We’ve been thinking a lot about what we love lately: A year ago our precious Katie was born the day before Valentine’s Day. How appropriate since we’d spend the next year thinking about her heart. At two weeks, we discovered she was in SVT (dangerously fast heart rhythm) at 278 beats per minute. They had to stop her heart six times that night. We were hoping she’d be one of the 25% who grow out of the condition by a year old, but we just found out her heart is still in danger. Not only that, but my best friend, husband and co-author, Hal has stage four Hodgkins lymphoma. We are thinking a lot about what we love – Christ, our family, and so much more!

So, we dedicate this Carnival, in the week before Valentine’s Day to Things Homeschoolers Love. Homeschoolers are an incredibly diverse bunch, but it is safe to say that homeschoolers: Read more…

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Uwe and Hannelore Romeike are not like other asylum seekers, people fleeing war or torture in places like Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. They’re music teachers from a village in southern Germany. And yet, in what appears to be the first case of its kind, the couple and their five children were granted asylum in the U.S. last week by an immigration judge who ruled that they had a “well-founded fear of persecution” in their home country for engaging in what has become a popular albeit somewhat controversial American practice — homeschooling their children. Read more…

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The case of the homeschooling couple from Germany who were granted political asylum in the United States, about which Ed West blogged recently, becomes even more interesting if one reads the remarks of the man who granted the Romeikes asylum, Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman, of Memphis, Tennessee.

Burman said: “We can’t expect every country to follow our constitution. The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate.” He observed: “Homeschoolers are a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress. This family has a well-founded fear of persecution… therefore, they are eligible for asylum…”

Those last remarks might have been uttered in 1933. Do we truly realise the significance of what has happened? Read more…

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It’s been a rough time for us lately… Unemployment… New job, but underemployed, and having to move out of our house… Living in the RV with three kids and four cats…

And we just learned that my Father-in-Law has been diagnosed with lung cancer (He’s going through a troubled recovery from throat cancer, beginning two years ago, and his wife has just been through a bout with cancer as well). We’ll be heading for Mississippi tomorrow to spend a week with the family there.

Nothing like struggles to make you re-evaluate your priorities!

With that in mind, I present this, the

Carnival of Homeschooling – “What Matters Most” Edition Read more…

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It’s a great idea and I encourage your K-12 homeschoolers to check out the list of writing contests waiting for their entry. They also offer deadline reminders for you.

Who can enter the most writing contests this year? This competition encourages homeschoolers of every age to get out their pens and join in the race!

Our Goal
The goal is to help students see that winning a contest is not the important part– it’s entering the contest itself. That’s where this competition comes in; we try to encourage the student to enter writing contests without getting discouraged that they didn’t win each contest. We award recognition not for who won the most but for who entered the most. Our hope is that students will find entering contests fun, even if they don’t win. Read more…

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It’s part of a trend of home schoolers becoming involved in activities that would have once seemed the antithesis of learning in a private, family-based environment. What began with home educated students making their presence felt in scholastic sports leagues and youth orchestras has spread to cultural institutions.

“Part of what’s happening is that home schooling now is, or is really close to being, mainstream,” said Brian D. Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute. “If you’re a museum, a theater, a library, a team or a community chorus, you’re going to hear, ‘We’re here. Is there some way we can be part of what you do?’ ” Read more…

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Cindy Stevens, mother of 3, and Lisa Jewett, mother of 5, have taught their children all that they know — well, not exactly everything. But, the two women aren’t just mothers. They are teachers. Stevens and Jewett teach their kids at home, taking on everything from choosing the curriculum, writing lesson plans and grading exams.

“It’s funny because I used to be anti-homeschool,” Jewett said. “I thought people like me were nuts.” Read more…

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Cindy Stevens’ three children study at the kitchen table, but it’s also where they get their daily lessons about math, science, history — you name it — from their mother.

Their day starts at 7:30 a.m. and is usually done by 2 p.m. The family does this five days a week.

