Real World Learning

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Homeschooling and the Reality of the World Around Us

Real World Learning

* Already homeschooling? This page will give you resources for making your family's experience richer.

* Considering homeschooling? I hope the resources here will help you make the decision.

* Know someone who is planning to homeschool? You might want to check out What About Socialization? and other links that will help you get a feel for what your grandchild, nephew, or friend is in for.

Are you (or do you have) a homeschooling teen? You'll want to scroll down to the Homeschoolers and College section. A musical family? There are sections on muscial instruments you can make, and some inexpensive ones you can buy to help build a creative environment in the home. Look for foreign language links, and personally selected books on different homeschoolers' needs.

Thanks for coming by! If you have specific questions, please contact me and I'll try to help. And if you like this lens, please don't forget to rate it!

Warning: This child has not been socialized.
What about Socialization?
Sculpey Art Projects

more...

Reasons for Homeschooling

The cliche says that people homeschool for as many reasons as there are homeschoolers. While that may not be true, I'm sure there are more than I can list. Here are some of the most common reasons.

To provide a religious environment.
To provide an exceptional education.
To teach good values.
To give children freedom.
To instill discipline.
To avoid negative socialization.

Today in History

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General information about Homeschooling

(not specific to unschooling)

These popular sites are full of information about curriculum, special needs homeschooling, and everything else homeschoolers need to know.

A to Z Home's School: An incredibly thorough homeschooling site that's been around forever.
Homeschool Mom: Lots of free homeschool resources, like lesson plans, organization and online spanish lessons.
HSLDA: The Home School Legal Defense Association promotes the rights of homeschooling families.
Homeschool World: This Practical Homeschooling Magazine offers lots of (yes, practical!) information. Check it out!
Homeschoolers for Ron Paul: Congressman Ron Paul is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's capital. This is the official website of the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Warning: This child has not been socialized.

Show your homeschooling attitude!

WARNING Sticker (Rectangular)

From: Worlds End Images

Get your warning labels here, before the government mandate takes effect, and the price goes up!

WARNING: THIS CHILD HAS NOT BEEN SOCIALIZED

Price: 4.49

Revolutionaries Black T-Shirt

From: Worlds End Images

THE REVOLUTIONARIES WILL BE HOME-SCHOOLED.

Price: 21.99

From:

HOMESCHOOL FREAK

Price: 0.00

What about Socialization?

Will it make kids weird?

The news -- and wife-swap shows on TV -- are full of tales of "weird" homeschoolers. But in the real world, real homeschoolers have the reputation of being polite, friendly, level-headed, respectful, and largely just unaware of the tradition of teenage rebellion. They are happy and well-adjusted.

When my son was getting close to "school-age," I saw his friends go off to kindergarten, and within days, or maybe weeks, come home yelling at their parents, or cursing. And it only gets worse.

When children are kept in same-age groups all day long, they orient to their peers (and away from their families). For thousands of years, human children stayed in mixed-age, family or village groups, and fared just fine. Why then, do we suddenly feel the need to segregate them from adult society and into age-groups?

Sibling rivalry is encouraged by this age-grouping. Siblings spend long hours apart every day, and they discuss with their peers what shows to watch, what clothes to wear, what music to listen to. After years of this, siblings begin to seem like part of the larger world of non-peers, and closeness is lost. But it doesn't have to be that way!

No bullying, no teasing, no cliques, no angry-kids-with-guns, and no drug-abuse. What about socialization?

Sculpey Art Projects

Sculpey clay is fun and colorful. Form it into shapes, then bake it in the oven at 275 F, according to the directions. Ornaments, picture frames, models, beaded necklaces... once, I even made a replacement for an on-off knob the kids had lost, and it worked! One of the most fun projects we did, back in the day, was creating little pokemon models. You can mix colors, or even more fun, make swirly, stripey patterns without blending.

Instructions for making this cute lizard to sit on your computer monitor or live on your refrigerator are at this Sculpey projects page.

You wouldn't know it by looking, but this cute little angel is made from Sculpey! Her link will take you to instructions for making an adorable little doll, or visit the Sculpey site for more Sculpey projects, ideas and instructions.

Sculpey clay can be purchased in individual color-packs, or in inexpensive starter packs of either 10 or 30 colors, to let adults and kids enjoy creative play.

ChenilleKraft Sculpey Clay

Thirty 2 oz bars, with a wide variety of colors for lots of different projects!
$22.00 From the Fine Arts Store through Amazon.

Amazon Price: $20.99 (as of 12/17/2009)
List Price: $32.99

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Unschooling-style Homeschooling

Child-led learning

Child-led learning, often called unschooling, is a style of homeschooling that relies on the child's interests for direction. It's amazing what children will learn by guiding themselves.

unschooling.com's yahoo group: An email list for people interested in unschooling.
unschooling.com: Check out Home-Education Magazine's Unschooling FAQ.
Not Back to School Camp: Kids come from all over to attend this camp for homeschooling/unschooling teens.
Sandra Dodd's Unschooling Page: Loads of information is available on Sandra Dodd's page.

Foreign Language Resources

Rosetta Stone software teaches you a foreign language using an immersion method. In the beginning, you are shown four pictures, and asked to choose which one matches the written and spoken word. You have to guess at first, but soon you realize you are guessing right. You aren't translating in your mind. instead, you're learning the way a child learns -- by seeing things and hearing people talk about them.

If you select the wrong picture, the software goes back and teaches you again, and it feels very natural. Homeschoolers everywhere recommend this software.

Visit their website and try it out, then come back here for discount prices.

Spanish (Latin America) Level 1 & 2 [OLD VERSION]

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

French Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

Japanese Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

Resources for Learning

Interesting things to learn are everywhere.

My kids tell me that they don't really need anything in this world but Google Earth and Wikipedia. I've added a few others, just in case you're not quite so easy to please.

Google Earth: If you haven't played with Google Earth, you gotta! It's a fascinating way to learn about our planet, and our neighborhoods.
Wikipedia: Wikipedia, the online collaborative encyclopedia, is great for looking up almost anything. Want to know what "X-Men" are? What about what a rainforest is? Something about a U.S. President? Wikipedia is up-to-date, because it's constantly updated, and it's reliable. Bad information is quickly corrected by other users, and many articles are written by one, or often more, professionals in the field.
WebMath: WebMath offers help with math problems, and plenty of resources. It's worth an explore
Writers' Resources: Want to know what "passive voice" is? How to write with style? Try my Writers' Resources and copyediting site.
Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg is today's Library of Alexandria. A vast collection of literature available for free to anyone with an internet connection. If it's old (copyright expired) you're likely to find it there.

Homeschoolers and College

Sample Four-Year College Requirements: Four-Year Universities are no longer stumped when it comes to homeschoolers. Many have specific criteria that you can easily look up on the internet. This link to the University of West Georgia is an excellent example.
Find a Community College: The easiest path to college for many homeschoolers is to start out at the local community college. At around $2000/year, it's more affordable, and community colleges are prepared to take students of all experience levels. No diploma, GED, or college entrance exams are required, and classes are offered at all academic levels, from very basic to advanced. For a student who hasn't put much time into English or Math, community college can be an excellent transition.
Homeschool for College Too!: It's even possible to continue your education at home. Check out this site, but scroll down past the ads. :)
Bear's Guide Website: Bear's Guide was the first book to really explain how you could get a college degree through distance learning (i.e., at home). His website is full of valuable information about getting a real college degree without going to a traditional college.
Full Sail School of Media: Full Sail seems to be developing quite a reputation. They offer degrees in (Video) Game Development, Film, Digital Arts and Design, Recording Arts, Entertainment Business, Computer Animation, Show Production and Touring. Highlights include a 21 month Bachelor's program, and year-round start dates.
A Full Sail story: Here's a story about what it's like at Full Sail. Just for some balance. :)
Digipen: Digipen Institute of Technology shares a building with Nintendo of America in Redmond, Washington. It was the first video game design college I heard of, and still has an excellent reputation.

Want More Information?

Here's a new resource for you!

Home Schooling Video Showcase

The condition of public schools, that are SO EXPENSIVE to the taxpayer, is ALARMING! Worse yet, even kids who graduate from public schools don't qualify to go to the best universities in our own country! Parents have been quietly taking things into th...

Problems with Public Schools

1 in 10 schools are 'dropout factories': dropout factories- incredible
Gender Switch Day in School?: Parents objected to a required 'gender switch' day in a California Middle School.
ABC News: Schools Say Immunize Kids or Go to Jail: Schools Say Immunize Kids or Go to Jail
WorldNetDaily: Homosexodus! Students flee forced gay agenda: Enough is enough.
Withdrawing 600,000 children from California schools.: Why an Exodus From California Public Schools Now?

Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed a package of public school legislation that represents a complete reversal of 2,000 years of Christian moral teaching on human sexuality, family, and marriage. This is to be accomplished by using the California public school system to indoctrinate children to accept homosexual and other sexually deviant lifestyles as normal and morally acceptable, beginning as early as pre-kindergarten and continuing as long they are in California's public schools.
Revealed: 'Gay' plans to target 2-year-olds: Children as young as two years of age are in the bull's-eye of coming changes in California's school curriculum, which "gay rights" advocates now admit will alter the very foundation of information presented to public school classrooms.
Homosexuals brainwashing our children in elementary schools: Extremely slick propaganda directed at the youngest of children! The videos below are from It's Elementary, a 78-minute feature film produced

Timeless Education Right When We Need It!

Saturday Morning Liberty: Schoolhouse Ron

curated content from YouTube

Unschooling and homeschooling Lenses

Unschooling

Squidooers, please feel free to add your homeschooling lenses to this list. You may also grab this plexo to add it to your lens. By adding it to your lens both our lenses will be updated each time someone adds a lens to the plexo.

Real World Learning

Homeschooling and the Reality of the World Around Us

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Reasons for Homeschooling

Today in History

General information about Homeschooling

(not specific to unschooling)

Warning: This child has not been socialized.

Show your homeschooling attitude!

What about Socialization?

Will it make kids weird?

Sculpey Art Projects

Unschooling-style Homeschooling

Child-led learning

Foreign Language Resources

Resources for Learning

Interesting things to learn are everywhere.

Homeschoolers and College

Want More Information?

Here's a new resource for you!

Problems with Public Schools

Timeless Education Right When We Need It!

Saturday Morning Liberty: Schoolhouse Ron

Unschooling and homeschooling Lenses

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