Homeschool Coffee Break: Homeschooling High School 2015

Showing posts with label Homeschooling High School 2015. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Homeschooling High School - Graduation and Beyond!

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For this last installment of the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop we're discussing graduation and questions about how we mark the occasion and how we know our student is ready to graduate. Are they ever ready - really? Are we as parents ever ready? In just a few short months, a third student will be graduating from our homeschool, so I'm definitely asking myself these questions!

A couple of years ago I wrote a series about Homeschool Essentials for Graduating and highlighted the things I felt were essential for students to accomplish or learn before the end of their high school years. The requirements for my kids to graduate haven't changed much since then. Obviously they need to complete the coursework and credits prescribed by our state and our oversight group. Hopefully we've had their high school coursework planned well enough, and done our record-keeping for a complete transcript which meets requirements to enter the college or career they've chosen. I think it's important for my kids to be adequately trained in how to manage a household by the time they graduate - whether they go off to college, move out on their own, or continue to live with us for awhile longer, they need to be able to handle their own laundry, cooking, finances, and more. They need real world skills for getting (and keeping!) a job and being good citizens. Finally, but most importantly, I believe it's essential that my kids are firmly grounded in Biblical faith before they graduate. They need to make their faith truly their own, and be ready to live it out in whatever situations they are in as adults.

Required Coursework and Credits - Academic requirements are prescribed by state or local education standards. At present, my own homeschool group's minimum requirement is 23.5 credits, which is basically the state minimum plus credits in Bible. Landon is completing high school in three years instead of four, so we are squeezing a lot into this year in order to get it all done!

Record-keeping and Transcript - I keep my students' grades and all their records using Homeschool Tracker, which keeps it simple for me. The end of the semester is coming up, so I'll use the Tracker to produce the report card and then I'll transfer the grades to the form we use for reporting grades to our umbrella group. My group provides the high school transcript when needed, but it's only as good as the information I submit!

Managing a household - Some of the essential skills we try to teach include: laundry, dishes, general cleaning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, household maintenance, vehicle maintenance, yard maintenance (okay, those last two are my hubby's job to teach), balancing a checkbook, and handling personal finances. I'm not even very good at some of those things, and sometimes it's a matter of telling my kids I hope they learn from my mistakes!

Continue easing them to independence. Hopefully they've been learning life skills all the way along. The skills they need to learn might start to look a little different as they become young adults, but they need to be able to do for themselves, take responsibility, and make good choices. Think of yourself as a sort of life coach, and you're getting your kids - and yourself! - through the transition from dependent child to independent adult. They know how to make a sammich - now let them cook a meal for the family once a week. (I wish I'd done this. I still have a chance with my daughter, I guess. LOL) After all, they'll need scavenge their own meals when they move out, and you'll want them to have more than scavenger-level skills. Adjust their household responsibilities to their age and skill level. They will need to know how to do their own laundry and dishes, do their own grocery shopping, take care of household maintenance and yard care duties, do their own banking, pay their own bills, etc someday. If they don't move out as soon as they graduate high school, you will want them to clean up after themselves at the very least. Don't let them graduate high school without knowing the basics of running a simple household. Expect them to take responsibility for their own actions and choices. They should learn how to be trustworthy workers, and that they should contribute positively to society, rather than sit around expecting the world to cater to them. (This is from my post: T is for Teenagers.)

Real world skills - We've tried to cover things like how to put together a resume, how to handle a job interview, and how to be a good employee. I want my young adults to know how to build their resume, what to expect and how to present themselves at an interview or in a business setting, and how to interact with all kinds of people in many kinds of work and social settings.

Faith and worldview - Without a vibrant personal faith and a confidence in their Biblical worldview, the other skills and head knowledge may not be worth much. We chose to homeschool because we took seriously the responsibility we have to disciple our children, and to bring them up to know God and to honor him in everything - that includes education, work, hobbies, relationships, community, and the list goes on. That's why I believe in using education, especially during the high school years, to get kids firmly grounded in God's Word and to encourage them to grow deeper in their faith. What they learn and believe about God's character and God's plan for their own lives will have a huge influence on their choices.

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Okay, he's ready! How will we celebrate?

We are very fortunate to belong to a homeschool oversight group that provides a beautiful commencement ceremony for those who wish to participate. (I'm on the grad ceremony committee, so I'm doubly involved this year! And a little biased about how great the occasion is.) So our students will have a traditional gown and mortarboard, and our commencement exercises include the traditional things you'd expect at a large school ceremony - Pomp and Circumstance, presentation of diplomas, and a commencement address. The families and the grads are all very involved in making decisions for the ceremony, so it can be much more personal than a commencement with hundreds of students. We include some music and a time of worship, and put together a powerpoint with photos of each student through the years accompanied by music of their choice. We also print a program that includes a short bio of each student. That kind of individual attention to each student's personality and achievements make it a very special event, even when we have a relatively large class as we do this year. For us, a large class is about 15 students!