The Stevens family is one of a few families in the Austin area that homeschool their children. Stevens said she became concerned about her children’s behavior while her two oldest children, Olivia, 12, and Nathan, 11, were in preschool. A conversation with an elderly woman who homeschooled her grandchild offered Stevens a view that led her to homeschool her children. Read more…

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The decision on the family’s political asylum could still be overturned if the US government appeals the ruling. But Mike Donnelly, the attorney for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said he hopes Tuesday’s ruling will influence public opinion in Germany — which is part of the reason his group offered to represent the Romeikes, he said. Read more…

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Sadly, about the only people reporting on these incidents seem to be Christian groups and homeschooling networks on the Internet. Groups like the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). As mentioned above, the AP has a story that has made its way around the wires, too, but there doesn’t seem to be much independent coverage of this by the Old Media.

This seems odd since it is quite an interesting story where it concerns international relations. The HSLDA says that this ruling is “embarrassing for Germany.” That may be but the rest of the media is silent. Read more…

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PURCELLVILLE, VA- A German couple who fled to Tennessee so they could home school their children has been granted political asylum by an immigration judge in Memphis. (See earlier story)

The decision clears the way for Uwe Romeike his wife and five children to stay in Morristown, Tennessee, where they have been living since 2008.

German law requires children to attend public or private schools, and parents can face fines or prison time if they don’t comply. Romeike, an evangelical Christian, said he believes Germany’s curriculum is “against Christian values.” Read more…

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It’s the middle of the school year. Unfortunately, there’s been one more bullying incident on the bus. The principal says his hands are tied, and maybe you’d consider driving your child to school (10 miles away). During those desperate times, you’ve considered homeschooling. Double DeckerAfter all, this double decker looks more appealing than that yellow one. Read more…

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I continue to be amazed at the public displays of rank anti-religious ignorance by members of the “educated class.” This time it’s in an article entitled “The Harms of Homeschooling” by one Robin L. West (h/t to Izzy Lyman), from a recent issue of Philosophy & Public Policy, published by the University of Maryland. The name of the publication led me to expect something academic, but the article is basically a bigoted screed against the supposed religious extremism of the “hard core” of the homeschooling community. It’s chock-full of dispassionate academic prose like this (describing homeschoolers): Read more…

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HATTIESBURG, Miss. — On a rainy Friday afternoon in October, junior quarterback Stevie Douglas emerged from a well-traveled minivan that had begun its journey in Clinton, La. Teammates Ronald Brown, Rennel Hammond, Mike-el Arvie and Jeremy Arvie emerged from a white van bearing the logo of the New Life Tabernacle Church in Opelousas, La. From other vehicles came more players — 21 in all — and they toted their duffel bags into one of the leftover FEMA trailers that served as locker rooms for a tiny football stadium in the shadow of a graveyard.

Once inside, several players dipped into their bags and pulled out their helmets. Then they dipped back into their bags and pulled out screwdrivers to repair their helmets. The team doesn’t have an equipment manager for the same reason they didn’t come to Hattiesburg in a school bus. To use a school bus, the Patriots would have to play for a brick-and-mortar school.

The vast majority of the players are on this team homeschooled. Read more…

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When 7-year-old Annabelle Kirkpatrick studies fractions and converting pints to quarts, she and her mom go into their kitchen and start cooking.

For a lesson on caterpillars, they browse around their backyard flower garden for a look at the little critters firsthand. After all, Annabelle is homeschooled, which means her parents’ two-story house in Eustis is her classroom.

Angela Kirkpatrick decided last school year to homeschool her daughter, who became one of a flood of Florida children who suddenly left private and public schools to learn at home. Read more…

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Today American Library Association announced it’s literary award winners. We have only read a few of the books awarded and look forward to reading many more.

John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature

When You Reach Me Hardcover, Rebecca Stead

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice Hardcover, Phillip M Hoose

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Hardcover, Jacqueline Kelly

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Hardcover, Grace Lin

Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Newbery Honor Book) Hardcover, Rodman Philbrick

Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children

The Lion & the Mouse Hardcover, Jerry Pinkney

Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named:

All the World Hardcover, Liz Garton Scanlon, Marla Frazee

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors Hardcover, Joyce Sidman, Pamela Zagarenski

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

Going Bovine Hardcover, Libba Bray

Four Printz Honor Books also were named:

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith Hardcover, Deborah Heiligman

The Monstrumologist Hardcover, Rick Yancey

Punkzilla Hardcover, Adam Rapp

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973 Hardcover, John Barnes

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Intermediate Grades) Library Binding, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, R. Gregory Christie

One King Author Honor Book was selected:

Mare’s War Hardcover, Tanita S. Davis

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

My People Hardcover, Langston Hughes, Charles R. Smith Jr.

