Home School High School Tips

High School Homeschooling And Sleep Issues

Many of you probably remember the days when your high school homeschooling teens were small. They would rise at the crack of dawn and wake everyone in the household. As the parent of teens you have probably noticed a dramatic switch in their sleep patterns. Teens are more active and awake at night and they have no problems sleeping past noon. Many people wrongfully assume this is laziness, but it is not. A study put out by Stanford University states that the sleep related hormone, melatonin, is secreted at different times in a teenagers body. This is important information for parents who homeschool teenagers. There is no rule stating that your teen is required to rise early in the morning to start homeschooling. On the contrary, many high school homeschooling teens do their best studying in the late afternoons and evenings. Allowing them to sleep in and do their work later in the day will not only cut down on conflicts but your teens will be studying when their brains are the most alert.

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High School Homeschooling And Athletics

Your homeschooling teen still has the chance to get athletic scholarships. There are many community teams that are open to homeschooling teens. Also, many Christian and private schools open their doors to athletic high school homeschooling teens who want to try out for teams. There are also sport teams which are strictly for homeschoolers.

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High School Homeschool And Get Dual Credits

Many homeschooling families are surprised to learn that their high school homeschool teen could possibly take classes for dual credit at local community colleges. This means your teen could receive both high school and college credit for completed courses. Many community colleges open up their basic freshman classes for high schoolers who are juniors or seniors. The great thing about the classes is your child may receive more high school credit for the course than he would if he were studying the subject alone at home. For instance, some homeschool programs are setup to give a teen who takes one college level foreign language course two high school foreign language credits. This is a great way for teens to get the credits they need while learning how to behave in a college setting. In addition, when your teen enters college he will already have completed a few of his college requirements.

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High School Homeschool, Tutors And Electives

High school homeschool can be a challenge for parents. The requirements that high school teens have to meet to graduate are quite extensive. Part of being a teenager involves making high school homeschool decisions. You should give your teens a voice when it comes to choosing their high school courses. While some subjects are necessary to meet graduation requirements, your teen should be allowed to choose which electives they want to study.If you do not feel qualified to give your teens the education they need in a particular subject or two, take heart. There is help available.

You can hire a tutor for your teen and it will not cost you an arm and a leg. Simply contact your local community college and ask to speak with someone regarding tutoring. For instance, if your child is struggling with math, contact a secretary or professor in the math department. Ask that a notice be posted or an announcement made that there is a teen that is looking for a math tutor. Most college students are always looking to make extra spending money. They are more than happy to spend a few hours a week tutoring your teen at the library. Many times teenagers learn better with a college student simply because they speak the same language.

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High School Homeschooling, Jobs And Internships

Homeschooling teenagers involves more than just making sure they do their course work. Teenagers are on their way to becoming young adults and it is your job as parent, teacher and career counselor to ensure they are given every chance possible to make informed decisions about their lives. High school homeschooling teens should be given the opportunity to intern, volunteer or work in their fields of interests.

If you have a teen who is thinking about pursuing a career in nursing, sign the teen up as a volunteer at a hospital or free clinic. If your child is interested in animal care encourage the teen to work part-time at the local vet clinic. You can find places for your teen to work or volunteer for most any career field they are interested in – from childcare to cosmetology to auto mechanics and everything in between. Many times teens will discover that they are truly interested in pursuing a career in their field of interest.

Other times teens will decide they detest the career and they will move on to something else. However it works out, giving teens the space and time to pursue their interests can go far in helping them decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

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High School Homeschooling Co-ops

High school homeschool co-ops have come to the rescue of many homeschooling families. Unlike co-ops which are geared for elementary aged children, a high school co-op program caters to teens. Many of these co-ops hire outside experts to come into the program to teach those subjects parents are not comfortable teaching. For instance, a local Algebra teacher may come in and teach homeschooling teens one day a week in the evening for two hours. The teacher would then give out weekly assignments which the students would be required to turn in the following week.

Homeschooling teens usually record their classes on hand held recorders so they can review the lessons they have learned. Many teachers of high school co-ops will also correspond with teens via email throughout the week or keep a blog with pertinent information posted for the teens. If your teen needs the help of an “expert” you should look in your area for a high school homeschool co-op program.

