Home > Store

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Schooling

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Schooling

Book

  • Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
Not for Sale

Description

  • Copyright 2005
  • Dimensions: 7-3/8" x 9-1/8"
  • Pages: 336
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-7897-3277-7
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3277-4

Who knew how simple Homeschooling could be?

Tens of millions of parents like you have decided that the best way to prepare their children for life is by educating them at home instead of at a traditional private or public school. No matter the reason you are considering homeschooling for your children's education, Absolute Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling outlines all of the legal, social, educational and logistical considerations that are part of the decision. With helpful and easy-to-read advice about everything from building curricula and setting up a home school classroom, to incorporating extracurricular activities like sports and field trips, this book will provide valuable help and ways to expand your children's homeschooling experience.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling will help you decide if homeschooling is the best choice for your children's education and then guide you to the curriculum tools and community resources you need to make the most of at-home classes and activities. Here's a small sample of what you'll find inside:

  • Tthe benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling
  • The legal and educational requirements for the state you live in
  • Valuable lists of resources like homeschooling organizations, curriculum providers, and networking groups
  • Different ways you can test your child's true educational level, personality type and learning style
  • Sample plans to set up your homeschooling classroom including workstations, a library, audio-visual equipment, computer access and progress testing
  • Examples of field trips, sports, music, work or volunteer activities, online courses and tutor or mentor programs
  • Sample Content

    Online Sample Chapters

    Determining the Legal Requirements for Homeschool in Your Area

    Determining the Legal Requirements for Homeschool in Your Area

    Table of Contents

    Introduction.

    About Homeschooling.

    About the Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Homeschooling.

    I. MAKING THE DECISION TO HOMESCHOOL.

    1. What Is Homeschooling All About?

        What Is Homeschool?

        Why Do People Homeschool?

          Great Things About Homeschooling.

          Not So Great Things About Public (or Private) School.

        Homeschooling Isn’t New: A Brief History of Education.

        How Many Homeschoolers Are There?

    2. Deciding to Homeschool—or Not.

        Making the Choice: Is Homeschool Right for Your Family?

        What Is Needed from You to Homeschool Successfully?

        What Is Needed from Your Spouse to Homeschool Successfully?

        What Is Needed from Your Kids to Homeschool Successfully?

        What Is Needed from Your Family to Homeschool Successfully?

        Making a Decision to Homeschool.

        You’ve Decided to Homeschool, Now What?

    3. Determining the Legal Requirements for Homeschool in Your Area.

        What Has Your State Government or Local School System Got to Do with Homeschool?

        Determining the Legal Requirements in Your State.

          Types of State Regulations Related to Homeschool.

          How to Determine Your State’s Regulations.

          Indiana: An Example of a State with Least Regulation.

          California: An Example of a State with Minimal Regulation.

          Iowa: An Example of a State with Moderate Regulation.

          New York: An Example of a State with Significant Regulation.

        Determining the Legal Requirements for Your School System or Local Government.

          Determining the Legal Requirements for Your

          School System or Local Government.

          Managing Your Relationship with Local School Officials (if Necessary).

        Notifying the State About Your Homeschool.

        Documenting Legal Requirements for Your Homeschool.

        Monitoring Legal Activity Regarding Homeschooling.

    4. Defending Your Decision to Homeschool.

        Responding to Other People’s Concerns About Your Decision to Homeschool.

          Socialization.

          Effectiveness of Education/Qualifications to Teach.

          College.

          Sports and Activities.

          Legal Concerns.

          Public Schools.

        Defending Against Formal Attacks to Your Homeschool.

    II. PREPARING TO HOMESCHOOL.

    5. Locating and Networking with Other Homeschoolers.

        Understanding Why a Homeschool Network Is So Important.

        Connecting with Other Homeschoolers (You Probably Know Some

    Already).

        Finding Homeschooling Mentors.

        Understanding and Finding Local Homeschool Groups.

          What Are Homeschool Groups?

          What Kind of Homeschool Groups Do I Want to Participate In?

          Finding a Homeschool Group.

        Getting Involved with Homeschool Associations.

          Finding a Homeschool Association.

          Participating in a Homeschool Association.

