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Dr. Newmark's Whole Child Approach
Energy Parenting is extending an invitation to all homeschoolers to attend a free teleseminar, "ADHD: A Whole Child Approach," with pediatrician Dr. Sandy Newmark.
Dr. Newmark is an expert in treating ADHD, and he has an approach that is refreshingly all-encompassing. He has more than 15 years of experience treating children with ADHD and other health, medical and behavioral problems. He is also a father who successfully raised a challenging child and a special needs child. Join us and you'll learn what integrative medicine is, what it can do for our children, plus an overview of ADHD and a variety of treatment options - many of them that will help any child live a happier, healthier life.
This information is for anyone who cares about children - ADHD or not - and wants new options for helping them succeed.
Dr. Newmark will discuss the ADHD evaluation, nutrition, supplements, behavior interventions and more.
There's no charge for the information, but you do need to register to receive the call-in information.
Online Summer School Enrollment Open Now Through August at International Virtual Learning Academy
Students wanting to accelerate their high school education, or make up credits they are lacking can now do so without sacrificing their summer vacation thanks to online summer school. International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA), an accredited private school, offers 95+ for grades 3-12. Courses can be taken from virtually anywhere there’s an Internet connection.
“IVLA serves students throughout the world. Students can enroll part time and take a few classes, or full time, and complete their entire high school education on-line,” said Don Posson, IVLA’s superintendent. “Many students are enrolling in online summer school to take courses not offered by their brick-and-mortar schools, or to replace a low or failed grade.” With virtual summer school students can earn credits without derailing their summer plans. IVLA offers a high-quality, convenient option to students in need.”
Certified teachers give students one-on-one attention, communicate with them the school’s online learning environment, and use video, audio and animation to provide an engaging learning environment.
More and more K-12 students are turning to online courses as a flexible way to take rigorous course work at a time and location that works best for them. The number of elementary and secondary students taking online courses increased tenfold between 2001 and 2007, from about 200,000 to almost two million, according to the Sloan Consortium, which researches online education.
International Virtual Learning Academy uses the world renown Global Student Network Online Curriculum, and is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.
International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA) is a leading provider of online 3-12 education, offers flexible, individualized and high-quality curriculum and instruction to promote student success. IVLA is a private accredited school that provides highly individualized education for elementary, middle, and high school students. IVLA’s student body is diverse, serving accelerated learners wanting to graduate early, adults seeking high school diplomas, homeschooled students, and at-risk teenagers who require an alternative to traditional high school. IVLA is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. For more information, visit www.internationalvla.com Posted on June 3, 2009, 7:25 pm
Attention Young Scientists
Attention Homeschool Science Students in Grades 5 through 8
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the premier national science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. The Young Scientist Challenge is designed to encourage the exploration of science and innovation among America's youth and to promote the importance of science communication. To learn more about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, copy and paste the link into your web browser. http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/
Posted on March 10, 2009, 6:04 pm
Ave Marie University Open House
11th & 12th Grade Homeschoolers Are Invited to Attend:
Ave Maria University Open House - April 3-5th
Accepted students will receive a $200 travel reimbursement to visit Ave Maria. Fill out a free online application today!
Ave Maria University Welcomes Homeschoolers
At Ave Maria University, nearly 30% of our students homeschooled through high school. Many of our most successful students come from a home education background. Homeschool students have the same application process and the same opportunity to receive scholarships and financial aid as any applicant.
Open House April 3-5, 2009
Come see what Ave Maria University is all about! Ave Maria is a liberal arts university in the Catholic Tradition. High school juniors and seniors are invited to come experience first-hand the excellent academics, dynamic spiritual life, and many extracurricular opportunities at Ave Maria. During the Open House, visitors will have a chance to stay overnight in the dorms and participate in information sessions and social events. There is no charge to attend an Open House at Ave Maria University, and all meals are provided.
More Information
To learn more about Ave Maria's open house, application process, high school summer programs, or homeschool initiatives, please visit us online or contact the Office of Home School Advancement at 239-280-1656 or homeschool@avemaria.edu.
Please forward this email to other homeschool students who might be interested in Ave Maria's Open House.
Nevada Governor Proclaims Home Education Awareness Week
Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons has proclaimed March 30-April 5, 2009 Home Education Awareness Week in Nevada! This is a wonderful recognition of Nevada homeschoolers.
The Nevada Homeschool Network has been instrumental in seeing this proclamation into fruition, and they have also coordinated with Barnes and Noble to host a book fair and fundraiser in celebration of this week. The book fair will be in Reno on April 3. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nevada Homeschool Network.
