoolers should buy school buildings together. In fact, when a group of readers were asked for back to school concerns, theBarefoot asked me this very question. So, why don't homeschool parents form a school together? There are many reasons and answers to that seemingly simple 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 using a traditional school building may not appeal to some homeschooling families. Learning in the outside world 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 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, whether that occurs in a a school building or not. 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 to theBarefoot 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.

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

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Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Dealing with Negative Reactions to Your Choice

1/8/2015

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

When a parent chooses to homeschool, 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. I’ve received several “Ask Lyn” inquiries about this dilemma, as well experienced it firsthand. This is simply something will occur with many major decision-making situations. Here are some ways to deal with the negative reactions you might face from others when informing them that you are a homeschooling family.

Stay Calm and Positive

The most important thing you can do when someone reacts negatively to your schooling choice is to remain calm. Staying cool and collected will not only represent homeschools in a positive light, but will leave your mind (as well as the other person's) more able to communicate effectively. Explanations will come out better and be better understood from a person who is calm and has a positive outlook.

Listen To Concerns

Even when someone has a differing opinion, it is still important to listen to their concerns. Consider why they might have certain thoughts about homeschool. Figure out a way to ease or resolve those concerns with helpful information on the concerned response. Don't be afraid to state your case, but at the same time, be understanding. Just because someone does not agree with you, it does not mean their concerns are not valid. It also does not mean they have anything against you as a person.

Be Informative

People make the decision to homeschool for a wide variety of reasons. It is common to research the reason you choose to homeschool. However, it will be to your benefit to also keep up with current information on the main topics that come up about homeschooling, such as socialization, test scores, a parent's ability to teach, and curriculum questions, to name a few. When you are armed with information, rather than just arguing or stating your opinion, it can be much easier to help people better understand your choice to school your children at home. Reading articles on homeschooling, studying current events and homeschool laws, and even keeping up with the most recent research studies on homeschool, can help you stay informed.

Let Your Choice Speak For Itself

This method works best for dealing with those who will be around you most often, such as friends, family, and co-workers. Generally, these are the ones who will be the most critical of your choice. This is because these are the people who care about you the most. They are not always questioning you to be nosy or to boss you around. Quite often, it is because they are concerned about your children. Instead of being offended, use the options above, but also let your choice speak for itself. Over time, as your children advance in their studies and also thrive in social skills, behavior, and other areas, the reason for your choice will become quite evident. When you are fully committed to your homeschool choice, most often the children will, indeed, thrive. While you may deal with some negative responses and reactions, the fruits of your dedication will show in time.

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

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Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Discipline During School Hours

1/8/2015

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Do You Discipline Kids Like a Teacher Would or Like a Parent?

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

Often, readers and friends ask me questions and share their concerns about homeschool via my Ask Lyn page and other methods. Ann Olson asked: "What's your view about disciplining children while you're homeschooling them? What do you do if they misbehave? Do you discipline them like a teacher would or like a parent would?" My simple answer to Ann is both. There are several reasons for this.

How Do I Discipline My Kids During Homeschool?

I can't speak for all homeschoolers, only for myself. Just like anyone else, they will each have their own way of doing things. Personally, I use positive parenting methods both during homeschool and just in general. Positive parenting in simple terms is using methodology and strategies that somehow benefit the child positively. This does not mean there are no consequences for actions, however, as that would not result in a positive outcome. One example of a positive parenting method is reflected in "Using Songwriting to Help Kids Relieve Stress." It can be used as a way to reflect on negative behaviors and consequences, but also is a positive way for a child to release any pent up feelings.

Each situation will warrant a different type of reaction or consequence. For instance, a child who accidentally spills glue on the floor is not going to get the same treatment as one who says or does something hurtful to a sibling during class. While a teacher may send a child to the principal for the latter, a homeschool parent may instead have the child hug and apologize and possibly give a punishment, depending on the situation. Of course a teacher might also do the latter.

Should You Discipline Kids Like a Teacher or Parent During Homeschool?

In retrospect, disciplining homeschooled kids like a teacher during school hours may help a child in homeschool distinguish between school time and other times. But this won't always be the case. It actually depends more on the parenting and teaching strategies being compared. Not every teacher or every parent disciplines the same. The traditional school teacher and homeschool teacher could have different teaching strategies. Although, they could be the same as well. A teacher in a traditional school might also use the positive parenting method that I mentioned. It's less about disciplining like a parent or teacher and more about figuring out which type of discipline may be needed in each unique situation.

Which Method for Discipline During Homeschool is Correct?

The correct method is the one that works best for each family. Not every family, every child, or every situation is going to be the same. There are benefits and drawbacks to disciplining a homeschooled child in certain ways, just as with any other. Knowing which discipline choice is correct in each unique situation is up to the parent to examine. This should be done, not necessarily thinking about whether it's being done as a parent or teacher, but whether the disciplinary action is what is best for the child in that situation.

