Homeschooling a High Schooler....

[KaitlinsMom]

I am really hoping someone can help me out - My DD is not doing too well in school and it is hard to get the school system to help us out. This has been going on for several years. This really is too long of a story that I will get into at some other time,,,

But for now, I want to home school her - But I don't know where to start. I can find tons of information on Elem & Middle schools, but not High School.

Is anyone doing this that could help lead me in the right direction? I am located in Southern CA if that helps -

Any information I would greatly benefit from -

Thanks!

Karen

 

[ASFCurly]

I don't want to get flamed, and I am not saying this will happen to your daughter, but I just wanted to warn you, I think homescooling elementary and middle school is fine, but you have to be careful when you get to high school, I know a girl who was homeschooled through high school and because of that she was very nieve and didn't have much contact with many people, she ended up marrying a 45 year old man at the age of 18.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I know several families who are homeschooling all their children all the way through. They have wonderfully adjusted children, because they make sure they get involved with all the same community and sports and music that children going to schools get. Plus, they get the added advantage of field trips and outings that allow them to interact with all kinds of different people and all these kids seem to relate very well to adults easier than many none home schooled individuals. I have done field trips for some of them on dog care and grooming. I doubt a school would have that kind of experience. One family even brought their children to the dog show and had me explain everything to them. These kids are not tied to a specific designer name on their bottoms or feet, and are always pleasant to be around.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Hey guys.... the original poster is asking for advice on how to do it... not whether or not she should. If you want to debate the merit's of home schooling take it to the debate board.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I can find out what organization the parents go to for lesson plans and supplies. I know there is a fairly active home schoolers organization in Minnesota. You might do a web search for it and be state specific. I think there are some specific tests that have to be given.

 

[debster812]

Kaitlinsmom.

I know that Kermit (a DIS poster) is homeschooling her husband's younger brother, and he is 16 or 17 (I think). Maybe you could PM her and see where she started off.

Good Luck!

Debbie

 

[dianeschlicht]

http://www.learningstreams.com/states/california.htm gave me a great web page for you to start. It sounds like you can get access to tests and lots of other resourses.

 

[amid chaos]

Start with your local school administration. They may not like it, but they will be able to give you the names of approved curriculum programs...

 

[damo]

Do you have a college or university nearby with students that can help with difficult subject areas. Many of them would be happy to provide assistance once you have the established curriculum.

 

[piratesmate]

I'd suggest doing a Google search on this - because the regulations vary by state. I'm not at all familiar with the CA regs, but in PA there is a lot of record keeping that is required that isn't a part of homeschooling for elem. Definitely try to hook up with a local support group. Around here they work together for activities, field trips, apprenticing & even a one-day/week electives thing. (Like classes taught by various people - works well for those who are initimidated about things like foreign languages, high level science or math.)

For curriculum, I put together my own. I was probably more comfortable with this than most as I was a teacher - elem/middle, but still had a good idea of what to look for. For full programs, I am most familiar with those from Christian organizations like Bob Jones or A Beka. Again, a google search or checking with your local HS support group would be helpful. Whether or not your will get any help from your local schools depends on how they view homeschoolers - if it's negative, you probably won't get any help. The local HS group should be able to help there, too.

 

[PrincessDana]

If I lived in California I would probably start at:

www.hsc.org


HomeSchool Association of California.

It looks like a very informative site that should get you started on the right path.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I'm assuming you have never homeschooled before. I homeschooled my sons when they were younger and put them in school in hs. This was for personal reasons, and if it had been right for my boys I would have continued, as many in my group did. The first thing you need to do is locate your local hs groups. Ours had co-ops for many classes. They also had arrangements with private schools for some subjects. Second, realize that to fill in the social aspect of hs'ing is quite a bit of work. You will need to identify your dd's interests. What clubs/sports would she be doing in ps. Find alternatives for that. Our hs had game night once a week, as well as meeting somewhere mid-week for some fun things. They were part of the private school assoc. for some sports like basketball and softball. Your local group is a great resource for curriculum. I prefer puttting my own curriculum together, basing it around a literature based approach such as Sonlight or Beautiful Feet. I am trying to think of the science program we used, which was excellent and allowed you to do labs with mostly household items.
Once you have figured out what you are comfortable handling, you need to fill in where you are week. If your dd is slightly responsible she may do well with some classes at the community college. Most of our homeschoolers graduate hs with a number of community college credits. If you are nervous about this, let her try one fun class first such as art or archery or pottery. By their senior year some of our hs kids are taking classes at the local state college. If you do not find a program you like that will do the hs diploma and you don't want to do the ged, our community college issues a hs diploma after a certain ammount of credits are gotten from their. Good Luck.

 

[sharbear]

I don't homeschool and I wish you luck. I was talking to someone the other day and their daughter was going to an internet school. They had moved a couple of times and moved into a district where they did not want to enroll their child. They found an internet school and were really happy. The school had field trips and other activities. The way she explained it, her daughter received work and submitted to the teacher who graded it and also received help. It wouldn't hurt to explore an option like this, but I have no idea how to go about it.

 

[Eeyoreluver]

I homeschooled both of my kids through high school. Actually, I pulled both of them out in middle school. I used Abeka curriculum mostly, because it had teachers manual and basically told me what to teach and when. (bad sentence) Anyway, my DD was deficient in math so I used Chalkdust which she loved. Now, both of my kids are in college. My DD is in his 2nd year and doing great. My DD is starting her first year and she is excited. If I can be of any other help, please feel free to email me. Homeschooling was the best decision my DH and I ever made!
Good luck,
Gina


I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP
I CAN FEEL THE MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Thank you all so much for your information - I will check out all the links that are provided -

Firstly, my DD wants to be homeschooled - She is actually my step-daughter and has lived with us since she has been 5 - She recently went to go live with her bio mom and it is not working out at all - She wants to come home but does not want to switch schools yet again.

Socializing is not a problem with her - And if you knew her, you would laugh at that - I already have activities lined up for her, dance, volunteering at church, job, etc. Where she is at now is a small town where there is very little to do. She is attending a public school, but outside of that, she is really bored!

I have heard of internet high school and I am very interested in that -

Doing searches (google, yahoo, etc) leaves me with so many web-sites it makes my head spin! - I was hoping someone here could just pin point me in the right direction - So I am off to check out all the great links!


Keep any information coming

Thanks again,

Karen

 

[Michelemouse]

Karen - We homeschool DD through Laurel Springs (www.laurelsprings.com). They provide all curriculum materials and a teacher is assigned to each student. Ours is terrific. I chat with her via AIM once a week to discuss any concerns and she grades all assignments. Along with books there is a detailed syllabus for each class with specifics on lessons and when to send things in to the teacher. It has worked out well for us. I like the fact that DD is receiving grades from someone other than me and that she will have a diploma from an accredited school when she finishes.

Hope that helps.

 

[phamton]

If your stepdaughter is self-motivated and with a little help on the side from you, I would suggest California Virtual Schools. It is free and is online and aligned with the California curriculum: http://www.calvs.com/home.html

My husband and I are both public school teachers and he also teaches several classes online for Texas Virtual schools. Last year my youngest son (the youngest of our 5 kids) who was going into 9th grade approached me for homeschooling. At first, I was ready to say no because, in my opinion, I thought that homeschoolers were usually behind in their education. I got this bias because the homeschooled kids I was getting in public schools were the homeschool failures. The parents tried homeschooling and, for whatever reason, weren't successful so they re-enrolled their kids in public schools. I never saw the successful homeschoolers because they were seldom put back into public schools at least in the elementary school where I taught.

I did some research and decided to retire from teaching and homeschool my son. As soon as I made my decision to homeschool him, then his older brother who was going into 10th grade decided that he would like to try homeschooling too. Both of my sons were in gifted and talented classes all through public schools and so ability to succeed in school wasn't an issue with us. My youngest son was unhappy because of some bullying at school. He had stomach aches everyday in 8th grade. He still had perfect attendance but, my normally outgoing and cheerful child, was showing signs of anxiety and depression. We agreed to try it for a year. Now that we are into our second year, the youngest is thinking of returning to public school after Christmas. If he does, that would be fine with us. He has had a year to mature and has regained his love for learning that he had lost a few years back. He also has more confidence to handle any teasing or bullying that might occur. His older brother has no desire to return to public school but is planning on taking some college classes after Christmas. Right now he is preparing for the SAT and ACT tests.

My husband is still a public school teacher and also teaches workshops for teachers. He is an Apple Distinguished educator and also a Smithsonian laureate in education. We do believe in public education and have 3 older children who are products of public educations. Two of them have graduated from college/graduate school and one is still in college. The younger two who are being homeschooled right now seem to be on the same track toward college. Good luck in whatever path you take.

Bev

 

[capnblackbeard]

i am being homeschooled this year for the first time itll be my sophmore year and so far im very sociable (is sociable a word?)i talk to friends on the phone like 4 times week an on weekends i make sure im doing something but anyway the program my mother uses is seaton but its a catholic homeschooling company well i hope i helped in at least some way

 

[dianeschlicht]

Wow, just goes to show you how many things are out there! Please let us know what you decided to do. I just found out from the one family that they were using the internet one, and liked it a lot. Thier 16 y/O son is working full time for his contractor grandfather and learning a LOT about the business so he can take over some day. He is one of the people working on our new house, and he is a terrific kid who is greatly adjusted and relates well to EVERYONE. He also is very intellegent, and says he doesn't miss going to school at all. He thinks most kids his age are silly and imature!

 

[Kermit]

Did someone mention me? I knew that I was supposed to abandon mopping the floor and get onto the DIS for some reason.

I'm homeschooling my 17 year old BIL as a junior this year. We pieced our curriculum together from various text book companies. I know that some people like to order from one company, but that just doesn't work for us. I want the freedom to get the books that will be best for him in each subject.

I'd start with HSLDA to find the laws and other important things about your state. The link I gave you will list the ways that you can legally homeschool in California, and it also has a link for homeschooling groups in your area. You will see stories in the news about how it's illegal to homeschool in CA. That is absolutely, completely and totally false. You can homeschool. You just need to follow one of the legal alternatives allowed in your state.

The first thing I would do in your shoes is try to see if there's a curriculum book fair in your area any time soon. Most of them are during the summer, so you may have a hard time finding one, but you may get lucky. Do that first because they'll become more and more scarce as the school year progresses.

Then contact some local homeschoolers. Find out how other people in your area homeschool their high schoolers. Ask other parents what has worked for them. You will find some people who have homeschooled high schoolers. It's not as common, but the people are out there. The main problem is that they frequently don't attend support groups because they've been doing it so long. So ask people if they know anyone. You will find some families who do it, and they'll probably be willing to help you.

Some of the book vendors have mini shows in hotels somewhat fequently. I know A Beka does. Look into that.

Check out the Big Book of Home Learning (or something like that) by Mary Pride. I think that Vol. 3 deals with highschool curriculums. Volume 1 deals with packaged curriculums. It's written from a Christian perspective. I don't know anything about your religious affiliation, but it's a good book even if you don't want Christian materials because she does evaluate some secular stuff. The Elijah Company is a great source for homeschooling materials. They only sell stuff that they've carefully evaluated and like. They also have wonderful articles.

There are lots of message boards, similar to this one, that deal with homeschooling. Sample a few and find one you like. I like Homeschool Christian, but there are lots of other ones.

Finally, about it being your step-daughter. You may run into some problems there. We're in the process of becoming my BIL's legal guardians right now because you have to be a legal guardian to homeschool in this state. I know that your DH is her legal guardian, but in the group that I'm joining, the person who does 51% or more of the teaching has to be the child's legal guardian, and you have to join an accountability group in SC to legally homeschool. So you will need to see if that's going to be a problem. There will be ways to get around it if it is, but you'll want to tackle it right away if necessary.

Good luck! Let me know if there's any way I can help you. I haven't been doing this long, but I know what it's like to just jump right in during high school. It's a lot of work, but it's very rewarding.