My daughter is entering high school next year and we pretty much have her year laid out and what she wants to take. We sat down and did this together. But my question is this – she has never had Pre-Algebra. Is it necessary to take that or can she just go into Algebra I and be okay. I don’t remember taking Pre-Algebra in high school and am not quite sure what to do in this area. Thank you for any guidance in this area.
~ Andra in Kentucky
Hi Andra,
Choose your math curriculum first, and then try to find a placement test for her. Here is a link for a Saxon placement test that should help. That placement test will determine what math level she should take. Some advanced math classes taken in 8th grade will cover all the necessary pre-algebra content, so she may be fine without the additional class. For more information, check out this blog post.
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One of the reasons we decided to homeschool our children was to avoid the
“one size fits all” education available in our school district. Both of our
boys didn’t fit neatly into the mold and would not have achieved what they
have if we had force fit them in. One of the strengths of homeschooling is
exactly what you describe as the cultivation of “a diversity of talents and
develops ‘unique niche talents.’” They were able to identify and pursue
their passionate interests at an early age and that allowed them to go much
further than they ever could have in a classroom setting.
We did the standardized tests only because they were required by law. We
“studied” for them only to the extent that we studied reading, writing, math
and science. In order to play the game demanded by the universities, we
also made sure our kids were very comfortable in pressurized test
situations. These two steps allowed them to score very well on the SAT
without it becoming a dominant component of their education. Testing was a
necessary evil that contributed nothing to their actual education.
Today is my birthday, and I’m turning 49 – for the FIRST time!
I’m sure that it will become easier and easier each time I turn 49. In four years, I’ll probably be thinking, “49? What a breeze! Such a great age!” And at some point I’ll long for the “good old days” of being 49 again. I’ll remember how young and spry I felt, LOL!
Homeschooling high school is the same. You may be homeschooling high school – for the FIRST time. But each year it will get easier. By the time you’ve finished your first four years of high school it will feel like old hat. You’ll remember how fun freshman year was. You’ll remember the freedom. You may even remember how sweet and compliant your children were! Ha! You probably won’t remember too many of the struggles. Four years from now is a long time away, and those memories do fade, you know.
You’re homeschooling high school for the first time. I’m turning 49 for the first time. Years from now we’ll both be old pros!
We do Bible as a family everyday. I would guess we spend about 45 minutes a day. Sometimes we simply read the Word and discuss, other times we do a formal study. Plus there is the daily discipleship…Sunday’s at church, youth group studies, etc… May I give a Bible credit per year to my son, or must he have actually done a formal Bible study with documented work done in a portfolio? Any wisdom? Thanks for any help/thoughts. I’m beginning to feel as though I’m stumbling towards the finish line, rather than sprinting. It’s all about doubting myself at this point…
~Yvonne on Facebook
Hi Yvonne,
I gave my kids 1/2 credit per year. You can see how it looks on this link to my own transcript.
If it were me (hey, it WAS me!) I really WOULD put it on the transcript. Because of the amount of time, you could even say 1 credit per year.
You don’t have to use a textbook for Bible anymore than you would use a textbook for PE or a music class like piano. In this case, you just count hours, not textbooks. It’s still an accurate and legitimate way to calculate credit value.
Some colleges may like to see a course description of it, but it depends on the college. Some secular colleges won’t consider a Bible class in their GPA, some Christian colleges will want to see Bible classes so they know kids are prepared.
Your job is to make a transcript that is honest and true. This Bible class was truly part of your homeschool, so I say give him the credit.
Congratulations Aubrey for your winning entry in our contest. Our contest was to tell us your favorite part of homeschooling in the Spring. Aubrey responded:
Homeschooling in the spring means we can think about our garden, now buried in over 2 feet of snow. We can consider what vegetables we will plant, that once summer comes, we will enjoy the fruits of our labors. It is wonderful to have the children plan, shop, plant, tend, and harvest from our small city garden. My 10 year old will share the fruits of our labors(fresh picked vegetables) with the children on our block, who are fascinated with the garden (plants and critters) each year. Knowing that winter is followed by spring brings great joy! Homeschooling THIS spring will mean my high school junior will be one year closer to graduating! How can this be? I recall the times (spring season?) when I would watch him as a toddler feeding the ants outside next to our garden. This year, I will be so mindful of the fact that he is on his way to beginning a new phase of his life, college! I am so grateful to God and my husband for the opportunity to have homeschooled him from the beginning. The years still remain for his sisters, grades 9 and 4.