One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected:

The Negro Speaks of Rivers Hardcover, Langston Hughes, E. B. Lewis

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
“The Rock and the River,” written by kekla magoon, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

The Rock and the River Hardcover, Kekla Magoon

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Myers’ books include: “Amiri & Odette: A Love Story,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “Fallen Angels,” published by Scholastic Press; “Monster,” published by Amistad and HarperTeen, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Sunrise Over Fallujah,” published by Scholastic Press.

Monster Paperback, Walter Dean Myers

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros Hardcover, Pat Mora, Rafael Lopez

Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were selected:

Diego: Bigger Than Life Hardcover, Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, David Diaz

My Abuelita Hardcover, Tony Johnston, Yuyi Morales

Gracias / Thanks (English and Spanish Edition) Hardcover, Pat Mora, John Parra

Pura Belpré (Author) Award

Return to Sender Hardcover, Julia Alvarez

Two Belpré Author Honor Books were named:

Diego: Bigger Than Life Hardcover, Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, David Diaz

Federico Garcia Lorca (Cuando Los Grandes Eran Pequenos/ When the Grown-Ups Were Children) (Spanish Edition) Hardcover, Georgina Lazaro, Enrique S. Moreiro

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
young children ages 0 to 10.

Django Hardcover, Bonnie Christensen

Schneider Family Book Award for middle grades (ages 11-13).

Anything But Typical Hardcover, Nora Raleigh Baskin

Schneider Family Book Award for The teen (ages 13-18)

Marcelo in the Real World Hardcover, Francisco Stork

William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults

Flash Burnout Hardcover, L. K. Madigan

Odyssey Award for excellence in audiobook production

Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken Audio CD, Kate DiCamillo, Harry Bliss, Barbara Rosenblat

Three Odyssey Honor Audiobooks were named:

In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack Adventures) Audio CD, L.A. Meyer, Katherine Kellgren (narrator)

Peace, Locomotion Audio CD, Jacqueline Woodson, Dion Graham

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball Audio CD, Kadir Nelson, Dion Graham

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book

Benny And Penny in The Big No-No (Toon Books) Hardcover, Geoffrey Hayes, Geoffrey Hayes

Four Geisel Honor Books were named:

I Spy Fly Guy Hardcover, Tedd Arnold

Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon Books) Hardcover, Jeff Smith

Mouse & Mole, Fine Feathered Friends (Mouse and Mole) Hardcover, Wong Herbert Yee, Wong Herbert Yee

Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day (Dial Easy-to-Read) Hardcover, Kate McMullan, R.W. Alley

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
Jim Murphy is the 2010 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793,” published by Clarion Books; “Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “The Great Fire,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “The Long Road to Gettysburg,” published by Clarion Books; and “A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy,” published by Clarion Books.

Truce Hardcover, Jim Murphy

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream Hardcover, Tanya Lee Stone, Margaret A. Weitekamp

Three Sibert Honor Books were named:

The Day-Glo Brothers Hardcover, Chris Barton, Tony Persiani

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) Hardcover, Brian Floca, Brian Floca

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice Hardcover, Phillip M Hoose

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith Hardcover, Deborah Heiligman

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video (The video is unavailable so I linked to the book for now.)

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Hardcover, Mo Willems, Mo Willems

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States

A Faraway Island Hardcover, Annika Thor, Linda Schenck

Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected:

Big Wolf and Little Wolf Hardcover, Nadine Brun-Cosme, Olivier Tallec

Eidi: The Children of Crow Cove (The Children of Crow Cove Series) Hardcover, Bodil Bredsdorff, Kathryn Mahaffy

Guardian Of The Darkness (Moribito) Hardcover, Nahoko Uehashi

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope Hardcover, William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer

The Bride’s Farewell Hardcover, Meg Rosoff

Everything Matters!: A Novel Hardcover, Jr., Ron Currie

The Good Soldiers Hardcover, David Finkel

The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir Hardcover, Diana Welch, Liz Welch, Amanda Welch, Dan Welch

The Magicians: A Novel Hardcover, Lev Grossman

My Abandonment Hardcover, Peter Rock

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) Mass Market Paperback, Gail Carriger

Stitches: A Memoir Hardcover, David Small

Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories (P.S.) Paperback, Kevin Wilson

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site
Lois Lowry will deliver the 2011 lecture. The internationally acclaimed author’s career spans more than 30 years. She is a two-time recipient of the Newbery Medal, in 1990 for “Number the Stars,” set in Denmark during World War II, and in 1994 for the eerily dystopian “The Giver.” Both books are published by Houghton Mifflin.

