For all the Moms out there...

Since Wednesdays are "general articles" day, I thought I would extent my post from Cherry Soup over to here. I'm trying to recruit as many moms as possible who want to make the commitment to get on track with a healthier lifestyle for 2009. This doesn't mean just losing weight. It means a total lifestyle makeover, just for you.

Head over to Cherry Soup and join in with me. You could be the first to sign up!

A Day In The Life....

Say hello to the Harris Family!

What state do you live in?

We live in Alberta, Canada.

How long have you homeschooled?

We have been officially homeschooling for two years now, but because we believe that the children are learning simply by living life, we have been educating our children since the oldest was born in 2001.

How many children do have?

What are their ages? We have 5 children at this time (hoping for more). They are 7, 6, 3.5, 2 in January and a newborn.

Do you have special needs children?

At this time we do not know of any special needs.

What is a typical schedule for you?

Right now our schedule/routine is very relaxed mostly because of Christmas, our new baby and the fact that we do live life as our education. We get up and eat breakfast between 8 and 9 AM. We do daily chores – getting dressed and cleaning up breakfast. Then I allow a little television through out the day. They are encouraged to play – blocks, Lego, dolls, coloring, drawing, organizing, sorting, math workbook or sheets, puzzles, mazes. We have rest time or nap time around 1:30 or 2, where each child is on his or her own spot. They are encouraged to read, play with little toys or sleep. Around 4 PM, we do a pretty intense cleanup and a few more chores and we start supper. After supper is baths, stories and bed.

How do you handle teaching older kids with toddlers underfoot?

I try to set up teaching times when the baby is sleeping and the toddler is engaged in play.

Do you plan to homeschool through high school? Why or why not?

We do plan to homeschool through high school. We believe that is a very important time in a growing child’s life and that they still need the close parental guidance we provide now. There are so many lies taught into today’s schools and the social interaction is not a positive influence.

What curriculum do you use and why?

For the most part we do not have a curriculum. We do use ACSI Math, but in a very relaxed manner at this time. I provide lots of books, Discovery Kids TV, interaction with all ages of people, board games and life experiences. For example, my daughter, age 7, buys our eggs. I give her the money and some ideas of what to say to the “egg lady” and she gets them and brings them home. She is responsible to make sure they arrive unbroken and are put in the fridge. I believe that learning how to act and react in real life is more important than just learning facts from a book or practicing math’s rules in a workbook.

Are you involved with a homeschool group? Why or why not?

We are not actively involved with a homeschool group. We would like to be but the nearest one is 25 minutes driving time away and with 5 children the logistics of getting there are too involved at this time. We go out to community events and children’s programs here in our little town and meet with homeschoolers in our home as often as possible. Oh, and being that my DH is involved in the fire department we get included in tours of the hall and trucks too!

Fun Friday!

Hey, have you seen these cute craft boxes at Michael's? If you're looking for a quick and easy craft to do with the kids, this is it! There are several to choose from and the foam pieces are easy to work with. If you're like me, you don't have a lot of time to spend on anything, but you want to do the fun stuff, too. Try one of these!

Michael's Foamies 3-D Kits

Enjoy!

Legislation Thursday

Army National Guard Opens Doors to Homeschoolers

In March of 2008, Senior Counsel Chris Klicka of the Home School Legal Defense Association, along with Will Estrada and Jeremiah Lorrig of HSLDA’s Federal Relations Department, met with Col. Mike Jones, head of all recruitment for the Army National Guard across the country. Col. Jones and his assistant, Cpt. Paul Douglas, are homeschoolers and wanted to help homeschool graduates get into the Army National Guard.

The National Guard’s “Path to Honor” to enable homeschoolers to enlist states this on their webpage:

The National Guard will not treat you differently because of your homeschool education. The National Guard recognizes and values the unique skills, abilities, and character that homeschoolers can bring to our organization. Homeschoolers are known for their high levels of cooperation, assertiveness, and self control. The values young men and women hold will naturally mesh with the Army values. There are definite educational and personal benefits for homeschoolers who pursue a career in the National Guard.

