How to prepare a HS kid for high school??

[Moxie]

I can hardly believe my sweet baby boy is in 7th grade and we're thinking about high schools. The clichés are all true!! Time does fly!!

 

We've pretty much decided that we'll put our name in for the local charter high school. If he doesn't get in there (there is a lottery) I suppose we'll continue to HS.

 

So, what do I need to do NOW to prepare my sweet boy for school outside our home??

[Nscribe]

The following is coming from a friend who recently put her child in and commented on what she wished she had done:

1.  Teach him to write his full name on everything to be turned in.

2.  Teach him to record assignments into a planner or on an app.

3.  Teach him to cite basic things in MLA.

4.  Work more on timed short answers

5.  Explain about head lice...yeah it was an issue she had to worry about when the letters went home week 3

6.  Teach internet responsibility and consequences (her child had way more freedom at school than she allowed at home)

if I remember others she mentioned I will post later

 

[SailorMom]

All of the above, plus maybe:

1. In addition to a name, add date and assignment title to his assignments.
2. Note taking form lecture practice! 
3. Studying/note taking from a textbook
4. Be sure child understands exactly what constitutes plagiarism (may not have come up while homeschooling)
5. Timed tests and timed essays - I know I usually allow as much time is needed and that just isn't the case in school

 

 

[Nscribe]

I remembered another but can't remember exactly how she phrased it, so I will try to paraphrase but may not do it justice.  She noted that she had really tailored her child's learning experience and they struggle with recognizing it just is not going to be that way in school.  Teachers will help, but they will not do 30 or 40 individually tailored lessons.

[Wildiris]

 

• Communicate with teachers

 

Honor deadlines

 

Write!

 

[LLMom]

All of the above plus good outlining skills, note taking, studying for tests, etc.  Also tell them if they hear something they don't know the meaning of, please ask you or their father.  Ds went to high school after homeschooling and used a derogatory word in conversation with me but didn't know it was nasty.  He just thought it meant a jerk.  Saves them from some embarrassment.  :huh:

[Samiam]

We went through this..enrolling oldest DS into high school after always being homeschooled.

 

Things we did or wish we had done:

1.  Yes, agree with writing his name on his work...that was an issue for the first month...got a few "0" grades for not turning on work...because they didn't know it was his ;(.

2.  Note-taking...this is a biggie as it's just not something he ever needed to do during homeschooling.  I had him go through a Great Course program that was all about how to be a great student and note-taking (we did this the summer prior to school starting..bought it on a great sale, paid like $9.95 for it...streamed it via internet)

3.  A heart to heart about some things he may see or hear while in the halls.  I'm talking slang/foul words, etc.   Up to that point, he had not heard alot of these words, and didn't really know what they meant.  We wanted to be sure that he knew what they meant, and why it was best that he choose not to use those types of words.  Kind of an embarassing conversation, to say the least, lol.  

4.  Getting in the habit of writing down assignments.  If I had to go back and do over, I would have started some process of doing that with him at home, instead of me spoon feeding his daily work on a nicely formatted, organized printed out sheet that he just had to read along and check off.  Maybe a weekly sit down with due dates of upcoming assignments type of thing that we could have done at home.  I would have had him more responsible for getting work done by a due date.  For example, at school he may have a week to turn write a paper and turn it in.  That first year, he often waited until the last night before working on it. (Believe me, we harped and harped on this).   Maybe it's a boy thing...I've heard other parents at school talk about the same issue.  This year, as a 10th grader, he's getting better about that issue.

5.  One of the BIGGEST challenges I faced was about ME, realizing I wasn't in full control of his education anymore.   I didn't always know every assignment he had, he didn't always want me to check over his homework, he never wanted our help with studying...we truly want to help..."let's study your Spanish vocab...I'll read the English word, you tell me the Spanish version" type of thing...nope, he didn't want us to help with any of that......and maybe that was because I had spent 6th-8th grade gearing him to be more independent.  Teachers and coaches want to speak with the student, as if he's the adult or decision maker...I guess they are wanting these children to take responsibility...but for me, I want to be fully involved, and our son doesn't make alot of decisions fully on his own...it's a group effort at his age.  So the first year was a challenge for me too.  This 2nd year, I'm getting more used to it and familiar.

 

The rest of the stuff, ie testing protocol...teachers go over that in class, with everyone.  How to communicate...I mean, I assume you are homeschooling a human who's left the house before, lol...so I'm sure he can communicate with other humans.    Some things my DS just had to learn by doing...things like going through the lunch line, getting from one end of the school to the other in the few minutes between class, opening a locker, communicating with teachers.  He fell down a few times as he learned, (his first day in the lunch line was quite a challenge), but he picked it up quickly and he's adapted fine.

[LibraryLover]

My dc's biggest complaint is the heavy backpack. ;)

 

However:

 

Make sure they can organize a 3-ring binder. Buy a 3 hole punch for handouts (the best are those that fit in the binder). Punch holes in all handouts and put them in the appropriate place.  (I can't stress this enough. If you see your child folding handouts in 4ths ;) and/or putting them in jacket/ pocket,  or stuffing them into the backpack, stop him/her!  These often have important dates etc on them. Look at them. If they are important to work, 3 hole punch them and put them in the binder.   It you are going to put several subjects in a large 3-ring binder, buy separating pages/colored tabs.

 

Review assignments daily with your child, at least at first.

 

Teach them to take notes! Use the knowledge learned re outlining. 

 

Encourage them to ask questions whenever uncertain of procedure.  Encourage your child to go to teachers before or after school if they are unclear about anything. 

 

Participate in class. Sit up front if there is a choice.

 

Buy a zillion pencils and pens. Lend them out, but don't expect to see them again. lol  however, you will earn the reputation of being the person with pens/the responsible one.

[AuntPol]

Mine just went to high school and the other to 8th grade: sorry if I repeat

 

a) Writing Name on paper

b) Organizational skills (definitely using a binder to keep up with papers from all classes)and time management skills

c) Check to make sure your math is inline with the school. Most homeschoolers do traditional sequences and most schools are doing common core. My DD had Algebra 1 in 8th grade and had to start over with Common Core Math I because she didn't have some of the stuff.

d) Check to make sure any high school credits taken in middle school are transferable if you don't want them repeated. Our school will not take Apologia Biology because it doesn't cover the state standards.

e) How to take notes from lecture

f) How to study and take tests (Not just Iowa type either).

g) Using an assignment binder -where to find assignments because some teachers don't announce it (They will explain on syllabus though)

h) The teacher doesn't care if you think an assignment is stupid, worthless, dumb, boring, etc.

I) How to email a teacher to get clarifications, etc (respectful language, etc)

j) Classroom etiquette (when can they ask questions, when is not a good time, etc): The homeschoolers I teach tend to either be afraid to speak period or they want to hog the attention for the entire class. My son did not know it was okay to ask a clarification question during a test.

k) Culture Shock prep (even my child who did many activities and was with public schoolers at dance, etc was shocked -imagine the ones who came from a bubble environment)

l) Honor code, Plagiarism, how to cite

m) Give some freedom now - A few of the homeschoolers at my school have gone wild because they are not around parents (and doing things at school their parents would pass out over)

n) Make sure they are at level so you are not one "Those" homeschoolers......... (we have many at my school that I just want to go scream at their parents)

[SailorMom]

My son was shocked about certain things in 8th grade when he went back as well.  We are not "bubblers" at all - all of his friends were from public school and Boy Scouts, so....

Anyway - the language in the halls, the kids "making-out" in the bathrooms and halls, and drugs being very prevalent - a bit shocking.  We lived in a VERY nice area at the best school....

I had to laugh at the "teacher won't care if the assignment is dumb, boring, etc...."  I tell my younger DS that all the time (he'll be dual-enrolling next Fall)....

 

[Pawz4me]

I guess I'm weird.  Beyond reminding my boys to write their name on papers being turned in, I didn't do much of any specific prep work for them returning to high school.  Most of it is basic common-sense, or things we'd already covered well (note taking, how to cite sources, organizing materials, etc.).

 

The biggest issue either of mine had was getting used to the longer days away from home and being around so many more people than they were used to.  And those things you can't really prep for.  I did remind them frequently through the summer before they started back to school that they would likely be totally wiped out for the first few weeks, and that with time they would adjust.