Hello
there! If you are new here, we invite you to subscribe by RSS
feed or by
email. On Facebook? We would
love for you to join
us.
Guess what? One day they grow up and graduate from homeschooling! I’m not kidding – it’s true! Here is Michelle’s story.
Hi Lee,
Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and everything you do to support homeschoolers and promote homeschooling through high school. I will briefly share my experience in case you want to blog about it – hopefully it will encourage others.
We started our homeschooling journey when our boys were 5 & 7. David was just coming off a good year of kindergarten at a Christian school, but we thought we could give him more of what he needed at home, both in formal academics and informal play/exploration time. In October of that first year of homeschooling we moved from western WA to Wenatchee and in February I found The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer, which set the general outline for the rest of our journey. Also that year we joined a co-op in order to meet more homeschoolers and do some group classes, like PE, art, and music.
Although our curriculum and focus changed from year-to-year, we generally followed a strong college-prep program with lots of travel, field trips, and reading. In 2002 and 2003 we took a couple 2-3 month trips in our motor home around the US and into eastern Canada, visiting family members, national parks, and other sites of interest. Over the years I attended homeschooling conferences and read many books about homeschooling, absorbing all I could about how to do this & give my kids the best possible experience and start in life, preparing them for whatever future God has for them. As we moved into high school, I found David & Laurie Callahan’s books to be especially helpful and encouraging.
In 2009 I met you at WATCH (I think–maybe it was WHO?) and was so happy that someone was picking up the torch and encouraging parents to finish the race all the way through high school. You have definitely filled a need, as seen by the explosion of popularity in your blog, Facebook page, etc. Since my background is as a secondary math teacher, and I am comfortable outsourcing classes in my weak areas, I was less concerned about teaching high school than I had been about teaching first grade, but I still needed some help & encouragement.
David’s interests have always been in the natural world. He had a strong fascination with snakes, frogs and lizards when he was young and even kept pet snakes for several years. As an elementary school student he spent many hours at the pond playing and searching for animals. He loves to be outdoors and now is never happier than when hiking or shooting his rifle. He started swimming on a competitive team when he was 13 and soon earned the respect of the coaches and swimmers because of his hard work and dedication. A few years ago he started talking about going into the army and I encouraged him to consider ROTC, so that he could finish college and go into the service as an officer. Shortly after that he learned about West Point and that became his goal.
David started the West Point application process in April of 2010, and in September we were able to go to New York for a visit. After spending the morning shadowing a cadet and hearing about life at the academy he was more convinced than ever that West Point was the place for him. He continued to pursue the long and arduous application process, where they evaluate the students academically, physically, and for leadership potential. I drove him to Yakima, Ellensburg, and Seattle for physical exams and interviews. His Dad drove him to Doc Hastings’ office in Tri-Cities through a snowstorm so he could interview for his nomination. On December 23rd David found out he was offered an appointment to the USMA class of 2015. What a Christmas present!
Once he was accepted the work wasn’t done. David has been busy the last few months filling out mounds of paperwork for everything from uniform size to security clearance. He swims every day and says he will keep swimming until the day he leaves. He’s also keeping up with his schoolwork so he can finish strong. The past two years he’s taken dual-enrollment classes at the community college, and he will take his last final on June 17th. Then grad party June 18th and a week later on June 26th we put him on a plane and he will fly to New York. Our work is almost done & his new adventure will begin. We are so proud of him & excited to see how God will use him in this new phase of his life.
Michele
- Proud mom of David, graduate of Whispering Ridge Academy homeschool class of 2011 and accepted candidate for the United States Military academy at West Point, class of 2015.
How will your homeschool story end? Spend the summer planning and resting to avoid burnout. That way you can hit the ground running next fall, organized and confident!
For more information about marketing your child so they can compete for scholarships, you may want to look at my video“Getting the BIG Scholarships.” I will occasionally have a video presentation on myGold Care Clubwebsite called “College Scholarships for High School Credit” that describes how to apply for the smaller private scholarships.
There are a million great ways to homeschool. The best way is the one that fits your child. Not everyone learns the same way. The challenge it to find the way that will help YOUR child learn. Here is what Carol says about her daughter’s graduation.
My daughter Sarah was homeschooled from 1st grade to her high school graduation in May 2011. It was one of the joys of my life to homeschool her. She’s a lot of fun to have around and always laughs at my jokes. I’m going to miss her when she heads off to college in the fall.