The Giver Paperback, Lois Lowry

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Welcome to the fourth anniversary of the Carnival of Homeschooling. This is the 210th edition! This is one of the longest running weekly blog carnivals!

My wife and I are very grateful that so many people who participate, who help promote the carnival, and who give us encouragement. We are especially appreciative of the several dozen people who take turns hosting the carnival.

Four years ago we started up the carnival for several reasons. The carnival would provide a way for homeschoolers to teach and give encouragement to each other. Each week dozens of bloggers continue to do just that. This week is a great example. Read more…

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The two women believed they were adequately home-schooling their children – using age-appropriate books and a computer with Internet access.

But according to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, Lila M. Ferguson, 38, and Molly M. Williams, 42, committed a crime – neglect of a dependent – by depriving the children of an education. According to court records, the offense was largely characterized by a failure to provide records on the children’s educational progress as they claimed to home-school their children.

And in spite of their court-appointed attorneys’ wishes, the two women pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor version of the charge and were each sentenced Tuesday to a year on probation. Read more…

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Welcome to this week’s edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling! If you are unfamiliar with this weekly event, let me introduce you.

A carnival sounds fun, right? It is! Each week homeschool bloggers are asked to submit a post to share. Then the host reads, organizes, and presents them to the community.

I offered to do this in August, but we were in the middle of selling our house in Texas and moving back to Southern Idaho. This carnival features a few of our adventures since we arrived. Read more…

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Wayne S. Walker is a homeschooling father and a book reviewer. His book reviewing began several years ago when his older son, then probably ten or twelve, picked up a book at the library and asked if he could read it. It was written by a modern author but said to be based on a famous series of children’s books from the earlier part of the twentieth century that they liked, and it had a recommendation on the back from a well known children’s author. So Wayne and his wife said yes. Well, after their son read it, Wayne picked it up to read it and found that it was NOT for children (or should not be for children) because it had a very vulgar scene in it with quite explicit language. Therefore, he determined that he would preview every book that their children read (unless they had specific recommendations fromtrusted sources).

Wayne began posting his reviews of books on a homeschooling e-mail list and people started to express appreciation for them. He was editing (and still continues to edit) a free e-mail homeschooling newsletter called Biblical Homeschooling ( biblicalhomeschooling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblicalhomeschooling ) and began including his reviews, along with those of others, in the newsletter each month. This led to his being asked to provide reviews for several homeschool-related publications and websites, such as The Old Schoolhouse and Home School Enrichment magazines, and Homeschoolbuzz. Then, for the last couple of years, he has been a regular book reviewer for Stories for Children Magazine, an on-line web-zine for young people ages 3-12.

Recently, SFC has closed its book review/library donation program for the time being. However, because of Wayne’s interest in and love of good children’s literature, and because he is a homeschooling father who understands the fact that homeschooling families love to read, he therefore wants to bring to the homeschooling community information about new children’s books and other good children’s literature, so he has started a book review webblog which will be entitled Home School Book Review at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/ . He plans to continue the book review/library donation program of SFC.

The way the program works is that when Wayne finishes reading and reviewing a book that is donated, he will post the review on his weblog ( http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/ ) and also send an e-mail with a copy to let the author/publisher know that it has been posted, along with permission to go ahead and use any part or all of the review for marketing efforts. He will also post it on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble if the book is available from those sources. Finally, he will donate the book to the children’s section of their local library, the Bryan-Bennett Public Library of Salem, IL.

Therefore, if any authors, publishers, literary agents, etc., want Wayne to review any children’s books and post the reviews on the new blog, he will be happy to do so. You can contact him at homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com for more information about the program and how to participate. You may also feel free to add this e-mail address to your list of those to receive notices about new books to review.

Any books for children, ages 3-12, and for teens, whether fiction or non-fiction are welcome (including picture books, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and biography); also books on topics related to homeschooling or parenting and to apologetics will be accepted. Please be advised that all books will be reviewed from a Biblical Judaeo-Christian worldview. Again, the contact e-mail address is homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com.

