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A mom poured out her heart to me about pulling her child out of private school.  She homeschooled her son until high school, but then put him into private school.  There were some issues, and a change was needed, so her son wanted to attend public school. She was considering homeschooling again, but was very concerned.  Even though her son wasn’t rebellious, he had no desire to homeschool.   She wanted solutions.   Here is my reply to her.

I’m not sure there are easy solutions.  When a teen has not been homeschooling for a while, and doesn’t WANT to homeschool, then often it becomes extremely difficult.  It’s possible to homeschool against their wishes, and there is a greater chance of success because you say he is not rebellious in any way.  Often, when kids begin to homeschool again, their socialization skills improve, and they quickly adapt and like homeschooling again.  Still, I think the greatest chance of success is when the child WANTS to homeschool.

If you are having troubles already, and he has only attended a private school so far, then it seems like a public school situation might make the situation even worse.  I have seen teens that act out more and more, rather than less and less, when put into public schools (and private schools too, but you have already seen that.)  My advice, then, is to remember that changing into public school could in fact make the situation deteriorate.

If you decide to homeschool, have your child choose the curriculum.  My favorite is Sonlight Curriculum, but I know it doesn’t fit everyone.  Here is a link to Sonlight.   Have him choose his own math, using the strategies in this blog post.

If you decide to homeschool, demonstrate that he can study subjects he likes, in a way that he wants to learn.  Explain that he will have MORE time to spend with his friends, because homeschooling is a more efficient way to get academics out of the way.  Explain that he can get a real job while homeschooling, earn real money, while still getting his academics done.

If you decide to homeschool, then get some support.  I do have the Gold Care Club, which comes with a once a week 20 minute phone call for support.  Here is the link to the Gold Care Club.  Just make sure you feel confident.  I do have a YouTube video on how you know you can homeschool high school here.

When returning from public school, often the experts will recommend “de-schooling” for a while.  That means taking some time off from heavy academics, in order to get used to the idea of homeschooling with delight directed learning.    Here are links to articles about de-schooling.  Don’t look at the ads for online schools – those would be the worst thing in this situation, in my opinion, and make him wish for public school even more.

It’s very normal for a child of 17 to not have any idea what they want to do in life.  Homeschooling can provide a wide array of opportunities, so kids can try out a variety of different things within the context of “school” that goes onto the homeschool transcript. But still, it’s just a normal situation – only in VERY rare situations do teenagers know what they want to do.

I have two boys – no girls.  17yo boys are HARD.  My husband taught a class on YouTube about Raising Boys vs. Raising Men, and it might help.  I know what 17yo boys are like, and it’s not easy!

I’m here to help if you decide to homeschool.

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How do you get your child to appreciate literature?

If you decide to do without a formal literature analysis, then what can you do to teach literature appreciation – expecially in a reluctant reader?

I am wondering what you would recommend her to do for her literature.  Should I just let her read what ever she wants or should I have her pick from a list of options.  How much reading should I be requiring?
Sandy in Utah

Dear Sandy,

I used Sonlight curriculum, and I’ve heard that it’s wonderful for reluctant readers, because they will real great books without the pressure of dissecting stories.  Here is a link to Sonlight.

It can help, with a reluctant reader, to choose books that are high quality but slightly BELOW reading level, to make it as easy to love great literature as possible.  Reading aloud is important as well.  Sometimes just reading the first couple of chapters aloud will get the child “hooked” and they’ll finish the book on their own.

Instead of teaching literary analysis through dissecting books, you can teach the literary terms through a writing program instead.  We did “Learn to Write the Novel Way” one year, in my feeble attempt to teach literary analysis.  The kids wrote their own novel that year (wrote too big a novel, actually, so the project lasted almost two years, which drove me crazy!  LOL!)  Learning things like setting, voice and character was a little easier through the writing program, and it didn’t slow down their enjoyment of reading.  Here is a link to Learn to Write the Novel Way.

