When grandparents discover their grandchildren are going to be home schooled, many react in much the same way as Barbara and Martin Epp did when their son and his wife decided to home school their children. "We were a little concerned," says Barbara.  Their main worry had to do with the size of their son’s family, which was larger than average. The...

It's September, and you can feel the anticipation in the air. As you drive by your neighbourhood school over the next couple of weeks, take a good look at the kids' faces. Note the smiles; listen to the laughter. Even the most reluctant student is excited to be back in school…for a few days, anyway. The thrill of seeing friends again and sharing...

(June 2, 2004, Baltimore, MD) -- For children, summer is a break from the classroom and a time to play outside, have fun with friends and enjoy family vacations. Summer can also be a great opportunity to help children enhance math, reading, and writing skills, and prepare for the upcoming school year. "Students can lose one or two months worth...

Talk to your children, and encourage them to talk. Include vocabulary lessons in everyday activities, explaining to your children what things are called and having them tell you what things are and what words mean. This will help you ensure that your children know words and can properly use them in conversation. With younger children (birth to...

“Mom, why do teenagers use swear words?” innocently asks ten year old Kaytie. This child’s question is one that many parents ask themselves, their friends and families virtually every day.  Whether overhearing a teen talking on the phone, chatting with a friend in the basement, or in the heat of an argument between siblings, parents of teens...

Whenever I start a sentence with the words, "Tonight's homework is", I know it will be met with moaning and groaning. I am never surprised by my students' attitude toward extra assignment. In fact, I can even sympathize with them. After all, they have been cooped up in my classroom all day doggedly working sums and sounding out new words. It seems...

It is a growing trend for families in North America and in other parts of the world. Home schooling is a phenomenon, and it's proponents are more than willing to tell you why. Home schooling was not the first thing that Ann Feenstra would have thought to choose for her family. "It intrigued my husband right away," she says, "but it scared me." The...