Hi Lee,
I was wondering if you have any thoughts on Rosetta Stone software for learning a foreign language?
Thanks,
~ Diane R.
Dear Diane,
I’ve heard that it’s a good curriculum WHEN it is a good fit for the child. It’s just not always a good fit. I would try it to see.
We used PowerGlide, and that was very effective for us. Others love Tell Me More.
It’s more about being consistent everyday, really. The problem with foreign language is the same problem I have with Weight Watchers. It only works when you actually DO the program, LOL!
If you are curious about providing a great homeschool education for your gifted child, check out my audio training, “Gifted Education at Home.“
Foreign language is difficult. Trouble. Hard. From my perspective as a math/science gal, I can also say it’s yucky. Not my cup of tea. It’s also possible. Doable. Not insurmountable, even for homeschool parents who
don’t know a second language.
In Europe, many countries teach a variety of languages to school children. I have heard that in Germany, kids learn one language in early elementary, another in middle school, and another in high school. I guess that means German kids know four languages by the time they graduate from high school. I’m pretty sure that demonstrates foreign language is possible for everyone.
There are some great reasons to study a foreign language. Like math and science, the study of foreign language has value. Even though it isn’t MY preference, and I would rather work on math, I can still see benefits.
Learning a foreign language can help you learn English, learn vocabulary, learn critical thinking. It can teach kids to be less ethnocentric. It’s critical as a Christian, to help fulfill the great commission. It’s also not easy, so it can teach hard work and study skills.
Some kids just love cows. Some kids work hard with 4-H and love other farm animals. What does a college prep cow education look like?
I have found that sometimes it can be helpful to show kids what a degree might look like in the area they are interested in. Sometimes that will really encourage them to focus on being college ready, in case they decide to go to college.
A degree in animal husbandry (raising livestock) is a science degree that will require biology and chemistry. That means moving along in math, rather than focusing on business or consumer math. It also requires nutrition. It requires a knowledge of genetics, so an AP Biology course would be a bonus.
As an example, check out the Cornell catalog for course titles. Here is their Animal Sciences department and their course list for Animal Sciences students.
I read a book about the Colfax family, who used animal husbandry and other homesteading skills in their homeschool, and how their children went on to go to prestigious colleges. It might be VERY encouraging for parents!
Another book that utilizes life learning is Barb Shelton’s book, “Senior High: A Home Designed Form+U+La“. I thought it was a good book, but a little complicated to read sometimes. It may help you to feel like homeschooling with a farm is a good idea, and the stories are great. However, I found her record keeping completely overwhelming.
Hey, if my children can get passionate about chess, why not get enthusiastic about cows, right?
How important is a foreign language for homeschoolers?
Not every adult knows a foreign language, and not every child admitted to college has a foreign language. In fact, in Washington State if a child earns an AA degree from a community college, and transfers into a state university, they may be able to bypass the entire foreign language requirement. Some colleges don’t have a foreign language requirement at all, while others will insist on foreign language study before they will grant a degree. Essentially, if you don’t have it going IN to the college, some want you to have it before you leave.
Foreign language study can serve a few purposes. First, it’s a wonderful way to learn about English. When you study a foreign language and learn about verb tenses and grammar, it can increase knowledge of the English language. It can also help you understand the differences between languages – for example, some have articles (the) and other’s don’t.
Second, a foreign language is great critical thinking. It’s often a way for colleges to see how well your child studies and learns, and if they have the study skills necessary for a foreign language. It does take effort and thought. Much like math, a language is easier to learn when you do it daily, even if small amounts if necessary.
Third, not all countries speak English. In fact, one of the biggest complaints about American’s is that they think everyone DOES speak English. One reason for the “rude American” stereotype is when people insist on speaking English-only in a non-English speaking country. In order to successfully interact with people in other countries, whether as a guest or as a missionary, speaking their language is considered the polite thing to do. Even if it is just an attempt at their language, it can make all the difference.
If you can’t fit foreign language into your normal homeschool week, there are options. You can search for a college that doesn’t require a foreign language. You can strive for an AA degree from a community college, so that a foreign language requirement may be waived. You can incorporate natural language learning, rather than textbook learning. For example, you might learn Spanish during a mission trip to Costa Rica, interacting with native speakers, rather than sit in front of a computer doing Rosetta Stone.
There are a huge variety of foreign languages to choose from; languages that are spoken around the world, languages that form the basis of scripture. American Sign Language is accepted at most universities, and it’s a great language for kinesthetic learners. Latin is accepted almost everywhere as well, and it can be a great fit for a logical or non-linguistic child.
To increase your success in teaching ANY subject, using a curriculum intended for homeschoolers can help. Curriculum written for a school situation will assume that the teacher knows the subject already. But when you use a curriculum meant for homeschoolers, it usually assumes that both student and teacher don’t know the subject when they start. In this letter a mother was asking me about Latin, but the concept holds true for other subjects as well; use curriculum meant for homeschoolers when possible.
I was looking over the e-book on transcripts that I got from you, and I notice you taught Latin. I have tried to teach Latin, but didn’t get very far, because I didn’t understand it. I would like to try again. Which curriculum did you use?
