Cheap Paperback Books

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For me, reading has always been sort of visceral experience. It isn't just about the words. It is about the book as a whole. I like the feel of paper in my hands, the weight of the book, the way it looks, and even the way it smells. I like being able to mark up my books with dog ears and notes. That is why I am such a big fan of cheap paperback books. Buying a paperback instead of taking it out of the library allows me to carry it around, dogear the pages, and even write notes without feeling guilty about it.

The place where I usually get my cheap paperback books is only about two blocks away from where I live. It is a discount bookstore, specializing in remaindered and used books. It has a pretty good selection of different things. I like a lot of variety in my reading, and the store delivers. There are science fiction books, war novels, fantasy stories, detective stories – you name it and they have it. Besides that, they have paperback books cheap. Usually, they will have a bin of books for a dollar or less each. Although some of these are not very good reads, other ones are surprisingly captivating. If you're looking for a good beach read, your local used bookstore is the perfect place to go.

You can also find paperback books cheap online. Sometimes, if I'm looking for a rare title, I will order it over the Internet. I check Craigslist, look at my local used book stores, and then check out Amazon.com. Usually, you can find cheap paperback books there. Because they are linked into booksellers all over the world, they can give you deals on pretty much anything and everything. Even if you're looking for something rare, old, or out of print, you can usually get it for a fairly reasonable price.

Another great cheap paperback book source is the local free bin. I don't know if your town has these, but where I live they are everywhere. When people want to get rid of something but don't particularly feel like selling it or taking it into the Salvation Army, they simply put it in the free bin. Anyone who wants to can come and take it. If they want, they can leave something else there as a trade. If they don't want to, they don't have to. There are all manner of strange and interesting cheap paperback books in the free bin, as well as used clothes and other odds and ends.

How to Homeschool Your Child

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Now that you have decided that homeschooling is the way to educate your child, get ready for the ecstasy and the anxiety - the road ahead is a bit bumpy, but the rewards more than make up for it. Producing a well-adjusted and well-rounded personality is no mean achievement.

First of all, it is important to check out your state laws on home schooling. Some states need an affidavit filed with the State's education department. There are basically 3 categories for homeschooling laws. These are: private school laws, home education laws and equivalency laws. Find your state laws. You may also need to maintain a portfolio that records the child's educational progress. It is important to look into the legal requirements before you start home schooling. Some States also stipulate a minimum educational qualification for the parent or teacher.

Next, look for a support group. If you live in a friendly or curious neighborhood, well-meaning friends will try to dissuade you. At the very least, they may put a lot of uneasy questions in your mind. A support group that consists of like-minded people will insulate you from the criticism, pressures and questions of regular school-goers. Many groups organize fun events like visits to the zoo, museum, tours to the ice cream shops etc. And if your children hit it off with other homeschoolers, they will be able to build lasting relationships that do not fade when their friends change schools. These groups provide an important avenue for socialization.

The next important thing to do is to select a curriculum. Depending upon the method of homeschooling, you may choose various tools that aid you in this process. The internet is also a rich resource for homeschooling. Do some research and look into the material that is available.

Set certain ground rules. Homeschooling requires a lot of self-discipline and hard work. Here is a comprehensive list of the things you will need:
1) Eagerness to learn
2) Hard work and effort
3) Discipline
4) Time and patience
5) Flexibility
6) Enthusiasm

Consider why you want to opt for homeschooling. Your motives and your reasons are important pillars on which the whole edifice of your child's lessons depends. Also, consult with your children. Ask them what they feel about homeschooling.

Select a curriculum or custom-make a curriculum that best suits your child. Record keeping is an important part of homeschooling. Look into the various methods of record keeping. Set up a schedule. Your child does not have to learn 6-7 hours a day. Allow him or her to dictate the time. Flexibility and fun are the cornerstones of homeschooling. Do not stuff too many skills into a single term or year. Prepare a skill list. Make the child learn the skills that he is ready for.

Gentle parenting is the secret to successful homeschooling. Children make great advances in learning and show more enthusiasm. They also turn out to be surprisingly well balanced and well informed when they are taught at home.

Benefits Of Homeschooling

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Why let Tim and Lisa learn at home than send them to school? Well, first of all, you don't have to wake them up at 7 every morning and bundle them off to school with umpteen numbers of instructions, and wait with an anxious heart till they return. Homeschooling gives you more control over the influences that affect your child. The growth and development of your child is removed from the realm of the unknown. You, and you alone can decide what your child needs to do or learn. Tailoring the curriculum to suit the needs and interests of the child is one of the most obvious benefits of homeschooling.