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In a new article in the journal Theory and Research in Education, professor Robert Kunzman proposes a small step to improve homeschooling: Require states to mandate a basic skills test at key intervals to ensure that students are able to meet appropriate academic benchmarks in subjects such as math and reading.

Unlike in the public system, many homeschoolers are not subjected to frequent assessment tests — however imperfect they may be — to ensure that students aren’t left behind as grade levels progress. While many, perhaps even the majority, of homeschoolers have been shown in (perhaps controversial) studies to perform better than their public school counterparts, others can just as easily be left behind by poor teaching. Read more…

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This collection of ready-to-use graphic organizers will help children classify ideas and communicate more effectively. All of our free, printable graphic organizers are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to drill down to the basic points and ideas. By using graphic organizers across all subject areas, you will be empowering your students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently. We have graphic organizers for reading, science, writing, math, and for general use. We also have put together slideshows of our favorite graphic organizers in each subject, to save you time. Read more…

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Way back when, it seems like ages ago now, Henry Cate asked if I’d be willing to host the carnival this week. “Sure!” I said, perhaps too enthusiastically. I love hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling. It gives me a chance to connect with other homeschoolers, and find a few new blogs in the process. Nothing much is ever going on around here around the holidays. It’s all quiet and peaceful, like Let a Woman Learn’s Celebration of Winter. So stop by Lesson Pathways for some free Christmas Printables, I thought, or make some activity kits with Minds Bloom. Maybe even make a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with Peanuts are Evil. You know, something to keep them occupied while I was occupied. Maybe if I was feeling particularly schoolerish, I could set them down with a Christmas Break book list like Seaside Tales. Read more…

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“Homeschooling is difficult to explain, because every family does it differently, and there are so many prejudices against it,” says Sam Flood, 21, who was home-schooled for elementary and high school. Sam is currently an English and theater major at Lawrence University in Appleton. His sister, 19-year-old Ariana also attends Lawrence. Their youngest sibling, Clara Margaret, 14, is currently learning at home.

“A lot of my friends at college don’t believe me that I was home-schooled,” says Sam. “They say ‘but you’re not weird!’” Read more…

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The Detroit News featured a huge, above-the-fold, front page story about home education last week.

Take a guess what it was about….

The homeschool graduate who was nominated, for the third time, for a Heisman Trophy?

The former homeschooler who won a Nobel Prize?

The homeschool mom whom Time magazine recently selected as one of the best bloggers in the world?*

If only.

The first sentence of the article: “Calista Springer lay tethered to her bed by a dog collar while siblings went off to school each morning.”

You can guess where this is going. Read more…

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Over the course of his playing career at Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow has become one of the most visible and respected role models in the history of American college football.
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It’s not just for the skill and passion he displays on the gridiron, but also for the path he took to become one of the most successful and decorated college football players in history.

Tebow was home-schooled in Florida but was allowed to compete in athletic events with the high school in the district he lived in due to legislation that was passed in 1996. Read more…

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Homeschooling has been misunderstood and maligned for many years, but critics are running out of bad things to say about this educational option in the face of mounting evidence of the advantages.

Homeschooled students out-perform their public school peers academically in most areas and have for a long time. This has left defenders of the educational status quo able only to criticize more intangible things like socialization and such. Read more…

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Carnival of Homeschooling Welcome to the Homeschooling Blog Carnival!! Read more…

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Maybe some school officials should undergo a psychological evaluation.

UPDATE: The school now denies that this particular drawing had anything to do with the suspension.

A Taunton father is outraged after his 8-year-old son was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ on the cross…
The student drew the picture shortly after taking a family trip to see the Christmas display at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, a Christian retreat site in Attleboro. He made the drawing in class after his teacher asked the children to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas, the father said. Read more…

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To many parents, home-schooling is a daunting task that can only be accomplished by scholars and the very rich.

However, Barbara Blake Hannah, mother of Makonnen Blake Hannah, the young whiz who was appointed Government youth technology consultant at age 13 in 1998, is challenging that notion. And, through her new book, she is attempting to convince parents that they, too, can successfully home-school their children. Read more…

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…None will work unless a China one-child policy is imposed. Unfortunately, there are powerful opponents. Leaders of the world’s big fundamentalist religions preach in favor of procreation and fiercely oppose birth control. And most political leaders in emerging economies perpetuate a disastrous Catch-22: Many children (i. e. sons) stave off hardship in the absence of a social safety net or economic development, which, in turn, prevents protections or development.

