A Child-Centered Society The Netherlands and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child If you could choose any country in the world in which to raise your child, which would you choose? You might be inclined to choose the comforts of the United States or Britain, the charm of European mainstays like France and Germany, the [...]

From another report about poisoned toys coming from China: "Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port Everglades Trade Enforcement Team seized over 3,500 toys in two separate merchandise seizures entering Port Everglades from China, the agency said on Friday..." "The federal officers also made another seizure at Port Everglades involving 1,440 toy soldiers also coming from China. Officials from the Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the toys and determined that these toy soldiers contained excessive lead in the paint and were in violation of the lead paint ban as they posed lead poisoning hazard." If you home school like we do, you are shielded from the peer driven and media driven demand for this plastic stuff.  Sure, we would like to have some of this otherwise neat stuff... but our love for the Chinese people who suffer under communism far outweighs our desire to amuse ourselves. While most Americans have probably forgotten the Chinese toys of death scare from 2007... below is a repost that explains my sentiments: Chinese "Date Rape" Beads of Death The Herald Tribune is reporting that "Aqua Dots" Chinese-made children's toys contain the 'date rape' drug. Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound — made from common and easily available ingredients — can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death. Could this Chinese toy thing get any stranger?  Lead, asbestos, gamma hydroxy butyrate... could they try any harder to make this look like a sinister communist plot to kill American children? We have long boycotted Chinese made products -- yes, it is possible.  It takes more time shopping and sometimes we go home empty handed.  But, like most Americans, who needs more stuff?  As someone who loves toys, those three little words - Made in China - sure help us save a lot of money.  Try it; just put the stuff back on the shelf. Our little family is like a chorus going through a toy store: "Made in China", "Made in China", "Made in China".  I believe those are the first words most of our children learned to read -- dad's homeschool of consumer awareness.  Our little boycott started, not because of consumer safety reasons, but because the communists represent real evil in this world.  Christians are persecuted in China.  Political freedom is suppressed.  Individual expression is punished.  Information is controlled by the state.  Every industry profits from slave labor (through forced labor of political prisoners in energy and mining).  And, women are forced to have abortions. Also, a portion of every dollar that goes to China gets invested into the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army), China's military, which is engaged in a great strategic expansion in anticipation of the coming conflict with the United States.  Historically, China views the United States as an enemy.  All of their military build-up is targeted at countering the United States -- anti-satellite weapons to target our communications, blue water navy and submarines to counter our aircraft carriers, hacking to disrupt our information infrastructure, anti-surface missiles to counter our navy, short and medium range missiles to target Taiwan and US bases in Asia, ICBM's to target American cities. Please pray that this coming conflict does not come to pass.  Pray that the communist government of China would be destroyed and freedom would come to the Chinese people.  Too long have they suffered under the suppression of totalitarian government (at key historical points reinforced by western powers).  In 1989 brave individuals stood up for political reform in China, the result was death and prison for thousands.  The west largely ignored these tyrannical acts and expanded trade relations with China.  Trade has done little since then to give the Chinese people political freedom.  Instead, the power of the communist dictators has been reinforced and strengthened by the influx of western cash. Please stop giving your cash to China; instead give them your prayers and determination to see them free to worship Christ as you do.  Don't you think that is a better lesson for your children then that plastic (and perhaps lead painted) toy?

[Editor: Considering Homeschooling is proud to present this special guest column by Michedolene Hogan of Unique Parenting.] By: Michedolene Hogan When parents send their children to school, they expect for their children to be taught the necessary academic skills appropriate for their age.  Yet, there scope of education is growing at an alarming rate.  Schools have begun to overstep their boundaries and assume the role of the home in many aspects such as the socialization of our children. According to the 2003 Webster's New World dictionary, to socialize means to make fit for living in a group.  This definition is similar to that found in the 1810 Merriam-Webster which states: To make social: especially to fit or train for a social environment.  In order to be properly socialized, children must be able to be sociable, having a disposition to associate and converse with others.  Children must have the ability to join in company or society and to unite in a general interest.  Children must also have the ability to work in conjunction with others in the community and conform to laws.  Children must exhibit respect for authority and an understanding of how the world works.  Observation and practice are the main tools that children employ in order to learn these social skills.  Based on the aforementioned necessary skills one would assume that the best place to learn such skills is in a classroom surrounded with peers and authority figures, right?  Wrong. What kids really learn in traditional public education settings Traditional public schools settings are not as idealistic.  Children may be surrounded by their peers but, these are not the best role models for social behavior.  In schools, children often meet peers who are involved in delinquency, low academic achievement and exhibiting behavior problems.  These are the children who get the most attention from their teachers and as a result, stand out to their peers.  In the end, our children learn an unacceptable concept of social behavior by practicing what they observe.  Despite this reality, the school continues to take the lead in training children for social situations. Raymond and Dorothy Moore, in their research on the validity of Early Childhood Education, determined that enrollment in formal schooling before ages 8-12 was not as effective as projected, but put children’s development at risk.  They presented evidence of a correlation between the following childhood problems and the increasingly earlier enrollment of students: Juvenile delinquency Nearsightedness Increased enrollment of students in special education classes Behavioral problems Early enrollment in schools interrupts bonds and emotional development that children form in the home with parents.  This damage, as found by the Raymond and Dorothy Moore, is not repaired in an institutional setting. Over 8,000 studies were conducted in the 1970’s by the Moores.  In the end, they concluded that, “Where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling until at least ages 8-10” because, “children are not mature enough for formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready.” Another theory, developed by teacher John Caldwell Holt, stated that “academic failure of school children was caused by pressure placed on children in schools.”  He declared in 1980, “I want to make it clear that I don't see home schooling as some kind of answer to badness of schools.  I think that the home is the proper base for the exploration of the world which we call learning or education.  Home would be the best base no matter how good the schools were.” The school setting expects children to handle a whole new set of emotions as early as 3 years of age.  At this tender age, children do not even understand their emotions, much less know how to appropriately deal with them.  Children end up imitating their peers, whom as stated earlier may be involved in a number of behavior issues.  The impact of a child’s sociability is an absolutely harmful progression away from positive sociability and self-concept. This progression is best explained in When Education Becomes Abuse: A Different Look at the Mental Health of Children. Here is their explanation of the sequence of emotions experienced by young children in early childhood settings: Uncertainty as the child leaves the family for a less secure environment Puzzlement at the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom Frustration because they are not ready to handle the regimentation of formal lessons (unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordination) Hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitters from frustration Failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences above Delinquency which is failure's twin Benefits of Home Schooling Learning in the home is the best option.  Home is the where true learning, exploring the world, takes place.  ‘Learning’ in this case includes not only academic education but also an understanding of the social environment of the world.  Teaching children in the home has countless benefits including: Home provides the proper atmosphere and value system to build upon.  Home sets the example of honoring and respecting authority.  Home teaches children how to be part of their community both physically and spiritually. Children with home as their base of exploration benefit from more time spent with warm, responsive parents, limited time with peers and free exploration under parental guidance.  The parents are in control of the social influences and the child isn't exposed to the whirlwind of emotions that come with early childhood education.  Children build a strong bond with the parents as the center example for proper social behavior and are given more opportunities to be among their community in a guided manner. The National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey in 2003 of 7,300 adults who had been home schooled.  Their astounding results once again make a case for the home; 71% home schooled adults are active and involved in their community compared to 37% of U.S. Adults from a traditional education background.  76% of home schooled adults between 18-24 voted within the last five years compared to 29%.  The numbers are even greater in larger groups at 95% compared with 53% of traditional schooled adults.  The survey also reported that 58.9% of home schooled adults reported that they are “very happy” with life compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. Population.  73.2% find life “exciting,” compared with 47.3%. Socialization is to make social: especially to fit or train for a social environment.  Children best acquire this skill through the practice and observation in the home, not in the schools.  Raymond and Dorothy Moore recognized this need in their first publication in 1975.  That was just the tip of the iceberg in the research of socialization and teaching children.  Evidence abounds and grows continually to support the home as the best place to socialize our children.  Most recently, the NHERI statistics drive home the essential call to all parents to model their successful and productive adult lives with their children as the best social example to follow. About the Author: Michedolene Hogan lives in a quiet neighborhood of Yucaipa CA with her husband of 15yrs.  Her favorite activities include spending time with her family and crafting fun family activities.  She finds her greatest satisfaction in being a stay at home mom raising healthy children and publishes a bi-weekly newsletter offering advice for building strong families.