Please visit the Homeschooling High School blogs listed below for their thoughts on graduation.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Homeschooling High School - Getting Stuff Done (On Time!)

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you!

So this edition of the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop totally snuck up on me, which has been making me laugh because that's often the way homeschooling through high school works! And really, the way homeschooling often turns out around this time of year too. We find ourselves with our long To-Do List and realize that the time is limited. How do we fit all it all in?

This is, without a doubt, the most frustrating aspect of homeschooling during the high school years for me. Finding that elusive sweet spot where my kids are well on the way to independence, and my level of involvement in their schoolwork is mostly advisory. It's tempting to continue to manage their time for them, or to be constantly nagging them about what they need to do. But as graduation looms ever nearer, they will need to be able to manage their own time and take charge of their own preparation for the career they choose.

When it comes to schoolwork, it's pretty obvious that high schoolers will likely do better when they are interested and engaged in their coursework. We all tend to be more motivated to work on the things we like and want to spend time on, and to procrastinate or avoid the things we find difficult or unappealing. Teens are no different, and if they excel in a subject area and want to pursue a career in it, they will probably study that subject and pour themselves into it. By the same token, they may hope that mom doesn't notice that they haven't really worked on that subject that they don't like and wish they didn't have to do.

This year I've got a junior that plans to graduate in June. He has a slightly heavier course load, and he is going to have to apply himself if he wants to cover it all. It's his choice to graduate early - not something I pushed for - so it's his responsibility to make sure it happens. My responsibility? Encourage, facilitate, and coach. Practically speaking, that means I helped him figure out exactly which courses he had to take this year and worked with him to come up with a timeline for getting the work done. Also, I am still grading his work and keeping records, so I establish deadlines for assignments and check regularly to make sure he is actually getting the stuff done. If he is falling behind, I have to prod him to get a move on without micro-managing. If he runs into trouble with a subject, I have to help him figure it out without doing it for him or giving him a grade he hasn't earned.

I have a freshman who loves music and likes to read, but who avoids math like the plague. She gets caught up in hunting down the chords for her favorite songs that she wants to play on the ukulele, or distracted by imagining scenarios for a fanfic she wants to write; and suddenly the school day is almost over and she hasn't touched the Science lesson she was supposed to have completed. Her challenge is to learn to manage her time and apply herself to the subjects she doesn't like as much. My challenge? Encourage, guide, and mentor. That means I check on her often and ask what she is working on. I am still struggling with how closely I need to keep an eye on her to make sure she's working on all her subjects. I need to do some stuff with her to help her stay focused, and to make sure she understands those concepts that aren't coming as easily. And I need to set an example for good time management - and boy, is that a challenge for me!

How can homeschooled high schoolers get all the required coursework done on time? How can they learn to be effective managers of their time? How can they take responsibility and ownership of their own education? They need to have the reins handed to them; they need to practice being in charge; and they may even need to experience a setback or failure.

Decide what's most important and prioritize. (That extra PE credit she could earn if she plays a full season of basketball is great, but she's already got enough credits, and do you all really have the time to run to all those practices and games and still get Geometry done?)
Follow your student's lead and interests in choosing a course of study as much as is practical. (He plans to be an engineer so he wants to study lots of science and math, but US History is still a required credit and can't be ignored.)
Allow your student as much input into choosing curriculum as is practical. (Look for curriculum or learning opportunities that work with your student's learning style, personality, and needs.)
Have your student develop their own schedule. (What time of day are they at their best? How many breaks do they need during the day? How much time per subject per day works best for them? Let them figure that out.)
Let them figure out when, where, and how they can the work done. (She prefers to do all her required reading lying on her bed. Fine, as long as it's getting done. He prefers to have his music playing while he studies. Fine, as long as it's getting done.)
Set clear expectations for assignment deadlines and standards of work, and have appropriate consequences if the expectations aren't met. (Even though they should be managing their own time, they do have to work to certain parameters. When they are in college, papers will be due by a certain date and there will be consequences if they're not turned in. The same should happen at home. When they are in the workforce, they will need to complete tasks to their supervisor's specifications and time frame, or they may find themselves unemployed. They need to work within specific guidelines at home too.)
Guide them in finding the most efficient way to get to their career goal. (Not every student will be headed for college straight from graduation. Help them as they consider what they want to pursue and be open to possibilities that may be outside the box, such as a focused trade school or an apprenticeship, or to a timeline that includes a gap year or two while they travel or just decide what they want to do.)

