Home Schooling vs. School Schooling

West Virginia State Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have a 7th grader homeschooling, and a 4th grader school schooling.

Both kids took the West Virginia scholastic apptitude testing at the end of last year, WESTEST.

My homeschooler Distinguished in 2 subjects and was Above Mastery in 2. My school schooler did not do as well and had 2 Above Mastery and 2 Mastery.

My homeschooler never has homework at night because he gets all of his work done during the school day.

My school schooler has tons of homework every evening in addition to WHAT EVER IT IS SHE IS WASTING HER TIME DOING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. I figure if she were not wasting her time at school she would not be coming home with the school work. By bringing home her school work we lose important family time every night.

Both of my kids took the SCAT testing with John’s Hopkins University City Youth Programs for Gifted Kids. Both kids qualified so I know they are both above average students.

My schooler also comes home everyday with an attitude.

So, what is my point? Not really sure…

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Kudos to Home Schooling

Passionate Learning

by Lyn Waldeck

When I first started training with Bob back in the early to mid 1990s, I was fortunate to be able to sit through hundreds of evaluations with him. Hundreds of times I heard him ask the question, “So Johnny, what do you do for fun?” One evening over a working dinner meeting he went to great lengths to tell me how important that simple little question is in getting to understand what makes a kid “tick.” It allows us to see various obsessions or DSAs (Debilitating Sensory Additions) a child may have. It allows us to see gaps in global maturity that need to be addressed. It identifies who is at a loss of how to put their thoughts into words. It also provides a wealth of information when it comes to assisting the parent in how to guide the child’s day. In this particular article I want to address how to take a passion and use it to motivate a child in the advancement of his education.

In today’s mess that has been created by politicians pushing for grading a school based on how well they teach the kids to take a specific test at the end of the year, it has become even more important for parents to focus on motivating a child at home in order to enrich his ability to become an adult who is resourceful and knows how to obtain information. If you are homeschooling you have an opportunity to do education so much better. I am always shocked when I have parents, especially of young children, agonizing over which “curriculum” to purchase. When they ask I quickly respond, “It doesn’t really matter. It is all the same: the same degree of bad.” Why take what is working poorly in the schools and reproduce it in the home? With the exception of the high school years, which have to be looked at in more detail and individually based on the course their secondary education will take, there is much more to gain by using a child’s passion to create a rich learning environment. While I am in agreement that there are areas that a child should learn “just because,” even those will be more successful if you first turn them on to a quest for knowledge in an area of interest. I can remember one of my sons taking an interest in chemistry at a very early age. When asked why, it was evident to me. His “Poppy,” my father, was a chemistry teacher and Kenny loved his granddaddy. My dad was not a man of many words until you got him talking about either gardening or chemistry. Interestingly enough, one of my older sons gravitated towards an interest in gardening, the other in chemistry. At the age of about 12, Kenny was accelerated in both his auditory digit span and his reading comprehension, which by the way, go hand in hand. He was able to self teach from his grandfather’s teaching supplies in his “free time.” By the time he was in public school, and later in the work place, this head start really paid off for him to a much greater extent than had we progressed through Science Curriculum one year at a time.

If you are not homeschooling, then it seems you have an even bigger task to overcome. In the very little time that is left after a day of going through the motions of school and homework, it is important to take the time that is available to give them a passion for learning. In this case I strongly suggest giving as much input and assistance as needed to get homework over with ASAP so that the fun stuff can begin. I remember how Bob once told me about his son and how one of the first areas of passion in his life was basketball. Bob used the Utah Jazz to create an enjoyment in learning without him even knowing it. Together there wasn’t a stone left unturned in knowing statistics, sequencing and mental math with jersey numbers, going to games as rewards, and many other creative ways to work basketball into processing and academic advancement.

I am always shocked at some of the monotonous writing assignments given in school. The one that really pushes my buttons is when they assign the child to write a persuasive paper and give them a topic that they have no frame of reference for or don’t have any interest in. To become a good writer, it is much more productive to use a subject that the student already has a foundation of knowledge in and has a passion for. On program many of you will have “Fun Unit Studies” written on a line of your program. Truthfully, I wish we could make that one little line about 5 inches bigger than the rest of the academic activities. It seems to be an item left off more times than not and is a huge loss in opportunity. I think that most of the time it is because you really don’t grasp what we mean by “Fun Unit Study” to begin with. It is not meant to be a note to motivate you to purchase pre-packaged curriculum. How can anything be individualize and yet pre-packaged? While there are some wonderful tools that can be used for unit studies, we do not mean following a plan that is laid out without the interest of the child taken into consideration. Some of the best unit studies start with a simple question from the child. If it is fun to continue gathering information, then continue. If it loses its appeal, move on to something else. I can remember the first time one of my son’s saw a school history book. He was disgusted that Christopher Columbus got less than half of a page devoted to him. His comment was, “Didn’t we spend 6 months learning all about things to do with him?” Then he went on to list the things not covered in the history text. These were things he had learned approximately 6 years before. The reason he retained that information over the course of time was because he was interested in the first place and we proceeded in a fun way with the learning.

