The Endless Debate, Kids and Money, Accredited School?
By Heather Idoni
Added Monday, October 13, 2008
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The Homeschooler's Notebook
Encouragement and Advice for Homeschool Families
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Vol. 9 No 82 October 13, 2008
ISSN: 1536-2035
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Copyright (c) 2008 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
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Welcome to the Homeschooler's Notebook!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Notes from Heather
-- More Reader Feedback
Helpful Tip
-- Ending the Endless Debate
Resource Review
-- Baby Bible Board Books
Reader Question
-- Accredited School Needed?
Additional Notes
-- Newsletter Archives
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
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Notes from Heather
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More Reader Feedback on Money, Kids and Current Events
---
"Hi, Heather -- We too are very open and honest with our children.
We do not watch TV, so the only place they can get the news is
from us. They are older now so we usually read and discuss
articles that we find -- and our best source of information on
political issues has been the CATO website -- www.cato.org
They are a non-partisan political think tank based in Washington,
D.C. My husband and I have attended some of their lectures and
are astounded at the wealth of informed people that they have.
The media today loves the drama and hype and do not give you an
objective look at what is going on, nor do they fully understand,
therefore perpetuating the fear and chaos.They have some amazing
articles that truly explain the source of the troubles that we are
seeing today; it is very eye opening -- I highly recommend it!"
-- Deanne in NJ
---
"I would like to add that we have taught our children from a young
age (they are now 4 and 6) that commercials and other advertising
(signs, etc.) are peoples' way of trying to get us to spend our
money on what they have. Though some advertisements are honest
(and are just people trying to make money to feed their families),
many advertisements don't tell the whole truth (and even lie).
And then I've pointed out examples ('Do you think that that cereal
is so good that it makes you laugh and have a great time?').
This not only helps my children to be discerning in marketing, but
it helps them not be so influenced by the trends of society. They
don't beg for _______ (fill in whatever the latest 'cool' fad is)
because they are not so easily swayed that it is as cool (or fun)
as advertised.
We have also (like Debora) taught our children about things being
'on sale'. I've explained that when something is on sale, we pay
less for it than when it's not. But we should only buy things
that we planned to buy anyway, because it doesn't save us money
to buy things we don't need.
We've also spoken about how buying the cheapest things is not
always the best idea either. For example, one of their grandmothers
buys them a lot of things from dollar stores. About half the time
the toy is broken by the end of the first day that they get it. So
we have ended up talking about how some things are not a good idea
to buy if they are too cheap. We shop at the dollar store for
things too, but I'm trying to help them discern the difference
between inexpensive and cheap.
My children know that we are trying to eat out less and spend less
money now because we may not have as much money this year as we did
last year (we own a small business). But fear didn't even come into
the equation with them (or us). I just presented it in a practical
way followed by a short, simple economics lesson and the consequences
of not being wise with money. I don't think they will have fear
attached to it, if they don't perceive it in us or others. And we
don't watch TV news (or much TV at all) in our house.
Thanks for introducing such a neat topic!" -- Diana
---
"Dave Ramsey has developed some good curriculum to teach kids about
money. He has tools available for age 3 all the way up through high
school.
http://www.daveramsey.com/school/
I haven't had a chance to use his materials yet myself
(since my little guy is still too young), but I've heard good things
about them and plan on using them soon." -- Anna
---
Do you have comments to share about anything in our newsletter?
Please send your comments to: heather@familyclassroom.net
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Helpful Tip
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Ending the Endless Debate
This week on our Homeschooling Gifted email group, parents shared
what 'works' for them to put an end to debate-style arguments with
their debate-loving children. Sometimes it doesn't matter who is
right or wrong -- you just want to let them know you are done
discussing the matter! Here are a few of their suggestions:
---
"Eventually I have come to the conclusion that at times I have to
pull the 'parent card' --
'There are times to argue your point; this isn't one of them.'
or
After telling them something I'm sure to add -- 'This isn't open
for debate.'
Sadly when these haven't worked in the past I have also resorted
to 'this isn't a democracy'.
There are times when I try to encourage their abilities to think
for themselves and debate, and times I want them to realize that
they just have to do as they are asked without questioning every-
thing. Such is life.
They have learned that if I say, 'this isn't open for debate' that
the discussion ends there."
---
"Say 'I love you too much to argue with you' -- and walk away."
---
Suspect you have a gifted child and want to join this group?
Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hsgifted
---
Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
Send to: HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net
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Resource Review
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Baby Bible Board Books
Author: Edward and Sarah Bolme
Publisher: CREST Publications
For more information or to order: www.crestpub.com
"Because it's never too early to teach God's Word," the husband
and wife team of Edward and Sarah Bolme have created a wonderful
series of board books specifically for the youngest, soon-to-be
book lovers in your family! Baby Bible Board Books are sturdy,
colorful, truth-filled books sure to delight babies and toddlers
alike. The perfect size for little hands, I can just imagine
toddlers carrying these beloved books to mom or dad, climbing up
in their lap, eager to hear these stories of Jesus told over and
over again.
We were sent the first collection of four titles: Stories of Jesus.
This collection features the titles, Jesus Helps a Blind Man, Jesus
Feeds the People, Jesus Heals a Little Girl, and Jesus Stops a
Storm. Each book features bright illustrations and tells these
timeless Bible stories in short, easy-to-understand sentences. My
favorite part of each book is the 'application' on the last two
pages. Transitioning from illustrations of Bible stories, the last
two facing pages feature an illustration of a modern family with
a faith lesson that teaches the 'point' of the story and a Bible
verse. For example, after reading "Jesus Stops a Storm", there
is a picture of a boy in bed with a lightning storm seen through
his window and Jesus standing beside his bed. The statement on
this last page is "Jesus keeps you safe." And the verse, Psalms
4:8 which says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone,
O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Baby Bible Board Books are wonderful tools for parents to use to
instill God's Word in their children from their earliest days.
-- Cindy Prechtel, http://www.HomeschoolingFromTheHeart.com
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Last Issue's Reader Question
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"I have always gone through a homeschool program that was accredited,
however, finances are going to make that impossible next year and
I think I can save almost $1,000 by doing this on our own and just
buying the curriculum direct.We need to know if children have any
trouble getting into college having not gone through an accredited
'school'.I didn't back in 1981, but times have changed.How is
this handled nowadays? Do kids just put 'homeschool' down and
colleges just go with the SATs or ACTs? Do we have our children
take GEDs? Thanks." -- Ruth
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Our Readers' Responses
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"Ruth -- your children's acceptance into college, in most cases,
will absolutely not be dependent on accreditation of their high
school. Most colleges are familiar with homeschooled students
and will work with you through the admission process. Many
colleges have people in their admissions offices who are specifi-
cally assigned to homeschool applicants, and who are fully aware
that homeschoolers' transcripts won't look like everybody else's.
Colleges have learned that homeschoolers are an asset to their
campuses, and are eager to accept them; some even offer scholar-
ships to homeschool graduates.
Do be aware that qualification requirements will vary from one
college to another. Some will accept standardized test scores;
some will have their own admissions tests which the student will
have to take; some will accept your self-designed transcript. I
have mixed feelings about GEDs. While they make up for the lack
of an official diploma, they also seem to carry a stigma associated
with being a drop-out.
Just be sure to have a professional looking transcript, and be
able to document the information you put on it. There are several
resources for homeschool transcripts, if you want help in designing
one. Also, as soon as your children have an idea which colleges
they might want to attend, contact those colleges and ask them what
they will require for admission. I think you'll find that you have
nothing to worry about." -- Mary Beth
---
"You should not need an 'accredited' course to get into college.
Is your child in high school at this time? Check around at some
colleges and see what their requirements are for homeschoolers.
Where I live, the local college will just accept their transcript
and ACT or SAT scores. If they don't take those standardized tests,
our local college has their own entrance exam. As long as your
work is documented and there is a well-documented transcript,
there should be no problem.
Most homeschoolers I know who've gone off to college have used high
school textbooks, courses and curriculum from a variety of sources.
Do not allow your child to get a GED. A GED infers that a child
is a drop-out and has not completed a High School course load.
If your child has completed a full high school course load and has
attained a diploma (homeschool or otherwise) then they are a High
School graduate and should be recognized as such!" -- Chris E.
---
"My daughter just graduated from being homeschooled throughout
her school years. We have always been a part of an umbrella
school that handled the paperwork, but it is not accredited. She
applied to and was accepted by five major Christian universities,
who were all very pleased that she had been homeschooled. She was
offered scholarships from each of the colleges based on her GPA,
among other things. She has chosen to attend a junior college
for the first two years, and then will transfer to one of the
Christian universities. Most institutes of higher learning are
very welcoming to homeschooled students because they are well
disciplined, hardworking, well-rounded students. The one drawback
to not being part of an accredited school is seeking government
financial aid. On the state level, if the school isn't accredited,
the government will not take the school's GPA score, but will
instead use the SAT or ACT score to determine the student's GPA.
This worked against my daughter. According to the school records,
she had a 3.78 GPA, but because she did poorly on her SAT math,
which lowered her SAT score, the state calculated her GPA at 2.89.
She therefore did not qualify for state aid. She did, however,
receive two smaller scholarships from private organizations that
will pay for her junior college. She now will work to maintain a
good GPA throughout junior college and re-apply for state aid when
she transfers." -- Kathy in CA
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Answer our NEW Question
=========================
"I like to make up business cards with my name, address, email,
and phone number to hand out when someone wants to know how to
contact me.I also list 'Home Maker' as a title, and then some
of my interests which helps with conversations when you meet
someone new.I am needing to print off some more, and previously
didn't list anything about homeschooling as my children were much
younger.But homeschooling is now a full-time job for me and I
am wondering about a title to add.What do you call yourself?
What sort of title do you like?" -- Heather W.M.
---
Do you have a suggestion for Heather?
Please send your email to: HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
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if we can help you out in a future issue!
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