Where did you start your research on homeschooling middle school/high school?

[HappyGrace]

Dd is starting 5th grade this yr and I want to look ahead a little. How did you start outlining a plan for middle/high school? Any good resources? We've always done classical (very eclectic WTM), but I'm not married to it, and I'm good with exploring other options, including textbooks. She isn't leaning toward any particular bent yet, like science or whatever, just is not mathy. Thanks! :)

[HollyDay]

Where did I start? I wrote down everything required for high school graduation that would prepare them for college. My list looks something like this:

4 English to include American Lit, World Lit, British Lit, Writing, Vocab

4 math to include: Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Adv. Math/Pre-Calculus

4 science to include: Earth science, Bio, Chemistry, and Physics

4 History to include: American, World, Government/Econ

2 Foreign Language (prefer 4) credits in same living language

2 Art

1 Health

2 PE

1 Computer

general electives: music, home ec, latin, logic, auto mechanics, etc.

 

The only thing I've been really watching is my math and science so that they line up together.

 

HTH!

[Cheryl in NM]

I love this book! The High School Handbook: Junior and Senior High School at Home by Mary Schofield. I heard her speak at our local homeschool conference last year.

 

She talks about setting educational goals, required areas of study and compulsary education for each state. There are many forms you can use to organize your date also.

 

So, I started with what I wanted ds to learn in highschool, then matched that up to the local graduation requirements and added some things in to round it all out.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Here.

 

State requirement sites.

 

Convention lectures.

 

You're starting at a great time!

[SkateLeft]

For high school, I did the same thing Holly did, and came up with a four year plan. I started with my state's graduation requirements, and added admissions requirements for the colleges my daughter is interested in.

 

Before that, at the start of 7th grade, I sat down and made a list of goals for everything I wanted my daughter to be able to do before she entered high school. I found that she was prepared academically, but there were other "meta-educational type" things I wanted to cover, like taking notes from a text and a lecture, studying for a test, group learning dynamics, budgeting time to meet an assignment deadline, etc.

 

Then I came up with plans for addressing those goals over the course of the 7th and 8th grade years. Searching the archives of this board was a great help!

 

I'm in goal-setting mode for my younger daughter this year. :)

 

Hope this helps!

[HappyGrace]

So far, so good, thanks! Where do you find info about all the random stuff I hear about like PSATs/SATs, AP courses, what math you have to have for what science, etc.?

 

And I thought of another question but I'll make it a S/O!

[stephanier.1765]

Honestly, the Well Trained Mind. From there, these forums have been a wealth of information. I really haven't strayed far from either other than to see how many credits PS kids usually get in my state and to scan over their course descriptions.

[Carol in Cal.]

I started with my own experience, The Well Trained Mind, and some ideas about local state requirements.

 

I tried to be flexible, jumping on opportunities as they came up but always having a general overview plan. Since I have an only child, I generally look for a half day or full day enrichment program, and found good ones every year. I make sure that my plans complement but do not duplicate the material in the enrichment program.

 

I have not planned on homeschooling high school, so I knew that I wanted DD to have some things under her belt before starting high school.

 

Math: I wanted to teach her algebra 1 myself. I'm good at it, and although she hates math, she learns it better from me than any other way.

 

English mechanics: I wanted her to learn to spell consistently, to have decent handwriting, and to know grammar and be able to apply it well enough to use it for editing and foreign language study. This doesn't sound like much, but DD is far from a natural speller, and so this required a great deal of intentional effort on my part.

 

English literature: I wanted her to be exposed to some great, great literature and be able to think and write about it critically and thoughtfully.

 

English writing: I wanted her to be able to write a literary essay and to research a topic and organize material from several sources. I also wanted her to preserve her excellent writing voice, and to have enough time and space to develop her poetry and fiction writing skills in addition to honing her academic writing.

 

Religion: I wanted her to have an excellent working knowledge of the Bible, along with practical applications. I wanted her to be educated enough to be confirmed and receive Holy Communion (and prayed that she would do so.) I wanted her to include her Faith in her ethical and personal decision-making.

