Homeschooling

Archive for May, 2007

Choosing the right Homeschool Curriculum is crucial to the success of Homeschooling. Through the right Homeschool Curriculum, you can ensure that your homeschoolers learn everything that is necessary and important. You can compare the public school curriculum or a private school curriculum to your Homeschool Curriculum to make sure that you are not leaving out any important subjects of education. You can add what you think your homeschoolers should learn to the Homeschool Curriculum and leave out anything that you feel are not useful for your homeschoolers.

Each state has its own set of Homeschool Curriculum. You should obtain a Homeschool Curriculum from your state. You can add to the state's Homeschool Curriculum if you wish to. Below are some homeschool resources and information on Homeschool Curriculum. You can also buy used Homeschool Curriculum which a lot of people sell in the Spring time. Your homeschool support group will be able to tell you where to find a used Homeschool Curriculum.

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      • Home School Curriculum
      • Used Homeschool Curriculum
      • Home Schooling Books
      • Homeschool Teachers
      • The Importance of Deadline
      • Home Schooling Hours
      • Homeschool Grading
      • High School Credits
      • Jobs for Homeschoolers
      • Classical Home Education
      • Qualification to Homeschool
      • Certification to Homeschool
      • Homeschool High School

Question: Homeschool Questions? Please Answer.?

I live in West Virginia.
I am homeschooled.
I am in the 9th grade.

Can I complete more than one grade in a year?

Can I get my high school diploma if I take a certain test?(NOT a GED)

I want to know what great things I can add in a portfolio. I missed testing and can't find anyone to test me. Now trying to find someone to do portfolio view. I want to know what is something that will wow them? I really want a good portfolio.

How do homeschoolers have a transcript? Do they take your parents word for what your grades have been over the years?
Also do I need all the credits of the average high schooler where I live to graduate.

Do I even get credits?

I use Lifepac books,

Does the Board of Ed give me a High school diploma?

Answer: If you are in the 9th grade then good for you for thinking about these things early! Ideally, to make a great transcript/portfolio, you need to begin keeping track of everything you do, everything you read, every award you receive, field trip you go on, extra study you complete, etc...from 9th grade thru 12th. The first answer to your question gave excellent ideas for the types of things you should record. Keep your text books so you will be able to look through the table of contents later while making transcripts. It is easy to forget exactly what you studied in 9th grade once you are in 12th! A list of every author you have read during those years makes a nice addition to transcripts. All of those extra things that you put into your transcript packet, like travels, community service, awards, and those well known classic authors, make those good grade look even more legit. Imagine a college looking at your transcript packets and seeing an incredible list of authors read. A well-read student is likely an intelligent one.

Some homeschoolers follow exactly the set credit hours needed to graduate a public school, some use it as a guide, and others don't use it at all. If you are intending on college be sure to check with the colleges you are considering to see what THEIR entrance requirements are as far as credit hours and subject mastery expected. If you want a good way to keep track of how many hours you have spent on something, how many credits you have, etc...there is great booklet you can fill in that is just for that purpose. It can be found at www.christianbooks.com and is called "The Homeschooler's High School Journal". The link to it is below. It's about $10 and a great way to have a record of what you did each year so you do not forget.

It has been my experience that colleges are very interested in grade point averages. Often homeschoolers do not give grades, and if we did, they would never be below a B (or course no one uses those anymore). My point is that homeschoolers normally have very high grades because we would continue teaching until the student has at least a very good understanding. This can make transcripts look a little bias, although most colleges have come to understand our method of teaching and the grading outcome. Normally the extras in the transcript packet help to alleviate any concern they may have, as well as a face to face meeting and/or test scores. You should try very hard to include a GPA with your transcripts.

For test scores you may want to consider Thurbers at http://www.thurbers.net/thurbers.net/Homeschool_California_Achievement_Testing.html
They offer standardized achievement testing that can be administered at home. It does not matter what state you live in. This is not the SAT or ACT but is a well respected test often accepted by some states who require annual testing by homeschoolers, and will at least give you something to include. It is also a great way, even in 9th or 10th grade, to see if you are "missing" anything in your studies. Of course you still have time to take the SAT or ACT before graduation.

Speaking of graduation, as far as I know there is no way, other than through some online charter schools (which is a "public school"), to receive an actual diploma if homeschooled. Your parents can give you a very nice paper one but technically it does not officially mean anything. Home School Legal Defense Association- www.hslda.org -sells a very nice one in a case and everything (link below). You could take the GED although many homeschoolers refuse to do that, feeling that the GED implies that they did not graduate. With so many colleges now seeing the excellent track record of their previously homeschooled students, many are actively seeking homeschoolers. You can usually find out rather easily on a college's website if they are "homeschool friendly."

Your parents should be able to find online many blank transcript templates to fill in, especially at sites for helping homeschoolers. My advice would be to make a packet, sort of like a portfolio. The last one I did included the actual transcripts as the first page and on that page I stuck a small photo of my son. A photo is a good idea. It makes the student seem real. Following the transcripts I included a brief summary of each subject he had studied, about a paragraph each, then went on to include one of his essays, letters of recommendations, awards, community service, etc.... I did not include photos from field trips, the fake mustache he wore in one of his plays, or things like that. Keep it brief but complete. Sell yourself. Mine was presented in a clear plastic report cover. Oh...and I would get the whole packet notarized. It should be on the front page with the transcripts and photo. Helps it look official.

I hope I answered your questions! Well done for thinking ahead!