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You are not the only one. Some children are just perfectionists, nervous about tests. Although no fault of their own, parents feel like they are the only one with a panicky teen.
My son isn’t feeling confident about taking the PSAT. My question is, does he have to take it? He has been having a hard time since the summer and because he’s struggling emotionally, I am not sure it’s a good idea for him to take it. He is doing well at Community College – he’s getting all As but he lacks confidence in his ability to take this test. He has been practicing for it since the beginning of September. If he didn’t take the PSAT he could still continue to study for the SAT. We’re not interested in the National Merit Scholarship. What are your thoughts?
~ Paula in Washington
Dear Paula,
Your son does not have to take the PSAT.
Taking the PSAT would be a good idea, in my opinion. He has already been practicing for it. Getting A’s in community college demonstrates that he is very, very bright. He probably will do quite well.
Instead of using it for National Merit Scholarship purposes, think of it as only PRACTICE. It’s practice for the SAT. It’s his opportunity to take a significant test with 700 other distracting and distracted teenagers. He can practice feeling the anxiety and duration of the test, and yet not have ANY negative repercussions from it.
The purpose of the PSAT is two-fold. First, it qualifies students for the National Merit, but that’s only part of the benefit. The other benefit is the practice. If your son is anxious about the PSAT, then he will be just as anxious about the SAT. By taking the PSAT in the midst of his current lack of confidence, he will be practicing how to take the SAT with a lack of confidence. Practice like that can make his score higher on the SAT.
The PSAT is like a flying an airplane. You can practice and practice and practice on flight simulators, but until you are really in the cockpit really flying a plane, it just isn’t the same thing.
Even if your child gets a “bad” score, nothing bad will happen. The PSAT score is not given to colleges. A bad score can not hurt your child. If your child decides says “yes” to the Student Search Service, they do not report your scores to colleges or scholarship services. Colleges that use Student Search Service will receive your name and address ONLY if you have a certain grade average, score range, intended major, or if you live in a particular state or zip code. However, they do not see your actual score. You can also decide not to participate in the Student Search Service.
That said, only you as the parent know the story behind his emotional struggles. If you believe it is best for him to miss the PSAT, no harm will come. He will only be missing an opportunity to practice in a real-life setting. Nothing more than that.
The practice of the PSAT may be extremely helpful. Still, it’s not a requirement. Your son does not have to take the PSAT.
I often get questions about how to create real classes for unusual interests like writing music for movies. How do you create classes for fun? More importantly, how do you write a boring course description about fascinating non-classroom learning?
My Gold Care Club member asked for me to look over her course descriptions. When I saw this one, I flipped! This is just WONDERFUL, and a great example of how to take a student’s interest and create a course description. We talked about what her son did, and what he used, and found some possible course titles, and looked in a college catalog for a course that had similar content. She confirmed with her son’s piano instructor, who agreed it was a great course title. She used some words from the college catalog, some words from the texts and materials she used. It’s a wonderful, academic class with a description filled with details. It really represents what he learned and how much he accomplished. Remember, this was an activity her son does for fun, using the gifts and abilities he was born with, and his parents just wanted to feed his passion with appropriate materials. What a great course description! Thank you, Ann, for sharing your course description!
Course Description
Music Technology: MIDI Arranging of Film Scores
The student will develop skill and proficiency in musical arrangement on the keyboard and through the use of musical technology. He will practice ear-training skills by translating a piece of music into individual instrumental parts recorded into tracks on the keyboard. He will progress to using Sony ACID Pro 6.0 MIDI sequencing software to produce arrangements of various pieces. In addition, the student will read and study Complete Guide to Film Scoring – The Art and Business of Writing Music for Movies and TV by Richard Davis, as well as listen to numerous film scores. The student’s most complex arrangements, which his instructor will record with a Kurzweil K200r synthesizer, will be played at his yearly recitals. Recordings of recital pieces available upon request.
