A New Basis for U.S. Asylum Claims: Homeschooling
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...
German homeschoolers' political asylum exposes the EU Gulag
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...
Carnival of Homeschooling – What Matters Most
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...
Homeschool Writer of the Year Competition 2010
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...
The Pilgrim Adventure: Our America series Volume 1
Homeschooling mom and author Susan Kilbride has a new history series that is sure to spark your child's interest in learning about our Country's roots. Here's what she shared with me about this new title, and she generously includes a free unit study on pilgrims. Finn & Ginny’s parents are lost back in time, and the two young twins have decided to go back to early America to find them. Read more...
Zero the Hero
A child's first exposure to math should be fun. Forget repetitive drills and boring worksheets. One of my favorite books I first used to teach my young boys the concept of counting was the M & M's Counting Book. It's a fun and yummy introduction to basic math. I'd get other colorful books from the library, anything creative and eye-catching would work for such an important concept. Read more...
Fablehaven
Siblings Kendra and Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents while their mother and father cruise the Caribbean. Disappointed not to be vacationing with them, the kids anticipate the 2 weeks will be drudgery. Contrary to their beliefs, when they arrive at their grandparents estate, they are surprised to find a tree house, swimming pool, and a gigantic playroom full of books and toys. What they don’t know is how many secrets await them. Read more...
Mathematical Reasoning: Middle School Supplement
There are some kids who have an insatiable appetite and intense passion for mathematics. You may recognize the signs: cruising through math homework, A+ average, may watch extra math lectures, answers your questions with statistical probabilities, and looks for logic and reasoning themes in both games and reading material. If you see this love for math in your middle schooler, you’re likely on the look-out for puzzle books or supplements to keep your budding Archimedes challenged and happy. Read more...
The Code Book
The Code Book is a nonfiction book on the history of code-makers and code-breakers. It starts out with the trial of Mary queen of Scotts--whether she lives or dies is determined entirely by queen Elizabeth’s code-masters. If they crack Mary’s code and see the messages she had been smuggling out of jail are plans for a rebellion, she’s as good as dead. The book recounts the captivating, historically accurate tale of the evolution of code. Read more...
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner
I have a struggling learner, and we had a tough 4th grade school year. Math was a chore. Writing was like medieval torture, and the basic rules of grammar might have well been a foreign language. It seemed as though everything I tried to teach my son ran out of him like water through a sieve. We needed help. When I heard Kathy Kuhl was speaking at our local homeschooling convention this past June, I knew I had to go and hear her talk. Read more...
Chord Buddy
I fell in love with the guitar when I was 12 years old and my romance flourished for over three decades. I still have the Martin Sigma Anniversary acoustic my parents bought me when I turned 16. I admit the first year of learning to play was touch and go - sore fingers, muffled sounds, buzzing strings. It seemed I would never produce anything that resembled music. Never one to give up easily, I persisted and eventually things clicked. Read more...
The Ultimate Top Secret Guide to Taking Over the World
As soon as I read the title of this book I knew it would be just right for my 10-year-old reluctant reader. I toss him at least 3 different books a week – he'll read a chapter (if even that) and quickly loses interest. A typical boy, he likes video games, playing outdoors, staring out the window, eating candy, and scheming secret plots to take over the household. Household today. Country tomorrow, and I'm sure world domination is in his long-term plans. Read more...
SAT ACT TOEFL: College Prep English Practice
Now that two of my boys are in high school, my ears are frequently tuned towards SAT information. When to take it? How many times? How critical is scoring well to future college placement? And finally, how should my sons best prepare? If you want to know the basics of the test, visit here. Should a high SAT score be your goal? Of course you want your student to do well, but the SAT is only one piece of the puzzle. Read more...
Zondervan Bibles
Zondervan recently sent me three of their new bibles - The Liberty, The Clutch, and The Bloom. Looking at them brought back memories of when I bought my first bible 30 years ago. I went to the only Christian bookstore in town in search of the perfect one. Even back then I was overwhelmed by the choices. Read more...
Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations
The Critical Thinking Company has a vast selection of materials to both teach and allow application of reasoning and thinking skills. As I've mentioned before, I've used an array of their products over my past 10 years of homeschooling. I recently sampled their Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations, a tool that specifically requires the use of deductive and mathematical reasoning skills. Read more...
Bindi Wildlife Adventures Book 1: Trouble at the Zoo
Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin (AKA The Crocodile Hunter), has followed in her father's footsteps with her desire to help endangered wildlife. She's been a busy young lady – staring in a TV show, designing her own fashion wear, traveling the world, and now she's the heroine of her own adventure book series. Read more...
James Madison Critical Thinking Course
I am a huge fan of The Critical Thinking Company's products. Over the past 11 years of homeschooling I have used their Science Books 1 and 2, Editor in Chief, Building Thinking Skills, Mathematical Reasoning, and Mindbenders. When I heard about this new critical thinking course, I was anxious to review it. If you need convincing about why you should teach (or you yourself learn) critical thinking skills, click here. Read more...
Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers
This collection of fun science lessons and activities are designed to offer hands on experiments that will satisfy the curious nature of children, while making it easier for parents to teach science. Kids love to pour, measure, taste, alter, and explore their environment. If you can direct their experimentation to teach a concept, then you are more likely to help them remember the material. Read more...
Lord of the Rings Part 1: The Fellowship of the Ring
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness, bind them. This is the inscription on the One Ring. Locked inside of the ring, is the evil spirit of the Dark Lord Sauron. Wearing the ring will turn you invisible, but at the cost of being known to the enemy. They will see you, and know exactly where you are. But you have to be close to them. This book takes place after The Hobbit. Read more...