We encourage you to invite family, friends, and homeschool supporters to attend this book fair. Your attendance will show your promotion and support of homeschooling. You also will have the opportunity to participate in the needed fundraiser for the Nevada Homeschool Network.
Activities at the book fair will include a local author book reading and signing, a "Top Gun" Air Force pilot presentation with autographed photos, local politician "meet and greet," and a Barnes and Noble presentation on benefits and discounts for home educators.
Please attend the Barnes and Noble Book Fair in support of the Nevada Homeschool Network on April 3 at 5555 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV!
The Appleseed Project
Here's some information that came across the HS Facts desk for homeschoolers in Missouri:
The Appleseed Project (www.appleseedinfo.org), as presented by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, is coming to several locations and dates, in Missouri, for 2009.
The Appleseed Project is a one of a kind, national program, that teaches traditional rifle marksmanship skills as well as sharing history of the people and events that surround April 19th, 1775, the day the shot was heard around the world in Lexington and Concord.
Our rifle marksmanship course teaches the fundamentals of accurate rifle marksmanship, passing on the skills that have been traditionally passed on from generation to generation. We do this in our weekend Appleseed Shoot clinics, with the participants being instructed in all the skills required to allow them to shoot accurately out to 500 yards, the traditional American Rifleman's quarter mile. This used to be a common level of skill in America, and can be achieved by today's rifle shooters, with their standard rifle, iron sights, standard ammo, in field positions, using just a sling for support. These skills are what Appleseed teaches.
During the two day clinic, participants are introduced to the people and events that surround the birth of our nation, the events of April 19th, 1775, in Lexington and Concord. We share with participants, not only the basic facts of this fateful day, but also the details of many forgotten, common man heroes of that day. We do this to honor those that made great sacrifice for our Freedoms and to help today's Americans understand their Heritage.
The Appleseed events offer some unique opportunities to the Homeschooling families in our nation. We offer our events FREE to kids under 21, women, military (active, Reserve, Guard), and elected officials. So, the entire family can participate in these events for very little cost. As an additional benefit, there may be physical education and history credits available, for attending an Appleseed event.
The RWVA is a 501.c.3, non-profit organization, staffed entirely of volunteers, who are dedicated to preserve our Traditions and Heritage, and to pass these on to our fellow Americans. The Appleseed events are very family friendly, with an atmosphere of honor for our Founders, duty to our fellow Americans and a desire to share traditional skills with our fellow countrymen.
With a safe, structured, very well proven rifle marksmanship course, along with some very good Heritage presentations, Appleseed Shoots offer the homeschooling families an unique and fun educational opportunity. We have had many homeschooling families on the line, participating as families, sharing in a common, bonding experience. In fact, their happy participation is what has motivated us to contact you directly, so that the families of Missouri can share in this very fun and inexpensive program. Posted on March 7, 2009, 7:10 am
Homeschool numbers grow
From the Californian, by Janice Lloyd
The ranks of America's home-schooled children has continued a steady climb over the past five years, and new research suggests broader reasons for the appeal.
The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74 percent from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36 percent since 2003. The percentage of the school-age population that was home-schooled increased from 2.2 percent in 2003 to 2.9 percent in 2007. "There's no reason to believe it would not keep going up," says Gail Mulligan, a statistician at NCES.
Traditionally, the biggest motivations for parents to school their kids at home have been moral or religious reasons, and that remains the top pick when parents are asked to name one factor affecting their choice.
But the 2003 survey gave parents six reasons to pick for their interest. The 2007 survey added a seventh: an interest in a "non-traditional approach," a reference to parents, dubbed "unschoolers," who regard standard curriculum methods and standardized testing as counterproductive to a quality education.
"We wanted to identify the parents who are part of the "unschooling movement' and added the item for that reason," Mulligan says. The "unschooling" group is viewed by educators as a subset of home-schoolers, who generally follow standard curriculum and grading systems. "Unschoolers" create their own systems.
The category of "other reasons" rose to 32 percent in 2007 from 20 percent in 2003, and included family time, finances, travel and distance. This suggests that the demographics are expanding beyond conservative Christian groups, says Robert Kunzman, an associate professor at Indiana University's School of Education. Anecdotal evidence indicates that many parents just want their children to learn at their own pace, he says.
The 2007 estimates are based on data from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys. Posted on January 7, 2009, 1:10 pm
Curriculum Associates’ ‘DORA’ Reading Program Wins Award as the “Brightest Idea” at NCTI Tech Expo
Homeschool Facts has been talking about the DORA for the past several months. One online curriculum provider for homeschoolers, Global Student Network, has been offering free DORA assessments to homeschoolers enrolled in their program.
