Math is one of those subjects that many homeschooling moms find it hard to teach.  While one child may find the concepts easy to grasp, others wonder how math will relate to them in the real world.

For those children, it often helps to present math concepts in a "real world" situation.  Calculating costs, estimating, and measurements take on new meaning when your child can actually see how these things work in life.

Here are some activities will help your child make this connection - bringing math and their world together.

At the grocery store, ask your child to help out with the shopping.  Take a calculator along and show her how to check and compare prices or calculate the cost per ounce.  Or have him keep track of the cost of what you bought.  Check and compare prices, weights, and quantities together.

When you are driving in the car, take the time to point out speed limits.  When the speed limit sign changes, ask your child to calculate the difference between the old speed limit and the newer one.  If you are on a long trip, ask him to calculate the distance between cities and/or towns. Talk about the time it takes to get from one to another when you drive at different speeds.

Working in the garden is also an excellent time to work on math with your child.  Have your child count the number of plants.  She can also measure the distance between the plants and their heights.  An advanced activity would be to calculate the perimeter and/or area of the garden.

Cooking is an excellent way to teach your child real world math skills.  Measuring ingredients, doubling recipes, and checking cooking times and temperatures teach excellent skills, and also some good things to eat!

Above all, encourage your child to play games and activities that involve counting, finding patterns, and solving problems.  Tic-tac-toe, checkers, and chess are all good games for learning math - real world math.

Kelly Ling is a work-at-home, homeschooling mother of five. She has mentored many homeschooling and work-at-home moms over the past eighteen years. Kelly also owes a home-based web design business. When not doing web design, she is constantly updating some of her homeschooling/work-at-home websites - Homeschool Top Sites, ChristianWAHM.com, WAHM Contests, and others.

Math was never an easy subject for me in school. It didn’t seem to matter how much I tried I never seemed to understand what the teacher wanted and I dreaded when we worked out problems on the board, I always made a mistake and the other children always snickered or had hurtful comments to make. The teachers always seemed at a lost of what to do to help me or any other student who could not keep up with the schedule they had written down at the beginning of the school year. I didn’t want my own children to experience the dread of learning math; determining that things would be different for them I came up with some tips and now I hope that these suggestions might offer help and guidance if you know a child who struggles with their math skills.

My first tip: Make sure that your child has a breakfast before they start their day. Research has shown that your child will be more ready to learn if their nutritional needs are meet. It is hard to concentrate on learning anything if their belly is rumbling with hunger.

2^nd tip: Introduce the history of math to your child, when certain math inventions were made and by whom, what were the circumstances or need for the invention. How is math used through out the world.

3^rd tip: Make a game of learning facts. There are a lot of math games that will help your child enjoy learning, helping with the fundamental facts that they will need to know. Using games reduces the stress of the learning process and makes learning fun and not so boring nor intimidating.

4^th tip: Use math in real life situations. Take the facts that your child is learning and bring it into situations that your child is in every day. When cutting a pizza talk about the fractions you are making. If they are making a purchase show them how to figure tax into the price. How many cookies will they need for each of their friends to have two? These can be ways to use math in their every day lives.

5^th tip: Use visual aids or manipulatives when teaching math. For some children using visual aids can be the catalysis between understanding and not understanding the concepts that are being taught. As your child learns the skills they will become less dependent on the manipulatives.

6^th tip: Using food to teach math concepts. Weather it be candy, cereal, popcorn or pizza simple math facts are easy to manipulate so concepts can be seen. This also puts the child at ease which helps make the learning easier.

7^th tip: When learning math there are many patterns but sometimes those are hard for a child to see. Pointing out these patterns can making math easier, this can be done using manipulatives such as money. Also helping the child to memorize the patterns such as 2s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 8s, 10s and working up from there.

8^th tip: Use music and songs to help your child with memorizing math facts. This tip was used by each of my children. They sang their way through their multiplications tables, square roots and there is even are even little ditties that help in Algebra and Geometry.

9^th tip: Mix it up. Use different medias when learning and doing math; computer software, worksheet pages, time races, are all great ways to keep learning varied which will help the student from being bored and help with the learn process.

10^th tip: The buddy system is a great way to learn math facts. Kids can sometimes explain things to each other so they understand it better then any adult can. Plus as they help each other learn solidifies the facts for each child.

As you read over these tips I hope that you see at least one or two that you could implement to help make math fun for your own child.

Reading good books is like meeting new people.  You can travel through time and space and make the most interesting acquaintances curled up in your armchair. Silent reading is a very inexpensive and timely way to gain a good education.  Reading good books exposes the student to correct spellings, new vocabulary, history, thoughtfulness, etc..  I could go on and on listing the benefits of reading books but there are just too many.  It is an important habit that is not difficult to establish.