Texts & Materials:
Complete Guide to Film Scoring – The Art and Business of Writing Music for Movies and TV by Richard Davis (Berklee Guide)
Keyboard:
“Blood Ritual” / “Moonlight Serenade” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl by Klaus Badelt
“One Last Shot” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl by Klaus Badelt
“The Black Pearl” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl by Klaus Badelt
“The Medallion Calls” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl by Klaus Badelt
“Davy Jones” from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest by Hans Zimmer
“Jack Sparrow” from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest by Hans Zimmer Themes from Apollo 13 by James Horner Theme from The Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein
Keyboard & Sony ACID:
“Concerning Hobbits” by Howard Shore from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Themes from Jurassic Park by John Williams
“Unforgotten” from Halo 2 by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
Performances
Spring Recital 2008: Theme from The Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein (recorded by instructor with Kurzweil synthesizer) Spring Recital 2009: Themes from Jurassic Park by John Williams (recorded by instructor with Kurzweil synthesizer)
Course Grade
A = 4.0
Grading Criteria: Letter grade awarded based on quality of effort. / Credit awarded based on 150(+) hours of work.
This same child had another music class called Music Technology: MIDI Composition & Arranging. For that class they used Sibelius 5 Notation Software and also Sony
ACID Pro 6.0 MIDI Music Studio sequencing software. I have to say, I’m VERY impressed! I know that sometimes people think “WOW!” about some of my own homeschool classes. Has it every occurred to you that other parents may be thinking “WOW!” about YOUR homeschool classes? It’s true!
The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school.
In my homeschool, I provided a simple percentage grade for tests that we gave. If they got 10 wrong and there were 100 questions, they got 90%. But that’s only a grade for a test. Sometimes homeschoolers don’t use tests. Even if you do evaluate with tests, a test grade is only a PORTION of the grade you put on the transcript.
I worried about grading strategies was homeschooling high school. Math and science were easy to figure out, because I’m a math and science person. But when it came to English, I was completely confused! I found help with a small, inexpensive book called “501 Writing Prompts” by Learning Express. Along with 501 writing prompts, it also can help you with grading English. It has a simple rubric (a chart that provides grading criteria) for grading an essay on a 1-6 scale. Why grade an essay 1-6? It would seem to make more sense to grade them 1-10, so you would be able to figure percentages easily. But the 1-6 scale is the same score range for the SAT essay, so perhaps that is why.
I’m not very good with “rubrics” and in fact, the whole WORD rubic has always intimidated to me. When we quit public school, one of the teachers questioned my ability to homeschool and asked skeptically “what grading rubric will you use?” I’ve been intimidated by the word ever since. But the book “501 Writing Prompts” provides more than a rubric. It also provides a visual example of each grade, so you can SEE what a grade of 4 should be, and what a grade of 6 should look like. That helped me a LOT – I think I’m a visual learner.
Now that my kids are in college, I have seen a lot of examples of grading scales. I have to say there aren’t any specific requirements for a grade of “A.” Each teacher in each school district, and each professor in each college will have their own definition of an “A.” Some teachers will come right out and say “I know what to give you, so I don’t need tests.” Others will have a detailed analysis of what makes an “A” grade. They may have a point system, with a different amount of points for homework, tests, quizzes, projects, and discussion.
As a homeschoolers, you have to ask yourself “what’s the point?” As homeschoolers, we provide a grade that we know to be fair, without worrying that we will be sued or assaulted for unfair grading practices. Remember, there is not a single “requirement” for an A. There is only what YOU require for an “A.” So really, however you decide to grade is fine. And your requirements for an A are the “Real Requirements” for an A.
Sometimes homeschooling begins wonderfully, but other times it can seem an overwhelming challenge. What can you do if you don’t WANT to homeschool but you feel guilty about it?
