Assigning Credit and Planning High School at Home -




This article has moved to a new link.  

To read about three  easy ways to assign high school credit, and plan high school at home, just click on the link below.   

Below are three ways to approach high school credits, and we used all of them.  

We needed to ramp up our recordkeeping, but still kept our nurturing, homeschool flavor, .....well, most days, anyway! 

FREE PDF
includes:
3 Easy Ways to High School Credit

and in addition it includes: 4 Steps for Planning to Homeschool High School 

I put this into a FREE PDF called How to Homeschool High School below.  Use your email to sign in for this, and then you get to keep your own PDF!  And feel free to unsubscribe anytime! 







Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,


Betsy




Betsy blogs at BJ's Homeschool about the early yearshigh schoolcollegeand is the author of "Homeschooling High School with College in Mind".  She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting.


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Are you Homeschooling High School with College in Mind? -







Note - This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.

Are you homeschooling a high schooler?

This post has moved.  I invite you to click here to read about Homeschooling High School - Your Way.
.............................................................................

If you are looking for an art course for your student, here is one using pastel chalks.....



Taught by a master artist, and offered by Tricia Hodges, mom of 5 blessings who are all homeschooled.  This is a full one year course,  for your teen who is interested in art.  Perfect for independent study! No need for a long list of supplies. Just get some paper and some chalk art pastels and you are ready!


Betsy


Betsy is mom to her now college senior, whom she homeschooled from day one.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshigh school & college and wrote the book - Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.   She offers free homeschool help through messages 
here.  Bounce some ideas off of a supportive homeschooling mom.



Copyright, 2017, All Rights Reserved

Skipping the Public School Route and How to Get Started Homeschooling




Summary: Getting started homeschooling is not hard to do.  These tips and resources can help you to get started whether for your kids or your teens.   #homeschooling #twiceexceptional #howtohomeschool #gettingstartedhomeschooling #homeschoolhighschool  This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our homeschool, and click here for my disclosure policy.


Many families come to homeschooling after having used the public schools for awhile.

And now with the times we are in, with Covid-19 and all, many public school families find themselves suddenly homeschooling.  Others are finding that their child's educational needs just are not being met in the schools.

We welcome you to our homeschooling community.

Many families are asking now, how do I really get started with it all? There are many questions that can pop up, such as:

  • How do we get started? 
  • What about homeschool reguulations 
  • What about homeschool curriculum?
  • Where can I find support?


1.  HOW WE GOT STARTED


First, here is a little bit about our story.  We decided to start homeschooling early on.  Our daughter was already reading as a 4 year old, gifted/2e kiddo.

She was SO ready for kindergarten but was too young.  In fact, we would have had to wait 2 more years for her to be at the right age to start K, due to her late birthday.


Why We Chose Homeschooling

The biggest reason that we went the homeschool route, was that we wanted to be able to keep our daughter challenged, and at the same time,  meet her special needs as a 2e kid.

Our child would have been miserable waiting to start Kindergarten until she was 6.

And at the same time, we worried that if she was in a big classroom, she would probably have attentional issues.

Many kids with ADHD and sensory issues do better learning at home than in a public school setting.

Homeschooling allowed us to meet her where she was at, challenge her intellectually.

Ours had sensory issues and was a sensory seeker as a young child.  Learning at home let her take summersault breaks, bounce across the room on an exercise ball, etc.  Things that of course would not be possible in public school.

We also could choose her curriculum and even the style that we wanted to use in our homeschooling.  The freedom was priceless as we went about trying to meet our daughter's needs.  

So we took the plunge early.  I read about homeschooling, talked with my friends who were doing it and got some inital ideas from them.

All of these things thought, really didn't help me to build up my confidence for homeschooling.

Until I started reading.  One of the most helpful books that I found as a newbie homeschooler was the Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling.

It included discussions on making the decision, how to go about learning about your state's homeschool regulations, and much more.  But suddenly homeschooling, we don't have time to read through a lot.

So here is my guide to getting started with all those things.


2.  STATE HOMESCHOOL REGULATIONS


Each state has their own homeschool law and regulations.

