Home School Helps ~ High School

Update/Disclaimer:

This is not exhaustive or conclusive, just a starting point, based on the (probably biased) opinions and experience of an eclectic family who have homeschooled from the beginning with our four children, ages 10 to 17 (in a few weeks).

Tonight is our local support group's monthly meeting. I'll be helping out, leading two groups, one on "Things we wish we'd known when first starting out homeschooling," and "Homeschooling for High School."

Since it's a rather open and flexible format that I'll be facilitating~allowing for time for others to share their thoughts, ideas, and to ask questions~it is harder to plan what handouts to take, and what highlights I want to be sure to include.

I am posting it here, just fyc. Please add your own ideas and advice in the comments, if you'd like! This certainly is not complete or comprehensive, but just a starting place.

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How to make sure your student is able to study a Subject you are not good at as your children get older:

You might be faced with teaching a subject that you are weak in or never learned. Here are some ideas to help you as your children move into high school level courses. I'm also a believer in adding supplemental video clips, games, where possible, recitations, etc. to help make some of this material more enjoyable, from time to time. I would prefer that students make their own connections, but how can they, if we do not introduce some rich and deep works to them. We should place a rich feast before them, that they may taste morsels of many different dishes. (Thank you, Charlotte Mason)

1. Learn the material along with your child, trying to stay at least a week ahead of them in the assigned reading or work.
2. Team up with another homeschooling family or two and team teach the subjects you're strong in.
3. Contact local support groups for co-operative teaching possibilities.
4. Hire a tutor to teach the subject, possibly a local college student.
5. Use a video/DVD course, or supplement with audio or DVD helps, such as lectures from other sources. The Teaching Company is one I've used as a resource. If you subscribe to their newsletter, they inform you of free lectures you can download at their site.
6. Use a computer course.
7. See if the local junior college offers this course to high school students.
8. Take the class at a local junior college along with your high school student.
9. Check into online schools and the possibility of taking just one course.

Solicit help from a friend who is strong in the subject.

Tips:
1. Every subject doesn't have to be mastered before high school graduation, but exposure will make college easier. Many times college and high school credit can be earned simultaneously by taking the course at the junior college.

Some families may be curious as to what is generally required or desired (by prospective colleges) that our children take in high school.

A couple of good examples are posted on the Donna Young website and at CollegeBoard.com.
The CollegeBoard.com website even has a neat little print-off of semester courses, called the High School planning worksheet for you or your high schooler to keep track of. Don't neglect the importance of extracurricular activites. Boost your study skills here.

Look at these time management tips for high schoolers. Find ACT test prep help here.

When I was in high school, it helped that I had four years of High School Spanish, had won a handful of medals in Spanish State Competition for composition, sight reading and poetry recitation, but also that I was the Spanish Club president my senior year. The college I attended offered me 18 hours of College Spanish Credit toward a minor in Spanish, without my having to take one test.

Know what requirements your students' preferred college choices have, regarding years of foreign language, Science, etc., recommended. Also which test scores do they require or prefer to use?
ACT testing? SAT? And what about CLEP tests?

An alternative to College that some families consider is either College at home or Apprenticeships.

Info for preparing grades for the final transcript:

Figuring grades~ percentage and letter grades:

Here's One Way:

1. Correct the paper or test
2. Determine the number of total questions.
3. Subtract the number of missed questions, and count the number of correct answers.
4. Take the number of correct questions and divide by the total number of questions.
5. Multiply this number by 100 to turn it into a percentage. Typical grade scale: 90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; 59% and below = F

Add all scores for a term and divide this number by the total number of scores. This will be the term or semester average. You can give as much weight to any particular assignment or quiz that you wish. Determining the final grade, then, will require more multiplication of percentages!

For example, in my Spanish classes, I have given 20% weight to the final grade in the following areas: Tests, quizes, and class participation. Daily (Weekly) lesson assignments account for a full 40% of the semester grade, thereby giving each student up to one more full percentage point in their final grade. Extra credit is added in there, somewhere. Extra credit on a test counts toward a final test grade. General extra credit given for participation in a Latin American or Spanish Cultural experience, or for reciting a Bible verse in Spanish, or for singing a song in Spanish. In my classes, this will count toward the total final percentage, and may bump someone up a letter grade, if they were so close to the break already.

Some things I wish I had known..
AKA
What I wish I'd not let myself be duped into believing ;-)

That just because we homeschool does not guarantee that we won't have behavioral or even
serious heart issues with our teens!! Read that again, if you must. We are not guaranteed perfect little geniuses that will respond pleasantly to our parenting at all times.

This is the time in their lives when they are trying to figure out what their talents are, who (and "whose") they are. We can pranet, guide, and love them, but they may still raise their voices sometimes. Is it to be tolerated? Well, no. Some things to consider in our own quiet time...are we exasperating them to wrath? Maybe we should think long and hard about that, and humbly pray that the Lord give us grace when we ourselves are not in His will. Some frustrations and lashing out are because we've put undo expectations on them, or not given them clear communication, enough mercy and grace. Sometimes, they haven't learned how to vent their anger in a healthy, Godly way, and they don't take time to make good choices, they just react. Sometimes, it may just be a case of hormonal imbalances...theirs and mine! In my limited experience with a 17 yos, 14.5 yod, 12.5 yos, and 10.5 yos, They are hitting the "aggravated and moody" hormonal times closer to 14 (daughter) and 15 (son). Some people have said they notice hormonal moodiness sometimes as early as 10, but we have NOT experienced that here.

Well, I'm going to get off the soapbox, and think of a few bullet points, instead.

~ Stay in The Word and pray; keep your relationship with the Lord strong.
~ make sure you're all getting enough sleep, keeping regular hours, not wild, odd hours of getting to bed and awaking.
~ spend special time with your spouse
~ make time for yourself, to include some hobby time during the week
~ pay attention to your children's and your own cues; be attentive for symptoms of stress or burnout
~ consider that you may have hormonal imbalances that need to be dealt with
~ make use of your children's giftings when you help encourage them toward a career or life calling. Find other adults who have a career in these given fields and talk with them about advising you and your children.
~ Encourage appropriate friendships
~ Do things that promote their spiritual discipleship
~ keep up with record keeping for your high schoolers' transcript or portfolio, so that you won't have to make it all up at the end of the semester, end of the year, or even at the end of your students' high school career! It's much easier to accomplish this important task, a little at a time.
~ subscribe to CollegeBoard.com to keep yourself up to date on all the important testing dates and scholarship opportunities available to your students

Other recommended resources:

James Stobaugh's SAT Prep course for the Christian student and real sample SAT's
Inge Cannon's Transcript Bootcamp seminar or tapes

Perhaps I'll update with more, later...It's time to get ready. What other information or tips have you found important and useful?

Javamom