For more information on this article, go here.

For questions on other branches of the military, go here.

Homeschool Sports

Please welcome Mary Nunaley! She will bring her knowledge of sports and homeschooling to Homeschool 101. I'm excited to have her on board! Mary would like us to know a little about herself and her family in this first post.

I'm excited to be writing a monthly blog post for Homeschooling 101. I thought I'd start today off with a little bit about myself and my family and then over the coming months, I'll be focusing on homeschooling a high school age student who also is interested in playing college sports. Of course, I'll also be weaving in tidbits from our homeschooling day since the two go hand in hand.

I'm Mary Nunaley and I've been homeschooling for 14 years. Our homeschooling adventure began when my now 22 year old daughter came home from drama camp and made the announcement that she wanted to homeschool. I was pretty surprised and we agreed to do a trial run over the summer to see if we could actually survive each other. It worked and she graduated as a homeschooled high schooler 4 years ago. She's currently in cosmetology school and following her passion. After homeschooling her, the idea of "regular" school never even crossed my mind for my son, Amadeus.

Homeschooling the kids has always been a bit of a juggling act as I'm also a single parent and have been since my son was tiny. Luckily, in the early years I had the help of a supportive dad and sister and a wonderful loving babysitter who treated my kids as her own. As they grew older, I changed jobs from working in the Hotel Business to teaching at a community college so I would have more time and flexibility to be with them. It all has worked out well.

Our homeschooling style has always been pretty eclectic, at least until high school age - then it's gotten a little more serious as I've had to look at academic requirements, especially for my son who wants to play college tennis. My first piece of advise for anyone who has a homeschooled student considering playing college sports is to check the NCAA website for the academic course requirements. You don't want to miss anything.

A typical day in the life at our house has Amadeus working on his coursework when he wakes up around 10 a.m.- this year he's working on AP World History, World Literature, Biology, Geometry (plus finishing up some algebra). He practices tennis during the fall/winter 2-3 hours a day- when I get home from work and we make the nearly 90 minute drive to where he trains. Weekends are typically spent listening to podcasts or audio books as we travel around the south to a variety of tournaments. My daughter pitches in quite a bit when she's not a work or school and our 5 cats have a way of keeping us on our toes!

I'll be posting more next month about traveling with a junior athelete and how we incorporate educational sidetrips into tennis weekends and I'll also start looking at some of the requirements for playing college sports. If you're interested in following our tennis adventures, feel free to check out our blog.

A Day In The Life of the Collins Family!

Say hello to the Collins Family:

What state do you live in?
We live in beautiful East Tennessee. We live in a wonderful area with lakes and parks and even a fort! We're also within driving distance of two great Aquariums, a zoo, and, best of all, the Great Smoky Mountains. All of this nature gives us ample opportunity to explore the out of doors which is something we love to do.

How long have you homeschooled?
We are now in our 7th year of homeschooling and I have to say, time really does go by quickly!

How many children do you have? What are their ages?
We are blessed to have 3 wonderful children. Miranda is 11 and in 6th grade; Levi will be 9 on the 21st of this month and is in 3rd grade and Maya just turned 7 and is a 1st grader.

Do you have any special needs children?
Not really as most would classify a special needs child, but, Levi does have a form of childhood epilepsy. His E.E.G.'s have shown that he has almost constant seizure activity on his brain but his medication does control the actual seizures quite well. Because of this, Levi has problems sometimes with short term memory. I have personalized his curriculum and the method I use to school him and he is truly thriving! I have seen so much progress, especially in this school year.