        Participating in Homeschool Conventions, Conferences, and Seminars.

    6. Preparing to Teach Your Children.

        Preparing for School.

        Assessing Your Students.

        Determining Each Child’s Current Education Level.

        Determining Each Child’s Learning Style.

          Understanding the Basic Types of Personality That Impact Learning Styles.

          Putting the Preferences Together.

          Assessing a Child’s Personality Preferences.

          Teaching Based on Personality Preferences.

    7. Planning Subjects and Obtaining Teaching Materials for a School Year.

        Choosing the Subjects You Will Teach in a School Year.

        Building the Curricula You Will Use.

          What Is a Curriculum and Why Is It Important?

          Identifying Academic Elements of a Curriculum.

          Identifying Experiential Elements of a Curriculum.

          Identifying Needs for a Tutor or Outside Classes for a Curriculum.

          Understanding the Relationship Between Learning Styles and Curricula Choices.

        Using Unit Studies.

        Developing a Curriculum.

        Understanding and Obtaining the Teaching Materials Available to Your Homeschool.

          Determining the Teaching Materials You Need.

          Researching Available Materials.

          Choosing and Obtaining Teaching Materials.

        Learning About Your Teaching Materials.

        Organizing and Preparing Teaching Materials for Your Homeschool.

    8. Preparing a Classroom in Your Home.

        Developing a Home Classroom.

        Choosing a Location.

        Creating a Layout.

        Creating Workstations.

          Creating Learning Stations.

          Creating a Teaching Station.

        Building a Homeschool Library.

        Adding a Computer and the Internet to Your Classroom.

          Choosing a Computer.

          Connecting Your Classroom to the Internet.

          Stocking Your Computer with Software.

        Adding Audio-Visual Equipment to Your Classroom.

        Creating Storage and Archive Areas.

        Creating and Maintaining “Active Storage”.

        Creating and Maintaining “Archival” Storage.

    9. Creating Lesson Plans and Schedules.

        What Are Lesson Plans and Why Are They Important?

        Defining Your School Year.

        Planning Your School Year.

        Creating and Maintaining a Homeschool Calendar and Schedule.

        Creating Lesson Plans.

          Creating a Lesson Plan: A Simple Example.

          Creating a Lesson Plan: A More Complex Example.

          Putting Together All the Lesson Plans for a Student.

        Updating Lesson Plans.

    10. Transitioning a Child from Public or Private School to Homeschool.

        Understanding the Reasons for Transitioning from “Regular” School to Homeschool.

        Withdrawing a Child from Public School.

        Withdrawing a Child from Private School.

        Helping a Student Make the Change from Public or Private School to Homeschool.

          Dealing with Social Anxiety.

          Dealing with Increased Flexibility or Lack of Structure (Depending on One’s Point of View).

          Dealing with the Need for Separation from You.

          Dealing with the Need for Separation from Siblings.

        Helping a Child Keep in Touch with School Friends.

    III. MANAGING A HOMESCHOOL155

    11. Conducting Homeschool Classes Effectively.

        Running a Homeschool.

        Developing Weekly and Daily Schedules.

        Teaching Your Students.

          Understanding the Basic Teaching Options.

          Adjusting Your Teaching Style to a Child’s Age and Learning Style.

          Teaching Multiple Students at the Same Time.

          Having Students Teach Other Students.

        Updating Future Schedules Based on Current Results.

    12. Documenting Your Homeschool.

        Understanding Why Documenting Your Homeschool Activities Is So Important.

        Keeping Homeschool Records.

          Keeping Daily Records.

          Keeping Weekly Records.

          Keeping Test Documentation.

          Keeping Other Documentation.

        Organizing and Archiving Your Homeschool Documentation.

          Keeping Your Active Documentation Current and Organized.

          Archiving Your Homeschool Documentation.

        Documenting Homeschool Accomplishments with Portfolios.

    13. Planning and Taking Field Trips.

        Adding Field Trips to Your Homeschool.

        Identifying Potential Field Trips.

        Participating in Field Trips Other People Plan.

        Planning for a Field Trip 194

          Identifying a Field Trip.

          Planning a Field Trip.

          Coordinating a Field Trip with Other Homeschoolers.

