Posts tagged Brian Ray
Great Homeschooling Articles on TODAY Show.com
0Last week TODAY Show.com ran a series of articles on homeschooling in America. I have enjoyed them and am thrilled to see the subject of homeschooling making it into the mainstream press… in a positive way. Not only should this make it easier for homeschooling families to gain acceptance (fewer blank stares and pursed lips when we admit that we educate our kiddos at home), but it may begin the homeschool discussion for other families. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Lazy, Narrow-minded Homeschoolers
2If you’ve been a homeschooler for a nanosecond, you’ve probably encountered someone who feels the need to share their opinions about your family’s educational choices. A family member who thinks you’ve crossed over to the Dark Side. A friend who’s certain you’ve lost your mind. A stranger who thinks you must be part of some cult. That’s where I found myself yesterday… working at a booth… minding my own business… in McDonald’s.
Yes, McDonald’s is my office away from home. It’s where I go to write, edit and enjoy an incredible glass of sweet tea without my children. Each week, I have a few More >
Does More Money Produce Better Academic Scores?
0If you’re like most Americans, you’ve bought into the idea that education must be complicated and expensive to be worthwhile. It must be handled by highly educated, well-trained, pragmatic individuals with lots of mass produced educational tools at their disposal. Well, the truth may surprise you.
Recent findings in the Homeschool Progress Report 2009 found that education has little to do with the amount of money spent. When compared with the average amount spend per child in our public schools, homeschool families are doing an admirable job. We are, in fact, a frugal bunch. Most of us have More >
Homeschooling Statistics: Should Government Regulate Homeschools?
0Homeschooling is not for the faint hearted, and most homeschool parents take it very seriously. That’s why when the question of government regulation comes up, homeschoolers’ feathers get more than a little ruffled. Depending on the state, government regulation of homeschools can be low, medium or high. But does higher regulation automatically produce better results? Check out the results for yourself:
Homeschooling Statistics: Should Parents Have Teaching Certificates?
1“Do you need any qualifications to homeschool your children?” That’s one of the first questions that homeschoolers hear when someone finds out that they’re educating their children at home. And while individual states have different rules concerning this, the question illuminates a common belief—and possible fear—that correct teaching can only be accomplished by trained professionals. That’s why it’s comforting to know that homeschooling’s success is not dependent on parents’ education levels. Just look at the following statistics:
Homeschool Statistics: How Do Homeschoolers Measure Up?
2As convinced as homeschooling families are that their education choice is the best, it begs the question: How do homeschool students measure up against their public school peers? In 2009, Dr. Brian D. Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) in Salem, Oregon, answered that question.
In 2008 Dr. Ray studied over 11,000 participants from all 50 states as well as Guam and Puerto Rico. The purpose of the study, which was commissioned by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), was to “develop a current picture of homeschool students and their families.”
Over the More >
Living Math: Bringing Math to Life
1If there is one subject that can scare students, it’s math. Opinions are plentiful among homeschoolers on the best method and curriculum to use to make math click. And while homeschoolers’ opinions, approaches and curriculums are diverse, the Progress Report 2009, conducted by Brian Ray, Ph.D., president of the non-profit National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), showed that homeschoolers are, in fact, doing a good job of teaching this sometimes difficult subject. On average, homeschooled students scored in the 84th percentile in math on standardized tests compared to their public More >