First, aim high.  Children can read a lot of books, more than just two or three a month.  You might have to turn off the television and computer to get in some good reading time.

Here is a very short list of books you may want your children to read.  I did not include obvious biographies like George Washington and others.  This list includes some books you may not be acquainted with.  These are very interesting and have strong educational value.

Books About Real People, Places and Things – Grades 1-4

You may want to read these books aloud to young children.  This is not an exhaustive list but only a few suggestions to get started.

• Born Free - Joy Adamson
• Paddle to the Sea, Tree in the Trail, Seabird, Pagoo - Holling Clancy Hollings
• Thomas Alva Edison - Mervin Kaufman
• When an Animal Grows, Let's Get Turtles - Milicent Selsam
• Amos Fortune, Free Man - Elizabeth Yates

Books About Real People, Places and Things – Grades 5-9

• Letters - Abigail Adams
• Barnum's Own Story - P.T. Barnum
• The Worst Journey in the World, Antartic, 1910-1913 - Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard
• The Living World - Michael Bright
• Muir of the Mountains - William O. Douglas
• Solve It - James F. Fixx
• Paul Revere and the World He Lived In; Johnny Tremain - Esther Forbes
• Ann Frank: The Dairy of a Young Girl - Ann Frank
• Homesick:  My Own Story; Stonewall - Jean Fritz
• Geronimo's Story of His Life - Geronimo
• Alexander the Great - John Gunther
• Kon Tiki; The Ra Expeditions - Thor Heyerdahl
• The Story of My Life - Helen Keller
• Letters to Horseface - Ferdinand N. Monjo
• Leonardo Da Vinci; Joan of Arc - Jay Williams

You can find more lists of good books at your library.  Just ask the children's librarian to show you the reference books that have suggested reading lists.

For many people, the word "astronomy" makes them think of NASA space flights, the Hubble Space Telescope, and PBS programs about "the Big Bang." Many other people think astronomy has something to do with science fiction -- "far-out" ideas about travelling in space ships and encountering aliens from other planets. Others confuse the science of astronomy with the ancient superstition of astrology, and imagine that the legitimate study of the celestial sky has something to do with magic and divination. But all of these are largely misconceptions, and do not represent the true heritage of astronomy.

Classical Astronomy represents the traditional study of the sky as it has been done for centuries, even before the telescope. In its most simple expression, classical astronomy is simply skywatching, enjoying the celestial creation for its own natural beauty. Is there anyone who hasn't been amazed by a blazing sunset? Or seen a wondrous crescent moon hanging in a deep blue twilight? Or been astounded by the sight of bright, twinkling stars in a dark, rural sky? Such celestial sights truly prove that:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. -Psalm 19:1.

The Scope of Classical Astronomy

Classical astronomy is the basis for our entire system of timekeeping, and has its foundation in the Bible. We read in Genesis 1:14 that this is the very purpose for which God created the Sun, Moon and stars:

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, for days and years.

The Day is the 24 hour period of light and darkness, and perhaps the most plain fact of life on Earth. The Month is based on the 29 1/2 day cycle of the phases of the Moon. The Year is the annual cycle of Sun's tilted path through the stars, resulting in longer and shorter days, and a warming and cooling in the climate. In the centuries before modern clocks and calendars, the Sun, Moon and stars were the only means for measuring the passage of time. And to the trained eye, the sky provides numerous "signs" to help observers to know their time and place under the Sun, Moon and stars.

The classical study of astronomy is intertwined with a study of geography. Astronomy is needed to understand why summer days are so long near the poles, and why the seasons are reversed between northern and southern hemispheres. Classical astronomy is also used to find longitude and latitude along the Earth. In this way, time zones and celestial navigation are understood from observing the sky.

Following this, the classical approach to astronomy is required to prove that the Earth is round. Contrary to popular thought, the Earth was proven to be round in ancient times, centuries before the life of Jesus (and millennia before NASA photographs!) Many ancient Greek writers and medieval Christian writers mentioned the sphericity of the Earth in their works. Indeed, Christopher Columbus relied on such ancient works to validate his voyage to the west in search of India. (But how many people today can cite even one classical proof that the Earth is round?)

Other aspects of classical astronomy include the causes of eclipses of the Sun and Moon, and the motions of the planets through the fixed constellations. And many of the constellations recognized today by the International Astronomical Union are based on the traditional ancient constellations. Indeed, such things were understood in classical times, and were studied by the ancient Greeks.

Classical Astronomy - An Historical Approach to Astronomy

In late classical times, astronomy was recognized as part of the Quadrivium of sciences, along with Geometry, Arithmetic and Harmony (or music). And the Quadrivium, along with the Trivium of arts -- Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric -- defined the Seven Liberal Arts of a classical education. Of course, most loving parents wish their children to learn geometry, arithmetic and music. But astronomy is usually not considered a priority today.

The ancient Greeks developed a mathematical system of astronomy in which geometrical methods were used to measure and describe the motions of the celestial bodies. In fact, trigonometry, the study of triangles, was originally developed for work in astronomy. The Greek philosophers Aristotle and Ptolemy established a "geocentric" astronomical system in which the Earth was understood to be at the center of a rotating cosmos.

Some may argue that, strictly speaking, "classical astronomy" refers to the "geocentric" or Earth-centered cosmology as it had been understood in the time of the Greeks and Romans. However, the ancient practices of classical astronomy remained largely unchanged following the introduction of the "heliocentric" or Sun-centered astronomy of Kopernik, Kepler, Galileo and Newton. Indeed, modern astronomers often still use geocentric illustrations, since these best describe the appearances of the starry sky.

While geometrical astronomy was developed by the pagan Greeks, classical astronomy is arguably a Christian approach to astronomy. The astronomical traditions were practiced for many centuries in Christian Europe, particularly for the purpose of maintaining the church calendar. In time, this calendrical study resulted in many advances in astronomy, leading into the modern science of astronomy.

The Almanack Tradition

One important Christian European contribution was the development of the modern almanack. An almanack typically includes tables of the Sun's rising and setting for each day of the year, along with tables of the Moon's positions, and usually the positions of planets and other noteworthy celestial objects. In this way, an almanack allows its reader to find the time during the day and also at night, which was very important before the invention of mechanical clocks.

Even though the Romans and Arabs kept astronomical tables, the European almanack tradition became very important throughout the Middle Ages. With the invention of the printing press, almanacks became inexpensive and thus widely available. The heliocentric theory became popular because it simplified the mathematics of creating an almanack. In this way, the almanacks offered classical astronomy a seamless transition between the Earth-centered and the Sun-centered cosmologies.

The almanack found its greatest expression in the early American colonies. In fact, the first English publication in America was an almanack, printed at Harvard in 1639. During the American colonial period and into the early republic, the 17th and 18th centuries, a strong almanack tradition flourished. And the American almanack also became a resource for poetry (often to the glory of God) and various useful information, in addition to the astronomical calendar pages. As we read from the early American almanacks, a knowledge of classical astronomy was common among even the simple folk at the founding of our country.

To this day, the Old Farmer's Almanac is still the best popularly-available resource for classical astronomy information. Founded in 1792, it is the oldest continuous publication in America. Ironically, the Almanac's editors lament that, while the astronomical calendar pages are the heart and soul of the Almanac, this is the least understood portion of the Almanac today. At its founding over 200 years ago, the Old Farmer's Almanac did not include any references to astrology. But sadly, elements of astrology have crept in over the years. Nowadays the Almanac includes sections on "planting by the Moon," "the Man of Signs," and other such nonsense.

Other Historical Uses for Classical Astronomy

Since 1767, a Nautical Almanack has been published in England to assist in the celestial navigation of British ships at sea. Indeed, the British used the techniques of classical astronomy set forth in the Nautical Almanack to establish a colonial empire that circled the globe. And British navigation led to the perfection of an accurate mechanical clock and a detailed understanding of the Moon's complex motions

In America, classical astronomy was used in the survey of territories and cities. Washington D.C. was surveyed with celestial observations by Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker. These celestial techniques were used in later years to survey 1.8 million acres in the North American continent. If you live in a city with roads that run east to west and north to south, your city was probably surveyed using the stars!

The Rise of Modern Astronomy

For most of history, classical astronomy was practiced with the unaided eye. The invention of the telescope only assisted and expanded the ancient tradition. By the 1800s, the modern methods of spectroscopy were developed for studying the spectra of starlight to determine the star's chemical composition. Such researches led to development of the modern fields of astrophysics and cosmology, in which broad, sweeping inferences are made of the origin and destiny of stars, galaxies and the universe, based on an analysis of starlight.

Throughout the 19th century, the center of astronomical study moved away from classical astronomy and toward cosmology and astrophysics. Nowadays, classical astronomy is of little or no interest to a majority of professional astronomers.

In the same period, mechanical clocks became popular while the sales of astronomical almanacks began to decline. The word "almanack" began to refer to any compendium of information, even those without astronomical tables. With the adoption of Standard Time around the world in 1884, timekeeping was decoupled from the Sun, Moon and stars. In the next decade, astronomy was removed from the standard curriculum in the schools. By the early 20th century, it virtually disappeared from the popular mind.

In the late 19th century, the idea of "life on Mars" became very popular. And through the writings of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, fantasy tales of travel to other planets came into vogue. The notion of "outer space" came to fill the void left by astronomy. This notion was further reinforced when real-life space travel became a reality in the 1960s.

