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Homeschooling High School – Beware of Curriculum Mismatch

Lee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:01:34 +0000

Do you feel like you want to “throw in the towel” with your homeschooling? Is it winter doldrums or your curriculum?

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

Options for Grading Without Tests

Lee — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:25:43 +0000

How can you give homeschool grades without tests? There are other options. Today’s video post will share some grading options for your high school homeschool.

Learn more about high school credits and grades with my webinar.

Teaching the Difficult Classes

Lee — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:07:40 +0000

What do you do if your student needs to take a class that is way out of your comfort zone. We all have that subject, don’t we? This video shares how I “taught” physics.

Whether you teach the classes or not, learn how to translate all those great homeschool high school classes into the words and numbers that colleges will understand. Get the Total Transcript Solution.

What Colleges Need

Lee — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:55:43 +0000

Different colleges ask for different information from homeschoolers. It can be difficult to determine what extra information they may require from you.

The only way to find out is to check their website and also speak to them in person. Some colleges will have one policy posted, but admission personnel require more or less than the posted policy. Other colleges won’t have a policy posted on their website, but the admission personnel will know the details (or know that nothing specific is required.)

The easiest way to get your answer is to go to a college fair where multiple colleges are located. Have your child speak to each college first, and be forthright about the information they need as a student. Let them finish speaking, and getting all of their questions answered, while you stay in the background. Once the child is done talking, then it’s your turn. Ask an open-ended question, “We are a homeschool family. What information would you like from your homeschooled applicants?”

You can also call and speak to them directly, by telephone. Remember, your job as the school administrator is to talk about high school records, so this is a normal, natural function of your job. Try to avoid the topics that are your child’s responsibility. You want to demonstrate that your child is an independent young adult that doesn’t require a parent in order to communicate clearly.

See those cute buttons at the bottom of these blog posts? Those are there to help you share helpful posts with others who might need encouragement. Go ahead and give it a try. I promise that nothing will blow up!

Weighting Grades

Lee — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:15:49 +0000

Is the stress of weighing grades weighing you down? Let go of that burden!

Teri on facebook asked this question: How to compete with the 5 pt grading scale in public school…. they take a college credit type class and it’s weighted at 5 pts vs 4pts for an A then their GPA can be higher than 4.0 overall. A friend told me that some exclusive/ivy league colleges aren’t even looking at kids unless their GPA is near 5 or at least over 4.

Colleges tell me that they take weighted scores and un-weight them and then weight them again they way the COLLEGE wants them weighted. The colleges I spoke to at the college fair two weeks ago said that weighting scores made it more difficult for them, and they prefer it when scores are NOT weighted. I’m sure there are some exceptions, but this is what I was told just two weeks ago. For more information, call the college you are considering and ask them what they want – then give it to them.

If you need any extra help, you will really appreciate my Gold Care Club, as well as lots of templates and tools that will help.

Whose Responsibility is It?

Lee — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:36:38 +0000

I received a question from Bethany about how to provide everything needed to be successful in homeschool and life. I answered with a video clip. I hope it helps remind all of us whose responsibility it is to learn.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel. You’ll get notified when I create new videos on homeschool high school topics!

Can’t Mess with Destiny

Lee — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:15:12 +0000

My husband and I went on an Alaska cruise with my parents. It was wonderful, and we had SUCH a good time! It was fun to see a client and her family on the ship, too! Midway through the cruise, I had the chance to speak to our cruise director, Jason Venner on the Holland America MS Westerdam. Jason was raised in the Pacific Northwest. He lived in a remote location of the Columbia River Gorge, without running water, electricity or telephones.

Jason was an only child, homeschooled by his mother. That was where he developed his great passion: the outdoors and adventure sports. He went to Linfield College on academic scholarships and studied business management, leadership, and communication. On our cruise, Jason was the BEST cruise director – humorous and outgoing beyond measure! When I was talking to him, I joked, “Can’t you just try to come out of your shell a little bit?” We had some good laughs about socialization. Jason said, “I loved homeschooling, and I wouldn’t change a thing about my childhood!”

Obviously, Jason is a perfect fit for the socially demanding job of guiding thousands of adults in fun activities. I wonder if his mother had any idea the profession Jason would choose. Did she think he might grow up to be socially awkward? Did she worry about the opportunities he missed? Was she concerned that she might be holding him back? I suppose she knew he was gregarious – did she worry about socialization? I looked at him, and thought about my clients homeschooling in remote locations, and military and missionary families struggling to fit in. I had a whole new appreciation for the Grand Plan.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

~ Jeremiah 29:11

Don’t worry. You can’t mess up too bad. Your children are going to be who they are meant to be, and they are going to do what they are meant to do. Even if you are homeschooling in the middle of nowhere, without running water, electricity, or telephones.

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Teaching Students to Learn

Lee — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:44:52 +0000

As homeschool parents, our plan is NOT to teach something. Our goal is for the kids to LEARN. I could have taught my kids “at grade level” and they might have not learned a thing. Instead, I offered them curriculum at their ability level, and then they had to learn something that they didn’t already know.

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 by themselves. College lectures are most often supplemental to the textbook – not the same. If perhaps they don’t go to college, they will certainly still need to teach themselves some computer skills, or perhaps online banking, or how to buy a car – whatever.

My kids taught themselves Advanced Math (pre-Calculus) and Calculus. They taught themselves physics. I know they understood the material due to the fact I gave them the tests. I didn’t know what the calculus symbols meant, however I knew that my kids answers matched the answers on the key! I could have taught them Biology and Chemistry (because I’m an RN and I understand that stuff) but they actually taught themselves in that also. It just worked out better for us when they were teaching themselves, while I simply checked up on them now and again. Alex taught himself economics, and is now performing graduate level work in economic thought (we’ve been told by his professor. ) He even taught himself psychology and business law, since he got fabulous grades on the college level CLEP exams in those subjects.

Here’s my point: kids will teach themselves something when they are interested in it. It’s fine for kids to do that, plus it works out great with regard to kids that are working on an intensely academic, college-prep curriculum as well as for kids that are in a laid back homeschool environment.

I have viewed SO many notes regarding “getting it all done” that I just desire to put in a plug for mom having prayer and quiet time. I discovered that when I was consistent with those things I could “get it all done” and when I wasn’t consistent with those things I got discouraged. Either I was expecting too much, or was frustrated too easily. When I spent time with God, then things went much more effortlessly in our homeschooling.

What do you think?

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Homeschooling High School: Complicated Answers Take Time

Lee — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:47:39 +0000

Some questions are easy to answer.

When is the PSAT?
How do I find a College Fair?
Should my freshman take Physics before Biology?

But other questions are very big, and very complicated. Sandi asked a big and complicated question on my blog the other day.

Hi Lee. I have 5 kids, 3 remain to be homeschooled. All high school age. My 17 yo has had some issues with seizures since Spring. As a result he has fallen behind somewhat in his work. He will be 18 in Oct and should graduate in June of 2012. How do I catch him up this year? He has fallen behind in math and Eng comp. He has so many credits in all the other subjects. Should I just focus on these 2 subjects this coming year? Also, he wants to go to art school. He has been taking art lessons at a studio who will also help him with a portfolio. He just loves it. Any suggestions you have i would appreciate. ~ Sandi

I would LOVE to help, but each issue is not a simple yes/no question or quick fact. Instead, each of these issues is complicated. Here is what I was able to give Sandi.

Dear Sandi,

I have quite a few Gold Care Club members that just need support for handling homeschool while facing unusual issues just like this. These are complicated issues that can’t be answered by a quick email, I’m afraid. Briefly, here are some options to consider:

Complete high school in 5 years;
Take one more year but only count the final 4 years for high school;
Focus on math and English, but don’t double up on those subjects;

Evaluate to see if he is truly behind in those areas, or if you just *think* he is behind;
Find an art school by going to a college fair as a first contact;
Learn about junior year and senior year tasks.

If you find that you need more support, you can get more information about the Gold Care Club here: http://www.thehomescholar.com/gold-care.php

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

Homeschooling High School: To Teach or To Learn – What is Your Goal?

Lee — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:30:13 +0000

As homeschool parents, our goal is NOT to teach something. Our goal is for the kids to LEARN. 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.

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.

My kids taught themselves Advanced Math (pre-Calculus) and Calculus. They taught themselves physics. I know they knew the material because I gave them the tests. I didn’t know what the calculus symbols meant, but I knew that my kids answers matched the answers on the key! 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.

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.

I have seen SO many notes about “getting it all done” that I just want to put in a plug for mom having prayer and quiet time. I found that when I was consistent with those things I could “get it all done” and when I wasn’t consistent with those things I got frustrated. Either I was expecting too much, or was frustrated too easily. When I spent time with God, then things went much more smoothly in our homeschooling.

How are you teaching your kids to learn?

I am now the Seattle Homeschool Examiner. You can read my homeschool articles here.