I tried homeschooling my 4 & 5 year olds. My daughter is a strong-willed little girl who stands up against authority figures. I don’t feel called to home school this year mostly because last year went so badly and in the middle of the year I just stopped doing school by the book and focused more on my health goals. I registered them both for school. They will spend 45 mins each way on the bus. That means my boy in 1/2 day Kindergarten will be in school about the same amount of time on the bus. I can’t help but feel a little guilt about not wanting to do it. I did a co-op for 4 months and hated it. I also have now a 2 year old who wants all of my attention which was very challenging when trying to teach as well. Any words of wisdom? I actually think others can teach my children the basics better than I can. I bring God into every aspect of our lives – but I don’t feel cut out to homeschool my kids. Thanks for any thoughts.
~ Feeling Guilty
You don’t have to do ANY formal education until 8 years old, when you are living in Washington. You can keep them at home and not even fill out a declaration of intent until they are 8. Once they have been enrolled in school, then you do need to complete a declaration of intent, but that doesn’t mean you have to get all intense and “schoolish.” For more information on Washington State Homeschool Law, please visit this website: Washington Homeschool Organization.
You can try schooling gently and naturally, using literature. Instead of “doing school” you can just experience education. I love Sonlight Curriculum. Use their curriculum for 5 year olds, and it will only take about 1 hour per day, and you can share it between both kids. Perhaps you can do that during the nap time. Here is the link to Sonlight.
To handle babies and toddlers underfoot, my favorite tip is the book “Managers of Their Homes” by Teri Maxwell. It made a HUGE difference in my life and homeschool. In fact, that book is the reason why I have been (mostly) consistent with my quiet time, because she really focuses on putting God first and everything else will fall into place. She is not as academic as I am, but I found that to be a nice balance, because I tend to do too much at times. Here is the link to her book.
Guilt is a horrible feeling. It’s difficult to decide what to do, and many people will have strong opinions in opposite directions. The best advice is what my midwife told me the day my oldest child was born. She said, “Know your child and trust yourself.” Only YOU know your child and your situation. Move forward without guilt, trusting your own judgment.
If homeschooling went that bad, then probably it was a curriculum mismatch, and you were using a curriculum that was great for someone else, but wasn’t a good fit for you. My guess is that you were making it more intensely academic than is necessary or desirable at that young age. If you want to try homeschooling again, then completely change gears, and back away from the heavy academics to focus on the love of learning.
I was watching a bunny run across my back yard. Now, bunnies always catch my attention – but it was the reason for running that KEPT my attention. Apparently, Mr Bunny did NOT want to mess with a family of raccoons. One mommy raccoon and four baby kits we slowly making their way toward our neighbor’s house. I’ve never seen a raccoon with four babies before!
When they came to the gate, mommy and three babies went through single file. The fourth kit balked. Perhaps he had a previous negative experience with a gate, but he just couldn’t go through. Instead this unusual little raccoon decided to climb over the 6 foot metal chain link fence instead of go through the gate. Apparently raccoon kits are pretty coordinated, because he had no trouble getting up half way. Did you know that when they climb down, they actually go head first? Yikes! Anyway, the poor kit got half way up and then wanted to come down, but he also wanted to be on the other side of the fence with his mommy. He ended up climbing sideways for a while before giving up. Mommy raccoon walked all the way back, with the three other siblings in tow, and waited for him to finish doing it the hard way; avoiding the gate that was open wide enough for anyone to pass through.
Three kits walk through the gate, and one decides to take the “road less traveled.”
He certainly learned differently than his siblings. Same parental unit, same environment, and yet a very different outcome. This Kit learns differently!
Just like all raccoon kits learn differently, all kids learn differently, too! If your three children learn a certain way, it can be very upsetting if the fourth can’t use the same curriculum or learn the same way as well. It’s especially frustrating when money is involved! But our kids don’t all learn the same either, and sometimes you do have to re-trace your steps and try to figure out the unique learning style of your unique learner.
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As I often say on this blog, our goal as homeschool parents is NOT to teach something. Our goal is for our kids to LEARN. Sometimes they will learn how to learn a subject on their own, without having a teacher teach them.