Barack Obama will place his hand on the Bible and swear an oath to serve the United States.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

This weekend, I was at in a quandary at the library -- I had reached the 100 book limit on my card again, and this did not reflect the other books we had out on another card. The librarian, with a knowing smile exclaimed, "you must be a homeschooler!" We then got into a conversation about why homeschoolers are noted for reading a lot more than their schooled counterparts (as an aside – I do screen the books I get from the library for inappropriate content. There are still wholesome fiction books and accurate non-fiction to be found in libraries, if you know what you are looking for, and if your library has not been totally taken over by liberals). Why is it that home educated children are known for reading a great deal more than typical children? Looking at our own home, I can see several reasons. First, homeschooled children do not come in after a hard day of traveling to and from school and have to tackle a load of take home assignments. They do their reinforcement work as they learn their subjects and so their nights are not plagued with the burden of homework. And, since a homeschooler’s day is usually shorter in duration than a brick and mortar school day, homeschoolers naturally have more free time to read.  In our home we are building what we call a "generational library" -- stocking our shelves with classic and quality Christian books found at garage sales, on-line, etc. that cannot be found in the secular libraries. The library we have in our home is brimming with all kinds of edifying gems our children love to read again and again. In addition, our church has an expanding family resource room that is brimming with God-centered reading materials. And, we go to the library, on average, twice a week. Most homeschool families I know have unplugged the TV and are not engaged in the entertainment gamer craze. It is no wonder, then, that no one has to force anyone to read in our home -- whenever they get a free moment, our children grab a good book and that they are several grade levels ahead in reading. We are not anti-technology -- far from it -- my husband is a computer programmer, and our children will hopefully reach his level of expertise one day. But, technology can replace book reading in the lives of modern day children. I am convinced there are a multitude of skills such as vocabulary accumulation which are gained by old fashioned book reading that just cannot be obtained elsewhere. Here is an article in this regard that caught my eye today. Note that is states that among the children surveyed "almost a third take a games console to bed rather than a book, while a quarter never read in their own time". I guess we homeschoolers should be happy when we catch that child with the flashlight, trying to read under the covers!

Part Three of a Series by Kathy Lowers Founder of Considering Homeschooling  If I could take every conservative Christian parent to their neighborhood abortion clinic parking lot for a "field trip," I think I could convince most of them to homeschool. I would only need about an hour. Let me take you there on a Saturday morning… Dachau Concentration Camp Styled Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in Houston, Texas First, upon arriving at the abortion clinic, you will witness a parade of cars entering the parking lot. No, they are not Christians who got out of bed to come to pray and save babies there (those are a rare sight these days). Instead, fresh faced teens peer out at you from those cars. Having stood outside abortion clinics in several states for 22 years, praying and sidewalk counseling, I can tell you it seems harder than ever for American high school teens to find a parking space at most abortion mills. Many weekends in the suburbs and in the cities, it is double parking and then some. Now try handing out literature on alternatives to abortion and information on abstinence to these teens. Some of the young people will totally ignore you, others will curse you out, a few may threaten to beat you up or worse. Within that hour of standing in front of an abortion clinic, a teen or two is bound to talk with you. Percentage-wise, they will be from a family that professes faith in Christ, and some will even tell you the name of the "saved" church they go to. You will find that Christian teens going for abortions are often the more elusive ones -- likely to tell you they know it is wrong, but they know Jesus will forgive them after they kill their baby. (Isn't Christianity great?!) You will be outraged to see many cases of obvious statutory rape -- older men who drive up in nice cars, dropping off underage girls. You might begin to realize that there are a lot of parents out there who are totally unaware their grandchildren are being torn, crushed, sucked out of the wombs of their daughters or their sons' girlfriends. How did these teens become customers of Planned Parenthood, et al? Whose children are these who are streaming so cavalierly into abortion mills throughout our country every week, as if they are streaming into a McDonald’s? If you let the government schools have your offspring, then most likely they are yours. If your children are yet young, you have more hope -- please don't let them turn out to be future abortion clinic clients. Realize the public schools and abortion clinics are symbiotic ventures -- the first one gives the sales pitch, the latter is there to cinch the deal. Government schools strip God and His values from every subject, seeding the child's heart with cynicism and nihilism -- which makes a child vulnerable to premarital sex and the temptation to abort any resulting children. Peers and teachers of unknown morals surround your children all day in a school setting. Since you only see your child at night and since they have so much homework, you only really get a few minutes with your kids before they are off to sleep. In other words, your daily influence is negligible. Once your child understands how spending time with friends is more important in the school model of teen life than spending time with family, you will rarely see them on weekends either. Where are they really going? What are they really doing? Are they being chaste or being chased? Like those parents of the teens you saw at the abortion clinic, you are out of the loop, clueless. But if you are a loving Christian parent who can provide a safe, wholesome home where a child can thrive, you should homeschool and teach them the clear message that God made people in His image and that they should have the utmost respect for the unborn. You could even bring your child out to the abortion clinic -- to pray and save babies. And you will not be one to worry whether one of your grandchildren is being done in by some abortionist on a Saturday morning. I hope you will see homeschooling as a great way to help protect the next generation from Planned Parenthood. One group that trains teens in a pro-life summer camp is called Survivors.  I participated in pro-life events with Survivors in the past, and these teens are impressive. Most seem to be from homeschooled families, which is what you would expect.

