Each month, Bo receives hundreds of invitations from all over the world and he would have loved to say yes to all of them. But because of the organizational and writing work that he does, his schedule is extremely tight and is forced to decline many of these invitations.
Because of this, he has limited his speaking engagements to corporate talks and seminars and keynote speeches in large organizations.
He does charge a speaker’s fee in part to raise funds for his extensive ministry and charitable projects.
If you wish Bo to speak in your event, email Chelle at chelle.crisanto@gmail.com or call her at Tel.(632) 725-9999.
Here is the information you need to give in that email or phonecall:
·Your full name
·Position in your Company or Organization
·Name of your Company or Organization
·Nature of Company’s products or Organization’s service
·Telephone
·Email
·Office Address
·Event Date & Time of Bo’s presentation
·Event Location
·Type of Event
·Goal of Event
·Intended Audience
·Audience Size
·Special Concerns you want Bo to address in his talk
2. Can I ask Bo for personal counselling?
He would have loved to speak to each of you personally--but because of the nature of his work (travelling out of the country 10 times a year, not counting many provincial trips around the islands), he cannot provide personal counselling.
To help people needing someone to talk to, Bo created the Light of JesusCounsellingCenter. They provide telephone counselling and correspondence counselling. If you need prayer or just want someone to listen, please call Tel. (632) 725-9999 or email support@kerygmafamily.com.
3. How can I request permission to reprint one of your articles for our magazine or newsletter?
Usually, this request is granted because Bo wishes to share inspiration to as many people as possible. Please put this quote at the end of the article you wish to copy: For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.
4. I would like to interview Bo (for my newsletter, article, school project, etc). How can I do this?
Because Bo is mostly out of the office (or even out of the country), the interview will have to be done via email. Upon your request, we’ll email you a complete and detailed bio of Bo Sanchez—perhaps most of your questions will be answered there. If there are other questions not yet answered in that bio, email your questions to us and Bo will try his best answer them. Email your request to Chelle at chelle.crisanto@gmail.com
My mission is to bless your life. So I’d love to connect with you, even just by the email below.
However, because I’m only one person, and I receive a mountain of emails from people all over the world, please be patient when I don’t respond quickly. But be assured that I do read your email and pray for you.
If you need help or prayers and wish to talk to someone, my friends and I formed the Light of Jesus Counselling Center. Please email us at support@kerygmafamily.com or call our counsellors up at (632) 725-9999. Each day, our counselors help and pray for many people from all over the world.
You can also visit the Forum page. Many people are helping and encouraging one another in our Forum page.
By the way, if you have a question, please go to my FAQ. Your question might be there already and I’ve answered them.
Bo Sanchez’ How To Be Truly Rich Seminar on August 6, 2011 will free you from financial stagnation and rescue you from years of financial misery.Do you know that 90% of your money problems are mind problems? Through Bo Sanchez’ transformational How To Be Truly Rich Seminar, you’ll learn how to solve your money problems by first solving your mind problems. Bo will take you through the journey towards what you deeply desire: True financial and spiritual freedom. Yes, it’s possible to get out of debt and earn passive income. It’s possible to become wealthy so you could start sharing your wealth to others.
When you listen to Bo Sanchez, you’ll change the way you think, enlarge what he calls your “psychological wallet”, and prepare you to receive abundance into your life. And through this seminar…
1. You’ll discover the invisible prisons of your mind that have kept you in financial bondage all these years—and how you can finally break out of those internal prisons!
2. You’ll discover the negative, emotionally-charged, beliefs that have kept you stuck in your financial level all these years—and how you can face them and change them.
3. You’ll conquer the common external obstacles that have always prevented you from moving forward on your road of material abundance.
4. You’ll learn to take 100% responsibility for your financial life, no longer blaming others for your money problems—thereby giving you the power to solve them!
5. You’ll learn how to be spiritually open to the pacific ocean of God’s blessings around you waiting for you to claim them.6. You’ll learn the powerful secret of how to attract wealth to your life.
“Oh Gosh, I wish my entire family was here and listened to you! My brothers and sisters are very poor at managing their money…”
--Cynthia, participant in the last How to Be Truly Rich Seminar
“ Hi Bo! I attended this same seminar last July and I have come a long way, thanks to you! I can say that I am already financially literate and on my way to financial freedom. I have also found a way to pay it forward to those who also want to invest in foreclosed properties and it really feels great to help people! Again many thanks and may God bless us all!”
--Jay Castillo
Dear Friend,
I must apologize. The last time I gave the How To Be Truly Rich Seminar, we couldn’t accommodate the huge number of people who wanted to join. (If you were one of them, I’m truly sorry.) It was painful, but we rejected applicants a whole week before the Seminar was given. Because we reached the maximum limit of participants. But wow, the audience in the last How To Be Truly Rich Seminar was truly amazing. Hungry for financial wisdom, they didn’t just listen to my talks. They devoured the talks! That’s what excites me: To help people change their lives.
Friend, I’m inviting you to join me in my How To Be Truly Rich Seminar. It will change your financial thinking—which will change your financial habits—thereby changing your financial life. Yes, the Seminar will bless you. I’m giving this Seminar again, and I hope you grow with me to become Truly Rich.
By the way, just to let you know, I give this seminar to companies and they pay P8,000.00++ per person. But because I want to help as many people as possible, I'm giving it to the public for the ridiculous price of P497 only. (That's not a typo error!) To register, email beaconlightevents+seminar@gmail.com. Don’t delay. We don’t want to reject your application again because we’ve reached the maximum number of participants.
I remain your friend,
Bo Sanchez
PS. If you finish this Seminar, you’ll be qualified to apply for the Truly Rich Coaching Program. We will only accept applicants for this Coaching Program from the graduates of the How To Be Truly Rich Seminar.
How To Be Truly Rich
Seminar
By Bo Sanchez
Bestselling Author of 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich
August 6, (Sat) at 8:30 am - 12 noon
Seminar Fee: P8,000.00++ P497 only per person.
Early Bird Offer: The first 9 people who reserve will pay P397only per person!
Find Your Own Personal Path To Financial Abundance…
Get Into The Truly Rich Coaching Program Now.
I am where I am because of my mentors.
God is my greatest Mentor, but He has used others to coach me in various areas of my life. And here’s one thing I’ve realized: I should never keep my mentors to myself. They’re too good to keep!
So I’d like to share my mentors with you.
Especially the mentors of my financial life.
I’m offering you my Truly Rich Coaching Program where you get two (2) whole-days of intensive Wealth Group coaching sessions.
Gosh, I’m excited!
I remain your friend,
Bo Sanchez
PS. Most of all, I’m excited to see you. Call up our Beaconlight office right away. Your financial life will change!
Your financial life will change!
Here’s what you’ll receive from Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Coaching Program:
On May 20 to 21, Bo will personally lead you in two Wealth Group Coaching Days. In these powerful Sessions, Bo’s financial mentors will teach you the important building blocks of wealth—and help you chart your own personal path to financial abundance. The size of the Wealth Group will be enough to create the synergy for wealth building, yet small enough so that you get the personal attention you need. The goal is to give you enough practical ideas to start your own specific, tailor-fit path towards financial abundance.
In these 2 Sessions, you’ll learn these five vital lessons:
Wealth Building Lesson #1: How To Build A Solid Financial Foundation
§You’ll learn about the two lines of money and how you can solve the two financial problems faced by everyone.
§You’ll learn how to get out of debt in a strategic way.
§You’ll find out if you’re adequately protected and learn the best ways to protect yourself and your family.
§You’ll learn how to plan, organize, and manage your finances.
Wealth Building Lesson #2: How To Grow Your Money Through Mutual Funds
§You’ll learn how mutual funds work and why they should be your basic investments.
§You’ll learn what kind of funds are there to choose from
§You’ll learn the various mutual funds Bo’s team has invested in and how you can invest in them too—giving you names, phone numbers, etc.
