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How to Submit Your Homeschool Course Descriptions Here is some guidance for completing one of the most challenging tasks in homeschooling high school - submitting your homeschool course descriptions. What about College It's a common question, often posed by skeptical friends and family. When homeschooling high school, the question "what about college?" becomes more pressing. What is a Real Homeschool Transcript There is a difference between an "accredited transcript" and an "official homeschool transcript." Nightmare on Math Street I'm not sure how many people would love math that much, but it certainly doesn't describe every homeschool parent. Homeschool Grade Levels Grade levels can be pretty arbitrary. As homeschoolers we need to focus on what we are doing for our own children, because we know what our own children need. Nutty Homeschool Parents? After this year’s National Spelling Bee, someone asked me, “What kind of a crazy parent has their child spell nutty words all day?” News Flash! Teenagers Will Change Their Mind Why bother with getting your kids ready for college when you feel certain they won't go? What If Your Kids Want to Go to Public School? Homeschool parents wonder how they should respond when their child requests to go to public high school. Accredited Online Homeschool - A Deeper Look A lot of homeschool parents are considering online accredited homeschooling for next year. It pays to consider what the reality is behind the marketing image that is portrayed. Homeschooling: How do you get it all done? Are you a homeschool parent who is struggling with getting it all done? If so, here are some ideas that will help. Remember, there are lots of ways to get it done, and lots of definitions about what "done" really means. What if Homeschooling High School Isn’t Working? When homeschooling high school, keep in mind the freedom you have to use what works and to change what doesn't work. What if Your Child Doesn't Like to Read? Turning a reluctant reader into someone with a passion for literature can take some effort. Cindy asked a question about her son, looking for suggestions to turn his passion into a love for literature. Homeschooling Teens: What to do When They Change Their Mind Has your child ever changed their mind? Ever? Not surprisingly, most teenagers have changed their mind from time to time. Parents can become extremely frustrated by that - but you can still achieve success! How Can Homeschoolers Access The SAT And ACT? Here is what I love most about The College Board. Their article "Home Schooled Students and the SAT" Homeschool High School: Teach Them to Teach Themselves Learning is more important than teaching. As homeschool parents, our goal is NOT to teach something. Our goal is for the kids to LEARN. Give your children curriculum at their ability level, and allow them to learn something that they don't already know. Different Colleges and Different Rules about CLEP, AP, and Community College It is difficult to weigh the pros and cons of CLEP, AP, and Community College. When colleges have different rules, how do you determine your plan of action? High School Homeschoolers: Searching For Socialization Socialization is not about a group of kids all the same age. True socialization is about people of ALL ages getting together. When kids are feeling alone, then getting out into the world can provide the socialization they are craving. Here are some suggestions for socialization activities: Do You Have "The Homeschool Disease"? Do you have "The Homeschool Disease" of over-achieving in English? It's tempting to get excited about all the great curriculum out there. You may want to buy it all and use it all. You may even be tempted to teach ALL English skills all in the same year. Over-teaching can cause burn-out though. Choosing Homeschool Curriculum is like Choosing a Smart Phone I love my new smart phone. My wonderful, wonderful droid. Will my smart phone make me smarter? I don't know, but I can say it's the phone rated the best by my friends. Apologia Science = Great College Preparation Apologia is a very rigorous college prep series. I don't usually recommend specific curriculum, because I know it's all about "fit" more than a specific textbook. When it comes to science, though, I had such success with the curriculum we used, that I really do recommend it - even to my clients that are not Christian. Can My Child Get Into College Without a Diploma? Do you ever wonder whether having a high school diploma will matter to the colleges? In our experience, hardly anyone asked for my child's high school diploma. The colleges we applied to wanted to know if my child was a high school graduate. They wanted to know if he HAD a diploma. They didn't ask to see it, though. Find out how this will help you as you homeschool through high school. Homeschoolers Curriculum: Measure Twice, Cut Once There are many great proverbs in this world, but this one is awesome! Measure Twice, Cut Once When you measure once, it's SO easy to make a mistake, But measuring twice, you don't have to keep cutting and cutting until you get it right. It saves you money when you don't waste materials. That's why it works for homeschooler's curriculum, too! Unforgettable Summer Homeschooling One of the problems with the public schools is that the first four weeks (or more) in the Fall are spent reviewing the material that was forgotten over the summer. Homeschoolers again have a tremendous advantage in this area. Homeschool Strategy - Schedule a Morning Meeting! Looking for a strategy for success? One great idea is to initiate a "Morning Meeting" each day! Eliminate Homeschool Record Keeping Fear Homeschool record keeping fears can be eliminated! Nothing educational needs to change when your child starts high school! The only difference is that you want to somehow keep a running total of what your child has done. That "running total" is called a transcript. Find out how to make one in this article by Lee Binz, The HomeScholar. Homeschool Math Woes - Geometry Too Late With math, the most important thing about choosing curriculum is how well it fits your student. A highly rated curriculum that doesn't fit your student is a waste of money. I less-well-rated curriculum that your student likes or LOVES will help them learn MORE. There is one teeny, tiny detail. Some curriculum choices teach geometry too late for some children. Homeschoolers Held Hostage! I have loved our homeschool journey, we have been at it for 10 years. I am so disappointed that it is so much harder to make school fun or at least enjoyable at the high school level. I feel like we are just plodding through all the needed subjects. Help!! My Homeschooler Wants to go to Public School! There are certainly some challenging things that can happen to homeschoolers. One of the biggest challenges is a child that wants to go to public school. Nobody will have the answer for you, and nobody can solve this problem. It's something you just have to work through - and pray over. How is Standard Deviants for Homeschoolers? Some homeschool products are great, some are good, and some are only useful in certain situations. Homeschool High School - What's the Deal with the ACT? The ACT is an alternative to the SAT. Colleges will usually accept both the ACT and the SAT for college admission. Instead of taking the SAT, you may want to have your child take the ACT test. Homeschool Admission Tips for Military Academies Military academies. The easy part about getting in is being a homeschooler. The hard part about getting in is everything else. Your Child Can Save Money and Earn College Credit I received a letter from yesterday. Not that Clep is a person - CLEP is a test! It's administered by the CollegeBoard. Interesting information that I would love to comment on! Life Credits for Homeschool High School Is gardening a high school subject? How about animal care? Or even remodeling a house? Is it "life" or a "high school credit?" Sharing the Good News about your Homeschool What if your friends only saw the GOOD things that your children did? They would be pretty impressed, right? They would never see an argument, failed grade, bumbled curriculum choice, rude behavior, or brain-drained moments. They would have a wonderful, but inaccurate, view of your kids, wouldn't they? Two Ways to Measure Homeschool Credit Henle Latin is one high school credit per book/level/year. It doesn't matter how long or how short a time it takes. How to Compare College Credits and High School Credits College credits and high school credits are not the same thing. They are measured differently, just like distance can be measured in meters or in miles. What a high school calls one credit will be covered in one year, while a college will cover the same material in three months and call it 5 credits. Homeschool Parents Beware: University Names Mean Nothing What's in a name? You'd think that a university that has "Christian" in their name would reflect something about the that university. In truth, a university with "Christian" in their name may not be a Christian school at all! Today I'd like to compare two schools. What is a Homeschool Year? You are the principal and superintendent of your school. You get to decide when the school year starts, and when the school year ends. So for your homeschool, a year can be anything you want it to be! State laws vary, so check with your state law first, of course. All Homeschool Parents Fear Failure Other parents feel the same fear that you do. I have shared my own fears before, and I know I'm not alone. Fear of failure is inherent in parenting. Please read these words and tell me if you have ever had these feelings. Homeschool Moms - Remember to look up!! Filled with worry about your homeschool? Lift up your eyes, and look ahead! When your oldest is in middle school, it's good to look ahead to high school. Face it, learn about it, become confident and fearless! Delight Directed Learning is Hard to Spot Every once in a while, someone will comment on the delight directed learning of my children, and bemoan the delights in their own homes. For the record, I complained PLENTY about chess and economics and history in my home! Not enough homeschool, too much, or just right? Determining the right amount for a high school credit can make you feel like Goldilocks looking for something that is "just right." But consider this for a moment! Maybe it's OK to have some classes be easier than others! Should Homeschoolers Take the GED? What is your opinion about a student taking the GED Test before moving onto college? She will still be learning from home until she is finished with her senior studies and will be preparing for college and the SAT in the mean time. I thought however, it