Showing posts with label 2015 Homeschool High School Blog Hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015 Homeschool High School Blog Hop. Show all posts

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Can you fit it ALL in during the High School Years? {Homeschool Highschool}


Another month has disappeared and there are many new things on the horizon.  It feels the same way when you are homeschooling your children and suddenly you wake up one morning and realize that you are now in the High School years in your Home School.

All of a sudden many mothers start asking themselves: How am I going to fit it all in ? Oh dear how am I going to homeschool high school alongside homeschooling the others? Fostering Independence...?  What sort of schedule do I need ? Let's tackle each of these questions...

1. How am I going to fit it all in ?

I think that the question that needs to be asked is:  "What exactly is it all?" and once you have the answer to that you need to ask yourself: "Why do you need to do what's on the list?"

A while back when I wrote a guest post titled: Be True to Yourself I realised that one of the things I tended to do as a home school Mom was to add to my home school all the wonderful new things that everyone else seems to be doing.  Each day of our home school day became so heavy as I was trying to live our home school life in the same manor that everyone else was ...  We were trying to make our day a carbon copy of 20 other families home school days and it was physically impossible.

In reality you need to find the perfect fit for who you and your children are and run with that.  Stop trying to add everyone elses 'perfect day' to your day.  You need to stay TRUE to YOURSELF and homeschool according to whom you and your children are.

2. How am I going to home school high school alongside homeschooling the others? 

The answer to this question is as varied as families are different from one another.  What works for one family may not work for yours.  When Nathaniel was a toddler and I had two high school students I found the secret for our success was flexibility.  What ever worked this week I knew may not work next week.  The reason for this is simple: every week your children grow and every week their needs are slightly different.
I found the best was to keep a flexible schedule that followed a similar rhythm and tweak it as the need arose.  If one of my high schoolers needed extra coaching the other took time to play with Nathaniel and keep him busy.  If he was having a grouchy day I waited till nap time before we did any read alouds. 

3. Fostering Independence...? 

 This is a question that is actually a delicate one.  Allowing too much independence too soon is just as dangerous as not allowing enough independence later on.  It is a tightrope act that each family needs walk independently (pardon the pun...)
Looking back over our choices I have one caution:  It is something to consider seriously when allowing your students opportunities to tackle tertiary studies at a young age.  My first two attended colleges/universtiy at young ages and each one faced challenges that stretched them each in both good and bad ways. Before sending young students to attend tertiary classes be sure to 'count the cost'.  I am not speaking about financial cost. The cost I'm referring to is the cost of their youth.  Once they are cast into the adult world there is no turning back the clock. There is the huge cost of TIME once they are there.  The time it takes to commute. The time that it takes to do home work. The time it will cost to your family is a lot bigger than you know. Be sure to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages to allowing a young student to attend tertiary studies at too young an age.

Remember that just because your students are in their teens it does not mean they now need to be shut up in a room by themselves! After all you home educate so that you can be together as a family.  So keep learning together. Independence is NOT isolation.

At the same time be sensitive to your child's learning styles.  Some times they may need to work by themselves and sometimes they may need to be together with the family to be supported in more difficult learning.  The key here is to be flexible in your approach and do what works for your student.  Create a space to encourage success whether it be the dinning table alongside the whole family or a desk in a quiet space.  For that matter you could have both! 

4. What sort of schedule do I need ?

Looking back at our high school years one of my biggest regrets was changing up things too much.  I feel that when we did this we lost a lot of our joy and our energy.   My motto now is: Why fix what's not broken?  If you have a schedule that is working keep it.  Tweek it slightly to accommodate new studies but keep the foundations the same and enjoy the journey.


I would love to read your thoughts on Fitting it all in, in high school please leave a link to your post in the comments.

Blessings
Chareen


A Note from my daughter Jane
Visiting London.
Homeschooling when you hit high school is NOT as daunting or scary as it may seem. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's just the SAME as it was yesterday. You're just changing some of your learning material and there might be a little more work load than there was before. But to be honest, it's all a lot more fun!

