10 Tips for New Homeschooling Parents

By Dr Stephen Jones

New homeschoolers can benefit from the flexibility that home schooling offers. 

It is a great opportunity to engage all your students learning style. Some students

are visual learner, some are auditory learners and others are tactile learner. Think

 in terms of what you can do to make lessons interactive and engaging.  Be the greatest cheerleader when your student is studying and learning. Your words have the power to motivate students

to excel during their homeschooling experience. Here are some tips for homeschooling parents:

1.     Have a set time for your students to start and finish instruction

2.     Have a set time for your children to complete homework

3.     Go to the dollar store and fill up with supplies for projects

4.     Start on all projects early

5.     Teach your student how to study with videos on the topic

6.     Have a specific quiet place where all student's complete homework

7.     Visit sites and attend lectures where your student can learn something they are studying.

8.     Have conversations with your child regarding the things that they are learning

9.     Let your student explore a variety of careers on videos or by interviewing people in person

10.  Continually give your student positive feedback

Remember that you are the facilitator of learning and you can accomplish great things with

your child. Always ask your child open ended questions and it will create wonderful conversations.

If you can afford a tutor get one or find out what is offered at a local school. Where possible

have conversations about careers by talking to your child about their interest. Don’t be afraid to ask other homeschooling parents questions for advice. You can expect to have a great from your home schooling experience.

Dr. Stephen is an author and presenter who has written three books , Seven Secrets of How to Study, Parents Ultimate education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide at http://www.DrJonesbooks.com, stephenjoness@rcn.com and 610-842-3843.

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https://www.parents.teachit.education/ 

Dr. Stephen Jones Books

1.     Seven Secrets of How to Study 

2.     Ultimate Scholarship Guide

3.     Ultimate Parents Guide

4.     http://www.DrJonesbooks.com

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5 Ways to Inspire your Child

By. Dr Stephen Jones

Children need the guidance, caring and encouragement of a parent daily. Your words are power influences in a child’s life. 

Here are 5 things you can do:

1.Give them positive words of encouragement first thing in the morning. They are never to old for a kiss.

2.Pray for them and teach them to pray. Also encourage mindfulness.

3.Explore the world with them by taking them places outside of their community 

4.Get to know all their teachers and communicate with them daily.

5.Focus on healthy living. Make sure your child gets enough rest, eats healthy food, gets the best education and  focus on fitness.

For more tips and strategies take my Parenting 101 course at. https://www.parents.teachit.education/

Google Helpouts a Fantastic Way to Learn

Google has created another fantastic tool that just may be a wonderful tool for principals, teachers, parents and students.  The Google Helpout will help you to access professionals who are skilled and available to answer your questions.  The fantastic thing about Google Helpouts is that you are live by way of video and in real time.  You can also schedule a meeting where you can get your questions answered or access the coaching that you require.  This tool became available on November 5, 2013. The Helpout is a great way to get the solution that you need or to hear a different perspective on a problem that you are trying to solve.

What is Helpout about?

Google helpout offers live video that will give the user a one on one expert to help and offer advice anytime of the day. The expert can be an educator, businessperson, consultant or electrician.  That fact that this person is live is a relief for the person who needs help right away. This is a service that is not provided by other social media websites.  Google staff believe that people from all walks of life will appreciate the opportunity to get help any time of the day.

The Google Helpout can reach people who are too busy to attend a conference to get a unique perspective on their problem.  A principal or teacher could get advice on how to improve student learning or to discuss a professional development opportunities.  School districts that have a limited number of college counselors could get help for students.  A school could get information about ideas to improve parent participation. 

How can it benefit schools and colleges?

There are several unique ways that schools can benefit from the one-on-one support that a Google Helpout expert can offer. Here are some of the benefits

1.  Superintendents can get advice on how to manage multiple problems at a school district

2.  Principals will benefit from an adviser who can help with teacher training ideas

3.  Teachers can learn how to help students to learn students with

4.  Parents can learn how to help their student to earn better grades

5.  Students will learn how to get better grades and to prepare for college/trade school.

If you think Google Helpouts could help your school, Dr. Stephen Jones is honored to be one of the experts who were selected. You can get the help you need.  If you are interested in giving it a try go to http://bit.ly/16ZISPe. Don’t miss out on this great chance to get your critical questions answered.

How to Study and Succeed on a Final Exam

Getting prepared for examinations and avoiding distractions is the greatest challenge that a student can face. It’s amazing how the best events and the most distracting friends come knocking on your door when you’re trying to study. I always tell students that their first mistake is opening the door to let their friend into their room. To succeed on your final exam you need to set all types of limits on your distractions. Organize a study group. Set limits on the number of students or your study group can become a distraction too. Some students may come to your study group unprepared and it is up to the group to make changes. To have success on your final examination you must maintain your focus.

Time management is an essential when you are preparing for final examinations. Use the beginning of the month to outline how you will use your time. You will need additional time to study and to get organized. If you wait to until the last minute you will be studying all night on certain examinations. When you have more time you will be able to add additional study groups if necessary. It is important to count each day as an opportunity to prove all that you have learned. Too many students feel pressured during final examinations because they decided to manage their time too late. You can change your test anxiety just by effectively managing your time.

So how do you bring together all of the new knowledge that you have obtained over the past few months. You’ve read chapter after chapter and it seems like a massive amount of information. It is important to get organized and develop a study plan that you will follow. For example develop an outline of your chapters and write it down on paper. It’s time to maximize your study skills. Your study skills are an essential part of your success when you review your notes and think about how to apply that information on the test.

It’s important to have the right attitude about your final examinations. It is essential that you expect to have success on every test. You’ve overcome many challenges to get this far in your course. Find time to read a motivational poem, CD or book for a few minutes. Call someone who frequently has given you words of encouragement when you have faced challenged. Success on your final examinations is the result of positive thinking and hard work.