might be helpful for her to pass the GED first since she is still behind in a few subjects. What about Prom? When you tell people you are homeschooling high school, you may get some pretty unusual questions. What about college? What about scholarships? What about socialization? For me, the strangest question was always, "What about Prom?" Homeschool High School Credit for Latin How much is a credit of Latin and when do you stop? Answers vary depending on the situation, but here is the advice I gave Rebecca. Imperfect Foreign Language Curriculum Just do your best with foreign language. I'm afraid there is no silver bullet or perfect curriculum. The standard homeschool choices are Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, and Power Glide. I just received some feedback from a client. College Values and Big Scholarships The results are out. We now know the colleges that are a good buy. "Consumers Digest Names Top 100 College Values" NCAA 101 for Homeschoolers If you don't know, NCAA means National Collegiate Athletic Association. If you don't know what it is, you probably aren't worried about it at all. But if you DO know what it means, then as a homeschool parent you may feel stressed or insecure. Let me help! Homeschooling High School - Always Be Prepared The best success comes to parents who plan ahead. What does that mean exactly? Find out in this article from The HomeScholar. Can I Change My Homeschool Transcript? Have you ever changed your mind? What happens when you change your mind about a transcript? Homeschool Transcripts - Determining Credits Awana is a terrific program, and also a wonderful way to get a Bible credit naturally in a fun activity. I know it takes quite a lot of work. Because it takes so much time and effort, I frequently suggest including it on your high school transcripts. What Information Do Colleges Need from your Homeschooler? Different colleges ask for different information from homeschoolers. It can be difficult to determine what additional information they may require from you. Great Homeschool Work Samples Can Make All the Difference While supplying universities with the information they require, going further than a transcript will be able to better your likelihood of scholarships. A transcript may be the building block of admission, however colleges require more than that if you expect them to offer you scholarship money. They ordinarily want to see further comprehensive homeschool records. Homeschool Transcripts- Outside Documentation Ordinarily the transcript is highly significant. It’s the one page synopsis of your student so the college or university can give them a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” quickly. It’s a great strategy to have some outside paperwork other than your transcript. Colleges Are Looking For Independent Students Stanford University Magazine had an write-up on the subject of a gifted homeschool student. I love this quotation: “It’s the spark, the passion, that sets the truly exceptional student-the one driven to pursue independent research and explore difficult concepts from a very early age-apart from your typical bright kid." What Does Your Homeschooler Do for Fun? What does your homeschooler do for enjoyment? Any time I’m helping parents with a transcript, this one question can open up the floodgates! How exactly does your child use unstructured time? When they are supposed to be focusing on school, or even emptying the dishwasher, what are they working at in its place? That is often an excellent indicator of their Fun Factor. Homeschool Helps - Ideas for Enjoyable Foreign Language Supplements Learning a new language is work. You can’t just plop kids face-to-face with a video screen and let them take pleasure in the ambiance of French. They really need to work at it. Success with foreign language requires remaining consistent day after day. The trouble with foreign language is the same trouble I have with Weight Watchers. It only works when you actually DO the program! So sad… but so true. Homeschooling High School - Understanding Credits for Mix-and-Match Curriculum Progeny Press, Easy Grammar, Strunk and White – when you mix and match within a subject area, how many credits should it be? Finding the Perfect Method of Learning for your Homeschooler Make an attempt to discover the ideal method of learning for your child. Perhaps they learn best by doing. It's possible that they learn best when they listen to something. Maybe they can replicate anything as soon as they see it done first. It doesn’t need to be about books – simply find the way they learn best. Homeschool High School - Naming Your Classes Many people tend to be intimidated by grading. Quite a few parents tend to be afraid of high school credits. Then you will find some unschool or delight-directed homeschools that definitely stress out regarding naming homeschool courses. It is often relatively uncomplicated whenever you use textbooks (look at the title of the textbook!), however in different occasions it’s not as straightforward. Homeschooling High School - Which is Best the ACT or SAT? Your transcript is tremendously essential. It’s the one page summary of your student so the university can give them a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” quickly. It’s a great plan to have some outside records in addition to your transcript. Ordinarily that’s the SAT or ACT test.