If you have been considering homeschooling, let that public school indoctrinated peer pressure kick in... From WND:  A homeschooling movement is sweeping the nation – with 1.5 million children now learning at home, an increase of 75 percent since 1999. The Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics reported homeschooling has risen by 36 percent in just the last five years. "There's no reason to believe it would not keep going up," NCES statistician Gail Mulligan told USA Today. A 2007 survey asked parents why they choose to homeschool and allowed them to provide several reasons. The following are the most popular responses: Concern about the school environment, including reasons such as safety, drugs or negative peer pressure – 88 percent A desire to provide religious or moral instruction – 83 percent A dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools – 73 percent Nontraditional approach to children's education – or "unschoolers" who consider typical curriculums and standardized testing as counterproductive to quality education – 65 percent Other reasons, such as family time, finances, travel and distance – 32 percent Child has special needs (other than physical or mental health problems) that schools cannot or will not meet – 21 percent Child has a physical or mental health problem – 11 percent Parents who report that they homeschool to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent from 2003 to 2007. Above all other responses, parents cited providing religious and moral instruction as the most important factor in the decision to teach their children at home (36 percent). The second most important issue was concern about the school environment (21 percent), while the third reason was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (17 percent). Research has shown the positive effects of homeschooling through the years. While some critics say teaching children at home may stunt their social growth, studies indicate homeschooled students fare well or better than public and private school students in terms of social, emotional and psychological development. Additionally, homeschoolers earn higher marks than peers who attend public schools. Academic Leadership, an online journal, cites findings from at least three nationwide studies across the United States and two nationwide studies in Canada. "The home educated in grades K to 12 have scored, on average, at the 65th to 80th percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in the United States and Canada, compared to the public school average of the 50th percentile," it states. Three studies also show that demographics, income and education level of homeschooling parents are generally irrelevant with regard to quality of education in a home setting. On average, homeschoolers in low-income families with less formal education still score higher than state-school averages.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

This weekend, I was at in a quandary at the library -- I had reached the 100 book limit on my card again, and this did not reflect the other books we had out on another card. The librarian, with a knowing smile exclaimed, "you must be a homeschooler!" We then got into a conversation about why homeschoolers are noted for reading a lot more than their schooled counterparts (as an aside – I do screen the books I get from the library for inappropriate content. There are still wholesome fiction books and accurate non-fiction to be found in libraries, if you know what you are looking for, and if your library has not been totally taken over by liberals). Why is it that home educated children are known for reading a great deal more than typical children? Looking at our own home, I can see several reasons. First, homeschooled children do not come in after a hard day of traveling to and from school and have to tackle a load of take home assignments. They do their reinforcement work as they learn their subjects and so their nights are not plagued with the burden of homework. And, since a homeschooler’s day is usually shorter in duration than a brick and mortar school day, homeschoolers naturally have more free time to read.  In our home we are building what we call a "generational library" -- stocking our shelves with classic and quality Christian books found at garage sales, on-line, etc. that cannot be found in the secular libraries. The library we have in our home is brimming with all kinds of edifying gems our children love to read again and again. In addition, our church has an expanding family resource room that is brimming with God-centered reading materials. And, we go to the library, on average, twice a week. Most homeschool families I know have unplugged the TV and are not engaged in the entertainment gamer craze. It is no wonder, then, that no one has to force anyone to read in our home -- whenever they get a free moment, our children grab a good book and that they are several grade levels ahead in reading. We are not anti-technology -- far from it -- my husband is a computer programmer, and our children will hopefully reach his level of expertise one day. But, technology can replace book reading in the lives of modern day children. I am convinced there are a multitude of skills such as vocabulary accumulation which are gained by old fashioned book reading that just cannot be obtained elsewhere. Here is an article in this regard that caught my eye today. Note that is states that among the children surveyed "almost a third take a games console to bed rather than a book, while a quarter never read in their own time". I guess we homeschoolers should be happy when we catch that child with the flashlight, trying to read under the covers!

