High School Home SchoolI understand the high school home school experience first hand. My oldest son, Sean, is entering the 11th grade. We have identified (and YES survived) several of the major themes that naturally accompany the high school experience. Our hope is to help you weather the potentially stormy high school home school years as well:
(Note: All my book recommendations are just that. Use your own judgement when it comes to sensitive issues.) 2. Keeping A Trascript
Transcript Boot Camp comes to you in the form of a video that covers all the basics of transcript keeping. Check it today!
3. Driver’s Education
Sean has taken Driver’s Education. Now, he’s driving his parents around. Or, is he driving us crazy. Nah! Still, having a teenager in the family learning to drive can be nerve wracking. Here are some terrific books that have really helped us. 4. PSAT/SAT Prep(essay/math/graphing calculators)
Sean plans on taking some courses at a local Bible College next year. That means he’s had to take the SAT earlier than expected. He prepared for the test using the following books. The College Board has the official SAT preparation materials as they are the makers of the test. Their book is the one Sean used to prepare for the test. It has lots of practice tests and helps. When Sean began to prepare for the SAT test, I was surprised to find that most high school math classes teach students to become proficient in the use of the graphing calculator. And, this calculator is allowed, even encouraged, for use with the SAT. Abeka DVD (the program we had been using) does nothing with the graphing calculator. So, we bought one and are quickly getting up to speed in its use. At the College Board web site you can register for an upcoming test, get study strategies, or further prepare your high school home school student for the SAT. www.number2.com offers FREE SAT, ACT, and GRE test preparation. Kaplan is a little pricey but they have test centers in most cities in the country if your student needs one-on-one tutoring or prefers a classroom setting. Go to www.kaptest.com to find a center near you. The PA HOMESCHOOLERS® offers an online SAT essay preparation class for your high school home school student. Sign up today! 5. AP classes To fully comprehend what an advanced placement class is check out the explanation the College Board gives here and here. PA HOMESCHOOLERS® is the family business of the Richman family of Kittanning Pennsylvania. On their web site you can find a variety of online AP classes exclusively for your high school home school student.
"Similarly, after passing the AP Computer Programming Exam in his junior year always-homeschooled Matthew Formica was offered a complete academic scholarship to St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.”AP classes are offered in the following subject areas: Art History, Biology, Comparative Politics, Computer Science, Economics, English Language, English Literature, European History, World History, U.S. History, Music Theory, Psychology, and U.S. Government. 6. Paying for College Here is a great book on preparing now so you can afford college later. To find other articles about
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The following explanation for why at least one AP course is a good idea is offered on the site, “We have long been encouraging college-bound homeschooled students to take at least one AP exam before 12th grade, say in 11th grade. Good scores show colleges that the homeschooler was able to do college-level work at home. (The senior year is not too late for getting college credit but is too late for impressing colleges since the scores do not come in until after the colleges have made their offers.) For example, after passing the AP US History exam in his junior year, our always-homeschooled son Jesse was offered a complete academic scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh."