I believe that older teens MUST learn how to teach themselves. If they go to college, they will be expected to learn all the textbook material on their own. College lectures are most often supplemental to the textbook – not the same. If they don’t go to college, they will still have to teach themselves some computer skills, or online banking, or how to buy a car – whatever. Learning to teach yourself is a critical life skill.
I could have taught my kids “at grade level” and they would have not learned a thing. Instead, I gave them curriculum at their ability level, and then they had to learn something that they didn’t already know. When we got into high school, some of things that we “at their ability level” were truly above my ability level. I thought I was stuck, and unable to teach them. I felt inadequate. How could I teach them subjects I didn’t know myself?
My kids taught themselves Advanced Math (pre-Calculus) and Calculus. They taught themselves physics. I gave them the answer key and the textbook, and they read the books and worked on their daily work using the answer key until they felt comfortable with the concepts. I know they knew the material because I gave them the tests. When I gave them a test, I went shopping, taking the answer key with me. When I returned from the grocery store, they were done with the test, and I would use the answer key myself to make sure my kids answers matched the answers on the key. The answers had to be exact, because I didn’t know what the calculus symbols meant. If the answers weren’t exact, my children would contact the email or telephone support provided by the homeschool textbooks to get some clarification.
I could have taught them Biology and Chemistry (because I’m an RN and I know that stuff) but they actually taught themselves that as well. It just worked out better for us when they were teaching themselves, while I just checked up on them from time to time. Alex taught himself economics, and is now doing graduate level work in economic thought (we’ve been told by his professor.) He even taught himself psychology and business law, because he got fabulous grades on the college level CLEP exams in those subject. Your children may not teach themselves in EVERY subject, but parents can feel confident in allowing their children to learn things on their own. When children use a video tutorial for the first time, that does NOT mean the homeschool parent is a failure, and failing to teach. Instead, it means the child is becoming an adult, and learning how to learn by teaching themselves.
Here’s my point: kids will teach themselves something when they are interested in it. It’s fine for kids to do that, and it works out great for kids that are working on an intensely academic, college-prep curriculum as well as for kids that are in a relaxed homeschool environment.
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Has anyone homeschooled college using things such as MIT’s Open Courseware, and would completing courses through this be an acceptable path?
~Stephanie on Facebook
To get college credit while you homeschool (“homeschooling college”) requires credits to be accredited by some organization (like CLEP) or some college (like Thomas Edison.) While MIT’s Open Courseware classes are extremely cool, they aren’t accredited. You would probably need to find a test to measure knowledge gained from the Open Courseware and then a college to grant credit based on that test. Sounds like a job for superman – I mean CollegePlus!
“My question is regarding high school science for a Mom and student who just can’t get their heads wrapped around science.”
~ Bethany Plante from Amesbury, Mass.
Dear Bethany,
I love your question, because it can apply to so many subjects other than science! Your question shows that you have identified the area of your homeschool that needs the most help. Everyone has one – and it’s good that you have identified it.
Put first things first
Every homeschool parent has a subject that they don’t understand, tolerate, like, or remember to teach. When you identify your weak area, then you can do something about it! Once you have identified your weak subject, remember to put that subject FIRST.
Your weak area is the first thing you do with your time.
It’s the first thing your student does in the morning. It’s the one thing you make sure is done every single day. Even when a fabulous opportunity arrives, and all the other homeschool things get put on the shelf, this is the one thing you are sure gets done. You always take the time for it even when their is a field trip, activity, or 8 hour theater rehearsal that day.
Your weak area is the first thing you do with your money.
It’s the first curriculum that you buy each year, and the thing you are willing to spend the most money on. It’s the only thing you will be SURE to reinvest in if necessary. In other words, if you choose a curriculum and it doesn’t work, this is the area that you will make a second purchase – even within the first couple of months of school.
It’s difficult to decide between community college and credit by examination. One reader had some tremendous trouble with community college, and was asking about CollegePlus! as an alternative.
Hello Lee,
I noticed you have a link to College Plus on one of your web pages. Can you tell me anything about what you think about them as an option to community college? Or what other options you are referring to when you mention Homeschool College?
Two weeks into our 16-year-old daughter’s first quarter at community college, two pornographic reading assignments were handed out in her required English class. I knew from prior discussions with you that dual enrollment was risky. However, I thought that if we were “selective” in the classes we took, we could avoid the problems you had warned me about. We are looking for alternatives at this time.
Thank you for any input you can give, or let me know if you recommend purchasing some time with you to discuss this issue further.
With sincere appreciation,
Linda
Dear Linda,
I am so, SO sorry about your daughter’s class!! What a nightmare for a parent – and how anyone of any age can consider that educational in any way, I will NEVER know…. I feel your pain. I remember being horrified.
My children were in a similar situation. In a speech class, one student gave a presentation that was graphic and inappropriate. We had completely researched the curriculum and the teacher, because of our previous problems with community college class. I really thought we had done all we could do! But this girl gave a raunchy speech with sordid details, and my children now have a thorough understanding of that particular religion she was describing. Yes, community colleges can be a challenging situation.
CollegePlus is a Christian company that coordinates college by distance learning. In our family, we used only CLEP exams, and it was easy for me to coordinate by myself because I knew which 4 colleges they were going to apply to, so there wasn’t much of a concern. CollegePlus can help you make SURE the college credits are transferable. The only drawbacks are money (they charge a fee) and their emphasis on distance learning over a brick and mortar university.
I have an article about how I homeschooled a year of college with my boys. Here is the article for you to read.
Read the article and see if you feel comfortable doing the CLEP exams without assistance. If not, then check out CollegePlus. There is no harm in talking to them, to see how it works. Since I didn’t use their services myself, I don’t know all the details. Here is their website.
As you know, I feel very passionately about warning parents about community college so they can make an informed decision and be careful. I’m so glad that you were looking out for your daughter so that you recognized this situation as soon as possible.
In this situation, it may be difficult to withdraw from a class. There are often rules about how far into the quarter you can withdraw from a class without having it on a transcript. If it comes down to that, it’s better to formally withdraw from a class and get a “W” on your transcript rather than avoid the situation and end up with a failing grade or an incomplete. I have some clients that have had difficulty with explaining a withdrawal to their child. A son or daughter may become uncomfortable with class content and then simply stop going to class – and then they fail the class. In other words, be careful to withdraw from the class completely and formally.
Good luck, Linda. It sounds SO difficult!
I’ve recently been connecting with friends on LinkedIn. I invite you to send me an invitation if you want to connect with my business.
Recently I was awarded the “Family Friendly” seal of approval from The Old Schoolhouse. I was so excited – and it’s a cute badge to put on my website, too!
It puts me in a bit of an awkward place, though. Sometimes the information I need to provide is NOT fit for general audiences. When I speak about community college, I have to choose my words very carefully, so that I can convey the “R-rated” nature of the environment in the most honest way I can, but without offending people. Still, wouldn’t you rather be shocked about what I say, than have your children shocked every day in a community college setting?
As you are making your plans for next year, please know that your local community college is probably NOT going to win the Family Friendly Emblem from The Old Schoolhouse.
I was at a college fair, greeting different colleges and asking them about their admission policy for homeschool students. One representative from a community college had a very serious message that she wanted me to give you.
“Please tell homeschoolers that their children are sitting next to adjudicated individuals in class. People who have been in prison for a variety of reasons are sitting next to their 16 year old daughter. Please warn them!”
She was very concerned, but felt that she couldn’t be more explicit than that. It was obvious that registered offenders were her primary concern. I suppose that make sense. In an effort to provide job training, community college is often the next step. Still, she asked me to warn you, and there you have it!
Community college is a serious decision for parents to make. It’s not a “Rated G” Family Friendly place. There are some moments it is “Rated PG.” Indeed, “Rated R” material is not appropriate for every family. Parents, I encourage you to make a decision carefully.
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Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