Today, "modern astronomy" is the rule. Popular media astronomy deals heavily with theoretical scientific conclusions of distant, unseen celestial objects. Historical, classical astronomy is widely considered a subset of contemporary "space studies." A typical astronomy book for sale at a homeschool convention mainly relates to "Big Ball Astronomy" and includes discussions  facts about the solar system, handed down on authority, with no method of practice. For example, one can expect to find entries such as, "This is Jupiter, it is a big ball of gas ten times larger than the Earth" and so on. For this reason, more people today have heard of black holes than understand why the seasons change.

Nowadays, in our high and mighty era of technology, we rely on gadgets, gizmos and other artifices of Man in the place of God's celestial order. We look at clocks and calendars to find the time of day and the day of the year. We use GPS units to tell us where we are in the world. And we never as much as glance up from our busy lives to look at the Moon and stars. Our culture has neglected and forgotten the God-given legacy of the sky.

Solutions

Classical astronomy can be the perfect vehicle for teaching children the scientific method. Essentially, the starry sky offers an excellent opportunity to observe logic and order applied a natural system. The Sun, Moon, stars and planets follow predictable, mathematical motions across the celestial sky. And the changes can be observed over a period of days, weeks and months. And measurements can be made with no instruments, or just simple geometrical tools. Classical astronomy offers an interesting and practical approach to studying geometery and trigonometry (though little or no curricula are currently available.)

By studying astronomy in this manner, children can take an enjoyable approach to learning a concrete science. And they can learn a method for confirming scientific results rather than receiving such results on authority. In this way, they can learn to distinguish between observable, verifiable science and the thin, shaky evidence cited to support evolutionary studies.

A classical understanding of the sky can be learned at a local planetarium or astronomy club. Most every community has a planetarium, and these facilities are always eager for visitors. At the planetarium, you can observe the current sky, including the seasonal constellations, current positions of the planets, and perhaps the motions of the Sun and Moon. Planetariums also feature special programs and shows that highlight topics from astronomy. And most planetariums change their shows frequently, offering new programs for current events in the sky. Regular family visits the local planetarium can be a great start toward developing a classical appreciation of the sky.

Many astronomy clubs work in conjunction with local planetariums. Astronomy clubs are made up of enthusiastic amateur astronomers who love to help astro-novices learn their way around the night sky. Amateur astronomy clubs have public nights in which the members set up telescopes for the community. On any given public night, splendid telescopic views of galaxies, nebulae and the planets can be expected (weather permitting!) And every club has at least a couple veteran amateur astronomers who know everything about the sky and would love to point out constellations and answer questions for interested learners.

A list of planetariums, amateur astronomy clubs, and observatories can be found at the Sky & Telescope web site. But even after doing all this, there's no substitute for personal experience! So get out and look for yourself!

Excellent recommendations were given in 1900 by Asaph Hall, the famed discoverer of the moons of Mars:

To begin with the elementary Astronomy, it seems to me that it should be taught in the high schools and preparatory schools, as well as in the colleges. Preparatory work in it ought to be accepted for admission to college. By elementary Astronomy I mean those common, every-day facts of the science which can be learned by any intelligent student without mathematical training; for example, why the stars rise and set, the motions of the planets and the moon among the stars, the reasons for the seasons, the names of the principal constellations and why they seem to change with the seasons. These are things that are before our eyes all the time, and every one who is fairly well educated ought to know something about them.

Over a century later, the schools have yet to take Professor Hall's recommendation. This represents a golden opportunity for Christian homeschoolers, who respect God's creation and seek to rediscover the lost traditions of a bygone era. And the Classical Astronomy web site is dedicated to helping the next generation rediscover our lost astronomical traditions.

On any given day we are presented with any number of scientific messages;  it is important to understand science, so that we might better understand the natural world around us.  But what do we do if the information makes no sense to us?  What should you do if the message gets garbled by the news-reporter and sounds alien?  How do we know the information we are receiving is accurate, and not skewed to suit a corporation with a private agenda?

We use our scientific tools to question and research the information.

Ask yourself:

1. Where does the information come from?
2. Are the views of the scientific community portrayed accurately?
3. Is the scientific community's confidence in the ideas accurately portrayed?
4. Is it a controversy misrepresented or blown out of proportion?
5. Where can you get more information?
6. How strong is the evidence.

With these tools you can decipher the messages, discern truth from exaggeration, and gain a better insight to the world around you.  This will aid you in every day decisions you make.  From the minor to the most monumental life-changing decisions you make, I guarantee that a better understanding of science and the world around you is only going to benefit you and yours.

Use the following checklist to determine how scientific something is.

How Scientific Is It?

• Focuses on the natural world.
• Aims to explain the natural world.
• Uses testable ideas.
• Relies on evidence.
• Involves the scientific community
• Leads to on-going research.
• Benefits from Scientific "Behavior".