My husband read me all the entries on the way home from church today (without revealing any names). I liked this comment because it made me remember all the great times we had homeschooling in the Spring as well.
Thank you everyone for participating. Aubrey, I’ll send you your conference tickets by email.
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I have a complimentary ticket to Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Refresher Conference on February 22-25, 2010.
Are your feet dragging? Do you need a little pick-me-up? Winter is wrapping up and we are anxious for spring — for green, for sunshine, for life, for a little oomph in our homeschool day. It’s easy to get bogged down and for things to turn hum-drum.
A Woman Inspired and Heart of the Matter Online are excited to bring you a Homeschool Refresher conference that is sure to give you a boost. This conference will feature some speakers chosen specifically for their ability to revive, rejuvenate, and renew the hearts and minds of their audience. You are sure to walk away motivated and inspired to achieve great things! To be entered to win the tickets, just comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite part about homeschooling in the Spring. We will choose a winner on Sunday!. Good luck!
My son, Alex is getting his degree in Political Economy, and he gave me the “thumbs up” on Economics in a Box . It does look like a LOT of reading, so I don’t think it would be a good fit if your child doesn’t like reading or hates economics. It’s also coming from a distinctly free market perspective, which tends to be more conservative. It doesn’t include a Biblical component, as well. You might want to look at Jay Richard’s book, Money, Greed, and God, for which Alex earned a mention in the Forward!.
I wrote a blog post on economics for beginners here:
Most high school economics classes are 1/2 credit. Since American government is usually 1/2 credit as well, they are sometimes done in the same year. You can do anything you want, but I didn’t want you to think economics had to be a whole credit.
The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school.
For example, read how UC Riverside actively recruits homeschool students:
“Among the homeschool community, we find large numbers of students who are smart, mature, creative, independent and well-socialized people,” said Frank Vahid, a professor of computer science who has three children who are homeschooled. “We want such excellent students in our classes. They have a lot to offer the university community.”
“Smart, mature, creative, independent and well-socialized people.”
An AP exam is a wonderful way to demonstrate mastery of a subject. You can prove your child has learned a wide variety of subjects with one long, graded exam. It’s standard for many highly selective schools, so they can be quite common. That doesn’t mean, however, that AP exams are always a good fit.
One of my clients reported that her son struggled to follow an AP course that homeschoolers commonly utilize. She said each day he would study for 4 or 5 hours just on the single subject. Finally, exhausted, he had little emotional energy left to spend on his remaining school work. Not surprisingly, he was burned out and his mother was worried.
With everything, it’s important to find a balance between life and academics. Take a step back. Try to look at the big picture. From within the family, I’m sure there is confusion and strife. Perhaps there is anxiety about whether the child is trying hard enough – or whether the parent is pushing too hard. From outside the family, the bigger picture is a little easier to see. One AP subject was interfering with homeschooling in general. In this child, one AP subject came at the cost of education.
If something is getting in the way of educating your child, remember why we homeschool. We can be flexible, and change and adapt to meet various situations. No matter how great the AP class sounded when you signed up, once you recognize it doesn’t work, flexibility can save the day.
An educated, well adjusted, happy student will look better on your transcript, and look better to a college, than a child that passed an AP exam at the expense of the rest of school.
An article in Time magazine asks “Are We Failing Our Geniuses?” Often in school systems, children aren’t permitted to learn at their level in each subject. The are put into age-specific classes, and only provided educational material based on their age. The article says, “Many school systems are wary of grade skipping even though research shows that it usually works well both academically and socially for gifted students–and that holding them back can lead to isolation and underachievement.”
If you are homeschooling a gifted child, you aren’t alone. This long article can provide support. Homeschooling is the perfect solution for gifted children.
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