Note: The author's positive parenting method has evolved into what she calls Upstream Parenting.

More from Lyn:

Positive Parenting Does Not Mean Zero Discipline
Guide to Positive Discipline for Children

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

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Homeschool Tips: Teaching Academics Without Bias

12/9/2014

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Is it Possible to Teach Your Own Kids Without Showing Bias?

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

When educating your kids yourself, is it possible to teach academics without bias? Should you do so? How can you go about that and why might it be a good idea? As a seasoned homeschool teacher and parent, I can say with experience that's it's definitely possible.

Isn't the Point of Homeschool to Teach the Kids Your Beliefs?

Well, yes and no. Your family's belief system can and should be instilled. But it should not take the place of important educational facts and lessons. As with any other schooling method, the point of homeschooling is to teach the children. This means giving them honest facts and letting them have the freedom to form their own opinions. Sure, their opinions may closely resemble yours. But then again, they may not - and that's normal and perfectly fine.

How Can I Teach the Kids About Life Without Showing Bias?

When teaching the kids about events, politics, and science, it may be easy to inject your own opinions. That's OK. But, to teach without bias, you should present your thoughts, as well as ideas from an opposing viewpoint. Leave it up to the kids to decide what they think. Yes, we all want our children to live by our belief system. But, in order to do that with a whole heart, they need to be able to make that choice themselves. If they choose another path, it does not mean they don't respect you as a parent. Not everyone thinks in the same way.

Why Shouldn't I Teach the Kids Solely What I Believe?

There is no reason you shouldn't interject your beliefs into teachings. However, you should not teach the kids that your way is the only way. As mentioned above, you can and should teach your beliefs. But, if your children go in another direction, as a parent, it is your role to love and respect them regardless. It's just a fact of life that not all children will follow the same path as their parents. If they do, that's great. But if they don't, that's great as well.

If Not to Teach My Beliefs, What is My Role as a Parent?

As parents, it is definitely our duty to teach the children. But, the goal is not to create clones of ourselves. It is to raise healthy, happy, well-balanced human beings who can stand on their own two feet when the time is right. If we teach them with bias, it may cripple them by causing them to be followers, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions and decisions.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Homeschool Myths: Home School Parents Think They Know Everything

12/9/2014

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Homeschool Myth #4

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

As the concept of homeschooling continues to ease back into the mainstream, where it began, more and more questions and myths seem to follow. There is a great deal of controversy and confusion surrounding everything involving homeschool. One subject that is often brought up to homeschoolers is the "know-it-all" syndrome. Some people tend to feel that those who homeschool are know-it-alls who think they know everything. For most homeschooling families, this couldn't be further from the truth. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule in any group of people, but many homeschool parents are not this way. Watch us bust this common homeschool myth.

One reason people might feel that homeschoolers have a know-it-all attitude is because many of them never miss an educational opportunity. Most homeschool families understand that education never ends. There is always something to be learned from everything. Homeschoolers tend to delve deeper into learning about subjects simply because of the fact that they homeschool.

While from the outside, a parent of a homeschooled child that explains each situation to their child in great detail in every situation may seem to be showing off, this may not be the case. It is simply the nature of a homeschool parent to teach their children about everything, no matter where they are or who is around.

I have encountered many instances of others assuming I felt I was smarter than them or knew more. To me, education has no true measure because different people are educated on different things. While one person might know more about Civil Rights, another person may know more about fixing cars. This does not make either smarter than the other.

There is one particular incident of a know-it-all accusation that sticks in my mind for some reason. When we first started homeschooling, I also would care for other children from time to time, either as a sitter or nanny. This care often included homework help, as many of the children I cared for attended public school.

One little girl I cared for was having trouble in math class. She happened to be a public school student. That fact doesn't matter to me, but it does help in describing the situation. Being that I was her caregiver at the time, and responsible for helping at homework time, I decided to go a step further with the help. She was frustrated every day during her math homework and I wanted to help change that.

Anyhow, I worked with her after school for 3 days straight, aside from the time on her assigned homework. There was only one area where she was struggling. After our last session, she was very excited and had worked very hard. She was so proud of herself. I let her make the announcement to her mother of her achievement.

When she announced to her mom that Math was now her favorite subject (she had despised it before) because of what I had done with her, her mom responded in a negative way, instead of cheering her on. She glared at me and said "You think you're smarter than me just because you homeschool. I could have taught her that, you know".

Perhaps she could have. However, for me, that was not an issue at hand. I was not trying to insult her intelligence or her parenting skills. I was not attempting to take over her role, nor did I presume myself to be smarter than anyone. I simply saw a struggling child who I also cared about and chose to give a little help. Also, as her care provider, her mom had entrusted the after school study slot to me.

I think perception plays a big role in this particular myth. Things are not always as they may appear. Sometimes these misconceptions are based on people's insecurities. Other times they are based on rumors or misguidance.