Individual attention is another salient benefit of homeschooling. For instance, if Lisa needs more time to learn Math, then she can reduce the time for her English lessons. There are no fixed hours of learning per subject. This means that a child has the advantage of assigning more number of hours to the subject that seems tough WITHOUT any additional
pressure. The amount of time needed to learn each subject will depend on the abilities and interests of the child.

The schooling of the child becomes an extended family activity. Parents get involved in every step of the learning procedure. Field trips and experiments become family activities. Thus, the child receives more quality time with his parents. The entire family shares games, chores and projects. Family closeness becomes the focus here. The child is also free of any negative peer pressure while making choices and decisions.

Competition is limited when it comes to homeschooling. The child does not need to prove his ability with regards to other children. His confidence remains intact. Since parents have a deep understanding of their child, they can plan the learning program to pique the child's interest. It is also possible to intersperse difficult tasks with fun activities. A tough hour with Algebra can be followed by a trip to the nearest museum. Learning becomes fun. Parents can also tailor the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. Some children learn through reading, while others need to write, and still others need to see objects in action.

Homeschooling allows parents to take control over the moral and religious learning of the child. Parents have the flexibility to incorporate their beliefs and ideologies into the child's curriculum. There is no confusion in the child's mind either because there is no variation between what is being taught and what is being practiced.

Lastly, more and more parents are getting disillusioned with the public school system. They believe that their children are being pushed too hard or too little. Other worrying issues pertaining to discipline and ethics also make the school system less welcome. Many repudiate the educational philosophy of grouping children solely on the basis of their age. Some parents themselves have unhappy memories of their own public school experience that motivates them to opt for homeschooling when it comes to their own children. 

Homeschooling is the best way to teach a child if you have the time, the ability and the interest to follow through with his education. After all, nobody can understand or appreciate your child more than yourself.

Choosing the Best Fashion School for You

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The word “best” is always relative. What’s best for you may not be the best for others. This is the reason why you should not trust a business that claims to be the best. You need to compare various fashion schools in order to actually find the best one for you. In comparing fashion schools, however, you are going to need some standards. Here are some standards you can use:

1) Cost – some people think that the best fashion schools are the most expensive ones. These people think that just because education is expensive, it is also high quality. What you need to know is that studying fashion is not cheap. However, it doesn’t really need to be ridiculously expensive. Some schools just want to appear exclusive in order to attract more students. They pretend to be the best fashion schools by charging outrageous fees to those who wish to be students.

Because of this, you should understand that cost is not the best standard to use in judging quality.

2) Location – there are people who think that attending the best fashion school means going to Europe. They believe that in order for a fashion school to be among the best, it should be located as far away from their hometown as possible. There are some positives to this view. Schools located in fashion centers tend to be more aggressive in their education. They also tend to be more updated on the world of fashion. If this is the sort of school you think is best for you then go attend it.

You need to remember, however, that some things require a lot of sacrifice.

3) Prestige – some people think that the best fashion schools are the ones that get featured in magazines and the television. They believe that attending such schools would rub a little of the prestige of onto them. People believe that the best fashion schools are the most well-known ones. However, you need to remember that sometimes, the best fashion schools like to keep quiet about their greatness. All the magazines in the world could not compare to the testimonials of other people. It is often the case that the best fashion schools do not get known through the papers, but through the words of their students.

4) Instructors – some think that the best fashion schools are the ones which hire famous personalities as instructors. In fact, they may have a point. People in the fashion industry do not get famous if nobody likes their work. However, there is one drawback to this: people in the fashion industry are almost always competing against each other. This competition can be very distracting and may hinder the learning process.

5) The alumni – there are also people who think that the best fashion schools are the ones attended by successful personalities. They believe that the past will be the guide of people to face the future. Because of this, people often seek out the schools of well known fashion personalities and set out to fulfill their dreams.

Before you use this standard to judge the best fashion school, you need to remember that schooling is only a small part of a person’s greatness. It is an important part, of that you can be sure. However, you need to remember that greatness always lies within yourself.

Higher Education

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I keep hearing on the news that it is harder and harder to get a higher education these days. They say that the cost of college and university is going to spiral so high that many people who might be little afford it now will not be able to afford it in the future. Though I am not what you would call poor, I’m not what you would call rich either. I often worry that I will not be able to help my daughter through college. A higher education is one thing that I want to be able to give her, so we have started a college education fund in her name.

If you are worried about higher education like I am, it is in your best interest to start saving as soon as you can. You should have a savings account in your child’s name that they cannot get into until they are at least 18 years old. It doesn’t matter how much you put in, as long as you are putting something in. Even if you can only pay for part of your child’s higher education, you are doing them a huge favor. Even ten or fifteen dollars a week will add up rather quickly. Add interest to that and you are going to have more money than you realize when your child is old enough to go to college or university.

There are some special programs out there that deal with saving for higher education. Some of these programs allow you to pay for your child’s education now, at a price that will no longer exist in the future. I’m not really sure how this works, but if you can afford to shell out the money now, this might be the cheapest and most effective way to ensure that your child gets a higher education. I’m not sure what would happen if your child decides not to go to college, or if something else were to happen that your child would not be in school. You may not be able to get this money back.

I know that there are loans out there to help children with their higher education. I had to take out these loans on my own, and I am afraid they are going to follow me around for the rest of my life. It would almost seem that I paid more for my higher education and I will ever pay for my own home. Even though I think education is valuable, I do believe that the price has gone through the roof and is completely unrealistic. What do all of these colleges and universities need all of this money for? I sincerely hope it’s not just to pay the college football and basketball coaches.

What is Homeschooling

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The term 'homeschooling' basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household. The laws that define homeschooling vary from State to State. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the State.

For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school. This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here. Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form.

Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this method. This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose. Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents. It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative.

Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling. Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start.

Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a 'Notice of
Intent' to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a 'Private church' school or a 'qualified non-public school'. The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child's attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test. Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling
entails. Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work. But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.

Educational Savings Accounts

When it comes to getting a college education, financing is one of the most important considerations that you will need to make. Unfortunately for far too many it is one the last considerations that is made when it comes to the educations of our children. If you are a parent you owe it your child and yourself to plan ahead and plan carefully in order to cover the cost of your child's education. There are fortunately, a few great ways in which you can do this.

The most common is to begin by opening up an educational savings account for your child (under the age of 18). When you open up an educational savings account for your child, you can contribute up to $2,000 per year per child. This is a combined total contribution however and includes the contributions of grandparents, friends, and family in addition to your own personal contributions. The money from these funds can be withdrawn tax-free as long as they are used for educational purposes.

Educational expenses in this case include books, tuition, fees, supplies, and college room and board provided that your child is at least a part-time student. If you do not use all the funds for your child there are options as far as what to do with the remaining funds in the account. The first option would be to leave the funds in the account and allow the account beneficiary to withdraw them up until the age of 30. There is a penalty involved and the beneficiary will be required to pay income tax on those funds. You could also elect to roll those funds over to the next child under the age of 18 who will have educational expenses in the future.

The money you set aside in these accounts to cover the cost of the education of your child or children is not tax-deductible however, it is a great way to begin saving money and investing in the future of your child. If you begin investing the maximum amount $2,000 per year upon birth your child should have a nice nest egg to help cover educational expenses. If your child is fortunate enough to qualify for scholarships and other sources of financial aid you can turn the funds over as a graduation gift or save it for the next college student in your family that comes along. Either way you've saved yourself a good part of the worry that goes along with providing for your family by having this fund set up for your children.

You can sign up for programs like Upromise in order to subsidize your contributions with donations from corporate sponsors as their way of thanking you for buying their products or using their services on any credit cards that you, your friends, and your family members have registered to go into your child's account. Every edge you give yourself when it comes to investing in the education of your children is an edge worth having. College tuition rates are rising at an alarming rate while corporate expectations of college degrees are rising at the same near lightening speed. This means that a college degree is more critical for our children than in any past generations.

Take the time now to check into securing the future of your children by establishing an educational savings account. Let friends and family know that any gifts they are planning to give your children that involve money would be appreciated if they instead invested in the future of your children rather than the now. You can also ask your friends and family to sign up their credit cards with Upromise in order to provide a little bump in donations to your child's college savings account. These little steps add up to significant savings over the course of 18 years. You just might find that the investment you are making is adequate to cover the costs of your child's tuition in full.

