Saturday, August 18, 2012

Music and home education

Music is a great thing to add to your homeschool curriculum. I know, music lessons are expensive, and might require an outside tutor. But music provides so many benefits to a child, and it doesn’t have to include an outside tutor, even if you are not musically inclined yourself.
First let me tell you about a few of the benefits of music. Students who have music instruction do better on standardized tests. They show better reason abilities, and they tend to do better in math. Additionally, students who have regular music instruction learn discipline, the value of practice, and commitment. Any or all of those benefits make considering including music as part of your homeschool program worth the investment.
Speaking of investment, music teachers are expensive! Yes, I know that. But the benefits of music do not have to be gained from individual, private lessons from doctoral candidates from the local university. Students who participated in music appreciation courses also showed benefits to some extent. Consider studying a composer, his life, his times, and his music. Go on the internet and listen to his compositions. Discuss the music, and what it made your child think of or feel.
Some communities have free concerts and even reduced rates on matinee orchestra performances. Any exposure to good music is a good thing!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Why are you homeschooling?

Do you know why you are homeschooling? Can you pin the reason down to one item? Don’t feel bad if you can’t list the single reason you homeschool. Most people homeschool for multiple reasons, even if they don’t know that they have multiple reasons.
Some people homeschool because they feel that it is a mandate from God. Those people are sometimes labeled as Christian homeschoolers. It is a noble and honorable reason to homeschool for religious purposes. It means that you know exactly what your child is being exposed to regarding world view and theology.
Some people homeschool for strictly academic reasons. These homeschoolers are often considered secular homeschoolers. These people believe that they can give their children a better, safer education than the public or private systems can provide.
Yet other families homeschool for a combination of reasons. Sometimes circumstances just make educating you child at home a better choice. Consider military families that move often. Homeschooling provides better continuity of education for those children. Sometime a child’s health, either physical or mental, dictates that he or she be schooled at home.
Maybe your child’s learning style is easily disrupted by outside distractions and in the home setting you can control those distractions. Perhaps your child is, like mine, ADHD. My daughter needs to move, to talk, to take frequent breaks, to hang off the sofa upside down, spin around in the desk chair, or take frequent comfort from her pets.
In the end, all most homeschoolers want to do is what is right and best for their children. I know that is what I want!