Part Three of a Series by Kathy Lowers Founder of Considering Homeschooling  If I could take every conservative Christian parent to their neighborhood abortion clinic parking lot for a "field trip," I think I could convince most of them to homeschool. I would only need about an hour. Let me take you there on a Saturday morning… Dachau Concentration Camp Styled Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in Houston, Texas First, upon arriving at the abortion clinic, you will witness a parade of cars entering the parking lot. No, they are not Christians who got out of bed to come to pray and save babies there (those are a rare sight these days). Instead, fresh faced teens peer out at you from those cars. Having stood outside abortion clinics in several states for 22 years, praying and sidewalk counseling, I can tell you it seems harder than ever for American high school teens to find a parking space at most abortion mills. Many weekends in the suburbs and in the cities, it is double parking and then some. Now try handing out literature on alternatives to abortion and information on abstinence to these teens. Some of the young people will totally ignore you, others will curse you out, a few may threaten to beat you up or worse. Within that hour of standing in front of an abortion clinic, a teen or two is bound to talk with you. Percentage-wise, they will be from a family that professes faith in Christ, and some will even tell you the name of the "saved" church they go to. You will find that Christian teens going for abortions are often the more elusive ones -- likely to tell you they know it is wrong, but they know Jesus will forgive them after they kill their baby. (Isn't Christianity great?!) You will be outraged to see many cases of obvious statutory rape -- older men who drive up in nice cars, dropping off underage girls. You might begin to realize that there are a lot of parents out there who are totally unaware their grandchildren are being torn, crushed, sucked out of the wombs of their daughters or their sons' girlfriends. How did these teens become customers of Planned Parenthood, et al? Whose children are these who are streaming so cavalierly into abortion mills throughout our country every week, as if they are streaming into a McDonald’s? If you let the government schools have your offspring, then most likely they are yours. If your children are yet young, you have more hope -- please don't let them turn out to be future abortion clinic clients. Realize the public schools and abortion clinics are symbiotic ventures -- the first one gives the sales pitch, the latter is there to cinch the deal. Government schools strip God and His values from every subject, seeding the child's heart with cynicism and nihilism -- which makes a child vulnerable to premarital sex and the temptation to abort any resulting children. Peers and teachers of unknown morals surround your children all day in a school setting. Since you only see your child at night and since they have so much homework, you only really get a few minutes with your kids before they are off to sleep. In other words, your daily influence is negligible. Once your child understands how spending time with friends is more important in the school model of teen life than spending time with family, you will rarely see them on weekends either. Where are they really going? What are they really doing? Are they being chaste or being chased? Like those parents of the teens you saw at the abortion clinic, you are out of the loop, clueless. But if you are a loving Christian parent who can provide a safe, wholesome home where a child can thrive, you should homeschool and teach them the clear message that God made people in His image and that they should have the utmost respect for the unborn. You could even bring your child out to the abortion clinic -- to pray and save babies. And you will not be one to worry whether one of your grandchildren is being done in by some abortionist on a Saturday morning. I hope you will see homeschooling as a great way to help protect the next generation from Planned Parenthood. One group that trains teens in a pro-life summer camp is called Survivors.  I participated in pro-life events with Survivors in the past, and these teens are impressive. Most seem to be from homeschooled families, which is what you would expect.

The CLEP US History 1 exam is a 3 credit Social Sciences and History exam that covers the early colonial period of North America though Reconstruction. This was our second CLEP test and overlaps material from CLEP American Government, especially the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Supreme Court cases. Students interested in history should be able to enjoy this exam and do well. Here are the materials we used, our study method and what you must know to pass.Available materials for this exam abound and many are good but our favorites were:InstantCert (invaluable for this exam, especially the feedback section of the forum) The CLEP History of the United States I w/CD (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the CLEP Official Study Guide 2010 (makes a great final exam) Peterson's online practice exams (harder than the actual exam but excellent for study)The History Channel Presents The Presidents For this exam we used a combination of texts, videos, flashcards and a few movies from the period. Making flashcards or a power point presentation of the presidents, the highlights of each administration, and the major supreme court cases were helpful to solidify the timeline and flow of the study. Reading through the text of the REA book, while taking notes was important for the first phase of study. Next we began practice testing, starting with REA's CD-ROM tests and moving to Peterson's online tests and finally ending with the CLEP Official exam. The practice testing phase showed us what we needed to study more and Wikipedia is a good source for this because it was so easy to search for the term or person we were unfamiliar with.The major "must knows" for this exam are:Women's issues of the period Reform Movements (both religious and political) Literature of the period Differences betwen the different British colonies Presidents, their administations (along with their scandals) The Constitution, Bill of Rights, Articles of Confederation Slavery and Indentured Servitude A more detailed exam description can be found here.A suprising component about this exam was the time spent on more minor players and issues and less on major figures like Washington. If you need any more Social Science credits and don't mind a challenge think about following this exam with DSST Civil War and Reconstruction. More on that one later...

So, how do CLEP exams stack up as to difficulty? It is hard to say with precision because College Board and Dantes do not publish their overall pass rates, but the military posts their pass rates online. Military testers can take CLEP or DSST (Dantes) exams for free which could influence their choice to take an exam “cold” or without a lot of preparation. That being said, here are the military pass rates, arranged easiest to most difficult.2008 Pass Rate for Computer-Based Military TestingCLEP/DSST Exam – Pass RateDSST Technical Writing – 94%CLEP Spanish Language – 88%DSST Introduction to Computing – 83% (or 53%)*DSST Introduction to Business – 81%DSST Ethics in America – 82% (or 30%)*CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature – 71%DSST Here’s to Your Health – 70% (or 41%)*DSST Principles of Supervision – 69%CLEP Principles of Management – 67%DSST Business Mathematics – 66%DSST Human Resource Management – 65%CLEP Principles of Marketing – 64%CLEP German Language – 64%CLEP Freshman College Composition – 64%CLEP French Language – 63%DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement – 62%DSST Personal Finance – 61% (or 31%)*DSST Environment and Humanity – 60%DSST Management Information Systems – 58% (or 33%)*DSST Foundations of Education – 56%CLEP Western Civilization 1 – 55%DSST Fundamentals of Counseling – 55%DSST Organizational Behavior – 53%DSST Introduction to World Religions – 53% (or 30%)*DSST Astronomy – 52%DSST Principles of Physical Science 1 – 52%DSST Introduction to Modern Middle East – 49%DSST Business Law 2 – 48%CLEP Social Sciences and History – 47%CLEP Introductory Sociology – 45%CLEP Western Civilization 2 – 44%CLEP Introductory Psychology – 42%DSST Lifespan Developmental Psychology – 42%DSST Human Cultural Geography – 40%CLEP College Mathematics – 40%DSST Criminal Justice – 40% (or 35%)*CLEP Natural Sciences – 40%CLEP Information Systems and Computer Applications – 40%CLEP English Composition with Essay – 39%CLEP Humanities – 37%DSST Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union – 37%DSST Substance Abuse – 37% (or 39%)*DSST Civil War and Reconstruction – 35%DSST Western Europe since 1945 – 35%DSST Art of the Western World – 34%CLEP English Literature – 33%DSST General Anthropology – 33%CLEP History of the United States 2 – 32%CLEP History of the United States 1 – 31%CLEP Biology – 31%CLEP English Composition – 31%CLEP Introduction into Educational Psychology – 29%CLEP Precal – 28%DSST A History of the Vietnam War – 27%CLEP American Government – 24%DSST Principles of Statistics – 24% (or 49%)*DSST Fundamentals of College Algebra – 23% (or 12%)*CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics – 22%DSST Principles of Financial Accounting – 22%CLEP Human Growth and Development – 22%CLEP Introductory Business Law – 21%CLEP Principles of Microeconomics – 20%CLEP American Literature – 18%CLEP College Algebra – 17%CLEP Calculus – 17%DSST Money and Banking – 16%DSST Principles of Finance – 11%CLEP Financial Accounting – 7%CLEP Chemistry – 4%DSST Physical Geology – 2%Bear in mind a few details. These pass rates are for 2008 military on base computer versions of these exams. Some have been modified since these results were compiled. The best way to make an exam easy is to work hard, use the best materials available and study for exams that interest you. And a sure fire edge is being a member of InstantCert.More later on what makes an exam easy.*New updated DSST exams

