Career Exploration for Teens Who Don’t Have a Clue

“SO, what are you going to do after graduation?”

That’s the dreaded question for many teens. They simply don’t have a clue what they want to do.

How do you help a teen find direction in life? How do you help them get to know themselves or get to know God’s leading?

For teens who know they do not want to go to college but do not have a clue what they want to do

Many teens do not have any idea what they want to do after graduation. That is okay. They do not need to know everything about the future during high school. However, it is wise to help them explore. Here are some ideas:

• Give them rich experiences
  • Many times teens do not know what they want to do because they have not experienced it yet. One kind of rich experience is field trips. Hey, the good thing about homeschooling is that we homeschool moms tend to value field trips (although sometimes at high school level, it is harder to squeeze them in to our teens’ busy schedules).
  • However, if you create a Career Exploration elective credit for their transcript, you can log many field trips towards that credit. That is because, any trip gives a little more life experience. Any life experience helps build the ability to make decisions- especially career decisions.
  • For instance: ranger-led nature walks at state parks, cooking demonstrations at special events, car shows or museum exhibits. Sometimes, a teen will get inspired by a watching the person in charge of whatever event they are experiencing. They think: “Hmmm, this might be a cool job!” Or, on the other hand, they might think, “Ugh, I would NEVER want to do that!” Either way is valuable career exploration.
• Show them role models
  • Movies based on careers
  • Biographies of interesting jobs
  • FB Watches or YouTubes about interesting jobs
• Volunteer work
  • Teens need to do volunteer work. It is good for transcript and the soul. Service work is SO important for personal knowledge and development, as well as making the world a better place.
  • Some volunteer opportunities our teens have done:
    • Church (worship, set up, digital team, nursery, office)
    • Digital volunteer opportunities
    • Food bank
    • State park volunteer events
    • Library volunteers

For teens, whether they have a clue about career or not, try a career exploration course

A good career exploration course is very helpful. For non-college-bound teens, 7SistersHomeschool has a simple Career Exploration Textbook. Even if you choose something else, think about looking for curriculum that includes (like our workbook):

• What is God’s will?
  • Teens who are believers sometimes feel anxious about choosing a career that will please God. A good curriculum helps them trust God to direct their paths.
• Past experiences
  • What have teens already done that help them find strengths or interests
• What other people see in them
  • Get some feedback from people who know them
• Can they identify interests?
  • IF the power went out for the day, what would you do for fun? If you had a day to yourself with no chores or schoolwork, what would you do?
• Define career values
  • Career values help teens choose a career field by defining what is important to them: Work hours, desire for involvement in things after work, level of income desired, etc. (Rabbit trail, all teens will benefit from taking a Financial Literacy course that helps them understand and plan for financial responsibilities coming their way in adulthood.)

Explore careers

Check out career descriptions and information at CareerOneStop.org.

Join a club or interest group

Sometimes a group experience will help them explore an interest or strength, network or lead to the next interesting experience. Even if it does not turn out to be fun, no experience is wasted. All experiences are growth, one way or the other.

Try some apprenticeships

We cannot recommend this enough. See if you can help your teen find something that can count as apprenticeship.

Be sure to log everything!

Those Career Exploration electives are SO valuable and look great on the transcript!

For more on this topic

• Check out this interview with our friend, Angela O’Shaughnessy about her non-college-bound sons’ career exploration experiences:
  • Helping Non-college-bound Teens Find Success
  • Why Trade School?
• AND check out Susan Stewarts suggestions of Careers that Don’t Require College.
• If you are just starting out, here is information on how to get teens interested in career exploration.

Join Vicki for a quick discussion to help non-college-bound teens get their career exploration underway!

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Sabrina, Vicki, and Kym have been mentoring, coaching, and teaching homeschool high schoolers about Career Exploration for decades.

Join them for an expert discussion on helping teens who don’t have a clue.

Resources:

Case Study: Teen Doesn’t Have a Clue

HSHSP Ep 23: Career Exploration for Homeschool Highschoolers

My Next Move Career Interest Survey

Career One Stop (US Dept of Labor)

The post Career Exploration for Teens Who Don’t Have a Clue- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Can working moms homeschool high school successfully? Absolutely. Homeschooling high school while working may look different from family to family, but it is completely possible with the right mindset, realistic planning, and flexible expectations. In this episode, we’re sharing practical encouragement and real-life strategies for working moms who want to homeschool their teens with confidence.

an episode from Homeschool High School Podcast

Working Moms: Homeschooling Your High Schoolers

Every single homeschool mom is a working mom!

If we are homeschooling, we are working at it, juggling our kids’ needs, growing, and managing households. Many of us also hold jobs outside the home (or inside the home) to bring in extra income for the family.

As most of our podcast listeners know, Vicki worked as a licensed professional counselor while homeschooling her kids through graduation. It helped pay the homeschool bills, and besides, it was her calling.

If you’ve ever felt unqualified, this encouragement on how to homeschool high school when you don’t know everything may help.

Encouragement for being a homeschool working mom with teens

It can feel intimidating and tiring to hold a job and homeschool high school. Vicki wants to encourage you that you can do this. Remember: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool. Homeschooling for working Moms can look many different ways! You can do this and your teens can do this!

Include your teens in the planning and process

When you are facing high school with your teens, sit down with them. Talk about your priorities (yours and theirs). What are the most important things that you need from them? What do your teens need out of their high school experience?

Remember: you are homeschooling high school in the way that is right for your family. There’s no right or wrong set of priorities.

Some priorities will include:

• Meeting their graduation requirements
• Completing high school in four years (for most teens, although some graduate early and others need extra time due to illness or other complications)
• Doing some career exploration
• Clarifying or discovering what their gifts, interests, or their talents
  • Building their transcript with lots of electives in their interest area
• Being prepared for college, for a vocation, or the military
• Discovering the best-fit resources for curriculum, courses, electives, and extracurriculars
  • For asynchronous (self-paced) courses, check out 7SistersHomeschool
  • Live courses are offered at FundaFunda Academy (the online school sponsored by our fellow podcasters at Homeschooling with Technology)
• Looking for good-fit service and volunteer activities
• Learning self-directed study skills like using a syllabus

Think about your career and personal needs

Make sure you define your own career priorities and goals. Do you:

• Need to advance up the career ladder?
• Want to maintain the status quo in your career?
• Pay off some bills?
• Are you caregiving for an aging relative or for a member of the family who has a chronic illness?
• Do you homeschool multiple children?

Remember: there’s no such thing as a Pinterest-perfect homeschool

Perfection is only in Pinterest photos. In real life, you are a real human, and your whole family is full of real humans. Real humans are messy, busy, and complicated! So, do what you can with the best heart you can.

Let go of “perfect”.

You may feel like your teens are not receiving the world’s most amazing homeschool education. However, if you all stay aligned, if you stay together on this, they will get the education they need. And you will get through it.

And, you may be tired, but motherhood’s all about tired.

Someday, they will be all grown up and out of the house.  You can sleep in on those days.

Don’t forget to pray

Remember to pray because we need God in on this. (That’s not cheesy.) 7Sisters Kym always says,

“Pray first, last, and always.”

Then you start planning. Check out 7SistersHomeschool’s useful blog post: Authoritative Guide to Planning Homeschool High School.

Find your community

We homeschool working moms need community as much as anybody:

• Church community
• Family community
• Homeschool community (digital and/or in person)
  • Join Facebook groups like our friends at Simply Homeschool or Homeschool Mama Self-Care

Don’t forget to join 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group. Ask questions. You matter! We will get this done.

You may need to be working to bring in some income. That’s not a bad thing. If this is what God has given you to do, then it’s the right thing. You can work the process in the way that works for your family. Community can happen in the homeschool world, in digital forums or in person. You can communicate with your teens. They will get educated and be well-prepared well for the next phase of life.

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing. Hey, would you go to your podcast network and leave us some stars and/or a review? THANKS!!

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

FAQ: Working Moms and Homeschooling High School

Can I homeschool high school if I work full-time?

Yes, many families successfully homeschool high school while one or both parents work full-time. High school students are often capable of more independent work, flexible scheduling, and self-directed learning.

Is homeschooling high school harder than homeschooling younger kids?

In some ways, yes—but in many ways, no. The material may be more advanced, but teens can usually work more independently, which can actually make homeschooling easier for working moms.

How many hours a day does homeschooling high school take?

Homeschooling high school often takes less time than traditional school because it is more focused and efficient. Many families complete academics in 3–5 hours per day, depending on the student and course load.

What curriculum works best for working homeschool moms?

The best curriculum is the one your teen can use consistently and independently. Online classes, video-based lessons, self-paced courses, and open-and-go resources often work especially well.

Can homeschooled high schoolers still prepare for college or careers?

Absolutely. Homeschool high school students can earn transcripts, complete dual enrollment, prepare for trades or college, and build strong real-world skills along the way.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

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2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
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The post Working Moms: Homeschooling Your High Schoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Homeschooler Becomes a Veterinarian, with Dr. Sarah Varnell

Dr. Sarah Varnell is a veterinarian near Cincinnati, OH. Homeschooled through high school, Sarah studies zoology at the undergraduate level, went to veterinarian school, and now specializes in equine medicine: a homeschooler becomes a veterinarian!

How did Sarah handle her time in high school so that she was college-ready for a science like zoology?

Academics for Sarah were heavy in the maths and sciences, both textbook-wise but also hands-on!

Dr. Sarah Varnell. Photo used with permission.

Heavy Sciences on the transcript, completed at honors level:

• Biology in 8th grade
• Zoology
• Chemistry
• Advanced Chemistry
• Physics

Volunteering, MANY hours:

• Horse rescue
• Brandywine Zoo (snake handler who walked around the zoo carrying a snake for visitors to meet)
• Teaching at a Christian summer camp that specializes in horses (she was also a camper there when she was a child)

Shadowing, MANY hours:

• Small animal veterinarian (this steered her away from small animals because Sarah likes being out and about, not stuck inside)

Noticing and developing interests and loves:

• Being in the outdoors
• Being around large animals

Through college, her networking and shadowing helped guide her in her studies but it took time to clarify that she wanted to be a field veterinarian.

• She connected to an equine vet (through a homeschool family that she babysat for- nothing like networking!) and spend many hour shadowing

For college success, Sarah learned to:

• Look forward to necessary courses and kept in touch with college advisor for advice on specialized and extra courses she needed to take. (Sarah needed some specialized courses that most zoology undergraduates did not need.)
• Visit her professors often during office hours.

Sarah chose a small, Christian college (Malone College) for her undergraduate degree. When choosing her college, she made these a priority:

• Small college, so she could know her professors and advisor well
• Good college advisors that are interested in the success of their advisees
• Opportunities for networking and exploration/volunteering/shadowing

Of all the vet schools in the nation, Sarah applied to the best vet school in the nation: University of California. She chose her graduate program by applying to the average number of programs, not choosing University of Delaware (her local college) since it had no vet program and few opportunities with their reciprocal programs at other schools. Rather, she chose to other nearby colleges and the vet school that her veterinarian of her childhood cats.

After applying, she flew to California for interviews and tours of campus. She liked the way their program was organized. AND it was December with NO snow! She rocked her interviews. How did she do that?

Beginning in 8th grade and all through high school, she was a member of the homeschool rhetoric team, so was comfortable speaking.

This is the curriculum that Sarah’s rhetoric league used.

She was also involved in her college forensics team (public speaking), where she specialized in 5-minute impromptu speeches.

At UC, the interviews were MMI format (Multiple Mini Interviews), which are 5-minute impromptu speeches in a sort of speed dating format. She did so well that she was accepted into the program.

Sarah’s advice for homeschoolers thinking about college?

• Make sure you avail yourself of advisors and professors. Network, network, network!
• Keep a class listing of what you will need. Keep an eye on when courses are offered (some courses are only offered periodically).

At the University of California, Sarah learned:

At the end of every lead rope there is a human.

So soft skills and speaking skills are important. Sarah began her skills in her homeschooling high school years. Today, Dr. Varnell is treating horses out on the road and in the clinic where she works. Just like James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small, she’s out in the field with people and horses.

Here’s a free resource for helping teens choose a college major. Join Vicki and Dr. Sarah Varnell to find out how a homeschooler becomes a veterinarian.

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

Homeschooler Becomes a Veterinarian, with Dr. Sarah Varnell

The post Homeschooler Becomes a Veterinarian with Dr. Sarah Varnell, Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job

Many teens look for a first job sometime during their homeschool high school years. I have found that a good way to get the job-hunt process started is to help them develop their first resume.

When I tell teens that we are starting with developing their first resume, they sometimes reply, “How can I have a resume? I’ve never had a job?”

It is hard to have a resume showing your jobs if you have never had a job, and that is very true. However, our teens, by and large, have lots of resume-worthy experiences. Our high schoolers generally have:

• done volunteer work
• been involved in community organizations
• participated in sports and/or the arts
• served at church and the homeschool community

All of those things are experiences that demonstrate that they can do things that are attractive to an employer, such as:

• teamwork
• responsibility
• drive.

We can help our teens capture these activities on an experiential resume. This is not a job resume because they have not had a job. However, an experiential resume us useful and valid to show what kind of person your teen is.

An experiential resume

Let’s take a look at an experiential resume sample. (BTW- You can download a guide to help your teen develop their own experiential resume at 7SistersHomeschool.com)

The experiential resume captures your teen’s experiences rather than jobs. Remember, these experiences tell potential employers about your teen’s work ethic and character.

The resume includes:

• Student’s name
• Contact information (address, phone number, email)
• Skills section
  • emphasize
    • teamwork
    • computer skills
    • speaking and writing skills
    • time management skills
    • second languages spoken (check out our interviews with Karim Morato for ideas for learning Spanish, such as 5 Tips for Making Learning Spanish Fun)
• Experiences
  • Use a bullet-point format and list
    • The experience, contact or location information
    • “Job title”/what they did
    • Dates (nice but not 100% necessary)
    • List of tasks, accomplishments, or interesting experiences
• Education
  • List the homeschool or umbrella school’s name or simply write “homeschool” and projected graduation year
• Achievements and awards
  • This section is optional
• References
  • List two people as references
  • Give their job title or connection to you
  • Add their email and phone number
  • You can decide to simply write, “References provided upon request”
  • Have your teen ask the potential reference if they would be able to be called upon by the “powers that be”
  • Teens should ask permission before listing a person as a reference. Be sure your teen alerts the references to expect a call from the interviewers.
• Tips:
  • Keep experiential resumes to one page
  • Avoid using the word “I”
  • Use bullet points

BTW- 7Sisters Career Exploration textbook contains (note that it includes Successful Experiential Resume Writing):

• Step by Step Through Career Exploration (providing a basic checklist of steps for you to follow)
• Career Exploration Questionnaire
• Career Exploration Workbook (31 pages)
• Successful Experiential Resume Writing (to create a resume that captures worthwhile experiences BEFORE that first paying job)
• Successful Cover Letters (a first impression is SO important)
• Introductory Interview Skills for Teens (a practical and empowering 9-page resource)
• Writing Your Personal Mission Statement (14 page workbook)
• Career Exploration in the Bible (a fun look at David, Joseph, Mary…and yourself!)
• Collected Posts on Career Exploration from 7Sisters’ extensive blog post archive
• Collected Posts on Financial Literacy (an important part of preparation for adulthood)

Click image for full description.

For more help with the job hunt, check out this episode of Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Job Hunting Skills for Homeschool High Schoolers.

Fun tips about experiential resumes

Your teen’s experiential resume is good for more than just a job application!

Keep a copy for their portfolio (count it as a writing assignment).

Include it as part of your teen’s Career Exploration course (In fact, the Experiential Resume Guide is included in 7Sisters Career Exploration download. For those in states that reimburse for curriculum, 7Sisters has a version of Career Exploration that meets the requirements for reimbursement.)

Get your teen busy working on an experiential resume as their first resume for their first job!

Note: We could sure use some new reviews on your podcast platform. Please leave stars and a review to help others find us!

