School enrollment time already?

Believe it or not, it is already time to contemplate enrollment for school next year! Kindergarten round-ups are occurring, and my children are already being asked what electives they are interested in for next year. My little Monkey just finished the process for enrollment in Headstart for the second year, with the hopes that she will still be in the afternoon class and have the same teacher. This will really benefit her.

However, you may be thinking to yourself, I am not sure that public school is the right answer for me. Guess what, I've been there. We weren't sure that public school was the right answer for Peanut and Bullfrog, and we actually educated them at home for a full year. There are times that I think about teaching my younger two at home, but we have some higher needs and I am struggling with my own sanity that we have decided the answer for us right now is public school.

Here are a few things to think about with homeschooling (Sources: The US Department of Education and National Home Education Research Institute):

1. In 2013, just under 2 million children, or 3.4% of school-aged children, were taught at home


2. Between 2007 and 2013, the number of families that decided to educate their children at home increased by 17 percent.


3. It has been shown that children who are educated at home will rank above average in social, emotional, and psychological development! They also are better at leadership skills, family cohesion, self-concept, peer interaction, self-esteem, and helping out in the community.


4. Students who have been taught at home test better than those in public schools. In fact, they typically score between 15 and 30 percentile points higher on standardized academic achievement test, including the children who have not been taught by parents who are certified teachers!

So ... are you now really interested in educating your child at home but really have no idea where to begin? Have I got great news for you!! Again this year, Midwest Parent Educators (MPE) is having a special deal for the parents of preschoolers at their Homeschool Conference and Curriculum Fair.

The Homeschool Conference and Curriculum Fair will be held April 24 and 25 at the KCI Expo Center. There will be exclusive tracks available for people who are just beginning to homeschool, as well as families who will be teaching children with learning challenges. You will find over 180 exhibitor booths offering information and insight into educating children at home.

Registration for the conference is $50 per person (your spouse is free) at the door ... BUT it is $40 if you register by April 10. HOWEVER ... if you are a parent of a preschool child and have no other school-aged children, your admission is FREE.

Register online for POPS before the April 10th deadline in order to save $10.

Not sure what to do with your children? Yup, the conference has you covered with a Children's Program for kids aged 5-12. Online registration is $35/child for two days for the first two children, BUT any additional siblings will be FREE. If you are looking at only attending one day, the cost is $20/child for the first two children and all other siblings will be FREE. Again, the deadline for online registration is April 10.

The prices WILL BE HIGHER at the door ... if you are even THINKING about homeschooling, this conference is excellent and you will want to register now! If you want more information, visit their website at http://midwesthomeschoolers.org/conference/, call them at 913-599-0311 or email them at info@midwesthomeschoolers.org. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.