What is a typical schedule for you?
First, I always get up before the children. I can't say enough about how much that helps me to function in the mornings! I try to be up between 7-7:30. During this time I:
1. Get dressed.
2. Have breakfast.
3. Read my Bible and work on my Sunday School lesson.
4. Check e-mail and work on my blog if I have a post to put up.
The children begin getting up around 8:30 and I prepare a quick breakfast for them then we get chores done before school begins at 9:30. We school from 9:30-2:00 then the children have free time for handicrafts, music, extra arts and crafts projects, puzzles, legos, etc. They stay pretty busy.
We eat dinner early, around 4:00-4:30 because we often have things scheduled in the evening. Our children are active and athletic, so they often have practices or games in the evenings. Also, we have church services on Wednesday night, including our Master Clubs program.

How do you handle teaching older kids with toddlers underfoot?

Well, I no longer have toddlers but when I did, I would try to have activities for them to do that would hold their attention for at least a few minutes at a time. I bought boxes with lids and stored different things in there for them to play with during school time. We made math "counters" out of washed milk lids that we would stick stickers onto; I would add in colored craft sticks, wooden blocks, craft foam, and when they were old enough, safety scissors. By changing out the supplies in the box every other day or so, it kept them entertained for a while.

Do you plan to homeschool through high school? Why or why not?
Absolutely! As long as God blesses us to do it, I can not imagine investing all of this time and energy in the early and middle school years then sending them off to high school somewhere. I truly believe that I will be able to give them an excellent education throughout their school years and I admire those who have already had that honor.

What curriculum do you use and why?
I always put together my own curriculum plan because I want to give each one of my children a specialized and unique education. My three children have different learning modalities and styles and what works for one child does not necessarily work for the other two. This does not always make things simple for me but I want to feel like I am giving each of them a uniquely suited education for their needs.

One of my all time favorite curriculums is Mystery of History. Miranda and I began volume 1 when she started fourth grade and it took us a year and a half to complete it. We did a lot of the activities and dug pretty deeply in the suggested readings. We're now making pretty quick progress through Volume 2 and I am going to begin Volume 1 with my other two children in January. So, I will be in two different history cycles at one time but that does not bother me.
We are also beginning a chemistry unit in January and I will be using God's Design for Chemistry as my spine. I have read that book cover to cover and it is excellent!! It is very important to me that my history and science "spines" be God honoring and I am very happy with these choices.

Other curriculum that we use include: A Beka Math 6, 3, and 2; Prima Latina and Latina Christiana 1; Galloping the Globe; Learning Language Arts through Literature-we're currently using the Tan and the Red; we've also used the Orange and the Purple. I've used Beautiful Feet Early American History with all of my children and highly recommend that curriculum. I am going to begin Primary Language Lessons with Levi in January.

Are you involved with a homeschool group? Why or why not?
Yes. I am a member of Roane County Home Education Association (RCHEA). Homeschooling is thriving in our county and I am very glad to be a part of it.

Tell us about your typical day.
We begin our school day at 9:30. This is considered late by some standards but I like to get things tidied up in the house so I can be more relaxed when I'm teaching.
Levi will sometimes begin at 9:00 which is great because he needs more one on one time than the girls.

We all congregate in the schoolroom and work on Bible, copywork, language arts, and math before lunch. After lunch we tackle history, geography,Latin, science, music, and art. We cover a lot of subjects but for my children this really keeps the day fresh. We keep the lessons fairly short, Charlotte Mason style, and are typically finished by 2:00. My children love to have hands-on-learning and will often continue something they have started earlier in the day. I will then have a cup of tea or coffee and do dinner prep. I use my crock-pot often and I can't begin to stress how much that helps me get dinner on the table in a timely manner! After any activities for the evening, we have baths and Bible time as a family. Currently we're using Keys for Kids. In the past we've used Character Building for Families (we went through that book twice) and it was great.

Collins Family Blog: Living Water Christian Academy

3rd Monday - Youth Organizations

Third Mondays are dedicated to Youth Organizations here at Homeschool 101. The goal is to widen the opportunities for your homeschooled youth into areas you may not yet have discovered.

TeenPact

TeenPact is a Christian youth organization started by Tim Echols, a Christian homeschooling father of seven. He's a very personable man who believes in the Lord and the youth who will one day run our country. You can read his full bio here.

Tim's vision for youth resulted in the TeenPact organization that has grown to national levels. TeenPact teaches kids ages 8 through young adult about politics, leadership, and being closer to Christ.

"TeenPact is a comprehensive leadership experience that brings kids closer to Jesus Christ, makes them better leaders, and positions them to impact public policy in their state. During TeenPact, students meet important officials, interact with other like-minded students, and have more fun at the capitol than they could have ever imagined. Students leave inspired and challenged with an intensive desire to change America for Christ." (from the TeenPact website)

TeenPact begins with their State Classes. Students meet at their state capital (or the closest one to them) for four days of intense, hands-on learning. They meet their state legislators, the governor, lobbyists, and see how a bill becomes a law by following the process - on foot! They learn that they can and do have an impact and a voice for things that are important. They take part in the TeenPact legislation, write their own bills, and learn how to speak in public.

Once the State Class is completed, the students become Alumni and can attend any of the many alumni events.

"TeenPact Alumni Events take students deeper in their relationship with Christ beyond their initial TeenPact class. Focusing always on training student to be influential and servant-hearted leaders, our events bring together students who are serious about their faith and who care deeply about the future of our country."

TeenPact believes so much in what they do, they also offer some great ideas to help students raise the funds for their classes and events.

For information on the State Classes, click here.

I highly recommend this youth organization. Whether students have an interest in following politics or not, they will come away from TeenPact with a new understanding of how their government works, new friends, new skills, and a closer relationship with Christ.

2nd Friday - Product Review

Hey homeschoolers! Did you know that you can use the textbooks that public and private schools use in your curriculum? You can!

While this may not be an option for many homeschoolers due to various reasons, other homeschoolers like these textbooks for several reasons.

Pros

1. They are extremely detailed in the text. Often times I have found that some texts are more detailed than a "homeschool" version.

2. The Teacher WrapAround editions have more help, suggestions, and information than you would ever use. It's nice to be able to pick and choose what you need.

3. Many times the text will come with interactive activities from a corresponding website. Check out this one for high school's World History (this is the brand new 2010 version).

4. Accessories: if you can afford them they offer so many to choose from.

5. They offer AP and Honors courses.

6. Many of the subjects have either online texts or interactive CDs. (Holt provides an online texts complete with videos and "how to's" on the subject)

Cons

1. You get the evolutionary view of the world. This may be ok for some homeschoolers, but not for others. You would have to choose how to explain/teach the difference and your own beliefs to your own children.

2. The expense: these materials can be quite expensive, especially if you add the accessories that go with it (videos, workbooks, slides, and a whole host of others).

3. As homeschoolers, sometimes you have to jump through a few hoops in order to get the materials, but if you're ok with the evoluntionary versions, many times it's worth it!

Links:

Holt

McDougal Littel

Prentice Hall

Glencoe

Legislation Thursday

Active (from HSLDA)
New Hampshire
Legislative Service Request 495: Relative to Annual Goals and Curriculum in a Home Education Program
There is currently no text for LSR 495 but when the text is released we will post a summary here. We do know that the bill is relative to annual goals and curriculum in a home education program.

Legislative Service Request 491: Relative to the Evaluation Procedure for Home Schooled Students
There is currently no text for LSR 491 but when the text is released we will post a summary here. We do know that the bill is relative to the evaluation procedure for home schooled students.

New Hampshire Homeschoolers Have Freedom to Choose
Recently a New Hampshire homeschooler forwarded correspondence to HSLDA that they had received from another homeschooler who had received some bad information. This homeschooling mom was under the impression that she was locked into an assessment option when she notified her local school district about homeschooling at the beginning of the year. This homeschooler thought that the notice of intent was a “contract” that bound her to the choice of assessment that she was “supposed” put in her notice of intent.

Illinois
New Homeschool Family Told to Meet with State Attorney or Else
One of HSLDA’s member families contacted us regarding a letter they received. The letter was an intimidating demand that the family meet with the Stark County State Attorney that following Monday, September 29, to discuss their daughter’s absence from public school—or face truancy charges.