You're going to have days where it might feel like the work load is bigger than you, but you will also have days where it feels like a breeze. I've never used a calendar in my life and I also never struggled to fit schooling time in if I sat down and actually did it. Although, if you're more organized than me, a workload diary could be a good option to keep in mind! I always found ample time for extra-curricular activities and ALWAYS time to read a good book with some tea! Which, let's be honest. Should be a PRIORITY in your day.

~ Homeschooling High school mixed with Junior Homeschooling~
 Having younger siblings isn't something to worry about at all! I found often it was good to set a routine for the younger child(ren) each day with their play time and during that time I would address my subjects that needed extra attention.

Don't forget, you're allowed to have days off and go on an adventure... even in high school home school

Jane
Jane is currently on a world wide travel adventure and you can follow along on Instagram.  She was home educated from Kindy {preschool} to High School.  Graduated at 16 with a Cert III in Children's Services and a Cert III in Retail, an RSA certification, First Aid certification and Anaphylaxis certification.  Last year she completed a Cert IV in Human Resources in preparation to enter the secretarial work force.  She has been working full time since 2012.

Read more on How to Fit it ALL in while educating in the high school years:

    Home School High School Topics

    Over the next few months we will be sharing some insights into the following aspects of home educating through the high school years
    • Planning for High School {How and When,ways to/how we're planning to earn college credit while still in high school, Meeting High School Requirements, how to assign credit when there aren't tests, What records do you keep? How do you present them? What influences your method, your emphasis in certain areas?}
    • Electives in the High School Years {Following Passions, following interests, fitting a job in with school, and Being intentional in Preparing for what comes after high school, Life skills.}
    • Math, Science, Biology, History {What do you use ? Why do you use ... ? What influences your choices/selection? }
    • 30 September - Language Arts {Poetry, Literature, Composition, writing, What influenced your choices/selection?}
    • "How am I going to teach High School ...?" {Addressing the fear factor of teaching subjects we struggle with or know nothing about, How to achieve credit in subjects your student *hates*}
    • How do you fit it all in ? {homeschooling high school alongside homeschooling the others, Fostering Independence, Do you generalize or specialize? Schedules,}
    • 30 December - Graduation { Fostering Independence, How do you know when they are done ?}
    Until next month.  Happy blog hopping
    Blessings
    Chareen

    Wednesday 28 October 2015

    Overcoming the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years

    I've been pondering the High School years quite a bit of late.  It feels like the other day I was embarking on these years with my first two and all of a sudden I have two homeschool graduates, one of them is in Great Britain and the other is doing a trainee ship. Looking back I'm surprised at just how quickly those years passed by.

    I'm often surprised at  the FEAR of the high school years that is expressed among home educating families and concerned members of the public.  Today I would like to share some thoughts on 5 Hurdles to Overcome in teaching the High School Years.

    5 Hurdles to Overcome

    1 - Negative Mindset

    • Your attitude sets the tone for your student towards any given subject matter.  Be careful of passing on a negative mindset to your children which is born out of your own experience with a certain subject matter. 
    • It's your job to facilitate learning. If the subject matter at hand is outside of our own personal expertise, it is our job to help find someone who can help our student better understand the subject matter at hand.
    • A great answer for any question you can not answer is to say: "That's a good question, I don't know the answer let's find out together." The high school years are an excellent time to model how to keep learning.  The point is go on a journey of discovery together.  You may be surprised to learn that you actually enjoy (dare I say it out loud ?) Algebra or Chemistry or Quantum physics ...

    2 - FEAR

    • For each and every one of us there is a subject out there that makes us quake in our shoes and rightly so. There are not very many people who are able to be perfect in every subject matter.
    • The balance is remembering that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.
    • Confronting this fear with a fellow homeschool parent and finding the truth is better than passing on your own fears to your children.  
    • It is impossible to teach/know everything there is to know about any particular subject matter due to the information age we live in.You do not need to FEAR that you may miss something.
    • This is where co-ops and support groups come into play. Do not be afraid to ask for help ...

    3 - Please Help ?