Some related posts here on the Homeschool Coffee Break:

The Real Homeschooled High Schooler

T is for Teenagers

How Do I Even Teach That?? (Homeschooling High School Blog Hop) on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Homeschooling High School - How Do I Even Teach That?

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you!

The million dollar question, the one that can cause anxiety and panic for many parents as they consider homeschooling through high school is this one: "How am I going to teach high school level ______________?????" (Fill in that blank with whatever subject you feel least qualified to teach!) It's a valid question. After all, most of us don't have a teaching degree, and almost all of us struggled mightily with at least one subject during our own school years. Even worse, since it's been quite a few years since we slogged through that subject we disliked, we feel like we've probably forgotten whatever we did learn and maybe what we do remember is sadly out of date.

Ready for the good news? Your student does not have to be limited to what you know and understand. There are actually plenty of options for your kids to get the high school credits they need and want that don't require Mom or Dad to act as the professor.

You can be a student too!

Just because you graduated high school more years ago than you want to count doesn't mean you can't still be learning. Seriously. If you've got the textbook, you can read it too! Read along with your student and learn it together - if your kid is cool with that - or have your kid teach what they are learning to you. This is actually good for your student too, because one powerful way to make sure you understand something is to explain it to someone else. If you're using DVDs or computer-based curriculum, you can easily sit in on the class. You may be surprised at how much you remember, or how much you can pick up and understand.

Get the right curriculum for the job!

When your kids were learning first grade math, you probably didn't need the answer key to help you, but with high school algebra and geometry, that has probably changed. Sometimes the answer key and teacher's guide is just as important a consideration when choosing curriculum as the student book. For high school math, I need a teacher's guide and answer key that not only shows the correct final answer, but also shows the steps in arriving at the answer. For a course in English composition, I want a teacher's guide that includes a grading rubric and lets me know what to look for and how to evaluate my student's writing. Maybe a curriculum that does the teaching for you would be a good choice - something like VideoText Interactive (for algebra and geometry) or Fascinating Education (for chemistry or biology) takes the pressure off you to explain concepts to your student.

Give the responsibility to your student!

So your kid wants or needs to learn something that is totally outside your area of expertise. Put the ball in their court. After all, they've learned how to read and research, right? Let them take the lead in hunting up a curriculum or textbook, or in doing their own reading and research into the topic. This obviously works best when the subject area is one the student is motivated to pursue rather than a required credit that they have little personal interest in.

Pass the ~~buck~~ book . . . or baton!

Seriously. Sometimes the best option is to give the job to someone else. Look for a co-op that offers the class your student needs. Ask around and see if you have a friend or relative that has the educational background or experience to help your student in the areas that you can't. Hire a tutor - perhaps a college student. Check out the possibilities at your community college or a technical school. Often homeschoolers can take a college course for dual credit, or can take trade skills classes at a vocational training center or technical school.

Add to your resource list!
Sometimes it's not that you need an entire course taught through a co-op or dual credit class, but your student needs some extra help that you don't feel qualified to give. A mentor or a tutor might still be a good choice. But nowadays there are also some great extra help resources available on the internet; some can be combined to make full credit courses, or they can be used as supplements or short courses. Some examples include: Stinky Kid Math (for algebra and geometry), Fortuigence (for writing), and Standard Deviants Accelerate (for supplemental coursework in many subject areas).

Don't let that one scary subject stop you from homeschooling through high school. Just keep an open mind as you explore the many resources and options available to help you and your student. Like all the other homeschool decisions, start with prayer about those difficult subjects and continue to believe that God will provide what you need.

Some related posts here on the Homeschool Coffee Break:
Mom Does Not Know Everything

Visit the other participating bloggers this month, and see what advice they offer:

Chareen at Every Bed of Roses shares Overcoming the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years
Gena over at I Choose Joy! shares her thoughts on How Will I Teach. . . Homeschool High School Biology?
Michele at Family, Faith and Fridays shares on How Then Should I Teach?
Lisa at Golden Grasses shares Making it Happen: Homeschooling Your High School Super Hero
Kym at Homeschool Coffee Break on How Do I Even Teach That?
Wendy at Life at Rossmont shares insights on Help! How Do I Teach High School Math?!
Erica at Be The One on Homeschooling High School: Tackling The Challenge
Leah from As we Walk Along the Road shares Help! I Can't Homeschool High School: Facing Your Homeschooling High School Fears
Carol at Home Sweet Life asks How Will I Teach High School?

