Easy Ways To Keep Homeschooling Records

It is quite obvious when you have decided to homeschool your children, you simply focus on teaching your children the subjects needed for complying with the educational system. At this crucial stage, you forget to keep the records of your children’s progress. Having no records can create difficulties in evaluations and can lead the parents to believe that they have done little in a year when in fact, they have provided good and varied education to their children. Thus, it is important to keep homeschooling records of each day. Such records provide all information when your child is ready to attend a school or college later.

There are many alternatives available today to keep homeschooling records. It is essential to know the need of keeping such records. If it is for legal purpose, you need to know the kind of requirements you must meet in your country, state or province. Whether you simply need the attendance sheet or full accounting of activities should be ascertained. And if on a personal note, you might simply need to know where your family stands by checking in the records that you had maintained.

Check out to see whether your state has record keeping requirements. Keep a cumulative file or portfolio of your child who has just begun schooling. You can purchase a case of 1" binders from an office supply store. Keep plenty of loose-leaf and printer paper on hand. You can organize a notebook according to subject. You can put in the work of each child in their respective workbook, according to subject, with most recent work on top. A record of child’s progress in each subject is important and this can be achieved by preparing a progress or report card. You might need to keep a record of your child’s health and immunization details. Necessary forms are easily available with health departments. Attendance records which are generally required can be accomplished by keeping a calendar or planner of days your child attends school at home.

Computer or online planners are also available and can be easily downloaded. You can make use of them if you spend fair amount of time on computers. You can do a similar approach by saving work in a series of "folders" on the computer. At the end of the year, you can save all the work to a disk.

You can record field trips on scrapbook pages and add them to the notebook. You can even add photos of the trip to make it more appealing. Older children can keep their own records, if they are organized and self-motivated.

You can make use of index cards and keep them in a file box which is an easy and inexpensive method.

Curriculum Planning For Homeschool

One of the biggest challenges for homeschooling parents is to decide upon the curriculum that suits their child needs. What might feel comfortable to one child may not be so for the other one. Homeschooling supplies have exploded with its increasing demand. The question is how to select the right one? In some cases, children do get bored with textbook based curriculums. What would be the right option for such children? The answers are discussed below.

It is believed and discovered by many families that the customized educational program is the best way the children get most benefited from. The parents try to merge several homeschool resources to develop a special program for each child. Although it is quite creative, but mingling too many resources to form one program can be quite confusing and frenzied.

There are preschool textbooks for homeschoolers who have not yet entered into the wonders of school and learning. Preschooling children have little minds and take homeschool as playtime with the preschool homeschooling textbooks. The love to work with these homeschooling textbooks as fun and adventure. The best homeschooling supplies for this age group of children would be songs, storybooks, games, fun tools etc. Check in with the curriculum what you need to teach your kids this week. The curriculum will also provide with ideas how to fill your days.

The elementary homeschool textbooks provide curriculum on elementary subjects like maths, science, history just like the curriculum in public schools. But in homeschools, you can give your child the freedom to concentrate on the subject he/she is interested in. Many times an entire elementary curriculum for homeschool follows a student throughout their entire elementary years. Keeping with one curriculum set will ensure your child has a consistent homeschool education. As long as your child continues to learn with a curriculum for homeschool, there will be no reason to look for new homeschooling supplies every year.

There are two different educational tracks for students entering a high school. One is the student entering a work force and other is joining a graduate college. In a high school homeschool, students are more open to their own education. Finding the right curriculum for homeschool, your high school student can be ahead of other students when it comes to college applications.

The significance of choosing the right curriculum for your home and your child is to do some mental homework. If you don’t understand what’s meant by learning styles, do some reading. Spend time thinking about how your child tackles their daily work. It might be possible that the resources you have chosen for your child’s learning might not interest them and can hinder in their process of learning. It is therefore essential to check the curriculum according to your child’s tastes.

