PRACTICAL HOME SCHOOLING

by: James Hunaban

Utilizing practical home schooling methods - The universe has become a jungle of learning. Wherever you turn, you find a new fruit that just has to be passed on to your kid. In the middle of all the knowledge flying to and fro, we sometimes forget to chat and relax with our offspring. A mom who doubles as a tutor needs to leave the tutor behind and neatly become mom for a few hours everyday.

Listen to your youngster. Do not just hear the words, but recognize the emotion too. Many children find it hard to express exactly what they desire. chat to your child about normal stuff and allow him to be ' just a child '. When you talk to your child, as for his opinions. Few things please him more. It further adds kilos to his self - confidence.

Most parents interrupt when their offspring talk. We, as adults, loathe it when someone cuts across our lines. Kids keep mum because they are forced to be quiet when we shut them up. But this is unhealthy and unfair. Allow your youngster to finish and then present your views in a rational style. The child should posses the confidence to confide in you.

Those who criticize practical home schooling say that some parents over - focus on skills while excluding social studies, science, art, history and additional fields that aid children learn their niche in the world.

You may want some special materials to centre on certain subjects - Such as special materials to focus on skill - building. Individual topic materials usually consist of workbooks, sometimes with textbooks, and an instructional guidebook. Many specialist subjects are only available in this form. Special materials are frequently used for math and primary reading.

" All - in - one " curricula, sometimes called " school in a box ", are complete packages covering many subjects, usually an complete year ' s worth. They contain all required books and materials, including pencils and writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools, libraries and shops, or are overseas.

These materials typically refashion the school environment in the home, and are typically based on the equivalent subject - area expectations as publicly - run schools, allowing a manageable transition into school if desired. They are among the most expensive options for the home - educated, but are easy to use and require little preparation. The instructional guides are usually comprehensive, with step - by - step directions. These programs may include standardized tests, and remote examinations to yield an accredited privately - run school diploma.

Student - paced learning - corresponding to All - in - one curricula are learner paced curriculum packages. Often times called paces, these workbooks allow the scholar to progress at an individualized speed. They allow the learner to master concepts before moving on to the following topic, instead of being held back by the speed of the tutor and other students or rushing forward for the same reasons.

By utilizing the materials available and choosing the correct curriculum for your child you will find practical home schooling a rewarding experience for both of you.

PLUS LOANS FROM NEXTSTUDENT ALLOW PARENTS TO HELP PAY FOR COLLEGE

by: Jeff Mictabor

Parents still are in the running to help cover the cost of their children’s college education and can do so with PLUS Loans – Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students. With rates as low as 6.25 percent, parents can borrow up to the full cost of college with a federal PLUS Loan, according to NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company.

NextStudent offers PLUS Loans at a rate as low as 6.25 percent when coupled with incentives such as a 2 percent interest rate reduction after the first 48 months of on-time payments and a .25 percent interest rate reduction when borrowers repay their loans through Auto Debit.

PLUS Loan Availability

Parent borrowers cannot be turned down for a PLUS Loan no matter their financial situation, as the PLUS Loans are not based on financial necessity. Up to 100 percent of the cost of college is available to borrowers, less any received financial aid. In addition, PLUS Loans are available throughout the year.

Parents can borrow all of a student’s education costs for the 2006-07 academic year all the way through May 31, 2007. The federal PLUS Loan also can reimburse those parents who already paid tuition and education expenses. Total education costs can include tuition, fees, housing, books and supplies, and transportation.

NextStudent offers a fast and easy preapproval process for all federal PLUS Loan borrowers. In addition, PLUS Loans are eligible for federal student loan consolidation, and the interest on PLUS Loans may be tax-deductible.

Benefits of PLUS Loans

Federal PLUS Loans through NextStudent feature other benefits and incentives, including:

• A 3 percent cash rebate on the remaining principal balance after the first 12 months of consecutive on-time payments.

• Easy Application Process with E-Signature. Online application can be qualified in minutes. In addition, NextStudent’s “second look” is available to borrowers who initially are denied because of unresolved credit issues.

• PLUS Credit Resolution Team: NextStudent’s team has an 87 percent rate of success at resolving borrowers’ credit issues, whereby resolutions result in funded PLUS Loans.

• NextStudent offers various PLUS Loan repayment options that include deferred repayment when a student is enrolled at least half-time at school. PLUS Loans are eligible for federal loan consolidation.

