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Gifted education is a subject very near and dear to my heart! That is the reason why I began homeschooling in the first place. After we started, I was surprised at how many other benefits there are! If your child is bored, and you have been wanting to homeschool high school but you’re afraid, I have some suggestions.
I think you will like the gifted education CD because you will be able to hear what it was like for me to watch my children in the gifted education program in school and how I contrast that to homeschooling.
You may also want to check out my e-book on transcripts. That will answer all your transcript concerns, but it also comes with a one month free membership to the Gold Care Club. The ebook is $37, and you can find out more here. If you decide to keep your membership to the Gold Care Club, then after your first free month it is $27. To cancel, you just send me an email (easy.) The club has video and audio courses about how to homeschool, and they change every month. This month is the perfect month for you to see it because the Gifted Education course is actually on the Gold Care Club right now. Here is a list of all the classes on the Gold Care Club right now (October 13, 2009):
How to Training Courses
Quick Start: “Keys to High School Success” If you are new to the Gold Care Club, start here.
Beginner: “Preparing to Homeschool High School” third hour of a four hour course.
Intermediate: “Making a High School Transcript” is a new audio recording.
Encouragement:
Blog Talk Radio interview called “Do Not Be Afraid!”
You might also like the Preparing to Homeschool High School video, because it covers all the bases, and I made sure to address issues for people who have never homeschooled before. Here is the link to that video.
Finally, please don’t avoid homeschooling because of fear. Fear is a lousy reason – fear is something that can prevent you from hearing God. My job is to remove the fear, so that you can hear what you are supposed to do. There is nothing to fear! Just check out these statistics, to see the academic promise of homeschooling:
For more encouragement, here are some short video clips. These may help remove the fear, and remind you that you aren’t the only one who knows what it’s like to have gifted teens in a regular school.
“How do you know you can homeschool high school?”
>>>>Is it also possible to finish high school earlier than 4 years? Is this a good idea?<<<<
It’s very hard to say if it’s a “good” idea, because it varies so much family to family, child to child, college to college, and even year to year as maturity changes things! But yes, you can graduate early, or you can start high school early and then do it in four years. Or both.
I can tell you what worked for me. I waited until it was time to graduate my son. Then I arranged the previous 4 years of education and called it “high school.” He had collected some college credits at that time, so he graduated high school at 16 – and he entered the university with Junior year status.
If you find yourself in a similar situation then you should consider my e-book, “The Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts” for two reasons. First, it will help you with keeping records “as if” your child was in high school so that you’ll be ready for anything, no matter what the future holds. Second, it will also give you a 1 month free membership to the Gold Care Club, so you can learn more about record keeping, and what credits these classes are worth. It also gives you a free 20 minute consultation with me every week, so we can talk about this issues regularly, so you feel more confident.
High School? 5th grade? Where do you draw the line between “smart” and “put it on the high school transcript?”
I received some questions on my Facebook the other day. Some big, beefy questions! How about if I give you the “readers digest” version with some resources for more information.
>>>>My son is 10 and he is interested in studying Birds. I would like to purchase a Bird Study course from Cornell University. My daughter is 11 and would also like to study various things including Baking Science with a book typically used at a culinary school. Can I use their studies toward a high school course later on?<<<
It’s possible to use that information on a high school transcript. Instead of deciding what you’re going to do with it for their transcript, I suggest that you just save that experience with lots of record keeping. Then later, when they are ready to graduate high school, you’ll have all the information you need about that course. You’ll be able decide at that time if you want to include it on the transcript or not. I found myself in that same situation with economics when my son was that age. At first I didn’t think I would want to use it on the transcript, but later on I found out that I did want to use it. So just save the information, practice your high school record keeping with that class, but leave the “deciding” for later on.
If you think you child is ready to start some high school courses when they are the age of a typical 5th or 6th grader, then you are likely dealing with someone very gifted. In this situation, I recommend my audio course, “Gifted Education at Home.”
Distance learning means time on the computer – and kids LOVE computers! But what do you do when they love being online too much?
