The Importance of Early Language Learning for Baby

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Written by Marsha Peterson
www.TOSMagazine.com
www.TalkingWithBaby.com

Babies enter this world with great curiosity and a willingness to learn. The first three years of life, and some may say the first eight years of life, will be the most important learning time for your baby. During this time baby pathway connections in his brain are being developed as he makes sense of things in his world. Reading to your baby and teaching him sign language are two ways to boost your baby’s language development.

In a July 2006 issue of WebMD, Jennifer Warner states that it is never too early to read to your children. Researchers from the study found children in low-income families had better language comprehension and cognitive development if their mothers read to them at an early age.1 ReadToYourBaby.com is a website dedicated to helping families with reading. In their experience, “Children who have had books in their lives between birth and five will become the future highest achievers with a lifelong love of learning.”2 Continue reading

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A Modern Famous Home Scholar

Francis Collins

Francis Collins is best known for his leadership of the Human Genome Project, which completed a genetic map of the entire human genome in 2003. Collins grew up on a farm in rural Virginia, where he was home schooled until the sixth grade. An outspoken Evangelical Christian, Collins published The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief in 2006, arguing for the compatibility of science and Christian faith. In 2007 Collins formed the BioLogos Foundation to ”contribute to the public voice that represents the harmony of science and faith.” President Barack Obama nominated Collins to the position of Director of the National Institutes of Health in 2009. Collins accepted the nomination and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

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The Grandparent Factor: A Key Ingredient to Homeschool Success

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Written by Joy Kita
www.TOSMagazine.com

When a parent decides to home school her child, they do so with much fear and trepidation. A choice that affects the lives of those closest to you and impacts the future of your family is not one made lightly. It is thought out, planned, and fretted over with endless worry.

Choosing to home school not only puts you in a spotlight you may never have wished for, but it also makes you a target for both well-meaning and ignorant loved ones who are skeptical of your capabilities or even vocally disparaging. With these kinds of obstacles it is ever so important to surround yourself with supportive people who understand your reasoning or who will at least support you in spite of how they perceive your choices.

For many home school families, that support system comes from grandparents. Continue reading

Posted in Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative | Leave a comment