§Finally, you’ll learn how you can create your own financial brokerage firm so that you can “buy” from yourself when you invest and thereby save huge discounts, and earn money when you offer investment opportunities to others.
Wealth Building Lesson #3: How To Grow Your Money Through Real Estate
§You’ll meet Larry Gamboa, author of ThinkRich, Pinoy, as he shares the mindset necessary to grow your money via a unique real estate “system” that doesn’t need huge amounts of capital to create wealth.
Wealth Building Lesson #4: How To Grow Your Money Through The Stock Market
§You’ll learn how to invest in the Philippine Stock Market
§You’ll learn the difference between long-term investors and strategic traders.
§You’ll learn how to trade stocks on-line from the comfort of your home
§You’ll discover the strategies successful traders use to create their wealth
§There’ll be time for people who’ve never invested in the stocks to ask basic questions (no question will be too silly)—and there’ll be time for seasoned stock investors to ask questions too!
Wealth Building Lesson #5 : How To Start & Grow Your Own Business
You’ll be inspired as you meet successful entrepreneurs face-to-face and listen to their stories of failure and triumph.
You’ll learn the keys to knowing what kind of business to get into, which is a very crucial step to succeeding in business
You’ll learn the 3 ways of growing your business
You’ll learn the importance of marketing your product—and how you need to be an expert in the marketing essentials to grow your business.
You’ll learn the world of the internet—and the various ways you can earn from it
You’ll learn all the tools that you need for your internet-based business
You’ll learn about the world of the inforpreneur or the business of selling information especially through the internet
You’ll learn the keys to successful internet marketing.
Two (2) Wealth Group Lunches
During each Wealth Group Coaching Day, you have lunch together with the group and with the mentors. This will be a great time to get to network with each other in the group, and this will also be a great time to talk to your team of mentors.
Very Limited Slots Available
Because this is a Coaching Program and not a Seminar, we can only accept a limited number of participants. And we will only accept participants who are 100% serious in wanting to grow their financial life and share their wealth to others.
Fill out the application form below and fax or mail it to our office right away. (We reserve the right to decline any application.)
If each of our mentors charged for the time spent coaching you (compared to how much they earn in their own businesses), the Truly Rich Coaching Program would be priced at P220,000++! But because of their desire to give back and help others, most of our mentors are giving their time for free or have agreed to accept tokens for their time.
To get into the coaching program, your investment is only 2.5% of that figure, or P5,975 only. This is a huge steal. (We reserve the right to change this price at anytime.)
We highly encourage married couples to attend this program together, so you’ll be of one mind and heart in your path towards financial abundance. Married Couple rate is P9,975 only.
Full 100% Money Back Guarantee + P500!
If at anytime along this Program, you feel you didn’t learn anything to improve your financial life, just tell us—we will return 100% of your tuition fee—no questions asked. That’s how much we believe in the wealth education of our program.
In fact, we’re so serious with this offer, we’ll even add P500 more, for your inconvenience and your loss of time in attending this Coaching Program.
Don’t delay. First come, first served. Once we reach our needed number for the Wealth Group, we stop accepting applicants. To register, email beaconlightevents+seminar@gmail.com now.
(organized by: BEACONLIGHT Dev't Center Inc. office hours: Tuesdays-Fridays 9am-5pm tel #: (02) 7229562 )
Attention: All Readers Of Bo’s New Book, 8 Secrets Of the Truly Rich
or Larry Gamboa’s Think Rich Pinoy…
If you own a copy of Bo Sanchez’ book, 8 Secrets of The Truly Rich or Larry Gamboa’s Think Rich Pinoy (or attended Think Rich Pinoy or How To Be Truly Rich Seminars),you’re qualified to get a FREE Financial Check-Up by Bo’s Financial Mentors.
Bo’s Financial Mentors will give you an intensive 2-hour financial course, need-analysis, and help you create your very own personal financial strategy. (If you don’t yet have Bo or Larry’s book, get one now!) Sign-up for your FREE Financial Check-Up. We hold our financial classes in Makati and Cebu. For Metro Manila, text Ojing at Cel 09209188008 or email her at ojingosana@yahoo.co.uk For Cebu, text Marivic at 09168230921.
I attended your seminar on how to find your one true love, I finished reading your book, watched the DVD and read the course manual. Guess what?! I finally got out of my dead-end relationship—as you taught us. Nope, he's not married but has another GF. Sorry, if it took awhile before I realised I had to do it now.
Please pray for me... I hope I wont go back (if he wants me back) until he meets my condition. It’s very hard to let go... My condition is of course, to see me only when he is free to love me exclusively. In the meantime, I will make myself busy and attractive ;).
Thanks a lot for the constant reminders even if you are not here with me physically :). They make me keep my promise to myself, to my friends and to the Lord.
Sincerely,
“Finally Free”
Single People, this is what you’ve been waiting for—for a long, long time! Do you also have these disturbing questions?
·How will I know if God wants me to get married or remain single?
·What prevents me from finding my One True Love?
·Is there really just one person for me out there?
·Can the woman make the first move?
·Should I just wait on God to give me a spouse?
·How will I know if this man (or woman) is really for me?
·What will I do if no one is courting me?
·What will I do if there are no potential spouses around?
·Should I make a list of qualities I want in a spouse? Are my expectations too high?
Do you feel that your questions are unanswered and you feel like you’re stuck in life?
This Course & Seminar Has The Answers
You’ve Been Looking For… And Much More!
Bestselling Author Bo Sanchez will preach in his usual no-holds-barred, blunt-in-your-face, and humorous style about one of the most complicated, sensitive, perplexing areas of life. This is what will happen to you: From being directionless and without purpose, you’ll go home after the One Whole Day Seminar thrilled and blown away by the fact that you’re now armed with a specific plan of action about what to do with your life. You’ll realize that the One Whole Day Seminar is already worth the entire price! But the Seminar is just the beginning.
In This Course, You’ll Receive The Following:
1.You’ll learn how to discern God’s Will for your state-of-life.
2.You’ll learn the 7 keys of discernment needed for all the really big decisions of life—even those not connected to the decision of remaining single or getting married—but all major choices of life.
3.You’ll learn the 8 Powerful Steps on how you can attract your Lifetime Partner. You have never heard them presented in this way. They will shock you—how practical, doable they are! After you learn them, you’ll tell yourself, “Why didn’t anyone tell me these things before? Then I wouldn’t be where I am now!”
4.You’ll discover the myths that have created havoc in your personal life and previous relationships. These crazy myths rule the romantic world—and you’ll learn how to be free from them.
5.You’ll discern the internal blocks that have made you stuck in your lovelife—why you’re still unmarried until now.
7.BONUS #1: You’ll receive Bo’s bestselling book, “How To Find Your One True Love”.
8.BONUS #2: You’ll receive Bo’s 8 Audio Talks on CD for FREE.
9.BONUS #3: You’ll receive Bo’s 8 Video Talks on DVD for FREE.
10. BONUS #4: You’ll receive Bo’s Life Dreams & Success Journal for FREE.
11.Finally, and most important, you’ll receive an intense, dynamic, and incredibly fun Live Seminar taught personally by Bo Sanchez on September 8, 2007.
A Letter From Bo:
This Course Will Shock You.
You’ll learn stuff in this course that will contradict almost everything you’ve heard so far about attraction, finding love, romance, courtship, engagement, and preparing for marriage.
Can I be blunt? Here’s one major, MAJOR, reason why you’re NOT married yet… even after years of waiting and waiting and waiting…
You’ve got wrong beliefs.
So wrong, they’re way out of the Solar System.
So to help you find your Lifetime Partner, I will, in this Course, smash (destroy, demolish, crash, obliterate) all your wrong beliefs to the rocks. These will include…
* Crazy beliefs that you’ve gotten from religious leaders (Yep, them too.)
* Insane beliefs that you’ve inherited from friends or family
* Nutty beliefs that you’ve gotten from media (That’s obvious.)