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Friendly Colleges For High School Homeschool Teens

This is the time when high school homeschool teens should be thinking about their future. The good news for homeschool high school teens is that most colleges welcome homeschool graduates with open arms. If you would like to see a listing of the friendliest colleges for homeschoolers you can visit the Home School Friendy Colleges website for more details. This site lists colleges in both the United States and Canada who are looking for homeschool high school graduates.

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High School Homeschool And Video Courses

Before you pull your hair out trying to decipher your teen's science, math or economics book locate a video course to teach them what they need to know. Video courses are a great way for your high school homeschooling teen to learn difficult academic subjects such as the higher maths and sciences.

You can easily find these video courses for your teen online through curriculum websites. They can also be located at popular online auction sites. Your local library may also have video courses available free of charge. Another resource for video courses could include your local community college. Some community colleges will offer videos or telecourses on general subjects. Video courses are also available on subjects that would be considered electives such as cooking, foreign language, economics, wood working, marketing, etc.

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High School Homeschooling And Athletics

Many parents are under the wrong assumption when it comes to high school sports. They may have been told that their high school homeschooling teens will not have access to sports. That is simply not true. While teens may not play on the public high school teams, there are many outlets for athletic teens who homeschool.

Are you debating as to whether you should continue to pursue high school homeschooling? If so, here is a list of the top reasons that many parents choose to continue homeschooling their teens through highschool:

• Families who travel prefer to homeschool through high school.
  Teens can learn a lot about geography, history, customs and life by
  traveling with their parents.
• Teens that homeschool are more
  likely to garner work experience in their desired fields of study
  during high school. This could include paying jobs, internships or
  volunteer positions.
• Generally speaking, teens that homeschool tend to grow closer to their parents than teens who attend public school.
• Parents can save money by homeschooling their teenagers. When you take
  into account clothes, lunches, transportation, tuition for private or
  Christian schools -- homeschooling wins hands down.
• Homeschooling teens develop very strong study habits and can
  work independently. This is important for students who plan to go to
  college.
• Homeschooling teens have more time to pursue their interests over teens who attend school every day.
• Homeschooling teens can graduate earlier than teens who attend regular school.

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NARHS Makes It Possible For Homeschooled Seniors To Obtain Official Transcripts And Diploma

As your middle school child progresses into the high school curriculum, concerns about college applications may be foremost on your mind. If you are concerned with the college of your choice accepting your homeschool records as accredited, there is another alternative that will provide the valid academic records you want without having to every leave your home or modify your current homeschool program. The North Atlantic Regional High School, NARHS, lets you continue to travel down your own chosen path for the homeschool curriculum while earning high school credits toward an actual high school diploma. The program evaluates your progress using your own tools of measurement and working together, parent student and NARHS advisor create a transcript that fulfills the high school requirements for the state of Maine. As NARHS is located in Maine, the state requirement of 17.5 credits is all that your child needs to complete in order to earn an official transcript. However, it is suggested that college bound homeschool high schoolers earn between 24 to 28 credits to remain competitive with other college-bound high school students. Keep in mind that NARHS is not an online correspondence school. You are still required to maintain your own curriculum and evaluation process. NARHS simply provides guidance and accountability with formal transcripts and a “real” high school diploma from an accredited educational facility.

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Homeschooling High School Students Keep Raising the Academic Bar

For many homeschool parents, the first day of official “preschool homeschool” is the start of their “high school fears”, the nagging concern that they won't be able to provide a quality education for their children during the pre-college years and will ultimately “fail” their children academically. Don't let this happen to you. There is no reason to begin worrying about your high school homeschooling program when it is such a long way away. The very nature of homeschooling is that as your children grow, so shall your own experiences and abilities to provide quality instruction and guidance on higher academic levels. In fact, many homeschool parents report that their experience with the teenage years is much easier than anticipated. By the time most students reach high school, they actively self-direct their own learning objectives and study independently. They have learned to use time wisely and apply themselves in a responsible manner. If your homeschool environment is one that has built upon your child's own ability to learn and to seek out new learning opportunities based upon his own curiosity and interest, you will discover that your teenager will continue to pursue knowledge in this same manner in his adult life. When your child reaches high school, you will have spent many years guiding, instructing and modeling the independent learning methods and skills that you want your child to learn; as you both enter the high school years you will observe your child using these skills and working independently.