Truant Officer Calls Unsuspecting Family Based on False Anonymous Tip
An HSLDA member family called our offices after receiving a phone call from a LaSalle County truant officer. The officer had called the family’s home to say he needed to visit to review their homeschool curriculum and lesson plans. He had been alerted by an anonymous tipster and believed he needed to approve their curriculum in order to verify they were following the homeschool laws.

California
Update on College of the Canyons Admission Policy
A misunderstanding about a college’s admissions policy stemmed from faulty information on its website.

Open Cases (from HSLDA)
Minnesota

Public School Official Attempts to Recruit Homeschoolers
In an attempt to regain state funds for his district, Faribault Public Schools’ new curriculum director is “reaching out” to homeschoolers.

Mississippi

Legislation Affecting Homeschoolers Defeated
The Mississippi Legislature considered a number of bills during the 2008 session affecting the freedoms of homeschooling families but none were considered beyond the committee level.

Alabama

Equal Access Bills Fail
The Alabama legislature declined to approve three bills this year intended to permit students being instructed at home to participate in extracurricular activities at public school.

Georgia

Public School Requires “Affirmation Of Understanding”
HSLDA helped a family who was asked to submit information not required by law in order to homeschool.

Watch
South Dakota
Nebraska
Texas
Michigan
Ohio
North Carolina
Massachusetts
Delaware
District of Columbia (DC)

All information is taken from the HSLDA website. For more information, please check there.

Socialization

Welcome to our first Wednesday. Wednesdays are set aside for articles and general topics that will help you along in your homeschooling journey. This week, our topic is socialization!

For new homeschoolers this is an important question, and a favorite of veteran homeschoolers. Before answering the question, however, ask yourself this question: How do we define socialization for our children? Do you believe your children function just fine with their peers? Do you believe children should be able to function in a broader form? Who do you want your child socialized with? Many children are socialized on a daily basis with people their own age - their peers. Are they reaching their full potential by only socializing with people in their own age group?


The misconception that homeschoolers are social misfits still exists today, unfortunately. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Homeschoolers usually look at socialization as a vertical platform. That is, they are able to socialize with everyone from infants to adults.


Definition: Socialization: to interact with others, to prepare for life in society, to be on friendly terms with someone (refdesk.com)


Many children are mainly socialized with their peers (the horizontal method) often become dependent on their peers for their values, dress code, language, behavior, and sense of self worth.


On the other hand, children who are socialized vertically have opportunities and skills they need to function in real life situations. They learn to be comfortable around their family, their peers, adults and younger children alike.


From National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI)

• The home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.

• Homeschool students are regularly engaged in social and educational activities outside their homes and with people other than their nuclear-family members. They are commonly involved in activities such as field trips, scouting, 4-H, political drives, church ministry, sports teams, and community volunteer work.

Ideas for ways to socialize your homeschooled children:

• Scout groups


• Church youth group


• Music lessons


• Local theater


• 4H


• Junior Achievement


• TeenPact


• Generation Joshua


• Homeschool groups


• book clubs


• writing clubs


• volunteer work

The opportunities are limitless!

For you new homeschoolers, remember: socialization is NOT as issue for your students. They just have more options - options that you, as the parent and directional advisor of your children, have control of.

A Day in the Life...

A Day in the Life... is a regular Tuesday column on Homeschool 101! Each week, we'll feature a new homeschooler and how they do it. We figure with 2 million plus homeschool families out there, we should have NO shortage of great families to feature here.

Everyone has something special about their homeschool and the way they do things. And we, as homeschoolers, have an insatiable curiousity about others who choose this way of life. (And let's face it... it IS a way of life and not just something that we do).

For this first edition, I thought I would start with my own family. I hope you enjoy!

Answers are in red


What state do you live in? Georgia - but mostly the state of Constant Chaos!

How long have you homeschooled? We have homeschooled for ten years.