If you’re ready to change your life, change your beliefs, (and possibly change your status!), and have the guts to do it, then I dare you, go ahead…
Relationship Expert Bo Sanchez will answer your questions head-on. A fair warning: Taking this course will liberate you from all the wrong beliefs and behaviours that have prevented you from finding your One True Love.
Your Investment For Your Future
We used to offer this 3-Month Exclusive Course & Whole-Day Seminar for P5,000.00++. But because Bo wants to help more singles avail of this life-changing Course, he insisted that we offer the whole package at a super special discounted price of P2,975 only.
But if you are the first 9 people to register, you get it at a steal: The Early-Bird Offer is only P2,475! So hurry before you run out of time!
100% Guarantee—Or Your Money Back PLUS P500.
We’re backing this up with a Full Guarantee: If you feel the Course has NOT helped you become a more attractive, more confident, happier single person—we’ll return 100% of your fee—plus P500—for your wasted time and inconvenience—No Questions Asked. That’s how much we believe this Seminar will help you.
Call Now!
For Reservations, Call Beckie at (632)7229562 (Tuesdays to Fridays 9am - 6pm) or email beacon@philonline.com.
Here’s The Truth: You’re Only Limited By Your Love
& Imagination!
By Bo Sanchez
Many people ask me how I’m able to do all that I do.
Let me give you an idea of my responsibilities… (Warning: Some people actually feel tired just reading this list, so take a deep breath…)
I lead 4 ministry organizations. I speak in a daily Radio show, a weekly TV program, and a daily video show at www.preacherinbluejeans.com Each year, I churn out 3 books, produce 4 audio/video teaching series, and write more than 200+ articles. I publish 7 magazines, maintain 4 websites, send out my online newsletter and write my blog at this website. I lead a “virtual” community called the Kerygma Family and oversee an incredible “sales force” called the Kerygma Ambassadors. I also travel extensively, preaching 300+ times a year all over the Philippines and around the world—leading retreats, seminars, and prayer rallies. I also am proud to say that I read all my email and respond to most of them.
As if these aren’t enough, there are a “few” personal things that I do…
I run a homeschool center to help parents learn how to homeschool their kids (If you’re interested, log onto www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com) I lead a financial consultancy organization to teach Filipinos how to save for their future. I operate a tiny organic farm, a real estate business, and manage a few more small businesses. (Plus, my 7-year old boy still has his Bangus business, and he’s hired me to be his marketing consultant.)
Of course, I’m fanatical about spending time with my family. I play with my sons everyday and still bring my beautiful wife once a week in a romantic date. We also have 4 family vacations every year, and 2 of those vacations are long 2-week trips!
And each year, I read 3 books a week, listen to the same number of audio books, and each year read thousands of magazine and internet articles.
Oh, before I forget, let me mention that I hop on a stationary bike one hour a day.
How do I do all these things?
Let me share with you five principles…
Key #1:
Believe You’re Bigger
It’s common fact that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity.
Can you believe that? We’re wasting 90% of what God has given to us!
I believe God has given us more capacities than we think we have.
The ultimate crime is that we belittle ourselves.
We think we’re insects, so we live an insect life, but actually—we’re giants!
Because of this, I believe you can earn a ten times more than whatever you’re earning right now. You can help ten times the number of people you’re helping now. You can serve ten times more than whatever service you’re doing now.
Don’t limit yourself.
You’re bigger than you think you are.
Key #2:
Be Consistent With The Fundamentals
Every morning, I enjoy time with God.
Every morning, I chew on His Word—the Bible.
Every morning, I pray, “Lord, let me love every person I meet today.”
Every morning, I read my life mission, my list of dreams, and my annual goals.
And throughout the day, instead of exposing myself to bad news, I digest good news available around me: I voraciously read inspiring books and listen to inspiring audio talks.
Every night, like a little boy, I kneel beside my bed and thank God for His blessings of that day.
In other words, the reason why I live such an exciting life is because I’m boring.
I’m monotonous.
I’m repetitive.
I do the same basic things again and again and again and again…
I now realize that the reason I can do all those thrilling, exciting, exhilarating stuff is because I do the boring basics every single day of my life. Everyday, I’m grateful. Everyday, I think positive. Everyday, I love. Everyday, I select what I watch, what I read, what I listen to—and stick to what can make me grow. Every single day.
The more I live on planet earth, the more I agree with Jim Rohn when he said that “There’s really nothing mysterious or magical about success. Success is simply the consistent application of fundamentals.”
Be boringly consistent when it comes to the basics.
And in time, you’ll find exciting success knocking at your door.
Key #3:
Focus On Your Core Gift
I have very few talents. Honest!
I don’t know how to cook, how to dance, how to write a computer program, and how to solve the Rubix cube. I don’t know how to do geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. I’m totally lost in chemistry, physics, and biology. I also can’t fix a leaking faucet or do carpentry or repair my car.
But this is what I can do very well: Communicate.
So I focus my entire life on that one thing.
I write well and I speak well. Period.
And I delegate everything to people who are better than I am.
Ask yourself now: What is my core gift?
I have a general rule I follow in my life: I don’t like complicating things just to impress you. So instead of giving you 329 psychological questions filled with scientific babble to discover your core gift (so I could impress you on how intelligent I am), let me just boil it down to 2 very simple questions. Stop reading this book until you answered both of these questions.
·What do you enjoy doing?
·What are you good at
For some of you, it’s technology.
For some of you, it’s teaching.
For some of you, it’s selling stuff.
For some of you, it’s cooking.
For some of you, it’s music.
For some of you, it’s advanced trigonometry. (Yes, I’ve heard there are such strange creatures walking on the face of the earth.)
Key #4:
Build Your Network
My wealth isn’t my money.
My real wealth is my network of friends.
Personally, I don’t think anything great is accomplished without a team.
Even Jesus had a team around him.
A few months ago, I was reading about the interesting world of horse-pulling competitions.
That’s where huge horses the size of elephants pull massive concrete blocks behind them.
Did you know that the grand champion horse could pull the incredible weight of 4,500 pounds? If the average weight of a Filipino is 140 pounds (which happens to be my weight before I eat my breakfast), that means this super horse could carry 32 Filipinos—without wheels! That monster could pull me, my wife, my kids, my parents, my siblings, their spouses, their kids, and all my in-laws combined.
And the second placer horse can pull only slightly lower than the first placer: 4,400 pounds.
That was when the organizers got curious. If these two horses pulled together, how many pounds could they carry? Could they pull 8,900 pounds?
They harnessed both horses and were shocked with the results.
Both horses, when pulling together, carried the mind-blowing weight of 12,000 pounds. That’s 85 Filipinos.
My message? Teams are powerful.
Alone, I can do a lot of things. But with my team, I don’t add but multiply what I can do.
I keep networking. I circulate. I meet people. I build bridges.
So I surround myself with a bunch of people who have impeccable character and fantastic skills. I network with Mentors, Preachers, Administrators, Accountants, Programmers, Lawyers, Financial Wizards, Multi-millionaires, Media Experts, Businessmen, Architects, Engineers, etc…
And everyday, I constantly expand my team.
Key #5:
Create An Autopilot System
Every time I enter into a project, I always do it with a team around me. Never alone. And I choose my team well.
I have a very simple criteria: I choose men and women who are humble (teamplayers) and who are experts in their field. In other words, I search for impeccable character and fantastic skills.
And together, we create a system for the project that’s replicable and duplicable.
In other words, it’s got to run on autopilot without my direct supervision.
Here’s my ideal leader: If I appoint someone to be project head (or organization director or business manager), and after six months, I don’t want him to bother me anymore except for major directional issues. If he still bothers me for tiny matters, I’ve chosen the wrong leader—or I trained him wrongly.
If You Love, The Universe Opens Up To You
Here’s what I’ve learned: Love is limitless! It has no boundaries.
