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Home-schooling—the practice by which parents serve as their children's teachers and the home serves as the school—is an educational choice made today by many parents.  While it's true that the large majority of home school children are white, the number of Black home schoolers is growing rapidly. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates that there are 30,000 to 50,000 black children being home schooled today.  Others estimate that Black home schoolers make up 5 percent of the total home school population. Most importantly the Black home school movement is growing at a faster rate than the general home school population.

Many Black families have concluded that government-run schools have failed them. For 50 years since the Supreme Court decided the case of Brown v. Board of Education Blacks have been told that public schools would "save them." With 57 percent of Blacks supporting school choice, it's clear that Black families are seeking alternatives.

Parents who prefer the home school option are motivated by a variety of goals. Some seek the chance to teach specific philosophical or religious values. Others see home schooling as a means of developing close family relationships, encouraging high level academics, supporting specific learning needs of children or using alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Other parents choose home education based on concerns they have about the safety and discipline of children in some traditional public schools.

For all their differences, parents who home school tend to agree on one key benefit: the value of tailoring the curriculum and teaching approach to the needs of an individual child. Research findings consistently report that, on average, home-schooled students equal or exceed conventionally schooled students on achievement tests.

CHECK OUT OUR FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AT THE END OF THIS LIST

Fundamentals of Homeschooling:
Notes on Successful Family Living
Ann Lahrson-Fisher;
Its scope is inclusive of all who might choose this alternative education, as well as of every aspect of home-schooling from curriculum materials and legal support services to home schooling organizations. Prospective home-schooling parents (and even parents of children who attend school) will appreciate the book's wealth of wisdom on child development, learning and family life. Part One, "Play," continues in the tradition of David Elkind (The Hurried Child) and Neil Postman (The Disappearance of Childhood) with its sensible argument for allowing children the time to develop their imaginative and expressive selves through play. Part Two offers reassuring advice for parents worried about how to approach the basics of literacy and mathematics with their children. Subsequent sections are more specifically oriented to home-schoolers and offer tips on family life and the organization of the living/school space, evaluation and testing, getting ready for college and other important issues, including how to respond to the inevitable criticism from family and friends. What Lahrson-Fisher's book lacks in theory, it makes up for in common sense, clearly rooted in the author's personal experiences. Although slightly redundant, the book will remind readers of the benefits of living a life that celebrates the simple things: "play, conversation, togetherness, and growing up."
 

Black Families Online:
Directory of Online Resources for Black Parents
Stacey Montgomery;
While searching for web resources to include on her web site (CelebratingChildren.com), first-time author Montgomery came up with the idea for this directory of online resources for African American parents. Chosen because they feature "information, products or services targeted to black families," the 279 annotated web sites are listed under 20 categories such as "Bath and Beauty," "Books," "College and Scholarships," "Gifts," and "Parenting." Almost all of them were current and accessible at the time of review. Unfortunately, the bulk of the directory is made up of Afrocentric product vendors. While those listings are helpful, the overwhelming focus on them means that the author fails to meet her stated goal and misses some obvious categories, e.g., government, sports, and science. Montgomery also copies phrases from the web sites for her own descriptions without setting them off in quotes, and she omits membership information. Since most parenting books provide lists of web resources, this directory should be bought only in very large African American communities.-Maryse Breton, Davis Branch Lib., CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

  Freedom Challenge:
African American Homeschoolers
Grace Llewellyn;

Guerrilla Learning:
How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School
Grace Llewellyn;
The authors offer five fundamental principles opportunity, timing, freedom, interest, and support that, they claim, will transform the way we relate to our children and greatly assist them in growing up to be joyful, passionate creators. Useful for parents and teachers alike, this valuable book closely examines how young people learn and illuminates its practical advice with many stories that make for both insightful and enjoyable reading. Whatever schooling venue parents choose, this book will help them instill a lifelong love of learning in their children.

Morning by Morning :
How We Home-Schooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League
PAULA PENN-NABRIT;
Any home-schooling parent can learn something from this book, but it's specifically directed at the "traditional, conservative, black, middle-class way." Penn-Nabrit's account focuses on her three sons, who were in the fourth and sixth grades when their home schooling began. They had several advantages other home schoolers may lack. They were able to offer their sons a rich diet of specialized summer camps, cultural activities and travel experiences.  Among the helpful discussions are Penn-Nabrit's explications of how they designed their curriculum; created appropriate space and scheduled the day; knew what they could and couldn't teach; kept their sons physically fit, humanely cultured, socially connected and academically measured; and got through the "hideous" college applications process.
 

Home Learning Year by Year :
How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
REBECCA RUPP;
Finally, homeschoolers have a comprehensive guide to designing a homeschool curriculum, from one of the country's foremost homeschooling experts. , Rebecca Rupp presents a structured plan to ensure that your children will learn what they need to know when they need to know it, from preschool through high school. Based on the traditional pre-K through 12th-grade structure, Home Learning Year by Year features:
The integral subjects to be covered within each grade
Standards for knowledge that should be acquired by your child at each level
Recommended books to use as texts for every subject
Guidelines for the importance of each topic: which knowledge is essential and which is best for more expansive study based on your child's personal interests
Suggestions for how to sensitively approach less academic subjects, such as sex education and physical fitness
 

A Reason for Spelling: Homeschool Pack Level a Rebecca Burton;	Homeschooling Laws: And Resource Guide for All Fifty States Steve Deckard;
The Minority Homeschooler's Guide Johnson Obamehinti;	School at Home, Teach Your Own Child Ingeborg U.V. Kendall;
Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling John Holt; "For many parents this book is an indispensable handbook for educating their children at home."	How to Prepare for the GED with CD-ROM Murray, Ph.D. Rockowitz;
	Art of Teaching Reading, The Lucy McCormick Calkins;

The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas:
500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12
LINDA DOBSON;
As a homeschooling parent, you're always looking for new and creative ways to teach your child the basics. Look no longer! Inside this innovative helper, you'll find kid-tested and parent-approved techniques for learning math, science, writing, history, manners, and more that you can easily adapt to your family's homeschooling needs. And even if you don't homeschool, you'll find this book a great teaching tool outside the classroom. You'll discover fun and educational activities for kids ages 3 to 12, including how to:
·Create maps based on favorite stories, such as Treasure Island or The Wizard of Oz
·Make letters out of French fries as an alphabet learning aid
·Explore architecture by building igloos, castles, and bridges with sugar cubes and icing
·Review spelling words by writing them on the sidewalk with chalk
·And many more!
This comprehensive collection of tried-and-true—and generally inexpensive—ideas provides the best-of-the-best homeschooling activities that can be done anywhere, anytime, and by anyone.
 

The McGraw-Hill Homeschooling Companion
by Laura Saba,
Homeschooling, once an alternative to conventional education, is experiencing a boom all across America and has become a highly valued option for more and more mainstream parents. The McGraw-Hill Homeschooling Companion provides parents with a complete, authoritative, truly balanced guide to every aspect of homeschooling, from the primary years through high school.

This all-in-one manual covers the different approaches to homeschooling as well as the specific methods for setting up the home learning environment, including legal requirements, supplies, and lesson plans. Individual chapters examine the stages of homeschooling: what curriculum planning involves, the indispensable tools for the home classroom, computer use, and tips and techniques on teaching all the core curriculum requirements. Special features include comprehensive treatment of standardized testing, state by state; practical counsel on integrating homeschooling and living in the outside world; 10 favorite homeschool suppliers; websites; and homeschooling laws for all 50 states.

Count on Your Fingers African Style Claudia Zaslavsky, Wangechi Mutu

Two Ways to Count to Ten: A Liberian Folktale Ruby Dee, Susan Meddaugh

Traditional Crafts from Africa (Culture Crafts)
Florence Temko,

Gr 4-7 This craft book is neatly laid out, beautifully organized, informative, and has easy-to-follow directions. Each chapter focuses on one craft technique and includes a project from a specific African region. Vivid maps of each region show its climate and the culture of its people. Helpful pronunciation guides are included in the text. Bright, full-color photographs accompany descriptions of technique. Clear diagrams demonstrate how to make reproductions of the crafts with readily available materials. The author even suggests alternative supplies where appropriate. Each chapter ends with suggestions for other projects using these newly acquired skills.

African Beads : A Book and Craft Kit
Janet Coles

African Beads: A Book and Craft Kit is a prefect gift for that friend you've been egging on to try beadwork. You'll like it for its concise information on African beadwork. The author profiles Grassfield, Zulu, Yoruba, Maasai, and Kuba styles, explaining their meaning, history, and techniques. The book ends with very clearly illustrated instructions for peyote, square, and lane stitch, loomwork, daisy chains, and gluing. The package comes with a see-through, detachable spine filled with beads, a slide-out tray that becomes a loom, and enough needles, findings, and patterns to make ten projects.
 

Abacus by Melissa & Doug This brightly colored wooden abacus is a great first calculator for kids to learn counting, patterns, colors and more! The 100 colorful wooden beads slide smoothly on this classically styled, high-quality frame. A great value!

Mancala Board Game Price: $9.99

A Million Fish...More or Less
Patricia C. McKissack
Told with verve and sly wit," said PW in a starred review, "this exuberant bayou tale admirably captures the captivating regional cadences and comedy of [an] intrepid fisher boy's adventures.... A splendid collaboration." Ages 5-9.
 

Africa Counts: Number and Pattern in African Culture
Claudia Zaslavsky

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Deborah Hopkinson

As a seamstress in the Big House, Clara dreams of a reunion with her Momma, who lives on another plantation—and even of running away to freedom. Then she overhears two slaves talking about the Underground Railroad. In a flash of inspiration, Clara sees how she can use the cloth in her scrap bag to make a map of the land—a freedom quilt—that no master will ever suspect. "A particularly effective way to introduce the subject to younger children, adding a trenchant immediacy to their understanding of a difficult but important chapter in the country's past."—(starred) Horn Book. "This first-rate book is a triumph of the heart."—(starred) Publishers Weekly.

Hidden in Plain View : A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad
Jacqueline L. Tobin, Raymond G. Dobard

Egyptology Emily Sands  Hardcover / Candlewick Press / October 2004 Our Price:  $13.99	The Snowy Day Ezra Jack Keats / Hardcover / Viking / January 1996 Our Price:  $6.99
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor / Paperback / Puffin / January 1997 Our Price:  $6.99	Bud, Not Buddy Christopher Paul Curtis / Paperback / Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers / January 2002 Our Price:  $5.99
The Skin I'm in Sharon G. Flake / Paperback / Hyperion / December 1999 Our Price:  $5.99	Lions At Lunchtime Mary Pope Osborne / Paperback / Random House, Incorporated / January 1998 Our Price:  $3.99
A Chair for My Mother Vera B. Williams / Paperback / William Morrow & Company, Inc. / March 1984 Our Price:  $5.99	The Watsons Go to Birmingham Christopher Paul Curtis / Paperback / Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers / October 1997 Our Price:  $6.50
Mummies and Pyramids: A Nonfiction Companion to Mummies in the Morning Will Osborne / Paperback / Random House, Incorporated / February 2001 Our Price:  $4.99	Jungle Drums Graeme Base / Hardcover / Abrams,Harry N Inc / September 2004 Our Price:  $13.26
By My Brother's Side Tiki Barber / Hardcover / Simon & Schuster Children's / August 2004 Our Price:  $11.86	Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport / Hardcover / Hyperion / October 2001 Our Price:  $11.19
The Egypt Game Zilpha Keatley Synder / Paperback / Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers / October 1985 Our Price:  $5.99	A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Picture Book Biography) David A. Adler / Paperback / Holiday House, Inc. / March 1991 Our Price:  $6.95
Shortcut Donald Crews / Paperback / William Morrow & Company, Inc. / September 1996 Our Price:  $5.99	The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place E. L. Konigsburg / Hardcover / Simon & Schuster Children's / February 2004 Our Price:  $13.56
Please, Baby, Please Spike Lee / Hardcover / Simon & Schuster Children's / October 2002 Our Price:  $13.56	Whistle for Willie Ezra Jack Keats / Paperback / Puffin / May 1976 Our Price:  $6.99
Pink and Say Patricia Polacco / Hardcover / Philomel / August 1994 Our Price:  $13.59	The Meanest Thing to Say (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) Bill Cosby / Paperback / Scholastic, Inc. / July 1997 Our Price:  $3.99

The Information Technology Group of America is fast becoming the leading African American owned and operated Software Development Company in the US.  In 2002, a line of educational multi media applications were released that reflect the unique experience of the African and African American communities.   http://www.itgoa.com/

Price: $24.99

Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Kwame Nkrumah, Cheikh Anta Diop,  Elijah Muhammad, W. E. B. Du Bois

Program Features

Text to Speech Technology | Fully Narrated for young readers | Animated Quotations | 9 Biographies |     Multiple Choice Test |  Certificate of Excellence

Price: $24.99
 

Education Freebies

Free typing resources Math Cards Free Forms for Homeschool Mathscribe Lite - a free dynamic graphing and mathematical modeling program for algebra, trigonometry and pre-calculus classes (Mac & Win) Eclectic Homeschool Forms Download Page Free Money Math CD-ROM Pocket Guide to Homeschooling Free Unit Study Forms for Homeschools Science Freebies Hebrew Language Resources Free Educational Software Downloads Science and Our Food Supply Printable and Savable Worksheets and Worksheet Generators Math Facts Whiz free software download (addition is enabled, to use other operations the software must be registered for a small fee) Free copy of Home Education magazine Send a blank email to receive a package of ideas how you can practice the ABCs and reading basic words every day MIT's Free OpenCourseWare Project

Free Yes, We Can! Raise Financially Aware Kids Book Free US Geography Games For Teachers Free Publications from the US DOE Free TeachNow Classic Book Downloads Read to Feed free educator resource packet Cotton Education Resource Free NASA Publications INSIGHTS Free Textbook Program Free Oceanography CD Free Planet Protectors Club Kit Free Education Resources from the US Postal Service Free Curriculum, All Hands On Deck, from USS Constitution Museum Free Wordsearch Software Download Free Solar Posters from Stanford (now charging $5 domestic shipping and $8 international shipping) Free Map Software, Maps That Teach Free Educator Resources from AboutPeanuts.com Building Big Free Engineering Activity Guide (available online) Free curriculum materials from the Fed

Links African American Homeschooling http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/17652 Afrocentric Learning http://ncaahomeschoolers.tripod.com/ncafricanamericanhomeschoolers/id15.html Black Homeschooler's Network http://www.blackhomeschoolers.homestead.com/ National Black Home Educator's Resource Association http://www.nbhera.org/ K-12 African Studies http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/menu_K-12.html African Studies Links http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/lss/lang/african.html Links to fun and educational websites with free online games, activities and resources for kids.

Support Afrocentric Homeschooler's Association Yahoo! Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aha/ HERITAGE Homeschoolers http://heritagehomeschoolers.homestead.com/ African American Homeschoolers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanAmerhomschler/ Mocha Moms Online http://www.mochamoms.org