My daughter is taking distance learning this year so she is online a lot. I am homeschooling my 16 year old daughter with an online Gifted and Talented organization. We have a net nanny programmed but there are still plenty of sites to keep her busy doing anything but school work. Have you come across other parents who have students doing online courses (or maybe even offline), who find it hard to keep their children focused on what they are supposed to be doing? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Spring is on the way!
~ A homeschool mom
In our home, we called that behavior “falling into the abyss” <giggles!> It’s SO easy to get distracted when you’re online! So many great things to do and see! Especially with very bright young people, who may be bored with school.
When you are not using an online program, the solutions are a little more straight forward. You can eliminate all computer time until after school work is done, and you can set a timer for those times when they are allowed to be online, so their computer time is limited. It’s more difficult to do that when school *is* the computer.
Since you mention that your daughter is gifted, it might be that she is bored. I know you are using a gifted education online source, which is good. You also want to make sure that it’s not just a gifted class, but that she is in the RIGHT LEVEL for each gifted class. Try to identify if she is bored.
Spend some time talking to her as an adult. Describe your struggles with limiting your own computer time, and ask her advice about how she handles her computer time. Sometimes when a teenager expresses it themselves, they are more likely to do it. In other words, if you can make her SAY what you want her to do, then it’s more likely to be successful than if you say it to her.
You may want to ask her if this curriculum is a good fit for her. Ask her if she would prefer studying away from the computer. Although we sometimes *think* we have found the perfect choice, sometimes our kids will recognize it’s not a good fit before we do. Maybe she doesn’t like learning that way.
You can try having her do the work on a separate computer, or with paper and pencil, and then getting online only when each assignment is done. I’m not sure how it would work with your online program, but sometimes you can do the work offline, and then cut and paste (or scan and attach) work that is done when you aren’t on the internet.
The online format may be too great a temptation. Like an chocoholic in a candy store, it may just be too tempting to be efficient. Nobody can answer that question but you and your daughter.
This may simply be the downside of any online program. Like many things about parenting, I don’t think you will find “THE solution.” At best I can only give suggestions for you to try!
So look ta the overall experience, and see if it’s a good fit for your family. There are many alternative ways to homeschool if it isn’t.
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Homeschool parents can test the level of the student in each subject. The standardized tests help (Iowa Basic, CAT test, or any of the others.) Is the student at grade level? Above grade level and bored? Or below level and frustrated? Using a math placement test can help. I recommend Saxon for math placement.
Once you know what level, then you can make sure their curriculum is at their level all the time in every subject. Keeping it challenging but not overwhelming can make a huge difference in their success. It doesn’t matter what level they are – it matter that they are working at THEIR level. They can succeed if they are working on their level. If they aren’t, then they may be bored or hopelessly lost.
If your child is very bright, and yet does poorly in a school situation, you may want to check if they are truly bored in school.
If you want help with gifted children, consider my NEW audio course, “Gifted Education at Home.” This one hour long audio course is geared toward homeschooling parents with children in grades 1 – 12. What I’ve found is that these strategies work great for all students, not just the gifted ones!
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
I often say that we should “Never compare, someone always gets hurt.” I think I first came upon that phrase listening to Focus on the Family when I had toddlers, and it’s been an important part of our family ever since.
It’s very important in homeschooling, too! We don’t WANT to be the same as a public or private school! Try to rid yourself of that standard as you think about your homeschool. Focus instead on what new things your student can learn.
This is an important message especially if you have gifted kids. With gifted children, you want to REALLY avoid a homeschool that looks like another school! The reason more and more parents of gifted children are beginning to homeschool is because there needs are often not met by public and private schools. Children that are outside of the “normal range” on one side or the other, will often get the short end of the stick with education. So don’t imitate the pattern of this world’s school. Find your own path by looking straight at your children and meeting their needs, whatever that need may be.
Learn ten strategies for educating gifted children. Take a look at our new audio course “Gifted Education at Home.”
