How do you know if homeschooling software will be right for your child? And once you've made the decision to find a program or software series to help with your child's homeschool education, how do you evaluate whether it will be effective? Many factors will determine whether you and your child will get value from your investment - is it fun and interesting for the child, does it teach the ideas and concepts that are intended, is it the right level for your child's current progress, etc.

Different children will have different ideas of what a 'fun' homeschool software program is. There are all sorts of topics and styles that current programs provide, and without a doubt you should be able to find something that is fun for your child, at the same time providing a valuable learning experience. Interactive games are probably the most fun, along with simulation programs (music), learning exercises, logic puzzles ... the list is endless.

So how do you find the perfect combination of educational and fun? This is going to depend on a combination of factors: your child, your chosen curriculum, and your budget. Your child's preferences with respect to game styles will determine what style of software you will look for. The focus of your curriculum will determine whether you choose math/reading/sciences games, or alternatively you may determine that the curriculum already covers enough subjects and you are looking for something which will stimulate your childs imagination. And lastly, budget will play some role in what you choose - educational software doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, although it can be. For example, there are many free online games which will work on particular skills - hangman, scrabble, Sudoku, Google sketchup for art hour, etc. On the other hand there are many homeschool software titles which have been specifically designed to provide a very specific and organized learning experience, along with built in facilities for measuring your child's progress.

One important factor to keep in mind is the interaction with other children that your child misses out on when they are home schooled. An important interaction with normal group schooling is the competitive nature of some of the school events. A fun way to introduce a fun and challenging learning environment that will imitate this competitive aspect is with home school software. Competing against a previous 'high score' or achieving the next level is a very strong motivator for competitive kids, and adds an element of fun to their homeschooling day.

Another interesting attribute of learning software is that they are often designed with enough flexibility so that they will suit a wide range of experience levels and learning speeds. The child is able to start out at the level they are currently studying at, and advance virtually at the maximum speed at which they are capable of learning. The combination of interactivity, challenge, and appropriate skill level makes homeschool software a very accessible learning tool which adds fun to your child's education. The secondary benefit to this adaptability is the ability for you to use the same program for multiple children, regardless of their individual levels and learning styles.



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Homeschooling has many advantages, especially when planning a high school curriculum. Meeting your state's requirements, of course, is your first priority, but many people don't realize how flexible those requirements are. I especially love the flexibility of gearing courses towards what my children are gifted in, not only because they enjoy it more (thus more cooperative), but we've stumbled on surprising interests, too!

How many kids go kicking and screaming to their first music lesson only to discover music as a love of their life? My son resisted learning how to present speeches, only to discover he has a natural talent and now enjoys it! I'm sure you have experienced this in your home, too. The freedom to explore those natural talents extensively is one of the best reasons to homeschool in my opinion.

Homeschools do seem to lagging behind in one area, however, and that's in entrepreneur education. Aside from the course we published, we couldn't find one homeschool curriculum available for teaching entrepreneurship. Now that becoming an entrepreneur is a growing trend, much of that is sure to change! Did you know that a recent poll of high school students showed that 70% wanted to have their own business someday, but 90% of those had no idea how to start?

Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs, it came natural to us to make home business a part of our schooling, and we assumed other homeschool families did the same. I found out differently! One announcement of our intentions to start an Entrepreneur's Club to our homeschool group a few years ago brought so many people that we overflowed the room given to us. We were pleasantly surprised to the turnout and the desire of the parents themselves wanting to learn more.

In our own family, we found when our children had their own business, it not only gave them money to bear some of their own expenses for extras, but it opened unexpected doors of learning opportunities. Once, one of our boys had done a job that took much more time and labor than expected, we saw it as a good lesson in business planning and pricing. It was when that same person wanted them to return to do even more to, uh, finish the job,(!) that there was a question of ethics involved that gave us a chance to discuss issues like the difference between Christian good will and allowing abuse. When you attempt to explain issues like that with a life experience bringing it to life, it impresses the lesson indelibly.

We discovered that other school subjects began to take on new meaning when our boys found they need to know how to figure square feet for a job, or to calculate cost per item. Speech, that dreaded subject for so many, is seen in a new light when they know that their business could create a need to speak in front of a group. Learning to research ideas and profitability, writing copy for their website, understanding the chemistry of a product they are inventing are just a few examples how a business will bring new life to learning.

No matter how you look at it, it's a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives. They will learn that at any point in their life, out of necessity or desire, that starting a business is very possible, and will know the basics that they need to consider before taking the plunge. The more we researched, the more we saw the need to make it an essential part of their education.

There are two common misconceptions about starting a small business. The first one being that starting a business is difficult, and the second is that it's very simple. In a sense, both ideas are correct. It is relatively simple for anyone to start a business, but it's difficult to make it work. Knowing exactly what it takes to start and successfully run a business helps anyone know that it's very possible, yet gives them the tools necessary to make it work.

The Small Business Administration states that over one half of all new businesses fail within 4 years because of a lack of good business training. It's really not surprising that many new entrepreneurs go into business without knowing some of the most important business and financial basics. Every parent wants their child to go into life fully equipped. With just one semester of training, the basics of understanding the importance of a business plan and how to write an effective one could save your grown child thousands of dollars and make the difference in success or failure in a new business. Even if your child never intends to have a business, understanding their job from their employer's perspective will make them a better employee.

That's why as a homeschool parent, the freedom to incorporate entrepreneur education in your curriculum is one of the best tools you could give your teen! There are many resources now available online to get started with and it's an investment with a guaranteed return!



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Maths Education in India Schools

With the boom of computer & miniature electronic devices, the aptitude for mental computational skills are in decline. I had a classmate from Japan, and he was so used to calculators that even for simple arithmetic he used to look of a calculator. This trend seems to catching the present Indian generation as well.

Recent studies show that the skills of pupils are getting worse and worse. In one of the study, tested 106 Final year students of primary school? in mental addition and subtraction (within the limits of 20), multiplication and division (within the limits of 100). Standard tables including 64 elementary operations on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were used for determination of the level of the skills.

The results turned out worrying: 52% of the sample has failed in addition and subtraction; 75% of the sample has failed in multiplication and division. In comparison with the data which had been obtained five years ago there is considerable deterioration (25 - 30 %). The investigations show that all of these pupils have no chances to understand and master more complicated topics. If the trend will not change, very soon school math will turn into "knowledge for minions of fortune" and will become a sort of magic for other pupils.

This scenario has been aggravated by present education system as well as incompetent teachers. The learning activities put more emphasis towards better grades, and so students try to minimize their chances of error. At the same time teachers lack innovative ideas towards teaching subjects like mathematics, which are still taught in a very rudimentary ways.

Things have started improving as more and more educationists are realizing the importance of improvement of maths education in India. CBSE, which is the major board of secondary & higher secondary education in India, introduced various methods to improve school maths educations. The schools are also taking initiatives to improve maths education in India. Some schools are taking help from education consultants, like XSEED to bring changes in their school education.



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