As Washington state homeschoolers, we found that in our state, there were few regulations for learning at home.    In WA, those don't start until the child turns 8.  But this varies from state to state.

After that, our state law laid out the subjects that needed to be covered each year, and the annual testing that also needed to be done.

Each state has it's own homeschool law, and they are quite varied.  Some states ask for annual testing, some do not. Our state allowed us to test our own child at home.


Finding Your State's Homeschool Regs

To find out your state's homeschool requirements, a good source is the site called HSLDA, which lists that information here.

When I first looked at that site, I was overwhelmed.  But I found out that it was not hard to deal with our law.

In almost every state, homeschooling gives families the freedom to choose what curriculum they want to use.  Most states also ask for annual testing to be done.  

Homeschool Testing

When you are first getting started, I would not worry at all about homeschool testing.  No state requires that until the end of the year, anyway.  

And some states only ask for it every three years.

Did you know that homeschoolers actually test higher than their public school friends?  In Washington state, we needed to test our child each year, starting at age 8.  But that was not hard to do, at all.

Will you need to do annual testing?  That depends on your state and their homeschool law.  Check above to find your state's regulations, and plan on learning how to do testing in your area, if that is required.

We tested at home each year.  That allowed us to provide an optimal environment for our daughter.  Yes, your child can be tested at home, in most states.  At home we set things up so that our daughter had the best environment for testing.  We could even adjust her annual testing.


3.  WHAT ABOUT HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM?



This freedom was especially helpful when it came to learning resources and curriculum.  The homeschool community now has tons of homeschool curriculum.  In fact, that can even feel overwhelming, with so many choices out there.

One of the first things I did to find curriculum for my child, was just to visit our local teacher's bookshop.  There they had a number of resources for all ages, up to 8th grade.

I just picked out a few preschool/early learning things, with my daughter's help.  If she was interested in bugs, we got something on that topic.  The library was of course a great resource, too.

And many homeschool families encourage the child to take the lead and follow their interests iin their learning.  One year, it was all about penguins in our house!
                                                           
Some Sources for Homeschool Curriculum and Resources

There are many places to look to get started.  There are even sites that have reviews of curriculum, from families who have already used them.

If you are looking for homeschool curricula ideas, there is a site called Cathy Duffy Reviews, that has been going strong for years, and has reviews on most everything homeschool related right there.

I also write homeschool curriculum reviews on a site called The Curriculum Choice, which features reviews by homeschool moms who have used the resources in their homeschools.  Although they are mostly Christian focused, my reviews are mostly secular.

Some of the faith based options that we liked, and were good for our daughter, could be modified so that we could use them in a secular way as well.

The Rainbow Resource site also has a plethora of creative homeschool resources.  I have often turned to them for less traditional ideas.  I loved their literature guides, so many to choose from.

To teach handwriting and/or to help your child who struggles with handwriting,

Handwriting Resources

I offer a FREE download of playful handwriting activities below, based on my years as an O.T.

Handwriting Helps 
They can help your children to not only learn how to write their letters, but also to develop good find motor skills, a good grasp pattern and all the other things important to handwriting.

I invite you to click on - Handwriting Helps - to get your free download.

With so many homeschool curriculum programs out there, it can feel overwhelming. I have collected our favorites that we used while homeschooling our daughter.

Feel free to browse around and see what we liked, to give you
ideas:


Over the years, I gathered together our favorite homeschool curriculum resources for all ages, in case you are interested.


Our Favorites for Homeschool Curriculum


If you click the links below, you will access  information on our favorite resources for age group, ie, early year, middle school, and high school.

 The Early Years and LINK: Teaching Homeschool Reading

Middles  

- High School is below.

I invite you to click on High School PDF below to get your FREE download of High School helps, for choosing your curriculum, record keeping and more.

Then once we had our curricula, we started to look around for a homeschool support group to join.  I wanted to connect with other moms who had been there, and of course, also wanted my daughter to meet other kids she might want as friends.

4 - FINDING HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT



This really should have been at the top of the list!  Support is so important for starting out, for the kids and especially for us moms.