I want to let you observe two videos that have been sent to me by wonderfully smart boys on my caseload who inspired me to write this article. I will not go into their original challenges that brought them to us, but I will say that each of the mothers has done an amazing job of working to put pieces together so that their brilliance can shine through. These parents have an understanding of how to work on processing and make learning child-centered. As a result these boys have retained information in areas of interest that they have spent a lot of time gathering. They research their topics of interest and share with an enthusiasm that makes me want to learn more about what they are saying.

As you look towards a future for your children, let’s not bore them with meaningless memorization for tests only to have them forget most of what is drilled in to them. Let us explore their passions, research and expand knowledge, and work with them on ways to communicate to others in a way that makes the information come alive.

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Children in West Virginia (statistics)

As of January 26,

West Virginia State Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2012

388,338 children live in West Virginia:

351,756 are White, non-Hispanic

13,399 are Black

7,428 are Hispanic

2,088 are Asian

192 are American Indian/Alaska Native

14,767 are two or more races

In West Virginia:

A child is abused or neglected every 2 hours.

A child dies before his or her first birthday every 2 days.

West Virginia Ranks:*

44th among states in percent of babies born at low birthweight.

Best state is South Dakota; worst state is Mississippi

39th among states in its infant mortality rate.

Best state is New Hampshire; worst is the District of Columbia

22nd among states in per pupil expenditures.

The District of Columbia is best; Utah is the worst state

[*1

st represents the best state for children and 51st represents the worst state for children in the country]

Child Poverty in West Virginia

Number of poor children (and percent poor) 95,744 (25.5%)

Number of children living in extreme poverty (and percent in extreme poverty) 40,872 (10.9%)

Number of adults and children receiving cash assistance from Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 23,479

Maximum monthly TANF cash assistance for a family of three $340

Child Health in West Virginia

Number of children without health insurance (and percent uninsured) 10,923 (2.7%)

Number of children enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 37,539

CHIP eligibility: 300 percent of federal poverty ($69,150 for a family of four)

Number of children enrolled in Medicaid 247,953

Children as a percent of total Medicaid enrollment 49.1%

Medicaid and CHIP participation rate 24.5%

Medicaid expenditures on children as a percent of total Medicaid expenditures 90.5%

Percent of two-year-olds not fully immunized 37.4%

Child Hunger in West Virginia

Number of children who receive SNAP (food stamps) 128,000

Percent of eligible persons who receive SNAP (food stamps) 91%

Number of children in the School Lunch Program 206,190

Number of children in the Summer Food Service Program 16,807

Number of women and children receiving WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children) 49,117

Early Childhood Development in West Virginia

Percent of children under age 6 with all parents in the labor force 60.8%

Number of children served by Head Start 9,369

Number of children served by the Child Care Development Fund/CCDBG 7,000

Average annual cost of child care for a four-year-old in a center $5,800

Percent of 3-year-olds enrolled in state pre-k, Head Start, or special

education programs 18.6%

Percent of 4-year-olds enrolled in state pre-k, Head Start, or special

education programs 78.4%

Education in West Virginia

Annual expenditure per public school pupil $10,821

Percent of public school fourth graders:

unable to read at grade level 73.3%

unable to do math at grade level 68.8%

Percent of public school eighth graders:

unable to read at grade level 75.9%

unable to do math at grade level 78.7%

Number of 16- to 19-year-olds who have dropped out of high school 6,099

Child Welfare in West Virginia

Number of children who are victims of abuse and neglect 3,961

Number of children in foster care 4,097

Number of children adopted from foster care 662

Number of grandparents raising grandchildren 20,581

Youth at Risk in West Virginia

Percent of 16- to 19-year-olds not enrolled in school and not high

school graduates 6.0%

Averaged freshman high school graduation rate 77.0%

Percent of 16- to 19-year-olds unemployed 26.9%

Number of juvenile arrests 1,954

Number of children and teens in juvenile residential facilities 565

Ratio of cost per prisoner to cost per public school pupil 3.84

Number of children and teens killed by firearms in homicides n/a

Number of children and teens killed by firearms in suicides 10

This fact sheet contains the most recent data as of January 26, 2012.

