Help...new to high school!

[Shawndrese]

Hi everyone! A little background info...I've been homeschooling my 2 kids for 4 years now (they are 7 and 9) and absolutely love it. We've recently become foster parents and are in the process of adopting a 15 yr old girl. She also wants to be homeschooled but I'm clueless when it comes to high school curriculum :) Not only that, but I really don't know what kind of schooling and learning she does best with. She's done decent her freshmen year at the public school, but says she has a hard time focusing and has failed a couple classes. What I'm most worried about is grading her work. Not so much that I won't know how, but that there will be arguing if she isn't doing her work correctly or failing. I'd really like something that I don't have to grade and keep track of. At least for the first year, until I can see how self motivated she is (or isn't) and how well she does with homeschooling. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can use?

In summary, I'm looking for something that will keep her on track, that I don't have to grade myself, and would prefer it to be Christian based.

Thanks so much!!!

[Lori D.]

:hurray: Congratulations on your new family member! Since you are all working on transitioning into the big life change of getting used to being a family together, you might want to devote more time to that, and transition by steps into homeschooling your soon-to-be adopted DD. There are several ways to do that:

 

- if school policies allow, continue with the public school for just 2 classes, and you oversee the others

(that allows your new DD to get used to you teaching / mentoring / overseeing / grading some of her work, but not all of it at one time)

 

- switch to a local "university-model" school

(3 days/week in a school setting, 2 days/week at home with you overseeing the work assigned at school, but taught and graded by the teachers)

 

- hire a local tutor to come in 2x/week

(tutor comes alongside you for some of the teaching, and also does grading in the less cut-and-dried subjects to grade -- i.e., papers, projects, etc.)

 

- use same/similar school materials DD is used to/did well with in public school, and just transition to you overseeing & grading

 

- use homeschool materials and pay for a "cover" or "umbrella" school with quarterly assessment of student work:

talk to local homeschoolers of high schoolers to see what your local options are

Kolbe Homeschool Academy: Enhanced Evaluation Service -- Catholic; quarterly evaluation of work

Hewitt Homeschooling High School program -- Christian; quarterly evaluation of work; phone/email advising

Clonlara -- no grading service or evaluation, but provides accredited transcript, diploma, record keeping

Bridgeway  -- no grading service or evaluation, but provides accredited transcript, diploma, record keeping

 

- possible grading service options:

talk to local homeschoolers of high schoolers to see what your local options are

Suzanne Barrett -- Christian; essay grading

Time 4 Learning -- secular; online self-paced coursework with automatic lesson grading

Alpha-Omega Life Pacs (workbook-based) or Switched on Schoolhouse (CD-Rom based) -- Christian; not graded for you, but workbook-based is harder to argue with the answer key ;)

 

The only place I think you will get full grading is through taking online classes. I would be very leery to recommend online classes at this stage, until you get DD up to speed in her coursework. Online classes require learning an additional set of skills -- use of computer software/hardware, solid writing skills, self-discipline and independent learning skills, classroom skills, study skills/test-taking skills.

 

It's also hard to recommend specific homeschooling materials, since there are no specifics on areas DD is weak in or strong in, and what learning style she connects with. What 9th grade classes do you feel she really grasped and is ready to move on? Which did she fail? And what do you think would be best to do for each of those classes:

- re-do entirely next year?

- summer school re-do of the failed portions?

- back up and work on foundational material and then re-do/move forward?

- just drop and move on?

 

Because of the several failed classes, the best reality for DD might be to take a 5th year (bonus year) of high school to get her all the way up to speed, get solid in foundational skills, and to be able to complete all of the credits typically needed for high school graduation requirements and college admission requirements. A 5th year of high school would also give her the ability to participate in extracurriculars for an extra year, and in her last year of high school do some possible dual enrollment (take some college classes at the community college that count for both high school AND college credit).

 

Be sure to get a copy of her official high school transcript now at the end of her 9th grade year; you will need that for your record keeping, and for possible future college admissions. That will also help you determine what kinds of credits DD still needs to accomplish in the next years. Here is a general list of what you'll need to cover for high school, with 1 credit = 1 school year of material, and for homeschool 1 credit = very roughly 1 hour of work/day, 5 days/week:

 

4 credits = English (typically 1/2 Composition/Writing, 1/2 Lit.; optional: Vocab, Grammar review; remedial = also Spelling, Grammar)

4 credits = Math (typically Alg. 1, Geometry, Alg. 2, and 4th math requiring Alg. 2 as prerequisite; if remedial: Pre-Algebra, Alg. 1, Geometry, Consumer Math)

3-4 credits = Science (with labs)

3-4 credits = Social Science (1 credit = Amer. Hist.; 1 credit = World Hist. or Geog.; 0.5 credit each = Econ, Gov't)

2-4 credits = Foreign Language (same language)

1 credit = Fine Arts

5-7 credits = Electives (Computer, Health, PE, Bible, Vocational-Tech, personal interests, "Academic Electives" = additional English, Math, Scienc, Soc. Sci. above required)

total = 22-28 credits (5.5 - 7 credits per year)

 

 

And that list leads me to… Since you will be taking on high school, being your student's administrator / guidance counselor will suddenly become a big part of your homeschooling job -- a big second hat you will need to wear (in addition to being teacher to your youngers, learning how to be teacher/mentor to your high schooler, and being mom to everyone). As you begin to need more info about homeschooling high school, check out the pinned threads at the top of the high school board -- they are compilations of linked past threads with great info on a huge variety of topics:

 

Science info/resources/reviews:

Homeschool High School Biology

Homeschool High School Chemistry

Homeschool High school Physics

 

"Starting High School; Outsourcing; Online Classes; Tutors; Dual Enrollment; AP, PSAT, SAT/ACT, CLEP, GED -- links to past threads here!"

post #1 topics = getting started; resources; make a high school plan; outsourcing; tutors; online classes; dual enrollment

post #2 topics = pros/cons of high school tests you may need/want: AP, PSAT, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject, CLEP, GED

 

"Transcripts; Credits; GPA/Grading; Accreditation; College Prep/Applications; Scholarships/Financial Aid; Career Exploration -- past threads linked here!"

post #1 topics = planning/scheduling; transcripts; credits; grading/GPA; course descriptions; record keeping; diplomas; accreditation

post #5 topics = college prep/planning; NCAA; choosing a college; college admission/Common App; freshman orientation/first time at college; financial aid; scholarships; alternatives to 4-year college; career exploration

 

I recommend these threads to start with:

What do "seventh grade" and "ninth grade" look like to you? --  typical academic/physical developmental milestones of gr. 7-12

To all you people with 8th graders (or there abouts) -- helpful skills to move into during middle school/early high school

High School "Time Table" -- overview list of what needs to happen and when in high school

High school curriculum, where do I start? -- "quick start" of how to make a high school plan, and how to choose curricula

Could you point me to a  list? -- what kinds of classes fulfill which types of credits

 

Welcome to planning for high school! :) BEST of luck to your family with the adoption and the new school year! Warmest regards, Lori D.