The HomeScholar Helper» Recommendations

Calendar Reminders for January

Lee — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:30:51 +0000

Calendar reminders for January

Seniors
Parents need to fill out the FAFSA now, even if it is just an estimate. You can correct the FAFSA when you finish your taxes in April, but they need an estimate as soon as possible – every day later means missed financial aid.

Juniors
Register for the SAT or ACT, and take it in March. Plan your college visits; what colleges will you visit? What week will you go? It’s important to do these things now, so senior year goes well.

Sophomores
Look online at two colleges, a private and a public school. What do they want from homeschool students? What courses do you need? Do you need to take a subject test this year?

Freshmen
Be sure to cover the core classes: reading, writing, math, science, and history. Those are classes you need to cover every year.

Middle School
Avoid panic! Spend some time this month learning how to homeschool high school. That way next year you’ll begin high school feeling confident in your decision to homeschool.

Learn more about steps you can take right now to meet all of your homeschool high school goals.

Classics that can Raise SAT Scores

Lee — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:01:14 +0000

Hi Lee,

One of the times I heard you speak, you mentioned a certain publisher of literature books (classics) by a particular author that you had your boys read to prepare for the SAT. They were unique in the fact that on the back of each page words were defined.I cannot find that information in my file of notes from you. Do you recall those books, and would you mind sending me the name? Thank you for your time,

~ Valerie

What a good question! I love this question, because I can talk about one of my “favorite finds” for high school English! We used Kaplan books called “Score-Raising Classics. ” They have the real-literature text on the left hand page, and interesting vocabulary words are in bold (vocabulary words that are found on the SAT test, for example. ) On the right hand page is the bold words with their definition. I would generally read these books aloud to my children, one teenager on each side. As I read aloud, they were able to quickly grab any definitions that they needed, as they looked over my shoulder. It worked GREAT! Here is the link to one of those style of books, so you can see it:

We located a similar series of books for studying Shakespeare. The New Folger Library publisher, from Washington Square Press, has the same style for their Shakespeare. The vocabulary is in bold in the text. The right hand page has the bold words defined. It goes further – the difficult to understand phrases are also explained, to ensure you can fully grasp some of the Shakespearean context
as well. Here is a link to one of those books at Amazon:

I frequently mention these books when I talk about literature OR test preparation for the SAT, as they fit both needs at once.
I hope that helps!

Are you my facebook friend? Please send me a friend request. I would love to get to know you better.

Lots of Questions about the Common Application Recently

Lee — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:43:47 +0000

Can you give me guidance on writing a recommendation as a counselor? The Common Application and another school have requested I do. What points should I cover in answering college homeschool supplements that request explanation of an educational philosophy?

~ Dana

Dear Dana,

I have a section on recommendation letters that will help. Remember that even though the concept makes you feel anxious, at least you know your child! Lots of teachers have to give letters of recommendation for students they don’t even know! That’s why they even have this information on a college board – for those teachers that don’t feel comfortable writing recommendations.

Many college specify that they do not want a parent to write the recommendation, so be sure they want that. Instead, it might be best to ask someone else to do the letter of recommendation. It doesn’t have to be a teacher, just someone who knows your child is smart

If they ASK you for a letter of recommendation from a parent, then give it to them. It’s preferable, however, to have that recommendation be from someone else.

If you do request a letter of recommendation from someone else, then give them the transcript and activity list or resume, so they know something about your child – that is accepted practice. You can also give them the links below, so they will know how a letter of recommendation looks – they may not know any more than you do.

Tips on Letters of Recommendation

“What to include” from the College Board

5-paragraph Letter of Recommendation outline

Since you mention the Applications, I wanted to make sure you have seen this helpful video.

Understand College Admission Essays

Inside an College Admissions Screening Session

Every homeschool parent tends to answer the homeschool supplement differently, so there is no set answer. I will say, however, that don’t stress about it too much. The transcript is much more important. Some things that you may want to include:

1. Why did you begin to homeschool

2. What benefits have you see from homeschooling

3. What is your homeschool style: unschooling, classical, literature-based, lifestyle of education, etc. I would avoid the word “eclectic” because I think that word is only common in homeschool circles.

4. I think I would mention that you teach for mastery – that can explain a high GPA

5. It may be helpful to directly address myths of homeschooling. ”His socialization has improved since homeschooling” or “She regularly interacts with large groups of friends at swim team.”

6. That may be the time to address anything really unusual: debilitating car accident that might explain poor math scores, that sort of thing.