Also, thanks to Seth Tillman for editing, and thanks to everybody for being here with us!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

The post First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Three Ways to Teach Health in Homeschool High School

Do you remember Health class when you were in high school? Lots of us had forgettable classes and remembered little once we graduated. However, Health can be a meaningful course for our teens. As homeschooling parents, we can choose the way to teach Health that best fits our teens’ interests and needs…and helps prepare them for healthy adulthood!

As you know, most states require one-half or a full credit of Health for high school graduation requirements. There’s not ONE right way to earn that credit!

Let’s talk about three ways to teach Health

The beauty of homeschooling is that we can pick the right kind of learning process for our teens’ learning styles.

Log hours with useful life and health experiences

For some teens, the idea of doing Health in a textbook is going make their hair curl. Other teens are so busy with other academics that working in an intense Health credit will be difficult. Hands-on, practical learning might be the best way to earn a Health credit for these high schoolers.

Earning the Health credit by logging hours requires a little more work on mom pulling resources together. A few of our 7Sisters’ homeschool high schoolers earned their Health credits in this way. Some activities they logged hours for included:

• CPR classes
• Red Cross First Aid classes
• Co-op cooking and nutrition classes
• Mindfulness activities at our local umbrella school
• Videos and YouTubes on the human body and healthy lifestyle

Our teens needed a full credit of Health for their homeschool transcript. In our area, a full credit required 180 hours of educational experiences. This number varies by state. You can check HSLDA or your local department of education for your state’s credit requirements.

If your teen is earning the credit by logging hours, remember the adage:

If it isn’t written down on the log, it didn’t happen!

Use a textbook (there are good ones out there!)

There are lots of publishers that offer homeschool health curricula. However, when our teens were in high school, those who wanted to use a textbook insisted on a text with no busy work. That’s how 7Sisters’ High School Health for the Whole Person was created.

It is a downloadable PDF textbook in a no busy work format. While the textbook covers the scope and sequence for a good Health credit, each chapter is a few pages long. It covers only the material that needs to be covered for that topic:

• What they need to know
• How to recognize some issues if there are issues
• Some ways to take care of their body and mind

Interestingly, our teens wanted us to also include more on personal development in their textbook. Thus, the 7Sisters High School Health for the Whole Person has two sections.

• The first section is the physiological health
• Then, in the second part of the textbook, we covered mental, emotional, and social health
  • recognizing mood
  • how to live a healthy thought style
  • gratitude
  • self-awareness
  • depression and anxiety
  • ways to, to get help for that or to live a healthy lifestyle to help that feel better
  • friendship skills
  • helping a friend if they are concerned about a friend
  • drugs and alcohol

Homeschool high schoolers gain experience as a whole, healthy person: physical, emotional, and social. The text is not

Because we are all people of faith, the textbook is written through a Christian worldview. However, it’s not preachy.

Also, there are many states that will reimburse for curriculum. If you live in a state that reimburses and want to avail yourself of that, you must follow its guidelines for curriculum. Your curriculum must be non-religious.  That’s why 7Sisters also offers a version of the text that fits the reimbursement requirements: High School Health for the Whole Person (suitable for states that reimburse).

Courses for visual learners

Many homeschool high schoolers prefer to learn with the help of an online course. You can find live courses at online schools like our friends at FundaFunda Academy (who also bring us the Homeschooling with Technology podcast).

7Sisters offers an asynchronous (self-paced) online course that accompanies the High School Health for the Whole Person textbook.

The authors of High School Health for the Whole Person

The first part of the book covering the physiological parts of health was created by 7Sister Marilyn Groop, who is a physical therapist. Then, the second half of the text is taught by Vicki Tillman, who is a licensed professional counselor.

Remember

We are all in this homeschooling thing together. So, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us info@7sistershomeschool.com, and even better, go to 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group and share a question with the group. Many of the 7th Sisters (that’s everyone, because YOU are our 7th Sister) will share wisdom and experiences to help.

Also, don’t forget our 7 Sisters Homeschool YouTube channel!

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

Hey, would you leave us some stars and a review to help new homeschool high schooling parents find us? Thanks!

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

The post Three Ways to Teach Health in Homeschool High School appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything

No homeschool mom wants to leave holes in their teens’ education.

EVERYONE has holes in their education. No matter where you were educated or how much you are educated you have holes somewhere in what you know.

Holes are everywhere! Even the most expert professionals in long careers still have holes somewhere in their knowledge base. But don’t worry, your teens are learning to explore interests and become independent learners. Many teens will let you know what holes are important to them and help you explore how to fill those holes.

Know that some holes don’t matter! These holes are information your teen will never need in their future careers. (For example, a teen who will become a hair stylist or a Communications major don’t really need Calculus in homeschool high school.)

Our homeschool highschoolers learn to be lifelong learners. Homeschool highschool is a foundation of their life-learning. It is just a start. You can’t handle everything in the world in 4 years.

Sciences often make moms nervous. Who remembers their last Science course? It was a LONG time ago! But there are LOTS of ways to solve the problem of teaching the required Sciences to homeschool highschoolers.

Remember: There’s not ONE right way to tackle topics you don’t know. Look into one or more of these:

• Pray
• Co-ops and group classes
• Swap courses with a mom-friend
• Community college
• Video courses and online courses (Here’s an episode on digital learning.)

You might enjoy these episodes on labs and ideas for non-science learners.

Higher Maths often intimidate homeschool moms. Here are some tips:

The tips listed for Sciences also apply to higher Maths. Also, try:

• Working with a tutor
• Find a homeschool highschool study-buddy

Language Arts/Writing is intimidating to many homeschool moms (especially grading writing):

• Make peace with the subjective parts of writing…really mom, you can handle subjectiveness
• Use a rubric (that’s why 7Sisters’ writing curriculum includes rubrics)
• Have a friend of friends grade papers
• Send your homeschool highschooler to co-op, group classes or online classes (This often includes the important experience: peer review.)

Language Arts/Literature can be frustrated to some homeschool teens:

• Try Book clubs in person
• Try Instagram book clubs (supervise)
• Use Literature Study Guides (7SistersHomeschool.com are no-busywork, level-able guides that help teens build inferential-thinking skills…not just comprehension skills.)
• Use online books and literary analysis/guides
• Co-ops and group classes are great for discussion
• Try  Readers Theatre to read some plays. Here’s an episode to explain.

World Languages are so intimidating for homeschool moms. Here are some workable ideas:

• Co-ops and group classes are wonderful so that teens get the discussion portion of Languages
• Form a language club
• Use apps for supplementing texts.
• Online courses are often good
• Listen to this episode on handling World Languages.

History is so much fun to teach in homeschool highschool! You and your teen can learn together or they can usually easily handle independent learning.

• Often, if a textbook is engaging, teens can do the text independently. (Independent learning is a goal for 7Sisters’ Psychology and Human Development courses.)
• Group classes and co-ops are marvelous for discussions.
• Online courses
• Video courses

Phys Ed sometimes takes some creativity!

• Remember to keep logs!
• Listen to this episode on Phys Ed.

Fine Arts is intimidating to moms who aren’t artsy. Remember this:

• Lot those hours
• Think Arts Appreciation (Here’s a link to a good how-to do Arts Appreciation freebie.)

Join Sabrina and Kym for TONS of ideas on homeschooling highschool when you don’t know everything!

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Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Well Planned Gal

Rebecca from the Well Planned Gal understands the challenges of working within a budget, managing multiple children, and trying to keep up with a variety of information. That is why she created popular planner bundles!

Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal

How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything

The post How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

GPA on the Homeschool Transcript

Creating your homeschool high schoolers’ transcripts is one of our most stressful but important tasks. That’s why our 7th Sisters often ask about how to handle GPAs on the homeschool transcript. (BTW- There are six of us 7Sisters: Vicki, Kym, Marilyn, Sara, Allison, and Sabrina. So WHO’s the 7th Sister? YOU are!)

So let’s lower the stress levels and talk about how to handle the GPA on the homeschool transcript!

What is the GPA?

The GPA stands for the “grade point average“. It includes the average of your teen’s grades for their credits. Most homeschool transcripts will need to show a GPA at least at the end of senior year. (The GPA may need to be included starting in ninth grade, updating it yearly until the completion of senior year. Many college-bound or military-bound teens will need to include a first-semester senior year GPA on their transcript.)

By the way, 7SistersHomeschool has an editable transcript form along with a how-to guide. It coaches you all the way through the transcript process, including how to determine the GPA.

There’s not ONE right way to handle the GPA

Like all our homeschool high school experiences, there’s not ONE right way to handle the GPA for your teen’s transcript.

To determine the GPA, you will need to give some thought to your teen’s goals based on whether they are college-bound or career-bound. (It is a good idea to write these goals, so you do not forget.) When you know the goals, you can clarify the method of determining the GPA.

GPA for teens who are career-bound

Many of our teens are not college-bound. They might be entering the military, trade school, or the workforce. Calculating their GPA is not as stressful. The transcript will definitely need to be included on the transcript for our military-bound students, and most often, those who are trade-school-bound. However, compared to the intense pressure that teens applying to a competitive college are experiencing, the stress on GPA is reduced.

College-bound teens need to take the GPA seriously

Our college-bound teens need to have a GPA that shows their academic achievement. Many colleges include the GPA as part of their algorithm to determine who will be accepted, and sometimes who is eligible for some scholarships. There is a lot of pressure on us parents as the transcript creators to get the GPA right!

GPA: Weighted or Not?

Parents often ask us whether to have a weighted or a non-weighted GPA. There’s no unified code in the United States for weighting/not-weighting.

A weighted GPA assigns more GPA points to more rigorous courses. Homeschool families (like schools that weigh GPAs) will give more points to higher-level courses. For instance, if a teen is taking an Honors course and they received an A for the course, they might receive a GPA score of 4.5 for that course instead of the traditionally unweighted score of 4.0

So for us, when our teens did, uh, the highest level courses, those level five courses, we call them honors courses, they would have the most rigorous course, a weighted course if they got an A for one of those courses would be a 4.5.

When your teen applies to colleges, the admissions officers know how to compare apples and oranges of weighted vs non-weighted GPAs. Each college finds a way to standardize the GPAs themselves. Some of them simply unweight the weighted GPAs, some have more complicated algorithms.

How to determine GPA

Step 1: Determine which percentage points determine the letter grades

This is important because you need the letter grade to figure the GPA. (Also, college applications often ask this.)

You get to decide this; there is not a standard.

A simple method (This is the method used by the homeschool umbrella school that the 7Sisters’s homeschoolers have attended. It is based on several decades of observing student capabilities and college admissions.):

• Lowest B=  82
• Lowest C=  73
• Lowest A=  92

A more complex method could be:

• Lowest A=    93
• Lowest A= 97
• Lowest A-=  90
• Lowest B+= 87
• Lowest B=    83
• Lowest B-=  80
• Lowest C+= 77
• Lowest C=    73
• Lowest C-=  70
• Lowest D+= 67
• Lowest D=    63
• Lowest D-=  60

(I personally don’t recommend allowing a homeschool high schooler any credit for a grade lower than a C-.

There cannot be mastery of a subject with a low grade. I would have the student re-take the course. This, however, is a matter of opinion.)

Step 2: Assign a Grade Point to each course

Again, the simple method (used by the homeschool umbrella school that the 7Sisters’s homeschoolers have attended):

• Lowest A= 92= 4
• Lowest B= 82= 3
• Lowest C= 73= 2

Again, the more complex method could be. (These is no set standard for Grade Points, there are many variations.)

• Lowest A+= 97=4.0
• Lowest A=    93=3.8
• Lowest A-=  90=3.6
• Lowest B+= 87=3.4
• Lowest B=    83=3.2
• Lowest B-=  80=3.0
• Lowest C+= 77=2.8
• Lowest C=    73=2.4
• Lowest C-=  70=2.0
• Lowest D+= 67=1.8
• Lowest D=    63=1.4
• Lowest D-=  60=1.0

Step 3: Assign the amount of credit earned to each course on the transcript

Use this post to help you determine the number of credits.

Step 4: Figure the GPA

This is simple math. You are simply going to average of the Grade Points. Do this by:

1. Adding together all the Grade Points earned in a year.
2. Adding the number of credits earned in a year.
3. Dividing the Grade Points by the number of credits earned.

At our umbrella school, we only counted the core courses as part of the GPA. The course courses are:

• Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Social Studies/Histories
• Sciences
• World Languages

Here’s an example, Sally’s 9th grade core courses looked like this:

• American Literature 1 credit, A grade, 4 GP
• Algebra I                      1 credit, B grade, 3 GP
• American History      1 credit, A grade, 4 GP
• Physical Science         1 credit, A grade, 4 GP
• Spanish I                      1 credit, A grade, 4 GP
• Sally’s total GP was 19. She earned 5 credits.

19/5=3.8

For more on GPAs and transcripts check out our Authoritative Guide to Transcripts post and download our easy, editable transcript with how-tos. 

For more on GPA’s check out 3 things to know about GPAs post.

How we 7Sisters handled GPA

Between the six of us 7Sisters, we graduated a LOT of homeschoolers. Each of our kids had different goals for life after graduation. Although their goals were different, we found that the unweighted GPA worked well for them.

However, it was important for our college-bound teens’ transcripts to show the levels of rigor of their courses in their course titles. So, their transcripts include the level of rigor of each core course (and electives that earned credit at rigorous levels). Thus, our teens’ transcripts would show Level 3 (College-Prep), Level 4 (Advanced), or Level 5 (Honors) written along with the title of the course on the transcript.

Remember: There’s not one right way to homeschool high school…or to handle a transcript, or GPA. Handle it in the way that best fits your teens’ goals.

You can do this!

A word of advice

Make sure you save your portfolios or other records for each homeschool high schooler. Once in a while, a homeschool graduate has to prove what they did in high school. It’s rare, but occasionally your teen might need their records.

Have questions? Join our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group. You can throw questions into the group and get lots of sage advice from all the 7th Sisters there!

Join Vicki for a discussion on how to handle GPA on the homeschool transcript.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

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2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
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The post GPA on the Homeschool Transcript appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Homeschooling Several Ages at Once with Natalie Burton

Many of us homeschool more than one young person at a time. It CAN be done! That’s why we were excited to talk with our friend, Natalie Burton, again. We had Natalie on the podcast earlier, talking about homeschool and life balance. She is always a giver of wisdom and encouragement!

Natalie Burton’s story

Natalie has four homeschoolers ranging in age from four to eleven. This year is her official first year homeschooling all four of them. However, even though her four-year-old is just starting his official education, he has always been with his sisters at the table when they are doing their lessons. He has always been in the mix of everything homeschool!

Natalie is married into a ministry family. Her husband is a worship leader at Macedonia Baptist Church in Southeast Washington DC. With the busy church life and homeschooling, Natalie has learned to be flexible and open to God’s leadings.

Year-round homeschooling

Natalie and her family homeschool year-round. She uses the summer to map out the upcoming school year. Year-round homeschooling works well for her family. One reason is that her oldest child is neurodivergent. For her, the timeline of a traditional school year felt like too much pressure. The year-round format helped her relax and opened up with her education.

Natalie found that the year-round format allowed for intermittent breaks, so that they never truly get to the place of burnout. Her homeschoolers are mostly always excited to do school.

The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that you can make it fit the rhythm of your family!

Natalie’s tips for homeschooling several ages

One thing Natalie has learned is to be adaptable and open to the Lord’s guidance throughout the year. Here are some of her tips:

One-on-ones and entertaining littles

Natalie has learned that her homeschoolers work much better when they have some time doing one-on-one core-subject lessons with her. The personal time gives her students focus and excitement. To pull this off, Natalie has special activities that her younger ones can do. The special activities generally keep the young ones’ attention until they arrive at lunch, recess, or a family/group activity.

Early rising

The Lord put on Natalie’s heart to get up early in the morning. She felt that God showed her that He blessed her with multiple children, and with that comes more responsibility. It helps her to get up forty-five minutes earlier than she did when the kids were younger. This gives her extra prep time and time to get centered and ready for the day.

Homeschool co-op

Natalie searched for two years to find the right homeschool co-op for her family. She loves this co-op because it is a dynamic, Christ-centered, and all of the moms there make it a safe place for all the homeschoolers to learn together. Her kids love it because they have a great time. The co-op families feel like family for Natalie and her kids.