          Conducting a Field Trip.

        Documenting a Field Trip.

        Including Vacations in Your Homeschool.

    14. Incorporating Music Lessons, Sports, Service Work, and Other Experiences into Your Homeschool.

        Music and Your Homeschool.

          Appreciating Music.

          Attending Concerts and Other

          Music Performances.

          Learning to Read Music and Play a Musical Instrument.

        Exercise, Sports, and Your Homeschool.

          Making Exercise Part of Your School Days.

          Finding Sports Activities for Your Students.

          Incorporating Sports into Your Homeschool.

        Service/Volunteer Work and Your Homeschool.

          Finding Service/Volunteer Opportunities.

          Incorporating Service/Volunteer Work into Your Homeschool.

        Other Activities to Include in Your Homeschool.

          Using Jobs or Home Businesses in Your Homeschool.

          Adding Hobbies and Other Interests to Your Homeschool.

    15. Incorporating Home Projects into Your Homeschool.

        Identifying a Home Project.

        Integrating a Home Project into Lesson Plans (or Lesson Plans into a Home Project).

        Working on a Home Project During School (or Doing School While Working on a Home Project).

        Documenting a Home Project for Homeschool Purposes.

    16. Homeschooling with Tutors, Outside Classes, and Online Courses.

        Understanding Why Tutors, Outside Classes, and Online Classes Are Beneficial.

        Using Tutors in Your Homeschool.

          Finding Tutors.

          Working with Tutors.

        Adding Outside Classes to Your Homeschool.

          Finding Outside Classes.

          Working with Outside Classes.

        Adding Online Classes to Your Homeschool.

          Finding Online Courses.

          Working with Online Courses.

        Integrating Tutors, Outside, and Online Classes into Your Homeschool.

        Documenting the Results of Tutoring and Outside Classes.

    17. Evaluating the Progress of Your Students.

        Understanding the Evaluation Methods You Can Use.

        Testing Your Students Using Curriculum-Based Tests.

        Testing Your Students Using Reports and Other Projects.

        Testing Your Students Using Standardized Tests.

          Choosing and Obtaining Standardized Tests.

          Administering Standardized Tests.

          Obtaining and Using the Results of Standardized Tests.

        Giving Your Students Grades.

        Promoting Your Students to the Next Grade Level.

        Making Changes Based on Your Evaluations.

    18. Deciding If and When to Transition Students to Public or Private School.

        Knowing If and When to Move a Student Back to “Regular” School.

        Preparing a Homeschooled Student to Move to Public or Private School.

        Managing the Education of a Child Who Has Been Homeschooled in Public or Private School.

        Preparing a Homeschooled Student for College.

    IV. HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES.

    A: Homeschool Associations and Conventions by State.

    B: Homeschool Curriculum and Teaching Material Publishers and Retailers.

        Sources of Materials for Your Homeschool.

          The Elijah Company.

          Apologia Educational Ministries.

          Christian Book Distributors.

          Alpha Omega Publications.

          Dover Publications.

          God’s World Book Club.

          Amazon.com.

          Barnes & Noble.com.

          Heart of Wisdom Publishing.

          Homeschool Supercenter.

          Oak Meadow.

    Updates

    Submit Errata

    More Information

    InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

    I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

    Overview


    Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

    This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

    Collection and Use of Information


    To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

    Questions and Inquiries

    For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

    Online Store

    For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

    Surveys

    Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

    Contests and Drawings

    Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

    Newsletters

    If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

    Service Announcements

    On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

    Customer Service

    We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

    Other Collection and Use of Information


    Application and System Logs

    Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

    Web Analytics

    Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

    Cookies and Related Technologies

    This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

    Do Not Track

    This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

    Security


    Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

    Children


    This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

    Marketing


    Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

    • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
    • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
    • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
    • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

    Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

    Correcting/Updating Personal Information


    If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

    Choice/Opt-out


    Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

    Sale of Personal Information


    Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

    While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

    Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


    California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

    Sharing and Disclosure


    Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

    • As required by law.
    • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
    • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
    • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
    • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
    • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
    • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
    • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
    • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

    Links


    This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

    Requests and Contact


    Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

    Changes to this Privacy Notice


    We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

    Last Update: November 17, 2020