SAT & ACT Preparation: Homeschooling Children - Motivation Is The Key To Success
By Mimi Rothschild
A homeschool student can be as brilliant if not more academically accomplished than any of the top three students in a public school. The SAT scores or competitive tests of a similar nature play a vital role in higher education, or when seeking admission to any of the best unversites in the U.S. There is no guarantee that a student who is from a public school background will get a high SAT score.
The SAT is an evaluation of how much knowledge a student has about a particular subject. A homeschool student has enough learning resources and study material to potentially get a very high SAT score. There are people who think that intelligence is associated with genetics. It is a common belief that most children of computer programmers, lawyers, professors, engineers and doctors are brilliant in academics. This may be partly true, but what is most important is the right kind of expectations and motivation. With the right coaching and motivation, a homeschool student from any family background or financial condition has the means to do well in any competitive exam.
Very often it happens in a public school enviroment that there is intense competition among children to perform well. There is also pressure from parents for their children to perform even better than expected. In order to perform to their parents' satisfaction and also get a lead over their schoolmates, children begin to care more about grades than about learning the subject. In some cases, they even get burned out due to stress. Homeschool sets up the right kind of expectations and motivation for children. Teaching and learning is done considering the child's level of understanding. Children perform according to the goals set, and they also do independent research. There is no pressure in homeschool, and children are encouraged to set and achieve their own goals.
The homeschool student is taught to enjoy the process of learning and not get bogged down by the consequences of failure. The energy of the homeschool student is not diverted into channels like fear and doubt. He is taught to focus on the task at hand. The homeschol student is more concerned with "how do I find the correct answer?" rather than "What if I don't get admission in so-and-so university?"
It does not mean that the homeschool student undervalues the meaning of the SAT and other competitive exams. He knows that tests on grammar, logical reasoning, math, vocabulary and comprehension have to be taken seriously, because it will help him get admission into the college and courses of his choice. The homeschool student just has to master the basic points and techniques, like time management, and get familiarized with the standardized format of tests. Homeschool students are exposed to the best in education and with the right kind of mentoring and motivation, they can pass the SAT with flying colors.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
