Home School XYZ » kids

Hnts in Picking a Summer Camp

Lonnie Lorenz — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:37:27 +0000

Finding a Summer Camp for your child takes some work up front. First decide if your going to a Coed Summer Camp or a sigle gender camp, like a all girls.
Each have their own benefit. Maybe a Coed Camp is best for your child. Next, help your child to find a camp that will increase their interests or expose them to new activities. After you have 3 or 4, here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.

What’s the camp’s philosophy? Is it one you’re comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it’s a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you’re looking at a sports camp that touts an affiliation with a celebrity athlete, how much time–if any–will the sports star actually spend there?

What does camp do with staff? First aid training? Drug Testing? Do counselors have criminal background checks? What’s the training all about?

What about return rates? How many counselors are returning this year? How many campers are returning? ask the director why?

What’s the ratio of counselors to campers? ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18. Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

How old are the counselors? The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

What about Health Care? Overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site daily, Day camps should be have direct phone access. Be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child’s special health care needs.

How does the camp handle conflicts and Discipline? Find out what the camp’s rules are and what breaches would result in a camper being sent home. You should be comfortable that the camp’s practices are in line with your parenting practices.

What does a camp Day look like? This will help you decide if your child will be happy with the level of physical activity or the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts. Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.

Does the camp have vans for transportation? How often are camp vehicles inspected? Who will be driving them and what’s the training.

Get References and more References, Get the names of parents with children who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special and why they want to return.

Need more ideas to help you make a smart decision? Check out Summer Camp Advice A Summer Camp

About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the Directors of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional Children’s Summer Camp in Wisconsin. Boys and Girls ages 6-15 enjoy playing in nature, caring for animals, and learning science. Traditional camping activities include canoe trips and more. SNC is so personal it seems like a Homeschool Summer Camp.

3 Hints in Picking a Summer Camp

Jeff J. Lorenz — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:23:56 +0000

So you are thinking about a Summer Camp for your child. First decide if your going to a Coed Summer Camps or an all boys or girls camp. Each have their own merritt. Maybe a Coed Camp is best for your child. Next, work with you child to find a camp that will increase their interests or expose them to new activities. After all that, here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.

What’s the camp’s ideology? Are you comfortable with this ? Is it a good fit for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? What religious observances or practices are part of the program? I

How does the Summer Camp get and train its staff? Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing? What’s the training all about?

What about return rates? How many counselors are returning this year? The ACA says at most camps, 50 percent of the staff returns. If the number you’re given is lower, ask why. How many campers return? Fifty percent is good, and more is better.

What’s the ratio of staff to camper? Guidelines for overnight camps are for a 1:6 ratio for ages for younger children, and 1:10 for older teens.

How old are the counselors? The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby? The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child’s needs.

How does the camp Punish campers? Know what your summer camp’s rules and regulations. Be sure they match yur parental thoughts. Know what breaches would send a camper home.

What is a day at camp like? This will help you know if your child will find happiness with the level of activity. Is their choice in selecting activities.

Does the camp have vans for transportation? How often are camp vehicles inspected? Who will be driving them and what’s the training.

Get References and more References, Get the names of parents with children who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special and why they want to return.

Need more ideas to help you make a smart decision? Check out Summer Camp Advice A Summer Camp

Hooked On Phonics – A Blessing For Kids Learning

Girish Jaju — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:56:01 +0000

Children find it enormously delightful and easy to understand, the hooked on phonics system of learning. That is why this scheme of child education is getting pace over the years. It is more of a confidence building practice over and above the teaching method for children. The children over seven are the most primed candidates to benefit from this method of training due to the fact that they can recognize between the phonetics of vowels and consonants.

Since the phonetics is used in this method of teaching for the kids to learn, it is necessary to understand the phonetically dissimilar vowels and consonants. The effect of this wonderful system is found in the learning process where reading is concerned. Problematic reading is therefore corrected with this system of teaching. The medium of working is letter and sound, which are effectively combined to get the approval of kids.

Kids find this system very responsive and gain immensely to make improvements in the reading abilities of children. The hooked on phonics system of learning for kids take the help of numerous kinds of materials including CDs and DVDs to recognize the model sounds and equivalent letters.