You can read a description here.

The question of “how much” reading can vary widely.  For some kids, 5 books may be enough – and for others 50 is the right amount.  Like other subjects, just making sure they are working at a reasonable pace, at their level, is much more important than the actual number of books.  I hope that helps!

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Inexpensive solutions to high school transcripts for a large family

Having a large family looks very hard to outsiders.  My friend tells me it’s not so bad, though.  After all, the kids aren’t all two at the same time, right?  It’s the same way with high school transcripts for a large brood.  You only have to learn about transcripts once, and then you’ll know it – and they don’t all need transcripts at the same time!  Here is Anissa’s question:

I am wondering if you have any idea what larger sized homeschooling families usually do for transcripts? I am just at a loss right now. I am beginning to feel completely overwhelmed! Any advice that you can share will be very much appreciated.  Thank you for your time : )
~ Anissa in North Carolina

It can be overwhelming to think about having a large family and keeping transcripts, but remember that you only have to learn the skill ONE time and you’ll be able to make the transcripts easily for all the other children.  Sure it took me a while to do research on transcripts, but now that I know how to do it, it’s really very fast!

So my first suggestion is to learn about transcripts as soon as possible.  When I wrote my ebook on transcripts, I was determined to make it as simple as possible for beginners that didn’t have a clue what they were doing.  Along with the ebook, you get an audio course on how to make a transcript, so you can listen to the one hour class first, and get the general idea.  Then read the book (it’s a quick read with lots of pictures and charts.)  It comes with free transcript templates, so you really have everything you need.  Some moms have been able to go from zero-to-transcript in a weekend.  But the ebook comes with a free month of my Gold Care Club, so you also get a 20 minute consultation by phone every week.  That way after you finish the audio course and finish the book, you can still talk with me for 20 minutes a week while you’re a member, and we can discuss your transcript.   It truly is a complete solution to your transcript problems at a very reasonable price ($37).  Compared to the alternative of paying for an accredited transcripts (BIG bucks), it is really a small investment that can yield big results when applying to colleges.

For the first child, it may help if we talk on the phone to discuss your transcript.  In a one or two hour phone call, I can usually get all the information out of your head that needs to go onto your transcript.  Sometimes parents just want me to do the thinking – they can type the transcript just fine, they are merely borrowing my brain.  I don’t mind at all!  So if you need help with your transcript, and you simply CANNOT handle doing it yourself, I’ll be glad to help.  After that 1 or 2 hour phone call, you will know exactly what to type on your transcript – or what to have your husband type, since he may offer to help!  I’ve found husbands get very supportive when you solve a problem and save lots of money at the same time!

Here is a link to my ebook on transcripts: http://www.thehomescholar.com/offer/easy-truth.php.  Take a moment now to read about it!

I was talking with a homeschool mom at the pool – “talking” is the very loosest sense of the word.  I had just swam 20 minutes of crawl stroke, and I was incredibly short of breath.  The other mom said that she avoids such fatigue by alternating crawl stroke and breast stroke. What a genius!  Now to be truthful, the real reason I was short of breath is because I’m out of shape.  But let’s put that aside for a moment and think about how this can apply to homeschooling.

First of all, you need to alternate the school year with regularly scheduled breaks.  It doesn’t have to be in the summer, but it does have to be a break.  In my homeschool, we did do some summer school.  15 minutes of math, and 15 minutes of foreign language, and some reading.  The rest of their summer school I just “collected” from their activities and delight directed learning – that part wasn’t like school at all!  Remember to take a break in the summer.

Secondly, it’s a good idea to alternate the hard subjects with easier subjects during the school day.  Math – heavy!  Then reading – fun!  Alternating your easy and difficult subjects can help them learn more during the hard subjects, and learn more about their interests and passions when they identify the easier and more fun subjects.

I guess a third application would be to get more physically fit…… Ugh!