For data sources and methodological notes, please visit: www.childrensdefense.org/cits.

The healing touch of massage

BodyWorks

By Tanise Edwards, M.D. (Click for author bios in About us) Ahh, massage … Do you think of a rubdown as a nice spa service? For some people, massage can be more than that. It can help soothe what ails them. It may also be what the doctor ordered. In some studies, massage therapy has been shown to lessen pain, reduce stress and promote faster healing. And, it may help with: Chronic neck or low back pain Migraines Sports injuries Anxiety Depression High blood pressure It may benefit people with cancer, as well. Massage “appears promising” as a way to improve the lives of cancer patients, according to the American Cancer Society. Some studies suggest it can decrease pain, stress and fatigue. Depending on your condition, keep in mind that multiple sessions may be needed. How does it work? Massage’s most basic purpose is to relax muscles — to relieve pain and stiffness. The science on other possible effects is limited, however. There are a number of theories. One suggests that massage enhances well-being by producing endorphins, mood-boosting chemicals. Another says it helps flush the waste product lactic acid out of muscles. Is it safe? There are a number of types of massage, including deep tissue, trigger point and sports massage. And, done by a trained, certified therapist, massage therapy poses few safety concerns. Many medical experts accept massage as a useful part of an overall wellness or treatment plan. But, it’s not necessarily right for everyone. If you have a bleeding disorder, take blood thinners or have brittle bones, talk with your doctor before trying massage. Other people who should check with their doctors first include: Women who are pregnant People who have recently had surgery Those who may be allergic to massage oils or lotions Of course, don’t use massage therapy to replace your regular medical care. And, don’t try it before you see your doctor about a health problem or injury. Finding the right rub If you’re considering massage therapy, talk with your doctor. Ask if it might be helpful for you. He or she may recommend a certified therapist — and give you a referral, if needed. Before making an appointment, be sure to check your benefits plan to see what services may be covered.

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What gives a good school credibility?

English: German Street, Shepherdstown, West Virginia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So where does your child go to school?

Is your child’s school respected in the community in which it serves?

What makes the school good?

How are the teachers?

My son just finished 5th grade at Shepherdstown Elementary School. He started at SES in Kindergarten. For most of his tenure at SES we were pleased as parents. Some of the fundraising events seemed a bit over the top at times, but what truly stood out were its teachers and leading educators.

It was always nice to hear that his Elementary School was considered one of the most highly rated in the State of West Virginia and even in the tri-state area. It was also nice to hear when the principal, Dr. Susanne Offut was voted as the best principal of the year for Jefferson County.

So, what do you do when the County announces it is facing a short fall in budgets and wants to cut back on teachers, including teachers from your school that you considered were a key reason the school was so good.

Something else to think about in this case is why there is a shortfall and does it have anything to do with the paving of parking lots at the highschool for student parking or tennis courts that are rarely used? I have never attended a single BOE meeting in the county but had considered going many times.

Perhaps I will go next year since I still have a daughter in the school system and plan to keep her at SES. As for my son, we will homeschool him next year because the Middle School he is supposed to attend does not have the same reputation as the Elementary School did and we are not ready to entrust our son to them at this time.

So, who is your favorite teacher? Please add there names to this blogpost so others can learn the names of the very educators that make our schools what they are…

 

A Maryland Community College Nursing School does not accept Hispanics, Asians or Immigrants as Students.

They do not actually say they don’t accept them but according to the following new Technical Standards for Students, it sends a clear message NOT to apply. I would not expect non-English speaking patients (or doctors with accents) to find comfort in the County Hospital that takes graduates from this College. With no cultural diversity in the student body, I would think that racism and prejudice would set in sooner or later…

Quote: “The student must communicate effectively both verbally and non-verbally to elicit information and to translate that information to others. Each student must have the ability to read, write, comprehend and clearly speak the English language to facilitate communications with patients, their family members and other professionals in health care settings. In addition, the student must be able to maintain accurate patient records, present information in a professional, logical manner and provide patient counseling and instruction to effectively care for patients and their families. The student must clearly communicate effectively verbally and in writing with instructors and other students in the classroom setting as well.”

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