They have been found to offer brilliant improvements in the reading skill of kids who had not been able to read properly. This system makes appealing outfits to incorporate in the learning programs with a touch of entertainment for kids, which they adore and welcome.

Results with kids are fantastic and a kid who has experienced a lesson of this hooked on phonic system of learning will never want to miss the entertainment and fun. There are various plans for every kind of children which parents should select for their kids.

Great approvals and advantages have been recorded in the reading abilities of children using the novel system of learning with hooked on phonics. Several commercials in the televisions relating this kind of learning techniques have been liked by visitors throughout the nation. This has reached many kids around the globe to benefit children who have difficulty in reading. This program has been a lucky thing in the form of entertainment for the kids with trouble in reading.

Through this article, we try to provide valuable information about Hooked On Phonics and its effectiveness. For more details about phonics educational methods, you can visit Kindergarten Worksheets

The Seton Study Curriculum For Home Study Who Are Of The Catholic Faith

Powell York — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:56:51 +0000

The Seton home schooling program was initially designed as a Catholic home education course out of the all-catholic Seton High School in Manassas, Virginia. The Catholic home school society grew fast and demand for the school’s new home curriculum course was high.

This religious home school course has been used by scores of Catholic families who need to home school their offspring full time at their own residence. The training courses are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. When students finish the program, they can officially finish high school. They will receive a certified diploma.

Seton uses the Thomistic philosophy and approach to learning. Thomistic curriculum is based on the teachings of St Thomas Aquinas. It is a commonsensical approach to teaching kids and has provided them a stable groundwork in the Catholic faith with heavenly polish.

You can be convinced that Seton Home schooling Instruction is not a function of a “degree mill” but is well known on a national scale as an accredited instructive curriculum for home school students. Seton home study course requires children to undergo twenty-two credits to finish from high school, with each credit representing a year taken in a certain subject area for kindergarten through twelve. Appropriate secondary curriculum accreditation makes it better for home schoolers who are enrolling in college to get accepted.

For Seton home-schoolers, they will study the educational nuts and bolts of Math, English, & Science while also learning more on the subject of the Catholic traditions and its biblical studies. There is moreover a look at the historical saints of the Catholic Church in terms of history. Pope John Paul II described it best in his Letter to Families: “Parents are the first and the most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents.” You can pretty much say that this quote from the former Pope summarizes the complete philosophy of the Seton Home School Curriculum.

The Catholic Church has continuously taught to go ye into all the world, but Catholic home schooling parents can firstly evangelize their children in a spiritual residence through catholic home-schooling instruction from K-12. The entire emphasis is on the eternal good of the young person.

So if you are a Catholic and want to make a true difference in the child’s value system, think about home-schooling. Seton is in simple terms the best option. You will be happy you chose it.

More information about Best Home School Curriculum at Seton Homeschooling.

How Past Test Papers And Effective Note Taking Can Help You Succeed At Tests

Anthony Stewart — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:20:13 +0000

by Aaron Davis

Here is some advice for those about to take an exam or parents preparing their child for an important exam.

Revising for exams can be a stressful time for both younger and older children. Also for parents anxious that their children will do well. It is important therefore to prepare early.

The earlier your child starts to revise for the exam the easier it will be for them to absorb the information. Cramming in information a few days before the test can just create more stress which can hinder recall during the exam.

How past test papers can assist revision

The key to passing a test is having a good idea of the test questions that will be asked in the exam. There are two main ways of obtaining this information. First talk to the teacher and ask him or her how the questions will be structured. Some questions could involve multiple choice, others may require written answers. Also ask what key areas will be emphasized in the test.

Another important way of preparing your child for a test and helping them revise efficiently is to obtain past test papers.

1. Obtaining past papers will enable your child to see how the questions are arranged and how the answers are marked. It will also provide a general idea of the types of questions and key revision areas to give priority to.

2. If the test papers involve written questions rather then multiple choice some answers will carry more marks then others. The more marks that are rewarded for each question usually the more points that have to be given for that answer. It is important your child dedicates the right amount of time and written material to each answer. Past test papers enable your child to see how to answer a question and not just what answer to give.

3. Obtaining past exam papers will enable you to test your child against the clock. It is vital your child manages his or her time effectively during the exam. Getting every question correct but partially completing a test paper can still result in a fail. Using past test papers enable you to carry out practice timed assessments to establish how they should manage their time during the exam and how much time they should dedicate to each question.

