One of the best ways for children to learn is to actively participate in something they care about.  Contests are great learning motivators.

A competition can provide a practical learning experience which results in expanded academic knowledge and improved skills.

The character qualities of persistence and diligence are called for in working on a long-range goal such as some contests require.

Entering contests can help children uncover lifelong interests, gain a sense of responsibility, learn to think for themselves, and ask questions – all of which can boost their confidence.

Children also develop everyday skills such as how to work with others, fill out applications, follow guidelines, keep records, meet deadlines, and organize their work.

A contest implies rewards.  Besides the intangible rewards of accomplishment and recognition, prizes are offered which are sometimes quite substantial or are in the form of a scholarship.  Expense-free travel to a national event might also be included.

Great Science Adventures Series Makes Learning Relevant and Exciting!      Unique format contains basic content, activities, and creative illustrations for grades K-8.  Perfect for multilevel teaching. Read descriptions and order. Topics of these 9 books are: 1. Plants 2. Tools and Technology 3. Space 4. Insects and Arachnids 5. Light and Sound 6. Earth's Landforms and Surface Features 7. Human Body and Senses 8. The Ocean 9. Atoms, Molecules, and Matter Birch Court Books Quality Resources / Free Media Mail Shipping www.birchcourtbooks.com  Free catalog.  800-655-1811 N7137 County Hwy. C, Seymour WI 54165

Teach your child about competition and how it can spur one on to greater accomplishments.  (See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:14; 2 Timothy 4:7-8.)

Whether or not your child wins a prize, the contest can be used to teach him about being a good sport by handling success modestly and disappointment graciously.

Even if your child doesn't win a prize, taking part in a contest can be a positive experience.  You can request participation certificates from the contest sponsor ahead of time or create certificates yourself.

People, and the press, will often judge the home-school community by the actions of home-school students in the spotlight of a national contest.

We should teach our children godly principles and how to be good examples both as Christians and as home schoolers.

Many home-school students have won national contests, thereby lending credibility to home education.

It takes careful study to understand all the rules of some contests.  If you have questions, be sure to contact the contest administrator.

Tip: Check out last year's winning entries (you can often find these on the contest's website) to get an idea of what the judges are looking for.

You may have several deadlines to meet, the first being your application.

Organize and plan the work on your contest by breaking the whole into smaller goals and setting your own deadlines for each.

Be sure to allow enough time to do your best on the contest and to realize all the benefits possible.

Some contests require an entry fee, and some contests might necessitate other expenditures that you should be aware of before you begin.

Check to see if you need to pay for your own travel to a national event.

Study the Classics Online! Weekly Tutorials with a Ph.D. Classic Christian Worldview High School College Prep      Oxford Tutorials offers college preparation classes over the Internet in Classical Latin, Great Books, Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Logic, and Rhetoric. • Follows a classical, Christian worldview and approach. • Teaches history of ideas which shaped our culture. Oxford Tutorial Service Learn more at www.oxfordtutorials.com. E-mail nlund@oxfordtutorials.com. Registrations for Fall 2009 Open Soon!

You may want to choose a contest with a certain learning goal in mind. For example, you may want to use an essay contest to strengthen writing and reading skills as well as to expand knowledge of the assigned topic.

Ask your children what topics they would be interested in pursuing.

The sponsor or purpose of the contest might affect your decision. If you do not believe the United States should share its authority with the United Nations, then you would probably not want to write an essay on the topic. (We didn't list that contest.)

For a contest to work successfully, you should know exactly what is needed -- skills, materials, entry fees, contest rules, etc.

You, as the parent, might want to try the contest yourself (e.g., write a sample essay on the topic) for full understanding of what's involved.

This will not only give your children a valuable history lesson, but it will also help them gain a greater insight into their contest theme or subject.

Read books and magazines or listen to music. For example, if your children are entering a poetry contest, have them read different kinds of poetry.

Use any opportunities available locally which relate to your contest. For example, if your children are participating in an environmental protection program, arrange a trip to a nature reserve.

If your children are entering a writing contest, have them create artwork or crafts that relate to their subject; if they enter an art competition, have them write an essay about the theme.

Provide access to dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, and an encyclopedia.

As well as traditional resources, teach your children how to safely (under your supervision) and efficiently use the internet for research.

You might want to start collecting information on a few topics of interest to your children. Label an extra large envelope for each topic and fill it with clippings, pictures, articles, statistics, notes, etc., on that topic.

These information packs will be a great resource for your children during contest time.

Many contests will provide educational information as well as how to comply with the contest rules.

Include drafts and final copies of writing or sketches, and photos of artwork or projects. These records are great for showing the improvement in students' abilities as well as the work that was done.

Many contests will be secular in nature. You can furnish a spiritual dimension by using a Bible concordance, dictionary, or encyclopedia to study what the Bible says about your subject.

Acknowledgment: Some of these ideas were suggested by Laurie Bluedorn of Trivium Pursuit.

The Landmark Collection – Each book brings to life a great event or personality in our nation's past.      Your children will experience history through the stories of Amelia Earhart, the Sager children, the Yukon Gold Rush, the heroes of World War I and II, and more.      This collection includes all the re-issued Landmark titles currently available along with several "Landmark- like" titles originally published 40-50 years ago!      A "must have" for any library!  Buy this set of 26 books at the discounted price of $162.95 and save $17. Beautiful Feet Books Publishers of Quality Children's Literature Since 1984 www.bfbooks.com / 800.889.1978

Your support group may put on a science fair, or you might volunteer to help do one.

For ideas and information, read articles online at Home Science Tools website.

Read an article about the benefits of science fairs (including a basic outline for a project), as well as practical tips on setting up a science fair on the BJU Press website.

Consider entering one or more of the many categories in your county or state fair.

Contact your county Cooperative Extension System for information on fairs in your state, or see a list of state fairs and city and county fairs.

See our list National Contests in the sidebar at the left.