Sarah learned differently from me, my husband and my older daughter. She is very visual and I had to adapt to her style of learning. I remember thinking she would never learn her multiplication tables. We drilled, did timed tests, bought cute computer games, but she still struggled until I bought a book with funny cartoons and a story of the multiplication facts. That clicked with Sarah! I asked her, “Isn’t it easier to just memorize the facts than to remember the cartoon and story?” “Not to me!” she replied. That’s when I realized this daughter learned differently!
Sarah discovered a love of photography in early high school and started a micro business doing senior pictures. She will be majoring in Media Communications at Taylor University in Indiana.
I’m very proud of her and I look forward to what she will learn in her next phase of life and where her skills, talents and education will take her! Sure, I’ll miss her, but how can I be sad, when she is so happy to start the next phase of her life?
Don’t worry about having your child learn the same way as everyone else. Focus on getting your child to LEARN. That’s the skill that will last a lifetime, and the thing that will determine success in college. If you are stuck and don’t know how to begin, this book may help: Cynthia Tobias, “The Way They Learn”
If you need any extra help, you will really appreciate myGold Care Club, as well as lots of templates and tools that will help you along. We are currently featuring an hour long video training session on how to keep homeschool records. You need to hurry, though. That video training won’t be there forever!
Not everyone feels confident about homeschooling. Shannon was nervous when she started, but I’d say it ended up pretty well for her and her son, Aaron. Read Shannon’s story – I know it will encourage you!
Hi Lee, I’m responding to your request for high school graduate postings.
When I began homeschooling Aaron in kindergarten, I wasn’t sure I could teach the basics, let alone all the way through high school.
I was nervous about teaching in general. He was a smart kid, and still is. One thing that gave me encouragement was the fact that I’d taught him to read when he was 4. I used phonics. When I heard that the local public school ‘taught’ reading in late kindergarten and 1st grade using whole language, I knew I had to homeschool. The irony is this school was very proud of its remedial reading program in 4th grade; however, if they’d taught the kids how to read using phonics, they wouldn’t need the remedial program!
This Saturday he graduates with a 3.9 from his Running Start classes plus homeschool classes. He was accepted into both UW and Rochester Institute of Technology. He will be majoring in Physics at the UW. On the side, he sings, plays guitar and acts.
I am very proud of Aaron and what he has accomplished. Not only is he excelling academically and in the arts, he is a morally strong young man with a love for Jesus Christ. I know that homeschooling him all these years has been vital to his development. Homeschooling has enabled him to pursue his passions as well as guarding his heart from the prevailing attitudes of the culture.
Some of the best curriculum choices I made were: Bob Jones math (colorful pages when they’re younger and they really teach the concepts; all my kids have done well in BJUP math), Apologia science, Romalda Spaulding phonics cards for learning to read and spell, frequent trips to the library, Christian drama/theater (which I’m heavily involved in, but which I endorse because of how it helps improve speaking skills, memory skills, physical memory skills, confidence, and helps instruct youth through story . . . and enables kids to do ministry for others, including praying for the audiences).
Homeschooling our children is one of the best decisions my husband and I have made.
~ Shannon
I agree! It was one of the best decisions our family made too! It’s no always easy, but you can do it! And you can be successful like Shannon!
We are having a 20% off sale on our Parent Training A la Carte courses today and tomorrow. Just use the code “enjoy20″ at check out!
Need some encouragement as you are facing high school for the first time? One of my online friends knows exactly what it’s like to consider high school for the first time. Here is what she wrote:
In our homeschool co-op we have a few children graduate each year. We have about 40 local families and the kids range from preschool all the way to older teens – and graduated teens that still love to hang out with our teens on “teen night”. It’s a pretty tight knit group and the children have all formed amazing bonds over the years. I always cry at the graduation ceremonies when the high school kids get honored by their parents. With an almost 14 and 12 year old, I know my turn is coming soon.
HIGH SCHOOL! I never thought I’d be here with these ‘babies’ of mine. Seems like just five years ago when I started blogging they were so little… and they were. Five years goes fast. Faster than you’ll ever imagine. Cherish it!