Science is not just a subject to play around with in our school endeavors; it is part of our every day lives.  It is crucially important that we give our children the skills and tools necessary to decipher the scientific messages bombarding them on any given day.  In a world where the natural state of things is in such a precarious place, and a society that is increasingly reliant upon technology, science will surely play a key role.

Most homeschool families have at least one student who either doesn’t like math or finds it more challenging. It’s just “one of those things.” Unfortunately, math skills are such a source of contention, both for parents and students that we often just toss our hands up and think that there isn’t going to be an answer to our woes in this area. The reality of it is this, though. Math will come easier to some students than to others, but math can be mastered. It will take time and an open-minded approach to curricula, but one tool can be easy to incorporate into any homeschool curricula, but is sadly often left out of the process.

The primary reason that students seem to spiral out of control in math is that they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again without getting any “intervention.” By doing this, they don’t allow themselves to come to an awareness of the execution problem they are having, and therefore, they reinforce the same bad habits over and over again, making them not only bad habits, but subconscious “systems” that are hard to break.

Instead, if we allow our homeschool students to figure out what they might be doing wrong along the way – gaining immediate feedback – they can break the pattern of bad habits and begin to reshape the way they think about their process. This isn’t only true for math, but math is the predominate area where application of this system can be quickly applied.

No matter what homeschool curricula you are using, what if you changed up the way you did math just a bit? Instead of having students do 30 problems in math or more, and then allowing them to get validation of correct versus incorrect answers at the end of their assignment, what if you allowed your student to get an immediate answer for each problem as soon as it was complete. If a problem is correct, your student can move on. If not, your student would be required to stop, identify the source of their problem, do a “Critique,” and then they can move on. Doing this will allow your student to get an awareness of what they have done wrong immediately for the purpose of correcting that habit right then and there.

The trick to the Critique is that it is not terribly time consuming, but that it forces the student to see what they have done wrong so that they don’t repeat that step or build on a bad habit. However, it should be “tedious” enough that the idea of doing a critique is not a lot of fun so students will pay enough attention while doing their work that they will be sure to apply good habits, not bad ones, and execute properly each time.

Over time, this process will do a couple of things. It will help students to identify their unique weaknesses with regards to things or processes that trip them up, and it will allow them to proactively take steps to avoid those traps. It will also focus their attentions more acutely on the work before them. (So many students, homeschooled and otherwise, have said that they made a math mistake because they, “just weren’t thinking.”) And finally, it will develop a series of good habits over time that will lead to improved confidence and skill in math.

For a free copy of one possible Critique System, click here. But by all means, if you are not teaching math with a tool to correct for the bad habits, begin doing so now and see if your child’s math skills don’t begin to improve as they work to reinforce the good habits and eliminate the bad ones as they work!

Art appreciation (or the study of art history) need not be difficult.  You don't need a fancy curriculum or a complicated plan.  You simply need the desire to enjoy, along with your children, the beauty of God's creation as depicted over the centuries by outstanding artists.

So, where do you start?  I like to accomplish several goals at one time (the proverbial “killing two or three birds with one stone”) so I tie in art appreciation, art history and hands-on art projects with the historical period we are currently studying.  An excellent resource for helping you do this is the book Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Kim Solga. (ISBN 0935607099)  This book features over 90 different artists in chronological order from the early 1300's to the present. (If you're studying history before the 1300's...see the tips section below) What I love about this book is that, for each artist, there is a brief biography, an explanation of the artist's style and a nice little hands-on art project that typifies that artist's style or technique.  These projects are especially suitable for children ages 4 - 12, but I've found that teens can also enjoy many of them.

For example, browse through Discovering Great Artists and find one or two artists that lived during the time period of history that the children are studying.  Then head to the library to find a couple of good art books that contain paintings by that artist.  Spend some time with your children looking at the pictures and just enjoying the artist's work.  Better yet, borrow or purchase a couple of prints to hang on the wall.  This will give the children a chance to become even better acquainted with the artist's work as they daily see the pictures hanging there. (A good place to purchase inexpensive art prints is AllPosters.com.  Use the advanced search engine to type in the name of the artist or period of art and the price range that you're interested in).  Once the children have a 'feel' for the artist's work, find a time slot during the week where you can do the art project.  Display their artwork and enjoy the process.

Are you studying a period of history that precedes 1300?  You will not find any artists in Discovering Great Artists prior to 1300.  However, you can still use the same method as described above; the difference will be that you will be studying a period of art rather than a particular artist.   Prior to the 1300's, artists did not sign their work.  There's lots of art from ancient Egypt but we have no idea who created it. The same is true for pre-historic art or the art from ancient Greece and Rome.