What if there was a way to jump start your student’s college degree, even during the high school years? What if a college degree could be earned along side your high school courses? CLEP and DSST exams provide exactly that opportunity. College credit is available to the high school student. There are many advantages to pursuing CLEP courses during high school. Many course are available that contain material your high school student already knows, thereby reducing the time on campus, lightening the college work load, reducing the cost of tuition, and saving time that can be used for work and ministry. Many students can finish High School with their college core degree requirements completed. Some students can even finish an associates or bachelors degree during their high school years. Starting on the journey of CLEP for High School can be intimidating. Here is a step by step plan:1. Pray. Make sure this is the path the Lord has for you. 2. Make sure your spouse is on board with a different approach to High School. 3. Check your state homeschooling laws. Many states have mandated curriculum while others provide more flexibility. Keep your state regulations in mind as you plan. 4. Acquire a government issued photo ID for your student. Don’t wait on this one as some federal regulations have increased the wait time for such identification. This, along with a Social Security number, is required to take a CLEP or DSST exam. 5. Consider going for a complete degree using credit by examination. Visit TESC's website and let your kids dream about possible degrees, starting with Associates degrees. This dreaming can give you insight into where the Lord may be leading your student.6. If your student has a particular college in mind, contact them and ask how many CLEP courses they accept, which ones and what score they require. Colleges differ as to which CLEP courses they accept and how many.7. Get copies of CLEP Official Study Guide 2010 and Cracking the CLEP, 5th Edition (College Test Preparation). There is nothing like having practice tests in your hands. These books have one of each of the possible CLEP exams and will be used later for practice tests.8. Determine interest. What areas interest your student? CLEP courses are available in 34 subject areas. Scan thru the possible CLEP courses on this site for courses your kids may be ready for already (or could be in a few weeks) or courses that interest them. 9. Consider putting aside ideas about covering multiple subjects at once. We go faster with only one or two courses at a time.10. Use the TESC website degree descriptions to build a template for the possible degree your student is interested it. Remember that you can customize your degree but you don't have to have the full plan to get started.11. Choose a course, or two. Confirm that the textbook or class your student is taking matches the CLEP exam content. Always refer to the exam description found at College Board.12. Search for a testing center near you. They can be found using the search at College Board. Try the nearby university or community college.Study. Take practice tests. Review. Make appointment. Take CLEP test.Post any questions. We’re here to help.

This exam makes a nice end to a 9 credit trilogy of American Government, US History 1 & US History 2. With lots of crossover a high school or college student can earn those 9 credits as each exam builds on the others. US History 2 covers material from the end of the Civil War to Reagan with a few mentions of material of Bush 1 & 2. Here is the material we liked and used, the method that worked for us and what you must know to do well.As with any US History exam there are so many materials available but these rose to the top:CLEP History of the United States II w/CD (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the CLE (Test Preps) (A+ material, very helpful)American History, 1877 to the Present (Barron's EZ-101 Study Keys)American History (Minipedia) The History Channel Presents The Presidents (the same ones we recommend for US History 1)CLEP Official Study Guide 2010 (for the final practice test)My eldest is the one who tackled this exam. Her method began with a practice test, just to see where she was with the material. Then she read the REA text, taking notes. Now to another practice test to see how prepared she was. Here she used the Barron's and Minipedia books to fill in holes in her knowledge. Finally, she took practice tests and filled in holes until she had mastered the material. During the entire study time she watched the Presidents DVD, at least 3 or 4 times, to solidify the timeline in her mind. Here is what you must know:Cross over material from American Government (civil rights legislation, civil liberties, Supreme Court cases of the period)Civil War ActsWomen's Rights MovementSuffrageCivil rights and Race RelationsPolitical StructuresTimeline of the Presidents (especially noting their scandals & troubles)Political Scandals (like Watergate and the Grant Administration corruption)Roosevelts (both FDR & Theodore)NOT WW1 & WW2 (this is not a foreign policy test as much as you might expect)Footnotes of US History, like US History 1 A detailed exam description can be found here.This test was her third Social Sciences exam and was a nice capstone for her study of America. She recommends taking all three of these American CLEP exams for a high school student, studying your regular High School text if you like, and then spending a few weeks on the REA book. The next could be the Civil War DSST exam for a more advanced student. Bottom line best resource:CLEP History of the United States II w/CD (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the CLE (Test Preps)

Are you pursuing a business degree? Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you need to set yourself apart from other entry-level employees at work? If you said yes to any of these, maybe CLEP Principles of Management is a course for you.The CLEP Principles of Management exam is a 3 credit Business exam that covers material taught in a college level introductory course in management and organizations. It includes operational and functional aspects of business and human resources. This was our first business exam and it proved to be a good place to start. Here are the materials we used, our study method and what you must know to pass.Many materials are available for this course but the good news for the cost conscious collegiate is our favorites were almost all free or low cost. We purchased the REA Principles of Management Guide with the CD-ROM practice tests but found other materials we preferred. We used:Principles of Management (Cliffs Quick Review) Peterson's Online Practice examsInstantCert ($20 a month) plus the feedback on the InstantCert forum (priceless)CLEP Official Study Guide 2009 A good study method always works in phases and this course was no exception. First we read through the Cliff's Notes Management text, made flash cards and took notes from it and the InstantCert forum and studied the InstantCert material. Next we began the practice test phase, beginning with the Peterson's tests (see the post on studying wrong answers for more details on this process) and ending with the CLEP Official test for a final exam. As soon as both students were scoring in the 60's or 70's on their practice tests we made the appointment with our local testing center. We are pleased to report that they both passed but not with the scores they would have liked. Here is their advice:Peterson's test were by far the most helpful of all the materials. We were glad to have taken them each twice, at least.CLEP Official was good but it was not a true indication of what would be on the test.Be ready for 20 or more names of management theorists and their theories, some we had not encountered in our practice materials.InstantCert was great.Find another source, like Wikipedia or another textbook for more of the theorists.Take notes at the testing facility during your test (they provide paper for this). Sometimes this helps with eliminating incorrect answers.Make sure you know and understand:1. Types of Power (reward, legitimate, coercive, expert and referent)2. Authority (functional, line, staff)3. Types of management structure (formal, functional, mechanistic, network, organic, team)4. Types of teams (functional, cross-functional, self-directed)A complete exam description can be found at College Board.Sometimes the best part of an exam is when you are finished, and while this is partly true we learned so much about the evolution of management here in the United States, how we manage our homes, how the church is managed, how employees respond to different types of managers and how unions affect business. Having spent time in a large hospital we have new insight into how the staff was organized. I pray that the Lord uses this insight for His glory in the lives of my children.

