Our entire value system stems from our experiences. The influences of a classroom or a book are minor compared to the plethora of impressions that bombard us constantly. Every teacher knows that by the time a child can sit at a school desk, that child has already received a majority of his education. The child has already developed the attitudes, drives, tendencies and emotions that will shape almost everything else he will do the rest of his life. That education did not come from a book; it came from experiential interaction. All the teacher can do at this point is offer some direction and a suggestion here and there. In fact, teachers take a back seat to the true teachers of life: parents. When a human being is most receptive to influences, then those influences have their greatest impact. A child is an open book which has engraved onto it's impressionable pages the most basic messages - transmitted by the parent.
Organizing group field trips is becoming a highly desired activity in homeschool support groups and co-ops. Not only do they offer social interaction but learning experiences as well. But without good planning, a field trip can end up being just a glorified play date. Home education time is limited, especially with the increasing number of extra curricular options for homeschoolers. Parents are becoming more selective of outside activities and attendance on group trips will fall off if participants aren’t seeing an educational benefit in addition to social time. This e-book will describe how to plan and host a great group field trip that will leave the participants anxious for more and perhaps even take a turn at planning themselves.
The Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO) is the state organization for homeschoolers, families operating under the Home-Based Instruction Law. The purpose of this list is to inform and alert. Members are kept abreast of developments, both in the legislature and in the public school system, that affect homeschooling in this state.
This is a chart that explores the differences between traditional and natural learning. It compares how the child and parent are viewed, how learning occurs, the role of textbooks and curriculum, how learning disabilities fit in, and how various school subjects are viewed.
Homeschool organization is a constant challenge. Like most households, homeschoolers deal with the everyday accumulation of laundry, dishes, toys, trash, and mail. In addition, we manage a multitude of school supplies, books, papers, and ongoing projects. A well-organized homeschool allows us to save time, energy, and money so that more of those resources can be utilized for the important task of educating our children.