Here are some ideas for art projects from pre-1300's:

• Pre-historic art: find some smooth fist -sized rocks and paint on them with earth-tone tempura paints.
• Ancient Egypt: take out a book on hieroglyphics from the library. Create some stationary using hieroglyphic symbols to decorate the boarders of copier paper.  Make copies of the original as needed.
• Ancient Greece: take out a book from the library on the art of ancient Greece.  Find pictures of Greek amphorae (vases).  Draw the shape of one of the vases on a large piece of poster board.  Cut out the shape and have the children decorate it with the type of designs they see on amphorae in the art book.
• Ancient Rome: make a paper mosaic using a simple design from a coloring book.  Cut various colors of construction paper into tiny squares and paste them onto the design in mosaic fashion.
• Middle Ages: find a book on medieval coats of arms and have your student design one for your family.

Charmaine Wistad has successfully homeschooled her own two children from pre-school through high school.  Now she is turning her attention toward helping other homeschool moms. Through personal coaching, Charmaine helps homeschooling moms thrive… not just survive! Visit her website to try a complimentary no-obligation telephone coaching session.

Leading authorities in developmental psychology and education report that children who have mastered reading readiness skills find themselves better prepared for scholastic success than children who have not mastered the basics of reading. But what, exactly, is reading readiness?

In the view of many experts, reading readiness includes:

"The teachable moment for reading: A point in time when the pupil is ready to learn how to read." (See Dechant, Emerald. 1991.Understanding and teaching reading: An interactive model. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.)

"A transition extending over several months during which time the child (student) gradually changes from a non-reader to a beginning reader. In this case the readiness program couples the (student's) past learning with new learning and brings the (student), gradually, through the transition." (From Clay, M. M. 1992. Becoming literate: The construction of inner control. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.)

The Ready to Read Child

Simply put, reading readiness is the point at which a child is academically, emotionally, and mentally prepared to read. Being ready to read means that the child has the skills that he or she needs to understand the concepts of reading. It also means that the child is able to comprehend what he or she reads.

The point of early literacy programs is that they prepare children to read. In the homeschooling environment, this means reading to young children, sharing verbal stories with children to spark their imaginations, and setting a good example for children by reading yourself.

Interestingly, early literacy, or reading readiness, is often a "program" that comes naturally, especially to the parent that emphasizes the importance of education. Many home school educators believe that learning is a lifelong process and that preparing children to learn is as important as the act of learning itself. For this reason, reading readiness is a process that occurs rather naturally within the homeschooling environment.

Preparing Children to Read

There are several strategies that can help parents and home school educators prepare young children to read. Most importantly, children need to have access to reading material. From colorful and entertaining early reader books, to television shows that include simple text reading opportunities, and even the back of a cereal box, children need to be surrounded by fun opportunities to read.

Reading opportunities present themselves in the oddest of places. Some parents like to play word games with their children while driving. Others help their children prepare to read by locating letters on a page to teach their child letter-recognition. Still others employ traditional methods such as taking the time to read together for a few minutes each day.

Although children appear to be only "looking at the pictures" when reading with an adult or older child, they are also inadvertently learning about words, sounds, and sentence structure.

Children also need a great deal of guidance as they learn the basics of reading. Although every parent would like to believe that his or her child is a natural genius, the fact is that even a genius needs help getting started. That's why it's important to make sure that children have help with beginning reading concepts such as phonics and syllabics. Taking the time to sit with a child and read with him or her can make all the difference in the world.

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Michael Levy is a well-known teacher and university researcher who has published more than 250 articles about learning. His latest project is Reading Buddy 2.0, software for teaching children to learn to read basic English using the innovative syllabics methodology. Michael invites traditional and home school teachers to explore this new method. Claim your free copy of Reading Buddy 2.0. -->

Astronomy is the oldest science, and was around at the dawn of recorded history. According to Josephus, the science of the stars was first developed by the children of Seth, the son of Adam! So the sky has been studied for thousands of years. But the telescope was invented only 400 years ago, and is a relatively recent addition to this ancient science.

Unfortunately, in our generation, the media and the schools center all astronomy education around the telescope. So one gets the impression that a telescope is indispensible for learning the stars. But one might wonder, what did astronomers do for all those millennia before the telescope was invented? This is the primary focus of the Classical Astronomy Update, to teach about the forgotten tradition of observing the sky without the requirement of a telescope.

But a telescope can be useful piece of astronomy equipment, as long as the person is adequately prepared. Too many people make the mistake of rushing out to buy a scope before they are prepared, with lots of enthusiasm and high expectations. But after a few unfruitful nights under the stars, the unprepared observer can become very disappointed and disillusioned.

To save everyone a lot of trouble and expense, I always recommend that a person obtain a bit of experience with astronomy before buying a scope. Here are some points to consider before you buy a telescope.

