It would be lovely if every child wanted to specialize in something reasonable.  Something that made money, provided income, or was valuable for family harmony.  Sadly, most teenagers are still children, at least some of the time, and they may want to specialize in the most unusual things!  Instead of worrying, try to translate their interests into something reasonable.  In other words, if they DID specialize in that one seemingly – bizarre thing, what would that look like?

Loralee wrote to me because her child loves only legos.  If you took that interest and added a few years, what would it look like?

I just read one of your articles about encouraging your child’s passions. I wish my 15 yr old son had a passion like chess or piano or fiddle playing! While he does read a lot (like your son, I assume), and has hobbies such as leathercraft, and biking, the thing he’s passionate about is LEGOs! He loves them and wants to be a LEGO designer. My husband feels that’s a childish thing to be doing all the time (and so do I to a lesser degree). He’s has upper average grades, and we don’t live in Sweden, and there are a million other kids who want to do the same thing, so it doesn’t seem likely he’ll get very far in his desired field.  So, how do I encourage his passion when I feel he should be growing out of it?  Thank you very much for your time! ~ Loralee

Lego needs engineers. Engineers begin their careers with Legos. Legos are the cornerstone of many science and engineering programs, leagues, and clubs.  For that reason, it looks like Legos are a GREAT way to ignite passion!  Check out these links for more information:

Perhaps your child would like to compete in a science and engineering fair. To find one in your area, Google Science & Engineering Fair with the name of your state, or start by look at  ISEF: Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

For a “degree in Legos” working at the LEGO company, to create something knew a person might need a chemical or mechanical engineering degree. If you urge your child in that direction, you can’t go wrong. He’ll be prepared for anything! During high school, he’ll need math each year, plus biology, chemistry, and physics. By the time he is done with high school, he may have modified his goals slightly, but this preparation will give him maximum flexibility.

Dixie wrote to me and suggested these three fun contests for homeschoolers. She said that homeschoolers are welcome to enter. Let me know if these look like fun for your family!

Art Contest
Students submit a digital photo of any art (other than photography) and submit it online at www.celebratingart.com. Two contests each year — Next deadline is April 3rd. There are 10 winners in each grade division of K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 who will receive $25 and a full color book that includes their art. Other artists of merit will be invited to be published. There are no costs to enter or to be published. Open to all students in the US and Canada. Each year we have several home schoolers who are among our national winners.

Poetry Contest
Students submit one poem 21 lines on any topic and submit it online at www.poeticpower.com or mail it to Creative Communication, 159 North Main Street, Smithfield, UT 84335. Three contests each year with upcoming deadlines of April 12 and August 15. There are 10 winners in each grade division of K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 who will receive $25 and a book that includes their poem. Other writers of merit will be invited to be published. There are no costs to enter or to be published.
Our website at www.poeticpower.com also includes a database that is divided by grade and subject and contains over 1000 lesson plans on how to teach poetry. You can also subscribe to our newsletter with tips on teaching poetry.

Essay Contest
Students submit one non-fiction essay, 250 words or less on any topic and submit it online at www.poeticpower.com or mail it to Creative Communication, 159 North Main Street, Smithfield, UT 84335. Three contests each year with upcoming deadlines of Feb 15 and July 18. There are 10 winners in each grade division of 3-6, 7-9, 10-12 who will receive $25 and a book that includes their essay. Other writers of merit will be invited to be published. There are no costs to enter or to be published.

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!

Read This!

Kids love amazing things.  Unreal, incredible things.  Especially in movies, they LOVE superheros.  Spiderman.  The Incredibles. Batman.  And now Thor.

The big news:  Kids love these things.
The bad news: Hollywood.
The good news:  It can encourage reading.

If your child is old enough to see Thor, or if they aren’t allowed but are interested, I have a suggestion.  Read books about mythology!

My children enjoyed reading about mythology.  Of course, it’s important to compare mythology to the truth!  But you know, it’s not just Hollywood that references mythology of the past.  When kids are reading Shakespeare and other classical literature from Reading Lists for the College Bound, many of those works will reference mythological characters.  By knowing these fanciful stories, it can increase their enjoyment of literature.  (And movies too!)

Here are some books that we enjoyed while we were homeschooling.

Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne or D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire. These are where you will find the mythology behind the popular movie Thor. Another fun resource is D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire.

Here is a review of Thor, which may help you decide if it’s appropriate for your family.

Today is the last day for 40% off of our Parent Training A la Carte courses.  Tomorrow will be 30% off.  Check it out now!  At checkout, use Coupon Code – enable40.

It’s important to teach your children about the importance of sleep.  The issue becomes larger and more serious as they grow older and go to college. Teaching them about sleep early can help!  I suggest having your children write a paper about the importance of sleep, perhaps even once per year. Hopefully by the time they graduate high school, they will actually have some concept of the necessity!  It can really help them succeed once they get into college, so it really is an important life skill.

To start the conversation, share these articles with your teens.

Teens’ Lack of Sleep May Be Cause of Depression

Help Your Teen Fall Asleep Earlier and Easier

Lifestyle Changes and Tips to Help Teens’ Sleeping Problems

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 you along.    We are currently featuring an hour long video training session on how to get college scholarships and high school credit at the same time!  You need to hurry, though.  That video training won’t be there forever!

June is National Audio Book Month! To celebrate, my friend Molly Evert of My Audio School is providing a giveaway for my newsletter and blog readers!  Just leave a comment on this blog post about My Audio School and you will be registered to win a one-year subscription!  Two lucky readers will win! I know my Office Manager Stephanie, just LOVES My Audio School.  Here is what she says:

“I was raving about how much I loved My Audio School, and Lee asked me to share the information with you. It has to be one of the best purchases we’ve made over the years. Not only does the content compliment and complete a wide variety of homeschooling styles and curricula, but it is a wonderful resource to use during non-school time as well. We love the variety of materials including the “old time” radio programs that are also a part of the subscription. However, my favorite parts are what I call the bonus features! The site hosts lovely artwork, most of which include links to additional information about the piece, as well as links to unit studies, research sites and more that are tied to the chosen book. It is a goldmine for moms who love to add supplements to keep their kids hooked! My Audio School truly is a valuable website to parent and child alike.” ~ Stephanie

They have some great books usually seen on reading lists for college bound students.  Check out this sampling of college-prep titles -

The Anti-Federalist Papers, Patrick Henry

As You Like It, William Shakespeare

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Beowulf, Anonymous

Multiple titles by GA Henty

David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton

The Federalist Papers

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen

The Odyssey, Homer

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau

The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson

Leave a comment and you will be entered to win one of two free subscriptions.  Winners will be chosen from comment entries on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 5pm PST using random.org. Even if you don’t win, it’s a GREAT value.  A subscription to My Audio School opens all their audio books and links.  The cost is just $14.99 per year for an Individual/Family membership.  What a great deal!

Thank you, Molly, for sharing your giveaway with my readers!

Website www.MyAudioSchool.com
Visit her Facebook Fan Page

Hope you don’t mind me asking: my son just finished 10th grade and wants to repeat it. To make a long story short he went to Montessori, then public school for 2 years now homeschool. Public school didn’t know how to figure his grade was he was held back a year. At 6th grade he was straight A homeschool and we let him “skip” 7th. Now he wants to go back to catch up. Can I put what he did in “9th grade” on his transcript? It will look like 5 years of high school depending on how I write it. Is that ok? ~Eileen on Facebook

This is a big question without an easy answer. Without knowing enough about the situation, my instinct would be to first decide what year you want  him to graduate. That will be senior year.  Then count backward four years to his freshman year. On the transcript, include anything high school level (like algebra or geometry) as “early high school credits.” I have record keeping samples on my freebies page.  In those samples, you can find an example of “early high school credits.”  If you need more support, consider the Gold Care Club.

Until junior year, you have some flexibility.  In October of junior year, children can take the PSAT as a qualifying test for the national merit scholarship.  It will only be a qualifying test for juniors – not for any other year of high school.  For that reason, that’s just about the only time when you really, REALLY have to declare what grade they are.

Eileen was thankful for the suggestions I gave, and wrote back with a sweet letter of appreciation.

The “count backward” idea is great and will work for this situation. I appreciate it. I have just seen your record keeping samples. I’m thankful for your advice Thanks. ~ Eileen

You can get more advice on how to keep homeschool grades, credits and transcripts in my free webinar.

Game Show Templates

They have 3 templates for Family Feud, Survivor, and many others. These games might be lots of fun for families and co-ops.  Plus, your kids will be learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint while they are creating and playing these games.  I think it looks like TONS of fun!  I miss homeschooling!

Are you my facebook fan?   Please “Like” my fan page.  I would love to get to connect with you there.  Plus, I have a new mini-course that is exclusively for my facebook fans!

Summer camps have long been part of the American experience for children and teenagers, and for the last 30 years or so, computers and technology have added to the equation. “What we’re trying to do is to take a child’s hobby and show how to turn it into a potential career,” Safran said. “This summer, Karen Katzenberger, 13, of Fall City, plans to take her love of drawing to a new level at DigiPen ProjectFUN with a 3-D animation workshop.”

Read the Seattle Times Article

Learning 3-D animation?  Getting experience at DigiPen?  What an amazing opportunity!

Most summer camps can fill up early, so now is the best time to start looking for something if your child is interested.  It would be impossible for me to list summer camps here, because families have different criteria, and children have different interested. I could point you to some great summer camps for chess in the Seattle Area (Chess4Life.com) but I don’t think that will be a good fit for every student!  Instead, a quick google search will help  you find the information you need!  Now is the time to seek a summer camp if you are interested.

I’ve recently been connecting with homeschooling businesses on LinkedIn.  I invite you to send me an invitation if you want to connect with my business.

Learning Disabilities Association of America

Typical learning difficulties include dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia – often complicated by associated disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Learning Disabilities Association

Tips for College Admission

Learning Disabilities – 8 Tips For Effective College Registration For Students With LD or ADD. Read the 8 Tips

Recommendations from Real Homeschoolers

Dr. Raymond Moore, “Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child’s Education“  See the book at Amazon.com. Debbie’s
suggestion.

Grace Llewellyn’s book, “The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education“  See the book at Amazon.com. recommended by Debbie.

Cynthia Tobias, “The Way They Learn“  See the book at Amazon.com Debbie suggested this book.

“Why Wait for a Criterion of Failure” by Beth H. Slingerland is recommended by JoAnn.  See the book at Amazon.com

JoAnn also recommends “An adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham approach for classroom teaching of reading.” This method is discussed on this website, with other resources as well.  Read more.

The Slingerland Institute for Literacy is recommended by JoAnn.  Visit their website here.

“Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv is recommended by Joelle.  Read the
book.

“Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head” by Carla Hannaford, recommended by Joelle.  See the book on Amazon

Read Heather’s Blog called: Special Needs Homeschooling

All About Spelling is multi-sensory, approaching spelling through sight, sound, and touch. You can check it out here: www.allaboutspelling.com/homescholar

Consider Dragon Naturally Speaking.  Read the blog post to see if it is a
fit for you: http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/compensate-for-learning-challenges/3003/

This is the online magazine about learning challenges: http://heartofthematteronline.com/focus-on-special-needs-december-2009-
magazine

Free Audiobooks:  LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. The goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books. The ability of the readers will vary, but the price is right.

LibriVox Website

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