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Develop Your High School Homeschooling Teen's Interests

Here are some practical tips which can help you develop your high school homeschooling teen's interests:

• If your teens are a computers geeks let them volunteer their computer skills at a local church, public library or parks and recreation organization. Geneaological societies will also welcome your teens help.
• If your teens are into politics and social science let them participate in local political campaigns.
• If your teens are interested in science let them volunteer at your local science museum or college science department.
• If your teens are into writing, encourage them to keep journals. You can also find a local writing club for them to join where their fiction works or poems can be critiqued.
• If your teens are into acting enroll them in acting classes or let them try out for community plays.
• If your teens are into music make sure they have access to teen friendly music cafes. Encourage them to write their own music and participate.

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Community College & Self Instructional Courses Help The Homeschool High School Student

One prevalent misconception of homeschooling is that all homeschool teaching has to be taught by the parent. This becomes increasingly difficult to do as your student reaches their teen years and subjects become complex.

Try finding self instructional courses that allow your student to self instruct in subjects like calculus and trigonometry. They'll appreciate the freedom. And, don't overlook your local community college as a source for classes. Earning a little college credit is a welcome side benefit.

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Personal Porfolios

A personal portfolio is for at-home use for self-discovery and improvement of instruction. Portfolios help you to better understand yourself. They make your thinking visible and your ideas explicit. This portfolio is to be kept private like a journal.

Your personal portfolio should be filled with rich, detailed information about yourself. That information becomes progressively more streamlined as you share it with family, teachers, mentors, private institutions and government agencies.

A portfolio is:

•a portrait of you
•as shown by a reflective selection of work
•with a goal, a theme and an intended audience.

It is not just a folder of unrelated best work for an anonymous reviewer.

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Homeschool High School volunteerism

Does your teen sometimes think he or she is the center of the universe? Well, most teens think about themselves a lot. But one way to put that into perspective as well as helping them to see the world in perspective while they do some good, is to make volunteering a part of their homeschool high school curriculum.

Find a soup kitchen, a day care center, a nursing home or hospital where they can dedicate a certain number of hours per month. The lessons to be learned by this are valuable.

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High School Diploma

Depending on your state's laws, your child will probably be able to get a high school diploma - if you seek to obtain one. But check first. Generally speaking, your child can acquire a GED diploma through your state, or you, as principal of your own certified, private school (if you establish one), can create your own high school diploma.

You may also use a nationally recognized, certified correspondence course to obtain a diploma. Check with the parent-run organization in your state (see tips in State-by-State Information category) to find out firsthand your state's requirements and guidelines.

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Homeschool High School Expedition

Give your teen an opportunity for some extreme experience. After a year of hard schooling, a river rafting, backpacking or other invigorating adventure can be exhilarating.

There are a plethora of programs that take teens on outdoor educational wilderness expeditions where they will learn new skills, meet other teens and have the adventure of a lifetime. And, if you feel up to it, there are also whole family excursions too.

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Getting Into College, Part 2

Another way to to get your child into college is to keep your own transcripts, have your child take the admissions tests (SAT, ACT, and/or CEB, depending on the requirements of the university), and perform the standard application process required of all prospective college entrants.

Many homeschoolers score very well in college entrance exams, and that fact alone can guarantee them a place at some schools. Other schools will also require transcripts (typically written in "educationalese".) Usually it does not matter whether or not your high school work is from an accredited school.

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High School Homeschool, Tutors And Electives

While you can do much to guide your teens in the right direction, they need to be given the responsibility of choosing for themselves what courses they will study. Allowing your high school homeschooling teen to make these kinds of decisions is a wonderful way for them to mature and pursue their interests. It will also go far in helping them to discern if what they are studying is something they would truly want to pursue in college.