With my kids at the cusp of beginning High School, my attention has been turned to their future plans. I have so many questions about keeping records, grading, classes or subjects we need to cover in these last (GULP) few years, their hopes and dreams, our financial contribution towards their goals, and the requirements of colleges they might want to attend. Thankfully, I know Lee Binz from the Heart of the Matter Conferences where we both did online conference sessions – and I knew that she could answer a lot of my questions. I figured there were other moms out there who were in the same shape as me – preparing for the high school or college years and biting their nails to the quick… so I asked Lee if she would let me share excerpts from one of her articles here at the Homeschool Post for ME and for you!
I have known a handful of parents who are always confident in their abilities and mission. Good for them! I’m glad someone is able to always be strong! But I wasn’t that way. I had moments of uncertainty and doubt. There were times when I cried. Almost all of my homeschool friends have also had some really tough times.
I’m so thankful that Wendy allowed me to share her feelings in this blog post. I really wanted others to see that they are not alone. Other moms feel this way. Sharing feelings is good, and it WILL get better!
Good morning Lee,
A couple of weeks ago, I had to leave the kitchen in our home and go to my room. I literally hit the floor weeping and lay there crying out to the Lord asking why did He think I could do this homeschooling thing.
It had been a rough morning and afternoon with my teenagers. We are not “enjoying” this journey at all! It’s been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. The kids have expressed that they want to go back to their Christian school. Friends ask “how’s it going?” and my response lately has been, “we hate it!” I am caught in this struggle of knowing that sending them back to the Christian school would be easy and in these tough days, I find myself saying it would be better for them than what I’m doing here, and yet knowing that this is what God has called our family to do for this time. This might sound a bit dramatic, but I fight feeling oppressed and overwhelmed daily and even deal with lethargy-like my feet have concrete weights on them throughout our days. So I lay there begging God to speak to me, meet with me, and help me. I cried out, “I need something from You, because I can’t do this and quite frankly, I don’t want to do it either!”
While on my knees my eye caught a devotional – Streams in the Desert that I hadn’t looked at for some time. My great grandmother had given it to me back in 1984 when I was in high school. I hadn’t used it in a while, but it had ministered to me in times past and this moment did not disappoint. I realize it’s a bit lengthy, but I wanted to share with you what my Father gave to me.
February 1: I Kings 12:24 This thing is from me.
My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. This thing is from me.
Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For “he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye” (Zech 2:8) You are very precious in My sight (Isa. 43:4) Therefore, it is my special delight to educate you. I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the enemy comes in like a flood, that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting me fight for you.
Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. Thou camest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee. (Get this) Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions (my children) are only working out My will!
This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things.
-Laura A. Barter Snow.
I just thought I would share with you to bolster my witness and remind myself how this calling was not given to me because He knew I could handle it. I’m thinking He wanted me to learn how to trust and rely on Him more, because Wendy can’t do this on her own. I’ve felt chastised about saying “we hate it”. I’m still not sure what to say the next time someone asks, because reality is we’re struggling each day to be motivated to press on. But I want to come up with something that doesn’t offend my Savior because He is with me and has called me to teach my children for this time. I still need to learn how to receive and use His help each day. I guess I’m just not sure how to do that or what that really looks like? Of course when I cried out, He answered my prayer . . . hmmmm.
Crying out to the Lord,
Wendy
Dear Wendy,
That is just beautiful! Yes, I can see how that would help. Thank you so much for sharing! Don’t you think that a daily quiet time is the only way to go? Sometimes I thought it was the only thing keeping me sane. (Quiet Time is Key to Homeschool Confidence!) Maybe others are made of tougher stuff, but there were many times I had difficulty. Hang in there – what your doing is truly important. Thankless (often) but important.
When someone asks, you could say “We’re learning to adapt” or “We are slowly getting used to the change.” Or even “I’m being obedient, and that’s all that matters right now.”
We have talked before about expectations and curriculum adjustments. Beyond having a morning meeting with God, have you tried having a morning meeting with your children? Here is a blog post about it: Homeschool Accountability – Try a “Morning Meeting”
Blessings,
Lee
Oh Lee, Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience and to hear my heart! The ideas on how to respond are awesome and something I can actually hear myself saying out loud that express an honest reflection without offending the Lord or even my children. The morning meetings are big here especially with my daughter. I do need to make it more intentional and regular with her since she’s pretty much learning on her own with the curriculum we’ve chosen for her. Loved the blog and all the other resources it opened to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for asking to share my letter. I know I have found encouragement and inspiration from others’ journeys in many different areas of my life. In fact, I shared my break down and the devotional with a friend and she shared how it was meaningful to her with something she was going through and she doesn’t even homeschool. Today was a much better day-more productive for everyone. Thank goodness for new and warmer days! Taking one new day at a time here in Ohio,
~ Wendy
Readers, I encourage you to share your feelings here – really, almost all homeschool parents can understand down times, breakdowns, and difficulties!
Do you enjoy these daily doses of high school homeschool wisdom? Sign up to get them delivered viaemailorreader!
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: overwrought, fear creeps in, meltdown, wonder about my own abilities, doing a lackluster homeschooling job, becoming more and more nervous, need moral support, family is NOT supportive, fear failure and future bitterness from children.
Now it’s true, we don’t ALL feel this way ALL the time. But I’ll bet that MOST of us feel this way SOME of the time. You’re not alone. I felt that way and I succeeded. Other parents had those feelings and they have succeeded. You may feel that way now, but you can succeed too! Read about Heather’s feelings to know that you are not alone.
Lee,
I’ve just found you and am trying to be encouraged by your newsletter, etc., but fear creeps in whenever I read success testimonies of homeschooling families and former homeschoolers. I do cheer each of them and even let my kids know about the testimonies, but they also cause me to wonder about my own possibly lackluster homeschooling job. I’m a single mother (of children with no involvement from a father), so I am in it alone. I don’t even have a support group. (There’s just not one anywhere near me, sadly.)
We even dedicate our school to God and pray for Him to take His rightful place as the head of His homeschool, and still I am more and more nervous about whether I can lead my children–especially my engineering-aspired son–through their college-prep educations. I fear failure and future bitterness from my children.
I know I shouldn’t worry, but the time is growing so short. My children are 15-1/2 (10th grade) and 14-1/2 (9th grade), and this is our third year homeschooling. I don’t know how to get enough information about “where they are” and “where they should be” to feel confident that I’m at least on the right track. I hope something you’ve written can help.
Don’t worry. The biggest thing I hear from parents when they are done is Shock and Awe. With a 10th and 9th grader, there is nothing you could have done that would make you “behind.” Instead of thinking about everything you could be doing, think about it one step at a time. Read this blog post for encouragement: Homeschool High School: A Step-by-Step Guide. Then watch a short video called “How do you know you can homeschool high school”
I just wrote a blog post about a mom who was CONVINCED she had messed up – until she saw her homeschool transcript. I do have another few posts that might encourage you, though. Encouragement from The Other SideHomeschooler Wins Full Scholarship – Plus Some More! (By the way, this Renee didn’t even think her daughter would get IN to college, must less get ANY scholarships.) Those blog posts should give you some encouragement for right now.
I think the thing that will help you avoid panic in the future is learning more about high school. It’s the unknown that we tend to fear. If you learn more about high school, you’ll be the resource that other parents turn to for encouragement! You might want to get my video for beginners, Preparing to Homeschool High School, or join my Gold Care Cluband watch the video online over four months. You can read about all the ways I can teach you here: http://www.thehomescholar.com/parent-training.php
Take a deep breath. And take it one step at a time.
Blessings,
Lee
Lee,
I can’t thank you enough for your encouragement (and KNOWLEDGE!) Yes, you may use my name and question. Hopefully, you will feel the need to edit it, as I was a bit overwrought when I wrote it and probably rambled.
Thank you for all of the links. I will visit them all. And I will visit Facebook too. (I’m pretty sure I “liked” you just yesterday.) I sure wish I had found you 3 years ago, or 4 actually, when I was seriously researching and considering homeschooling. I’ve downloaded or ordered every free thing I could get my hands on.
I think one of the meltdown catalysts for me was my thinking back to being a straight-A student all through school (until college, when I went crazy) but when I graduated, I did not receive one academic scholarship! (Nor did I receive help from parents to find any money, or even colleges, for that matter.) I was even vice-pres. of National Honor Society, in Y-Teens, volunteered a lot, had job experience since age 11, had lots of creative experience, etc., etc. and nothing! I was never awarded a scholarship. Last night, I was thinking ahead to next year (when my son will hopefully be taking a college course in chemistry at a comm. college) and wondering if there were scholarships for that (dual credit/early college credit), and then I just jumped into fear about his college entrance being so near (as well as my daughter’s).