All the homeschool moms help out at the co-op. For instance, Natalie serves as treasurer. When looking for a co-op, she highly suggests finding one where the moms are involved (as opposed to the ones where parents can drop kids off and leave). The relationships formed by serving together are important for homeschool-mom support and encouragement.

Immediate Breaks

There’s no such thing as an all-the-time, picture-perfect homeschool (or anything). Natalie has instituted “immediate breaks” for herself and her homeschoolers. When anyone is feeling their calm slip away, they are allowed an immediate break to stop, breathe, and self-regulate. After all, it’s hard for moms to teach or students to learn if they are too stressed. A little calm-down time helps everyone to get back on track.

Self-discipline

Natalie has found that God has used her prayer life and homeschooling her kids to develop the fruit of the spirit of self-discipline. This can look like taking an immediate break and breathing for a bit. It can also look like staying on task (and helping her kids learn to do so) when they need to complete their lessons.

Balanced with flexibility

Natalie’s oldest child has been a teacher of flexibility for her. When her daughter becomes overwhelmed, they have learned to take that immediate break. Natalie is naturally a Type A, so educating her daughter has helped her moderate that style and be more adaptable to the needs of her child in the moment.

Find role models

One of Natalie’s closest friends and role models is Anita Gibson. Our listeners know Anita through our interviews with her, including:

• No Second-class Homeschoolers
• You Are the Right Parent for Your Homeschooler
• And her work at National Homeschool Advocacy (Natalie works with Anita in this organization)

Anita and Natalie’s mother started homeschooling their kids when Natalie was a young child. They went to church together. Anita has served as a mentor and support to Natalie for her entire life.

Natalie also helps Anita with the Simply Homeschool Facebook group.

Let the process be the process

Homeschooling is a process for the whole family, so let the process be the process. Give yourself over to it. Learn with your children. Allow yourself to change as the years go by. Homeschooling is a growth process, a learning curve. You can do this!

Forget perfection!

Natalie has learned to remove the lens of trying to be perfect. When you let go of that, things get a lot easier, the pressure comes off, and you can actually inhale!

Remove the lens of trying to be perfect.

Read alouds

Natalie spends some family-learning time reading the Bible, literature, and poetry with her homeschoolers. This gives them shared experiences and builds their listening skills. This is one of her favorite times of the day!

The most important thing that Natalie wants you to know is that with God’s help, you can do this!

Join Vicki and Natalie Burton for tips for homeschooling several ages at once. Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*

The post Homeschooling Several Ages at Once with Natalie Burton appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle Schoolers

Our middle schoolers will be high schoolers before we know it. So, we want to invest well and make the most out of middle school.

One of the things we 7Sisters wanted to think about when we were homeschooling our tweens was: how do we make middle school useful, but  not take all the joy out of learning? Middle school years are the last years when kids can just have fun with education without having to earn credits. Therefore, we want to invest well, prepare them for high school, and have some fun.

The 7Sisters story

There is a group of six of us moms who homeschooled our 20-some-odd kids in co-ops for years. (That would be Sabrina, Kym, Vicki, Marilyn, Allison, and Sara.) After a few years, we started an umbrella school, as well. We enjoyed functioning together in educating our kids.

As we saw the end of our homeschooling with our own kids coming to an end, we decided to start sharing the curriculum that we created with other homeschool families. We wanted others to know that there is no-busywork curriculum out there!

We had created lots of no-busywork curriculum because our teens had told us that many textbooks are boring because each chapter has a uniform number of pages, whether there is anything to say necessary to say or not.

Our teens loved doing Language Arts and electives together. There were lots of kinds of learners so, we made sure the curriculum was adaptable to different levels of rigor. If they were interested in the topic or wanted to add rigor, there were meaningful activities to earn honors credits.

So, we started publishing the curriculum online. We like the name 7Sisters, because we realized that’s because we’re all in this homeschooling thing together. Everyone who was part of the homeschool community is our seventh sister, so, or a seventh sibling for all those dads out there.

Let’s talk about literature for middle schoolers

There are lots of wonderful books for middle schoolers to read! Remember: there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, so choose books that fit your tween’s needs and interests, such as:

• Books for fun (lighthearted books with no need to do a study guide for them)
• Classic and excellent modern books at their age demographic
• We also suggest introducing literature study guides by doing four to nine guides per year

7Sisters literature study guides provide an introduction to literature analysis skills. These guides are not supposed to be exhaustive because that’s exhausting. Instead, the guides cover one or two literature analysis skills in each guide. Over the year, young people develop literature analysis skills, and still enjoy reading.

7Sisters Literature Study Guides for Middle School

We 7Sisters like to create no-busywork literature study guides that do not take the fun out of the book. Here are our favorites:

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising is the story of a young girl who comes from Mexico and is working on a farm. It is a gentle, attention-catching, and precious book.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

This is an empowering, true story of a young man in Africa who builds a windmill for his village.

Misty of Chincoteague

This is one of 7Sister Vicki’s favorite stories of all time! It is a fabulous, classic book to cover if your middle schooler is learning American geography. Students learn about the wild pony roundups on the Outerbanks of North Carolina.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

This is a good read-aloud for the whole family! If you wish, your middle schooler can listen and then do the literature study guide.

The Boy on the Wooden Box

The true story of a Jewish boy and Oskar Schindler during World War II. It is compelling but not overwhelming for young people.

The Phantom Toll Booth

Isn’t this a wonderful story? This classic is another good read-aloud for the whole family. If you wish, your middle schooler can listen and then do the literature study guide.

The Watsons go to Birmingham

This is a very important book that is very gently and wisely presented. It is a great addition to American history studies.

Snow Treasure

This classic book is based on the true story of the Nazi occupation of Norway and the legends about the children saving the national gold.

Let’s talk about middle school writing guides

Every homeschooler is unique! We want to introduce writing skills that will prepare them for high school, but not take the joy out of learning. We 7Sisters created writing guides that give middle schoolers the basics without overwhelming them.

Essay writing

The Middle School Guide to Essay Writing covers the topic over a series of weeks: step by step. Middle schoolers learn the basics of writing the five-paragraph essay that they will be doing a lot of in high school. It is a gentle, user-friendly, success-oriented, but not cheesy guide.

Fairy tale writing

It is wise to make sure that every year, there are some fun writing assignments. In middle school, this is a great time to just have some fun writing a fairytale. This guide will take you step by step, week by week for several weeks, one little assignment at a time, to write an absolutely delightful fairytale.

Report writing, if you have a reluctant writer

This is a freebie for homeschool parents. If you have young people who have not written a report, this can get you started. It is instructions on working together as a parent and middle schooler on writing that first report, so that your young person feels encouraged.

Research Readiness

If your middle schooler likes to explore interests, they would like a step-by-step guide to help them understand the process of writing a research paper. This is a good guide to get them started on the research-paper writing adventure.

Homeschooling middle school is so rewarding! Enjoy these years.

Join Vicki for a discussion of good books and guides.

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

The post Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle Schoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School

Need some fun in your homeschool high school? Think: movies!

Can movies and reading books BOTH count as English/Language Arts assignments?

It’s complicated, but the answer is: Yes!

Movies alone cannot count as literature for teens’ ELA booklists, but they can be used to learn:

• themes
• plots
• characters and
• other tools of literary analysis

In fact, we 7Sisters have always allowed our teens to count some movies as books for their ELA booklist as long as they complete an accompanying study guide that emphasizes literature analysis skills. That’s why we have made sure they had good resources for studying movies as if they are books (like 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides).

Join Sabrina and Vicki for an enlightening discussion of movies for educational process.

Why learn literature analysis skills through watching movies?

There are lots of reasons to add some movies to homeschool high schoolers’ literature analysis lessons. Let’s start with another of Sabrina’s famous quotes:

Stories are stories.

So, a story in a movie is still a story.

Studying a movie can add some sparkle to a year that is getting bogged down in heavy literature books

Of course, teens need to read lots of good books during their homeschooling high school years. Some teens like to choose literature topics for a year, such as:

• American Literature
• British Literature
• World Literature
• Great Christian Writers
• CS Lewis
• Poetry

Other high schoolers prefer a mix of genres and authors (which is why 7Sisters offers the popular “One-Year” ELA series).

Either way, reading books, books, books can be cumbersome, so liven things up by learning literature analysis skills through movies!

Teens with learning difficulties will find analysis skills more accessible when they watch and discuss movies

Learning story analysis skills by watching movies is good for all teens, of course. However, learning some of these literature analysis skills while watching a movie simplifies the educational process and adds a layer of multi-sensory learning.

Studying movies for educational purposes is an inspiring activity for co-op

Teens love watching movies together and the literature analysis skills are great discussion material.

It’s fun!

Face it, it’s fun to watch movies! So why not have some educational fun!

So where do you start?

First off: We recommend that you do not overdo it! Just choose one or two aspects of the story to discuss and analyze, even if the movie has lots of outstanding features that could be explored. In other words, don’t kill the movie (or a book, for that matter) trying to analyze everything that could be analyzed! Instead, allow teens to concentrate on just a couple of outstanding facets to analyze! Then they can actually learn and hold onto their learning- and still have positive feelings and inspiration from the movie. We suggest 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides for this.

When teens learn some concepts from a film story, they can then find those concepts when they read books. Making these connections is a necessary facet of education (and an important life skill).

Watching movies as an educational tool, helps teens begin to think that any time they watch a movie

They can use their brains and think about what they are consuming. In other words, when given tools for analysis in a gentle way, most teens will have more critical thinking skills for watching movies any time.

All 7Sisters curriculum is level-able (adaptable for Average- through Honors-level studies.) Homeschool high schoolers who are college-bound Honors level cinema studies will find interesting and meaningful leveling-up activities in 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides.

The way the Cinema Studies guides work:

• Students watch the movie.
• They take notes as they watch the movie on anything that is interesting to them.
• They watch the movie again several days later.
• Then they complete the study guide (questions and a writing assignment).

As an aside, Vicki and Sabrina rabbit trailed onto the topic of audiobooks for books and poetry. They noted that Benedict Cumberbach is one of their favorite readers. Vicki has several pins on her Pinterest Poetry board with him reading a poem.

Join Sabrina and Vicki for a “moving” talk about movies!

For more creative Language Arts ideas, check out this episode!

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School

The post Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

       

Resources for Homeschoolers Who Learn Differently with Keisha Berry

There’s not ONE right way to homeschool and there’s not ONE kind of homeschooler! That’s why Vicki was so excited to talk to our friend, Keisha Berry of Spectrum Education and Therapy Center, again about resources for homeschoolers who learn differently.

Vicki’s story about Keisha

This story highlights the respect that Vicki has for Keisha’s work:

“Keisha and I were both at the MACHE Convention in 2025. We both had tables next to each other in the vendor hall. It was early in the morning, and the doors had just opened for people to come into the building. Then a distraught grandmother who was homeschooling her grandchild entered the room. She was determined to find help for her grandson who was having learning problems. She couldn,’t figure out how to help him find the resources he needed. You could see desperation as she walked into the room, it was just radiating off of her. She started just talking to the room, “I’m homeschooling my grandson and I need help, and he needs help.”

Then Keisha just stood up and in this authoritative, calm voice, like the subject matter expert she is, “There’s help. We’ll get you help.” And I watched the calm descend on that grandmother from the top of her head down her face and her body relaxed.”

Both Keisha and Vicki have homeschooled their own kids who have some learning differences. Vicki’s kids have all made it to adulthood, thanks to I had access to resources to help my kids who needed help.

Keisha’s story

Keisha started to consider homeschooling when she began to get comments on her son’s report card in the first grade. The teacher said that although he made straight A’s, he was inattentive and hyperactive. Keisha was working in his school as a special education teacher at the time, and I knew at that point that he needed something that he was not getting in school.

Keisha’s sister, Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville (who has also discussed learning differences on Homeschool Highschool Podcast before), was already homeschooling. She suggested homeschooling to Keisha. So, she decided to try homeschooling. Keisha thought it was going be a temporary situation, but the next thing she knew, it was sixteen years later.

Taking him out of school did not take away his inattentiveness or his hyperactivity. However, Keisha taught him how to manage himself through strategies for executive functioning, such as:

He was not required to sit at a desk

• They taught him how to take notes
• He learned how to use highlighters
• She taught him how to use his digital calendars
• He learned to use AI to help him use his syllabi

So, how did her son end up in Saudi Arabia

No matter how many skills you have, the ADHD-type inattentiveness does not really go away. Sometimes it pops up into real life. After high school, Keisha’s son was applying for jobs. He accidentally applied for a job in Saudi Arabia. When he interviewed with several people about the job, no one mentioned the location!

At the last interview, he was hired. That’s when he learned that he was going to Saudi Arabia!

It was two weeks between the time of the last interview and when he got on the plane!

A famous homeschool theory and globe-trotting son

There is a famous homeschool theory: We teach our children how to learn, not what to learn.

Using his skills on “how to learn”, Keisha’s son went online, and he figured out what he needed to do. He learned about the culture so that he was dressed appropriately and was respectful of their customs.

Now he is working in Saudi Arabia, living his best life! The inattentiveness has not prevented his success. In fact,  it is Keisha’s theory is that ADHD is just a different kind of way the brain works. It is a kind of neurodiversity that is a gift if you know how to:

• manage yourself
• learn
• be cautious when necessary
• understand how God has made you

In college, Keisha’s son majored in Cultural Anthropology. He loved his study-abroad programs, where he traveled to Greece and Senegal. His love of globe-trotting was a gift God gave him, so the trip to Saudi Arabia was not overwhelming to him at all.

Keisha’s training and homeschooling her son

Keisha had worked for years as a special educator. She holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, which includes Speech and Language Pathology. Keisha had always worked in multidisciplinary settings, especially working closely with occupational therapists. She was able to use her training and experience to help her son maximize his gifts and manage his weaker areas.

As she started homeschooling her son, she used her skills to learn how he learned.

He did not always want to learn things that his parents thought he should learn about, so he had to learn to learn the required subjects. (They live in  Maryland, and we have seven subjects that they required to show that you’re doing regular and thorough instructions in.)

Along with this, he learned how to research and learn about things that interested him. For instance, during the pandemic, he was curious if there had been epidemics in the past. So he researched and learned about Ebola. For instance, he learned about what the government did to address the health crisis. He saw how politics affected addressing an epidemic. Then, he was able to draw comparisons, and he actually started to understand the current situation.

Investing in his interests

One of the greatest gifts a homeschooling parent can give their student who learns differently is to help them discover and invest in their interests.  Keisha had known that ever since he was a little boy, her son was a National Geographic magazine fanatic. So, she made sure that those subscriptions continued throughout his homeschooling. In the magazines, her son read and learned about other places in the world. By the time he went to college, he was ready to travel the world and see things for himself!

His desire for traveling sparked Keisha and her son with the opportunity to learn to manage his ADHD inattentiveness to details. With ADHD, some details will likely be missed (as in ending up with a job in Saudi Arabia). However, he learned to handle many of the details for his adventures.

One of his favorite tools

One of his favorite tools is a really cool feature on Google where you can tell Google to group the tabs that are open. Google will group them based on topic. So now, he can think about a million things at once, and he has Google to assist him by compartmentalizing them for him.

Many of the other tools that Keisha’s son learned to use came from her expertise in working with children who learn differently. These are the same tools that she used at Spectrum Education and Therapy Center.

Spectrum Education and Therapy Center

Spectrum Education and Therapy Center is a multidisciplinary practice. Keisha and her colleagues work with homeschoolers to build tools for success with their homeschoolers. Her staff includes:

• Speech language pathologists
• Occupational therapy
• Psychologists who can assist with those tri-annual evaluations that children and families need for the state of Maryland
• Social workers, social work, and mental health support are something that they added recently because she recognized that many families were starting to homeschool because their children were facing mental health challenges.
• Academic coaches and consultants for evaluations and selecting curriculum
• Special education tutors and educators
• Free 30 minute consultations for all new families

Not only in Maryland

While Spectrum Education and Therapy Center is located in Maryland, you do not have to be in Maryland to access it. Keisha and her staff have a selection of virtual programs and events. These include workshops for new homeschooling families and monthly support groups for homeschool families.