How to Prevent Learning Loss in Children During Summer Months

It is not uncommon for a child to know certain facts and then forget them when new facts are learned. This is especially common during the summer months, when children can spend less time studying or learning. Because there is that long time span of not going to class, sometimes children will lose some of the knowledge acquired during the school year. It is easy to forget something when it isn't practiced enough. To prevent learning loss in children during summer months, there are a variety of things parents can do.

Play Learning Games
Learning games are a great way to prevent learning loss in children during the summer months. These can be simple games that you make up and play with your child. You also can buy many learning games online and in educational stores. Many games that are just for fun can be turned into learning games with a simple variation. Be creative. This is a great way to keep a child's brain active, while allowing him or her to have fun as well. Even simple things like doing the dishes, playing ring toss, or buying groceries can be used as a fun lesson.

Read, Read, Read
Reading is an activity that many kids enjoy. It's also a required activity for progress in learning. Joining a summer reading program or visiting the library often can help prevent learning loss in children during summer months. Most libraries have summer reading programs. You also can get creative and let the kids invent their own. Either way, keep track of what is read over the summer and reward the child for a job well done. Summer reading programs may already offer rewards, but an award from parents can be very meaningful to a child. This is a great way to boost confidence.

Enroll the Child in a Summer Math Program
Summer tutoring online or summer math programs are an excellent way to prevent learning loss in children during the summer months. It may seem like this will be an interruption to a deserved break. But, summer learning programs can be very convenient and flexible. Children should have time to play during the summer, but their brains should also be kept active. Online summer learning programs are one way of doing so with flexibility. A good online summer math program will allow flexibility in time schedules, as well as a customized learning process that both you and your child will be comfortable with.

Take Educational Family Trips
Another way to prevent learning loss in children during summer months is to take educational family trips. Camping, going on a nature hike, or visiting a local zoo or museum are all considered educational family trips. They also can be very fun. Summer break is all about fun, but that doesn't mean that children can't exercise those brain muscles, and take the time to point out animals, plants, and exhibits. If there are information plaques or guides, read those with the child. Better yet, the child can read them to you.

8 PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION PRESCHOOL

1. The World is a children play
Marzollo, & Lloyd said every child born has a curiosity, imagination has a natural and creative, have the ability to learn, interact with people / objects in the environment. Education must be conducted in accordance with the age level of growth and development, so that children can develop properly. Patmonodewo 2001, in daily life activities play so easily observed, but in some situations be difficult to play with activities not play. Play a limitation as follows: Play is not working; play is ostensibly not something that seriously, not a productive activity and so forth, so the children can play that are formed so that the world is often considered to be real, genuine, productive and resembles the real life. Playing in the framework of school can be described as a continuum that culminate in the free play, play in the guidance and the play ends with the drive. According to Seto Rahmawati in 2001, the play of life is the life of children, and through play they imitate the activities of adults. Play is the beginning of the emergence of creativity. Thus, the atmosphere of play allows individuals to think and act imajinatifdan full power hayal. Thus creativity can be enhanced with the children develop a variety of activities and play atmosphere. Parents and teachers can play an active role to play through the atmosphere to create attitudes appreciate, to give freedom to the children.

2. Touches all aspects of development (Physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language).

* Physical
Koralek 1995; Syah Armstrong in 1995 and holds the growth and development of the child touches all aspects of development. The development of physical activity is determined on a case involving the movement of the brain. In short can be physical as well understood in all circumstances involving the stimulus or activity of the physical organs.
• cognitive
Koralek et al 1995, Syah 1995 & 2002 Armstrong holds kongnitif comes from the word congnition Knowing that means knowing the pattern developing. And next term cognitive become popular as a world of psychology or human behavior that includes every mental-related understanding, consideration and processing of information problem-solving.
• emotional
Shapiro 2001, holds true in the emotional role in the start of rearing and educating children. That the skills of emotional EQ to make the same high-spirited children in learning to love in by friends in the arena and play help children to come forward.
• Social
Koralek Kartono et al 1995 & 1995, the child's ability to be able to socialize with people and objects in the environment. Child is a personal social relationship and that requires communication with other people to treat themselves, with that he can develop into adults.
• Languages
Koralek Semiawan et al 1995 & 2002, the language as a means to express themselves (the expression) is also capturing thoughts and feelings of others. Primarily speak a language development is also very influenced by the emotional life. The development of language related to the intellectual development of children.