One way to spread the good news about homeschooling high school is to bookmark these posts on social bookmarking sites like delicious.  You can do that by clicking on the little checkered flag icon on the bottom of this post or going here:  http://budurl.com/deliciousblog.  You will need an accounts (free).  Thanks for your help!

How many credits approximately should a college-bound homeschooler have in electives?

~Kitty

Dear Kitty,
Thanks for the question!  There are two answers to that:

1. College bound students should have as many electives credits as it takes to add up to 24 or more total high school credits when combined with their core classes.

OR

2. High school students should have as many electives as they WANT to have based on how much time they spend on their favorite activities.

Think of “Electives” as another word for “delight directed learning.”  It sounds more like educationalese when you say “electives” though!  But to successfully negotiate college admission, electives should really have the interests of the child at heart.  There may be some electives that parents mandate, but most of it should be things they learn for fun.

There are unlimited electives when you are homeschooling high school.  In a public or private school children are limited to the kinds of classes and AP courses that are offered.  Not true with homeschooling!  We can provide almost any course imaginable!

So enjoy the process of gathering up elective credits in high school.  They are often the most fun to do and may last with your student the longest!

My CD, “Gifted Education at Home” talks a lot about delight directed learning.  Get your copy here!

Homeschoolers sacrifice a lot.  Often they are single income families.  Sometimes single parents share with each other, and some parents take second jobs to support themselves financially.  Homeschoolers are often a cash-strapped lot.  Even homeschoolers who are wealthy can feel the pinch, because they don’t have the discretionary income like their coworkers.  It’s hard to be a homeschooler, especially financially.

Sometimes I would play the “woe is me” game, and think about my taxes.  All those dollars for public education, and who was providing for MY curriculum needs?  You could seek curriculum from schools, or try to get a portion of public education funds, but that can lead to its own set of problems.  You might give up control over curriculum, grades, your transcript, your schedule.  Instead of “giving up” – giving up on homeschooling or giving up control of your homeschool – focus on this verse from Hebrews.

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”

Be content with what you have.  Strive to be free from the love of money.  How difficult in our society!  Strive instead to be content with what you have.  Be thankful for your ability to homeschool freely.  Be thankful that you can choose your courses, curriculum, content and speed.  Be thankful you can achieve success and true learning rather than failing grades.

Are we Facebook friends yet?   Please send me a friend request.  I would love to get to know you better.

Should you always take a CLEP test after every class your child gets an “A” in?  Not necessarily.  It depends on if the CLEP will help your child get into college – but there is one very important factor to consider!  Here is what one mother asked:

I read on your website that your son passed the CLEP test for Biology after taking the Apologia course. My son just finished taking that class from a lady in our community and got an A. Should I be having him take that test???
~ Kitty in Washington

My husband read that question and said, “Hey Lee!  I actually KNOW the answer to this one!”  LOL!  He’s so cute.  Anyway, you can give him a CLEP test if you think a CLEP score may help him, but you want to make SURE that he can pass the test first.  Give him a sample test, make sure he can get 50% or better on it.  If so, then you can consider giving him the test for real.  Some colleges don’t accept CLEP, but I still find it a useful tool for some outside documentation for classes taught at home.  Here is the website I have about using CLEP to homeschool college.

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How did you deal with burnout while planning homeschool high school?

I feel like the planning and researching never ends.  We chose not to do a canned homeschool program like Abeka or Bob Jones so that we could tailor the programs to our two boys.  After 6 years of homeschooling, I’m feeling burned out. How did you find  balance?  How do we teach, plan, grade, buy, read, yahoo groups, go to conventions, visit colleges, do transcripts, apply to colleges, research high school, research college, help children decide majors and everything else?  And still be civil to our kids and husband.

~ Deb in New York

Dear Deb,

That’s a great question – although a HUGE question.

In the meantime, I want to point out that it’s summer.  It’s time to kick back and relax.  If you are feeling burned out, my advice is two things

1. stop homeschooling for summer
2. play a lot

You know how when kids are doing math, and they are working for hours and hours on the same assignment?  You know, after about an hour on one math lesson, they become COMPLETELY incapable and overwhelmed.  It’s much more efficient to stop math after one hour and then restart it later in the day.

And think about baseball players?  Professional athletes get MONTHS off each year.  They stop being athletes so they can recover.  So I guess in that sense, homeschoolers are like professional athletes, right?  We need a major break.  That’s why God created summer

You may have a complicating factor, and in that case, it would help if we can talk this Wednesday about what you feel is the critical issue.  But in general, you should try to take the summer off.  Maybe just watch some of my videos and listen to audios on the Gold Care Club so you feel stronger and refreshed, but DO NOT take notes, just listen and absorb.

One other issue.  If you are in the beginning part of high school then the tendency is to do too much.  You may want to assess how much work you are requiring from the kids and yourself, and see if it is just too much.  High school is a time when kids should become more self-taught.  It’s also a time when they start to specialize (that is, start to follow their passionate interests,) so you can do fewer subjects but do some of them more deeply.  I would love to talk with you about that more if you have other concerns.

Hang in there,  Deb!  And I hope I can talk to you this week!  I’ll try to work on an article on avoiding homeschool planning burnout.

Do you enjoy our monthly newsletter, The HomeScholar Record?  If so, we would love it if you would rate us and write a brief review here, so others could find it!  Thanks.

I sometimes get this question about Abeka, particularly when I’m at convention and families are shopping for next year’s curriculum.  I don’t think it matters whether Abeka is more advanced or not.  It matter if Abeka is a good FIT for you and your children.  Any curriculum that is a good fit will help your child learn the most.  A good fit with a moderately good program will help your student retain more than a high achieving program that isn’t a good fit.

Since I get asked about Abeka pretty often, I thought I’d give you my impressions.  Abeka feels very classroom-based.  Their videos are usually in a classroom setting, and personally, that drives me crazy.  Hence, Abeka would not have been a good fit for me, and it wouldn’t have worked for my homeschool.  Other people don’t have that same gut reaction to Abeka.  It’s a very individual reaction.  Each person will have their own preferences, and if Abeka is a good fit for your family, then it should work fine.

If Abeka is working, it will probably continue to work for your children.  If it works, keep using it, but be willing to make a change if it stops working for your kids.  Abeka is usually not something I recommend for new homeschoolers, though.  It’s too similar to a classroom setting, and beginning homeschoolers often do better by starting with something that doesn’t remind them of school or classrooms.

Gifted kids in particular do better with a non-grade specific, literature-based or project-based curriculum, where they can learn to their heart’s content without being hemmed in by the covers of a textbook.

I try to stay away from recommending curriculum, because it’s more about the parent-child fit than anything else.  But I hope these impressions of Abeka help you!

Get a free 20 minute weekly phone consultation with me as part of your Gold Care Club membership.

I am so excited to be speaking at the upcoming WATCH convention on August 7 and 8 in Seattle, WA.  Here are my topics:

Getting the BIG Scholarships (Workshop “C” 10:30 Saturday)
Have you ever wondered, “what about scholarships?” Because of the wonderful benefits of homeschooling, homeschool students frequently get great scholarships for colleges. Drawing from her experiencing in helping her two children win full-tuition scholarships from their first choice university, Lee Binz, The HomeScholar will teach you how to prepare your students for scholarships, and then use marketing to position them for the best possible financial aid package.

Keys to High School Success (Workshop “A” 11:00 Friday)
You don’t need to be afraid to homeschool high school! Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, will explain why that is true. She will also give key strategies to lighten your workload, improve the quality of your children’s education, prepare them for college, help them in life, and lessen your stress level – all while staying in front of the college admission requirements.

I hope to see you there!

You can get more information on the convention and speakers here.