I do what I do because I want to love people.
Each morning, I wake up and ask myself, “How can I bless people today?”
And so I stretch. I go just a teensy bit beyond what I think is my limit—and my capacities expand—because I want to bless the world.
Why More And More Parents Are Sending Their Kids To The Best School In The World: Their Own Home
10 Core Principles On How You Can Teach Your Children At Your Own Home With Great Success, While At The Same Time… Protect Your Kids From Harm, Save Your Money, Save Your Time, Reduce Stress, And Strengthen Your Family Life.
By Bo Sanchez
“But aren’t you depriving him of his socialization?” Believe me, I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard this line from well meaning friends when they learn that we don’t send our son to school, but instead teach him at home. (Now, with this article, I don’t have to answer. I can just give them this and say, “Read this please. Let’s talk again after you’ve read it.”) Here are other comments we’ve heard—some with sense, others just plain funny. “Won’t he become… uh, abnormal?” “You’re overprotecting him. Let go and let God!” “He needs to learn how to fight, become tough, and experience the world.” “Di ba yung homeschool pang artista lang yan?” I smile at everyone who gives me these comments and then explain these facts: Today, there are millions of kids being homeschooled in the world. And test after test (after test after test…) show that the average homeschooler academically beats the average of all students every time, at every year level, at every subject. Why? Here’s the truth that has been hidden from you and from the world at large: Homeschooling is the best educational system in this planet. It beats the most expensive, the most exclusive private schools money can afford. Unbelievable? Read on.
I Bet You Might Know Some Of These Homeschooled “Kids” …
Just in case you think that homeschooled kids may become social misfits and social idiots, let me show you a little list of a few homeschooled “kids” in the world:
Albert Einstein (Scientist)
Leonardo da Vinci (Painter/Sculptor/Inventor)
Claude Monet (Painter)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer)
Douglas MacArthur (U.S. General)
George Patton (U.S. General)
Thomas Jefferson (U.S. President)
Abraham Lincoln (U.S. President)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (U.S. President)
Theodore Roosevelt (U.S. President)
George Washington (U.S. President)
Woodrow Wilson (U.S. President)
John Wesley (Founder-Methodists)
Blaise Pascal (Scientist)
Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister)
Hans Christian Andersen (Writer)
Agatha Christie (Writer)
Charles Dickens (Writer)
Mark Twain (Writer)
Daniel Webster (Writer)
Andrew Carnegie (Industrialist)
Charles Chaplin (Actor)
Florence Nightingale (Nurse/Hero)
Sally Ride (Astronaut)
Albert Schweitzer (Physician)
Leo Tolstoy (Writer)
C.S. Lewis (Christian Apologist)
Alexander Graham Bell (Inventor of the Telephone)
Thomas Edison (Inventor of the Light Bulb)
Orville and Wilbur Wright
Joan of Arc (Saint-Martyr)
Why can homeschool produce world-class achievers? Because of the core principles imbedded in the system of teaching your own child. Here are the secrets of the best educational system in the world…
10 Core Principles That Will Dramatically Change Your Child’s Life— And Your Life As Well.
Friends, here are the ten core principles of homeschool:
Follow Your Child’s Passions
Follow Your Child’s Learning Style
Follow your Child’s Learning Pace Per Subject
Never Use Fear & Punishments As Motivation
Remove Tests And Grades As Tools For Teaching (Shocked? You Bet.)
Nurture A Great Love For Reading
Make Ordinary Life Events As Your Classroom
Make Work And Service Essential To Your Child’s Education
Build Your Family Relationship (The Greatest Reward!)
Personally Share Your Faith and Values With Your Child
Here’s a promise. If you follow these 10 core principles in teaching your child, you will dramatically change the life of your child—and your life as well.
Core Principle #1: Follow Your Child’s Passions
One of my son’s first words was “Horse”. I’m not kidding. It was spoken together with “Mama” and “Mamam” (food or water). As a toddler, he already loved playing with plastic toy horses, riding his wooden rocking horse, and looking at pictures of all sorts of horses. So we gave him large books on horses, and he gobbled them up and kept asking for more. Together, we studied the different breeds from around the world, the evolution of the horse, the equipment needed to ride horses, etc. We bought him coloring books with lots and lots of horses. At three years old, he was already riding real horses by himself. Today, he dreams of owning a ranch where he’ll own ten horses—as a business! He said he’d let the kids ride on the horses for a fee. His ranch will also have a restaurant, a “fake” jungle with robotic animals, and a man-made lake with a shipwreck as added attractions. Because of his passion for horses, he learned the following: To read a lot, do artwork (coloring), study science (horse anatomy), history and culture, physical education, and even business. Yes, he studied all those subjects—just because of his love for horses. No forcing. No pushing. No intimidating. No stress! Because it was his passion, he loved to learn. That, my friends, is one of the best secrets of homeschool.
Field Trips More Often We went to the Museo Pambata three times and stayed there the whole day. My son repeatedly explored every section on his own. This developed my son’s interest in science and history. So, together, we visited various museums of science, natural history, and zoos. — Tina Galvez, Quezon City Homeschooled her son
What Is Your Child’s Passion? It May Not Be Obvious At First, But It’s Got History, Science, Math, & Art In There…
Is your child a comic book lover? Encourage him. That’s requires reading too! Research together on comic book authors, illustrators, and companies. Sign him up for drawing classes. Tell him to rent out his comics for a fee. And through the Internet, find out which comic books sell for thousands of dollars today. Let him draw one and sell it to relatives. Do the math for his small businesses. Is he a basketball fan? Then read about the history of basketball, go through basketball statistics, study which muscle groups need to be highly developed in basketball, create artwork on basketball players, play ball regularly, and watch some games together. When my son was four, we started playing Cashflow For Kids, a game where players buy real estate and invest in stocks. We found out that aside from financial knowledge, it’s a great way for our son to learn mental math. We also played his Pokemon cards—and his math has improved because of the constant adding and subtracting in the game. We recommend less textbooks—and more “real” books—like biographies, classics tales, and special interest books. In fact, we recommend “living” books, like interviewing experts instead of just reading facts. Again, this cannot happen in a traditional school. There are programmed topics to discuss for every week—and the entire class has to go through them. And thus, boredom sets in. Not because they’re dumb, but simply because their passions aren’t pursued. In homeschool, you use anything that’s he’s interested in to learn all sorts of subjects. Because when he’s interested about something, you simply “ride the horse” of his passion, and off you go at 100 kph. And not only the child’s passion, but you also follow something very important in your child…
Core Principle #2: Follow Your Child’s Learning Style
Your child is a genius. You just have to know what kind of genius. Let me give you a very simple example of what I mean by following your child’s learning style. When my son Bene was five years old, he was having problems with his math exercises. It would take him ages to write down his answers. Bene would get totally bored, and we’d catch him stalling and dillydallying in the middle of the writing exercise. His thoughts would wander, sometimes creating a full-length movie in his mind. (We know because we hear him whispering, “Bangbangbang! Shooooosh! Vabooooooom!”) It would happen every time and my wife would be totally frustrated. After many weeks of tense filled homeschool sessions (“Son, finish that now! I said NOW!”), my wife was wondering if math was his waterloo. Did he really hate math? And then an idea struck her. She picked up the workbook, and she verbally asked the questions—and made it like a game. Bene would stand on the far end of our living room and he’d take one step for every right answer. Guess what: He breezed through it. At least at that particular stage in his life (five years old), oral and mental math was better than written math. Do you now see how only homeschool can make that kind of adjustment? Because the mother is teaching her child one-to-one, she can change teaching methods depending on the learning style of her child. Let me tell you what usually happens in a traditional school. Whenever a student is doing well in school, the school proudly points to themselves and say, “We’re the reason why your child is performing well. We’re good.” But when a student is failing, the school points to the child and says, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. There’s something wrong with your kid.” Okay, they may not say it in that way. But when the child is failing (or bored or restless or uncooperative), it’s always the child’s fault. You’ll hear the experts say, “Your boy isn’t learning because he’s stubborn and has undiagnosed ADHD and probably has a slight form of dyslexia.” Sure. Gosh, why is the kid always at fault?