Homeschool Support Groups


We found a local Homeschool Support group in our area, and went to their monthly meetings.  There we met lots of experienced homeschooling moms, who helped us a lot.

If you want to connect with one in your area, this site might help.  Every state has a support network for homeschooling families.

The Homeschool Mom also has support groups listed by state and city here.  It lists all the homeschool support groups in each state.

There are also gatherings of families for group classes called Co-ops, and more information on those will be found on your state's homeschool associations's page.  Each state has a Homeschool Association and to find one on your state, that should come up when you click here.

Will Homeschool Co-ops be meeting now?  We will see if those meetups and co-ops can meet, as the fall comes around and we see what is happening with covid-19 guidelines.


Homeschool Blogs

Veteran homeschool bloggers can be a source of support.

I am a long time homeschooler and blogger and can be found here at BJ's Homeschool.   I have lots of resources for homeschooling all ages, and I share how we used them on my blog.  Plus you will find lots on homeschooling high school and getting into college, too.

Vicki from 7 Sisters Homeschool offers frugal PDF ebook-based courses in many the subjects that high schools need.  She also offers tips on getting started homeschooling at the Authoritative Guide to Transitioning to Homeschooling High School.  Their American Lit course, shown to the left is less than $30.00 for a full year course.

Sarah from Freedom Homeschooling offers 12 Tips to Ease the Transition from Public School to Homeschool.

Christine from This Little Bit of Life shares about getting started homeschooling with her Free Homeschooling Guide and More.

Sarah from My Joy Filled Life offers Tips for Choosing The Right Homeschool Curriculum.


Homeschool Facebook Groups

Homeschool Facebook Groups are also a great way to get support and to learn more about homeschooling.  There are so many of them now, that I just recommend going to your Facebook page and searching for  "Homeschool".  That will give you a list of many groups to choose from.

For high schoolers, I host a Facebook Group. For more information on that, you can click the link below.  Homeschool High School Facebook Group


Using Community Resources

I also searched around for another social activity or two for my daughter.  We found some at our local Parks Department.

My daughter loved their gymnastics classes, as they involved a lot of movement, and she was a VERY active kid.  It became such a good way for her to make her first "school" friends.


Homeschool Help Consulting

Are you looking for a little homeschool help to get your started?

I also offer Homeschool Help, where I meet up with families through Facebook messages and/or through phone calls, and offer help in getting started, finding your homeschool curriculum, and more.  Lots of other experienced homeschoolers also offer this sort of help.


Does Homeschooling Really Work?

I have been homeschooling for over 14 years and after that, have been mentoring families for many more years.

From my experience, I have seen so many success stories that show that homeschooling is a solid educational choice. And if you google "Homeschooling - does it work?"  you will get links to lots of research about that.


Homeschooling High School

HIGH SCHOOL HELP 
I have been homeschooling for over 14 years and after that, have been mentoring families.

From my experience, I have seen so many success stories that show that homeschooling is a solid educational choice.

And if you google "Homeschooling - does it work?"  you will get links to lots of research about that.

Many families worry that homeschool high school would be too hard to do.  Is that you?

If so, I offer a FREE download - called  HIGH SCHOOL HELP - full of homeschool high school resources, to make homeschooling your teen not only doable, but also rewarding, for them and for your family.

One of the common questions that people have about homeschooling, is whether homeschoolers can go to college, and if so, will they do well there?


The College Question

If you are wondering if homeschooling can prepare your kids for later college admission, we give you a hearty YES!  Our daughter has thrived there.

Colleges are regularly accepting homeschool applicants now and some are actively recruiting them.
Our teen got accepted into each college on her list, with scholarship offers.  More on that is on my blog, and in my book, below, called Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.


Summary

So by reading up on homeschooling, learning about our state homeschool laws, exploring curricula, and then finding a support group to join, we built up our confidence for homeschooling.

And I am so glad that we did.


This post is linked to our blog hop on Suddenly Homeschooling.  I hope that you get a chance to connect with the other veteran homeschool moms who are a part of September's GHF Learners Blog Hop.



Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,


Betsy


Betsy is mom to her now college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshigh school & collegegifted/2e and wrote -Homeschooling High School with College in Mind - 2nd edition She offers free homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting,  and has had her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.


This was a part of the Hoagie's Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Homeschooling.  Click this title to reach all the other great articles on this month's topic.


Want to stay in touch?


Copyright Revised - 2021

All Rights Reserved



This was also a part of the Hoagie's Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Homeschooling.  Click this title to reach all the other great articles on this month's topic.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens Through High School



Summary: Tons of high school resources here!  Here are lots of resources for planning high school at home, making your own courses if you like, with lots of links. Plus dealing with the college option, if that is where your teen is heading.  Written by over 20 veteran homeschool moms, who have each already graduated at least one teen from their homeschool. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.



Are you thinking about homeschooling your teens through high school?  Or are you already teaching your high schooler at home?

How Your TEEN Can Help PAY for COLLEGE




Summary:  Do you have a college bound teen?  With tuition so high these days, how can anyone pay for it?  This article answers that question with ways that your teen can actually help with that, even now, with current college costs. Over 5,000 have read this article. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


Do you have a college bound teen? 

Are you wondering how you and your husband can really get them there, with the high costs of college these days?

Frugal Resources for American History - High School -



Homeschool high school American History frugal curriculum and resources that we loved. We even found some U.S. History videos for FREE. #homeschoolhighschool #ushistory
#homeschoolhighschoolcurriculumNote - This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.


Are you looking for frugal resources for U S History for your high schooler?  Do you like to put your own course together, or used a prepared curriculum?

Today, I'd like to share frugal resources for both....making your own course, or using a prepared curriculum.  

Let's start with making your own course, using some very frugal resources that I have found..

- Our Homemade Course in U S History

When it came time for our high school US History studies, we used a variety of sources, and made our own course.  To do that, we picked a spine, then added in some geography, literature, and a little art history, for fun.  My teen was a big part of putting it all together. 

So, I'd like to share with you how we went about putting together this course, which included:

- a spine
- literature options
- geography
- a  primary resource
- and some art.



1.  First we needed to find a spine for our learning....My teen was a big part of choosing this resource, and the others as well.


We searched for something that would cover everything and also encourage critical thinking. This book caught my eye.

We found this book to be engaging while covering all the essentials of our country's history, in it's 11 chapters, each of which included:

-1.  Time Line - related dates for each chapter
-2.  Activating Prior Knowledge - questions to look for as you read
-3.  The text, with sidebars and brief biographies
-4.  Critical thinking questions
-5.  Activities - map work, reviews and puzzles.... click here above to read the rest of my review of this frugal book.

2.  Next, my daughter wanted to add in some living literature...

There are lots of ways to add living literature to your history studies.  Of course, if you add in American Literature, then you will be doing two high school credits, US History for one, and American Lit for another high school credit.

You can pick and choose fiction and non-fiction such as:

To Kill a Mockingbird
Uncle Tom;s Cabin
The Federalist Papers
Tom Sawyer
Miracle at Philadelphia
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Edison - from Heros of History
(there are so many other choices, of course)

At our house, my daughter wanted to add in some living literature and make that a course as well, so we looked around and we found the Oak Meadow's American Lit course. That gave my teen a credit for English as well as one for US History.  We combined the two courses and got 2 credits done together!



But Oak Meadow was not a frugal option.  I so wish we had know about the next course that I want to talk about, as it is just as good and it is frugal, too. 




Another great option for American Literature is made by our friends at 7 Sisters Homeschool.  This is a 100 + page resource can be used for a whole year long credit in English, and it includes literature guides for so many of the great classics of American Lit. 

American Literature by 7 Sisters is ideal for independent study because it is written by homeschoolers, all set up for your high schooler with no busy work.  Great for getting that English course done, and also super for learning critical thinking and literary analysis. 

I have a lot more information on this well put together course over at the Curriculum Choice.

3.  Our third step was to add in some geography.  We did not do every project in this book, but it was a great supplement to our studies..

This book is set up in a workbook style, which my teen enjoyed, with comprehensive mapping activities for each major event in US History.  By answering the questions and mapping out each historical event, my daughter got a hands-on feel for each major event, my teen got a hands-on feel for what she had studied.  It's from Rainbow Resource also, very frugally priced.

4.  Next we found a frugal resource for primary resources, called...
The Patriot's History Reader


This book goes back to the original sources, including documents, speeches, and legal decisions that helped to shape our country. It was so convenient to have this at hand, and it eliminated the need to search the internet for these.  Click here to read the rest of my review.

5.  Then we found a resource for art....


This book added a lot of fun to our studies.  The Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's Ride, the End of the Civil War, are all famous paintings included in this book, which teaches about design, rhythm, and perspective...and it is offered as a book or a cd.

I recently found another great art book that is make to add art to your American History studies.  And it is full of American landmarks!  Your student will be learning all about our famous historical landmarks, which will fit so well with their American history studies.


Here's another lovely art offering that I wish I had found out about years ago.  
This easy to use ebook is made by my friend, Tricia, from Hodgepodge, and is chock full of historical landmarks to make.  The lessons are taught by a professional artist, and will give your high schooler a nice introduction to art using chalk pastels.  It is available at a very frugal price here.  

Those are the key resources that we pulled from for our homemade course.  Which ones might be helpful to you? 

Next, I's like to switch gears and talk about some prepared curricula for American History.  I recently found some frugal prepared curricula for US History, if you would rather use a complete course, instead of piecing one together. 

Two Frugal US History Courses

First let's look at a course from Glencoe, a well established curriculum publisher, who offers a frugal US History course called...

American Vision offers a complete US History book, a student center that goes along with it, and free videos for each chapter. Free videos...I love that.  American Vision can do all the work of putting together a solid and creative history course for you. And it is a very frugal choice as well.  

This course explores American History from 1775 through the 21st century, through an interdisciplinary approach that includes literature, art, and biographies. 

First let's look at the book itself.  The book includes the following:

1. Vivid and Accurate Re-telling of US History
2. US Geography with National Geographic Maps
3. Primary and Secondary Sources
4. Related Activities
5. Appendix with Supreme Court Case Summaries
- American Lit Library
- Critical Thinking Lessons, such as "Find the Main Idea, and Determining Cause and Effect"


This book is available used on Amazon here for around $20.00. That's the student edition.  I recommend also getting the teacher's edition, as it has all the answers in it.

Now, let's look at the student center...


Here they offer many more online activities, and it is a part of the Glencoe Online Learning Center, which has a whole lot of go-to activities, links, and more...To add a lot to your study of The American Vision, check out the web activities, vocabulary cards, e-puzzles and games, interactive maps and more.

And they offer free videos too...

I love how Glencoe puts together their history books.  We used their World History book in 10th grade, and it taught so many of the critical thinking skills to my daughter. And they had primary sources, references to art, and great essay questions to ponder as well.  There was a quiz at the end of each section, which we used at times.  Just click above for free videos that teach the important history concepts that are included in each chapter.

Next, I'd like to share another prepared curriculum option, and this one is from Oak Meadow...



This is another great option for US History from Oak Meadow, a well established secular educational publisher, that we love....

This course explores American History from 1775 through the 21st century, through an interdisciplinary approach that includes literature, art, and biographies.  It encourages integration of information, critical thinking skills and more, while the student learn US History in depth.  Great for college prep.

Oak Meadow US History includes:

1.  The OM Syllabus
2.  The American Vision by Glencoe, which was mentioned above. 

The Oak Meadow syllabus is great for students who like to work with critical thinking questions and issues. 

What are your favorite resources for high school US History?  I love reading your comments... so please share your knowledge with others here..

The iHomeschool Network is doing a blog hop this week on how to creatively homeschool.  To reach all the other creative posts click here.  


For the iHN History blog hop, click here.


Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy



Betsy is mom to her now college junior, whom she homeschooled from day one.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early yearshigh school & college and wrote the book - Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.   She offers free homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting


Want to stay in touch?  


Click here to get yours!



We joined the iHN Massive Guide to Homeschooling History.  Click here to reach more great posts from this blog hop!





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