 

Science: I wanted her to have a working vocabulary and general knowledge in the major hard sciences, and proficiency in technology.

 

History: I wanted her to be familiar with all of the basics of world and American history, and to be proficient and nuanced in thinking about cause and effects, multiple cultures, and culture clashes, and to have a Christian worldview but be familiar with other worldviews as well.

 

Foreign language: I wanted her to have either significant exposure to a modern foreign language, or to Latin.

 

PE: I wanted her to be proficient at one sport, and to be confident in wild nature.

 

I thought about these goals about twice a year through the logic stage years, and made mid-course corrections. They went pretty well, and I would say that DD met all of them and exceeded some of them, especially in the areas of history, religion, wild nature, composition, and English literature. I'm really happy with her accomplishments and experience.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Carol in Cal.

[HollyDay]

One other thing that you are probably already doing...... I started having dd take notes around 7th grade. Either to me "lecturing" a subject or at church or a meeting of some sort. I also had her doing more research, digging for information in texts or living literature.

 

The life skills list is important too. I have a long list I got from Queen's homeschool that includes just about everything needed to run a home, set a budget, and general life.

[JennW in SoCal]

The best thing to do is to make a habit out of browsing this board, not just the newly posted questions but go back about a year and start reading. There was a large graduating class last spring and there seems to be a huge wave of incoming freshman this fall, so the board has a different flavor than it did at this time last year. You'll learn a lot by just reading and taking notes, and will find that most of your questions have been asked many times before.

[HappyGrace]

I'm sorry-I should have thought to look through the archived messages first :tongue_smilie:

 

I love the thoughts you've shared with me and thank you for taking the time! I printed them out to reference!!

[JennW in SoCal]

Don't apologize!!

 

There are so many wise women who have moved on with their lives after their children graduated, but whose wisdom I want to share with all the moms coming up the ranks behind me. You've got lots of time before high school -- if you start reading now it will seem like a piece of cake when 9th grade rolls around:001_smile:

[johnandtinagilbert]

The best thing to do is to make a habit out of browsing this board, not just the newly posted questions but go back about a year and start reading. There was a large graduating class last spring and there seems to be a huge wave of incoming freshman this fall, so the board has a different flavor than it did at this time last year. You'll learn a lot by just reading and taking notes, and will find that most of your questions have been asked many times before.

So true...Jenn, you're so helpful. Thank you.

[Julieofsardis]

:iagree:

Honestly, the Well Trained Mind. From there, these forums have been a wealth of information. I really haven't strayed far from either other than to see how many credits PS kids usually get in my state and to scan over their course descriptions.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[WTMindy]

I started where I have started every year...with WTM. :001_smile: I don't use all the curriculum suggestions, but I stay pretty true to the goals of WTM. It hasn't let me down so far. I have a scope and sequence spreadsheet that I made for my kids listing all of the subjects that I want to do and resources I THINK I'll be using at that time. I have sort of cross-referenced that with what colleges are looking at for admissions and we have all the basis covered there.

[Savermom]

These boards have been my favorite and best resource. I also read every book my library had on the homeschooling high school. My two favorites are WTM and Homeschooling High School: Planning Ahead for College Admission by Jeanne Gowen Dennis.

 

My homeschool co-op showed a video series by Inge Cannon that really helped know what should be on transcripts which helped me plan my 4 years.

 

A great website with more info is thehomescholar.com

[HappyGrace]

Good idea....it's like I did for elementary-we knew when dd was 3 mos old we would homeschool, and I did years of research, which made elementary easier. High school just has much bigger stakes, I guess, so I'm more nervous! Some good starting points mentioned here-I printed out and made notes from what you've said, thanks!

[mcconnellboys]

I used the logic and rhetoric stage sections of WTM, making notes as I read. I used Cafi Cohen's books about homeschooling high school. I attended lots of talks by Inge Cannon about homeschooling high school.

 

I asked more specific questions about logic stage doings on the K-8 boards. I asked questions on the high school board.