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High School Accreditation

Parents often worry about high school accreditation. If this is one of your concerns and you want your child to attend an accredited high school, then enroll him into one of the many nationally accredited correspondence schools - such as The American School, Homesctudy International, or Keystone National High School.

*For more information, check out the tips in the "Resources" section.

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Getting Into College, Part 1

In order for your child to get into college, you should keep good records, develop your own transcripts, and have your child take the college entrance exams (SAT, ACT, and CEB). You can obtain information about these tests from your statewide homeschool organization.

Every major college and university accepts homeschooled students; some even seek out college-bound homeschoolers because they are typically serious about learning and do not attend college to party. Recently, a university rejected a homeschooled student on the grounds that the student had not attended an accredited high school, despite the fact that his transcripts and SAT scores would have gained him admission to Harvard. The applicant took the school to court and won admission.

Check into the colleges your child wishes to apply to and obtain their specific requirements. Many private colleges in the US rely on interviews as well as written recommendations to determine the student's ability to shoulder the school's workload. Homeschoolers are welcome at these institutions and they do well in college.

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Homeschool High School SAT Help

For any homeschool student who would like to go on to college, this homeschool resource, The Official SAT Study Guide, published by The College Board is a must have.

Developed by the people who create the SATs, this guide provides study tips, strategies, and 8 of the most recent tests with answers. The SATs remain an important indicator for college acceptance. Although many colleges and universities now keep slots open specifically or homeschooled students, your best chance for success is to help them say yes by taking and acing the test.

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Employability Portfolios

Create an employability portfolio to set career goals, assess your job skills, and to present yourself as a candidate for employment.
This portfolio should answer these basic questions:

•Who is this young person?
•What is his or her interest in our organization or school?
•What does this person know?
•What is he or she able to do?
•What does this person want to do with his or her life?
•Are we a good match for each other?

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Transcripts

You can obtain an academic record of your child's schooling career in two ways:

• The first way is to keep the records yourself and then create a transcript( See my tips on how to make a transcript)format document for such use.

• The other way is to enroll in an independent study program (ISP), either public or private, that maintains records and generates transcripts for you.

An independent study program is called something different in nearly every state.

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Easing the Admissions Process

One completely legitimate way to enter a four-year college (my most recommended way while teaching public school) is to have your child take junior college classes as a high school student. Once he or she has acquired a proper number of credits, it may be possible to transfer right into a four-year college as a junior. The junior college will not ask for high school transcripts because your child is technically a high school student, not seeking full entry into the junior college. This works well for many families since junior college systems in most states allow high school students to take courses without being formally enrolled as full-time college students.

When a student transfers to a four-year school as a junior, all required paperwork comes from the junior college; therefore the fact that a student has been educated in a home school high school environment.

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Financial Aid

Admission to college can be expensive. Howeevr, every college offers financial aid of some kind(ie, ability to pay does not affect admission status).

Financial aid groud rules are nationally standardized, so they hold true for all institutions. Be aware that the financial aid field is a prime one for illegitimate companies seeking to separate you from your money by "finding" you scholarship money for a "fee."

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Online Courses Offer Diversity To The College Bound Homeschooled High School Student

For many homeschool high school students the idea of virtual or correspondence schools offers a friendly educational environment within the confines of the homeschool classroom. For many college bound homeschool students, the idea of a virtual classroom provides an expanded opportunity to learn college courses without having to conform to a college class schedule. The online courses are offered to each student at any time, any location. This flexible scheduling allows for homeschool students to continue with their current social and academic commitments while increasing the overall educational opportunities. homeschool high school students, they are already committed to job share programs, volunteer work, family responsibilities and personal interests and clubs. The online or virtual high school offers many different accredited classes, a professional transcript and a learning experience unlike any other. For the virtual high school student, the members of any course can be located from all different corners of the world, allowing for cross cultural learning to take place as well as the desired curriculum. Students are able to interact with teachers and peers in lively conversations, exchanging ideas from different cultures and locations around the world. There are many different online high school programs available for the homeschool student; taking the time to research each educational program to insure that you find the best fit for your family is going to be a key element in your final choice (A home based curriculum can still include homeschool science. As you did when you first began homeschooling so many years ago, research your options and don't settle for anything less than the best for your child.

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