    • It saddens me that many homeschool families quit because they think to say HELP we are stuck in this or that subject area is somehow a confession of failure. 
    • Remember: To say I don't know how to do something takes courage. We encourage our young children to ask for help and yet as adults we don't ask for help.  This is foolish and serves no good purpose.
    • No two families are the same and each one has it's own set of needs to be met.  What works for one family may not necessarily work for yours.
    • The secret is to keep asking until you find the key that unlocks the mystery of a particular subject for your family. While this can be time consuming it is worth the effort it takes.

     4 - Google

    • Home education and the internet have met up with each other to form a rather profitable marriage.  While this is good for home educational businesses it's really bad for the home educator who has no hands on experience and does not know what works for which particular situation. 
    • On one hand this is great as we have an unlimited supply of advice at our finger tips, the counter balance is we don't have anyone who knows us and our children who can support us.
    • I would encourage you to find real people to sit and have cups of tea with. Go from home to home within the group and see first hand how systems work then you will be better equipped to make decisions on what will or will not work for your family.  
    • Only tackle Google and ask once you are armed with specific questions that need to be answered.
    • Do NOT let Google dictate what you should or should not be doing. 

      5- Pinterest.

      • For some of us Pinterest can be a source of anxiety and discontent and for others it's a paradise found
      • There are some amazing free resources and ideas to be found here.  The problem is that the ideas are limitless and can end up paralyzing you to action.
      • If you choose to look for answers here don't get too hung up on the perfection displayed by others.  Remember it's a cyber world where we can portray anything we want to, in any way we want to.  Nothing is as perfect as it seems.  Many online companies / homeschoolers purchase picture perfect scenes to 'sell' their information on Pinterest.
      • Use with caution and enjoy.

      "Can I teach 

      high school science?

       NO

      As your student gets older, 

      your role changes from 

      teacher to fellow learner."
      Things to consider

      • Research your options while your students are in the primary school years so that you have a clear pathway before you.  
      • Be clear on your expectations.
      • Have an understanding of the level of education required to tackle different areas in the high school years.
      • Research and save for more expensive items such as a microscope.  Do you have to have a microscope ?  No but it is a great hands on learning tool that makes the sciences come alive in your home.
      • Find out where to purchase the items you need to do practical labs.
      • Consider the scope and sequence before changing curriculum or you might end up repeating what you have already done.
      • Get to know your student and what their long term study goals are and work towards those. Make it a priority to achieve what they need to accomplish their tertiary goals in the science arena.  
      I would like to encourage you not to fear but embrace the high school years.  See it as an opportunity to learn and discover more thoroughly what you have always wanted to know.

      Secondly remember you can not teach it all.  There is no A-Z list for you to tick off and say right now I have taught this and that  and we are finished.  These days information in any subject area is exploding with at an exponential rate and it would be physically impossible for you to teach all there is to know in any given subject matter due to this..


      I would love to read your thoughts on Learning in high school please leave a link to your post in the comments.

      Blessings
      Chareen
      You can read more on these five hurdles in my post: HELP! How am I going to teach ... ? 

      Read more on overcoming the hurdles to home educating in the high school years:


      Home School High School Topics

      Over the next few months we will be sharing some insights into the following aspects of home educating through the high school years
      • Planning for High School {How and When,ways to/how we're planning to earn college credit while still in high school, Meeting High School Requirements, how to assign credit when there aren't tests, What records do you keep? How do you present them? What influences your method, your emphasis in certain areas?}
      • Electives in the High School Years {Following Passions, following interests, fitting a job in with school, and Being intentional in Preparing for what comes after high school, Life skills.}
      • Math, Science, Biology, History {What do you use ? Why do you use ... ? What influences your choices/selection? }
      • 30 September - Language Arts {Poetry, Literature, Composition, writing, What influenced your choices/selection?}
      • "How am I going to teach High School ...?" {Addressing the fear factor of teaching subjects we struggle with or know nothing about, How to achieve credit in subjects your student *hates*}
      • 25 November - How do you fit it all in ? {homeschooling high school alongside homeschooling the others, Fostering Independence, Do you generalise or specialise? Schedules,}
      • 30 December - Graduation { Fostering Independence, How do you know when they are done ?}
      Until next month.  Happy blog hopping
      Blessings
      Chareen

      Wednesday 26 August 2015

      Math, Science, Biology and History in the High School Years

      Welcome to the third edition of this years Homeschool High School Blog Hop. This months topic covers a wide variety of subjects.

      We will be looking at Math, Science, Biology and History. I have shared in depth on these topics here over the years so I will be sharing a short introduction to each subject area and linking to my other posts where you will be able to read more about my in depth thoughts on the particular topic at hand.

      I will also share some links to FREE curriculum you can access from around the web and links to my posts introducing curriculum from around the web to get you started on your research.

      One of the things I realise now in retrospect is that you do not need to change the way you teach when you reach the high school years.  I was under the impression that I needed to change a whole heap of things because my students were now home schoolers and this in turn caused my children stress as well as myself.  Enjoy the journey and allow your students to set the pace for the change.  As they grow and change so will your methods and requirements slowly change along with your relationship.  It is far easier on you and your student to allow this change to naturally occur.

      Things to consider before the high school years
      • Research your options while they are in the primary school years so that you have a clear pathway before you.  The high school years arrive far quicker than you realise.  Use the first four to five years of homeschool to research your options and plan ahead.  Without a plan you will end up floundering.
      • Be clear on your expectations. This is imperative for both you and your student. It's important to know what you want completed in order to graduate from high school at home.
      • Have an understanding of the level of maths required to tackle different areas in the high school sciences.
      • Research and save for more expensive items such as a microscope.  Do you have to have a microscope ?  No but it is a great hands on learning tool that makes the sciences come alive in your home.
      • Find out where to purchase the items you need to do the practical labs.
      • Consider the scope and sequence before changing curriculum or you might end up repeating what you have already done.
      • Get to know your student and what their long term study goals are and work towards those. Make it a priority to achieve what they need to accomplish their tertiary goals in the science arena. 
      • Research your State/Country requirement for graduating High School.
       


      Math in High School

      One of the things I insisted on my children completing was math up to the level of Algebra 1 and Geometry. Needless to say this was one of their biggest complaints!  Why do we have to do that Mom? was a question often heard in our home during the high school years. Math is a subject that is imperative in helping our students develop higher order thinking. 

      Math seems to be one of those topics within the homeschool environment that often comes up in conversation. As homeschooling parents we need to be-careful that we do not transmit our personal negative experience of math at school onto our children.  During our high school years I came to realize this with my first two children that as long as we moved at their pace they were able to easily learn what I found to be difficult at school.

      In our home I chose to use  Teaching Textbooks during the high school years. It's like having a personal tutor on call 24/7! We would work through the lesson in the book. Answer the questions. Pop in the disk and watch the tutor teach the specific sums we got wrong. I like the fact that they don't assume you know the steps. The tutor breaks down the sum into step by step and explains each step as they go through the complete sum.  

      Before we transitioned to TT we used to call on a friend who was a high school math teacher to help us with any sums we became stuck with.

      Here on the blog I've shared

      For me one of the defining moments of understanding teaching math came after I read the article History and Research on the Teaching of Math I highly recommend you read this article before you make a decision on your math curriculum.

      Scope and Sequence
      When looking at changing math programs remember to take  scope and sequence into account.

      • Scope refers to the content.  In other words these are the topics covered (A to Z)
      • Sequence is the order in which the scope is taught (IE the order in which things are covered within the program)
      It is important to know this about your math product or you might end up redoing math your child is already familiar with or you might end up skipping a whole lot of important content that your child needs in order to succeed at math.


      Resources
      Please go to my Math Curriculum page for a full page of links to resources.
      Here are a few links to get you started.

      Pinterest


      Science & Biology in High School

      "Can I teach high school science?  NO. As your student gets older, your role changes from teacher to fellow learner." Dr. Jay L. Wile
      Define: Science

      • The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge especially knowledge based on reproducible data.
      • Science is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. 
      From this definition we can see that science is not solely about science labs and microscopes, formulas and chemicals it's all about the world around us. The sciences need not fill you with fear the high school years can be a wonderful time of learning alongside your students and discovering amazing things together.

        Here on the blog I've shared
      Resources
      Please go to my Science Curriculum page for a full page of links to resources.
      Here are a few links to get you started.



      History in High School

      The story of life is one of my passions.  I loved history in high school and I've grown to love it even more especially after studying it for two years chronologically with Timothy and Jane in junior high.  In fact I loved the experience so much I am doing it for a second time with Nathaniel now and am planning a third trip through with more of a Charlotte Mason focus when he is in High School.

      his·to·ry noun \ˈhis-t(É™-)rÄ“\

      1. tale, story 
      2. a : a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes
        b : a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena
        c : an account of a patient's medical background
        d : an established record  
      3. a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
      Studying history in the high school years is an adventure in itself.  Students ask interesting questions and it's a time for deeper understanding.  It's a marvelous time for digging deeper and comparing notes and seeing the cause and effect more clearly of the different things that are happening concurrently in the world.

      There is no need to change the method you use to teach history.  Keep using whatever is working well for you.  Once again watch for the scope and sequence if you want to change curriculum.  The source texts become a little more complex but generally speaking history is an adventure in discovery!


      Here on the blog I've shared
      Resources
      Please go to my History Curriculum page for a full page of links to resources.
      Here are a few links to get you started.

      Home School High School Hosts Share this Month:

      Home School High School Topics

      Over the next seven months we will be sharing some insights into the following aspects of home educating through the high school years
      • Planning for High School {How and When,ways to/how we're planning to earn college credit while still in high school, Meeting High School Requirements, how to assign credit when there aren't tests, What records do you keep? How do you present them? What influences your method, your emphasis in certain areas?}
      • Electives in the High School Years {Following Passions, following interests, fitting a job in with school, and Being intentional in Preparing for what comes after high school, Life skills.}
      • Math, Science, Biology, History {What do you use ? Why do you use ... ? What influences your choices/selection? }
      • 30 September - Language Arts {Poetry, Literature, Composition, writing, What influenced your choices/selection?}
      • 28 October - "How am I going to teach High School ...?" {Addressing the fear factor of teaching subjects we struggle with or know nothing about, How to achieve credit in subjects your student *hates*}
      • 25 November - How do you fit it all in ? {homeschooling high school alongside homeschooling the others, Fostering Independence, Do you generalise or specialise? Schedules,}
      • 30 December - Graduation { Fostering Independence, How do you know when they are done ?}
      Until next month.  Happy blog hopping
      Blessings
      Chareen

      Wednesday 29 July 2015

      Electives in the High School Years {Homeschool High School}

      Welcome to the second edition of Homeschooling in the High School Years Blog Hop.

      Last month we shared some thoughts on Homeschooling High School Planning.  This month we would like to talk about Electives in the High School Years.

      High School years are a wonderful time to explore the greater world around you and discover the more complex subjects.


      During these years most subjects are compulsory and needed in order to gain credits and a pass depending on the Country/State you are in.  Be sure to examine the laws/requirements of your particular area when planning the non- negotiable subjects.  Before you start considering the electives you will be pursuing in the high school years it is important to decide which subjects are non-negotiable.

      The electives serve your home school well during this time as they keep your students inspired to keep on keeping on with their studies. They provide a platform to exercise choice and a vehicle to explore their own passions and educational motivations.

      I've been speaking to my nephews and nieces and discovered that electives abound. These days there are subjects that I've never even heard of presented as electives...

      Electives serve as a wonderful tool for the non-traditional track learners in your home and will equip them in their chosen field of study.

      Electives to Consider


      • Technology {Computing, Web Design, Virtual Assistant, Social Media Management}
      • Business {Accounting, Business Math, IT}
      • Foreign Language
      • Bible {Old/New Testament Survey, Doctrine, Apologetic s}
      • Fine Arts {Music, Drama, Dance, Theater, Art Appreciation}
      • Humanities {Literature, Psychology, Journalism, Sociology, Communication, etc}
      • Life Skills {Foundations for daily living, Consumer Math, Home Economics, Nutrition, Budgeting, Banking}
      • Logic 
      • Agriculture
      This is in no way a definitive list but rather a list to get you thinking about the possibilities ...

      Read more about Electives on the WWW 


      On Pinterest

      Life Skills

      One of the areas most neglected in the high school years is in the area of life skills.  It is  important to make a list of life skills your student will need when they leave home to either attend tertiary studies, work full time or moving out to start living independently.

      A life skill is defined as a skill that is necessary in order to fully participate in every day life. It is the ability to cope with the challenges of daily life. It covers the skill sets of communication, decision-making, occupational requirements, problem-solving, time management and planning.

      Take some time to think of the things you encountered when you left home that were daunting and felt like curved balls.
      • Talk about these things with your children.  
      • Schedule time in for them to practice new skills such as meal planning, etc.  
      • Take them with you to the bank so they become familiar with the banking system. 
      • Change a tire on the car.  Check the oil/water on the car together.
      • Get them looking for a bargain. Price compare for an item the family are needing to purchase.
      • Teach them to iron their clothes. 
      • Simple clothe mending (sewing on a button) etc.
      Information is NOT Knowledge



      Read More on Electives in the High School Years


      We hope that you have found the information you are looking for on home educating in the high school years and look forward to chatting about Math, Science, Biology, History next month.

      Blessings
      Chareen

      Wednesday 24 June 2015

      Planning to Homeschool through the High School Years

      When I first started home educating the main question I was asked about was: "Socialization ?" as time went by and my children were a little bit older it became more of a statement / question: "They are going to high school?!" When I would say "No" the next two questions would be: "How are you going to teach ... at a High School level?" and "How will they access tertiary qualifications without going to school?"  The fear / intimidation factor was enormous.

      Looking back over the last decade and a half of homeschooling I have come to realize a few things.
      • Firstly that homeschooling through the High School years is no different to home educating in the primary years.  
      • It creeps up on you rather suddenly and when you least expect it to.
      • It's helpful to begin planning early so you are not pressured into choices that are not right for your family.
      These days I encourage Mom's who are home educating in the primary years to start their high school planning now rather than later.


      Today I would like to share a little bit about my journey homeschooling in High School and a few thoughts on how to get started on planning for the high school years in your homeschooling. At the end of this post you will find links to 18 homeschool friends are sharing their experiences and insights in to Planning to Home school through the High School years.

      A word from my *Daughter Jane on Planning to Homeschool through High School


      Take a deep breath and rest easy in the knowledge you are about to embark on one of the greatest journeys of your life.

      Some days it's okay to just remember to take it at your own pace and to have patience with yourself. Often when you are weary, we are too. It's okay to take a day off to have a picnic.

      Being home-schooled was one of the greatest blessings my mom has ever given me, and I am thankful every day. It enabled me to pursue the subjects that I was passionate about and helped me to work at my own pace.

      I do believe you need to be willing to compromise and shape your curriculum to work around your family structure.

      Make sure you remember to have fun, and it's okay to change things up!

      * Jane is currently on a world wide travel adventure and you can follow along on Instagram.  She was home educated from Kindy {preschool} to High School.  Graduated at 16 with a Cert III in Children's Services and a Cert III in Retail, an RSA certification, First Aid certification and Anaphylaxis certification.  Last year she completed a Cert IV in Human Resources in preparation to enter the secretarial work force.  She has been working full time since 2012.


      Plan for the high school years

      • Do not be afraid.  Fear will rob you of the joy of the wonderful high school years and enjoying your children fully as they grow into young adults and discover who they are.
      • Relax.  You are not on a timer.  Take your time and enjoy the journey and do it well.  Take off the pressure both on yourself and your students to perform.
      • Ask yourself what are my expectations ?  Know what these are well in advance or you may end up treading water or taking an unexpected detour.  
      • What is it you require your child to know in order to graduate High School?  Make yourself a list.  Use this list to work out how you will assist your child to achieve your goal. Why do you want them to complete these items on the list? 
      • Choose your non negotiable subjects and make a list and STICK to it. One of my non negotiable subjects was Algebra 1 in Math.  They groaned and complained because their high school friends did not need to do this at school.  My reason: it develops higher order thinking and reasoning skills. Once I shared my reasons they were both happy to complete the book and later discovered for themselves this had indeed been of value.
      • Ask your students what subjects they would like to study at a higher level. If you don't know anything about the subject matter in question take it as an opportunity to learn together.
      • Explore different topics NOW so that when they get to high school they know what they are passionate about.  
      • Once they know what they want to become then begin to tailor your home school to meet tertiary study requirements. If you can't teach a subject do not stress about it.  You have two options available: learn alongside your students (this is a great way to model that learning is a life long skill) or find a tutor who can help them when they get stuck learning by themselves.
      • Start looking at High School Curriculum now this will help you get a feel for what is out there.  There is no need to stock up as new and improved curriculum is entering the market on a regular basis. When looking look over things that match the style you are currently using to home educate.
      • Keep doing what's working for you now.  Don't change it just because you are entering High School. I discovered this the hard way with my older two. Changing what is working does not make sense.  They don't do it in Public School so don't do it to your home school.
      • Be adventurous and follow some delight directed learning.
      • Life Skills are an important part of your High School curriculum.  If they graduate without general life skills they will be at a definite disadvantage.  They need to know how to work with money, vehicle maintenance, basic culinary skills, public transport skills, the value of money, good work ethic, bargain hunting and general house keeping.
      • Choose Electives that will broaden their horizons and equip them well for their chosen field of tertiary study or work.


      Our High School Home School Journey

      I remember homeschooling and thinking that 12 years is such a very long time and would I make it for the long haul?  If I did it certainly didn't feel like we would be homeschooling at a high school level anytime soon so we settled into a rhythm that suited our family and kept on doing what was working well for us.  I didn't think anything of the high school years because after all that was ages away.   Somewhere in this journey we were blessed with Nathaniel and tackled another international move from New Zealand to Victoria in Australia.

      This event marked the beginning of three isolating years for our family in which we discovered the joys of Facebook, homeschooling with access to the internet and homeschooling through some changes in the law in Victoria. By this time Timothy was 15 and Jane was 12.

      One of the things I was unprepared for was the outside pressure put on us to change the way we homeschooled.  Things like: "Your children need to work alone in their rooms." OR "Your children need to learn to work independently by themselves" and "Give them the responsibility to do ..."
      In hind sight I now realize that you do not need to change anything. Why fix what's not broken?

      This pressure caused me to get each of my children tables and shift them to their rooms to study by themselves.  I changed everything ... In hindsight this was not a good thing. My daughter shared recently with me that this move made her feel like she lost the freedom to be a child and enjoy growing up and that all of a sudden she had to be a grown up. She felt like she lost years of her childhood through this decision and it made her feel like she was drowning...

      Jane had been sharing with me about possibly going into Child Care for a living.  She loved children and they love being with her.  One day while walking through our local shopping center I was presented with an opportunity to sigh her up to complete her Cert III and all it was was two days a fortnight.  Or so I understood.  I signed her up and she started.  The two of us thought she could do homeschool for the other four days a week little did we know that it was actually a full time course and soon homeschool was put on hold.  I hadn't planned for that little detour.  Between class, practical hours each week and home work there was no extra time available for home educating. By the time Jane graduated she had been working in Child Care almost full time, studying.

      A new era had begun without us fully realizing it until she had graduated from Uni. Lesson learned count the cost well before making the choice to tertiary studies with your children regardless of the opportunity.