This post is also linked up on the Homeschool Review Crew Blog for the 5 Days of Homeschool Blog Hop (Spring 2018).

Lessons About Trusting the Experts (5 Days of Lessons for Homeschool Moms) on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

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©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Homeschooling High School - History in the Form of Stories

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you!

History in the Form of Stories (Homeschooling High School blog hop 2015) on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

This month's Homeschooling High School Blog Hop is all about Language Arts, which encompasses poetry, literature, grammar and composition, and all kinds of writing. It's a lot to cover, and it's important that we do it well, especially for our college-bound students, and picking the perfect curriculum from among all the resources out there can be a challenge.

My starting point in Language Arts is basically the same as for other subjects - I'm looking for something that will suit my student's learning style and interests, and will be appropriate for their future plans. Our oldest son started his high school years planning to get into journalism, while our second son had no intentions of going to college at all, so the emphasis on grammar and composition was different. My boys are not big fans of reading fiction, but my daughter loves to read and write stories, so our approach to literature studies is different.

If history were told in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten. ~Rudyard Kipling

I loved that quote from Kipling when I ran across it, and it sums up how we like to study history, and how we tie that to our study of Literature. History has been the backbone of our high school literature courses, and the basis for a majority of high school writing assignments in our homeschool for many years. We started using Exploring World History and Exploring America (both from Notgrass) with my oldest son and have never looked back. (See my post: E is for Exploring America for more info.)These two high school level history courses, when completed as suggested, are worth three full credits - one each in History, Bible, and English or Literature. As I said, my boys haven't been interested in reading, so for each of them, we've reduced the amount of literature they are required to read during the course and awarded a half credit instead of a whole for that portion of the course.

History in the Form of Stories (Homeschooling High School blog hop 2015) on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

The essay books included with the curriculum contain poetry, speeches, essays, and short stories that relate to the history being studied. Each of the novels assigned was either written during the time frame being studied, or was written about one of the specific time frames or events. I like the context that studying history and literature together provides, especially for students that have limited interest in reading in the first place! Below are the full lists of novels studied for each of these courses. The bolded titles are the ones Landon studied or will study, and the titles in parentheses were on the older reading lists which is what we followed. When Kennady gets to Notgrass next school year, she will likely read all or almost all of them!

Exploring World History

(Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis)

The Cat of Bubastes - G.A. Henty
The Art of War - Sun Tzu

Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis

Here I Stand (biography of Martin Luther) - Roland Bainton
(Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan)

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell (Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen)

The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom

Bridge to the Sun - Gwen Terasaki
Cry, the Beloved Country - Alan Paton (Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad)

(Eric Liddell: Pure Gold - David McCasland)

Animal Farm - George Orwell

The Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis

Exploring America

The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrative of the Life of David Crockett - David Crockett

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass

Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Company Aytch - Sam Watkins

(Little Women - Louisa May Alcott)

Humorous Stories and Sketches - Mark Twain

(Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington)

In His Steps - Charles Sheldon

Mama's Bank Account - Kathryn Forbes

(Christy - Catherine Marshall)
Miracle in the Hills - Mary T. Martin Sloop and LeGette Blythe

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

The Giver - Lois Lowry

So what is Kennady doing for Literature this year? Well, she has a pretty ambitious plan, but it suits her interests. She has taken a huge liking to Lightning Lit & Comp for her literature studies, and requested British Early-Mid 19th Century but she also wanted to read all Jane Austen's novels, so we are combining the two. The Lightning Lit course already includes Pride and Prejudice, so I rearranged a little bit so that Kennady can read the other five Austen novels as well, and we are using Peter Leithart's Miniatures and Morals as our study guide. She will be immersed in the first half of 19th century Britain for her entire literature study! So her reading list for this year looks like this, although we might change the order slightly:

Selected poems by William Blake (Lightning Lit)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (in both studies)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Miniatures)
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (Lightning Lit)
"Essay on Scott" by Thomas Carlyle (Lightning Lit)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Miniatures)
Selected poems by Samuel Taylor Coleright, William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley (Lightning Lit)
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (Miniatures)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Lightning Lit)
Emma by Jane Austen (Miniatures)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Lightning Lit)
"Rebecca and Rowena" by William Makepeace Thackeray (Lightning Lit)
Persuasion by Jane Austen (Miniatures)

Grammar and Composition are essential for high schoolers as well, and we've chosen slightly different curriculum based on different learning preferences. This year Landon (11th grade) is using Analytical Grammar and Kennady (9th grade) is using Fix-it! Grammar. Both are using the Student Writing Intensive Level C from IEW for composition.