Looking for resources for Constitution Day activities? The Library of Congress has a variety of sources you can use. Explore the Creating the United States online exhibit and learn more about the impact of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence on U.S. history. Explore the interactive Constitution where students can learn more about the Constitution and origin of important parts of the Constitution. The Learn More will lead you to links for other exhibits, online resources, webcasts and lessons you can use to help students learn more about the Constitution.

Interested in learning strategies to teach about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights using Library of Congress primary sources? Register to attend the Library of Congress Creating the US Teacher Institute. Participants will leave with strategies and materials they can use in their schools. The institute uses the Library's exhibition Creating the United States as its foundation. Learn how to make this era in our country’s history “come alive” for student using images, manuscripts, letters, photographs, maps, and poetry.

November News from the Library of CongressNovember is Native American Heritage Month What started at the turn of the century as an effort to create a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a month being designated for that purpose.The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans with this joint web portal highlighting collections, resources and events: nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/? Living Nations, Living WordsEarlier this month, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to a third term, making Harjo the second laureate to receive this extension since terms for the position were established in 1943.During her third term, Harjo will focus on her signature project, “Living Nations, Living Words,”? a digital project that maps 47 contemporary Native American poets across the country. The map connects to a new online audio collection developed by Harjo and housed in the Library's American Folklife Center, which features the participating poets reading and discussing an original poem.Read the announcement: ? loc.gov/item/prn-20-075/?loclr=ealn Everyday Mysteries: Sweet Potato vs. YamJust in time for Thanksgiving, tackle an important question – what's is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? You can find out the answer to this question and other everyday mysteries by checking out fun science facts from the Library of Congress!Discover the Answer: loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/what-is-the-difference-between-sweet-potatoes-and-yams/?loclr=ealnEveryday Mysteries: loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/?loclr=ealn New Virtual Series: Behind the BookIf you have ever wondered how a book goes from rough manuscript to published masterpiece and how an author rises from obscurity to fame, then a new series of programs from the Library of Congress is just for you. The new series, Behind the Book, provides a behind-the-scenes view of the world of American book publishing, highlighting the editors, designers, publicists, agents and publishers who make the books that win prizes and endure.? Series announcement and schedule: loc.gov/item/prn-20-078/?loclr=ealn 12/3 Webinar: "Influenza and Covid19: What To Expect This Winter"The Library of Congress' Health Services Division and Science, Technology and Business Division invite you to participate in a webinar, “Influenza and Covid19: What should we expect this winter?” featuring international experts on infectious disease outbreaks, epidemiology and modeling.? This webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m., requires advance registration, which is limited to 1,000 participants. You can submit questions in advance for the panelists using the Ask A Librarian service. When submitting questions, please indicate that it is for the December 3 webinar.Register Now Library of Congress MagazineExceptional photographs communicate with viewers in a universal language to inspire, provoke, educate. In the November/December 2020 issue of LCM, Library of Congress curators and reference librarians choose great photographs from Library collections that have inspired them, including images from the dawn of the photography to the present day.Download Magazine: https://loc.gov/lcm/pdf/LCM_2020_1112.pdf Library Seeks Applicants for the 2021 Junior Fellows Summer Internship ProgramThe Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its next Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program, which will run from? May 24 – July 30, 2021. This 10-week paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning and conducting research at the largest library in the world. For the second year in a row, the internship will be conducted virtually.? The deadline to apply is? Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. Students can learn more information or apply to the program by visiting? loc.gov/item/internships/junior-fellows-program/.