China has proven that birth restriction is smart policy. Its middle class grows, all its citizens have housing, health care, education and food, and the one out of five human beings who live there are not overpopulating the planet. Read more…

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – An Arkansas couple featured on the reality TV show “18 Kids and Counting” now has 19.

Cable network TLC says 43-year-old Michelle Duggar gave birth to a 1-pound, 6-ounce daughter Thursday night during an emergency cesarean section. She had been due March 18.

TLC says the child is in stable condition in the neonatal intensive care unit for extended care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Read more…

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Dozens of petitions against the Government’s plans to bring in registration and monitoring for home-schooled children will be presented to Parliament.
The petitions, containing thousands of signatures, will be handed in by MPs from across the nation.
Under proposals outlined in the Government’s home education review, published this summer, parents choosing home schooling will have a legal duty to register with their local council every year.
Councils could be given the right to refuse registration on safeguarding grounds, meaning parents could effectively be banned from home schooling their child if there are fears about the youngster’s safety or the quality of their education. Read more…

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A confused teen in ponytails and a pleated school uniform dashes out her front door to discover the strange new world hidden beyond her peephole.
She marvels at the clear blue sky and the sprawling green grass. She had only read about nature in books. She spots a strange contraption along the street and climbs clumsily into a parked car ordering it to move.
After all, Jamie-Grace Harper, 18, has led a sheltered life — she is an escapee from home school. At least, she plays one on TV. Read more…

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Welcome to the Christmas Ornament Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. If you are new to ‘blog carnivals’, please read the link at the bottom of this post to find out more. This post has many links that take you off-site to other homeschool blogs where you can read their ’showcased’ article submission. If you would like to submit an article for a future carnival or host the carnival on your site, please see the bottom section to find out how. Each carnival writer has the option to put their compilation to a ‘theme’ if they so choose. I always do the themes. It’s a sickness. In the past I have done an Old West carnival, a Bee carnival (of course), an Autumn carnival, a Pregnancy & Child Development carnival, a Homeschool Memories carnival, and here at the post we did an Old Schoolhouse carnival way back when. We hope you will enjoy this ‘issue’ and click over to read the submissions for this week. Read more…

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The New Hampshire Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of a Christian girl who was ordered out of homeschooling and into a public school.

“Courts can settle disputes, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it is doing in this case, and that’s where our concern lies,” said Alliance Defense Fund- allied attorney John Anthony Simmons of Hampton. Read more…

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Nine-year-old homeschool student Ashley Medlock has already achieved what few people in Paris have, she passed her first College Level Examination Program test on her first try.

CLEP is a company that offers pass/fail tests for college credit on 34 different topics. It allows students to get ahead of the game or save time from a possibly boring class at a fraction of the cost of actually taking the class.

Ashley passed the Western Civilization I CLEP test Nov. 20 at Murray State University, earning three credit hours that will be valid as long as she graduates sometime in the next 20 years.

If everything goes according to Ashley’s plan, graduating in the next 20 years shouldn’t be a problem. She wants to graduate college at the same time she graduates high school, when she is 18. Read more…

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Welcome to the 205th edition of Carnival of Homeschooling. As the entries rolled in, I noticed the first few were somewhat humourous. So I entitled this edition, Those Crazy Homeschoolers.
Here are some of these humorous listings: Read more…

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Trailblazing is a user-friendly, ‘explore-at-your-own-pace’, virtual journey through science. It showcases sixty fascinating and inspiring articles selected from an archive of more than 60,000 published by the Royal Society between 1665 and 2010. Read more…

UPDATE: Wired Science has a nice collection of notable and strange papers culled from this resource.

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SEMINOLE, Fla., Nov. 25 /Christian Newswire/ — Homeschool Legal Advantage (HLA) is a ministry of legal helps to homeschoolers throughout the United States, and is experiencing rapid growth. HLA is an outreach of the Christian Law Association (CLA). The CLA has faithfully served churches and families since 1969, and has successfully defended over 8,000 educational freedom related cases.
Read more…

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