We’re More Flexible Homeschooling has helped us create a more flexible environment. My children understand more clearly because of how I present the lessons uniquely to each of them. I need to be sensitive and caring to know that a child is different from another. I see to it that my own teaching style is in tune to the learning style of each child. Homeschooling has been a very fruitful experience — Irma Chua homeschooled her 6 children
Remember This Powerful Rule: If The Child Isn’t Learning, It’s 99% Not The Child’s Fault. Instead, Change Your Teaching Method!
In homeschool, we believe that if the child isn’t learning, it’s not his fault 99% of the time. Perhaps the parent isn’t using the specific learning style of her child. There are three basic learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) with as much as 27 (!) subgroups. None is better than the other. You simply need to discover how your child processes information—and then deliberately use his preferred choice. By simply observing how he learns best will already give you clues as to the genius of your child. There’s nothing better than following this simple rule of thumb: Do what works! Some kids prefer structure and like being told what to do (that’s why there’s room for structured, traditional school system done at home), while other kids like to do things on their own. And some learn more at particular environments and particular times of the day—so adjust accordingly. Believe me, this is much better than scolding, shouting, and bullying our kids to fit our teaching methods. And if you think that this is a powerful principle, wait till you read the next one…
Core Principle #3: Follow The Learning Pace of Your Child Per Subject
A traditional classroom with 40 kids has one established pace of learning. Usually, they try to go mid-speed—not too fast, and not too slow. Sometimes, this learning pace is too slow for your child—resulting in boredom. (I know many children who are failing in school, not because they’re dumb, but because of the opposite reason—they’re actually too bright and are totally bored by class.) On a few occasions, the pace may be too fast—and your child is left behind. Here’s something else you’ve got to think about. Your child has different speeds per subject. Your child may go at 80 kph in English and only 40 kph in Math. In homeschooling, you can simply adjust with his pace for each subject. Here’s the rule: When you see him bored, usually it’s because he already knows the material. Try going faster and introduce new material. For example, if your child is totally bored by his Grade 3 English, what’s stopping you from zooming ahead and tackling Grade 4 English? When my son was five years old, I remember bringing him to the doctor’s clinic, and while in the waiting room, Bene would sit and quietly read his books. And every time, people around would be shocked seeing this little guy reading Charlotte’s Web, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and James And The Giant Peach—stuff usually read at Grade 3 levels. I believe we underestimate our kids. If you follow your child’s pace, you may be surprised at his speed of learning. On the other hand, there’s no point in rushing a child to read (or write or do math) when he’s not yet ready. Tests have proven that kids who learned to finally read well as late as age 10 onwards do catch up very quickly—and surpass the early readers from regular schools.Again, don’t pressure yourself or your child! I believe that you should avoid giving “study pressures” until kids are age 8 to 12. If you follow their passion and learning pace, you don’t need pressure. And one more thing about pressure…
Core Principle #4: Never Use Fear & Punishments As Motivation
This mystified me. I learned that the expert animal trainers of dogs, birds, lions, tigers, seals, cats, and even dolphins have very important basic rules: Never insult the animal; and never offend the animal; and never hurt the animal. Or the animal doesn’t learn. But John Holt says that we forget this rule when it comes to training human beings! I agree with him. How many times have I heard parents and teachers (and aunts and uncles and grandfathers and grandmothers) insult their own little children? We scream at them, we call them names, we bully them, we intimidate them, we make them cower in fear—just so they do what we want them to do. Here’s a rule: The moment the teacher is shouting in anger, true learning stops. You can use angry shouting for emergencies, but you don’t use it in education.
Gentle Firmness In my eight years of homeschooling, I have learned that using fear and punishment crushes a child’s spirit. This deeply hurts a child and diminishes his self-worth. My children have responded better when they are gently but firmly told of their mistakes and what are expected of them. They obey us not out of fear, but out of love and respect. This is borne out of our love and respect for them. – Rita Yokingco, Mandaluyong City, homeschooled her 3 children
True Learning Means Having Fun. If It’s Not Fun, Do Something About It!
In homeschooling, true learning has to be fun and exciting for your child. If it isn’t, you adjust and make it so. When learning is fun, your child will go 100 kph. But when learning is forced upon him, he’ll go at 2 kph—with lots of dillydallying and delaying tactics. Banish fear and punishments from your educational system. They simply don’t work. And in homeschool, you simply drop whatever isn’t helping a child. Why? Because you’re not tied to one way of doing things. So if you see that your teaching method or curriculum or class schedule or textbook (It could be anything!) isn’t helping but blocking your child’s learning, drop it and try something new. Believe me, it’s much better than forcing it down the little guy’s throat with anger, intimidation, and threats of punishment. (Note: You can of course use reason and persuasion to convince him to read a particular book he doesn’t like to read. That’s OK!) Traditional classrooms, by their very structure, are inflexible. Even if a student isn’t learning, the activity or book or method has to go on. Understandably, because there are forty other students in class. My next principle is probably the most controversial of all…
Core Principle #5: Remove Tests And Grades As Tools For Teaching
Traditional schools create good “test-takers”. But do they create good learners and critical thinkers and passionate kids? Tests and exams create fear, because the results of tests are used to “label” children with a grade. I repeat—true learning cannot happen in the presence of fear. Pseudo learning, yes, and that happens quite often. Kids, under enormous pressure, memorize stuff. And when grades are given, the kids are labeled, categorized, and branded. I ask: Why? What for? Why not just go through a series of questions, and when they make an error, teach them the right answer at that moment? Why do you have to give him a zero point for not knowing the answer? I really believe that we have adults now who are totally un-proactive in their lives because they have a fear of making mistakes—which they learned from school. But mistakes are important! I’ve come to realize that the most successful people in the world are those who have made the most mistakes! So in place of tests, what should we do?
Use The Child’s Desire To Tell Stories About What She Knows
There’s something even better than workbooks, fill in the blanks, multiple choices, true and false items, and a list of questions. Charlotte Mason recommends that we use the power of narration. In other words, why not ask children to tell stories? By doing so, they don’t get bits of information—but real knowledge. (We confuse the two. They’re actually worlds apart.) Only when kids tell stories—either in written or oral forms—or recounting “plot” behind science, history, and religion—can you instill a genuine love for knowledge. And not a fear for failure, or even a shallow desire for high grades. And please: Don’t grade their narrations with an A, a C, or an F. Instead, engage them in conversation. Ask questions. Talk some more. Tell your child where he was excellent. Point out where they can do better. But most importantly, enjoy the conversation. (Note: I started a Homeschool Provider called Catholic Filipino Homeschool or CFH.It’s the first Catholic Homeschool Provider that does purely homeschool services in the Philippines.And for DepED requirements, CFH will give quarterly tests to measure the child’s grasp of the subject matter—but without the threats, the fear, the negative competition, or the labelling usually involved in tests.) Believe me, that’s when real learning happens.
Why I Don’t Agree With Some Homeschool Systems…
As I said before, I’ve noticed that some homeschool programs today don’t follow all these Core Principles I’m sharing to you now. I’ve seen some Homeschool Providers who merely transfer the “traditional school system” into the parent’s home. Unless this is what their children want, I feel this is a tragic mistake. Here’s what usually happens. Because the parents want to stick to the “packaged curriculum” bought from their Homeschool Provider, they do NOT follow their child’s learning style, nor their child’s passion, nor their child’s learning pace. And because their homeschool program requires monthly tests and grades, they again use fear and punishment as standard teaching tools to pressure their kids to pass these tests. I feel this is a terrible waste of homeschool. It’s not a total loss, but I could compare it to harvesting thirty-fold when you could have harvested a hundredfold. I pity the children, and I pity the parents! (I repeat: If this structured homeschool system is what your children want, then give it to them! This must be their learning style, so follow it. But if it isn’t, forcing it on them will just produce suffering on both parties.) Homeschool isn’t simply about changing the geographical location of learning—from classroom to home. Nor is it about changing the “terror” teacher and becoming the “terror” parent. Homeschool is a total change of paradigm. Homeschool is a radical change on how we think children really learn.