How to use mind maps for revision

Revision involves 3 fundamental steps. Firstly planning and managing your time effectively. A timetable can be useful for this. Secondly focusing on what matters. Past test papers will have made it easier to concentrate on key areas most likely to be asked during the exam. Thirdly writing notes efficiently that can also be reviewed quickly before an exam.

Note taking is an important aspect of revision but only if they employ the rules of note taking and the notes you create are not monotonous and boring.

Notes can either hinder or help revision. Avoid linear notes that are monotonous, boring and time consuming and instead use colourful mind maps which use colour, drawing and brief sentences.

Mind maps utilize imagery, association and order. Key information is arranged closer to the key topic at the centre of the mind map. Related information is connected via branches.

Mind Maps are very effective note taking techniques due to the way that mind maps arrange and present information. Images and drawings are much easier to remember and the branches on the mind map help the mind to organize and associate related information which is crucial for recall. Also the most important information is easier to find and scan quickly making it easier to review information quickly before an exam.

When creating a mind map it is best if they start off creating a mind map of knowledge they have already gained from books, school, the media and elsewhere. Building upon pre-existing knowledge is a great way of improving recall.

The colour and images on a mind map, the branches which connect related information and the keywords and phrases all provide a powerful and efficient note taking technique.

Over time their mind map will become more detailed with drawings, keywords, and phrases representing key ideas and information.

Every few days they should use their mind map to recall as much as possible from memory. The keywords and images should help recall. This practice is what reinforces knowledge in long term memory.

Reviewing before the exam

Reviewing before the exam should be easy with mind maps as it simply involves scanning the mind map and recalling from memory what has been learned. The images and keywords act as triggers for memories. Reviewing a mind map this way also helps to review gaps in their knowledge which can be filled in by revisiting the material.

A day before the exam you should insure they get plenty of rest. Tiredness can hinder concentration. Also dehydration is shown to produce brain fog and tiredness. They should drink plenty of water just before the exam.

If they have prepared well, have studied the relevant material and have created mind maps to absorb the information and aid efficient exam revision this should greatly increase the chances of passing the exam.

About the Author:

If you would like advice on how to pass exams or you require past test papers check out http://www.childs-iq.com/ .We provide SAT exam papers for various courses for ages five to fourteen

Hooked On Phonics Is For Kids Learning

Hema Maheshwari — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:45:20 +0000

by Girish Jaju

Hooked on Phonics is a famous plan for teaching children, who find the system pleasing and use it confidently. This system of enlightening is aimed for kids above the age of seven, who are familiar with consonants and vowels earlier in their talking. This is fundamentally an educating channel for education of kids through the use phonetics.

It makes easy solutions for a kid to beat his or her reading problems. The learning is based on the link between letter and sound. Due to its easy application and helpful approach, it has been accepted in many media to serve as learning materials. The beneficiaries of this specific plan are kids, who develop their learning skill noticeably.

The achievement of the program has been fantastic, which defined the system by a well known phrase “Hooked on Phonics work for me” as words coming out of the lips of the baby in the TV ad. Its achievement was approved by the public as it won many honors including important national honors. This has earned the respect of the entire country and by more than 30 other countries involving learning system for kids.

In earlier period the marketing was done through television to hook or engage kids in education. The system obliges parents by offering a way for kids to learn to read using books, CDs, DVDs and other materials and have ultimately become a household name.

It is a tough task to make the kids focus on learning, which the system performs for parents by using programs with entertainment, which appeal to kids in an absorbing manner. Kids enjoy the same and the learning is a done easily. Parents have alternatives to select from a wide range of approaches to teach their children.

It is not simple for guardians to select one which suits their children and financial plan. Guardians need effective programs that serve their children through a straightforward approach engaging children to learn online. Children are able to learn through different mediums like verbal or visual classes. The entertaining lessons attract the children and they remain focused sitting inside the easiness of their own house. Hooked on Phonics items are available at important retail outlets worldwide and online at their site.

About the Author:

Through this article, we try to provide valuable information about Hooked On Phonics and its effectiveness. For more details about phonics educational methods, you can visit Hooked On Phonics Learn To Read