The supplement may be very short, just a short paragraph, telling information about homeschooling that you might give an interested stranger. Other parents choose to make it a page-long essay. Either way seems to work!

You can know what to do each step of the way while applying to college.

Fun and Games for Christmas Day!

Lee — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:40:25 +0000

Our family LOVES board games! Every year we would get one big game for our family. We played them on Christmas morning – and then the boys would play them again while I did some after-Christmas shopping at the sales with my mom!

It seems like our MOST favorite games come with variations that are just awesome! Here are some game suggestions!

“Ticket to Ride” games – great for geography, by the way. It comes in a variety of versions that are ALL fun!

Ticket to Ride Switzerland
Ticket To Ride 1910

“Carcassone” game has lots of variations.

Carcassonne: Traders

Carcassonne The River

Carcassonne: Hunters And Gatherers

Carcassonne The Tower

Carcassonne – The Castle

Carcassonne Princess And The Dragon

Carcassonne Discovery

“Settlers of Catan” was a game very popular among their college buddies, so it was a great investment.

Settlers of Catan 5-6 player Player Extension

Catan: Cities and Knights

Catan: Cities and Knights 5-6 Player Extension

Catan: Seafarers Game

Catan: Seafarers 5 and 6 Player Extension

The Play’s the Thing Board Game teaches Shakespeare plays. I loved it, but the kids couldn’t rule the world with this game, so it wasn’t their favorite.

Take Off! geography game

I am now a featured expert on Bizymoms.com! You can read my articles here.

Time for Christmas Shopping?

Lee — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:02:14 +0000

Gift-Giving Suggestions

I have a collection of articles that can help you find just the perfect gift this holiday season! Check out these articles from previous years:

Need Ideas for Christmas Presents

The HomeScholar Recommends Gifts

Christmas Presents that Pay for College

Gifts that Pay for College

My A la Carte courses can provide you with the tools you need to homeschool high school successfully.

Transcript on College Visits are Empowering

Lee — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:29:38 +0000

Michelle finished her transcript and was thrilled by how empowered she felt! Her letter can describe how important it is to have your transcript done when you visit colleges.

Lee,

Thanks for these links and for the encouragement and help on the call last week.

I finished my daughter’s transcript to take with me to visit colleges in New York. It was SO EMPOWERING to have this done. And it is nothing short of a miracle as I must be the most ‘head-in-the-sand’ member you have. (I hope nobody is worse than me anyway.)

Home in the early hours of the next morning, we had five hours sleep and then jumped on the train to the visit another school in Boston for a very full day of workshops, talks and tours.

We unexpectedly LOVED it. And had an impromptu private meeting with the Dean of Admissions for almost an hour. I felt confident talking with him, knowing that I had a transcript at hand. Also since he had emphasized that personally getting to know a student and their family made a big difference when deciding financial aid, this was huge.

He started out saying that as I wasn’t an accredited school my daughter would have to take the GED exam for them to consider her application. However, after showing him the transcript and talking about how we get approved every year, along with the fact that homeschooling friends who’d got into Dartmouth, Duke and Boston University had never taken the GED, he relented and asked that we just include all our annual approval letters from the school district. All in all we had a very positive visit with him.

I am so excited to have taken these steps towards seeing my daughter succeed! And without a doubt listening to your talks and getting the specific encouragement I needed made all the difference. Thanks!

Michelle

I love how the college began with “we need a GED” and it ended up a very positive experience. Preparation made all the difference. It also shows the flexibility that college admission people have, and how we can influence them simply by being prepared. I love how Michelle responds when they ask for a GED. A polite and firm statement of facts was able to change the situation in her favor.

So take your homeschool transcript with you on college visits if you can. It adds some gravitas to your homeschool, demonstrating that you have taken your job as school administrator seriously. Remember to speak up – and that polite and firm are the best attitude to take.

Best wishes with those college visits!

My Total Transcript Solution can help you create a great homeschool transcript that will impress colleges just like Michelle’s did!

Michelle wrote back after her visit and shared a few fun details.

We had a fantastic time. Transcript in hand, we had an interview with an admissions counselor. They were very impressed with how clear the transcript was and appreciated that it included a grading scale.

After looking it over they asked if we’d like to apply for the full scholarship. There is one full ride granted per year … but it’s good for all four years … or $104,000. Interestingly, we met the President and his wife and discovered that they homeschooled their kids through high school!

The admissions deadline is February so it’ll be awhile until we know. In the meantime I’m working on course descriptions.

Keep up the good work, Michelle!

How Do You Do It All?