Learn the Sky

Perhaps the biggest problem with new scope owners is they rush out and buy scope, but then can't find anything! They're able to point the scope at the Moon, and not much else. They believe they can find something in the sky by pointing the scope at random. But this really doesn't work, as they soon find out. So they look at the Moon a few times, and after that becomes a bore, the scope disappears into the closet forever. I've seen it happen a zillion times.

So in my opinion, you should not invest money into a telescope until you first learn a couple of constellations. The constellations are your "road map to the sky." Without the constellations, you won't be able to find anything since you won't know where in the sky to point your scope. But scope ownership can work out if one realizes that work is required to learn the constellations. Too many people in our generation expect it to be easy, and fold up right away if time and effort are required to learn the sky.

Winter is an excellent time to being learning the sky, since Orion is visible in the early evening. There is a beautiful, bright nebula in the "Sword" of Orion that is easy to find with a modest scope. So if you are at least committed to learning the constellations, you can spot a good number of celestial sights on a "learn as you go" basis.

So be patient, learn the sky and, until the appropriate time, save yourself a few bucks. You might want to read Sky & Telescope magazine. That's how I first learned the sky. They have articles, sky maps and skywatching tips. You can find it on newstands or any library.

Have Realistic Expectations

We've all seen splashy astro-photographs of brightly colored nebulas and galaxies. The Hubble Space Telescope has filled our televisions, magazines and computer monitors with brightly glowing cosmic vistas. From these photos, you would get the impression that the universe is a bright, swirling place. And you then expect to see such sights through the eyepiece of your scope. But if so, you would be wrong!  Like I always tell people, if the views through a telescope were all that interesting or exciting, we'd all hear about it, and since they're not, we don't.

There are basically three telescope targets that I consider worthwhile -- the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. These sights are always impressive, even through smaller scopes. It can be fun to learn the names of lunar craters, or follow the cycles of Jupiter's Moons. Over a span of years, you can watch the changes in the orientation of Saturn's rings. The other planets are either too small or featureless to be interesting targets. And even the better targets can look "smallish" through a small scope at low magnification.

Galaxies and nebulas are known as "deep sky objects" and can be visible through smaller scopes. However, these objects are only visible as faint "fuzzy patches," little puffs of celestial smoke. Even under excellent conditions, these objects do not in any way resemble the colorful, time-lapse observatory photos that we see in magazines. Also, you must be under a very dark sky far from the city to see these wisps at all. Most people (like me) aren't much impressed with such sights. It's definitely an "acquired taste" for many people! So be sure to adjust your expectations and not expect mind-blowing sights through the eyepiece.

Look Through Someone Else's Scope

Considering the above, do yourself a favor and invest some time at someone else's eyepiece before you decide to plop down a few hundred bucks for your own scope. I'd recommend finding a local astronomy club in your area and pay them a visit. Most clubs have public telescope viewing nights all year round, and many clubs work through planetariums or observatories. Your family can get a look through a scope and also learn a bit about the sky.

These astronomy clubs all have a least a few veteran amateur astronomers who are very knowledgable about the sky and would love to help your family learn. You can get a lot of information about the sky and advice about telescope buying, etc. Who knows, you might get hooked! A list of astronomy clubs, planetariums and observatories is found in the "Resources" section at the Sky & Telescope web site.

An Alternative to Scope Ownership

Before you buy a scope, I'd recommend you start out with a decent pair of binoculars. You should still be able to get a pair of Bushnell 50mm binocs for about $40-50. You can do a lot of sky exploring with some cheap $40 binoculars, even from a light polluted area in the city. Just lay back on the grass and you'd be amazed what you can see. Binocs are also useful during the daytime for birdwatching and looking at other distance objects on the ground.

There are a number of books available about binocular astronomy and what you can see in the sky in the binocular 7-10 times magnification range. I recommend Gary Seronik's Binocular Highlights from Sky & Telescope, available at Amazon and other online booksellers.  If you like looking at the sky through binocs, it will be excellent preparation for using a scope at a later time.

If You MUST Buy a Scope

If your family must buy a scope right away, make sure you don't buy one from any "big box" retail stores, like stores that have "Mart" in the name. These scopes are just toys and will disappoint everytime. A quality optical instrument is going to set you back several hundred bucks. So if the big box stores are selling pricey scopes, make sure they are a good brand name, such as Meade or Celestron. You would probably do better if you buy a scope from a camera shop or other dealer that specializes in optical products.

Telescope selection in general is based on need. A scope suitable for high-power planet watching isn't so good for low-power galaxies and nebulae. Being a traditionalist, I consider a good starter scope to be a six-inch f/8 Newtonian reflecting telescope. They tend to be small (only about 4 feet long!) and cheap (only a few hundred dollars!).

A good vendor is Orion Telescopes, where you can also find a selection of other type scopes. You also might want to look on the web at Astromart and places like that for a used scope. But as with all used item purchases -- "caveat emptor" -- let the buyer beware! The real question is not "what's a good scope," but "how much money d'ya got?"