Check SETClearning’s monthly calendar for upcoming events, programs, and workshops.

Keisha says, “If you have something specific you’d like to talk about or you know, you’re just getting started or you’ve been homeschooling for a while and you just want to check in, you know, with a fellow homeschool mom, I am more than happy to to chat with you!”

Connect with Keisha Berry:

• Spectrum Education and Therapy Center
• SETCLearning Instagram (this is a marvelous account, check it out!)
• Spectrum_ETC Facebook

Join Vicki and Keisha Berry to learn about resources for homeschoolers who learn differently. Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing!

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
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The post Resources for Homeschoolers Who Learn Differently with Keisha Berry appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Passion Leads to Purpose for Teens with Maynard Okereke

We are SO excited about this episode! One of our favorite things to do is talk to people who are doing interesting, fun, and inspiring things. Vicki has been enjoying the Hip Hop Science Show, so she contacted the Hip Hop Scientist, Maynard Okereke, and asked if he would talk to our podcast friends.

Vicki first discovered Maynard Okereke on Instagram. When she listened to his story, she said to herself, “This is the heart that we homeschool parents have for our teens!” Then, she discovered his YouTube channel MayNERD’s Wild World of Science, full of fascinating and fun science videos. She knew she had to invite him to talk to everyone on the podcast!

Maynard Okereke’s story

Maynard is not just a science lover, but an actual engineer who turned his love for music, acting, and science into a mission to make learning exciting for kids everywhere! Whether it’s crazy nature explorations through the jungle, or experiencing zero gravity on the vomit comet, he brings unique, curious energy to all his scientific adventures.

Maynard has appeared on:

• Netflix’s Ada Twist, Scientist
• The Science Channel
• Curiosity Stream

Maynard has been recognized in a number of venues including:

• His STEM outreach work has been published in Scientific American
• Odyssey Award for Excellence in Social Media
• The National Society for Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Ebony’s Power 100 List

Maynard’s story

Maynard is a first-generation American. His mother’s side of the family is from Cameroon. His dad’s side is from Nigeria. So, I was born here in the States, but he spent his early childhood overseas in West Africa. When he returned to the States, he lived and then went to college in the Northwest. So, he has lots of perspectives on people and cultures.

As he was growing up, Maynard was interested in Wildlife Biology. He wanted to study it in college, but his academic advisors told him that he should go into Engineering instead. His advisors had the idea that people who looked like him did not choose careers in the natural sciences. Maynard thought about it. He loved nature shows on television, but rarely saw any people of color on these programs.

So, he chose Engineering as a field of study. Fortunately, he loves science, and he did well. At college, he made some amazing connections and got involved with the National Society of Black Engineers, where he met a lot of peers who looked like him.

Over time, Maynard branched out into science communication, where he can explore and share his love for all the sciences. Not only that, he has the opportunity to represent young people of all colors so that they can follow their passions and study any science. That’s why he loves the opportunities to undertake these incredible explorations.

Hip Hop Science shows that anyone can be a scientist if they stay curious!

Maynard started Hip Hop Science to show others, especially those who don’t always see themselves in science, that anyone can be a scientist if they stay curious.

While his official title these days is “Science Communicator.” He educates young people on various science topics, and anything under the umbrella of STEM.

Maynard’s technical background is in civil environmental engineering with a degree from the University of Washington. However, he always had a love for entertainment, music, and acting. So, he stepped away from engineering after working in the industry for a few years to pursue some dreams that he had in science entertainment.

His passions for both helped him bridge the gap between science and entertainment!

With his digital platforms, Maynard is bringing a fun, youthful energy, excitement, and curiosity to the world of STEM! In his work, he:

• showcases all the amazing opportunities that students have before them when pursuing a STEM career
• talks about how to pursue STEM careers
• ignites that natural fascination and love for science that we all intrinsically have as kids growing up
• shows young people how to connect science to real life things, day-to-day things

Pop culture elements

That’s where the hip hop science and pop culture elements come to play. These elements help all kinds of young people to connect with material by making it relatable. Young people like being connected to learning digitally, especially if they are having fun. That’s what Hip Hop Science is all about!

Helping teens find their passion

In tandem with his work of sparking curiosity and excitement, Maynard also tries to share on his platforms the inspiration for young people to follow their passion, follow their purpose, and be rooted in the things that they love doing.

Sometimes adults push expectations upon teens. And sometimes those expectations aren’t things that they necessarily want. However, Maynard likes to showcase that they can find cool science-related, STEM-related connections to almost everything they want to do, whether they love dance, fashion, history, art, literature, or STEM.

Two Top Tips for exploring interests that lead to passion

The Hip Hop Scientist has two fun ideas for helping young people explore their interests that may become their passion.

Watch MayNERD’s Wild World of Science

Maynard inspires young people through all kinds of STEM-related videos. These are just the right length of time for them to say, “I’m just gonna watch a video real quick!”

Become a citizen scientist

You don’t even have to go to the Amazon to do citizen science. There are things that teens can do in their backyard if they have a phone. For instance, they can use the iNaturalist app. This app helps teens find insects or whatever things might be in their backyard. They can take a photo and load it onto the app. In this way, teens are able to actually help scientists collect data. That goes a long way in helping understand where species are and how they are changing in different areas.

Passion leads to purpose

Maynard tells young people that the passion they have is in there on purpose, and they can make it their purpose. Parents need to give their young people permission to invest in that passion. Then the young people need to know that if they are not passive about their passion, it can come about, and the coolest things can happen!

Maynard’s passion for science has led to the purpose of being a science communicator. These days, you can find him on social media like YouTube and Instagram. He is also a popular keynote speaker and often travels to schools to bring Hip Hop Science to inspire young people to discover their passion and purpose.

Connect with Maynard Okereke

You will find Maynard Okereke in many places. Here are a few:

• Hip Hop Science Show website
• MayNERD’s Wild World of Science
• Instagram HipHopScienceShow

Keep your eyes out for lesson plans and resources coming soon from the Hip Hop Scientist, Maynard Okereke.

Join Vicki and Maynard for his inspiring story so that you can inspire your teens to find their passions and purposes. Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

Keep Listening

• How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything
• GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
• 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School
• Homeschooling College-Bound Teens
• First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job
• Character Development in Homeschool High School
• How to Start the Homeschool High School Year

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

The post Passion Leads to Purpose for Teens with Maynard Okereke appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School

We can remember starting every homeschool year with fresh curriculum and ideas, just knowing it was going to be awesome! By Christmas break, we often found out that some curriculum just was not working. That’s why we always took the new calendar year mark as a spot for recalibrating.

How about you? Got any curriculum that is not working? That’s okay. We homeschool to do what is best for our kids, so we can change things up whenever we need to!

January is a good time to toss the curriculum and things that aren’t working

This is a good time to evaluate:

• Are there any changes to this year’s goals and priorities?
• What is working?
• Is the curriculum a good match for your homeschoolers’ needs?

Beware the “just gotta get to the finish line” mentality

Sabrina tells about the mindset that she used to hold about curriculum and plans: “Whatever the circumstances, I just gotta get to the finish line.” She thought she had to push through and finish the year with their curriculum, even if it was a poor fit.

Take January to recalibrate instead

We found that it was a good idea to recalibrate as a homeschooling parent within yourself. We learned to break recalibration into three areas:

• academics
• family
• our own personal identity

Let’s start with academics

If you want to have fun with curriculum change, you can start with Vicki’s 50 Ways to Scrap Your Schoolbook, where you’ll find out how she and her homeschool high schoolers handled ditching what needed to be ditched. Some of the ways they handled it included:

• Donating unwanted curriculum to the umbrella school library
• If the book was bad enough, they recycled it after the teens enjoyed drawing mustaches on the photos (not even kidding)

Kym shared that one of her homeschool high schoolers needed to try seven or eight Geometry textbooks before they found a good fit. Fortunately, she had homeschooling friends and an umbrella school library as resources!

So remember:

Instead of ending up with a bloody forehead from banging against the wall all the time, try something different.

Beware the shoulds

It’s easy to fall into shoulds. We should push through and get this yucky curriculum done. Maybe it is time to recalibrate and try something new.

Although sometimes you should

Just to be clear, friends, sometimes you should push through. Sometimes teens need to learn to persevere, to learn that they can do hard things. So, how to know when to scrap your schoolbook and when to persevere?

• The answer comes out of your prayer life. It comes out of your time with the Lord.
• It comes out of your conversations with your spouse.
• Also, it comes out of your conversations with your kids.
• It also comes with chatting with homeschool friends.

Remember: There’s not one right way to homeschool high school!

We cannot give everybody a formula and say, “This is how you have to handle your teens.”

That is because every teen is different, and our families are in different seasons of life. So take our advice and do some talking and listening, then recalibrate the rest of the school year together!

Let’s talk about recalibrating family

Homeschooling is a whole lifestyle, not just an educational choice. It impacts all sorts of other things:

• finances
• scheduling
• literal physical space within our houses

The midyear point of the academic year is a great time to look at how family things are faring:

• meal prep and grocery shopping
• housework and chores

Mid-year is a great time to have a family meeting. Sit down and chat with the family about what is working and not working. Sabrina’s did “yucks and yahoos”. It is a fun way to find out what needs to be recalibrated.

• What’s a Yahoo? (What’s, what’s feeling good right now?)
• What are the yucks? And then let’s not leave them.

Let’s talk about recalibrating your self-care

Mid-year is a good time to see if you’re taking care of yourself. (Because if you crumble, it’s not going to make it easier for your homeschool!)

Not only that, but our own self-care is also modeling good life skills for your students. If it is difficult to find time or energy for your own self-care, our Cousin Teresa Wiedrick’s Harmonius Homeschool shares practical tips.

It is important to do these periodic points of recalibration for your family academically. Then you will all have a happier homeschool new year!

Join Vicki, Sabrina, and Kym for tips on mid-year recalibration! Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
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6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
7. Thanks!

The post Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Have a C.S. Lewis Year: Full-Year ELA Bundle

If you know Vicki from 7SistersHomeschool, you know that her favorite author is C.S. Lewis. The appreciation for Lewis is contagious. Her  Lewis-based literature courses for the teens in their homeschool co-op and umbrella school classes have always been popular.

Recently, 7Sisters has released the Lewis course as a full-year ELA Bundle!

Click image for full description.

Let’s talk about how to connect your teens to a year of inspired learning with C.S. Lewis!

As you know, our homeschooling high schoolers need a yearly English/Language Arts credit. While there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, we recommend that each English/Language Arts credit include:

• Literature (either based on a theme or a mix of genres)
• Writing
• Public Speaking
• Vocabulary
• Grammar or editing

The C.S. Lewis Full-Year ELA Bundle does that!

Why you would want your team to have a full year focus on C.S. Lewis?

Lewis said that the imagination is the organ of meaning. Our creativity and the imagination that God gave us is the generator of the meaning and the purpose that God has created us to have as individuals (and as people altogether created in his image).

After all, God is a creative God and he made us in his image to be creative and to enjoy creative things. So when we do creative reading or  creative writing, we are actually creating some meaning in our lives, even if it’s just fun (because fun can be meaningful too).

So, this is this full year C.S. Lewis literature and composition bundle is about creativity and meaning.

What is included in the Full Year of English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition bundle?

Remember, all 7Sisters curriculum is NO-busywork, and level-able to various goals and abilities of each teen.

C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition is chock full of classic favorites from Lewis, plus a delightful graphic novel about C.S. Lewis and his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.

The books include:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and His Boy
• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Last Battle
• Out of the Silent Planet
• Perelandra
• That Hideous Strength
• The Mythmakers by John Hendrix

(You will need to buy copies of these books for your teen to read, or borrow a copy from the library. You might want to purchase from Amazon; if so, we are Amazon associates, and will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you visit Amazon using our link in our sidebar to the right.)

Which Cinema Studies guides are a part of this year’s bundle?

Your teens will have fun with these movies and unique study guides:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005, directed by Andrew Adamson)
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Comparing Two Versions: 2005 directed by Andrew Adamson & 1988 BBC Version
• The Most Reluctant Convert (directed by Norman Stone, starring Max McClean)

(You will need to buy or rent these movies; many are available on streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Netflix, or borrow them from a friend or from the library.)

If your teen has already completed these Cinema Studies Literature Guides in the past, see information below about how to adapt this ELA bundle.

Which writing guides are included in 3b – A Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition?

• 10- Week Essay Writing Guide
• Creative Writing: Create APA “research paper” subcreation in the style of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien
• Myth-Fantasy short story
• APA-style research paper based on some topic of interest

What else will I find in this bundle?

1. Grammar Granules – Essential Elements of English
2. Recommended Resources for Supplemental Grammar and Vocabulary Learning
3. Confidence-Building Skills for Public Speaking Experience
4. Parents Manual – Intro and How to Use This Bundle (including direction for grading and determining a final ELA grade for the transcript)
5. Chart for Determining the Level of Rigor for our year of High School ELA
6. Recommendations for HOW MANY BOOKS TOTAL your student should read this year

Download the Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition for an inspiring and empowering academic year!

Connect with us!

We love having you as a 7th Sibling. (After all, there are only six of us 7Sisters, so who is the 7th Sister? YOU are!)

Meet us and all your 7th Sisters on:

• Our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group (you can post question up in the Facebook group and somebody is going answer it!)
• 7 Sisters Homeschool Instagram
• And on Pinterest 7 Sisters Homeschool
• 7 Sisters Homeschool YouTube

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
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3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
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6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

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6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

The post Have a C.S. Lewis Year: Full-Year ELA Bundle appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Homeschool Yo Kids with Jae Carter

One of we 7Sisters’ favorite things is to make new friends. In this episode, we are so excited to introduce our friends to Jae Carter from Homeschool Yo Kids. We have been following Homeschool Yo Kids for a while and love how they are serving the homeschool community in so many unique ways.

Jae Carter’s story

Jae’s experience with education began with over fourteen years in the public school system. However, even before she had kids, she would always say, “I’m gonna homeschool my kids!”

A teacher’s influence

Jae grew up with two competing desires: to teach and inspire students in a traditional school setting, and to teach and inspire her own kids through homeschooling. She had wanted to be a teacher since fifth grade because of her teacher, Ms. Crawford (“shout out to her”). Mrs. Crawford was inspiring and impactful. Her relationship with the fifth graders awakened in Jae the love of teaching.

An influential teacher

Jae loved teaching her students. She ignited their love of learning. Many of her students had parents who were only marginally involved with their education, so what they experienced at school was not reinforced at home. In contrast, Jae was able to excite her seventh through twelfth graders about school and to believe in their ability to succeed at learning.

“I tell you, the kids used to look forward to coming into my classroom. They would see me in the hallway and tell me, ‘Oh, Ms. Carter, I’m gonna have your class next year!'”

But then 2020 happened

We all remember the world health crisis in 2020. Jae’s classes were moved to Zoom. At the same time, she was automatically homeschooling her own kids. In truth, Jae had always been “homeschooling”. From the time that her kids were two years old, she was talking to them like she did with her middle and high school students.

Jae’s children learned to listen and think well from an early age. This was such a contrast with many of her high school students. She worked with some students who were teens, but without parent involvement, were years behind in their reading and writing skills.

Jae felt guilty about leaving the high school students. However, the pandemic and the frustrations of teaching on Zoom while teaching her own kids solidified her desire to officially homeschool her kids.

Jae moved the family from Virginia to Arizona, and she started homeschooling her kids full-time. Her oldest child was in second grade, and the second was getting ready to start school. They have been homeschooling ever since. It is the perfect fit for the family.

Starting Homeschool Yo Kids

As Jae says, “Teaching and loving on kids is my issue.” She loved inspiring her students. Also, she loved teaching and inspiring her own kids. So, being in a new location and restricted from other activities because the world was shut down due to the pandemic gave the opportunity to launch into homeschooling.

But then, Jae said to herself, “You’re homeschooling your kids, but what about everyone else?”

She knew that at the end of the day, her kids were still gonna have to go outside and interact with everyone else. So, she asked herself,
“What am I gonna do to make sure everyone else is just as healthy and happy as my kids?”