I just published a 5 part mini-course about “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School.” It captures some of the most important lessons I’ve learned in homeschooling my own children through high school and helping other parents succeed as well. These five short lessons will provide an overview to help you stay on track as you think through high school issues with your student. Whether you are already into the high school years, or just wondering whether homeschooling high school is a possibility, this is the course for you.
When you sign up, please make sure you fill out the question “What is your BIGGEST question about homeschooling high school.” Your answers will help me know the best issues to address in my blog, newsletter, Dig Deeper pages and my Products and Services. Thanks!
I heard the Olympics commentator mention that most of the USA gymnasts are homeschooled, because they practice for so many hours each day. Wow! I never thought about that before, but I’ll bet it’s true. Imagine, each one of those kids has a gift. Their parents found the gift, fed the flames, and encouraged specialization. And they ended up in the Olympics! How proud they must be!
But I’ll bet you work JUST as hard as those parents. Each child is unique, and homeschooling is a joy, but it’s never really “easy.” It’s hard work! Keep the goal in mind. It may not be Olympic gold, but you still want your child to find their passion and pursue it.
I read an article in Reader’s Digest about a woman named Helen Greiner. When she was 11 years old, she became OBSESSED with the Star Wars Character R2-D2. Can you imagine how frustrating that would be to her parents? I’m guessing they thought it was a complete waste of time, rather than a glimmer of Helen’s unique gifts. Helen went on to develop the “Roomba” robotic vacuum cleaner. She also developed robots for mine-sweeping jobs in the military. In public high school, she was on the math team and chess team, but she says she was NOT encouraged in her specialization at school. As homeschoolers we are free to encourage our children in their area of specialization. Even if it’s R2-D2, math, chess, or engineering! Woo Hoo!
Got your own future Olympian (Sports or Academic)? Check out my gifted education website, Homeschooling Gifted Teens!
Dayna asked me for help with her gifted teen daughter who was underachieving in public schools.
Hi Dayna,
It sounds like you need my new audio CD called “Gifted Education” but it’s not quite ready yet! Seriously, though, do I ever understand the difficulty of raising gifted children!
I have a great idea that may work with you AND your husband. How about looking into College Plus! Here is a link. If your daughter is motivated by doing “real” work, and she sees college as being valuable, then this may be a solution. It’s all “homeschooling” but there is an actual college degree at the end of it. It’s based on the ideas of Accelerated Distance Learning, but with mentors who help the student along the way. See if it might fit the bill.
You can also look over my “Homeschooling College” Dig Deeper page, and see if you get some ideas from there.
The problems that you describe are fairly common with kids in public schools. They just get bored because they aren’t challenged – and they become fearful of failure when they get overwhelmed. It would be the same way in any classroom situation (even a virtual situation) because it would be equally difficult to keep her always challenged yet never overwhelmed.
I got a lot of support from Hoagies Gifted Education. It has a “Gifted 101″ page that may help you think through the issues and talk to your husband. Here is that link.
Is that enough information for now? I don’t want to overwhelm you. Let me know if you have more questions.
Subscribe to my blog via reader or e-mail. Get bit-sized nuggets of high school wisdom.
Michael Phelps has ADD – did you know that? His mother was able to take what could have been a detriment, and turned it into a huge advantage. I love this article titled “Michael Phelps’ Mom on How to Raise an ADHD Superstar.” It states that “Behind almost every ADHD success story is a devoted parent (or two).” Read the article from ADDitudemag.com
Did you read about my newsletter article about the boy homeschool graduate with learning disabilities? He went on to earn ELEVEN graduate degrees! Here is the article in USA Today.
I encourage you to find the Superhero within your own child! My husband has written a series of articles about finding the superhero your own homeschooled children. Read more!
Did you know that you can consult with me for free? This month you can call me on my toll free number, on Wednesdays between 1:00 and 2:00 pm, Pacific Time, and consult for up to 10 minutes for free. You missed me today, but call me next week! It’s fun – and free!
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