This Friday through Sunday! The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is VirtualThe 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is celebrating its 20th birthday this year! Join us this weekend at loc.gov/bookfest for an interactive, online celebration of American Ingenuity featuring more than loc120 authors, poets and illustrators at the first virtual event in the festival’s history. Connect with your favorite writers across all genres at our virtual “stages” including, Children, Teens, Family, Food & Field, Fiction, Genre Fiction, History & Biography sponsored by Wells Fargo, Poetry & Prose sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Science, and Understanding Our World.View the full author lineup:? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/?loclr=ealnComplete Your FREE Registration and Sign In NowCreate your FREE account now at loc.gov/bookfest to access on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions during the Festival weekend, Sept. 25 – 27. You’ll have options to personalize your own festival journey with timely topics, and to explore book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose.Today! A Day of Programming for Schools, Children & Teens at HomeVideo interviews with popular authors of books for children and young adults,? as well as? two? 1-hour video specials, are available for on-demand viewing starting today at 9 a.m. ET on the festival platform under the “Stages” tab. Log on at loc.gov/bookfest or view on the Library’s YouTube channel at? youtube.com/loc/.Young people can also check out the Roadmap to Reading, which features a list of? “Great Reads from Great Places” – 53 books that reflect the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Don't miss live Q&As with some of today's most popular children and young adult authors? – including Chelsea Clinton and Veronica Chambers. Visit loc.gov/bookfest for a complete schedule.Download this Learning Guide for tips and suggestions on experiencing the virtual festival all weekend long with the kids and teens in your life:? loc.gov/static/events/2020-national-book-festival/documents/NBF2020-Learning-Guide.pdf The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction and Literacy Awards to be given at FestivalEach year we take the opportunity of the Library of Congress National Book Festival to award a series of important prizes that celebrate and honor literature and literacy. This year, Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the festival. The author will take part in a live Q&A event and talk about his life and work at this year’s National Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. Also, five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards.Read more:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/our-award-winners-colson-whitehead-literacy-honorees/Watch the PBS Television Special on SundayAlso a first in the festival’s history, the festivities will culminate with a PBS television special! Watch “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” hosted by Hoda Kotb on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings and PBS streaming info).? ? Festival ShopThe National Book Festival may be virtual, but you can still receive actual merchandise to help capture the memories this year. Purchase swag at our on-line shop where you can also order a FREE commemorative tote bag courtesy of our media partner, C-SPAN.? SHOP:? library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/collections/national-book-festivalOrder books by featured authors from the Festival’s official bookseller – Politics & Prose – within the online platform at loc.gov/bookfest. A limited number of signed copies are available.The 2020 National Book Festival poster is available for download at loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/about-this-program/poster-gallery/. Also, a printed version of the poster will be shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival from either our official bookseller, Politics & Prose, at this location politics-prose.com/national-book-festival-donation or the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/donate/ (select "National Book Festival").#NatBookFest - Follow & Share on Social MediaFollow our social media accounts, re-post festival info, and share your own posts about the event and your favorite presenting authors using the hashtag #NatBookFest. We’ve even created a fun Facebook frame for your profile picture to let friend know you’ll be there! (While logged into Facebook, select your profile picture > select Add Frame > search for National Book Festival Badge 2020 > select then save.) Twitter @librarycongress:? twitter.com/librarycongress Instagram @librarycongress:? instagram.com/librarycongress Facebook @libraryofcongress:? facebook.com/libraryofcongressFestival Facebook event:? facebook.com/events/492391091592698/Thank You to Our National Book Festival SupportersThe festival is free to the public with support from our sponsors and donors including National Book? Festival Co-Chair, David M. Rubenstein, Charter Sponsor, The Washington Post, Patrons, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, Wells Fargo, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, and many Friends and Media Partners. The full list can be found at? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/sponsors/.Our partners have even transformed their traditional Festival booths and are bringing you read-alongs, fun videos, author features, activities to download and giveaways — all online. Take a look at the schedule of those activities here, then log in to the platform to access them today. More:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/festival-partners-family-friendly-activities-are-back/Please join us in thanking all of our supporters and consider making your gift to the Library of Congress at loc.gov/donate.?

News from the Library of Congress2021 National Film Registry, Latinos in Public Media & More 'Return of the Jedi' Among 25 Eclectic Films Joining National Film RegistryLibrarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation's film heritage, the newest selections include epic trilogies, major roles for Jennifer Lopez and Cicely Tyson, extraordinary animated features, comedy and music, and films that took on racially-motivated violence against people of color decades ago.Learn more about the 2021 National Film Registry. The “tick, tick … BOOM!” Research at the LibraryWhen Lin-Manuel Miranda visited the Library on Oct. 10, 2017, not many people knew about it. Clad in jeans and sweatshirt, the celebrated “Hamilton” creator quietly made his way to the Performing Arts Reading Room.There, with two companions, he began sifting through? the papers of theater composer Jonathan Larson. The trio was on a mission to bring one of Larson's works to cinematic life.Learn more. The 2021 Library of Congress Holiday CelebrationWatch the 2021 annual Library of Congress Holiday Celebration, streamed live from the Great Hall. This event honors three of the winter holidays customarily commemorated in the U.S.: Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwanzaa.Watch the livestream. Holiday Gift Guide at the Library of Congress ShopDeck the halls, the Library of Congress Holiday Gift Guide has arrived! Explore our unique collection of holiday themed items, all inspired by the Library.Shop the Library's Holiday Gift Guide. The Library Adopts New Digital Collections StrategyAs of this fall, the Library has a new blueprint for collecting born-digital content. The updated strategy succeeds a digital collecting plan implemented in 2017, whose objectives have been mostly achieved. But the new strategy also goes beyond that plan. The new? five-year plan covers the full lifecycle ofborn-digital materials.Read more. New Magazine: Gifts That Keep GivingOver the decades, donations from civic-minded citizens have helped build the extraordinary holdings of the Library of Congress. Also, a new collection chronicles the creation of G.I. Joe and an 18th-century volume provides the earliest slave narrative in the United States. Learn how? generations of civic-minded citizens have helped build the Library's collections in the latest issue of the Library of Congress Magazine (LCM).? Read the new issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. Friends of the Library of Congress brings together a community of donors committed to preserving this nation's cultural memory. This group is integral in advancing the Library's mission to engage, inspire, and inform and help make everything possible from digital resources to public programming to exhibitions.Join now and take part in unique opportunities to see, experience, and learn from the Library's staff and collections first-hand.

November News from the Library of CongressNovember is Native American Heritage Month What started at the turn of the century as an effort to create a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a month being designated for that purpose.The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans with this joint web portal highlighting collections, resources and events: nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/? Living Nations, Living WordsEarlier this month, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to a third term, making Harjo the second laureate to receive this extension since terms for the position were established in 1943.During her third term, Harjo will focus on her signature project, “Living Nations, Living Words,”? a digital project that maps 47 contemporary Native American poets across the country. The map connects to a new online audio collection developed by Harjo and housed in the Library's American Folklife Center, which features the participating poets reading and discussing an original poem.Read the announcement: ? loc.gov/item/prn-20-075/?loclr=ealn Everyday Mysteries: Sweet Potato vs. YamJust in time for Thanksgiving, tackle an important question – what's is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? You can find out the answer to this question and other everyday mysteries by checking out fun science facts from the Library of Congress!Discover the Answer: loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/what-is-the-difference-between-sweet-potatoes-and-yams/?loclr=ealnEveryday Mysteries: loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/?loclr=ealn New Virtual Series: Behind the BookIf you have ever wondered how a book goes from rough manuscript to published masterpiece and how an author rises from obscurity to fame, then a new series of programs from the Library of Congress is just for you. The new series, Behind the Book, provides a behind-the-scenes view of the world of American book publishing, highlighting the editors, designers, publicists, agents and publishers who make the books that win prizes and endure.? Series announcement and schedule: loc.gov/item/prn-20-078/?loclr=ealn 12/3 Webinar: "Influenza and Covid19: What To Expect This Winter"The Library of Congress' Health Services Division and Science, Technology and Business Division invite you to participate in a webinar, “Influenza and Covid19: What should we expect this winter?” featuring international experts on infectious disease outbreaks, epidemiology and modeling.? This webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m., requires advance registration, which is limited to 1,000 participants. You can submit questions in advance for the panelists using the Ask A Librarian service. When submitting questions, please indicate that it is for the December 3 webinar.Register Now Library of Congress MagazineExceptional photographs communicate with viewers in a universal language to inspire, provoke, educate. In the November/December 2020 issue of LCM, Library of Congress curators and reference librarians choose great photographs from Library collections that have inspired them, including images from the dawn of the photography to the present day.Download Magazine: https://loc.gov/lcm/pdf/LCM_2020_1112.pdf Library Seeks Applicants for the 2021 Junior Fellows Summer Internship ProgramThe Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its next Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program, which will run from? May 24 – July 30, 2021. This 10-week paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning and conducting research at the largest library in the world. For the second year in a row, the internship will be conducted virtually.? The deadline to apply is? Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. Students can learn more information or apply to the program by visiting? loc.gov/item/internships/junior-fellows-program/.