The True Value of a Two-Year College

Higher education in this country is rapidly becoming a necessity in the business community rather than a luxury. There was a time when those who had a high school education still had the opportunity to build a better world for themselves and their families. Those days are rapidly becoming another dieing ember of the past. If you hope to have significant earning potential during your lifetime you are almost completely limited by your learning potential and the level of education you have received.

The good news is that you do not have to have an all or nothing approach when it comes to education. You can begin by taking baby steps when it comes to higher education. If you have a community college in your area, this is one of the greatest resources for beginning your college education at any stage in your life. Most community colleges offer classes at various times during the day and evening, even some on Saturday in order to accommodate students of different ages and backgrounds.

Community colleges also offer an excellent opportunity to begin your learning quest in a manner that is much more easily affordable to the average citizen than a full-blown university. These colleges are largely commuter colleges though there are several that allow students the experience of living on a college campus at a much lower price than most major universities charge for the same or very similar privileges.

Community colleges also allow you to explore your options if you aren't really sure what direction you wish for your education to take without paying such a high price for the process. If you know the career path you wish to take you might find a two-year degree program that can have you out of school and in a career much sooner than a four-year program will allow. If that isn't good enough news for you, many of the two-year programs of study that are offered at the community college level may very well transfer quite easily into bachelor degree programs at the university level.

Community colleges offer an excellent start for many people who are seeking higher education whether to further their careers or just to find fulfillment on a personal level in life. There are many wonderful programs in vocational fields as well as academic fields that can be explored and studies on the community college level.

For graduating high school students community colleges help students ease into the adjustment from high school to college without going through the culture shock that some universities can put students through. You will find that there are often many opportunities to meet educational as well as social needs on the community college level for students that are interested in pursuing a community college education.

You should also discover that community colleges are much easier to budget when it comes to setting aside funds and savings for either your personal college education or the educational expenses of your children. Having them attend a community college for two years then transferring to a University can save a great deal of money and provide you a little piece of mind that your children are still receiving an excellent level of education.

Seriously, if you are looking for an excellent value when it comes to education you would be doing yourself or your children a disservice if you do not check out the community college options in your area before taking the plunge and diving into the university lifestyle. You will find that community colleges often offer an equal level of education for the introductory classes that first and second year college students often take, they are a much better value for the money, and they are an outstanding values for those who are trying to juggle their education with family and work responsibilities.

Effective Education

Education is a word that comes from the Latin word “educare” meaning to bring up, to raise. Ultimately it comes from the Latin “educere” to lead out. ( ref: Thorndike Barnhart World Book Dictionary) I think that is a really nice concept of leading the adult or child out into new worlds or vistas of knowledge. However one then looks at what some forms of education have become and shudder.

It is a funny thing but before a person can learn anything he must want to learn it and this usually means he needs a purpose for learning it. Whether it be to get a certain job, to be a doctor for instance, or to be able to do something that the person has always wanted to do, you will always find where there is an intense desire to learn there is a purpose for doing so. For a child this often has to be named and not in the adult’s terms but the child’s.

Many years of teaching children and adults teaches one the above to be true. For a child it can be as simple as “ so Mom and Dad will be pleased” or “so I can be the best reader” or “ so I can be a famous motorbike rider when I grow up”. Getting the child to find a purpose for school and name it can be a little game that has as its end prize an increased desire to learn.

After that other factors enter in and I often feel too much emphasis is put on the child and adult as to their ability to learn, what are they capable of. In my experience many bad educators turn the blame to the child or adult as just not able to learn. A wonderful shift of responsibility.

How someone is being educated is of prime importance.

Here are some common methods of educating that really stop education from occurring:

Are they having facts shoved down their throat with horrendous threats if you don’t learn it?

Are they thus being prepared for an exam where they will regurgitate facts rather than have an understanding of the subject?

Are they in a huge class of 30 or more that makes any individual attention impossible?

Is the subject being presented in an interesting way for that age group?

Is the subject at the correct level for those students or is it way over their heads to comprehend?

As part of the one above, is the educator using terminology that can be understood by his students? Reversely is he talking down to his students, below their ability level?

Is the educator making sure his students duplicate what he says that they get “tree” not “bee” ? Before understanding comes duplication- seeing or hearing exactly what is read or said.

Is there a balance of theory and practical? Does the theory have some connection to the practical and can this be demonstrated?

Well here is some food for thought in the realm of education. An educator is a professional and he should do his job as a professional and not be above improvement and correction.