Recently, Curriculum Associates, a company that recently purchased the rights to the DORA, as well as other assessments, won the Bright Idea Peer Award at the 2008 Tech Expo held by the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI). The Tech Expo is an exclusive event funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is attended by personnel from state and federal education departments, district superintendents, board members, technology staff, as well as other education employees. DORA was developed by educational experts at Let’s Go Learn and is sold exclusively through Curriculum Associates.
“DORA was the brainchild of Dr. Richard McCallum, a recognized expert in using diagnostic assessment to tailor instructional interventions and a researcher at the U.C. Berkeley. His work, and the program, have been tested and proven to help educators diagnose sub-skill deficiencies in students and then create paths for reading success,” said Robert L. Waldron, president and COO of Curriculum Associates. “This acclaim from peers, researchers, developers, entrepreneurs and specialists validates the impressive body of research behind DORA.”
DORA functions like an automated reading specialist, streamlining formerly paper-based and labor-intensive diagnostic assessment processes for schools and learning centers. The Web-based assessment combines audio, text and multimedia to test for proficiencies in eight reading sub-skills: high-frequency words, word recognition, phonics, phonemic awareness, oral vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension, and fluency. By examining these sub-skills together, DORA reveals each student’s unique reading profile and guides differentiated instruction and enables the effective monitoring of individual progress. Schools can use the technology for both English language learners and mainstream students from kindergarten through grade 12 rather than purchasing different assessment software for different grade ranges.
Families interested in enrolling their students in Global Student Network's Online curriculum, and receive a free reading and math assessment: CLICK HERE
Families who would like to use the reading and math assessments for a small fee without enrolling in GSN's curriculum: CLICK HERE Posted on January 7, 2009, 1:09 pm
Distance education provides continuity for high school students
It's a familiar story. Military kids leaving behind their friends at one base, and then having to re-adjust at a new school. Sometimes more than once during a school year. Military parents are sensitive, but when the transfer order comes in - military personnel have no choice but to start packing.
According to a U.S. Department of Defense report, there are well over a million military kids attending U.S. public schools, and that number is expected to rise. Second only to family, school is the most important stabilizing force in the lives of young people. It's not uncommon for military children to move as many as 15 times before graduating from high school.
In addition to the expected concerns families face when making a move (housing, cost-of-living, etc.) military parents also contend with a variety of issues when it comes to education for their children. Quality of education, busing, transfer credits/credit recovery, student safety, special education programs, to name a few.
Education curriculum and education requirements can vary tremendously between states and between school districts. However, for service members, distance education is one way to ensure that their high school children's education isn't interrupted each time a new duty station calls. Whether based in California or Germany, parents can feel confident that their child is receiving a consistent, accredited high school diploma.
Distance education institutions like International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA) can provide serious relief for military families with high school age children. Students have the option of receiving an accredited diploma from IVLA or quickly making up lost credits. IVLA is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS) and offers diplomas at the general education or college preparatory level.
Transferring schools is challenging for any family, especially when it involves the military. Not only are there quality considerations, but social concerns as well. A key benefit that IVLA provides is flexibility and portability. The student continues his or her studies regardless of how often or where the family moves.”
Another benefit is that IVLA provides a wide variety of academic and elective courses -- English, mathematics, social studies, science, business, technology, foreign language. Accreditation assures that credits will not be lost in future transitions. Because IVLA's education is entirely self paced, students can catch up on credits needed for graduation, or work more aggressively to graduate ahead of time.”
About the International Virtual Learning Academy: IVLA, a worldwide leader in comprehensive distance education, offers online courses full or part time for grades 3-12. It is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). Based in Northern California, IVLA provides year-round enrollment for students throughout the world. For more information, visit: www.internationalvla.com Posted on January 5, 2009, 1:02 pm
Online Learning continues to grow in popularity
Henderson, NV. - From his laptop computer in Henderson, Nevada, James logs into his Forensic Science class, joining more than half a million students across the country who take classes online. His instructor teaches from her home in Reno, Nevada, and other students and teachers are scattered across the U.S.
This senior is among a growing number of students in around the world taking online courses at International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA), completing their high school diploma online for a variety of reasons. Some students want to accelerate their way through high school, some students need to make up credits, and can’t wait for summer school. Many students just like the ability to work at their pace, on a schedule that works around their life circumstances.
Demand is high worldwide for IVLA’s online learning program, but the school has made sure that every student wanting to enroll has a seat.