The next principle is a tough one. But it’s crucial for the success of our kids.
Core Principle #6: Nurture A Great Love For Reading
Our goal is self-directed learning. You want your child to start learning on his own, because of his sheer love for knowledge. (Yes, every child has an insatiable hunger to learn. You just have to connect to that, release that desire, and see her conquer the world.) But self-directed learning can happen more easily if a child develops a love for reading as well. A fair warning: Some children develop late at reading. Don’t worry! In a few years, homeschoolers catch up quickly and surpass the reading abilities of children going to regular schools. How do you nurture that in a child?
How My Kids Love To Read When I started home schooling my eldest son “J”, we always read fiction books together with his two younger brothers, John and Jaimy. Soon after, he learned how to love reading all sorts of books—even encyclopedias. After a few months, his younger brothers followed him and they now enjoy reading books together. –Mayette A. Salvedia, Quezon City homeschooling her 3 children
Read To Your Child Books That Interest Them. And Surround Them With Books, Books, and More Books…
Find out what interests a child. When your child can’t read yet, set a special time each day where you read to them. Ham it up. Play act. Put drama. Get into the role and let your child laugh and have a great time. There are four types of readers, depending on their preferred subject matter. (No time to discuss this now, but we give this routinely in our Quick Start Training Program for those enrolled in CFH.) Surround your child with the books on her preferred subject. Buy, barter, and borrow—do what you must, but those books have to be there for easy reach. Tip: Get those “Series” books. Because when your child gets hooked on one book, he’d want to read every other book in the series. (My son read 34 books of the Magic Tree House Series.) And parents—your kids have to see you reading books as well! Cut TV watching and computer games to a minimum (we allow those on weekends only) so that there’ll be generous time for reading everyday. Reading for pleasure is so important to learning. I’m saddened at the huge amount of “homework” kids bring home from school. That’s the benefit of homeschool: Class is only three hours a day, so your child can read books for an hour or two each day, for the sheer delight it brings. By the way, did that little fact surprise you? That homeschool takes only three hours a day? Here’s the reality: Most of the hours in a traditional school is spent on waiting: waiting for the classmates to arrive, waiting for everyone to settle down, waiting for the bell to ring… In homeschool, you skip all that, so that you have more time for what I call “ordinary life events”.
Core Principle #7: Make Ordinary Life Events As Your Classroom
Trust in your child. She learned how to smile, crawl, walk, talk, run, dress by herself, and understand her world before starting school. Because each child loves to learn. For them, it’s as natural as breathing. Kids learn the way adults do: By their interests and by their curiosity. So why teach them in a different way? In fact, that’s why John Holt coined the term, “Unschooling”. Because ultimately, you don’t really “teach” your child. (We use that word loosely.) You merely provide the learning environment and resources so that your child self-learns. In the end, true learning and living cannot be separated. There are three things that you can do to use ordinary life events as your classroom:
1. Let Your Child Get Involved In Your Adult World Kids love to get involved in the adult world—with what you’re doing. So get them involved! Usually, your child will be passionate with what you’re passionate about. Whatever your concerns are, she’ll pick that up, latch on to that, and be passionate about that too. So whenever feasible, get them involved in your world. Bring them along when you work (if your work situation allows for this) and let them observe, help out, and do stuff for you—yes, even if they bother you and slow you down. For example, John Holt recommends that Math be learned by opening the financial books of the family, and teaching children how the household money is earned, spent, and saved. If you’re interested in business, I’ll go even further and recommend that children start their own businesses—and practice applied Math right away. Believe me, when your child wants to know whether he can buy his favorite toy from his business profits for the month, he’ll become a math wizard right before your eyes.
2. Do Real Projects Together! Would you be happy if you did something totally meaningless everyday? But that’s what school is to many children. Let’s face it: Even adults hate it when we do something that has no relevance with real life. So why do we ask our kids to do it—and scold them when they get bored? Here are examples of what I mean by “Real” Projects: For those mechanically inclined, let your child build stuff with you for the house. Stuff that you actually need and will actually use. For children who love music, prepare a “mini-concert” for the next family get-together. Create invitation cards with silly artwork, cook pasta together, practice your child’s welcome speech, and have a musicale complete with costumes and dance numbers. (In one blow, you’ve had art lessons, music lessons, speech lessons, and theatre lessons. But more importantly, you’ve built character and confidence in your child.) And instead of listening to a lecture of loving the poor, volunteer to build a house in a Gawad Kalinga village, or help in an orphanage each month, or go to the province and work with farmers. At the end of the day, real education isn’t information but transformation. And that’s what will happen if you use ordinary life events as your classroom.
3. Finally, Don’t Program Everything. Let Your Child Be! Please set aside enough time for your child for his play and imagination everyday. Don’t try to do what some overzealous homeschool moms do—cram a ton of activities, workbooks, games, projects, songs, and chores into their child’s life from dawn to dusk. Not only isn’t this beneficial to your child, it will also burn you out! Let your child be for long stretches of time everyday. Without you telling them what to do! Just so that he could be himself. And think. And read. And ponder. And imagine. Fantasy is his way of learning how to cope with the world. These times are very important for his own self-learning. During these times, you’ll find out that he’s trying to figure things on his own. How stuff works. How the world works. That’s a crucial part of homeschooling—when you’re not around.
And this also includes…
Core Principle #8: Make Work And Service Essential To Your Child’s Education
I repeat our philosophy: The best way to learn is to actually do it. It beats any lecture, any book, any field trip, any counseling. For example, our son has a Bangus business and has gained much confidence because of it. At the age of five, he handed out flyers to our visitors at home. He went around in his three-wheel bicycle and delivered them to his grandmother’s house. I asked him for suggestions when we designed that leaflet. He also wrote down his first “prospect” list of 10 people who’d buy from him (mostly our family!). As he grows older, we will slowly give him more and more responsibilities to his growing business. According to The Moore Foundation (a pioneer in Homeschooling), education should not just be (1) Study. It should also contain equal amounts of (2) Work and (3) Service—Thus forming the three basics of a good Homeschool education. By Work, we mean household chores and entrepreneurship. Believe me, when you give your children responsibility for certain parts of the household and certain parts of a small home business—you’ll see him rapidly grow and mature before your eyes! You solve many character and personality problems spontaneously—better than all your scolding, homilies, lectures, and punishments. And don’t give cash for household chores. Or you program them to become employees. They need to produce or sell something in the business to earn something—and you program them to be entrepreneurs. And what does Service mean? Let your kids regularly serve among the poor, in an orphanage, in a soup kitchen, in a home for the elderly. Set a daily schedule for service in the neighborhood if possible. You’ll find your child growing in love, character, kindness, and integrity. Their sense of compassion and nobility of heart will increase. And now—for one of the most important things in your life…
Core Principle #9: Build Your Family Relationships (The Greatest Reward!)
In homeschool, you spend each day with your child playing games, swapping stories, taking adventures, reading stories—and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Yes, you bond with your child in an extraordinary way! And if you have more than one child, you bond the siblings together, too. The older children teach the younger children (and because teaching is the best way of learning, everyone benefits). On a whim, my wife can bring our two children for a trip to wherever. They can visit a sick friend or attend a birthday party. They can go to the zoo, a museum, or a movie.
My Teenage Son Isn’t Ashamed Of Expressing Love My son is 14 years old today, but because we’ve bonded enough through homeschool, we could still walk in the mall holding hands. Even with his classmates and friends around, he’d greet his Daddy and me with a kiss and a hug. – Tina Galvez, Quezon City, homeschooled her son
Probably the first question people will ask about homeschooling is, “What about your child’s socialization?” Here’s the answer: On average, homeschooled kids have been known to be more socially adept and more socially confident than other children. Shocked? Here’s why: In homeschool, kids get the right kind of socialization. Because you want your child to learn character, morals, and manners from you, and not from his peers.
My Kids Are Open To Me Home schooling our children has blessed me with the opportunity to spend 24/7 with them. This precious time during their formative years has cemented the bond between us. We’ve come to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and this has helped us understand and appreciate each other deeply. In fact, now that our two elder children are in regular school, their classmates are amazed that they are unashamed to hug and kiss us in front of them. And more amazing to them is that our kids are able to tell us everything (and I mean everything - heartaches, triumphs, disappointments!) that goes on in their lives. Our children are secure in the knowledge that our family will always be there for each other. – Rita Yokingco, Mandaluyong City, homeschooled her 3 Children
Offer True Love. Not Anti-Socialization.
This is the most asked question to me: What about your child’s socialization? Here’s my answer: Many times, large schools today offer our children anti-socialization. Without meaning to do so, they open our kids to the meanness of other kids. The bullying, the snobbishness, the peer pressure… Kids don’t need that daily pressure to grow into healthy, positive kids. Let your child grow in a place where his self-worth and confidence is established. Once that’s settled deep within, he can conquer the world. (Sometimes, I think they can conquer any planet.) Does your child need to relate with kids his own age? Yes, he does. He needs two or three of them, but not necessarily forty. Perhaps cousins and neighbors he can play with everyday. Find ways where he can compete in sports and be with other kids. We enrolled our son in a gym class where he goes once a week. And because of our regular prayer meetings in our Catholic Community, he gets to have many friends among the children of other members.
Core Principle #10: Personally Share Your Faith & Values To Your Child
Today, many kids have tepid faith and weak values—and one reason for this? Parents are no longer seriously taking their spiritual responsibility to introduce the Lord to their children. Instead, many parents pass this spiritual responsibility onto the school. But that doesn’t work! How can a school do it with hundreds or thousands of kids under their administration? Dearest Parent, you’re the priest in your home and one of your most important roles is to bring your child into a vibrant relationship with God. Of course, a teacher or priest can do this—but only as an added support to you. Ultimately, that’s your job. Faith and values aren’t taught as much as “caught”. Homeschooling is the perfect context where this “contaminating” can take place. In our own Homeschool Program at CFH, we wish to deepen the Catholic faith of our children. (This will be our specialty . However, children from other denominations are always welcome. After all, their parents will pass their faith to them.) Friend, you need to deepen your own Catholic faith. For how can you give what you don’t have? (If you’re not yet a member of the KERYGMA FAMILY, sign up now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ and get all the resources you need to grow spiritually: Daily Bible Reflections, spiritual books, inspiring audio and video talks, etc. We give you a mountain of powerful stuff so that you keep growing in the Lord.) If you think that’s not enough, there are more benefits to homeschooling your child…
Here Are The Other Fantastic Benefits Of Homeschooling Your Child
Let me share with you three more incredible reasons for considering homeschool: 1st Benefit: You Protect Your Children From Evil 2nd Benefit: You Save Lots And Lots Of Money 3rd Benefit: You Save Lots And Lots Of Time—And Save Yourself And Your Child From Unnecessary Stress Let me explain these benefits to you one by one…
1st Benefit: You Protect Your Children From Evil
I know many parents who homeschool their kids for this one reason alone. Let’s face it. Evil is a monster that waits for easy prey—like our defenceless children. I met a five-year old who liked saying “F_ck”. It sent chills down my spine. Guess where he learned it. I also met a distraught father who told me that a 13-year-old female classmate was offering his 12-year-old son sex. He found out when he accidentally read a text message on the cellphone meant for his son. He showed it to me and I couldn’t believe a 13-year-old girl could write it. It was pure hardcore porn. I also met a small seven-year-old that was bullied each day in his school bus. A bigger fellow would call him “insect” and “worm,” ridicule him to shreds, drown him with insults. Twice a day. Every single school day. By the way, let me tell you an example from my own life. In my very well respected Catholic high school, one of my male teachers taught us in his class that we should go to a prostitute as early as possible so that we become “real men”. In fact, he had already “initiated” his own 13-year-old son very recently. And so that we don’t get any venereal disease, he instructed us to take two tablets of 500 milligrams of antibiotics (he even recommended the brand), one tablet a day before going to a prostitute, and another tablet on the day itself. And yes, some of my classmates actually followed his “fatherly” advice. I haven’t even mentioned about drugs, drinking, violence, and sexual abuse. In homeschool, you protect your children from these unnecessary negative influences. The second benefit is a very practical—and a very necessary—blessing…
2nd Benefit: You Save Lots And Lots Of Money
Homeschooling “tuition” is a tiny fraction of the expensive tuition fees of exclusive schools today. My friend pays P65,000 a year to send her grade-school son to one of the most prestigious schools in the Philippines—where the ratio is 1 teacher to 40 students. In homeschool, the ratio is 1 teacher to 1 student (you and your child!)—and for how much? At least in CFH, it’s only P14,700. Other Homeschool Providers have different fees but their range is around this figure. In CFH, we decided to use Local textbooks (that’s why we call ourselves Catholic Filipino Homeschool), not only because your child will know our culture more, but also because they’ll save parents their hard-earned money. So instead of spending P15,000 for foreign textbooks, you spend around P5,000 only per year. And because your child will stay at home, you won’t spend for daily food allowances and the daily transportation expenses—such as school bus fees. Now that’s big savings! You’ll also save from the fees for projects, and school uniforms, and Boy Scout uniforms, and P.E. uniforms. The list is endless… An added savings: If you have more than one child, you buy your textbooks only once. Because in homeschool, books are passed from older children to younger children. Because in homeschool, you make the rules about textbooks. Here’s the comparison of Annual Expenses (Average Only!). Note: I’ll use CFH figures, but you can replace these with the figures of other Homeschool Providers.
Expenses
Regular School
CFH Homeschool
Tuition
P50,000
P14,700
Daily Transpo
P20,000
P0
Daily Allowance
P30,000
P0
Uniform, Etc.
P5,000
P0
Textbooks
P5,000
P5,000
Year Total:
Regular Schooling: P110,000
Homeschooling: P19,700
The comparison is almost absurd. You save P90,300! Even if you join our CFH Gold or Platinum Intensive Coaching (this is optional), and let your child join CFH Clubs for a minimal fee (again, all optional)—you’ll still save a lot! You can put your savings to buying more books for yourself and your children—especially books your child is interested in. You can also take more trips together—and learn through those trips. You can also invest in getting more training for yourself—because the better you become, the more you can give to your child. And one more fantastic benefit…
3rd Benefit: You Save Lots And Lots Of Time—And Save Yourself And Your Child From Unnecessary Stress
Let me guess. If you send your kids to school, do they have to wake up at 5:30am and travel for an hour through the traffic? (Don’t you just think this is simply nuts?) And do they have to go through that same traffic going home? And when they get home, do they have to do their homework—which requires tutoring? (Wait a minute… You paid the school to teach your kids, right? Why do you now have to tutor them every evening? And sometimes even hire a private tutor for your child? Isn’t this illogical?) And are some of your kids stressed out by their load and schedule? In homeschool, you don’t have traffic. Yes, you don’t have to wake up your kids at 5:30am. And you don’t have homework (Ha! Ha!) And you don’t have over-stressed kids. And your classes are only three hours a day. Now tell me. Isn’t that a great deal?
Other Questions? Here Are Some Answers…
Gosh, I’m An Ordinary Mother. Can I Really Homeschool?
You’re homeschooling right now. Did you teach your baby to walk, talk, eat with a spoon, kiss, and give a hug? Did you teach your toddler to say the Alphabet and read and count 1 to 10? What do you call that? Homeschooling. I believe that almost any Parent can homeschool—it’s just a question of commitment and dedication.
Is There A Homeschool Program For High School?
As of this writing, CFH accepts only Grade School levels—specifically, Informal Nursery, Kindergarten 1, 2, Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. In the future, we will eventually open a High School Program. You can check with different Homeschool Providers for their High School Programs.
Will my child get DepED Accreditation if I homeschool him?
You need to connect yourself to a Homeschool Provider that’s connected to an existing regular school. Because as of this writing, DepED doesn’t yet encourage homeschooling. (Give it a few more years before they see the light!) CFH is attached to Powerkids Academy, a private school based in Bulacan whose students are multi-awarded.
My son is already in Grade 5. I’m afraid he won’t like it if I pull him out of his regular school.
For older children, they need to agree to your decision to homeschool. Explain the benefits! Tell them that they can pursue their passions, have adventures, pursue businesses, etc. Discuss these with them and try to make a decision together.
Can I start at any month? Or does it have to be June?
You can start homeschooling at any month of the year.
What if I’m a working mom? Can I possibly homeschool?
Yes. Tough, but it’s possible. There have been working mothers who have homeschooled their children. It will take a lot of planning, and flexible time schedules, but it can be done. Usually, the mother gives assignments before she leaves for work, and then does homeschool sessions in the evenings. Weekends are for family activities and projects of their homeschool.
If I’m a working Mom, can I hire another homeschool Mom to teach my child in her home?
Yes, you can. Though this isn’t the ideal situation, it’s possible. Call us at CFH office, and we may (we can’t promise) be able to refer you to homeschool mothers in your area who are open to homeschooling your children. I must warn you though that this won’t be cheap—as you’re hiring a one-on-one teacher for your child—and you have to bring your child to that homeschool mother’s home everyday.
Am I expected to teach trigonometry to my child?
No. You can always get a tutor or another homeschool mother (who’s forte is Trigo) for these difficult subjects.
My child is autistic. Does homeschooling work for him?
Homeschooling is perfect for children with special needs. Because of the personalized nature of homeschool, you can tailor-fit the education you’ll give to the specific needs of your child. You simply have to learn extra knowledge necessary to teach your child with his/her specific needs.
Intrigued? Don’t Stop Asking Questions…
My last word: Your child depends on you to grow in every area of her life—spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and even financially. Don’t pass on this responsibility to others. It’s that important. Keep asking questions. Research. Ask other homeschool parents you know. By the way, thank you for reading this letter and for giving me the opportunity to share my passion to you.
I remain your friend,
Bo Sanchez Catholic Filipino Homeschool (CFH)
PS. If you want more specific information on CFH, email me at bomarowe@info.com.ph and I’ll send you an article that I wrote specifically on the CFH Program, the “distance education” program of Powerkids Academy. Or call us at our CFH office at telephone number (02) 726-8951 (Look for Mayette, Monday to Friday, from 2pm to 5pm) or text us at +63916-2577039 or e-mail us at catholicfilipinohomeschool@gmail.com . Note: We can only accept a limited number of parents/students per year.
A fair warning: Not all Homeschool Systems or Providers practice all ten core principles. I’ve noticed that some of them merely transplant the traditional “school system” into the home. I’ll explain later why I don’t agree with this set-up and feel this is a terrible waste of the essential power of homeschool.
People have been asking us why we put up our own Homeschool Program. One of the main reasons is because we wanted a Catholic Program. We wanted CFH to provide children with a Catholic environment. We wanted our activities to be always God-centered and values-driven. We wanted CFH to provide children with the best local Catholic textbooks in the market—and even Catholic “homeschool” textbooks from abroad. And we wanted to help children receive the Sacraments—their first Confession, first Communion, and Confirmation.
Bro. Bo, I thank the Lord for the gifts you are sharing to the world. I was able to apply some of the principles about teaching the kids at home, specially in their difficulties. I’m looking forward of learning more about Catholic Filipino Academy.
our son will turn 3 on march. we’d like to start home schooling for him. my wife inquired last year at LOJ assemblies, and they said that your program will accept 4yrs old and above.
we believe our son is advanced compared to other kids. ever since, upto today, he has almost memorized (dialogs/songs/dance) all programs in Nick JR, Disney Playhouse, and cartoon DVDs, even the commercials! we’re afraid we’re not giving him enough resources to fully utilize his “capacity” to learn. he likes to read and watch. he even likes to read his bible (for kids).
anyway, i hope to hear from you soon.
Godbless to you and your family and the LOJ community
Do you a have a support group for homeschooling parents? It would also be great if there is an e-group where homeschooling parents can share their experiences and challenges with homeschooling, the best alternative learning materials, best educational places to visit, etc.
hi Bo, just wanted to invite you and other Filipino homeschooling families to join us at the 4real Forum — many devout Catholic homeschooling moms (and teens too, plus a few dads) — including a few pinoys (kasama na ‘ko d’un)…. membership is about 1500+ worldwide.
or maybe you could have a forum just for Catholic pinoy homeschoolers? i’d be happy to help out if you need any help with this.
so happy to see fellow Catholic pinoys that homeschool!!! when i first started homeschooling 10 years ago i couldn’t find any.
oh and BTW, our CFC bro/sis who went home last dec. came back home to Cincinnati with some awesome presents for us — including Bo Sanchez books! YAY!!!
What can I say? You said just the right words. This piece has value for both types of education. In fact, regular education will achieve a balance if these principles are considered.
Thanks for modeling for us an alternative way of educating our children.
Maybel Potes, on February 11th, 2007 at 5:13 am Said: Edit Comment
Bro. Bo,
I thank the Lord for the gifts you are sharing to the world.
I was able to apply some of the principles about teaching the kids at home, specially in their difficulties. I’m looking forward of learning more about Catholic Filipino Academy.
rain, on February 12th, 2007 at 1:47 am Said: Edit Comment
hi bo and LOJ community,
our son will turn 3 on march. we’d like to start home schooling for him. my wife inquired last year at LOJ assemblies, and they said that your program will accept 4yrs old and above.
we believe our son is advanced compared to other kids. ever since, upto today, he has almost memorized (dialogs/songs/dance) all programs in Nick JR, Disney Playhouse, and cartoon DVDs, even the commercials! we’re afraid we’re not giving him enough resources to fully utilize his “capacity” to learn. he likes to read and watch. he even likes to read his bible (for kids).
anyway, i hope to hear from you soon.
Godbless to you and your family and the LOJ community
rain
Jo Ann, on March 20th, 2007 at 12:59 am Said: Edit Comment
Bo,
Do you a have a support group for homeschooling parents? It would also be great if there is an e-group where homeschooling parents can share their experiences and challenges with homeschooling, the best alternative learning materials, best educational places to visit, etc.
Thanks!
stef, on April 2nd, 2007 at 10:42 pm Said: Edit Comment
hi Bo, just wanted to invite you and other Filipino homeschooling families to join us at the 4real Forum — many devout Catholic homeschooling moms (and teens too, plus a few dads) — including a few pinoys (kasama na ‘ko d’un)…. membership is about 1500+ worldwide.
it’s here: http://4real.thenetsmith.com
or maybe you could have a forum just for Catholic pinoy homeschoolers? i’d be happy to help out if you need any help with this.
so happy to see fellow Catholic pinoys that homeschool!!! when i first started homeschooling 10 years ago i couldn’t find any.
oh and BTW, our CFC bro/sis who went home last dec. came back home to Cincinnati with some awesome presents for us — including Bo Sanchez books! YAY!!!
James, on May 3rd, 2007 at 11:03 pm Said: Edit Comment
Hi Bo!
What can I say? You said just the right words. This piece has value for both types of education. In fact, regular education will achieve a balance if these principles are considered.
Thanks for modeling for us an alternative way of educating our children.
James
China