Transitioning to high school...Cross post

[Jeanne in MN]

Our oldest is heading into 8th grade in the fall and I'm looking ahead to the future. I've been looking at science for her and wondering should we head down the text book road with tests, quizzes, grades, etc. or can we continue what we do with living books, hands-on activities, using material that explains things in a more fun or interesting way than a text?

 

I feel like I need to start preparing her for "the real world" and how things would be done in college and yet, I haven't homeschooled that way and prefer not to.

 

How do you do high school? Do you find yourself changing how you do things or just ignore the public school norm and follow your own path?

[Ellie]

Our oldest is heading into 8th grade in the fall and I'm looking ahead to the future. I've been looking at science for her and wondering should we head down the text book road with tests, quizzes, grades, etc. or can we continue what we do with living books, hands-on activities, using material that explains things in a more fun or interesting way than a text?

Well, see, at the high school level, if you're thinking of college and not planning to use the community college at all, I think you'd have a rough time developing a true lab science without a textbook.

 

I feel like I need to start preparing her for "the real world" and how things would be done in college and yet, I haven't homeschooled that way and prefer not to.

"Real world" and "college" are not synonymous.:) Using good trade books and hands-on activities is really more like the real world, but college is all about the textbooks.:tongue_smilie:

 

How do you do high school? Do you find yourself changing how you do things or just ignore the public school norm and follow your own path?

We did community college instead of high school. I didn't care about doing 12 years of school; I just wanted my dc to be educated. They began taking classes at the c.c. when they were 14--something usually easy to do in Calif. They didn't finish in two years (some of my friends' dc did, though,), but they only had to take those classes once, instead of once in high school and again in college.

 

If I lived in another state, I'd start looking at what my dc wanted to do as adults; if what they wanted to do required college, we'd work towards that. If not...not.

[Brindee]

Here's what I've found with mine, and seen with others: No matter which way you work it in high school, when you homeschool, and make sure the child knows their material as you go over it, they adapt and do well in college. So, if your child is used to the living books, hands-on approach and learns well with it, I'd just continue it. If that is what works best for her, changing now could be confusing and disconcerting for her! When she's matured a few years, and had good base learning in high school, she will be more able to readily adapt to the way they do things in college.

 

This is JMHO based on what I've seen/heard over the years.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Brindee

[Jeanne in MN]

You guys rock! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. It's all very helpful!

[LoriM]

How do you do high school? Do you find yourself changing how you do things or just ignore the public school norm and follow your own path?

 

I highly recommend the book Home-Designed High School for your reading pleasure this summer. :) It is the book I wish I'd written, and read after I'd already successfully navigated 90% of the hurdles with my own oldest. Very moderate, but gentle reminders of all the "musts" related to high school for a college-bound student.

 

And as far as the science bit, we used spine texts and continued studying the subjects classically, with lots of reading, writing and thinking. Most courses used more than one textbook, and several living books, and many hours in the lab.

 

HTH,

 

Lori

[Tohru]

Still nothing to add, Just want to sub to this cross-post and watch if there is any more responses from seasoned High School homeschoolers instead of advice from ones that haven't been through it yet on the other board ;)

[Jeanne in MN]

I will check into that book-thanks! I appreciate hearing your side as well. I'm saving all these responses on a word doc. to re-read at leisure. Very helpful stuff!

 

 

I highly recommend the book Home-Designed High School for your reading pleasure this summer. :) It is the book I wish I'd written, and read after I'd already successfully navigated 90% of the hurdles with my own oldest. Very moderate, but gentle reminders of all the "musts" related to high school for a college-bound student.

 

And as far as the science bit, we used spine texts and continued studying the subjects classically, with lots of reading, writing and thinking. Most courses used more than one textbook, and several living books, and many hours in the lab.

 

HTH,

 

Lori

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm