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If you are thinking about putting grades and credits on your transcript, you may wonder how to include co-op experiences, especially if the coop wasn’t a perfect fit for your family. I received a question from a mom who wanted to know what to do with a misfit foreign language class.
Hi Lee,
I just want reassurance that it doesn’t matter how much is accomplished as long as you put in the hours, right? My son took a Spanish class this year and despite waaay too many hours working at it, he is basically walking away with very little. I had the opposite problem with my daughter. She took French and was not challenged. She learned 14 words a week. Oh, brother! She could have done so much more. I did learn, however, that academics in a co-op are not for me. I’m definitely a homeschooler. We’ll use it for drama and art in the future.
Thanks!
~Melanie
Dear Melanie,
{{{hugs!}}} I wish that wasn’t how coops work! When kids are working on their level, they should be awarded some success!
Yes, Spanish at his level, working an hour a day for a whole year, should really be a whole credit. Now, at your coop, if they give you an accredited transcript, then his accredited grade will remain on his transcript. I don’t know how your coop is run, though. If it’s just a homeschool coop, with no accreditation, then I would absolutely count his high school credit based on the hours worked, and NOT based on certain test scores. With your daughter the linguist, encouraging her to work at her own speed can allow her to move very, very rapidly!
I think you’ll have much more success and feel like your children are learning more if they are able to go at their level.
When I see successful foreign language programs in coops, it’s often a class that is just a time to get together and “play” with other kids while talking in that language. The seat work is better done at home, in other words. If they miss coop, then only use that for the play aspect of the foreign language, not the book aspect. That way they can learn at their own pace.
I was just consulting with a Gold Care Member, a certified teacher. She said, “When I was a teacher in high school, a credit means they sat in class for a year.” Sat in a class! Our goal for our children is NOT the amount of time sitting in a class – our goal is learning! So if they are sitting in class for a year, YES give them the credit. But make sure they while they are sitting there, they are learning at their level all the time. Because you want them to learn, and not get frustrated because they are either so far behind, or bored because they are so far ahead.
Watch this clip on “I love Lucy” Then have a nice cup of coffee, and move on without beating yourself up about anything. Your children did a year of foreign language. Cool! Lots of families don’t get to that every year. So you are successful too!
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!
At times in life we are asked to do things which seem impossible. You may feel like homeschooling high school is one of those things. I promise that it’s NOT impossible, and many homeschoolers have gone before you, but God’s promise has a little more weight behind it.
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We can do things that seem impossible – even homeschool high school. Don’t be afraid. Fear is being anxious or apprehensive about a possible event in the future. But what can happen after you homeschool high school? You could end up with a well educated child, well mannered, faith filled and hard working.
During the years of homeschooling high school, you can find the support and strength you need. You can be strengthened through prayer, and occasionally calling out to God for help! Parents often call out to the Lord for help – parenting is difficult business, after all. Keep that strategy, and you don’t need to be afraid of homeschooling high school.
Sign up to get my latest newsletter here. The feature article is about college planning.
Where to start? If you are just beginning to homeschool high school, where do you even begin?? I have a video called “Preparing to Homeschool High School” that is just perfect for beginners. It’s a three DVD set that will talk you through the basics. Intended for parents that have a 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th grade student, it can help parents who are looking at high school and don’t know what to do about it. The video series will talk you through the courses to provide, the tests to take, and strategies for success.
I don’t tell you what to do, I give you the information to make informed decisions for yourself. If you are just beginning to homeschool high school, or if you know someone who is, this would be just perfect!
Homeschooling is NOT the same as doing schoolwork at home. There is LOTS of freedom! My Gold Care Club will give you all the help you need to succeed!
We have noticed that some of the college websites say they require 4 years of “social studies”. Some say “history”. Is history a sub-set of social studies? I imagine economics and government would go there, maybe geography….? What is the difference between the two?
~Cindy
Hi Cindy,
“Social Studies” and “History” may be interchangeable terms for some colleges. When they say they want four years of “social studies” or four years of “history” it probably means the same thing. Social studies, or social sciences, are actually a broader term having to do with human social interaction. So it can include history, government, economics, psychology, sociology, and probably some other “ologies” that I can’t think of right now.
Your suggestion of geography can be either political geography (a social science) or physical geography (which could be a science) so I’m not going to touch that one, LOL!
Many colleges will will specify what KIND of social studies they want. Often they will want American History, American Government, Economics, and World History. You don’t have to stick with just those four, and you can branch out to study even MORE social sciences if you want to – I know we did, because my kids really loved it!
Do you have to list colleges on the SAT/ACT test forms, or can you submit the test scores later? If you submit them later, does it hurt the chances of scholarships?
~Lisa
Hi Lisa!
Thanks for coming to my seminar in Vancouver! To answer your question, you are not required to list colleges on the SAT or ACT, or PSAT for that matter, although you do have the option. Nothing bad will happen if you don’t list colleges, and some parents choose not to do that when they feel uncertain about how their student will perform on the test. You can submit your scores later, but it may have an additional charge associated with releasing the scores. SAT has recently updated their reporting policy to allow for “score choice.” Their policy seems to change frequently, it seems to me.
I submitted out SAT scores only to our first choice college when we took it the first time. I knew we would probably repeat the SAT, so I wasn’t too concerned about them scoring poorly. The second time they took the SAT, we had a much better idea about where they would apply, so they released their scores to all of the colleges. If you feel like your child will score average or better, than you could feel comfortable using that strategy.
If you submit their scores later, it may not affect their chances of a scholarship. I have heard of some colleges that will provide scholarships IF you score highly on the SAT and IF you list their college as your first choice college. That seems like a lot of “ifs” when you are just beginning to look at things. If you child is likely to score very highly, then you may want to list at least their first choice university.
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” online class or DVD. I will occassionally have a video presentation on my Gold Care Club website called “College Scholarships for High School Credit” that describes how to apply for the smaller private scholarships.
In our home we have a family motto: ”Never compare, someone always gets hurt.” I think we got that from James Dobson at one point, encouraging us not to compare one child to another – especially in areas that are hard wired and the child can’t change. I think that’s a wonderful reminder for homeschoolers, because sometimes we compare one child to another, when in fact they are both a unique individual with unique strengths and weaknesses.
But then again…… Maybe there IS a place for comparison.
I talk to parents that get very concerned that their child is behind. Many times, simply referring to some standardized test scores can remind them that their child is truly on track, average, or even above average. But sometimes there is more to the story. Sometimes a test score may be pretty low. At those times, it may be helpful to compare, but not with other homeschoolers. Instead, compare to the alternative; public schools. You don’t want to imitate a public school, or set your goals too low. Then again, there is one weakness I have identified in homeschooling. We lose track of where our children are relative to the general population.
We know what our child’s failures are – it’s right in our face. But sometimes we forget that the general population isn’t filled with Einstein’s either. When we educate our child at their level, in each subject, carefully picking and choosing curriculum to match their gifts and their needs, then they WILL LEARN. Keep your focus on learning. Remember that a thoroughly learned algebra will be more valuable than an almost-failing grade in geometry. Keep your goal on learning, and your child can be successful. They don’t have to achieve a certain level. They don’t have to perform highly in every area of a standardized test. They can keep learning in their area. Focus on work ethic and values, because those can compensate for moderate scores in some areas.
Focus on learning, and you can succeed. Try to avoid staring at failure. Compare your child to others if necessary, so that you can feel confident in your abilities. Remember that your child may not be above the 50th percentile in something, but you can still make sure that your child learns more than they would in another educational setting. Work to teach your child at their level in each situation, knowing that LEARNING is true success.
When you are thinking about taking classes at a community college, using the dual enrollment option, it’s tempting to have your children take their weakest class. Community college can quickly provide missing classes, but always remember the long term goal. If your child is doing poorly at home in a certain subject, they may not do better in a community college. Spend some time looking objectively at your child, and decide if he or she is really ready for college level work. After all, most students who are a sophomore or junior in high school are completely grade appropriate and emotionally appropriate for high school. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your child will also be grade appropriate in college.
If your child is struggling to do the work at home, then placing them in a community college isn’t going to make the subject easier or a better fit, or closer to their learning style. Instead, the class will be harder and faster – more like an assembly line classroom. There will be less flexibility and possibility of matching a learning style.
Particularly if your child is a unique learner, I would try to expose them to as much success as possible, and encourage them to become a confident learner. That may mean you avoid the community college until they are older.
You want your child to have success in high school. You want them to learn at the level where they can learn and love learning. You don’t want to put them in a situation that is so challenging that they may fail. Community college is very popular among homeschoolers right now, but it’s not a perfect fit for everyone. If your child is doing well at home, you may want to keep doing what you are doing. If your child is struggling at home, then recognize there may be even more struggles if they are exposed to college level material at a college pace of learning. It’s not right for everyone, so evaluate the situation carefully.
Listen carefully to your heart, and remember that it’s OK to be working at grade level. It’s OK for high school juniors to be doing the work of a high school junior. You want your children to experience success in high school, not experience failure at a community college.
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