3. Respect individual differences.

Kartono, held since 1995 children have been born characteristics and behavior, karekteristik the individual. The characteristics of the characters there is a birth that tends to remain very strong stand up to adults. Then the child will show the value and dignity of their own. We must acknowledge that the individual child is different, then this shows the individual differences in values and differences in children that is supported by differences in value systems lead to differences in child response of each child against the influence of the environment, business counseling and education.

4. Develop self (attitude / you / your child about your own).

According Savere 2000, Develop self to the child can be done in a way: Show the child that it is important to treat it with respect. Invite your children that you try to attempt it was very important for success, perseverance is useful. Invite your children to receive benefits as well as lack of. Invite your child to the frustration, chaos is part of life. Invite your children will love to support himself, became good friends for himself is important. Invite your child to appreciate the reasons for living, the reasons for the relationship.

5. Non-discriminatory (Race, religion, race, gender)

According Kartono 1995, in the first phase of the material and spiritual children have not been separated, meaning that children can not understand the difference / which is the union unanimously. Therefore penghayatan expressed freely, spontaneous and honest in every movement, behavior and language. According Patmonodewo 2001, through the observation of children playing on the women and men said that the way they play shows the difference. Some experts argued that the difference has been taken since birth (genetic factors). Meanwhile, other experts say that the difference is caused due to nurture a different way since the child was born. As a teacher in education is not recommended for pre distinguish facilities & activities play between boys and girls. Thus, each child will get the opportunity to develop a wide range of activities in and play skills.

6. Involving children growing environment (both parents, family, and society)

According to Brazelton 1992 & Patmonodewo 2000, parents (father-mother) is the person who first formed a relationship with the child, even as their parents have a different choice, namely the role of parents as teachers, volunteers, as decision makers and members of the team cooperation of teachers -parents. In the role allows parents to help improve the growth and development (emotional behavior), progress (interest & talent) of their children. Koralek dkk 2001 & Shapiro 2001, the growth and development supported by the family. The process in which the family use all their capabilities. Invites children to provide a precedent: a role in the family included in the problem-solving. Families should be fair, respect, honesty so that children can imitate. In the family must encourage the development of emotional & social skills for their success. Patmonodewo 2001, many different people around the children can be distinguished in age, sex, occupation, and education level. Child's environment better when people in the surrounding educated than the educated who do not.

7. Freely without coercion

Koralek Rahmawati et al 1995 & 2001, Children can do things without any pressure from parents and teachers. Children must be subject diangggap by family or by the education world. So that the child is able to express themselves, the content and make them believe in themselves, capable of pouring imagination. Dare to express himself with the child will be creative.
8. Secure and protect

According Koralek et al 1995, Children feel secure when children grow in the environment (parents, schools and communities) condescend. With in the environment that supports the development of the child so the child that has become a personal sense of self confidence, able to express themselves in a positive way, so that children feel free to develop interests, talents and creativity. Patmonodewo 2001, adding the school must also be available materials, space, a safe physical environment affects children, so it will feel free and not afraid to develop creativity.

PRESCHOOLS

Have a mother, who has completed a master's degree, has come after the child psychologist for consultation.The result at the age of three years, the motor ability of children considered to be equivalent to a child who is less than two years.

"How might our children behind? How careless psychologists taking such a conclusion?" said a mother in the workroom. "Do not, do not, psychologists, students who used the nick in the Out-Droup with a mediocre GPA. Why should we believe?" said the mother shed a sense of sorts.

Couples that come to the trauma psychologist. Visits and consultations only take place once the course. The mother did not need to assume any therapy, because the only problem is that his son carried gingerly. Not a serious problem, so the mother thought.

Time running, The mother continues to wrestle with the rush and the children are grown under the care of baby sitters are always eager to explore channels for the tv channel. He grew up behind the walls of her house is always locked the meeting.

At the time of pre-school age children the school will be included in the Preschool. Then brought the child to see the school but the children reject it. Rejection is considered as reasonable. Moreover, the first father and the mother was also never kindergarten school.

Was time the children enter elementary school. Terms entrance to the school the child must be in its maturity test must be met so that the psychologist again. Test on the maturity of the child in the mother and father did not want the schools. From the results of the test revealed that the child can not receive incoming primary school. That the children are and can not socialize. The parents try membawannya to another school, but the results were no schools that would receive them. There are suggestions that his son disekolahkan in special schools. Finally, the new mother feel restless.

This is an irony. Someone who did not realize that the higher the education the child is not starting at the elementary school. And children's education is not the instant case. He just did not realize that before memeasuki formal education in schools, a child needs to prepare mentally and emotionally. Fall love, fall-care, soft soap, will be the basic element which is very important.

Home should be a place of education in pre hone emotional skills. However, the situation at home is often less feasible. Father and mother who is busy or less understand the concept of pre education, the less educated nanny, inadequate facilities, and lack of friends to mingle and socialize practice.

I hope this experience can be lessons for us all. At this time children can still be formed and adapted to the social atmosphere, where he is in the push and dibiasakan to think. At the time this is the intellectual child experiencing very rapid growth which will never experience again in the next.

5 CURRICULUM MONTESSORI SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Approach Preschools Education: Montessori

The small sign in the pre. With so many options now pre period, does not wonder if you are confused choose the right school for the small. This is a reference program for Montessori schools.

Found by a child psychology expert, Maria Montessori in 1907, the school Montessori program emphasizes the importance of relationships and all things in life, and each person needs to find work and meaning in their own place in the world. In addition to learning reading, language, and mathematics, the children also learn other cultures matter, animal, animals, and plants.

Curriculum Montessori school programs focused on five things:

1. The practice of life. Children are taught various things in daily life that involves the skills and self-reliance, such as lace shoes, prepare their food stock, go to the toilet without assistance, and to clean themselves when they spill something.
2. Education sensori awareness. Here the children are trained to use a sensitive five senses they have.
3. Art-speaking. Children are encouraged to express themselves in verbal. Children also learn to read, spell, grammar, and writing ability.
4. Mathematics and geometry. Children are taught about the numbers, either by using the hands or with tools.
5. Culture. Education here include cultural geography, animals, time, history, music, movement, science, and art.

Here the children learn to do their tasks or jobs that fit with her interest. Options' work 'that they can select, including in such books, puzzles, art activities, play the test spatial relationships, and many more. They are given the freedom to do so together in groups, or work alone.

Interaction that occurs is more interaction between the children themselves. Not even closed the possibility of Montessori schools in the program are children who are older age, which helps children or young people, learn new abilities. That is in the range of each age class usually children reach 2 - 3 years. At the Montessori school, children will always be asked if they want to do something, if they need help, or if they do not feel ready.

Montessori school programs suitable for children who want to directly learn the environment that match their needs. Program Montessori schools encourage children to be more independent. Children with special needs is also suitable for Montessori schools, especially those who have problems with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or psychological problems or other learning. This is because each teacher holds each child individually.

PRESCHOOLER DEVELOPMENT

PRESCHOOLERS
Three and four-year-old children are often called preschoolers. Preschool children are making developmental strides and express an interest in the world around them. They want to touch, taste, smell, hear, and test things for themselves. They are eager to learn. They learn by experiencing and by doing. Preschoolers learn from their play. They are busy developing skills, using language, and struggling to gain inner control.

Preschoolers want to establish themselves as separate from their parents. They are more independent than toddlers. They can express their needs since they have greater command of language.

Fears often develop during the preschool years. Common fears include new places and experiences and separation from parents and other important people. You can expect the preschool child to test you over and over again, to use profanity and other forbidden words, and to act very silly. Preschoolers may still have trouble getting along with other children, and sharing may still be difficult. Because of their developing imaginations and rich fantasy lives, they may have trouble telling fantasy from reality. They may also talk about imaginary friends. Preschoolers need clear and
simple rules so that they know the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Understanding their growth and development will help you guide preschoolers through this stage. This fact sheet lists some of the characteristics of preschoolers. These characteristics are listed for three main areas: physical (body), social (getting along with others) and emotional (feelings), and intellectual (thinking and language) development. Remember that all preschoolers are different and reach the various stages at different times.


PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They walk on tip toes.
- They stand on one foot.
- They jump horizontally.
- They ride a tricycle.
- They build towers of 6-9 blocks.
- They catch a ball.
- They smear or daub paint. They draw or paint in vertical, horizontal, and circular motions.
- They can handle small objects (such as puzzles, pegboards, and parquetry sets).
- They grow about 3 inches taller in a year.


FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They have more small muscle control. They can make representational pictures (for example, pictures of houses, people, and flowers).
- They run on tip toes.
- They hop on one foot.
- They gallop.
- They begin to skip.
- They throw a ball overhand.
- They pump themselves on a swing.
- They like unzipping, unsnapping, and unbuttoning clothes.
- They dress themselves.
- They can cut on a line with scissors.
- They like lacing their own shoes (but not tying).
- They can make designs and write crude letters.
- They are very active and aggressive in their play.


SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They enjoy dramatic play with other children.
- They begin to learn to share.
- They need to know clear and consistent rules and what the consequences for breaking them are.
- Their emotions are usually extreme and short-lived. They need to be encouraged to express their feelings with words.


FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They have very active imaginations.
- They sometimes have imaginary friends.
- They can be aggressive but want friends and enjoy being with other children.
- They tend to brag and be bossy.
- They are learning to take turns and to share. Games and other activities can help preschoolers learn about taking turns.
- They enjoy pretending to be important adults (mother, father, doctor, nurse, police officer, mail carrier, etc.).
- They need to feel important and worthwhile.
- They need opportunities to feel more freedom and independence.
- They appreciate praise for their achievements.


INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They can communicate their needs, ideas, and questions.
- Their attention span is a little longer so they can participate in group activities.
- Preschool children learn best by doing. They need a variety of activities. They need indoor and outdoor space. They need a balance between active and quiet play.


FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- They are very talkative.
- They enjoy serious discussions.
- They ask lots of questions, including "how" and "why" questions.
- Their language includes silly words and profanity.
- Their classification skills and reasoning ability are developing.
- They should understand some basic concepts such as number, size, weight, color, texture, distance, time, and position.


ACTIVITIES TO TRY

THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- Preschoolers need time to climb, jump, and ride tricycles.
- Let them play with blocks of different sizes and shapes.
- Have them play with toys that have small parts (such as pegboards and puzzles).
- Teach them to dress and undress themselves.
- Have them help with household chores such as setting and clearing the table and watering plants.
- Provide housekeeping toys.
- Encourage them to count household objects as you perform household tasks (for example, count the spoons, cups, etc. as you set the table).
- Read stories to them.
- Sing songs and have them make up their own songs.
- Encourage them to dance and move to music.
- Answer their "how" and "why" questions honestly. Look for answers to preschoolers' questions in reference books with them.
- Provide paint, crayons, chalk, colored pens, collage materials, and play dough for preschoolers to use.


FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

- Take preschoolers outside to play.
- Let them test their sense of balance by walking on a straight line, a curved line, and a low balance beam.
- Provide activities in which preschoolers sort objects (such as buttons or seeds) according to their characteristics.
- Ask them to make up stories or make up the ending for a story.
- Help them mix paint to make new colors.
- Visit places in the community that are of interest to them (for example, the fire station or the library during a story or music hour).
- Help them set up play stores, farms, or villages.
- Help them plant seeds and take care of them.
- Provide a box of dress-up clothes for a play corner. (See how the children play with these clothes. They may imitate people they know. You can learn a lot about children by watching them play.)
- Make paper bag puppets. Then have a puppet show with the children. Children often express their feelings through this type of play.
- Play simple board games with them.



(Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
Malley, C. (1991). *Preschooler development*. (Family Day Care Facts
series). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts).