Homeschooling Help

I read an article this weekend about the incredible shortage of individuals seeking jobs in web related fields. The article speculated that perhaps there is a perception in America that most IT jobs are farmed out to countries like India where labor is less expensive. However, it went on to explain that most of the jobs sent overseas are not highly skilled jobs.

The shortage of labor begins in college where the trend for majoring in computer technology has significantly decreased. As a result, we do not have the highly skilled workforce needed to fill the huge demand for computer related positions. In fact, in the Harrisburg, PA area alone, there are 500-1000 positions open at a given time for web-development and computer technology.

Why am I alerting you to this? Whether you are homeschooled student or not, here is a field that is still wide open. Homeschoolers have the distinct advantage of freedom– freedom to begin preparing for such a field while still in school.

Technorati Tags: homeschool tips, Homeschool web design, homeschooling and preparing for college

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Every year our local homeschool groups host three major events:

• A homeschool Science fair
• A homeschool Social Studies fair
• A homeschool International fair

The science fair is a terrific way to encourage students to enjoy science and to dig deep into an aspect of science that interests them.

Students begin by researching a scientific question or area of interest and conducting necessary experiments to test their hypothesis. They will then present their findings or demonstrate their experiments to all of those who attend the science fair. It is an outstanding outlet for kids to speak to a group; to learn research skills; to plan and put together an attractive and informative display; and to become an expert on their chosen topic.

The Social Studies fair is similar to the science fair.

Technorati Tags: Homeschool Support Groups-Planning Events

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Diagramming, identifying sentence patterns, finding parts of speech . . . every student’s favorite element of grammar, right?  How many times have you heard your child ask, “Why do I have to learn this?” As a writing teacher, I loved that question because it was always the perfect lead in to a unit on the value of sentence patterns in writing.

Using each of the different sentence patterns adds an incredible amount of interest to what you are writing.  Most children tend to stick to the same pattern: subject, then verb.  However, by simply varying those patterns, your child can turn a rather dry piece of writing into something that makes the reader want to keep reading.

Have your child try fit all six of these sentence openers into their next piece of writing and be prepared for instant improvement!

1. Subject then Verb 
   1. i.e. Hannah jumped the fence.

Technorati Tags: High School, homeschooling, Six Easy Steps to Extraordinary Writing - Homeschoolers

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Sometimes the task of spelling lists, writing spelling words, learning definitions, and preparing for spelling tests can become mundane. Students who are excellent spellers often rush through the activities while those who struggle see it as another unwanted chore.

Sometimes it just takes another approach—something unique once in a while to keep, rekindle or ignite the enthusiasm and give kids a break from the “spelling list.”Every other week, we try to incorporate one of the games below to make spelling a little more exciting and to reward the kids for their success. Try one—most do not require any preparation but can be a good escape from the desk and a reason to move around a little.

Technorati Tags: Make Spelling Fun - Be a Spelling Bee - 8 Homeschool Ti

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