Responding accurately to any final examination requires attention to details. Think about the kind of questions that will occur on a test. Develop some of your own questions and practice with another student who is in your class. You can practice responding and thinking about the right answers to potential test questions. If you have questions that need clarification, don’t be afraid to meet with your instructor. You want to expand the number of questions that you are prepared to answer on any test. You will have the ability to feel successful because you’ve prepared prior to each test.

In conclusion, you can position yourself for success on any final examination. Clearly define all of your distractions and eliminate them early. Make each course a daily part of your discussions. Don’t forget to find a quite place to study where you can concentrate on your subject. It’s time to be confident that you will have success on each final examination. Stay focused on your goal to graduate and it will inspire you to excel on every examination.

Dr. Stephen Jones is a keynote speaker, educator and author of three books the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide, and the Ultimate college Guide. He has helped thousands of students to graduate from K12 schools and college. Visit him at http://www.studyskills2u.com.

When Education Was King

Have you ever lost something? Just when you were about to give up you uncovered it in the first place that you looked. It was there all the time but you overlooked the one place that it should be. It seems that we’ve lost our drive for education. I remember when education was king all across America. The adults all over the country were talking about education and the importance of going to college all of the time. Lately it seems that the thirst for education has been lost to entertainment. Entertainment is viewed as a quick way to fame and fortune. I think America needs to rekindle an enthusiasm for education.

Americans need to revive the thirst for knowledge. It seems like education is on life support and fading fast. We cannot afford to continue to drift back word. Billions of dollars are spent on education every year and we need to renew the level of excitement of students and parents. Too often a good portion of the money that is spent on education fails to make an impact on communities. Education is one way that we can invest in creating a prosperous community

There are some creative ways to reignite the fire that once made education an important aspect of every conversation. How about asking everyone you know to turn over their unused books to students all across America. Their are visit to many homes where there are no books. Why not make them readily available and use social networks to discuss the values of these books. Parents need to spend more time reading too. When children see their parents reading all kinds of conversations can arise.

Why not promote science technology, engineering and math in every school. This is one of the best ways to enable students to be better prepared for the green jobs that are on the rise. These jobs will require future employees to have strong math and science background. We have an obligation to promote education in everyway that we can. How about sending out text messages with scientific facts and make it a fun contest. Let’s use this year as an opportunity to get back on course. There is a lot that we can do to make education a priority.

The local school is not the only place for education to occur. Parents play a key role in promoting education in each student’s home. Also relatives who are working in companies can encourage their nieces and nephews. This strategy really works. I communicate with all of my nieces and nephews while they are in college. It is important to keep them motivated when their education seems challenging. Adults must consistently promote education.

Why not use each day as an opportunity to restore the position that education held when it was king. There a millions of young people who need guidance and motivation to pursue their career dreams. They are asking what’s in it for me. The students want to know that their investment in studying and in learning new subjects will help them to land a job. Today it seems that a college degree is a standard for employment today. It is not clear that everyone realizes how much employment opportunities have shifted. Know is the time to take back the education that was tossed aside and to pursue new dreams of a brighter future.

Middle School Students Caught in the Middle

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget about the middle school years. Do you remember your crazy middle school years? Middle school students are often caught in the middle while we focus on preparing high school students for college. There needs to be national attention focused on the middle school years to prepare them for the career challenges that face this country. I have noticed that even those who write books focus their efforts on elementary and high school students and leave middle school students out. If you ever attend a national book fair there are limited creative efforts to excite middle school students to read. Any parent who is raising a middle school student can tell you that they are in a different transition in their lives. Communicating with middle school students can be challenging if you are unwilling to admit that you are not perfect. Middle school students need parents and teachers who will let them know that they care.

There should be a national effort to help middle school students to explore all types of careers. The rapid changes technology careers that are happening around the world are still far away from the minds of middle school students in this country. Now is the time to make them a part of the green revolution in solar and wind energy. It would be great to see how these students could envision their future with solar powered cars and wind technology that reduces the cost of energy in each home. Some of the most innovative students are wasting away in middle school because they continue to be taught by traditional methods. Maybe every middle school class should be full of green experiments that allow the students to find themselves and to make a mark on society using their creative ideas.

So who should care about middle school students? Everyone should care including parents, corporations, our government, teachers and counselors. We all have an investment in making middle school more interesting. Students should have laptop computers and graphing calculators as a standard resource for learning. We need to demonstrate how we value the learning capacity of every student by giving them innovative projects. Why not let the middle school students create a city wide effort to save their city money. You would then witness how much creativity and influence they can have when they think about the future of their own city. We need to spend more time helping middle school students to believe that they are part of the solution.

There are thousands of middle schools teachers who need help too. The complexity of the 21st century middle school student can be challenging. Students who would rather text message than talk to each other makes for a different world. Middle school students are multi-tasking just like high school students. They are talking on their cell phone, sending messages on their computer, talking to their friends and doing homework at the same time. It has made middle school and interesting place to try to keep students focused on learning. Middle school students have become accustomed to a fast paced day. It’s time to fill their lives with experiences that makes middle school a place to run too not from. Let’s take the middle school years as a tremendous opportunity to help students to encounter a whole new journey to their future.

For twenty-six years, Dr. Jones has delivered presentations on numerous topics including how to study, leadership, effective communication, and innovative management practices. He is the author of three books one is titled “Seven Secrets of How to Study” the second is the “Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide” and the third is the “Ultimate Scholarship Guide.” The book provides an easy understanding of the seven pillars that are essential to learning success in K12 schools and college. His URL is http://www.sevenbooks.net