This Friday through Sunday! The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is VirtualThe 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is celebrating its 20th birthday this year! Join us this weekend at loc.gov/bookfest for an interactive, online celebration of American Ingenuity featuring more than loc120 authors, poets and illustrators at the first virtual event in the festival’s history. Connect with your favorite writers across all genres at our virtual “stages” including, Children, Teens, Family, Food & Field, Fiction, Genre Fiction, History & Biography sponsored by Wells Fargo, Poetry & Prose sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Science, and Understanding Our World.View the full author lineup:? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/?loclr=ealnComplete Your FREE Registration and Sign In NowCreate your FREE account now at loc.gov/bookfest to access on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions during the Festival weekend, Sept. 25 – 27. You’ll have options to personalize your own festival journey with timely topics, and to explore book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose.Today! A Day of Programming for Schools, Children & Teens at HomeVideo interviews with popular authors of books for children and young adults,? as well as? two? 1-hour video specials, are available for on-demand viewing starting today at 9 a.m. ET on the festival platform under the “Stages” tab. Log on at loc.gov/bookfest or view on the Library’s YouTube channel at? youtube.com/loc/.Young people can also check out the Roadmap to Reading, which features a list of? “Great Reads from Great Places” – 53 books that reflect the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Don't miss live Q&As with some of today's most popular children and young adult authors? – including Chelsea Clinton and Veronica Chambers. Visit loc.gov/bookfest for a complete schedule.Download this Learning Guide for tips and suggestions on experiencing the virtual festival all weekend long with the kids and teens in your life:? loc.gov/static/events/2020-national-book-festival/documents/NBF2020-Learning-Guide.pdf The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction and Literacy Awards to be given at FestivalEach year we take the opportunity of the Library of Congress National Book Festival to award a series of important prizes that celebrate and honor literature and literacy. This year, Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the festival. The author will take part in a live Q&A event and talk about his life and work at this year’s National Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. Also, five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards.Read more:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/our-award-winners-colson-whitehead-literacy-honorees/Watch the PBS Television Special on SundayAlso a first in the festival’s history, the festivities will culminate with a PBS television special! Watch “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” hosted by Hoda Kotb on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings and PBS streaming info).? ? Festival ShopThe National Book Festival may be virtual, but you can still receive actual merchandise to help capture the memories this year. Purchase swag at our on-line shop where you can also order a FREE commemorative tote bag courtesy of our media partner, C-SPAN.? SHOP:? library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/collections/national-book-festivalOrder books by featured authors from the Festival’s official bookseller – Politics & Prose – within the online platform at loc.gov/bookfest. A limited number of signed copies are available.The 2020 National Book Festival poster is available for download at loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/about-this-program/poster-gallery/. Also, a printed version of the poster will be shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival from either our official bookseller, Politics & Prose, at this location politics-prose.com/national-book-festival-donation or the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/donate/ (select "National Book Festival").#NatBookFest - Follow & Share on Social MediaFollow our social media accounts, re-post festival info, and share your own posts about the event and your favorite presenting authors using the hashtag #NatBookFest. We’ve even created a fun Facebook frame for your profile picture to let friend know you’ll be there! (While logged into Facebook, select your profile picture > select Add Frame > search for National Book Festival Badge 2020 > select then save.) Twitter @librarycongress:? twitter.com/librarycongress Instagram @librarycongress:? instagram.com/librarycongress Facebook @libraryofcongress:? facebook.com/libraryofcongressFestival Facebook event:? facebook.com/events/492391091592698/Thank You to Our National Book Festival SupportersThe festival is free to the public with support from our sponsors and donors including National Book? Festival Co-Chair, David M. Rubenstein, Charter Sponsor, The Washington Post, Patrons, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, Wells Fargo, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, and many Friends and Media Partners. The full list can be found at? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/sponsors/.Our partners have even transformed their traditional Festival booths and are bringing you read-alongs, fun videos, author features, activities to download and giveaways — all online. Take a look at the schedule of those activities here, then log in to the platform to access them today. More:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/festival-partners-family-friendly-activities-are-back/Please join us in thanking all of our supporters and consider making your gift to the Library of Congress at loc.gov/donate.?

Library Welcomes Science and Social Studies Teachers for New School YearThe Library of Congress began the 2023-2024 school year by welcoming two teachers to its Capitol Hill campus.  Kelsey Beeghly, a science curriculum and assessment coordinator from Orlando, Florida, will serve as the Library’s 2023-2024 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow.Tyron Bey, a middle school social studies teacher from Prince George’s County, Maryland, has been named the 2023-2024 Teacher-in-Residence at the Library of Congress.Beeghly and Bey will work closely with staff members in the Library’s Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement to help make primary sources from the Library’s collections more accessible for teachers, students and families throughout the United States. They will assist in developing materials and experiences for other educators, and collaborate in the creation of a space in the Thomas Jefferson Building’s future Learning Center for families and student groups.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Innovator in Residence Invites Public to Experience Chinatown ReconstructionArtist, educator and 2023 Library of Congress Innovator in Residence Jeffrey Yoo Warren is inviting the public to visit an immersive 3D reconstruction of historic Providence, Rhode Island’s Chinatown in 1914, recreated using archival photographs and records from the Library’s collection. The model is the first part of Yoo Warren’s project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational Reconstructions of Erased Historic Neighborhoods of Color, which aims to unearth lost histories from across the United States.Complete with navigable buildings, glowing lamplights and the sounds of evening rain, the virtual Providence Chinatown reimagines a once-vibrant neighborhood, of which little trace remains today.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.