How would you advise a single mom pulling a rising 11th grader out of ps?

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

I just received an email from a friend whose daughter is in this situation. Her son is a good boy dealing with bullying issues in a city school. She tried to get him into a new charter school but it was a lottery and he didn't get the golden ticket.

 

She wants an online, accredited program for him, but money is a problem. :( What would you tell her? (This is in Indiana, where homeschools are legally considered to be private schools.)

 

I suggested looking into Penn Foster, Laurel Springs, and Sycamore Tree, because they either have lower prices or a good payment plan. She's already heard of Abeka Academy.

 

I also mentioned that she doesn't have to do either online or accredited if those aren't a good fit. I told her about curricula that includes DVD teachers, CD-Rom, answer keys, texts written directly to the student, etc. because I know most ps'ers don't know the riches that are available to us. (And then I sent her here. LOL)

Edited June 1, 2011 by Dulcimeramy

[NancyL]

The cheapest accredited program I've seen is the American School in Chicago (see Cafi Cohen's books--she used them and explains why)

They have a very bare bones minimimal curriculum you can find to get a diploma. IE, the math requirement is low, so she had the kids take more classes at a college for math. She did additional homeschooling to improve their education, but the American School provided the diploma. I think they have payment plans. (not a lot of hand holding however) good value for the money. HTH

[elegantlion]

K12 is an option in Indiana. Don't know anything about the specifics in the state, but here's the link. http://www.k12.com/participating-schools/indiana

Edited June 1, 2011 by elegantlion

[In The Great White North]

I also mentioned that she doesn't have to do either online or accredited if those aren't a good fit. I told her about curricula that includes DVD teachers, CD-Rom, answer keys, texts written directly to the student, etc. because I know most ps'ers don't know the riches that are available to us. (And then I sent her here. LOL

 

This.

 

I would advise her that an online, accredited program is not all its cracked up to be. Learning online is not really all that similar to a classroom. It can be expensive. The amount of feedback varies. Satisfaction varies.

 

And it certainly isn't necessary to get into college.

 

She should not think that just because it is an online, accredited program she will never have to get involved. Kids need some local supervision.

[Brenda in MA]

If the student is not behind academically, I would suggest that she look into community college for him for at least a few courses. That and a mix of other curriculum picked to match his interests/ability might work. I have no idea what the situation is in Indiana, but since money is an issue, some states offer free/reduced price CC courses to homeschoolers, so she should probably investigate that possibility.

 

From what I've seen, it can feel very isolating for a teen coming from years of school to suddenly be faced with being at home by himself for hours at a time and being very self-directed. It can be done, and done well, but it's tough.

 

Hugs & prayers to her,

Brenda

[Brigid in NC]

If the student is not behind academically, I would suggest that she look into community college for him for at least a few courses. That and a mix of other curriculum picked to match his interests/ability might work.

:iagree:

I also suggest the family try to get connected with other homeschooling families -- and find at least one or two local high school classes that are taught in a co-op, so that the young man will begin to develop a new network of friends (which probably won't happen at a CC). Co-ops often have weekly or monthly payment plans, so the cost might be affordable.

 

 

From what I've seen, it can feel very isolating for a teen coming from years of school to suddenly be faced with being at home by himself for hours at a time and being very self-directed. It can be done, and done well, but it's tough.

 

I think this is huge consideration. I've seen this situation happen close by. The parent and child both underestimated the loneliness. Finding connections and activities with other kids his age will enrich his next year or two. :) Best of luck to your friend!

[flyingiguana]

I'd tell her that it takes awhile to get organized, even if using a curriculum, and that she should not panic if the first semester seems to be a disaster.

 

Make sure he's reading a few good books, that he keeps up with math (wherever he is), and that he gets a bit of writing in. If he plans to go to college, check out what the requirements are for whatever colleges he's interested in, but don't obsess about meeting them. Many colleges are more forgiving about requirements than they let on (state schools may be an exception).

 

It's better to do a few things well than a lot of things badly.

 

Using a curriculum may be worse than nothing at all because it may make them go crazy. If he's at all self-directed, if he has any interests, send him off to the library or the web and let him choose a lot of his own reading materials. Letting him loose on something that interests him may do a lot for getting over the shock of suddenly being out of school and possibly feeling adrift.

 

Other options that are online but free:

Khan Academy(http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse)

Annenberg/CPB (http://www.learner.org/)

opencourseware (http://www.ocwconsortium.org/en/courses/catalog)

Ambleside Online for reading lists (don't do the high school years at first - in fact, in 11th grade, it might be best just to peruse the list for books that look interesting. There are plenty of good books in the lower years, and the "years" don't really match grade level at all)

http://www.amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml

 

Do something social and fun - join a choir or a band (community bands usually take older teens). Get involved in theater, or find a sports team to join. But be prepared to have him reject these ideas. If he's been having a bad time of it at school, he may really need to just stay home for awhile and find himself.