International Virtual Learning Academyoffers an accredited California High School diploma.IVLA serves students worldwide, through its proprietary online learning management system. Currently, ILVA is enrolling students in grades 3-12. IVLA offers core curriculum for all of those grade levels, as well as a large selection of elective courses.
Nationwide, online enrollment has grown dramatically. A study released in June by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics found that about 507,000 students, mostly high-schoolers, were enrolled in online courses in 2005, up from 317,000 in 2003. Forty-four states offer significant online programs, and several of the states that don’t are planning to develop them, according to the North American Council for Online Learning.
Several IVLA students said they appreciate the flexibility of learning on their own time and the opportunity to interact with their virtual classmates on online discussion boards if they wish.
Because of an increasingly competitive work environment in a global economy, education officials say students must take challenging courses to prepare for college. Online schools like IVLA provide both challenging course, and 21st century learning environments that assist students in preparing for higher education.
Posted on December 6, 2008, 3:38 pm
Washington Times Op-ed—Testing Proves Success of Graduates
A great story from HSLDA's president, J. Michael Smith
From the beginning of the re-emergence of homeschooling in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the strongest criticism of homeschooling was that untrained, noncredentialed parents could not provide the quality of instruction needed to match the education provided in public and private schools. To address this criticism, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) commissioned several studies to compare how homeschoolers score on standardized achievement tests compared to their public and private school counterparts.
The results of those tests demonstrated that on average, homeschooled children regularly outperformed their peers. These test results had a significant impact on the growth of homeschooling. First, state legislators were convinced that homeschooling parents could provide a high level of education, and they passed laws that recognized the right to homeschool. Additionally, many parents who were contemplating homeschooling were encouraged to take the leap of faith to educate their children at home.
What the test results demonstrate is that a homeschool program tailored to the individual needs of the student is the best method of educating a child. This reality was further supported by test results on the SAT and ACT that demonstrated that the average homeschooled graduate tested higher than the average graduate from public schools.
Now we have additional test results that demonstrate homeschool graduates compare favorably with students at such prestigious schools as Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities and the University of Virginia.
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) administers the American Civic Literacy Test (ACLT) to college students to measure their factual knowledge about American history, the Constitution and more. The results reveal that students nationwide lack even the basics. When ISI administered the ACLT in 2006 to a sample of students attending Ivy League schools, Harvard seniors answered 69.56 percent of the questions correctly, Yale seniors answered 65.85 percent correctly and Princeton seniors answered 61.90 percent.
Compare this with students at Patrick Henry College (PHC), a Christian classical college located 50 miles Northwest of the District, where 80 percent of the students come from homeschooling backgrounds. The ACLT was given to PHC freshmen this fall. These freshmen scored at 71.6 percent, two points higher than Harvard’s seniors and 17.4 percent higher than the average senior mean score at 50 of the country’s top institutions of higher education.
I also have seen the scores of PHC freshmen on a standardized test by Educational Testing Service known as MAPP (Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress). The MAPP tests proficiency in critical thinking, reading, writing and mathematics, and the results permit us to compare incoming PHC freshmen with college seniors at 253 participating institutions. The PHC freshmen tested higher than seniors at every other participating institution, including Baylor University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the universities of Colorado, Georgia and Mississippi.
The ACLT and MAPP results have their limits, and it must be remembered that PHC only admits high-achieving applicants.
The test results do show clearly what happens when you compare the best with the best: The best homeschooled students systematically outperform the best non-homeschooled students. This success did not happen automatically. It happened because tens of thousands of dedicated parents made tremendous sacrifices to educate their children.
I believe we can safely say the type of parental involvement children receive in a homeschool environment and the learning environment created by the home are significant factors in the success of the homeschool movement in academics. These results are a testament to the dedication of parents as well as the homeschool method of teaching. It is a proven combination for success in education.
Posted on December 2, 2008, 6:33 pm
Why some students prefer virtual schooling At a NACOL symposium, virtual-school students discuss why they left their regular schools in favor of online instruction
International Virtual Learning Academy students say they enjoy the flexibility online classes provide. What motivates a growing number of virtual-school students to forgo the traditional school structure and take their classes entirely online?
At the Virtual School Symposium hosted in mid-October in Phoenix by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL), virtual-school students from a variety of programs explained they like being able to progress at their own pace--and some said they appreciate being able to take classes not offered by their traditional, bricks-and-mortar school. Some of the comments made by the student panel, which spoke in front of the entire NACOL conference:
I left conventional school because I wanted to study at my own pace while holding a job outside of school and focusing attention on out-of-school topics that related to college interests.