For Kennady, who loves stories, Fix-It! Grammar is a great fit. This grammar course from IEW can be used for all ages, and teaches parts of speech, punctuation, and everything else grammar related by having the student rewrite a story a couple of sentences at a time. Younger students can go through the book much more slowly than older students and learn the same material. Kennady has a great background in grammar already, so we are doing a week's worth of Fix-It! lessons each day that we work on it, and it's taking less than a half-hour at a time to do that right now. As we get further along and the concepts get more complex, I expect that we'll slow down, but for now, this is perfect for her, and actually quite enjoyable because she wants to find out what will happen next in the story!

Analytical Grammar suits Landon's "just the facts" mindset, and although each unit has three exercises and an extra skills practice assignment as well as the test, we have been using only one of the exercises. As long as he demonstrates solid understanding of the grammar skill presented in each unit by doing the first exercise, I allow him to go on to the unit test. In this way, he is covering all the material but not getting bogged down with it. He only needs to work on Analytical Grammar twice a week at the current pace.

Both kids enjoy the Student Writing Intensive lessons, and I especially like that the bulk of the teaching is done by Andrew Pudewa instead of by me! I just have to schedule the lessons and grade their work. This curriculum is a good fit for both of them, because they start by focusing on developing good writing skills without worrying about the content. As we go through the year, they will be getting more writing assignments based on their History, Geography, or Science studies, and they will be applying those style and structure skills to their own writing.

Although Landon doesn't enjoy reading stories to the same extent that Kennady does, since he has been reading some important literature as it ties into his study of history, I believe he'll have an excellent foundation on which to build if and when he does go to college. A foundation for understanding history, and a good overview of some examples of expert story-telling. As for Kennady, her love of story-telling may lead her to continue writing and sharing stories as an author or as a song-writer. And if her career choice takes her down a completely different path, I'm confident she will still love reading and discussing good books.

Visit our Homeschooling High School Bloggers this month-

Carol from Home Sweet life shares Homeschooling High School- Language Arts (&History!)

Leah from As We Walk Along the Road shares Teaching Language Arts in High School: Curriculum and Activity Choices

Tess from Circling Through This Life shares Teaching High School Language Arts: Resources

Michele from Family, Faith and Fridays shares Language Arts

Wendy from Life at Rossmont shares Highschool Language Arts

Erica from Be the One shares Language Arts Resources

Kym from Homeschool Coffee Break shares History in the Form of Stories

Debbie from Debbie’s Homeschool Corner shares Teaching High School English

Gena from I Choose Joy shares Homeschool High School: Using Socratic Discussion for Literature Studies

Laura from Day by Day in Our World shares How to Teach High School Language Arts Without Tears

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Homeschooling High School - Math, Science, and History Round-Up

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you!

High school means the pressure is on to get the perfect math, science, and history curriculum for your student --- or at least that's what it feels like sometimes! Of course we know there probably isn't a truly perfect curriculum, and if there was, it probably would work for everyone but my kid. Ask me how I know... yeah, been there, done that.

Choosing curriculum can be a daunting task, simply because there is so much out there to choose from, and as homeschool moms we worry that we'll somehow mess our kid up if we don't pick the right thing. Relax, mom! The good thing about so much curriculum to choose from is that we have options, and have a pretty good shot at finding something that will work for our situation. If you've been homeschooling for a few years already, you should have a pretty good idea about what your student's learning style might be, and know their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. That should help you narrow it down.

With my fourth child now entering high school, I've had the chance to try quite a few different things, and being a part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew has given us opportunity to test drive lots of curriculum. Each of my four kids has different abilities and interests, and what worked fine for one kid doesn't necessarily work well for another.

Today I'm going to share a list of some of the high school level curriculum we've tried and some thoughts about how they work for different learning and homeschool styles.

Math

Algebra is probably the subject that causes the most anxiety for homeschool moms, because most of us just don't remember much of what we learned in our own high school math classes. Fortunately, there are plenty of choices for math curriculum that don't put the pressure on mom to do much teaching. In fact, some do the teaching and even the grading for you!

VideoText Interactive has earned top grades from Landon (and from me!) since we reviewed it about two years ago. This one is comprehensive and taught expertly. Lessons are taught in short videos and followed by student practice problems and quizzes. The teaching is done for you, but you will still need to check lesson practice and tests.
Good for: student that needs to see and hear information; student that can work well independently.
Might not be best for: student without access to high speed internet.

photo Algebra_productimage_zps6b262264.jpg

Kennady needs a very different type of math instruction than Landon. She is using Life of Fred, although she may switch to VideoText in a year or two to finish up. Life of Fred teaches in a story format, and doesn't offer nearly as much in the way of practice problems as many folks prefer.
Good for: student that "hates" math or struggles with it, but likes a good story.
Might not be best for: student that needs a more rigorous or traditional math program.

