Educational Assistance

In America, there was a time when the idea of homeschooling raised eyebrows of concern and could result in a visit from social services. A lack of trust by the government and public in general in a parent’s ability to educate their own children made homeschooling a bit of a stigma.

Even today in some circles, there are still many “old school” thinkers that go so far as to say that homeschooling is tantamount to deliberate child abuse. As ridiculous as that sounds to most of us, overcoming such ignorance has been a problem for some parents looking into homeschooling.

Overseas, it can be much worse. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, a law instituted under Hitler and still enforced today. German families who choose to home school must do so in secret and run the risk of arrest; or worse, having the state take their children away.

Performance of home schools versus public and private schools

It doesn’t take much effort or investigation to discover that homeschoolers excel above their public school counter parts in nearly every category. According to a study conducted by Dr. Lawrence Rudner:

• The average home schooled 8th grade student performs four grade levels above the national average.

• One in four home school students are enrolled in a grade level that is above their age level.

• In every grade and in every subject, home schooled students outperform both public and private school students.

Other studies confirm these findings, showing that home schooled students have a much higher college entry rate, score higher on SAT’s and ACT’s, have a higher rate of college graduation, and earn higher incomes in the workforce.

These numbers come despite the fact that about 25% of parents in America who choose to home school either never attended college, or attended but never received a degree. An additional 7-10% have only an Associate degree.

Why do homeschooled children perform so well?

The advantages to homeschooling are many, and are quite revealing as to why homeschooled children do so well.

One on one attention – Whenever a child needs assistance, the parent is there to give him or her full attention, whereas in public schools a teacher must divide their attention between dozens of children.

Ability to focus more time where needed – If a student excels in math, but flounders in science, then a parent can very easily devote as much time as is needed to teaching science. Public schools are regimented, with each subject receiving equal time regardless as to the performance of the student.

Homeschooled students move at their own pace – If a student excels in math then they can advance much quicker than students in a public school, where all students are required to move at the same pace.

Diminished distractions – The parents control the environment, and there is no peer pressure from other students trying to talk a homeschooled student into doing things other than school work or study.

Do parents need some kind of special training or certification?

Some states highly regulate home schools, requiring training and certification in some instances. However, studies show that there is virtually no difference in performance between homeschooled students in highly regulated states versus homeschooled students in states with little or no regulation.

The truth is that homeschooling is gaining in popularity and as such, more and more information and help materials are becoming available. The modern homeschooling parent can now effectively teach their children, regardless of the parent’s own education level, thanks to pre-developed curriculums such as those provided by Heritage Home School Academy.

Parents today can use these curriculums to guide their children. Some curriculums are so effective that parents can study ahead of their children in any subject for which they are lacking and effectively teach the same subject to their children. Furthermore, many children often “learn to learn,” reaching a point where they are able to teach themselves and follow a curriculum with little interaction required from the parent.

Each year more families choose to start homeschooling, spreading knowledge about its benefits, and erasing old stigmas along the way. For more information about homeschooling and home school curriculums, visit Heritage Home School Academy.

When it comes to advice, there is certainly no shortage. It seems that everyone we meet wants to give us some sort of advice, whether on dating, relationships, work, hobbies, or a myriad of other subjects. Some of this advice may be actively sought after, while other advice may come from sources we would rather not hear from. Sorting through all the noise to find the advice that is truly useful can be quite difficult, but it is important to persevere.

Where and how you seek the advice you need will of course depend on what type of advice you need. You would not ask your stock broker for marital advice, just as you would not ask a marriage counselor for advice on the best mutual funds. It is important to look for qualified individuals to give advice, and it is a good idea to delve into the background of anyone giving you serious or life changing advice. This includes checking out any stock brokers or other financial professionals to make sure they are qualified to provide good advice.

For other kinds of advice there are many sources. We are all familiar, of course, with the advice columns in the newspaper, and many people read these advice columns religiously, seeking advice not only on their relationships but other aspects of life as well.

The Internet has of course provided a wealth of free advice, but just as in the real world it is important to sort through the advice to be sure it is appropriate. Online advice is available from newsgroups, web sites, email groups, chat rooms and a myriad of other sources. Often the best advice comes from those who have been there before, and these online resources can be great sources of quality advice if they are used properly. The key is to know whom you are speaking to, and to gauge the quality of each piece of advice you receive.

There are of course plenty of experts on the Internet, but it is important to seek out those experts, and to make sure of their expertise, before you pay attention to what they have to say. There are a number of excellent websites on the Internet that provide experts to help you with your finances, your career and even your love life. The secret is finding those experts and making sure the advice they offer is applicable to you.

Good advice can come in handy in a variety of ways, from help in making important decisions to knowing which financial move to make. Finding the right advice is not always easy, but the rewards are great.

The internet has changed forever the method in which people get higher education. Just a few years back anyone looking to study for a college or university degree had to go out physically to search out the best college and university. Then there would tons of papers to be studied in order to reach a decision on the course or program they would like to major in. But with the introduction of the online university, all of this is now available at the click of a mouse button.

Traditionally there were just two ways of getting higher education from a college or university – by attending a physical classroom or through distance education via postal service. In the classroom method of coaching students are required to enroll themselves in a college program, buy necessary study materials and go through the rigors of having to attend each and every class and lecture. Such education would move at a fixed pace and would normally require at least 2-3 years of study.

The distance learning method was different from the above in the sense that there were no physical classrooms to be attended. A structured set of instructions and guidance materials would be supplied to the student through the mail and the student can study those at his or her convenience at home or elsewhere. Again, there would be a minimum fixed time period in which the student would be expected to complete the program

Now with education turning to e-learning and the concept of the online university becoming a widely accepted fact, all of this has changed. Through various accredited online colleges and universities, students can now acquire the degree of their choice and major in just about any subject at their own pace and time. The biggest benefit of an online education is that it is cheaper as compared to the traditional methods and allows the student to study from the comfort of home.

Today almost every college and university has its own web portal and provides online courses for the far away student. It is so simple that even a student sitting in the Philippines can acquire an MBA degree from an online university in the US. Online education has made the possibility of everyone across the world being able to get the best possible education become very real. A listing of some of the best online universities can be found at www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome.shtml.