Lee — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:30:15 +0000

Are you suddenly single? Death, divorce, and even deployment can happen. Even to homeschool parents. It may happen suddenly, and unexpectedly. Even a long-anticipated deployment can seem sudden when they day actually arrives, and while temporary it can still be difficult. When you are faced with single parenting, know that you are NOT alone!

Mary Jo Tate of SingleParentsAtHome.com explained what happened to her. “I never expected to be a single mother. When my husband left me for another woman, I was shocked, angry, and scared. I was embarrassed to be divorced; for a while I felt as though I wore a scarlet D emblazoned on my dress. Our four sons were bewildered, and their world was turned upside down. I was deeply committed to remaining at home with my children and continuing to homeschool them, yet I wondered how I could support us all financially.”

When a parent becomes suddenly single, homeschooling may seem an even more daunting task. Now what? How can you continue in this challenging lifestyle you love? The trick is to adapt, and find a new “normal” for your family. Find resources and achieve a balance that works for you.

You can read my article about “Suddenly Single” for more encouragement. And for the next few days, Mary Jo Tate is having a HUGE sale on her product called “How do you do it all?” that includes tons of free bonuses – including some from me! Balance homeschool & home business in the real world. Check it out here: http://www.howdoyoudoitall.com/sale.html.

Curious about The HomeScholar? Read more on our About Us page.

Grading Hodge-Podge Homeschool Classes

Lee — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:59:09 +0000

When you are pulling together a curriculum from free, online, or mix-and-match sources, it’s hard to figure out what to put on a transcript – especially if you aren’t using tests. No matter what you use, these general guidelines may help.

For credit value

Give credit based on the number of hours worked. Working about 45 minutes per day, 5 days a week, most of the school year, is a 1 credit class each year. Working 15-30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, most of the school year, is about 1/2 credit per year.

For transcript grade

Give a grade based on general performance and general evaluation. Don’t factor that in. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Grade based on a function of annoyance: A = you are not annoyed, B = pretty annoyed, C = very annoyed.

2. Grade based on moving on: A = met your high expectations, B = didn’t meet high expectations, but probably better than public school and C = not good, but kept moving on anyway

3. Grades based on his work: A = awesome, B = better do it again, C = come on, not even close!

4. Grade based on achievement: give an SAT Subject Test or other test at home, and give a grade based on the score.

I hope that helps! If you need more help with grades, I have an A la Carte Class on HomeschoolThruHighSchool.com called “Making the Grades” that will help. You can also get more help with my free webinar – Credits and Grades and Transcripts, Oh My!!

Are you my facebook friend? Please send me a friend request. I would love to get to know you better.

High School History

Lee — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:56:22 +0000

Terrie asked on facebook:
My daughter has studied WWII for years and is very knowledgeable about it. I hesitate to put it as a class on her transcript because I’ve never seen a class on just WWII in high school. Any ideas?

The HomeScholar’s Total Transcript Solution will take the fear out of homeschool transcripts!

Did You Miss our 5 Dollar Sale?

Lee — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:15:45 +0000

Tell me the truth, has this ever happened to you?

Oops! I forgot to check my email!
But I don’t make purchases without my spouse!
Oh no! I didn’t open my email in time!
Yikes! I was so busy with family, I didn’t see the sale!
Hey! There’s still a few dollars in my budget for school!

We have been getting emails asking us to extend our $5 sale, asking for a favor to get those great deals. I can’t possibly say no! There is only one solution! Extend the sale!

We are extending our $5 sale through Monday!

Just use coupon code 5Friday today!

Parent Training A la Cart

Believe me, I remember what it was like to homeschool high school. It’s hard to keep all those plates in the air – especially during the holidays! I hope you will enjoy these GREAT prices with the EASY coupon code: 5Friday

Plus, you can try a class for Just $1

Try “Giving Gifts That Pay for College.” We have LOTS of new online classes for parents, and you may want to start with a fun and easy one. Try this really FUN class for only $1, and it will give you great ideas for Christmas and other gift-giving ideas. Let me encourage you to inspire the love of learning in your children, leading to a passion that can attract college admission and scholarships! This class will help you plan a great Christmas for your whole family!

Another Christmas and New Year theme course will get your new year started right. “Christmas Goals and New Year Resolutions” explains that you can still have a great holiday without losing track of your grand plan for college! In this webinar, I first talk about how to handle school during the month of December. Then I’ll give you some super-easy New Year Resolutions to work on.

PS. After Monday, prices go back to normal, so don’t miss this opportunity to get our homeschooling high school parent training instruction for 67% off! Parent Training A la Carte.