Middle School Monday - Looking Ahead to Grade 9 on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

My oldest two boys used Saxon, which teaches using a spiral approach. It is thorough and familiar, though very dry, in our opinion.
Good for: student that needs an uncluttered book to avoid distraction.
Might not be best for: student that is easily overwhelmed by pages full of problems.

My second son struggled with geometry until we reviewed a web-based math instruction program at ALEKS. (You can read my review HERE.) He enjoyed using the program and I loved that I didn't have to grade it myself.
Good for: filling in gaps in learning
Might not be best for: student that needs paper and pencil problems

And finally, we reviewed the Pre-Algebra course from UnLock Math earlier this year and found it to be very helpful. (You can read my review HERE.) Algebra I is currently available, and Algebra II, Geometry, and Calculus are coming!
Good for: student that needs a creative presentation to help them learn
Might not be best for: student without access to high speed internet

Science
Graduation requirements generally include two or three science credits, and almost universally, it's required that one of those credits is for Biology. This has been the subject area that we have struggled with at the high school level, because none of my kids have been particularly interested in Biology, which does make it a challenge to find a curriculum that's a good fit. My goal has been to have my students gain a general working knowledge of high school level Biology, but not necessarily study in-depth or have a lot of lab work. None of my kids are pursuing a college or career path that is science-oriented, so a general biology course is "good enough" for us since it's not an area of interest. My thinking is that if they were to change their mind, they would be required to take Biology again in college anyway, so as long as they've got a decent foundation with it, the details will fall into place. Since my students are required to take one full credit course in Biology (which they don't care for), I allow them quite a bit of latitude in choosing their second science credit (we are required to have two science credits). My oldest chose to do some Physics and some Human Anatomy and Physiology; my second did Chemistry and Classical Astronomy; Landon did Classical Astronomy and will do a general science history course this year. Kennady will be doing the same general science course, so it remains for us to find a Biology course for her to do at some point.

Supercharged Science provided the main text and activities/experiments for Landon when he studied Biology, but in my opinion does need some extra reading or assignments to make it truly high school level. (Read our review HERE.) It's simple and makes science accessible and fun.
Good for: student that needs only a basic course, and is willing to do some extra to round it out
Might not be good for: student without access to high speed internet; student who requires a more substantial and in-depth program.

We also reviewed High School Biology in Your Home, which is on the other end of the spectrum - a very in-depth program with a lot of research and lab work. At first I thought we could make it work, but we decided it was not a good fit for us. However, I would recommend it for families that need or want a more rigorous science course. Because of the reliance on labwork, this course requires the student to have access to a microscope and other equipment, and be willing to acquire specimens and do a lot of dissection. (Read our review HERE.)
Good for: student that enjoys science and is interested in lots of lab work
Might not be good for: student that is ambivalent about science, or has trouble with self-motivation.

Signs and Seasons : Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy - This was the excellent science elective course that all three of my kids did a few years ago. The boys both earned high school credit for it. The book itself is non-consumable, and there's an optional field guide you can purchase, which contains chapter tests, templates and instructions for all the field activities, and places to keep records. (See my post C is for Classical Astronomy for more details.)
Good for: whole family study.

Survey of Science History & Concepts is the general science elective that Landon and Kennady will both do this year. This course is an overview of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; so it provides the foundational knowledge in the concepts of each of these branches of science.
Good for: general science study from a Christian worldview; a first-year high school study or an elective.
Might not be good for: student that needs a more rigorous course.

History
This is by far my favorite subject, and I could probably go on and on about it! However, we do have a clear favorite curriculum for high school history - Notgrass. I will probably discuss this more in next month's Homeschooling High School blog hop post, because History and Literature study go hand-in-hand.

Notgrass has been my go-to for high school history (combined with Bible and Literature) for several years now, and it tops my list of favorite publishers for History curriculum. All of my kids have studied or will study Exploring World History and Exploring America. (See my post: E is for Exploring America for more info on that one.) Each of these courses is worth three full credits - one each in History, Bible, and English or Literature.
Good for: students willing to do a lot of reading; those who want history taught from a solid Biblical worldview
Might not be good for: struggling readers
Midterm Evaluation - 10th Grade @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

Midterm Evaluation - 10th Grade @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

Kennady has been working on Cultural Geography, using this Grade 9 level text from BJUPress. She requested cultural geography last year (for Grade 8) but wanted to study Europe specifically. So we worked on the introductory units in the text and then the chapters that dealt with Europe - along with some additional reading and map studies. This year Kennady will finish this textbook, we'll throw in a few projects along the way, and she'll have her first high school history/social studies credit.
Good for: student with an interest in geography and culture.