How many children do have? We have five children (three shown). Two have graduated and are out living their own lives now. What are their ages? 3 (almost 4), 15, 15, 20, and 21.

Do you have special needs children? No, although sometimes Mom has special needs!

What is a typical schedule for you?

We try to get up about 7am and start school work by 8am. I am very schedule oriented so we try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. Like most homeschoolers, we have very full schedules with outside activities and with the two older girls being in high school, it's important not to let anything fall behind.

We try to finish around 2 or 3pm with our school work. Then, they are required to read a book I've chosen for the month for at least thirty minutes. This way, they get in the classics that I think are so important. After that, they can read for pleasure. I have one daughter who loves to read and one who could do without it - so the pleasure reading for her is not really a pleasure, but I still allow her (make her) choose a book of her own choice. :)

See Donna Young's Chore Calendar. It has really helped us stay organized. We adjusted it to fit our family.

Does it always work like this? NO! I've had to learn to be flexible sometimes.

How do handle teaching older kids with toddlers underfoot? I have some educational preschool software programs that I run on the computer for the three year old. She can do these while I sit with the older girls during their more difficult subjects. Sometimes I will do seat work with her to work on her letters and numbers. I have no problem using technology to help teach my kids. Technology is not going away, so why not use it.



How do you handle the high school subjects? I learn right along with my children. I often teach Homeschool 101 sessions to new homeschoolers and I always tell them you only have to be a day ahead of your child. Also, network! This is important for new homeschoolers and veterans alike. There is always another homeschool mom or dad out there who is better at and willing to help teach your children the more difficult subjects.

Or – do you plan to homeschool through high school? Why or why not? Yes! I have graduated two already and one is in the Air Force. Seeing the state of our school systems, there is no way I would put my children in public, or even private, school.

(Zach and his daughter, Faith)

What curriculum do you use and why? We use a mix of things. The Internet is a terrific resource for everything! We use some Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, and for our high school subjects we use Prentice Hall, McDougal Littel and Glencoe. In the past we've used Tapestry of Grace, which I loved. It is history based and you teach more than one grade level at the same time. Very easy for those teaching multiple levels!

Are you involved with a homeschool group? Why or why not? Yes. I am President and Founder of the South Georgia Homeschool Association. To me, it's important not only for the kids' sake to be involved with a group, but for the moms' sake, as well. The mom's need as much support and networking opportunities as the children need socialization opportunities. I highly encourage getting involved with a group - or start your own!

What outside activities are you involved in? We've been in Girl Scouts for several years. I've had one daughter play violin, one volunteer at a local equine rescue barn, and another in ballet. Now, we're very much involved in our local children's theater.

(This was taken at the Juliette Low House in Savannah, Georgia. She is the Founder of Girl Scouts and Savannah is where she grew up!)

Any special comments? I believe that homeschooling is a lifestyle - not something you do. As homeschoolers, you live the life every day, every second. You incorporate life as your classroom. Everything you see around you is a great resource for learning.

I am considering a Homeschool 101 monthly or quarterly session for new homeschoolers. I'll keep you posted if this comes to light!

Around here, Mondays are all about great websites for you to check out. Since we're homeschoolers, they're all kid & mom friendly! Here's this week's:

Kids Know It Network

Spelling, math, geology, memory, history, geography....

Dinosaurs, the human body, outer space...

videos, games, comics....

Your child will find just about everything on this site!

The KidsKnowIt Network is your student’s free portal into the many exciting facets that make up our Universe. From the human heart, to the moons of Jupiter you will find it all on the KidsKnowIt Network. Free Educational Websites.
Our fun and educational games, activities, worksheets, free online classes, and much much more, make learning fun. At The KidsKnowIt Network we provide accurate, updated, and fun information for you and your student. Best of all, YOU NEVER PAY FOR ANYTHING!!

Fun Friday!

Hello! And welcome to your 1st edition of Fun Friday on Homeschool 101! Since it's the holiday season, let's kick it off with some fun holiday crafts that you can do. Most everyone is feeling a little "crafty" during this time of year. Let's see what's out there that's fun and easy.

