Homeschool Curriculum for High School

Economics Education for the Homeschool Parent

Here's some economics help for parents who don't like the subject.  My son loved ecomomics and I couldn't stand it.

Learn more about Economics Education for the Homeschool Parent

Washington State History for Homeschoolers

I get a lot of questions from homeschoolers on how to teach Washington State history.  The League of Women Voters would like this information to be passed to home educators, and also to public and private school programs.

Read more about the Washington state history for homeschoolers.

Homeschool Math - How Much is Enough

When students are home schooled, there are many issues that they face as they progress in their curriculum. When it comes to fulfilling the requirements to get accepted to college, math appears to be a key factor in the decision process.

Learn more about if homeschool math is enough.

Teaching a Quick Essay 

501 Writing Prompts is a great book for teaching the skill of writing a short essay quickly to those homeschooling high school.

Read more about teaching a quick essay.

Great Homeschools have Socratic Dialogue.. or Maybe Not

I always believed that great homeschools practiced great Socratic dialogue. After reading, families would enjoy deep and rich conversations about the nuances of famous literary works. They would have meaningful discussions about historical perspective and relevant insights contrasting classical and modern literature.

Read more about the Socratic Dialogue.

Blogging for homeschool high school credit

Blogging for homeschooling high schoolers is a great way to encourage writing skills, turn social skills into academic courses, and guide techie kids into using their computer skills while doing some writing. Any skills kids use while blogging can be used for academics.

Read more about blogging for homeschool high school credit.

What's Up With Home-School Reading Lists?

Online you can find lots of sites that will have a "Reading List for the College Bound." They should not be used as a "to do" list, though. Every student will have a unique reading list that can reflect their unique abilities and interests.

Learn more about the homeschool reading lists.

Homeschool used curriculum sale! 

Have you noticed that curriculum choices are ever-changing, and the grass always seems greener with the "other" choice? Buy smart! Create a new mantra for your shopping. Repeat after me, "I'm looking for tried and true, not latest and greatest." Choosing curriculum that isn't brand new can save a LOT of money.

Learn more about the used homeschool curriculum for sale!

Do You Have "The Homeschool Disease"?

Do you have "The Homeschool Disease" of over-achieving in English? It's tempting to get excited about all the great curriculum out there. You may want to buy it all and use it all. You may even be tempted to teach ALL English skills all in the same year.

Read more about the homeschool disease.

Homeschooling High School - Reading Books is the Path to Learning!  

Our students' college application included their reading list. It was not, however, a complete listing of the books they read in high school. Some of the books they read were not included since we didn't do well keeping records. Suffice it to say that my children love reading books, making their book lists quite remarkable.

Learn more about reading books is the path to learning.

How Important is Foreign Language For Homeschoolers?

Not every adult knows a second language, and not every child admitted to college has a foreign language. In fact, in Washington State if a child earns an AA degree from a community college, and transfers into a state university, they may be able to bypass the entire language requirement.

Read more about the importance of foreign language for homeschoolers.

Homeschool High School - Reading Books or Reading Excerpts

I recently picked up a high school textbook called "American Literature" to see what public school kids were reading these days.

Learn more about the books read by homeschoolers.

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum is like Choosing a Smart Phone

I love my new smart phone. My wonderful, wonderful droid. Will my smart phone make me smarter? I don't know, but I can say it's the phone rated the best by my friends. It has internet access so I can answer Gold Care Club member questions even when I'm handling family emergencies.

Learn more about choosing homeschool curriculum.

Homeschoolers Curriculum: Measure Twice, Cut Once

When you measure once, it's SO easy to make a mistake, But measuring twice, you don't have to keep cutting and cutting until you get it right. It saves you money when you don't waste materials. That's why it works for homeschooler's curriculum, too!

Read more about why measure once, cut once works for homeschooler's curriculum.

Homeschool High School - A Tidy Mom's Guide to Art

Art was a REALLY weak area in my homeschool. It was one subject that I actually set aside time for art study; otherwise we would never have done it! We never had a problem getting math or science done, just art! I scheduled it for 2-3 times a week, 1-1/2 or 2 hours at a time, depending on the year. Even so, it was something that we sometimes just didn't do.

Read more details on A Tidy Mom's Guide to Art.

Homeschool high school: Fine Arts vs. Technology Credit 

You can use computer graphic classes for fine arts on your homeschool transcript.  Some parents use classes like that for a technology credit, and others will use it as a way to get art into a techie kid.

Read the entire article on Fine Arts vs. Technology Credit

Choosing Homeschooling Math Curriculum

Sometimes it's OK to let your kids take the wheel!

The key to choosing a high school math program is recognizing that your preferences and learning style may not be the same as your teens. They may learn differently, and require a different program than you would choose for yourself.

Teenagers will sometimes have pet peeves and personality quirks that interfere with different textbooks and videos. A teen may be so annoyed by a person on video tutorial that it distracts them from learning. What if they don't like the teacher's accent? Or they can't stand learning from a white board? What if the imitation classroom setting drives them crazy?