Jae believes in parental involvement in education. In fact she trains parents that even if they cannot homeschool full time, “everyone should be homeschooling regardless of if your child’s in public school, private school, or charter school”.

Helping to make homeschooling accessible to lots of people

Jae wanted to help more homeschooling parents get started homeschooling their kids. So, she created the app Homeschool Yo Kids to give them to show:

• state laws
• educational requirements
• homeschool and other educational resources

While the app has homeschool information, it does not give the feeling of “we’re omeschoolers and we’re the cool ones”. Rather, it gives resources for parent involvement and resources for education, homeschooling or not.

Diversity and homeschooling

When Jae attended her homeschool conference in Arizona, it was all white folks. She thought, “We need a little more representation!” 

(Note: Vicki and 7Sister Marilyn have been saying that since they were in Delaware state homeschool leadership thirty years ago!)

So, Jae set about bringing homeschooling to a more diverse community, not only in Arizona, but all over the United States!

They began the Homeschool Yo Kids Expo. Based in their renovated and homeschool-decorated RV, they traveled to seven states. In each state, they presented workshops and introduced the local communities to the homeschool guides and resources available in their own areas.

Then there were fourteen

The number of cities they visited has increased each year. They presented the Homeschool Yo Kids Expo in fourteen cities last year!

While they travel, the family does road schooling. Jae’s kids love the adventure of learning about different places around the country while also getting their lessons completed. They enjoy each stop and every time  they leave one Expo location, they say, “Can we stay a little longer?”

About the Homeschool Yo Kids Expo

When the Expo comes to town, people will find:

• How-to workshops (these are usually brief, around fifteen minutes, so that no one gets bored)
  • One of the speakers at the Maryland Homeschool Yo Kids Expo has been our good friend and cousin, Natalie Mack. Check out her Homeschool Highschool Podcast interview about ASVAB.
• Curriculum and resources
• Exhibitors (especially from the local community)
• Information on local homeschooling resources, such as co-op information
• Opportunities for building community

She likes to maintain a community feel about the Expos, so she aims for around thirty or forty families in attendance. She knows that families new to homeschooling are often feeling like, “I’m about to jump into this new world, and I don’t know anything about it. I just need support.”

Jae plans on every family leave the Expo at the end of the day with access to resources and support. One example of a family leaving the Expo with the support and guidance they needed was the new homeschool mom in Texas who drove six hours to the attend the event. She had the opportunity to ask the questions that she needed to ask and buy the stuff that she wanted to buy. She told Jae afterwards that she felt really supported.

Jae said, “And I was just like, see that? That’s what this is all about!”

Check out Jae Carter at the Homeschool Yo Kids Expo, YouTube, Podcast and more!

Connect with Jay Carter and Homeschool Yo Kids:

• Homeschool Yo Kids for info about the traveling Expo
  • When will it arrive in your area?
• Homeschool Yo Kids podcast
• Homeschool Yo Kids on YouTube
• Get the Homeschool Yo Kids app

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing!

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Stress Management for the Holidays with Natalie Mack

We know that stress can be a big issue, especially during the holidays, but even after the holidays, anxiety, depression, and the winter blues can creep in. Let’s talk about ways to manage these feelings and create a calm and enjoyable atmosphere for our families. Our friend and Cousin Natalie Mack shares tips for stress management for the holidays.

About Natalie Mack

Natalie has been a homeschooling mom for twenty-two years with five children, four have graduated from college while one is still homeschooling high school!

She is a retired Navy chaplain spouse and has a Master’s Degree in Education and Counseling. Natalie has worked in various fields such as drug and alcohol abuse, social work, and marriage and family therapy. Recently, Natalie has been leading the military outreach program for HSLDA. She also shares her wisdom at Natalie-Mack.com, where she offers some helpful freebies for homeschooling families.

Tip #1: Slowing Down and Embracing Fun

Homeschooling through the holidays can look completely different from “work, work work”! You can slow down with the schoolwork during the holidays and focus on creating fun experiences with your children. While it may be tempting to push through and maintain a rigorous academic schedule, remember that the academics will always be there. Take the time to enjoy holiday activities, bond as a family, and create lasting memories.

(Here’s a fun writing project about creating a Holiday Family Narrative, instead of typical academics.)

The picture-perfect moments we often see on social media or in magazines are not the reality of everyday life. Instead of striving for perfection, try embracing the joyful imperfections that come with family gatherings.

Remember the quote from GK Chesterton: 

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. 

Learning happens in many different ways (including the developing a growth mindset during the ups and downs of imperfect celebrations).

Breathe and Relax

It may sound simple, but taking deep breaths and focusing on our breath can do wonders for managing stress. When we are feeling overwhelmed, our bodies flood with stress hormones, but the antidote is right there in the air. 

So, whenever you can, take a moment to pause, take a deep breath in, and slowly exhale. It helps chip away at those stress hormones and calms our nervous system. You can teach this technique to your teens as well!

Make Time for Field Trips

Take advantage of the unique field trip opportunities available during the holiday season. Many places offer special events and attractions during the holidays. 

Whether it’s visiting nature gardens with beautiful lights or driving along the boardwalk to see Christmas decorations, these experiences create lasting memories and provide valuable learning opportunities for your kids. Plus, they are just a lot of fun!

Field trips during the holidays are a fantastic way to bond as a family and create positive memories. Education an happen anywhere, and these experiences enrich our lives in so many ways.

Enjoy Holiday Books

Holiday-themed picture books are a great way to create a cozy and magical atmosphere during the season. They have a way of bringing joy and warmth to our hearts. Snuggling up together and reading these books aloud fosters a sense of togetherness and creates cherished memories. 

Explore book lists from resources like Read Aloud Revival and 7Sisters Homeschool to discover wonderful holiday reads. Visit your local library and pick up some holiday-themed picture books. Make it a tradition to read holiday books with your loved ones and let the joy and laughter fill your home.

7SistersHomeschool has a Literature Study Guide for A Christmas Carol. Not only that, we offer a Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Guide for A Christmas Carol, as well. This is a meaningful way to sneak in some no-busywork, meaningful education.

Organizational Tips

Organization can make a big difference in reducing stress during the holidays. (Hey, it’s okay if organization is not your strong suit.) You can learn the value of organization, especially during the holidays, from others, such as from our 7th Sister, Allison, who is a master at event planning. We turned her planning skills into a unit study for planning the Thanksgiving meal.

Some organizational tips from Allison:

Consider the flow of activities, such as setting up a buffet with silverware and napkins placed at the end to avoid juggling them while serving food. These small organizational adjustments can make a significant difference in reducing stress levels.

Do what you can to prioritize your to-do lists and let go of unnecessary tasks. Recognize that it’s impossible to do everything perfectly, and some things can be dropped without major consequences. 

Focus on what truly matters and be intentional about allocating your time and energy to activities that bring joy and fulfillment. Good holiday event planning is about finding what works for you and creating a sense of calmness amidst the busyness!

Stress Management for the Holidays with Natalie Mack

The holiday season should be a time of joy, togetherness, and relaxation. Follow these stress management tips for the holidays and then let us know how they helped you!

Find Natalie Mack at Natalie-Mack.com and lots of places through Linktree.

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful holiday season filled with beautiful memories!

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing and Richie Soares with Homeschool & Humor for writing this blog post!

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3 Ways to Model Lifelong Learning for Your Homeschoolers

7Sisters Sabrina was recently on a road trip with one of her homeschool-graduate sons. He was in the mood to reminisce a little bit about what he remembers about homeschooling: the things that went well and the things that didn’t work so well. One of the things that he feels homeschooling cultivated in him was an attitude of lifelong learning.

He said that there’s always something to be curious about, that he should stay humble enough not to be afraid to ask people to explain things to him that he knows nothing about. In other words, he learned to love learning!

This conversation got Sabrina to think about what a useful skill lifelong learning is!

Some ways to help cultivate an attitude of lifelong learning

Our 7Sister Marilyn always used to say,  “All of life is education.”

For instance:

Sometimes, when our homeschoolers were on a field trip, and we stopped to buy snacks, they paid for their own snacks with an “allowance” for that field trip. That’s budgeting!

Since all of life is education, we moms would educate ourselves, as well!

Modeling lifelong learning for our homeschoolers

We were blessed that our homeschool community was fairly large, with co-ops, support groups, and an umbrella school. There were so many homeschool moms around! Our kids saw all of us moms getting excited about learning new things and sharing what we learned with other moms.

Sometimes we moms would find something that we wanted to study together, so we would make our own classes. For instance, after our homeschool high schoolers studied Cinema Studies for Literature one year, we moms did the course ourselves over the summer. It was fun (and the teens were totally amused that the moms were doing a high school course).

Or we would simply learn about things of interest out of our relationship with each other. For instance, we co-op moms learned to cook some really cool dishes from each other! That’s lifelong learning.

Of course, we tried keeping a stack of books on whatever topic we were interested in.

In tougher areas of life, we would run up against situations that we did not handle well. When you are a mom of homeschooling high schoolers, you have a sharp-eyed audience! They want to know what you will learn from a tough moment! We have learned to find a book,  video, or even an online class to learn how to do things better! This is also modeling a growth mindset.

Some of us moms (like 7Sister Vicki) went to graduate school and then became a counselor in the community to help support the family’s homeschooling habits. This definitely gave our high schoolers a chance to watch us learn! (Here’s a nice conversation from Vicki about working homeschool moms.)

7Sister Kym wanted to serve her church community, so she received training on youth leadership (and also officiating weddings- which she performed for Vicki’s youngest son’s wedding).

And remember: Go on field trips! Family vacations count as field trips, for sure. Also, sometimes we moms would take a day and go on a mini-retreat for planning and praying. Those counted as field trips. You learn a lot when you change locations!

The way you choose to live as a learner is impacting your homeschoolers in strong and positive ways

So be curious in front of your kids! Over time, our homeschoolers will watch and learn lifelong learning from you! So, pat yourself on the back!

One thing we homeschool moms can learn is our to manage our self-care and not get overwhelmed with all our responsibilities. That’s why we love our 7Sister Cousin Teresa Wiedrick. She is the Homeschool Mama Self-Care Coach. Teresa offers online trainings, awesome support groups on Patreon, and an encouraging podcast.

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Learning Styles in Homeschool High School with Vanessa Hall

If you know 7Sisters, you know what we say:

There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school!

That’s why Vicki was so excited to talk with an expert on learning styles, Vanessa Hall MEd (on the way to PhD very soon). Vanessa homeschooled her kids through high school while working on her graduate degrees, so she has lots of experience with learning styles!

Vanessa’s story

Vanessa started out as a musician. She received a full scholarship to Howard University as an oboist. Originally, she wanted to perform, but her interests blossomed into music therapy studies. This led to a Master’s degree in special education. (For a more in-depth conversation on how to choose college degrees, check out this interview with Dr. Renae Duncan.)

With her special education degree, Vanessa ended teaching in the public school system. However, when their first child was born, she felt drawn to homeschooling through the inspiration of the moms’ group she attended. She discovered that some of her favorite moms there were homeschooling.

In those days, there were not many choices for homeschooling curriculum. At age three, her son was teaching himself to read, even picking up some high-school-level words. She knew that traditional curriculum would be a waste of his time. She would mostly need to provide reading material that kept his interests.

Then, her daughter was born. By then, the family was a committed homeschooling family. Vanessa’s daughter is a natural artist, so she made certain to provide fun art activities for that homeschooler.

Following her homeschoolers’ interests and learning styles

Vanessa learned to notice and follow the way her children her learned. Just as importantly, Vanessa knew that it was vital that she enjoy being with (and growing with) her children.

Within limits

No one gets to do everything they would like to do! That’s real life. Her son started playing football when he was eight years old. By the time high school came along, he started “feeling himself”. He told Vanessa and her husband that he was ready to go to school and “be with his friends”. Although testing showed he was two years above his peers in academic skills, he was willing to risk being bored.

For instance, Vanessa suggested that he enroll at  Bishop McNamara, one of the Catholic high schools with a football program. (Although she knew they did not have the finances to fund a parochial high school education. Finally, her husband walked over kindly and said, “We have found what works. And through eighth grade, we have homeschooled you, and you are doing proficiently. Look at it. You’re two years ahead. You’re gonna finish this way.” Then he walked away, and that was the end of the story. Her son never questioned further on this.

Vanessa never demanded that her son change his thoughts; instead, she helped him adapt his thoughts to what was realistic in the circumstances. Her son continued with his football interests through high school.

He was also interested in technology, so Vanessa made certain that he had access to STEM courses.

Her son today is happy. He married one of Vanessa’s best friends’ daughters and works in cybersecurity, a career that captures his interest and uses his intelligence.

Vanessa’s daughter

Vanessa’s daughter is a “people person, even more so“. She loves social activity. However, she also loves homeschooling and has never asked about going to school.

To build into her daughter’s social needs, the family attends the same church with most of their homeschool co-op.

Her daughter has always been an artistic learner. She loves acting, drawing, and design.  So, Vanessa has invested in her daughter’s social, artsy learning style by taking her to New York for auditions for organizations that wanted to sign her or manage her, as well as for fashion-related activities.

Different learning styles

One thing that helped Vanessa understand her homeschoolers’ learning styles is understanding her own learning style.  Vanessa’s is an auditory learner.  She says, “I literally could regurgitate anything my pastor preaches. I can regurgitate it verbatim.”

Most people have multiple learning styles

Vanessa says that other learning modalities help her learn. These are: reading and writing. For instance, she enjoys writing notes from what she is hearing in her Doctoral program classes. After class, she enjoys reading back what she wrote. This gives her three types of learning. This helps her internalize what she is learning and to “walk it forward“.

Think about your learning style first

Vanessa says that the key to making the most of homeschooling with learning styles is, “Just like they tell you on the airplane, put the mask on yourself first. Once you can do that, then you can branch out and help your youngers!”

She explains learning styles in her book Me, the Teacher? Never!:

The book Me, the Teacher? Never! covers different learning styles and also give curriculum and teaching ideas for each style.

Here are some tips on ways to identify how your homeschooler learns best.

There are lots of ways to learn:

• Musical- some students need to sing or listen to music while learning
• Artistic- some need to draw or model clay while listening to lessons. They also thrive with subject-related art projects
• Tactile- some students need to construct things, move things around, and use their senses while learning
• Kinesthetic- some students need to move while they listen, read, or study

Also, it’s good to notice biorhythms:

• Some homeschoolers are early risers and learn best before lunchtime
• Others are night owls (like Vanessa’s daughter, who is a night owl who does her best schoolwork at till 10:00 pm)

Then there are different levels, or kinds of sound that work best for different learners:

• Some homeschoolers need the room to be quiet
• Others need some classical music or instrumental music
• Some homeschoolers need noise and talking, so they learn best with a podcast or the television turned on

Different curriculum works better with different learners:

• Many students need textbooks with illustrations, charts, and photographs
• Some need to have at least a few of their credits be logged-hours/experiences rather than textbooks
  • For instance, Vanessa’s daughter learned about civics through debate team and mock trial experiences
  • She learned science best through project-based learning, so Science Fair was good for her
• Others need to listen to some of their books

Some homeschoolers learn differently. They need skills to manage dyslexia, ADHD, or other challenges.

Contact Vanessa Hall

• Vanessa is an educational consultant. You will find her at TheHallsWay2Educate.com.
• You can order the Learning Styles Book on Amazon or email her at Vanessa@TheHallsWay2Educate.com.
• For homeschooling families in the DMV area, Vanessa has an umbrella program and does Maryland-required reviews:  Children of the Kingdom Global Academy.

It’s a delight to talk to inspiring and successful homeschooling moms and thought leaders like Vanessa Hall. Join her and Vicki for a discussion on learning styles.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing, and we’ll see everyone next week.

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The post Learning Styles in Homeschool High School with Vanessa Hall appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Modeling Gratitude for Our Homeschool High Schoolers

Thanksgiving: ‘Tis the season of gratitude! We are so grateful to be part of your lives!

In this episode, Vicki, Sabrina, and Kym talk about what they have learned about modeling gratitude for our homeschool high schoolers. As we all know, character and habits are more easily caught than taught. So, if we homeschooling parents would like for our teens to be more grateful, we can help that along by modeling a mindset of gratitude for them.

Why emphasize gratitude in your homeschool when there are so many academics to handle?

Gratitude is part of a healthy lifestyle. Homeschooling goes better when we are in a healthy mindset, and gratitude helps with that. Not only that, but research is finding that practicing gratitude can be healthy to our bodies as well. Hey, Health is a high school core subject, so practicing gratitude can be part of that credit!

7Sisters Health curriculum talks about gratitude.

Here’s some good research on the benefits of gratitude that you can share with your high schoolers for their Health credit:

• Gratitude is associated with greater sense of optimism and better feelings about life (research by University of California’s Robert Emmons on gratitude journaling)
• It is also associated with being more inclined to exercise and experiencing fewer sick visits to doctors (same research by Emmons)
• Gratitude is associated with increased feelings of happiness (research by University of Pennsylvania’s Martin Seligman on writing letters expressing gratitude)
• Patients with chronic pain can experience reduced depression and anxiety when practicing gratitude. (Research published in the Journal of Health Psychology.)
• Gratitude practices can be related to better mood, better sleep, less fatigue and less inflammation. (Research published in the Journal of Spirituality in Clinical Practice.)
• It is also associated with increased activity in the brain (the areas called the anterior cingulate and the medial prefrontal cortex). These areas help moral and social thinking, empathy and value judgement. (Research by Glenn Fox of University of Southern California)
• Gratitude can positively affect sleep and mood by increasing activity in the hypothalamus (especially the production of dopamine, a neurochemical in charge of feeling good). (Article shared by National Institutes of Health)
• Feelings of gratitude can reduce suicide risk. (Research published in Frontiers in Psychology)
• There’s even more information in this post in the Daily Health Post.

Also, Scripture tells us to be grateful

The Billy Graham Library tells us that, “more than 150 times, the Bible either calls men to thank God or tells them how to give thanks”.

Scripture it does not tell us to give thanks because it is  good for our health. It simply says give thanks because that’s the way God works. When we develop a lifestyle of gratitude, we are being faithful to Scripture and God’s instructions. However, isn’t it interesting that when we are grateful, our bodies, minds, and spirits become healthier?

So, why not think about ways to model gratitude for your family?

Ways to model gratitude for your homeschool high schoolers (and the rest of the family)

There are SO many ways to create a grateful lifestyle. Here are a few:

An easy way to get gratitude going is to find things that induce laughter.

Laughter lightens the mood and helps us to think more positively. Laughter is also good medicine. (A merry heart does good like a medicine. – Proverbs 17:22.)

Each evening, try an Ignatian Examen

This is an old practice, developed by Ignatius, a monk back in the 1500s, where you examine your day to see where God was working and to be grateful for His work. There are several ways to practice an Examen. This is how Vicki practices a daily examen.

Notice three things that God was doing that day:

1. Where did you see God’s handiwork in nature? God created us to be surrounded by beautiful trees, sky, sunshine, clouds, and birds. When we appreciate the beauty of his creation, we are being grateful
2. Then, where did you notice God blessing somebody else? Because even if I did not feel blessed that day, I can appreciate that somebody else had a blessing. Then you can be grateful for that good thing.
3. Lastly, what did God do for you that day? Where did you see Him working in your life? Sometimes, He simply helped you get through a tough day. Other times it’s a big thing, like getting a good report from the doctor.

Here’s a freebie download from Vicki’s coaching website that gives how-to on the Ignatian Examen.

Notice the little things and mention them to the family

A few years ago, our homeschool umbrella school experienced a season of tragedy when one of our teens’ classmates passed away. It was very, very hard on a lot of the kids. We did a lot of supporting the kids and griefwork. One of the tools that helped them get through the hard times was encouraging the idea of noticing and being thankful for the little things. It gave them some grounding while they did the hard grieving.

Gratitude journaling

This is simply a notebook where teens (this works for moms, too) and write down something(s) they are thankful for. Here’s post from Vicki’s coaching website with how-to do a gratitude journal.

Sabrina’s advice on journaling: “If I could go back and talk to younger Sabrina, I would say make sure this doesn’t feel like a five-paragraph essay that you’re assigning to yourself or your teens!”

In fact, here are a couple of freebie downloadable journaling pages to keep it from turning into an “academic assignment”!

• Gratitude Journal with space for a daily verse
• Simple weekly Gratitude Journal format

Talk about it

Kym practiced gratitude in her homeschool Spanish classes. During each class, she had the teens share a high and a low. This practice respected hard things but taught teens to notice and be grateful for the blessings.

Tell your homeschoolers that you are grateful for them

Have you shared your gratitude for your kids with them lately? It is SO good for them to hear that their parents appreciate them!

Thanksgiving is a good time to start

At some point on Thanksgiving, it is a delightful and meaningful practice to ask everyone to share something they are grateful for!

We are grateful for all of our listeners, and for all of you 7th Sisters and 7Siblings who join us over at our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group.

See you next week! Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Modeling Gratitude for Our Homeschool High Schoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How We Homeschool High School with Laura Varey

Most of our listeners at the Homeschool Highschool Podcast know that we are all about community! However, for those of you who are to the 7SistersHomeschool community, there are six of us 7Sisters (Vicki, Sabrina, Kim, Marilyn, Sarah, and Allison). So, who’s the 7th Sister?

You are! We’re all in this homeschool process together!

One of our favorite podcast topics is learning how our various 7th Sisters homeschool. In this episode, we were SO excited to talk about how our 7th Sister, Laura Varey, and her family homeschool.

Laura Varey’s story

Laura and her family were originally from the United Kingdom. (Check out this Homeschool Highschool Podcast interview about homeschooling in the UK and the US with our friend Kat Patrick.)

Her eldest children started school in the UK, in the public school system. They did one or two years there. Then they moved to the US, nine years ago. When they settled in Washington state, they started off in public school.

After a couple of years, they were looking for more academic challenge. They moved to a private school that had some advanced classes. It was a Christian school (which they had never come across in the UK). They enjoyed the benefits of education through a Christian worldview.

That went great for a few years, but they hit some bumps in the road there, so they started praying about what to do. Their eldest was in sixth grade, which was still part of the elementary school. Laura and her husband prayed and both said to each other, “What about homeschooling?”

It felt like God had put it on both their hearts.

Homeschooling was a new concept for Laura and her husband

Laura notes that homeschooling has been more unusual in the UK than in the US. Because they were so unfamiliar with homeschooling, Laura and her husband began to investigate it. They talked to some friends who homeschool. They found that some of their friends homeschooled at home, some at home and in co-ops, and others used different sorts of systems.

They were very impressed that there were so many good homeschooling tools available. After a while, they agreed to go for it! They have now been homeschooling for three years and have two high schoolers and one in fifth grade.

They did their first year with a homeschool co-op at their church

Laura’s homeschoolers could take classes there two days a week. She found that the co-op covered “quite a lot of subjects and then they directed a lot of their learning at home”.

The co-op was a good stepping stone for Laura’s family. It gave them a homeschool community (including homeschooling friends for mom). Homeschooling with the help of a co-op built her confidence because the subjects they were teaching were Laura’s my weakest subjects. She had time to develop skills and resources for teaching things she did not know.

Then came homeschool high school!

Laura says, “First of all, just understanding high school was a huge learning curve for me, especially because my husband and I were schooled in a different country!”

So, not only was homeschooling different, but the education systems were different. Laura felt the weight of responsibility of getting high school right. After all, in high school, everything counts. The pressure was on her to get it right!

So, Laura read as much as she could from different sources. Also, she tried to learn as much as she could from her homeschooling friends. She also avails herself of the support she finds in digital support groups like 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group. (She has found that homeschoolers are very generous with sharing their knowledge, experience, and even resources!)

Over the last several years, Laura has found that she has been enjoying the high school years the most. She and her husband have noticed that, in some ways, homeschooling high school can be easier because their teens are now fairly independent.

Homeschooling in community

Laura and her kids have built some strong friendships through homeschooling. These friendships have been a real blessing. She and the other moms can help each other out when needed. And when she’s having one of those crazy weeks where she feels like pulling her hair out (because we ALL do, sometimes!), her friends encourage her.

Each homeschooler is unique

Laura has learned to provide educational experiences that build her homeschoolers’ strengths.

Her daughter is a fast reader. She prefers to read books over watching video curriculum. However, at her daughter’s request, Laura learned to scale back if she noticed that her daughter was stressed with the amount of reading. Laura and her teens have learned to communicate well about the types of learning materials and expectations for coursework. Teens need a voice in their education.

Laura works with her high schoolers on planning and organization for their academics and non-academic parts of life. For instance, she and her teens map out the week: commitments, appointments, or whatever.

Her other high schooler was born diligent and perfectionistic. Laura learned that with some students, she could say, “Do your best.” For her second teen, she has noticed that it’s never good enough. So, Laura has learned to say:

• “That’s good enough.”
• Please spend no more than two hours on this piece of work.”

Laura’s advice to new homeschooling moms

Here are some things that Laura and her family have learned in their time homeschooling:

• Talk to people and get their experience and tips
• But just because something works for someone else does not mean it works for you or your children. (There’s not ONE right way to homeschool!)
• Learn that you will build confidence to go with what your gut tells you, because you know your kids best
• Each family has unique goals, so do not feel constrained by what other people are doing
• Do not compare yourself to what other homeschooling families are doing
• Learn that you can trust God to help you and your family grow through the processes
• Help prepare them for life
• Teach teens time management
• Take field trips with a homeschool group
• Join digital homeschool groups (like 7SistersHomeschool’s Facebook group)
• Try to find in-person groups, like co-ops

Join Vicki and Laura Varey for encouragement for homeschooling!BTW

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The post How We Homeschool High School with Laura Varey appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Career and College Major Guidance with Tonda Bean

Choosing a career and a college major can be a huge stressor for homeschool high schoolers. That’s why we were so excited to talk to a subject matter expert in that field, Tonda Bean from Wisdom in Minutes.

Tonda Bean’s story

When Tonda was in high school, she had good grades, so she thought, “I will just go off to college and everything will be fine.” As she got closer to graduation, she realized that she would need to choose a college major.

Unfortunately, she had no idea what to choose! So she talked to her father, who was an engineer. He thought it would be great for her to be an engineer. However, he was wise. He knew she needed to find her own path, so he asked her, “Well, what do you like?”

Tonda liked chemistry, so he suggested chemical engineering. That made sense to her, too, so she chose chemical engineering as her college major.

Unfortunately, when she got to college and started studying chemical engineering, she did not enjoy the work. However, she felt like she needed to stick with it.

Then there was an optional weekend trip to a chemical plant. Tonda thought, “Let me go and see my future. This will inspire me to keep going.”

And when she got to the chemical plant, she was not impressed. She said to herself, “Ooh, no. No. Oh, not this, no!”

After she got back to college, she changed majors to the school of business.

Sometimes you need to change majors for a better career fit, but there’s a cost

Tonda enjoyed her studies as a business major. She also liked the possibilities for a career better.

It was a good choice, but she did lose time because she had to start over on her major courses. She also lost a full-ride scholarship. Tonda ended up needing to take classes at three universities to stay on track for graduation. She did graduate and enjoyed her career in business.

Then she had kids…and college major choices again!

Tonda got married and had children. When they were in high school, she realized that they were on that same I-don’t-know-I’ll-just-be-a -good-student kind of path. So, she said to herself, “Let’s not do that again!”

So she started working on a system to help them envision their own future. For instance, she explored with her teens to explore their interests and ask questions like:

“What do you like, what do you not like?”

During that time, Tonda also became a scout leader. When the scouts would ask her for recommendation letters for college or other opportunities, she found that they often did not have a resume that they could give her. Resumes are helpful for recommendation writers because they give recommenders more understanding of the teen and their experiences.

She would tell the teens, “If you don’t have a resume, you’re not ready for people to like you! As you grow up, if people like you, they ask for a resume!”

By the time Tonda’s teens applied for college, they knew what they wanted and needed for college majors and career choices. Her teens went to New York University and Harvard. Since their graduation, they both entered careers that they wanted to be in, doing the work that excites them.

Tonda’s advice for college-bound homeschool high schoolers

So many high schoolers go to college without being settled on the right college major. This costs them time and money. National Student Clearinghouse says the average is only 62% complete undergraduate work in six years. (Six years is now the average number of years for graduation from college.)

Four-stage program

Today, Tonda works with high schoolers using her four-stage program.

First, Tonda helps teens clarify their dreams.

They look at possible careers to see if that career matches their dream and personality. I call it “dream big”. She asks questions like:

• Am I gonna be traveling a lot?
• Am I going to be in an office?
• Am I gonna be going between, you know, my office and somebody else’s office servicing clients?
• What am I gonna be doing?
• Am I an introvert or extravert? Some people get their energy from talking to a lot of people in the day, while other people get their energy from being able to focus quietly.

Next, teens work with Tonda and their parents to start creating a plan to move them toward their dreams.

They discuss the teens’ interests in different careers, then start planning what the high school educational needs will be so that their transcript is college-attractive.

Then, teens will start experimenting by having experiences in their field of interest.

Apprenticeships are one way to do this. Teens learn that there are two kinds of work. There’s work done for payment, and there’s work done for enjoyment. Tonda works with teens to see if they can find the overlap where they can enjoy more or less, and the things they’re doing to get paid.

Sometimes, when teens look at a possible career close up, they find that they do not like that career after all (like Tonda’s trip to the chemical plant). That’s good news! That teen found out that a career was a poor fit without wasting time in college!

They can also interview several adults about their careers!

After they try on some different career ideas, it is time to choose a college major, then a college.

Tonda helps high schoolers choose a college that has a strong program in that major, along with the degree that fits them.

When a college and a college major are chosen, Tonda works with teens on resume development. They will give this resume to people whom they ask to write their recommendation letters.

You will find Tonda Bean and her resources for career and college major choices at:

• Tonda Bean’s Master Classes on career and college major exploration https://ClassroomsToCareer.com
• Ebook: e-book – 5 Things YOUR College Bound Teen Needs to Know But Won’t Learn In School! https://Bit.ly/CollegeLaunch
• Tonda Bean’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tondataylorbean/
• WisdomInMinutes.com
• YouTube comment section for this interview

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Career and College Major Guidance with Tonda Bean appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Homeschooling Middle School Your Way

We don’t often talk about middle school because we are so busy talking about high school. However, there are many, many homeschooling families that not only have high schoolers but middle schoolers as well. Not only that, but there are more and more families with middle schoolers who will be homeschooling all the way through graduation.

SO we get questions about the RIGHT way to homeschool middle school! (Can you guess what we are going to say? You are correct! There’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school!)

However, parents of middle schoolers often feel a LOT of pressure to homeschool middle school correctly. They are told:

• If your kids do not start working on high school material in middle school, they will not get into college when they graduate!
• If you do not do serious academic work with your middle schoolers, they will not be ready for high school…and that means failure!
• You must keep up with the educational Joneses!

Thus, middle school turns into a pressure-filled situation. Is that what your tweens need? Must middle school be filled with pressure?

SO, let’s talk about how seriously to take academics in homeschool middle school

Remember what we said: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school.

With that in mind, let’s think about statistics: Most middle school students are average academians. That is because “average” is the statistic describing the middle of the population (usually the “bell” in the bell-shaped curve, if you like statistical graphs).

This means that some middle schoolers can start doing the higher-level maths (such as algebra or geometry) and enjoy them. This is especially true for the more academically bright tweens.

However, for many middle schoolers, these higher-level courses are not necessary. They will get to them in high school just fine and will not experience life failure as a result. They are not trying to compete for the most competitive colleges, such as Harvard. Rather, many homeschoolers will start out:

• at local community colleges to save money
• going to trade school
• joining the military
• or are aiming for less competitive colleges that have the best-fit for them

These middle schoolers are free to work on their academics at a more relaxed pace… in the right timing for them!

Homeschooling middle school your way

Really, really, really: You do not need to impress anybody…and neither does your middle schooler!

If your middle schooler thrives on doing seventh-grade math at seventh grade, followed by eighth-grade math at eighth grade, it is OKAY! If that is what is best for your family, put your shoulders back and chin up and do NOT be pressured to do otherwise!

Instead of heavy academics, why not fill middle school with rich experiences?

After all, middle school years are the last years where students can be free to truly experience learning adventures without being overly tied down to textbooks. High school can wait until high school for many middle schoolers.

Homeschooling high school (even for many unschoolers) will have a fair number of textbooks in order to earn the credits for graduation.

However, middle schoolers do not need to worry about earning credits. Instead, they can concentrate of building their love of learning. Just be sure to record all their cool experiences in their portfolios so you have a good record.

Here are some of the things we concentrated on during middle school

There are endless rich experiences that your tweens can build during middle school. They will extend many of these experiences into electives during high school but this is a good time to start. Think about:

Life skills

• Cooking
• Home maintenance
• Home economics

Social skills and networking skills

• Build their confidence for those teen years. (7Sisters has a tiny Social Skills training book that we have used with our tweens.)
• Also check out this episode on civility skills and welcoming skills.
• Build interests and talents (help them discover their star)

If you can allow your tweens to explore and interest or gifting without pressure, they often will run with it. Some middle schoolers will ask about competitions in their interest areas. If so, go for it. However, if they just want to explore an interest for interest’s sake, why not?

On the other hand, there are middle schoolers who need the powerful academics

By the time these kids are in sixth or seventh grade, you know these kids. You understand that they are competitive academically (and often otherwise). You can see that they will be driven and WANT to go to a powerful college.

In that case, have them blast through their maths and other courses at their paces and interests. If they are:

• Ready and want to do Algebra, Geometry and high school Sciences or Social Sciences
• Or they are highly gifted in writing or other communication forms

let them run with it.

Give them resources: textbooks, mentors, courses…whatever is best fit for their learning styles. To hold them back to grade-level texts would stifle them with boredom. For these tweens, their interest and talent IS their academics.

Of course, with these tweens you often have to help them develop the life skills of work/life/social/self-care balances. Help them disrupt academics regularly with other activities.

It is good for young people to be the people they are! All kids are gifted in the way God made them to be gifted (check out this discussion on all kids being gifted).

For us moms: How to handle homeschooling middle school your way

Homeschooling middle school in the best way for our unique kids is wonderful at home. However, sometimes it can be a challenge for us moms. Especially when we are at co-op or with a group of other homeschool moms and someone is talking about their tweens’ WONDERFUL accomplishments!!

• Sally won this amazing competition
• Bob is just finishing Geometry with his tutor
• George was just chosen for the Mensa program

And you are sitting there thinking, “My tween is plugging through seventh grade Math but he LOVES hiking and sketching what he sees. He doesn’t want to do a competition with the things he loves, he just wants to enjoy them.”

When your buddies ask you, “SO, what’s your kid doing?”

So you answer:

My kid is being the best HIM that God made him to be.

Because that is what he is called to do. AND we are called to help them be their best selves…not someone else’s best self.

That’s because there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, so homeschool middle school your way.

One great way to handle homeschooling middle school is to ease tweens into literature analysis skills with no busywork middle school-level literature study guides!

7Sisters offers middle school literature study guides that promote a love of learning and reading while introducing literature analysis and comprehension skills.

Treasured by horse-lovers everywhere, the tale of the ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands becomes a rich learning experience for your student. This ten-page ebook guide was created to complement Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. It is our gift to you and your family!

Click image for full description.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Literature Study Guide

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Literature Study Guide introduces middle schoolers to the story of William Kamkwamba. As a boy in Malawi, his family lived through a time of drought and famine. Using his natural inquisitiveness and books he borrowed from the library, William constructed a windmill to bring electricity to his home, even though he had very little formal education.

Click image for full description.

Snow Treasure Literature Study Guide

Snow Treasure Literature Study Guide introduces middle schoolers to literary themes using a favorite story from World War II. This thirteen-page ebook guide was written to accompany Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan. The book, based on true stories about Norwegian school children helping to rescue the national gold supply during that country’s Nazi occupation.

Click image for full description.

The Body on the Wooden Box Literature Study Guide

The Boy on the Wooden Box Literature Study Guide introduces middle schoolers to the plight of Polish Jews during World War II. This ebook guide was written to accompany the compelling story: The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. This guide helps students develop the literature skill of understanding the concept of a memoir.

Click image for full description.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham Literature Study Guide

The Watsons Go to Birmingham Literature Study Guide introduces middle schoolers to the civil rights movement and the Birmingham bombing through the eyes of a young African American boy. This ebook guide was written to accompany The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis. Students begin to explore the concepts of hyperbole and flat versus round characters.

Click image for full description.

The Phantom Tollbooth Literature Study Guide

The Phantom Tollbooth Literature Study Guide introduces middle school students to a charming fantasy that uses vocabulary and idioms literally, expanding their creative thinking and language skills. This ebook accompanies The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. The straightforward questions encourage exploration of allegory and symbolism without unnecessary busywork.

Click image for full description.

Esperanza Rising Literature Study Guide

Esperanza Rising Literature Study Guide introduces middle schoolers to the plight of Mexican migrant workers during the time of the Great Depression. This ebook guide was written to accompany Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. This guide helps students explore the concept of foreshadowing, as well as the theme of courage and perseverance.

Click image for full description.

So, avail yourself of resources as needed and homeschool YOUR way!

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The post Homeschooling Middle School Your Way- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Homeschooling Multiple Teens

All of us at 7Sisters at one time or another, homeschooled multiple teens at the same time. We have definitely got life experience around this topic, and this appears to be a topic of concern for some of our 7th Siblings who have asked us about how to handle homeschooling multiple teens at the same time.

We remember back in the ancient days where we were getting ready to add our second high schooler. It felt almost as intimidating as starting off the first one! (We can remember a few tears and some of them were from each of us!)

However, we all made it through! Along the way, we found out that homeschooling high school years were the best yet, even with multiple teens at the same time!

Let’s start with some of the simplest pieces of lived experience.

Advice we can offer to homeschool parents who are about to have two in high school, or three or four

Be encouraged! Here are some of our favorite bits of wisdom about homeschooling more than one teen.

You can do this!

You just need to know this. It’s true: you CAN do this!

There’s not one right way to homeschool high school

You might find that what was working for teen number one will probably need to be tweaked for team number two. That’s okay!

(Also, you do NOT need to feel pressured into homeschooling high school like some expert tells you that you must. There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. You do what is best for your family.)

Sometimes it’s okay to do the same thing together at the same time

You can work together on some subjects, even if your homeschoolers not in the same grade or age level. That could be anything from literature studies, to unit studies, to doing the same math curriculum (according the the abilities of the homeschoolers).

At other times, everyone can work on their own curriculum and interests

Every homeschool high schooler is different. When they have their own gifts, interests, and transcript goals, it is wonderful to work independently. That’s because there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, even within a family.

Make use of resources

Our homeschoolers have access to so many resources these days. These resources can help when you and your teens need to change things up, want an outside resource, or you would like a teacher with some extra expertise. Some of the ways homeschooling families with multiple teens make use of resources include:

• Homeschool co-ops
• Umbrella school or charter schools
• Asynchronous, self-paced courses, such as 7Sisters
  • APA-Style Research Paper
  • Psychology
  • Health
  • Human Development
  • Shakespeare
• Live classes online such as those our friend and Cousin, Natalie Mack, teaches, such as
  • Model Diplomacy
• Online high schools, such as:
  • FundaFunda Academy (sponsor of our fellow podcast, Homeschooling with Technology)
  • Dreaming Spires Home Learning
  • True North Homeschool Academy
• Dual enrollment

Include your high schoolers in planning

It’s a good idea to have teens’ buy-in on their homeschool high school plans. (Here are some how-tos for planning high school.)

Help ease teens into owning their own education

We could call this independent learning, or simply, teaching themselves when appropriate.

High school is a time when teens need to be taking greater and greater ownership of their own educational experience. You probably do not want to send them out to college or into the workforce or into the military needing you to hold their hands! Independent learningbuilds teens’ confidence.

Independent learning requires that teens learn a growth mindset

For teens, developing a growth mindset, the ability to bounce back from problems and believe in themselves is really important. Here are some resources for growth mindset.

Set realistic expectations

The world is full of endless opportunities, but our budgets are not limitless. Discuss what the family can afford. (Make it part of their Financial Literacy credit.

For example, Sabrina called a family meeting and said, “I can afford about this many tanks of gas this month. It will enable us to do this many extracurriculars. Now, pick which ones are most important to you.”

Make sure you have support

We 7Sisters met in homeschool co-op many years ago (that is, four of us met in co-op, the other two are real-life sisters)! Co-ops are great support systems for moms, so think about volunteering at your local co-op.

Not only that, but there is a digital world full of support, including:

• 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group
  • You can ask questions and get lots of advice from all the other 7th Sisters there!
• Homeschool Mama Coach (and our friend and Cousin) Teresa Wiedrick. Check out her podcast, resources, and coaching.

Support can also mean, teaming with other homeschool moms on those days when you have too many teens going in different directions:

• Carpooling to extracurriculars
• Taking teens to co-op when another one of your kids has a doctor appointment

Remember, these are good years. You can do it! Make up your mind to have fun!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

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3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
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Homeschooling when Mom is Sick

Moms are human, too. Which means that no matter how hard we try to stay healthy every day, sometimes things do not work out. Even moms get sick sometimes.

When Vicki caught the flu recently, it got Sabrina and Kym to thinking about the ways they have all handled homeschooling when they were sick. We know from experience that sometimes homeschool is running with everybody at 102%, and other times it’s running with a bunch of the family at full speed and one not so much.

When that one is a parent, it can be a little difficult!

BTW- If you are listening to this podcast episode, you will occasionally hear the noise of the seeing eye puppies the Kym is raising. For an entire episode about raising service dogs for your teens’ service projects, check this episdoe out.

So, here are some strategies for sustaining your homeschool when you are under the weather

As you know, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool, but here are some thoughts that have helped us with homeschooling when mom is not feeling well.

Listen to your body and soul

Your high schoolers are learning in the Health curriculum how to listen to their bodies and feelings. You can help them also learn by watching you listen to your own body and soul. Try the three questions (here’s a free journal to help):

• What are you feeling? “I’m feeling sick.”
• Why are you feeling that way? “I have the flu.”
• What will you do about it? “Follow doctors orders and take good care of my body.”

Remember: Resting to recover is role modeling for your teens!

Recognize your “rules for the universe”

We all tend to have some “rules for the universe”. These are things we think we must do or they must happen. One frequent rule for the universe that many of us homeschool moms come up with is: I have to get everything done, every day.

The truth about rules for the universe is that no one can follow them, not even homeschool moms! SO:

Realistically downsize priorities temporarily

It is important not to get your priorities stuck on having to sustain and maintain all the things like you normally do them. If you have tried this before, you have probably found that it ends up to the detriment of your own health and the dynamic in your family.

Try doing a little bit on the important homeschool subjects. If you have the energy, try to touch only the most important subjects. The rest will wait, even if you have to have a longer school year. It’s okay!

Communicate with your kids

How do we communicate with our kids without setting ourselves up for them to take advantage of the situation?

Sometimes in our culture, we females are “not allowed” to have bad days or use our words about what we are feeling. Therefore, we can sometimes have the tendency of acting a bit passive aggressive: we might expect our family to see what is happening and make their own adjustments…or at least bring us a cup of tea!

That usually does not work.

Instead, use your words: “I’ve got a fever. My nose is running. I’m coughing today. I have the flu. So, let’s adapt and do homeschooling in low-key way. What do you think is the best way for us to readjust our day?”

Get their input on what they can do for homeschooling that day (and housework, too)!

With your teens, many of them are doing independent learning and can carry on (although they might have to call a friend for a ride to homeschool co-op classes, if they have any). If there are tough things they need help on, those might need to wait for a couple of days. It will wait.

Elementary aged siblings might need to have a “video-learning” day. Or maybe help on some curriculum from their older siblings. It is okay to do that!

Chronic illnesses need more planning and help from family and friends

Chronic illnesses, or even inconvenient phases of life like perimenopause, require more self-awareness, communication, and asking for help with the family. Work together as a team to adjust the school day or year. Communicate and adjust teaching methods when you need to (such as more online coursework with asynchronous classes from 7Sisters or live classes from our friends/Cousins Natalie Mack or Karim Morato, and our friends at FundaFunda Academy).

The importance of homeschool mom-friends

No mom is an island (apologies to John Donne).

We need homeschool mom-friends! There are so many kinds of homeschooling communities:

• Homeschool co-ops
• Classes at umbrella schools (moms are often teaching or volunteering)
• Extracurriculars and volunteering for teens (moms are usually involved)
• Digital support and encouragement like 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group or our friend and Cousin Teresa Wiedrick at Homeschool Mama Self-Care Facebook Group

When we have a network of mom friends, we can ask for advice or help, or get encouragement when you are overwhelmed. Sometimes, that boost from a mom who understands makes all the difference! (Download this freebie for homeschool moms: Carry Each Other’s Burdens.)

Remember: invest ahead of time! Build these relationships, not just because you might get something out of it, but also, because it’s fun to have homeschool mom-friends!

We are human but we serve a limitless God

When we get sick, it reminds us just how human we are. If we are wise reach out to the God who does not have the limitations and who can be our strength in times of weakness. Our homeschooling does not, and cannot, be perfect. That’s okay, because we are human and are loved by God, who is perfect.

As Kym always says, “Pray first, last, and always.” We all need prayer!

Join Sabrina, Vicki, and Kym to discuss homeschooling when mom is sick.

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

The post Homeschooling when Mom is Sick appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Help for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms with Whitney Whitten

We have all been there at some point: feeling overwhelmed. That’s why Vicki was so excited to talk to a read homeschool mom who really has some real advice for helping with the overwhelm!

Whitney is a homeschool mom and life coach at Sensational Moms who works with homeschool moms. Vicki met Whitney Whitten at a workshop together with a mutual friend (and a 7Sisters Cousin) Teresa Wiedrick from the Homeschool Mama Support Facebook group.

Whitney’s story

Whitney calls herself one of those “accidental homeschoolers”. She did not know that I valued homeschooling until she had four kids that were five and under. She looked at reality of their family schedule would be if we went to traditional school.

Also, Whitney served as pediatric occupational therapist, so she worked with kids. She knew just the value of having time to play and learn through life. She thought to herself, “Well, how are we going to be able to do that if we’re in two different carpool lines?”

So she started off homeschooling when her oldest was in kindergarten.

Now, six years later, those core values of wanting to have the time together as a family and be able to explore stay the same. Also, Whitney found that as her kids grow, the family has time to invest in their individual interests, as well as develop those real life skills together.

Homeschooling moms who are overwhelmed with Sensational Moms

The homeschooling families that Whitney coaches are not so much the “how do we choose curriculum?” families. Rather, these are homeschooling moms who are experiencing on real-life things like feeling “overwhelmed, overstimulated, too much stuff”.

The refrigerator story

You will love Whitney’s refrigerator story:

“We went to a couple of states, stayed in three different hotels over the course of six days. This, as you know, with a family of six can be a lot in itself…A good thing, but a lot!

So, we were glad to get home.

We get home, open the door to the refrigerator… and something smelled funny. But you know, maybe just leftovers?

So, well, it wasn’t leftovers! Our whole refrigerator had spoiled!

This created an “off week”. But, as you know, returning from a trip is always a bit of an off week. A broken refrigerator made it more so! 

So, we ordered a new refrigerator but it was broken! So they replaced it.

And you know, here we were. After five days of being back, trying to get into a routine of homeschooling. It had just been one constant inter interruption after another. Not to mention, the dentist appointments besides all the refrigerator chaos.

I knew that we could all homeschool fairly easily if we had a nice, little, tidy window of time that would never be interrupted or bombarded! But that’s just not how life is.”

Whitney realized that she, like many homeschool moms moms spend so much of our time like a ping pong ball. It can be a lot. It can be overwhelming and depending on the way that your particular nervous system is set up, we can hit overstimulated really easily.

We can find ourselves, realistically asking ourselves:

“How do we hold things together when most of our weeks aren’t going to be uninterrupted weeks?”