I also know that if I were in a support group, it would help, but there just isn’t one near me. I really need moral support, especially because my family is NOT supportive, to put it mildly, and I don’t have a husband. But thank YOU so much for YOUR amazing help. (I’m sorry I made this so long. I rarely do that.)
Have a wonderful day and SHALOM,
Heather
Dear Heather,
A lot of my clients consider the Gold Care Club to be their personal support group. I remember one member said “Hey, it’s cheaper than therapy!” If you’re asking about college admission, that’s one of the biggies that I help homeschool parents with. I also have two DVDs that may help. You can find them all on my Parent Training Tools page, but look specifically at Finding a College and Getting the BIG Scholarships. Hang in there! You’re the best high school guidance counselor for your children, and you CAN be successful!
Many parents hold firmly to Proverbs 22:6 as they raise their children. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
That’s a wonderful promise. It’s great motivation to work hard as we train up our children to know right from wrong, and to make good choices.
But it says “When he is old…” What happens before he gets old? What happens when the child grows up, and is no longer a child that you are training, but he is also not yet old enough or wise enough to receive this blessing?
That, ladies and gentlemen, is when you TRULY learn about faith, and leaning on God.
In the sad news recently, we learned about a distraught and mentally unstable man who killed many people in an unexpected slaughter. The conversation in the media quickly turned to the parents, as if they were to blame. It’s possible they did not train up their child in the way he should go. But it’s also possible they DID, and he chose the path of sin instead.
Is the parent at fault when their offspring decides of their own free will to disregard what they were taught?
It would be easy for a parent with younger children to become indignant, and think it will never happen that way. But older parents know better. Read this article and notice a small comment from a 70 year old parent: Parents of shooting suspect ‘deeply sorry’ for victims . The 70 year old neighbor spoke to the media and said, “I told them they didn’t fail. They taught him everything about right and wrong,” Smith said. “We all know you can teach someone everything and have no control how it works out.”
If you are dealing with an adult child expressing free will, this book may help. When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us: Letting Go of Their Problems, Loving Them Anyway, and Getting on with Our Lives by Jane Adams provides warmth, empathy, and perspective. It’s not a conservative Christian book, but it does provide support for parents in heartache.
Don’t blame the parents for the actions of their adult children. Blame sin nature that allows each individual the free will to choose right OR wrong.
You can get a free encouraging magazine for Christian women from my friends at Wisdom’s Gate. An Encouraging Word is a quarterly publication designed for Christian women of all ages. Now in its 15th year of publication, An Encouraging Word continues to reach thousands of women with encouragement, support, direction, and blessing for wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters…and anyone in need of an encouraging word!
Get a FREE sample copy of “An Encouraging Word” magazine – a $5.00 value! Go to their website, www.anencouragingword.net to order the magazine. Enter promo code: AEWFB in the check out process and click “Continue.” You don’t have to put in your credit card number or anything – it really is truly free. Please share this offer with your friends!
Are you ready to get serious about homeschooling high school? Connect with me on Facebook and let’s talk!
My husband was looking through his old homeschool file and found a poem he had written long time ago. Guess which child this was about?
The Boy Who Had No Need of Ears
I know a boy of eleven years
Who has no need of his two ears.
He speaks all morning, noon and night,
When he plays and when he fights,
And when he speaks all stop to hear
This wise old boy of eleven years.
But never once during his day
Will he stop from work or play
To simply listen to the song
(He can’t, of course, with both ears gone)
Or the yellow chickadee,
Or of his brother, or mom or me.
So we who did his christening,
Now do all the listening.
I wonder one day if he’ll pause
Just to rest his tired jaws.
And rediscover his two ears
Can serve a purpose, it appears.
For if he does, he will rejoice
That he can hear his lovely voice!
by Matthew E. Binz
Who do you suppose? The quiet engineering son, or the political science major? That’s right. The talker, Alex. I’m mentioning this just to illustrate one important fact.
They grow up.
My son Alex is now a Certified Rhetorician, with lovely wall certificate and everything. In case you’re wondering, a Certified Rhetorician means he has been certified as a talker. Like James Bond has a license to kill, my grown son has a license to talk. Just like he has always been a talker.
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.
Filed under: 
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
