"Homeschooling and Working" by L. M. Preston

REVIEW and EXCERPT

Homeschooling and Working
While Shaping Amazing Learners

by L. M. Preston

Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners by L. M. Preston is currently on tour with RABT Book Tours & PR. The tour stops here today for my review and an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners is a nuts to bolts guide for working parents who want to groom exceptional learners through the flexibility of homeschooling. Learn to juggle working and homeschooling your kids while maintaining your sanity. Also, use aspects of homeschooling for after-schooling when traditional school isn’t working. Single parents are given options for executing homeschooling or after schooling methods that work in practical bits for the busy parent. Learn how to take your child from an average student to an exceptional student by exploring the possibilities shown in the section on acceleration of learning. From pre-K to Homeschooling College, open your eyes to the many options in flexibility this approach to learning can give. You can homeschool and work to shape amazing learners by exploring the possibilities.

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Excerpt

The first and foremost expectation and goal of homeschooling and working should be to build a close and loving relationship with your child. Don’t ever let the educating of your child get in the way of that. Remembering, as long as they are growing to perform well in their core courses or anchor courses all the rest will fall in place.

Before diving into homeschooling, being realistic is the first step to managing your expectations. Sometimes through aiming in the middle, you are pleasantly surprised when you and your children exceed them.

In order to start from a good place, create a list of your bottom line goals for the school year and build your mindset to be happy that at the very least you’ve met them.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“Wow! Until I read this book, I never considered how important the homeschooling format is to the homeschooled child, other siblings, and the parents. Homeschooling and Working While Raising Amazing Learners is so well thought out and organized that I can see why LM's children are so accomplished.” ~ MeandMibooks

“Words cant possibly express how much of a satisfied customer I am. This book gives many options on ways to homeschool effectively while working and enjoying your family.” ~ Tericka

“Great book! EXTREMELY helpful on this scary, yet exciting journey of homeschooling for the first time.” ~ Crystal K

“Read this in one sitting last night. It's just what I needed as I prepare to start my first year of homeschooling. I work from home and was super worried that I would struggle to work and be the homeschool leader my kids need me to be. This gave me so much confidence and helped me build a path forward. Thank you so much for this!” ~ Britney

“The things I liked about this resource include the practical approach. It is easy to read. A lot of time and information is given on the preparation portion of this book. Developing schedules, considerations to include, like the child’s learning style, curriculum requirements, length of children’s attention and so very much more. It is very comprehensive and presented in a logical manner.” ~ Suzanne Hare

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

This book is a “guide for working parents who want to groom exceptional learners through the flexibility of homeschooling.” In fact, it’s the book the author wishes she had when she began her homeschooling journey. The book is organized into four sections: preparing for homeschooling (things to consider before you begin), the day-to-day operation of your home school, accelerating your child’s learning, and maintaining your sanity throughout the process. The author covers practical and emotional considerations for your child as well as yourself, the importance of play and socialization, issues of boundaries and discipline, the distinction between home and school at home, fostering a love of learning, and maintaining your mental health. The Appendix contains schedule templates for all grade levels, weekly curriculum plans, and lists of curriculum options. Working in the field of education support, I found the list of websites (with handy hyperlinks in the ebook version) under Appendix H and Appendix I to be especially helpful.

One of the key takeaways is that it is important to separate your roles as parent and teacher. You also need to understand your child(ren) in order to present them with a curriculum that suits their personality, their learning style, and your time constraints. If read cover to cover, the book is a bit repetitive. However, this becomes useful when you need to re-read certain sections later. There are numerous editing errors and poorly phrased sentences in the edition I read. Hyperlinks to chapters and appendices referenced in the text would also be useful in the ebook version.

This book isn’t only for homeschooling families who work; it is an invaluable resource for any parent or educational staff interested in the education of the child(ren) under their care.

About the Author

L. M. Preston is an author, engineer, former college professor, and working mother who has been married for over twenty-five years. She homeschooled three of her four children from elementary school and beyond while she and her husband worked outside their home. Three of her kids graduated with degrees by the age of 17 years old.

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"INSIGHTS" by Chris LoPresti

EXCERPT

INSIGHTS: Reflections from 101 of Yale's Most Successful Entrepreneurs

by Chris LoPresti

INSIGHTS is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt from the book. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

What if you could sit with the founders of successful companies and discover the secrets to their success?

Through INSIGHTS, Chris LoPresti has gathered 101 world-class mentors to share their invaluable experiences for the benefit of every entrepreneur.