      How to start Homeschooling in High School

      • Research your country/state laws on home schooling. To find out more about the registration requirements take a look at:
      • Take some time to explore the different styles/methods used for home educating and choose something you and your student would enjoy.
      • Connect with your local home educating community. There is a wealth of free support to be found there.  Remember not to take everything you hear as gospel because every homeschool is different because each and every family is different. Homeschooling groups offer you community service opportunities, field trips, new friends etc
      • If you are in a country/state that requires you to keep transcripts or records find something that will work for you and track your progress each week. You could even start a blog to record what you do. Remember to choose something that works for you.  If you are a digital junkie find something online if you are a paper person you can find some free printables or purchase a purpose made high school homeschool journal/planner.
      • Choose a curriculum. Start with the basics {Language arts, Math, Science, History and Literature} then gradually add in something new as you need it. 


      Can they enter Tertiary study if they are home schooled in High School?

      • Yes! Homeschooling is entering second and third generations now and more and more students who were home educated have completed tertiary study and as a result more institutions are familiar with the concept making it easier and easier for today's students to enter.
      • In Australia a Cert II is the equivalent of Year 12/13 (Matric) school certification. 
      • Most Universities require Year 12 or tertiary study. A cert III is evidence of tertiary study and is an acceptable entry evidence, OR you can work save up and enter as a mature age student (21+ years old)
      • Cert III is first year post school study and one year before a Diploma level. When looking at attending University to study it is worth doing a Cert III course and using this as your entry level when filling out the documentation for enrollment this is filled in under tertiary studies. Some courses will allow you to cross credit certain subjects.
      • In New Zealand phone the head of the department at the University of your choice to find out what the entry requirements for the desired course of study are.


      Information on Homeschooling High School On the Web



      Homeschool High School On Pinterest



      Read More on Homeschooling in the High School Years


      We hope that you have found the information you are looking for on home educating in the high school years and look forward to sharing our thoughts on teaching the Electives in the High School years in July.

      Blessings
      Chareen

      Wednesday 3 June 2015

      Introducing the 2015 Homeschool High School Blog Hop

      Homeschooling through the high school years places fear in the hearts of many a home schooler both veteran and new. I remember years ago once people were used to the idea of us home educating the very next question was always "Are you going to homeschool for High School?" or "How will you teach ... ?"   

      A couple of months ago a few home school friends were asking one another for help in finding information on home educating through the high school years when we realised that many of us had graduated students from our home schools but had not really shared our experience on home educating through the high school years, so we talked about sharing our knowledge with you and create a keepsake for ourselves on our blogs.  There are 18 of us on this journey and we will be sharing what we have learned along the way, what we are learning now and what we aim for over the years to come.

      Home Schooling in High School is a time of great change in many homes, one that can be exciting, daunting and fearful.  Our aim is to lift the veil on homeschooling through the high school years, in order to equip and encourage you. You are more than able to home school your children all the way through to graduation.

      Home School High School Topics

      Over the next seven months we will be sharing some insights into the following aspects of home educating through the high school years
      • 24 June - Planning for High School {How and When,ways to/how we're planning to earn college credit while still in high school, Meeting High School Requirements, how to assign credit when there aren't tests, What records do you keep? How do you present them? What influences your method, your emphasis in certain areas?}
      • 29 July - Electives {Following Passions, following interests, fitting a job in with school, and Being intentional in Preparing for what comes after high school, Life skills.}
      • 26 August - Math, Science, Biology, History {What do you use ? Why do you use ... ? What influences your choices/selection? }
      • 30 September - Language Arts {Poetry, Literature, Composition, writing, What influenced your choices/selection?}
      • 28 October - "How am I going to teach High School ...?" {Addressing the fear factor of teaching subjects we struggle with or know nothing about, How to achieve credit in subjects your student *hates*}
      • 25 November - How do you fit it all in ? {homeschooling high school alongside homeschooling the others, Fostering Independence, Do you generalise or specialise? Schedules,}
      • 30 December - Graduation { Fostering Independence, How do you know when they are done ?}

      Introducing your Home School High School Hosts



      We pray that you will be encouraged and inspired to home school your children through the high school years.

      Blessings
      Chareen

      Homeschooling High School Blog Hop 2015