A lot of people recommend these little computer-driven Meade ETX scopes. The ETX is supposed to be a good, inexpensive ($300) starter scope. Such scopes include a computer driven "go to" feature that locates objects in the sky and points the telescope in the proper direction. This "go to" feature assists newbies in finding celestial objects, and are supposed to help the viewer minimize the time and effort of finding objects.

But I am "old school" in that I believe that knowing the sky is most of the fun of observing. So in my opinion, you lose a lot if your scope does all the heavy lifting. Also, I've heard these "go to" systems are not perfect, and total novice can still encounter problems with finding objects if the scope is not properly set up and calibrated. But I've never looked through the eyepiece of an ETX so I can't comment based on experience.

I'm not one to ask about commercial scopes since I've only made my own telescopes. Telescope making is a great hobby in its own right, but it's a lot of work and has a very steep learning curve. But an amateur can invest the time and care needed to make a mirror that tests out better than a "production line" mirror in a commercial scope. In my opinion, the views through a $5000 Meade are inferior to the view through my 10" telescope with a hand-ground telescope mirror, made at home for $300 plus about 100 hours of work. Check out Stellafane.com for more info on telescope making and a million links.

Maybe you will be one of those folks who are intrigued by looking at galaxies and other deep sky objects. If so, amateur astronomy is the hobby for you! But even for the loyal hobbyists, it can be a lot of work driving from the city to set up a scope in a suitably dark rural location. If you arrive at a site after dark, it can be a real hassle to set up in pitch black darkness. And then you get a stiff neck from leaning over the eyepiece!

Really, my favorite part of astronomy is just being under a dark sky with the optics God gave me! I've travelled hundreds of miles to amateur astronomy "star parties" and never even looked through a scope!

Anyway, sorry if these tips aren't what some folks want to hear, but I'd rather share my unvarnished opinions and point you in the right direction. But whatever decision your family makes with respect to scope buying and ownership, please give it the proper consideration.

A great deal of a child's reading success depends on the level of support that she or he receives at home. Children who are given the tools and the opportunities to learn to read both at school and at home have a better chance of success. The following are ten tips that can help parents know when they are on track helping their children prepare for reading success.

Tip #1: Read with and to Children Regularly

Reading at home with children is one of the best ways to ensure that they are ready for reading. It also sends the message that reading is enjoyable and fun. Parents should read with their children at least five times a week.

Tip #2: Let Children Explore Books Alone

Many parents often make the mistake of strictly controlling the reading opportunities that their children have. They may let their child select the book, but then completely take over from there. All children should be given the time to explore a book before and/or after they read it with a parent or other adult. When the child reaches the point where he or she can read alone, it's still a good idea to not rush into reading, but to encourage exploration first.

Tip #3: Show Confidence in the Child's Abilities

Children need to believe that they can do something. And, when a child becomes discouraged, it is often a parent's belief in his or her abilities that helps the child over a rough patch. Displaying a lack of confidence can make the child question his or her abilities.

Tip #4: Avoid Expressing Worry About the Child's Progress

Parents who are worried about a child's reading progress should avoid discussing this with the child. Discussing concerns with the child's teacher or other homeschooling educator is a far better option than risking compounding any reading problems the child is having by bringing them to his or her attention.

Tip #5: Encourage Children to Read to Others

Parents are built-in audiences for young readers. Parents should encourage their children to read to them often. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings and cousins, and neighbors are also great audiences.

Tip #6: Have Realistic Expectations

Parents have been reading for so long that they have understandably forgotten how long it took them to learn to read. Children learn to read at different paces and they begin to learn to read at different ages. Parents need to be sure to accommodate different learning styles to avoid rushing a child into reading or expecting too much from a struggling reader.

Tip #7: Avoid Rushing a Reading Session

Children should not feel rushed during a reading session. And, parents should avoid feeling conflicted between spending time reading with children and getting something else done. Schedule time for reading when nothing else will interfere.

Tip #8: Provide Reading and Writing Opportunities

Encourage children to read and write by putting them in charge of the shopping list and sharing letters from friends and relatives. Parents can also help teach children to learn to write by helping them write their own name on letters to friends and relatives. Opportunities for reading and writing development can be found in simple, everyday activities.

Tip #9: Provide Appropriate Reading Materials

Parents should make sure that their young readers have a wealth of age-appropriate reading material. Be sure to stock the home with books that interest the child. Take the child to the library as well. Encourage children to select their own library books and participate in the library's story time.

Tip #10: Nip Problems in the Bud

A child who is having trouble reading might have issues that need attention. A child that has trouble might have a learning disorder, hearing problems, or poor vision. Parents should be aware enough to attend to problems as early as possible but not so concerned that they create problems where none exist.