Some related posts here on the Homeschool Coffee Break:

C is for Curriculum
Middle School Monday - Looking Ahead to Grade 9

Homeschooling High School Hosts Share this Month:

Chareen from Every Bed of Roses - Math, Science, Biology and History in the High School Years
Lisa from Golden Grasses - Math, Science, History- Homeschooling High School
Kym from Homeschool Coffee Break - Homeschooling High School - Math, Science, and History Round-Up
Michele from Family, Faith and Fridays - Numbers and Atoms
Wendy from Life at Rossmont - Homeschooling High School: Maths, Sciences, and History
Debbie from Debbie's Homeschool Corner - Afraid of High School Science?
Carol from Home Sweet Life - Math and Science in High School ~ What's a Mom To Do?
Tess from Circling Through This Life - Teaching High School Math and Science: Resources
Meg from Adventures with Jude - High School Math and Science
Gena from I Choose Joy! - Why We Changed Our History Curriculum for Homeschool High School
Cristi from Through the Calm and Through the Storm - Two Plus Two Equals Calculus
Laura from Day by Day in Our World - History and Science for High School | Stress Free Teaching
Leah from As We Walk Along the Road -
Debra from Footprints in the Butter -
April from ElCloud Homeschool -
Erica from Be The One - Homeschooling High School: Math and Science Resources

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Homeschooling High School - Customized Education and Electives

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Customized Education and Electives (part of the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop) on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com

When I was homeschooling my little ones, it was natural to notice that they were especially interested in birds, or trains, or LEGO (always LEGO!), and veer off my original lesson plan to spend more time with something that sparked their interest, or to use the interest as part of the lesson plan. My boys built pyramids, castles, forts, and other historic buildings out of LEGO. If birds were more interesting than insects the year we studied zoology, we spent the majority of our time studying birds. We watched Multiplication Rock because music helped us learn times tables better than worksheets did. And we did lots of hands-on learning activities - some planned right out of the books, and some completely impromptu and from a child's imagination.

Okay, that's all well and good for the early grades, but now they are in high school! How can we go off on rabbit trails, or spend that much time on the fun things when we have to make it all 'count' for high school credit? Is it even possible to continue to follow a student's passions in the high school years?

I think it is, and even with kids who don't consider algebra, grammar, or chemical equations to be their passions! (Although... if one of my kids did have a passion for one of those academics, that would sure make it easier!)

For our family, we've had to go to more structured studies and lesson plans during the high school years, but we've also learned where our interests lie, and can plan accordingly. And we try to keep things flexible enough to allow room for some rabbit trails when we come across one we just can't resist.

Electives usually include coursework in Fine Arts, Technology, and Foreign Languages. Sometimes credits in these areas are required for graduation. Our requirements include one credit each in Fine Arts and in Technology. Each of my four students has a different set of interests, so we take a slightly different approach with each of them:

Kennady loves music, and also enjoys art, so she will be able to focus on those areas. She will be continuing guitar lessons, and for now I am taking over her piano instruction. Her participation in the Children's Chorus is a full credit in a well-rounded music education and performance course; and it also opens the possibility of an internship in the future if she is interested. For this coming year, we are not planning a stand-alone art course, but we probably will do that at least once during her high school years. This year, she will continue to do art projects inspired by her other studies. She'll be loading up on Fine Arts credits, but we'll have to keep an eye out for an appropriate Technology course to suit her interests.
Landon is not as enthusiastic about Fine Arts at all, so getting that required credit is more of a challenge for him. He's not had much interest in learning to play an instrument other than drums, so when the opportunity came along for him to use the DrumsWithWillie course, he jumped at it and that is his Fine Arts credit. He is a very concrete thinker, so it made sense for him to do the Practical Drafting course, which will be used to fulfill the Technology requirement.
Spencer (Class of 2013) wasn't at all interested in music, but he did like to draw, so his high school coursework included full credit courses in Art, and Technology credit for Practical Drafting and Practical Graphic Design.
Harrison (Class of 2010) wasn't interested in music or in art, and we were just figuring out what would work for Technology since he was our first high schooler. He wound up doing a half credit course in Art and a half credit course in Speech for his Fine Arts credit. Speech was a good choice for him because he wanted to be a radio personality, and we justified using that course as Fine Arts, because most of the speaking "projects" he did were creative or dramatic in some way. For Technology, he did Practical Graphic Design, and Photography. Photography is coursework that can have an arts or a technology aspect. Although not required for graduation, Harrison did study some Spanish during high school as well.