The bottom line is that just because someone takes up an educational opportunity, it doesn't necessarily mean they feel like they are better than anyone. They may just see an opportunity to teach or learn and there is nothing wrong with that.

Takeaways:

One myth that is often brought up to homeschoolers is the "know-it-all" myth.
Perception plays a big role in this particular myth. Things are not always as they may appear.
Someone taking up an educational opportunity does not mean they feel they are smarter.
It is simply the nature of a homeschool parent to teach their children about everything, no matter where they are or who is around.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Child Struggling in School? Why You Should Try Homeschool

12/4/2014

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Struggling Learners or Those with Learning Disabilities May Benefit from Home School

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

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? You're not alone. Parents and children struggle with this issue daily. Could home school be the answer for your family's situation? For some families, there will be many benefits of homeschooling a struggling child, either temporarily or permanently.

As a mother to a child who had some math problems that weren't resolved in public school, I chose to take on the responsibility of schooling my own children. Of course there were many other factors involved in our decision, including the fact that the children were also ahead in many areas. Seeing that the plan to school our children through the public education system was failing for us, we chose to school the children at home instead.

It is my hope that sharing lessons learned from our experience can help others decide if homeschooling is right for their child. Oftentimes, as in our case, a child simply needs a bit of one-on-one time to get steered back in the right direction. In a homeschool setting, a child can receive a great deal of student to teacher time.

The teacher may be a parent, relative, or even a private tutor, depending on the laws of the state the homeschooled child resides in, as well as the choice of the family. No matter who the teacher is, there is no question that a student who schools at home has a much better chance of receiving that individual one-on-one attention that will get the struggling child back on track. Children who are having a hard time educationally may also need a new strategy.

In the public school system, a new strategy plan isn't always possible. Some public and private schools offer programs to help children who are failing. However, not all schools will have a special program for children who are behind for their grade level. Even when the school offers program choices, there are still certain guidelines to adhere to. Those guidelines may not be right for every child.

Some children may need an approach that differs from the standards, such as a customized curriculum or a more relaxed setting, which, in many cases is not available in the public education system. In our case, this is exactly the plan we chose to follow. We found that customizing the plan to fit each child individually, rather than as a whole class, helped the child better understand and learn the lessons being taught.

The child in question was recommended to take her grade level over again, due to her poor math skills. However, in just a short time of homeschooling, she improved immensely and was able to complete the level she had failed in public school, as well as catch up to where she should be had she not failed. Now she is actually ahead in math. Ironically, it is now her favorite subject, whereas before, it was her most hated, feared, and dreaded.

Based on our experience with her, I would recommend homeschool as a valid option for parents. Common sense told us that the one-on-one time would be beneficial, but the actual results were much more than we could have hoped for. The results were absolutely amazing for us, as the child in question had always struggled with math, even crying over it many times. We had tried everything; everything except homeschool. If I had it do again, I would have chosen homeschool in the beginning, at the first sign of struggle, rather than waiting until the problem escalated.

If you, yourself are not good at the subject your child is struggling in, yet would like your child's curriculum program catered to him or her, there are still plenty of options that will allow you to homeschool. There are virtual schools (online schools), tutors, community college classes, home-school co-ops, and a whole host of other options. If your child has learning disabilities, don't fret. There are many homeschooling families who actually homeschool because of learning disabilities. I have heard many mention great benefits from doing so. Click Here to see the HSLDA's information on that. The HSLDA is the Home School Legal Defense Association.

If you are interested in doing this for your child, do your research and find out which options are available to you. Homeschooling is currently legal in all 50 US states. However, the laws for each state differ, as far as what is allowed and what rules, if any, should be followed. Texas is one of the most relaxed states, as far as rules and regulations for homeschool. Interested parents should start their research at the HSLDA, as well as look up home-school co-ops, homeschool groups, tutors, curriculum, virtual schools, and more to get an idea of what plan or program will work best for the child.

Takeaways:

A student who schools at home has a much better chance of receiving individual one-on-one attention.
Some children may need an approach that differs from the standards.
The actual results were much more than we could have hoped for.

For some families, there will be many benefits of homeschooling a struggling child, either temporarily or permanently.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

Last updated on 12/11/2020

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Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Should Homeschooled Kids Wear Uniforms?

Are Uniforms for Homeschool a Valid Option?

Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Why Don't Homeschool Parents Teach in a School Building?

Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Dealing with Negative Reactions to Your Choice

Ask Lyn About Homeschool: Discipline During School Hours

Do You Discipline Kids Like a Teacher Would or Like a Parent?

Homeschool Tips: Teaching Academics Without Bias

Is it Possible to Teach Your Own Kids Without Showing Bias?

Homeschool Myths: Home School Parents Think They Know Everything

Homeschool Myth #4

Child Struggling in School? Why You Should Try Homeschool

Struggling Learners or Those with Learning Disabilities May Benefit from Home School

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