Chocolate Spoon

Simply dip colored plastic spoons (higher quality) in melted dark, milk or white chocolate (or candy coating) and top with multicolored or glittery sprinkles. Wrap in clear or colored cellophane, tied with ribbon. For a special addition to this yummy gift, glue a photo of your child onto a square of construction paper & make a gift tag. NOTE: This is intended as a hot drink stirrer. We do NOT recommend you allow young children to eat these alone, as they could bite into the plastic spoon.

For more fun ideas, click here.

Holiday Votive Craft Kit.


A merry way to bring candlelight to any holiday dinner or party! Hold your favorite scented or unscented candles and tealights within these festive containers! Simply glue the fabric and jingle bells on these multicolor glass votives. 2 1/2" Simple assembly required.


This kit is from Oriental Trading. $7.99 - makes three.

Very cute and festive!

Legislation Thursday

California:

ACR 115: Supports Rights of Parents

ACR 115 supports the right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. It expresses the Legislature’s position that the Appellate Court’s interpretation of the laws, under which parents teach their children at home, was misguided. And, it would call on the California Supreme Court to reverse the Appellate Court’s opinion. ACR 115 will not change any existing laws and it will not create any new law.

Status:
3/18/2008
Introduced. May be assigned to a policy committee first, or be sent directly to the Assembly Floor for a vote by a date yet to be assigned.

For more information, click here.

New Jersey

Assembly Bill 375: Raising Upper Age Limit of Compulsory School Attendance

Summary: This bill raises the requirement for compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18 years of age, except for students who graduate from high school prior to their 17th birthday.

Status:
1/8/2008 Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

5/12/2008 This bill was voted out of the Education Committee and referred to the Appropriations committee.

Action Requested: Please contact the members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee before Thursday and express your opposition to these bills. Your message can be as simple as:
“Please oppose Assembly Bill 375.

This costly bill will force unwilling, unmotivated older teens to remain in classrooms where they will cause disruption. Protect the right of parents to decide what educational or vocational path their 16- and 17-year-olds should follow.”

It is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooling family, since this bill undermines the rights of all parents. If your name begins with A-G, call group 1. If it begins with H-M, call group 2. If O-S, call group 3. T-Z call group 4. Also, call your own assemblyman, if he is listed below, regardless of what group he is in. (Use our Legislative Toolbox if you don't know the name of your assemblyman.

For more information, click here.

The actions requested in this post are not necessarily the opinions of Homeschool 101 or any of its contributors. This information was taken from the HSLDA website.

Welcome to Homeschool 101!

This venture has been a long time in the making. I hope you will like what you read here and jump in and get involved. We will post regular weekly and monthly columns where we'll disseminate all kinds of information about homeschooling!

On Mondays we'll let you know about terrific websites that you can incorporate in your homeschooling.

Tuesdays will be about A Day In The Life Of... We hope to bring you other homeschool families so you can learn all about them and how they do it. Even veteran homeschoolers want to know how others are doing it!

Wednesdays are article days. We'll talk about everything under the sun - as long as it has to do with home education, of course!

On Thursdays we'll let you know what news or legislation is out there about homeschooling. We all need to be kept informed about what's going on, right?

Fun Fridays - well, this is strictly for fun, of course. Get ideas for crafts, games, social activities and more!

We'd love to have you contribute. We're looking for regular bloggers who are also homeschoolers and can commit to either a once a week or once a month column. If you are interested please email me!

Hey Teens! Like to read? Join our monthly book club! Each month we'll delve into a new read and see what it's all about!

And now....on with the good stuff!

A new venture in the making!

Welcome to Homeschool 101. In the next couple of weeks you will see this blog emerge. This has been a thought/dream of mine to help other homeschoolers throughout the US - especially those who are just getting started or need more information about the journey!

I look forward to meeting many more homeschoolers through this blog!

Stay tuned.....