Read about how to choose the best homeschooling math curriculum.

Will Colleges Accept Homeschool Science?

Some homeschoolers may find it difficult to teach science to their homeschooled high school children at home. They are even terrified about doing science labs, fearing that what they have done at home may not at all be acceptable to the college they plan to send their kids to. This article addresses and answers these concerns to assuage the parents that they can teach their kids and do science labs at home with an assurance that all these will be accepted by colleges.

Read article here.

For the Love of Math

Teaching Teens to Tolerate Math

I'm a math and science gal, but don't be intimidated. I have felt like a failure teaching my fair share of high school level classes. Literary analysis was a bomb, and art was FAR to messy for me to tolerate. I feel woefully inadequate when I hear about wonderful Socratic dialog, nature studies, and hands-on history projects. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

The key to choosing curriculum is making sure you use curriculum intended for a homeschool parent. That way it assumes you know NOTHING about the subject, instead of being a teacher with a degree in the subject. Look for some video tutorials that can do the explanations for you. And look for support, so your child can call a toll free number and speak to a live person when they have questions.

Get help with your homeschool math curriculum here.

10 No-Fail Strategies for Choosing High School Curriculum

Tovi was explaining to me her anxieties about high school. After seven successful years of homeschooling, high school was making her nervous. She sought help from a company with certified teachers and an accredited program. Instead of supporting her successful homeschool, they told her not to use the curriculum she had chosen.

Why?

Personal preference. Even though the curriculum was popular and successful among homeschool families, the teacher just didn't prefer it. It simply wasn't her cup of tea. Tovi left that meeting feeling more insecure and incapable. Fortunately, because she was a veteran homeschooler, she didn't stop there but continued to look for help that was a better fit for her family. That's how she found me.

"That one phrase on your website got me," she said. "I will not judge your homeschool or evaluate your children." That was how she ended up with me, talking about curriculum.

When you are starting high school and feeling a bit insecure, how do you go about choosing curriculum? Here are ten proven strategies to help you make successful curriculum decisions. Finally, if you're still stuck after all that, I'll share my personal "starting points" for choosing curriculum so you can see the things that I used.

Read the entire article here

The HomeScholar Gold Care Club

Expert Help for Parents Homeschooling High School

Are you thinking about homeschooling high school? Perhaps you have already started and have a few questions. Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, has created a resource just for you! The HomeScholar Gold Care Club is your one stop shop for all your homeschool high school questions. You can get expert advice on transcripts, grades, credits, record keeping, college preparation and more. This site is filled with parent training tools (videos and audios), templates, planning guides and good solid advice for all parents who are considering homeschooling high school with an eye toward college.

Get more information here

Letting Go of Teaching

"I always thought the idea of teaching was highly overrated. I was more interested that my kids learned."
~Lee Binz

Stop Teaching and Start Learning
Do you sometimes long for an "escape from teaching?" I sure did, especially as my kids got a little older. The good news is that your days playing the "teacher" role will someday come to an end. Instead your role will evolve to that of a "learning facilitator."

It's true: there comes a point in most homeschools where you must let go of the idea of "teaching" everything. Usually, this comes in high school, with calculus, physics, and foreign language. Depending on how passionate your student is on a particular subject, this time can come much earlier. Sometimes that will mean you find self-teaching homeschool curriculum and allow them to learn without your help. But sometimes "not teaching" really means just letting go!

Financial Rescue Package for your Homeschool

When commitment to homeschooling is high, but the economy is low, what is a parent to do? It's time to think creatively, and brainstorm ideas to help your homeschool thrive even in a difficult economy. The economic meltdown may be too close for comfort in your home, but there are still some drastic cost-cutting strategies that will help you survive.

When your commitment to homeschooling is high, but the economy is low, what is a parent to do? It's time to think creatively, and brainstorm ideas to help your homeschool thrive even in a difficult economy. The economic meltdown may be too close for comfort in your home, but there are still some drastic cost-cutting strategies that will help you survive.

Learn the six ways to bail out your own homeschool!

1. Don't Pay to Play
2. Buy Smart
3. Choosy Mothers Choose Math
4. Go to the Library
5. Get a Job
6. Compensate with Thorough Record Keeping
7. Think, Don't Panic

Read about these money-saving strategies here.

New Help for Homeschooling High School

Preparing to Homeschool High School - 2nd Edition DVD

Turn Your Humble Homeschool into a -
Supercharged, High Octane,
College Prep, Homeschool Academy
(Without Making Mom a Basketcase!)

...You can homeschool high school independently and I can help!

Preparing to Homeschool High School - 2nd Edition

Completely updated with nearly 4 HOURS of instructional material (90 more minutes than the 1st edition!)

Topics include planning high school courses, planning lessons, assigning grades, determining credit, keeping great records, navigating the standard high school tests, socialization and specialization and planning to succeed in college.

Price: $57

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