Are there ways to tailor the academics to a student's interests? Certainly! For example, students who enjoy Science will probably want more challenging material than those that aren't as interested; and may do more Science courses than the minimum number of credits, especially if they are headed into a career where it will be needed. Our students are required to have at least two Science credits and one of the must be Biology. Spencer and Landon both did Classical Astronomy as a second Science credit and enjoyed that much more than the required Biology. Landon will be doing another Science course that is an elective credit this year.

Literature study is a required component in the English credits our students need to graduate. My boys do not like to read, so it probably would have been counter-productive to insist that they do a full credit course in Classical Literature or something like that. Instead, they each did (and Landon is doing) their literature study as part of their History coursework. We use the high school level curriculum Exploring World History and Exploring America from Notgrass. Used exactly as laid out, each of those courses includes a full credit in history, a full credit in English, and a full credit in Bible. For the boys, we had them read only about half the novels and assigned only that portion of the essays that fit with their English Composition courses; and instead of a full credit in English, they received a half credit for Literature. Kennady, on the other hand, loves to read, so she will be doing much different coursework for English than her brothers. She will be doing a full credit course in literature this year, and because it's something she enjoys, I allowed her to choose the theme of the course - it will be Brit Lit, with a special focus on Jane Austen's novels. We are using different curriculum for all of her English because she wants to read and be able to work on her creative writing skills. When she does the Notgrass history courses, it's likely that she will read all the novels and get those full credits too!

Credits can be awarded for other interests and activities that students enjoy as well. Landon's involvement in Civil Air Patrol is a big time commitment with squadron meetings, studying and testing, flying, community service, and physical training. He earns elective credit for CAP each year, which is an added reward for the time and effort put into learning about aerospace and military history and technology, as well as developing the leadership and self-discipline skills that will serve him well no matter what career he pursues.

There are many different aspects to preparing for life after high school, and I don't think any educational system is better suited to addressing all of those needs than homeschooling. We can tailor the academics and the earned credits to the students' abilities, interests, and plans for college and career. Homeschooled students can get a head start on their college studies by taking advantage of dual enrollment in community colleges or taking CLEP exams. They can start getting involved in their chosen career field by apprenticing or learning on the job in many cases, and those who are sure of what they want to study or the career they want to pursue can zero in on the high school courses that will best focus and prepare them for what they want to do. And the flexible schedules most homeschool families are able to provide allow high school age students to get part-time jobs that get them closer to their goals and help them earn their own way. While he was in high school, Harrison was able to work two days a week at the greenhouse, and now Landon is doing the same. They are available for that job because their schoolwork doesn't necessarily need to be done during traditional school days. Bonus - it reinforces a good work ethic and gives them valuable real world experiences.

I will offer a word of caution about part-time jobs for high schoolers though. Be careful to weigh the pros and cons of them taking a job during school hours. It seems like a no-brainer that it's an overall advantage, but their schoolwork is important too. Students with a heavy course load, or who struggle with getting assignments done on time for any reason might have difficulty keeping up with studies and with a job. Landon agreed in principle that he would have to do some schoolwork on evenings and weekends while he was working two weekdays, but it was a lot harder than he realized to actually sit down with a textbook on a Monday evening (especially when there was a football game on TV!) or get up and finish an essay on Saturday morning when he'd rather sleep till noon. For the coming school year, we are going to be quite explicit about the expectations that schoolwork is more important than the spending money from a part-time job; and that if schoolwork suffers, he has to quit the job.

I personally require my kids to do a full credit Consumer Math course during high school. This is preparation for the real world - that they not only know Pythagorean theorem, but that they know how to balance a checkbook, how loans and credit cards work, how to understand their pay stubs, and how to plan a household budget. Because my kids are at home and can get their schoolwork done more efficiently than most of their public school counterparts, they also get to take responsibility for their own laundry and many household chores. They don't always see that as a privilege, but when they move out on their own, they will already know how to do a lot of the things that go into home management. I've seen for myself that a lot of twenty-somethings really don't know much about how to do those basics, because their high school years were spent in a school building, doing homework, and shuttling back and forth to school and activities - they either didn't have enough time at home to be able to learn those skills themselves, or their parents did it for them so they "could focus on their studies".

As you can see, there are almost as many different approaches to electives as there are homeschoolers, and a lot to be said about it! Check out some of my other posts here on the Homeschool Coffee Break that talk about preparing my students for life after high school through electives and a tailor-made education.

The Real Homeschooled High Schooler

Middle School Monday - Learning Independence

Homeschool Essentials for Graduating - Skills for the Real World