* What will your children do for socialization?
* How can you teach your children if you are not certified?
* Will your children be able to get a diploma?
* Will your child be accepted into college?
* Do you not get tired of being around your children all day?
* What is so wrong about the public school system?
* How will your children ever learn about life?

It is not just parents who get asked a lot of questions about homeschooling. Homeschooled children also find they are asked many questions about homeschooling from their peers. Here is a list of questions that homeschooling children may be asked. Teach them how to give homeschooling information that is informative and positive.

* Don’t you get lonely?
* Don’t you have friends?
* How do you play sports?
* Do you have a social life?
* Why do you homeschool?
* Don’t you think you’d like public school?
* Do you take tests?
* Do you get a grade card?
* Do you get to sleep late?
* Do you get an “A” in all your subjects?
* How long does it take you to homeschool?
* Will you be able to go to college?
* Do you have homework?

Let’s imagine that you have joined a co-op and built many new and valuable relationships. In fact, the entire co-op has proven to be one of the smartest things you have modified since you began homeschooling. Then one day, you are introduced to a new member. Immediately you realize that the two of you have absolutely nothing in common beyond the shared homeschool goals.

Your teaching style is laid back, allowing your children to guide the direction of the learning process, while the other women is structured, textbook-oriented, and prefers teacher-directed lesson planning — and she’s trying to impose these mindsets upon the entire co-op. At this point you have two choices: you can continually dispute the new member’s teaching style, fight her suggestions and provide a negative role modeling for your children. After spending so much time trying to teach positive character traits to your children, your negative behavior will immediately contradict and discredit all of your teaching efforts.

The other, more productive choice would be to observe this new member of your co-op and share your own strengths and motivations for your teaching style. The unique and real life training that both you and your children will share as you successfully conquer this personal challenge will be a lesson in good will and respect that will last a lifetime.

If you have the time, incorporate art into the unit by giving each child colored pencils and a sketchbook. Grades two and three often study seeds and plants in the public school curriculum, but as a homeschool teacher, you can choose to include these life skills in your curriculum at any time and extend your outdoor study unit into yet another direction.

When teaching your children about seeds and plants, you can teach them the term “hypothesis” and show them how to create observing and recording charts to use as they monitor the growth of their potted seeds.

If your family is planning on planting a garden in the spring, have your children work on creating a garden blue print. Prior to buying any garden seeds or supplies, have the children research “companion planting” so that they can determine which plants grow better next to one another and which should be on opposite ends of the garden. Once the blueprint for the garden is done, use mathematics to determine its actual size and the width and lenghth of rows. Giving your children a real life situation is a lesson they won’t forget.

For many, a simple online search with a favorite search engine can provide all the information necessary. Others prefer to discover new resources and Websites from friends and fellow homeschool parents. For those that have used every available resource and still want to locate a specific homeschool Website, look no further than homeschool resource books and homeschool magazines at your local library. These different resources provide a plethora of information, suggestions and obscure websites that are filled with valuable information.

Every major college and university accepts homeschooled students; some even seek out college-bound homeschoolers because they are typically serious about learning and do not attend college to party. Recently, a university rejected a homeschooled student on the grounds that the student had not attended an accredited high school, despite the fact that his transcripts and SAT scores would have gained him admission to Harvard. The applicant took the school to court and won admission.

Check into the colleges your child wishes to apply to and obtain their specific requirements. Many private colleges in the US rely on interviews as well as written recommendations to determine the student´s ability to shoulder the school´s workload. Homeschoolers are welcome at these institutions and they do well in college.

Criteria – Title
Excellent – Title piquest the reader´s curiosity by using unique vocabulary
Acceptable – Title is based on the vocabulary of essay´s content
Not Too Good – Title reiterates name of book or assignment
Starting Over Again – No Title

Criteria – First and Final Paragraphs
Excellent – Strong engagement, and sense of closure
Acceptable – Avoids the template, but doesn´t grab the reader
Not Too Good – Flat, template-like beginning and closure
Starting Over Again – Not distinguishable as beginning and ending paragraphs

Criteria – Paragraph Sequence
Excellent – Uses tect to effect transition from one pargraph to the next
Acceptable – Transition achieved, but by an overuse of traditional words (likewise, so, therefore, et al)
Not Too Good – Paragraphs ordered, but no sense of transition
Starting Over Again – No logical sequence to paragraphs, disjointed

Criteria – Sentence Contruction
Excellent – Variety of sentence forms used to achieve balance
Acceptable – Complex sentences, but too much prose
Not Too Good – Declarative and compound sentences
Starting Over Again – Short declarative sentences

You can easily apply a letter grade to this rubric if that is your preference. It is always handy to word the rubric in such a way that you can hand it to your student in advance and let him know what you are looking for.

NASA has investigated the phenomena of lightning from aircraft and the Space Shuttle. This “Lightning Primer” explores the characteristics, the history, and the on-going research about nature’s most capricious and deadly member. While you are here, make sure you check out the picture of lightning taken from Columbian crew cabin!

This web site is available at: http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/lisotd_old.html