"I was looking for something different to fit my schedule, and the traditional system wasn't making the cut,"
"You can create your own schedule. ... It's not the same routine I'd have in the traditional system, and I can get more of what I want to do done,"
An online school also lets me choose courses that a traditional school might not offer, such as courses that focus more on computer science and graphics.
"I'm really drawn by technology--that's one of the main reasons I joined the school,"
"In the traditional system, [the] main problem is that classes [move] only as fast as the slowest student ... so it doesn't adapt to your own learning style and learning environment. It really slows you down if you want to get ahead."
Enrolling in a virtual school not only frees up time for students to pursue other interests, it also teaches them valuable time-management skills.
Working so independently encourages the same type of time-management skills that college students need to be successful. Managing classes, assignments, and social activities can be daunting, but most students develop a routine quickly.
International Virtual Learning Academy is part of a rapidly expanding resource for online education. A study released during the Virtual School Symposium confirms that the total number of full-time virtual-school students in the United States is on the rise, "along with a continued increase in the number of new full-time programs." (See "Report assesses K-12 online learning.")
Education leaders are wise to listen to what students have to say, and consider ways they can build opportunities for self-paced learning and more freedom of choice into their own school offerings--or else risk losing a growing number of students to online schools that operate outside their domain.
International Virtual Learning Academy students have access to guidance counselors to help them navigate the college application process. Adding a high school component to the company's virtual offerings made it necessary to provide a robust guidance-counselor support staff, a company representative said.
Even virtual-school teachers at the symposium said they liked many of the freedoms that come with teaching in an online environment. Not just students, but teachers, too, can become frustrated in a traditional school setting, because much of their time is devoted to tasks such as asking students for late passes or collecting various assignments.
"I'm not a disciplinarian now; I'm an educator," one Virtual Academy Teacher said, adding: "Online, there is more one-on-one education."
"I have always looked for ... alternative ways for students to learn. All students do not learn the same way--they are totally different,"
In a traditional classroom, educators can "try to think outside of the box, but you're still faced with the one-size-fits-all model," she said. "If we know that all students are different, then we have to do something different. This is going to be one of the major reform efforts that education will see."
International Virtual Learning Academy, like many other online schools, provides individualized education for each student. During the enrollment process, a student’s transcripts and learning needs are assessed, and a graduation plan is developed specific to their needs. Each course is taught by a highly qualified teacher with extensive training in online education.
For more information, visit the International Virtual Learning Academy at: www.internationalvla.com Posted on December 2, 2008, 6:13 am
Types of Distance Learning Available for Homeschoolers
Homeschooling has been growing at a rate of about 15% each year for the past 15 years. With this phenomenal growth, many distance-learning opportunities have been developed specifically for homeschoolers.
Among the more popular distance-education options for homeschoolers are online courses offered directly to homeschoolers, or alternatively, by public and private schools.
One of the few Online Curriculum providers that work directly with homeschoolers is Global Student Network (GSN). This curriculum company places the homeschool parent into the “teacher’s” online portal, which includes the answer keys for all lessons.After enrolling, the homeschool student logs on to their private student portal and begins to work on their selected courses. Each time the student completes a lesson, it is delivered to the parent’s portal in-box as a “lesson-to-grade.” The parent reviews their child’s answers against the provided answers and grades the lesson. Once graded, the lesson is returned to the student and maintained in their online course portfolio. GSN provides free diagnostic assessments in Reading and Mathematics for all newly enrolled students.
Online academies are another choice of distance learning for homeschoolers. Students enroll in these programs just like they would a regular school and then access the class through the internet. All courses are completed online and use online learning systems for class work. The advantage to online academies is that many of them are accredited and will send a high school diploma upon completion. They will also keep detailed transcripts that students can use when applying for college. Another benefit is that most online academies offer distance learning on a course-by-course basis. This way, families can utilize the school for subjects they struggle with teaching or for elective courses they have trouble finding materials on. One such online academy is the International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA), which has open enrollment throughout the year. Students at IVLA are assigned a highly qualified teacher for every course, and complete courses on a pace appropriate to their learning level. IVLA also provides free diagnostic assessment at the beginning of each school year.
If a homeschooler wants to keep their child at home, but worries about developing a well-rounded curriculum, both of these options are excellent options.
Both GSN and IVLA are web-based and students complete the same courses as public schooled children. This is a good option for homeschoolers who want to include religious education into their children’s curriculum without having to worry about developing the entire curriculum. Overall, advanced technology has made homeschooling easier and more obtainable for families who want to explore that educational option.