 

And be prepared to have him sleep a lot. Teens do a lot of that in general. They do even more if they've been stressed and the stress is suddenly lifted.

[Hunter]

I strongly advise looking into American School. It's been a long time since I used it with my boys, so I'd find a current online forum of people using it NOW for reviews.

 

My oldest graduated from AS.

 

My younger used it, but I dropped it when shamed into providing him a more classical education, rather than just adding classical to the AS spine. BIG, BIG, BIG mistake!!!!!

 

AS has been around a long time. They are non profit. Many of the teachers are retired and very committed to their students. At least when I used it, AS was a SHOCKINGLY good value and wonderful accountability for adolescent boys.

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Thank you all very, very much! :grouphug: I sent her this link to read for herself.

[Ellie]

One more thing: She should be sure this is what she (and her ds) wants to do, because if he thinks he might want to go back to school (maybe for his senior year) it is highly possible that the school won't accept the credits he earned at home, even if he earned them through an accredited school.

 

I'll second the suggestion to look into community college, especially the possibility of the credits he earns being transferrable to a 4yr college (this isn't always the case).

[Tammyla]

http://www.k12.com/participating-schools/indiana

 

The above link is a free on-line option for them.

 

 

I just received an email from a friend whose daughter is in this situation. Her son is a good boy dealing with bullying issues in a city school. She tried to get him into a new charter school but it was a lottery and he didn't get the golden ticket.

 

She wants an online, accredited program for him, but money is a problem. :( What would you tell her? (This is in Indiana, where homeschools are legally considered to be private schools.)

 

I suggested looking into Penn Foster, Laurel Springs, and Sycamore Tree, because they either have lower prices or a good payment plan. She's already heard of Abeka Academy.

 

I also mentioned that she doesn't have to do either online or accredited if those aren't a good fit. I told her about curricula that includes DVD teachers, CD-Rom, answer keys, texts written directly to the student, etc. because I know most ps'ers don't know the riches that are available to us. (And then I sent her here. LOL)

[Susan C.]

Two things. First, make sure he isn't at home with no direction. When our kids were little, we were a part of a large coop. I had cafeteria duty. There were a bunch of high schoolers in there. They weren't working, and from how they talked, they weren't doing schoolwork at home either. I heard more than one saying their moms were at work and didn't know what they were or weren't doing. There definitely needs to be an assignment book, and the mom needs to check in with her son daily to make sure 1) he is doing the work, 2) that she is assigning the right amount of work, 3) that he understands his work, and 4) discussion of his work.

 

My dc have friends that have done all of their school through a online school, and it didn't go well with any of them. One commented that it was very hard to just sit at the computer and do schoolwork alone.

[Brigid in NC]

My dc have friends that have done all of their school through a online school, and it didn't go well with any of them. One commented that it was very hard to just sit at the computer and do schoolwork alone.

:001_unsure: This was exactly the same response of a dd of an acquaintance who left ps in 10th and did all her homeschooling on-line. The young lady was bored and lonely, and ended up dropping out of school that year, with the goal of just getting a GED (which has not happened yet). I think if mom (who had to work -- and had the best of intentions) had been home during the "school day" the online format might have worked for her. It was just too big a swing in the mode of schooling for it to be successful for this young lady.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Brigid in NC

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Update:

 

She found a new online public school that is tuition-free. This will be the first year that the school goes through 12th grade. Her son will have opportunities for meetups with his class, field trips, and good support from teachers, so it may be the best option in this particular case.

 

Thanks again for all the input and experienced wisdom!

[Brigid in NC]

Update: She found a new online public school that is tuition-free. This will be the first year that the school goes through 12th grade. Her son will have opportunities for meetups with his class, field trips, and good support from teachers, so it may be the best option in this particular case.

 

That's wonderful! Thanks for sharing this! :thumbup:

[MaryCatherine]

Update:

 

She found a new online public school that is tuition-free. This will be the first year that the school goes through 12th grade. Her son will have opportunities for meetups with his class, field trips, and good support from teachers, so it may be the best option in this particular case.

 

Thanks again for all the input and experienced wisdom!

 

 

This does sound like a good solution.

[Katiebug_1976]

I'm not sure about Indiana, but here in Oklahoma we have a virtual public highschool (from my understanding, it is free & just like going to ps, only at home). You might check and see if Indiana has anything like that...:001_smile: