Homeschooling Parent Magazine's 2004 Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval Awards Announced

November 10, 2004 -- Homeschooling Parent has announced the recipients of this year's Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval, an award designed to spotlight products and services that uniquely meet the needs of homeschooled students, homeschooling parent-teachers, and their families.

"There is an aggressively expanding movement in home education throughout our nation. These parents who have brought their children home are well-educated, selective consumers, and are seeking high-quality and trusted materials for use in their home classrooms," said Cyndi Simmons, Editor-In-Chief of Homeschooling Parent. "Each year we review hundreds of services and products and our Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval provides consumers with our endorsement in the awarded category."

Analysts estimate there are over 2 million children homeschooled in the United States this school year. The U.S. Department of Education estimates the number of students taught at home grew 29 percent in the past five years.

"To illustrate the changing landscape in the education arena, " said Simmons, "there are more children learning at home than attend public schools in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming - combined!"

Awards were issued in twenty categories:
-Best In Phonics - Pearson Learning Group, Sing, Spell, Read & Write
-Best In Handwriting - Portland State University, Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting
-Best In Math - Genesis Science, Dive Into Math
-Best In Art - Alpha Omega Publications, Drawing Basics with Thomas Kinkaide
-Best In History - Tapestry of Grace
-Best in Science - MicroChem Kits
-Best In Music - The Children's Group, Classical Kids Series
-Best In Biblical Worldview - Cornerstone Curriculum, Starting Points
-Best in Foreign Language - Rosetta Stone Language Software
-Best in Long Distance Learning - Keystone National High School
-Best Publisher - Master Books
-Best in Family Games - Jax, Inc.
-Best Homeschool Day - Biltmore Estate, North Carolina
-Best Museum Homeschool Program - Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Fort Worth, Texas
-Best Aquarium/Zoo Homeschool Program - Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
-Best Field Trip - Dinosaur Adventure Land, Pensacola, Florida
-Best Family Travel Destination - Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
-Best Summer Camp Program - Frontier Camp, Grapeland, Texas
-Best in College Prep Materials - College Board
-College/University - Le Tourneau University

For information on submitting a product or service in one of the above categories for Homeschooling Parent's 2005 Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval, contact Claire Stoddard at 936.756.2226.

About Homeschooling Parent Magazine
Homeschooling Parent is a bi-monthly magazine that focuses on stories of interest to homeschooling families, products that can be used in the home-classroom, and ideas that assist parents in teaching their children at home. Launched in 2000, Homeschooling Parent is the largest circulated homeschooling magazine in the nation. For more information on Homeschooling Parent, visit www.homeschoolingparent.com

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