INSIGHTS grants you access to some of Yale’s leading entrepreneurs and the key learnings they’ve collected on their own entrepreneurial journeys. From founders of Fortune 500 companies such as FedEx, to the next generation of entrepreneurs like Thiel Fellows, to early investors in Apple, Cisco, Facebook, and other billion dollar startups, INSIGHTS is a collection of the best advice offered by a diverse group of leaders and innovators.

The 101 featured contributors reveal lessons learned the hard way to help you avoid common pitfalls and allow you to lead your company toward more streamlined success. This unique library of knowledge is available to reference as often as you need.

Thinking about starting your own company? Trying to improve your organization? INSIGHTS provides a wealth of information to guide you along your entrepreneurial journey.

Excerpt

The Value of Preparation

by Roger McNamee

Co-Founder, Moonalice, 

Co-Founder, Elevation Partners, Silver Lake Partners, Integral Capital Partners

Co-Founder, The MoonTunes Project, Reverb

EVERY ENTREPRENEUR’S BODY IS COVERED WITH scar tissue from lessons learned. Even the best startups have setbacks, which means that entrepreneurship is a test of the ability to recover gracefully from mistakes. Entrepreneurs who learn from the experience of others before they start making their own mistakes have a huge advantage.

One major factor in the success of my startups has been preparation. I am a cautious entrepreneur and typically devote at least a year to studying each opportunity before I pursue it. My goal is to be THE domain expert in the field. Almost every startup must find a way to neutralize the advantages of established companies; sometimes the established companies commit suicide, but more often they adapt to new threats.

Preparation doesn’t allow entrepreneurs to predict the future, but it does allow them to anticipate the key challenges and be ready for them. This level of preparation has a cost in terms of time, but that is trivial in comparison to the benefits of sidestepping half-baked ideas.

Many entrepreneurs discount the value of preparation in disruptive technology startups on the theory that if you are inventing a new world, you are better off approaching it unfettered by preconceptions. Some investors have stopped backing companies with experienced teams, believing that disruptive change comes most often from first-time entrepreneurs. That was certainly true with Microsoft, Oracle, Google, and Facebook, but the other side of the ledger includes tens of thousands of companies that crashed and burned because of inexperience.

What is the best way to begin an entrepreneurial project? If you are not a domain expert, become one before you start. Domain expertise gives you an edge in identifying product or business model changes that customers will value. It also enables you to “make new mistakes,” rather than repeating ones that have been made by others. Once you identify your opportunity, then you have to figure out whether or not you are capable of executing the strategy. This requires self-awareness, which is not as widely distributed in the entrepreneurial population as one would hope. At this early stage, uncertainty has value, as it provides an incentive for greater preparation.

Then comes the moment of truth. You’ve got your idea; you have a plan for making it happen. Should you do it? My rule of thumb is to sleep on it for a few nights. When you awake, if you can’t imagine doing anything else, then you are good to go. If you can imagine anything at all that you would rather do, bail out from the startup. It’s not the right thing for you. Remember that startups are harder to unwind than a marriage. If you make the wrong choice, you will be stuck with it longer than you would like.

Praise for the Book

This book has an amazing 46 customer reviews, all of which are 5-star. Here is a small sample:

"Fairly new to the entrepreneurship book world, but glad I was referred to this book by a friend. Great tips, great insight, and a great read for those trying to get into this business sector, or new to it!" ~ Michael Chananie

"I bought this book expecting it to be the same old, same old entrepreneur book. Not the case at all. Learning from successful entrepreneurs from a wide range of fields opened my eyes to mistakes I have made and didn’t know it, and mistakes I was bound to make had I not read the book. Such a great read I could not put it down. I wish I had been able to read it sooner in life. INSIGHTS is a must read for not only entrepreneurs, but all people in the business world." ~ JHO

"Outstanding... This is a fun and insightful look at entrepreneurship from 101 different angles. It's an anthology for seasoned and aspiring entrepreneurs alike. Many of the contributors have written their own books on the subject yet offer new insights here, especially when strung together seamlessly by Mr. LoPresti. I wish I had read this before I launched my own startup, which is no longer in business... I'm looking forward to the hardcopy version since this would make a great gift." ~ Patrick Cascarano

"As a founder of an early-stage company myself, I found this book extremely helpful. Taking a look at the thoughts and experiences of multiple entrepreneurs far and above trumps and individual opinion on the keys to success. Finding the right 'formula' is tough and INSIGHTS does a great job of aggregating an abundance of valuable real-life experience. Would recommended it to anyone who has started or is starting their own company." ~ daniel folkman

"I was recommended this book by a friend and thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a quick read while still being able to take away learn valuable lessons about the business world. The contributor's passages contained advice that I found to be very valuable and I will being passing the book along to many of my friends in the business world!" ~ Claris Leigh

From the Author

This book was created to bring together a community of people to share their knowledge and pay forward the help they've received throughout their individual careers. All 101 entrepreneurs volunteered their advice and experiences in this book, and at many other times in their lives, they have offered their insights for free. They all share a common desire to support entrepreneurs of every type.

The proceeds from INSIGHTS will go to ELIS Inc., a registered 501c3 organization created by some of the entrepreneurs in this book. The purpose of the nonprofit is to help future entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators gain access to resources - both mentors and money.

Your contribution, by either making a direct donation or by buying this book, will help foster the next great organizations and businesses.

About the Author

Chris LoPresti is the Founder of TouchPoints, a consumer data technology company that helps brands connect with their community. LoPresti is also the founder and chairman of ELIS Inc., a nonprofit focused on promoting STEM education and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. In addition to his work with next-gen doers at ELIS Inc., LoPresti is a member of the Thousand Network, a coach at The Future Project, a member of the NationSwell Council, and a proud Eagle Scout. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.

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"Good Music Brighter Children" by Sharlene Habermeyer

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Good Music Brighter Children

by Sharlene Habermeyer

Good Music Brighter Children is currently on tour with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Good Music Brighter Children is written for parents, educators or anyone who wants to build a bigger, better brain using music. Scientific studies indicate that children introduced to classical music at a young age read earlier and perform better on achievement tests. Adults can also revive tired brain cells using music. This book gives you a step-by-step program that any parent or individual can follow.

You’ll discover how introducing your children to good music can accelerate language development, improve math and science skills, enhance physical coordination, strengthen memory and reading retention, and benefit children with learning disabilities. Discover how to choose an instrument and music teacher for your child; how to get your kids to practice and how character traits such as confidence, responsibility, creativity and teamwork are taught when learning a musical instrument. Learn how to introduce your child to the music community and how to appreciate all kinds of music. Last, if you want to advocate for music in your schools, this book gives the ammunition and data to do so.

Also includes a 35-page Resource Section on the best music, books, and DVDs for kids.

Excerpts

Chapter One:
Overture: The Power of Music
(page 5)

In February 1985, as many as three thousand beluga whales were trapped under ice in the Senyavina Strait of Siberia, a narrow body of water across the Bering Strait from Alaska. There were only a few breathing holes in the ice, and the whales had to take turns surfacing for air. Food was running out, the whales were becoming exhausted, and some were even dying. When all seemed hopeless, a Soviet icebreaker, the Moskva, came to the rescue. The ship broke through the ice, making an escape path for the whales, but they wouldn’t budge. Knowing that whales like music, they tried pop and jazz, but still the whales remained motionless. Finally, the crew tried classical music. It was then that the whales followed the music to the open sea and to freedom.

Chapter Six:
Noteworthy: Learning Values Through Music
(pages 121-122)

We live in an age of instants: instant photocopies, instant food, instant photos, instant communications of all sorts, and more. Although many of these instants make our lives easier, they can also give our children a distorted view of life and how goals are achieved. Many children grow up expecting instant results in life, never learning to work for or wait for a reward. When things don’t come easily or immediately, they give up. For this reason, studying a musical instrument becomes a priceless lesson. As a child begins to learn to play the flute, for example, she soon realizes that this is not going to be done in an “instant.” It will take time, patience, perseverance, determination, and the ability to stick to the task, day after day, year after year, to play the flute with any degree of proficiency. Learning to read notes, to develop hand-eye coordination, to listen, and to count rhythms is a process involving perseverance. As she works through the difficulties and challenges of learning an instrument, she soon learns that determination and perseverance equal success. Likewise, the perseverance a child learns by practicing her instrument can be, as the experience of many demonstrate, transferred to other areas of her life. For instance, when subjects in school are difficult, she will continue to try her best until the assignment is completed, confident that eventually she will be successful. When life throws her a curve she will not give up, but will work harder with even greater diligence and perseverance until she reaches her goal.

Although most of the great composers suffered personal adversity, they persevered and went on to write beautiful sonatas, symphonies, and operas. Beethoven, despite his progressive deafness at an early age, wrote perhaps his greatest music after going completely deaf. Bach suffered blindness and diabetes, yet continued to compose music. George Frideric Handel suffered a debilitating stroke that put him in a rest home. The world felt that a great life had come to a close. With dogged persistence, he shuffled his way to the organ each night after everyone had gone to bed, forcing his fingers to slowly play each key on the organ. The nuns who heard him were amazed at his unfailing courage and determination. Eventually, he made a complete recovery and went on to write many great pieces of music.

Chapter Eight:
Music’s Impact on Cognitive Delays and Physical Disabilities
(pages 205-208)

For the past thirty years, I have had a particular interest in music’s impact on children with learning disabilities because of personal experience. In 1982 our third son, Brandon, was born. It was a traumatic birth. Born six weeks early, Brandon was too high in the birth canal, and as a result he was literally dragged out by forceps. He was an unhappy baby and cried all the time. He had constant ear infections that included a build-up of fluid in his ears, and despite being on daily doses of low-grade antibiotics, the infections persisted. Over time, this constant fluid buildup affected his hearing at a critical time in his development and caused him to experience sounds and language as if he was in a vacuum. I was reading to him daily, playing music for him, and taking him to “mommy and me” classes, yet his language and communication skills remained poor. After having him tested by a professional, we determined Brandon needed speech and language intervention. I naively thought once his language problem was fixed, everything would be fine. I was wrong—this was just the beginning.

When Brandon was six, his kindergarten teacher expressed concerned about his ability to learn. He was not able to do the classroom work and seemed frustrated and distant. We had him tested both at our public school and privately by a child psychologist. The results were grim. Brandon was diagnosed with auditory processing, visual motor, visual perception, sensory motor, and attention deficit disorder. The difference between his oral IQ and written IQ was thirty-eight points, indicating severe learning disabilities.

This team of experts told us that school would be very difficult for him. We were told that he may not graduate from high school, that college was out of the question, and that a trade school would be more appropriate. They said Brandon was “high risk,” meaning that as he got older, he could be a candidate for dropping out of school, experimenting with drugs, or worse. Why? Because kids need a measure of academic success. He needed to experience some kind of school success to increase his confidence level. But how do you help a child achieve academic success when he can’t read, write or spell? When he does not understand even the simplest of math concepts? When he has difficulty paying attention and following directions, and sports confuse and frustrate him?

It was a daunting challenge, and in the beginning I was overwhelmed. I did not know the first thing about learning disabilities, but I was determined to find out and to help him because I wanted Brandon to love learning—not just for success in school, but for a rich and meaningful life….

Praise for the Book

"With a scientist’s eye and an artist’s voice, Habermeyer examines everything from the benefits of music for the developing brain to music’s ability to improve cultural awareness. This is an encyclopedic, invaluable resource for anyone who believes in music education. A magnum opus, fact-filled and inspiring on the benefits of music." ~ Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media, LLC

"A great resource for both parents and teachers. Anyone interested in music or the overall well-being of children will not be able to put this book down." ~ Lisha Papert Lercari, Director, Music and the Brain

"Sharlene Habermeyer outlines why music is important to learning, and provides parents with excellent suggestions for launching and sustaining a musical influence in the lives of their children." ~ James S. Catterall, professor of education and co-director of Imagination Project at UCLA

"Carefully researched and highly readable, Good Music, Brighter Children is written for musicians and non musicians alike. It is filled with wisdom, insight and helpful tips to bring music into the home for all ages and stages of childhood." ~ Shauna Bird Dunn, JD, MPA, Utah Young Mother of the Year, 2010

About the Author

Sharlene Habermeyer, MA, has spent over twenty-five years researching the effects of music in the brain development of children. She is passionate about how people of all ages learn and how music is a catalyst for learning. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Art from Utah State University and a Masters degree in Education from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.

In 1999, she started the Palos Verdes Regional Orchestra (now the Palos Verdes Regional Symphony Orchestra). It currently boasts over one-hundred members.

Sharlene’s initial inspiration for Good Music Brighter Children came from the extensive work she did with her severely learning disabled son, and finding that music was his strongest catalyst for learning she began passionately researching the effects music had on the developing and mature brain.

A college instructor, a popular speaker, and a consultant, she is the mother of five boys and lives with her husband in Torrance, California. She has spoken at parent conferences around the United States including the Parents as Teachers Conference (PAT) and the Crucial Years Conference in Missouri. In August 2014, she will be speaking at BYU Education Week.

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