Eligibility

Parents must meet eligibility requirements in order to receive a federal PLUS Loan. To qualify parents must be a biological, adoptive or step-parent of a dependent undergraduate student; a citizen of the United States or eligible noncitizen; and must be able to meet minimum federal creditworthiness standards.

Students of parents applying for federal PLUS Loans also must be citizens of the United States or eligible noncitizens; less than 24 years old as of Dec. 31 of the academic year; and unmarried without dependents.

Typically the federal PLUS Loan repayment term is 10 years. Repayment begins within 60 days of final disbursement, and there are no prepayment penalties.

Federal PLUS Loans are a great way for parents to help their children receive up to the full cost of attending college. Interest rates on PLUS Loans are lower when compared to other consumer loans, and the loans feature excellent terms. In addition, NextStudent offers a host of benefits and incentives that make PLUS Loans the perfect way to pay for college.

NextStudent, http://www.nextstudent.com/, federal lender code 834051, is dedicated to helping students and their families find affordable ways to pay for college. NextStudent offers one-on-one education finance counseling and has a portfolio of highly competitive education finance products and services including a free online scholarship search engine, federally guaranteed parent and student loans, private student loans, both federal and private student loan consolidation programs, and college savings plans.

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER HOSTING A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT

by: Arthur Specht

The advantages of hosting an exchange student are abounding. From the exposure of another culture to the rewarding sense of fulfillment, there are five reasons to open one’s home to students studying abroad.

Personal and familial development.

Be it travel, school or work, foreign interaction is a part of life. When individuals and families, open their home to a student studying abroad, personal development is inevitable. Familiarization with other races, cultures and ethnicities expands the mind to the new and exotic. It offers the entire family a fast study on how to be adaptive to foreign interactions, demonstrates how similar and different everyone is.

Newfound respect and understanding.

Once hosts open their homes to exchange students, a natural family-like relationship transpires between the foreign exchange student and the host family. Learning about another person’s ancestry represents an understanding of the world as seen from the foreign exchange student.

Inspires new language possibilities.

As globalization redefines the world we live in, learning a new language is a rapidly growing asset in the business world. It can be beneficial for both a host and their family. When children are exposed to foreign exchange students, they can learn the fun and simplicity of learning a new language. Hosts, who speak the native language of the foreign exchange students they support host, can brush up on the language.

An enriching life experience.

A fresh perspective along with a renewed appreciation can be learned from the host and exchange student student. The co-mingling of divergent ethnicities alleviates the potential of prejudice against other cultures – helping to unite the world making it safer for future generations.

Lifelong Acquaintance.

At the conclusion of a study abroad student’s term, many host families and students remain long-term friends. Saying good-bye represents the next phase of the newly developed, lifelong relationship and a rewarding lifetime experience.

IS AN IT DEGREE RIGHT FOR YOU?

by: Andy West

If you're considering a career in Information Technology, you probably have a lot of questions and are wondering if it will be the best choice for your future. Before such a big commitment is made, extensive research is needed to determine if an IT degree is something you're ready to pursue.

First of all, you should ask yourself what it is about IT that intrigues you and if it's something you can picture yourself doing long term. Have you always had a love for working with computers? Are you interested in the programming perspective and how everything works behind the scenes? Maybe it's the simple fact that you have a unique knack for fixing things when a file or program goes haywire on you.

Whatever the case, you'll be spending a lot of time working with computers in many capacities, so having a solid comfort level with them, or the willingness to gain one, is definitely a must.

Another thing to consider is what type of career you hope to land once you earn your IT degree. You may just have a general interest in the field right now and will create a plan as you delve deeper into your courses and training.

Or maybe you already have a specific type of job in mind like maintaining databases or networks, working on the help desk or doing programming. If that's the case, now is a great time to start looking into any specific training or certifications you'll need to achieve your goals.

And while you are planning your future career, it's also smart to start doing some preliminary research to see what kinds of IT jobs are out there. The market can always change in terms of job volume and demand, but now's the perfect time to see what sort of positions are available, which kinds of companies are looking to fill them and what parts of the country they're located in.

It's also an opportunity for you to find out what kind of experience employers are looking for and if there's much entry level work available. You might want to research the range of wages offered and get a better idea of how IT jobs will pay.

You will need to factor in the type of job skills you'll be required to have once you've received your IT degree and are ready to hit the workforce. Even if you know you're committed to all the coursework and studying that's required during your schooling, are you prepared for everything that will be expected of you on the job?

Consider all of the characteristics you'll need to be successful in an IT career and if they fit your personality. For example, do you have good problem solving skills and can you troubleshoot complicated situations? Are you able to balance a lot of different responsibilities and work well under pressure?

A lot of jobs in IT will require all of these work skills. Another very important requirement will be to have great people skills. Depending on what job your IT degree leads to; it's very likely that your role will involve helping other co-workers and staff. Having the ability to develop good working relations amongst your peers is a major benefit.

Going to school and getting your IT degree can open a lot of doors in your future and bring about all kinds of new opportunities. With some careful consideration and a bit of research, hopefully you'll be able to decide if a career in IT is what you're meant to do.

HOME SCHOOLING: DETERMINING THE LENGTH OF YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL YEAR

by: Phil Kuermam

A practical alternative or replacement to schooling institutions is Home schooling. In conformity with your state laws concerning this kind of education, parents teach their children to study and learn themselves.

Parents have different explanations as well as justifications as to why they want their children to be educated through home schooling. Parents are concerned regarding the safety of their wards, as well as the quality of education that provided in public schools. The costs of private schooling and the struggle that the child undergoes to keep up with the entire class is one of the major factors in favor of such alternatives.

Most parents feel defenseless when their kids are labeled as ‘slow learners’ by their peers, or other such emotional baggage.

In a large class, usually teachers have limited options and remedies to act on such children who might be “slow learners” compared to others. This leads to the need for tutoring, where they are provided the attention they seek, and can learn at “their own pace”, without having to compete with others children even while maximum attention is being paid by the teacher.

Again, a student who is very enthusiastic about learning and who generally does well in class is a good candidate for home schooling, since he can successfully juggle the absence of interacting with his friends and encouragement for excellent work that are components of a regular classroom.

A home schooling teacher must be have suitably eligibility, which suggests that he or she has at least had a “high school education” to educate lower elementary students.

The parent or teacher must be inspired and encouraged enough to educate the students, since home schooling entails hard work as well as rewards; it is, nevertheless, a satisfying job, when the results are for you to see.

Parent or teachers should be available for each day of schooling, there should be no interruption due to daily chores, and dedication to the program is a must.

Plan what the child needs:

The child will need a certain study area that is quiet, with no disturbances at all. Study time should be well scheduled and well planned.

Have a focused attitude towards the child; this is essential, as your child realizes that you are committed and enjoy your time together rather than acting irritable or unsatisfied with your child’s limitations.

A reward is a must to encourage and stimulate your child to create an affirmative emotional and informative experience. You should provide your child with basic school materials such as textbooks, encyclopedia, globe, and dictionaries. Try out the resources the internet provides as an addition to your home schooling program; such information is forever updated.

Store up on educational games of different varieties, art materials and supplies and create an environment for reading books. After your home school hours the kids can do crafts, play games, and read books as and when they like.

How do you define your “home school period?”

To begin the process of lesson planning, you have to determine a timetable or what is the “school year for your program”

Begin, by knowing the total number of “school days” in a formal school.

While determining this there are two main factors that one should understand. Firstly, the certain number of teaching or tutoring days as obliged by the State you are resident of. Usually, 180 days are needed, although some States require more and some less. Consequently, this is the minimum number of days recommended for your program.

Another factor is the total number of days necessary to complete the longest type of curriculum planned by you for the coming academic session. When the particular “longest” session necessitates less than the lowest number of teaching days, then it need not be a reason for outlining your home school yearly curriculum.

If it should need more than the lowest or minimum days, its time will conclude the time span for your year of home school. For example, if your State requires a minimum of 180 days of teaching, you discover in your curriculum, for example that algebra, will need 200 days of teaching to complete. Then 200 days would suffice for your home school year.

Once you have finalized and resolved which days are more, than that of the lowest number of your State's or your longest duration of program, then you should estimate the “actual number of days” of your home school year. That will then be the total number of days that your lessons should be based on.

NEXTSTUDENT OFFERS PLUS LOANS FOR GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS

by: Jeff Mictabor

According to Phoenix-based NextStudent, a premier education funding company, the proliferation of graduate and professional programs has led to new sources of education funding designed to benefit these goal-orientated students who are, in essence, beginning their career by continuing on in their education. As the job market in the United States continues to generate a need for applicants who are highly competitive in specified fields from technology to the ever-growing medical field, undergraduate students across the country are beginning to feel the squeeze as graduate and professional degrees become “must-haves” for even intermediate and entry-level positions.

The decision to continue education onto the graduate and professional level is one that oftentimes comes with considerable financial stress because of the continued financial obligation. However, NextStudent’s Graduate PLUS Loan (http://www.nextstudent.com/) Program may allow borrowers to fund up to the full cost of their education (less any financial aid received), including living expenses, books, supplies and even computers.

NextStudent now offers a PLUS Loan Program for graduate and professional students with rates starting as low as 8.5 percent. The Graduate PLUS Loan Program features the same benefits directly to graduate and professional students that parents of undergraduate students receive from traditional PLUS loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/plus_loans/plus_loans.asp). Because NextStudent Graduate PLUS loans are federally sponsored, they offer many of the perks of traditional PLUS loans, including eligibility for federal student loan consolidation (http://www.nextstudent.com/consolidation_loans/consolidation_loans.asp), tax-deductible interest and a variety of repayment options.

Eligibility and Credit Resolution

NextStudent offers a simple online application process through E-Signature, and many prospects who apply online qualify within minutes. Also offered is a “second look” for borrowers who receive an initial denial because of unresolved credit issues. NextStudent has a PLUS Credit Resolution Team that has an 87 percent success rate at resolving borrowers’ credit issues, resulting in funded PLUS loans.

Graduate PLUS loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/plus_loans/plus_loans.asp) easily are accessible to many students. To qualify a student must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen. Although a credit check is required, many students with limited or no credit history still qualify for Graduate PLUS loans.

Flexible Repayment Options and Aggressive Incentives

With all the great incentives offered by NextStudent and its Graduate PLUS Loan Program, now is the right time for students to take the next step and go for their graduate degree.

NextStudent Graduate PLUS loans offer several repayment options including deferred repayment while a student is enrolled in school at least half time, and there are no prepayment penalties, ever. There also is a 3 percent cash rebate at repayment on the remaining principal balance after the first 12 months of consecutive on-time payments when student borrowers pay through Auto-Debit. In addition, a 2 percent interest rate reduction is available after the first 48 months of consecutive on-time payments when student borrowers pay through Auto-Debit. Student borrowers receive a .25 percent reduction when they choose repayment through Auto-Debit.

NextStudent, federal lender code 834051, is dedicated to helping students and their families find affordable ways to pay for college. NextStudent offers one-on-one education finance counseling and has a portfolio of highly competitive education finance products and services including a free online scholarship search engine, federally guaranteed parent and student loans, private student loans, both federal and private student loan consolidation (http://www.nextstudent.com/consolidation_loans/consolidation_loans.asp) programs, and college savings plans.

The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine, one of the nation’s oldest and largest scholarship search engines, is updated daily, available free of charge, completely private – and represents 2.4 million scholarships worth $3.4 billion.

For more information about NextStudent and its student loan programs, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.nextstudent.com/.

FINDING THE BEST PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN

by: Dave Fitzgerald

Students who do not meet federal requirements for financial need can use the route of a private student loan. Apply for a private loan is free. The loan is based on the student's creditworthiness and not the need for aid as does the federal loans.

Many lenders offer private student loans to students or their parents and the application process is simple and free. The loan requirements are usually less stringent and the repayment options are affordable for young professionals. A private student loan is a great way to finance the education of any student that needs financial help. Below you will find things that you should know and things you should consider.

Things You Should Know:

1. Student loans can be used not only to pay the fees but also for lab fees, dues for associations and housing.

2. A student can have an educational loan even though the tuition is covered by a grant.

3. A student who is eighteen years or above in age, can apply for a student loan.

4. Most of the student loan is deferred for repayment until the student completes the education or leaves the school.

Things You Need To Consider:

1. Private loans for students are not given without a co-signer or a credit report.

2. Credit unions give student loans if a vehicle or a boat is provided as collateral.

3. During the cumulative credit period, a student has the option of paying or not paying the interest part of the loan. It should be noted that paying the interest on the loan while attending school will significantly reduced the amount due when the student starts paying the loan after leaving the institution.

4. Student loans are to be repaid in ten years. Nevertheless, longer repayment facilities are provided to large student educational loans.

It is not difficult to finding lenders, because most financial institutions offer some form of student loan.

Always take the time to investigate lenders in your immediate area and find out exactly what kind of loans they offer. Compare the different interest rate and terms to get the best offer available.