Thanks, Diane
Hi Diane,
My children did three years of high school Latin, and one boy is still taking it in college – but I don’t understand Latin any more than you do, so I know you aren’t at a disadvantage just because you don’t understand it!
If you want to try Latin again, then using a curriculum made for homeschoolers will help. I used Latin Road to English Grammar, and it’s made just for homeschoolers. I worked about a chapter ahead of my boys the first year, and that helped. It’s pretty intensive, so it did take us about 30-40 minutes a day the first year. Here is a link to a blog post.
You don’t need to have Latin, though. In high school, you can use any foreign language. Sometimes homeschool moms give themselves pressure to teach Latin, but the truth is that another language may be easier for you. Don’t feel like Latin is a “must” – it’s just a trend right now in homeschooling, not a necessity. If you want the vocabulary development of Latin, then you can choose Rummy Roots. It teaches the vocabulary aspect without doing it in the context of learning a foreign language.
Another feature of the Gold Care Club is where I answer your biggest questions about homeschooling high school. You will love your free month of Gold Care when you get my e-book!
Shelli is using her son’s Boy Scouts leadership position as a practicum, but any leadership position in an organization would also work well.
Your best strategy for creating a dynamic high school plan is preparation. The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school.
Washington State requires 11 basic subjects during the 12 years of school. The 11 required subjects are reading, writing, spelling, language, math, science, social studies, history, health, occupational education, and art and music appreciation. Do you notice anything that seems to be missing? Linda did!
I notice you didn’t list a foreign language; once again is that only required for college entry but not for high school graduation?
~Linda in Washington
Foreign language is not required from homeschoolers in Washington State. It usually *is* required for college admission – usually, but not always. You can check with individual colleges to see if they require foreign language or will waive the requirement for some reason, but it is a typical requirement for college entry.
Physical education is also not on the list! Other states have different requirements. I often see a technology requirement mentioned, for example. But in Washington State, it is the parent that sets graduation requirements above the 11 required subjects that are listed in state law. For more information about Washington State Law, see the WHO website here.
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The great thing about technology classes is that there is NO LIMIT to the kinds of skills your child can learn! If your child is already good at computers, then they can get a technology credit in one of two ways.
First, you can expand and use the skills they have on real technology work. If they have computer skills, they could make a website, set up a blog or other social media, create videos, or any other task they enjoys already. Some kids will get a job or internship helping others with their computers, or doing computer skills for a business. You count the hours that they spend doing this stuff, and when you get to 150 you have the credit for the year!
Second, you can brainstorm other topics that your child would like to learn. Perhaps they want to learn a programming language, or learn about computer hardware or photo editing. Then you can locate a tutorial for just that particular skill. You can often find tutorials free on the internet, or at the library. If they don’t know what they want to study, I often suggest getting a tutorial from the library on how to use Microsoft Office. That includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint and…. the other one that I can never remember Anyway, simply taking those tutorials and using those programs on their regular schoolwork, will enable them to become computer savvy and even use those skills in the workplace.
One final word, please make sure to include basic typing skills in the mix. A good introduction to typing and 10-key will help a lot in the long run.
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I love hearing about families involved in 4-H! As a rule of thumb, ALL 4-H activities are educational in nature, just like Eagle Scouting is almost always educational in nature. It’s fun to discuss the different ways to divide those activities into meaningful high school courses.
Hi Lee,
I’m wondering how to use my daughter’s 4-H activities as school. She’s very active is sewing and ceramics and I would like to count them toward home ec. and art, but I’m not sure how to do that. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks
~Rita in Montana
Think about what she has done for 4-H and what paperwork she has provided for each project, then label them in educational words like: fashion design, home economics, textile crafts, etc. Group each activity together into clumps that are similar. Put all the “art” things into one group, and all the “cooking” things into another group. Other kids may lump things into “science stuff” or “biology stuff.” Once you have a group that represents about 120-180 hours of work, Ta-Da! You have a high school credit!
Remember the Golden Rule of Homeschooling: No double dipping. If you use some hours for PE, you can’t use the SAME hours for art. But if you have 150 hours of art activities and a different 150 hours of animal husbandry then you can have a credit of art and a credit of animal husbandry.
One of the great things about 4-H is the required paperwork. It’s a huge pain to do, but once you have completed the paperwork you have some great documentation for your high school classes. You can provide these as “work samples” if they are requested, and they can be the backbone of your course descriptions.
If you need some help with translating activities into grades and credits, there is a lot of information about that in my e-book, “The Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts.” I have a whole chapter about delight directed learning in my book on transcripts, so if you need more help, you can find it there! It comes with a free audio course on “making a transcript” and that will also help. Plus you can always call me to ask for clarification or advice during my free consultations.
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“Occupational education” is the easiest class you will ever teach! It happens to be one of the subjects required by Washington State law, but I’m convinced it’s the easiest thing to achieve. Here are the simple steps:
Wait until the child becomes motivated by money
The child will seek (or be forced to seek) a job
Count hours on the job
When you get to 150 hours, call it a credit
Retroactively write a course description, as necessary
Piece of cake.
Interested in learning what a successful book of course descriptions looks like. Check out mySample Comprehensive Recordhere.
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Anyway, simply taking those tutorials and using those programs on their regular schoolwork, will enable them to become computer savvy and even use those skills in the workplace.
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