So, Whitney decided to help herself AND her homeschool mom community! That’s how Sensational Moms happened.

Whitney is like many homeschool moms, all her children are different and have different interests and needs. (Some are neurodivergent.) She also has  refrigerators and everything else going on in life. At the same time, she and her family love homeschooling, even when she is ping ponging back and forth.

“That’s the way us moms do is we’re doing this and then we’re doing that- whether with our kids or in our heads, trying to keep track of everything!”

So, Whitney has worked in her homeschool life and with her coachees to calm the overwhelm, settle down the overstimulation, and get a handle on the “too much stuff”.

Whitney’s advice to overwhelmed homeschool moms

When we homeschooling are feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed here are some tips.

Listening to what’s going on in our bodies and our minds before we get to a boiling point

Stress starts with a soft simmer. Then the little bubbles before the rolling boil and then the lid blows. Busy moms can be so quick to ignore their own body signals.

So intentionally take some time to really learn your body’s cues. Sometimes we have to work hard to describe what’s going on inside us. It can help to ask yourself, “What words would I describe that feeling to my children?”

Try deep pressure and muscle engagement

These are two places that are really helpful to start calming your body. Here are a couple of examples:

• Wall pushups
• Climbing up and down stairs
• Push your hands together and then pull them apart
• Squats

What will that do for our bodies? These movements tap into a sense called proprioception. That is a sense that is lets you know what is going on in your muscles, joints, and your fascia in your body. It helps you feel that you can “be in your own body” and feel safer.

Take deep breaths

Oxygen is important for calming down. Try taking a few deep breaths. While it’s not a magic pill, it helps lower the stress hormones in your body.

Change location for a few minutes

Sometimes homeschooling can cause a lot of clutter. You will feel better when it gets tidied up. However, in the middle of a busy homeschool day, there is no way to get everything done. So, sometimes you need to go to another room for a few minutes or take the kids outside. These things help calm the body.

Live in the moment

Try not to waste time worry about the future unnecessarily. Instead, try to live in the moment with your family. Try make those moments better moments.

Get support

Just like with any parent anywhere, you will sometimes need a little support. When you contact Whitney, she will listen and help you with:

• Make and practice a plan for adapting to overwhelm, overstimulation, or too-much-stuff.
  • Put reminders for how to calm and care for yourself during stressful times (maybe sticky notes on the bathroom door).
• Moments happen! Model self-regulation (calming down) for yourself and your kids.
  • This helps them learn self-regulations by watching you!
• Repair relationships when things go wrong. Life happens and sometimes things fall apart.
  • If you have a tough moment, apologize to your kid!
• Have another adult, friend, or coach to process with.
  • We all need someone to talk to, who listens, and cares.
• Remember: Homeschool life is rarely like an adorable Norman Rockwell painting. But it is a good life!

How to get in touch with Whitney Whitten

• Check out her website: Sensational Moms
• Listen to her Sensational Moms podcast

Join Vicki and Whitney Whitten for helpful tips for dealing with overwhelm while homeschooling!

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing!

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4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
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The post Help for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms with Whitney Whitten appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How I Homeschool in South Africa with Grietjie Thorne

As you know, all of us homeschooling moms are in this together! In fact, at 7SistersHomeschool, there are six of us 7Sisters: Vicki, Sabrina, Kym, Marilyn, Allison, and Sara. So who’s the 7th Sister? All of our friends around the world who are homeschooling moms. That’s why we are so excited to visit with one of our international friends, Grietjie Thorne from South Africa!

Today we are talk about Grietjie’s adventures in homeschooling and what it’s like homeschooling in South Africa.

Grietjie Thorne’s story

One of the beauties of homeschooling in this digital era, is that we can learn about geography and homeschool lifestyle from friends around the world. For instance, we learned a little weather geography when we recorded this episode. It was March springtime weather in the U.S. but it was full-on heat wave in South Africa (36 degrees Centigrade, which is 96 degrees Fahrenheit). Grietjie explains that March is their hottest month!

Grietjie’s inspiration for homeschooling

When she married an Australian who she met on a missions outreach in Kenya. (More geography: Kenya is in the other hemisphere of Africa.) The moved to South Africa and now have four children: three teenagers and an eleven-year-old.

When she was pregnant with my eldest daughter, Grietjie met a mother who became a very dear friend. She had eight children and was homeschooling them. In fact, she was really one of the homeschool pioneers in South Africa!

Grietjie saw the fruit of homeschooling in watching her friend’s children. She knew that she wanted this life for her own children. There was never been doubt in her mind about it! Now, that baby is a senior and will be graduating from homeschooling high school!

This is how Grietjie and her family describe their homeschool adventures:

It’s Been just a hoot! It’s been wonderful!

Homeschooling at Grietjie’s house

Homeschooling is a little different for each of Grietjie’s four children. This is influenced by the fact that three of children have severe dyslexia, while eldest is very much neurotypical and academically very strong.

All four of my children are extremely creative, but do not love math. They love to write stories, put on plays, make movies, and draw. So, Grietjie leans into building their strengths and interests while helping them develop the more challenging core subjects.

The key to homeschooling high school with four creative but very different-styled learners was:

I have had to learn to adapt and really get to know my children! (And stay on my knees constantly!)

Grietjie and her family’s needs change with the seasons, just like all of us! Now with a house full of teenagers, she has found more need community of mothers who understand what we are going through (you know: “the twenty-four hour day and the moods and everything that carries on”.) …We all know about that!

She has found that Lord just provides friends who are also in the thick of it to walk through the homeschooling adventures together! (Just like in the States, homeschooling in community is a blessing!)

Curriculum for different learning styles

Grietjie found that for some of her high schoolers with dyslexia that 7Sisters ELA Literature Bundles are perfect. He can listen to the audio version of the books while he works on his Legos. This fits his learning style best. He also enjoys completing the PDF study guides on his computer because they are in fillable format. Thus he does not need struggle with the writing while he is working on his inferential and literature analysis skills.

Her family chooses science curriculum that fits their interests and needs. For ideas on inspiring teens with learning differences check out these Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes:

• How to Get Your Teens Interested in Science, with Kristin Moon
• Science Labs for Non-STEM Teens

Grietjie gives them plenty of time to build electives in their interest areas:

• They all love storytelling, so they have time to create stories
• One is seriously into handicrafts
• Another, at the time of our recording was out in the paddock building a radio control car track
• One is taking an online computer applications course through FundaFunda Academy (run by our friend and podcasting colleague from South Africa, Meryl van der Merwe. Meryl hosts Homeschooling with Technology podcast.)
• Grietjie created a homeschool co-op to work through Cinema Studies for Literature Learning together with fifteen teens
  • They are also working through Human Development, which is delightful with a group of adolescent males!

Homeschooling in South Africa

In the primary years, it was easy to eclectic route for homeschooling. (Kindergarten, called “Grade R” in South Africa, is mandatory.)

Their academic year runs from January to the beginning of December. The year is two semesters broken into four terms.

However, at high school level, teens must take a completion exam.

• Public school students take an exam to earn government metrics certificate at the end of their 12 years.
• Homeschoolers traditionally could look to private schools that offer three different exit exams:
  • One exam is from the Independent Exam Board, and
  • Then there’s also the British (Cambridge) System, which is popular in South Africa
• Or they can choose the option for a GED

Recently, South African homeschooling families were given  the opportunity to follow an American high school diploma, which is what Grietjie’s family has chosen.

Thus her family is pretty much doing what an American teen will be doing. In South Africa, the American high school diploma and the British System are recognized by universities.

Changes in homeschooling regulations

There are changes happening in South Africa’s homeschool regulations, so Grietjie is watching to see what will be unfolding. Currently, homeschooling families are required to register their children with the Department of Education through grade nine. There is friction between the homeschool community and the government as they are all trying to figure out what do they want from homeschooling families now. For example, the Department of Education has mentioned wanting to see report cards, which is not something many South African homeschooling families have ever done. Many have chosen a more organic, eclectic approach in the line of Charlotte Mason.

Currently, the homeschooling regulations are applied differently in each of the nine provinces in South Africa. For instance, in one of the provinces, the Department of Education is now demanding that homeschooling parents must be university graduates. However, in other provinces, that’s not something that is being asking for.

So, homeschooling families and the province governments are all trying to figure out how to apply regulations.

Grietjie’s advice to new homeschool moms

Grietjie loves to encourage new homeschooling moms. Here are some of her tips:

• First of all, you take them with you everywhere and you involve them in everything because the children and teens learn so much on the fly.
• Let them interact with adults whether you are at the grocery shop or whatever it is that you do.
• Get a library card because there is nothing that you cannot learn with a library card! Go regularly to the library.
• Be very open to the possibility that school does not have to look the way you thought it had to look or what you had experienced. Learning can happen anywhere, in any way.
• Let their interests guide their academics where possible.
• Remember: Real-life learning is just as important as book-learning.

Join Vicki and Grietje Thorne and learn about her family and homeschooling in South Africa!

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

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4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
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College-Attractive Transcripts for Homeschool High Schoolers

In my eighteen years of advising homeschool high schoolers, one of my favorite tasks was helping teens develop the transcript they needed to fulfill their goals. Our homeschool umbrella school graduated hundreds of teens, many of them college bound. These teens graduated with transcripts that opened the doors they needed for the next phase of life.

Why do college-bound teens need college-attractive transcripts?

Each college is looking for something special in their incoming freshmen. They may simply be looking for teens who completed state high school graduation requirements. However, many colleges are also looking for courses that show that their future students know how to develop an interest, work through rigorous academics, and live an active life.

Many teens are also competing for scholarships that depend on a powerful transcript.

A transcript is a snapshot of your teens whole high school academics and more, all crammed together on one sheet of paper.

Where to start developing the college-attractive transcript

Let’s start with the transcript form. Just like homeschooling: there’s not ONE right way to make a transcript form. With that in mind, let me talk to you about the editable transcript form we used with our umbrella school (and is offered by 7SistersHomeschool).

The 7Sisters editable transcript includes step-by-step how-tos for completing the transcript.

What to include in a college-attractive transcript

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to do a transcript. However, these are the items we include.

Identifying information

The most important thing to put on that transcript is your teen’s name and date of birth, because otherwise colleges will not be able to discern WHO this transcript represents.

• Your address comes next in the identifying section of the transcript.
• These days, you can add email if you like.
• You may also add your homeschool “school” or umbrella school’s name

A “snapshot of all four years of high school”

Not all transcripts include this. However, it is useful for admissions officers (and you want to make them happy).

Look at the top left corner. There is a little section on the transcript that looks at the core subjects. That box shows the core courses and what years those courses were completed.

A legend or key

It is wise to include a legend or a key that tells what the levels of rigor for your teens courses. (You can see that in the top-right box.)

Testing scores and GPA

In the box with the legend, you can also include SAT or ACT scores (or other pertinent tests).

• Also include the GPA
  • Colleges look for a solid GPA, although there is variance from college to college
• And the grading scale

A breakdown of courses, year-to-year

Note on the sample transcript, each year has it’s own section (grades 9, 10, 11, 12).

• Include the amount of credit earned for each course
• By the name of the course, include the level of academic rigor
• Also, include the grade earned for each course

Picky details and sticky questions

Colleges want know that your homeschool high schooler is capable of pulling a good, strong GPA in high school so that they can transition well to college.

Should we weight our GPAs or not?

With traditional GPAs, you have a letter grade and a number assigned to that letter. So

• A would receive a 4.0
• B would receive a 3.0
• C would receive a 2.0

Um, some high schools would break that down even further:

• B plus was a 3.5
• C plus was a 2.5

There are even more ways to break down a GPA.

Some high schools weight courses

A weighted GPA, on the other hand, is for high schools who want to show that their teens are working at very rigorous levels.

So they might give a highly rigorous course (like an AP course) more “points”. For instance:

• 5.0 for an A instead of a 4.0 because they are rewarding the level of rigor

That is why colleges want to know grading scales, and the GPAs!

In their admissions algorithm,

• they unweight the weighted grades
• or weight, the unweighted ones

And so everybody ends up in the same kind of algorithm. In other words, one transcript is comparable.

What are levels of rigor?

Levels show the amount of rigor a student has worked on each core course.

• Level one, remedial level. (Teens with learning problems.)
• Level two is average. An average high school student could do this course. (A young person going to a competitive college will not work at a level two.
• Level three is college prep, so this is much more rigorous than an average.
• Levels four and five. Students going to a more competitive college, will want to have at least a good proportion of their courses added level four or level five.
• Level four is advanced, it’s significantly more rigorous than college prep for our teens. (For our teens, level four courses included the college prep course, plus about half a credit extra (however, this only shows at one credit).
• Level five is our honors. These include AP courses, dual enrollment courses at level five. (Remember that you cannot call  a course an AP course unless it, unless it has been approved by the College Board.)
  • Level five honors includes double the work for one credit. That really, really, really prepared them for the rigors of college and helped them to really become a like high school level subject matter experts in the courses they took at that level.

What does your teen’s favorite college want to see on transcripts?

Check college websites. They will tell you what they are looking for. For instance:

Building courses in the potential college-major areas

Transcripts should show the ability to develop interests in the future college major. For instance, future English majors could spend a whole semester or a whole year on like CS Lewis studies or world literature. So they’ll, they’ll go in depth on a topic and not just stay at the surface.

Personal Development

Courses in personal development help teens build their own transcript, but also their lives, with courses like career exploration or really dive into health and make it an enriched credit. Those kind of things show academic richness.

Extracurriculars

Then very important is you want to include, not for credit but for richness, extracurriculars or activities.

Volunteering/Service

Teens build a powerful transcript with they volunteer at the museum, church, or some other cause.

Competitions

This is an optional suggestion. Teens who compete in some way are showing that they have competitive drive. One of our favorite podcast episode about a competition that homeschooler Nathaniel Mack participated in for the conservation district in Virginia. (Nathaniel is the son our friend and Cousin Natalie Mack.)

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to create a homeschool transcript, but these suggestions have worked well. Join Vicki for a discussion on college-attractive homeschool transcripts.

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

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4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
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The post College-Attractive Transcripts for Homeschool High Schoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Women in STEM with Emily Hockey

You will love this interview with our friend, Dr. Emily Hockey, as she tells about becoming an astro-chemist and shares tips with young people on going into the STEM fields!

Dr. Emily Hockey’s story

Emily came into our friendship circle through 7Sister Kym’s twins, Kendall and Carly. As many of you know from previews interview with the girls, they played ice hockey through high school and college. Emily was on their University of Delaware team.

(Check out these interviews with Kendall on How Homeschoolers Find Success in College and Carly discussing Homeschooler’s Tips for College.)

The freshman cohort of the UD women’s hockey team was close. They studied, practiced hockey, and relaxed together. Emily and the twins became good friends.

Kym remembers when the twins visited from college and told her that there was a girl on their hockey team whose last name is “Hockey”! How fun! Soon, Emily had simply become one of Kym’s family, and through Kym, to us 7Sisters!

The girls have all graduated now and are busy with their careers but all are still good friends. In fact, in a few weeks, Emily will be in Kendall’s wedding.

Today, Dr. Emily Hockey holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry. (Her doctoral research was in laboratory Astro Chemistry.)

Emily’s childhood

Emily grew up in around the Washington DC area. She loved visiting the Smithsonian museums, especially the Air and Space Museum. She loved the rocket ships and the pictures of earth from space.

Her father worked for the EPA, so Emily was surrounded by the sciences. By the time she got to high school, Emily knew that she was going go into some sort of science as her career.

During her junior year of high school, I took Honors Chemistry and I had the most wonderful teacher ever. She was not everybody’s cup of tea, but she was Emily’s cup of tea. She was one of those teachers who would comment if Emily got a 98 on the test, “You can do better”. In Emily’s case, this was not discouraging. In fact, she thought, “Somebody sees something that I had never saw… that I can do this.”

During her senior year of high school, Emily took AP Chemistry. This teacher also inspired her that, “You can do this!”

This phrase has become a guiding thought for her:

You can do this!

Emily’s tips for homeschooler interested in STEM for college

Emily’s father encouraged her to take lots of sciences during her homeschool high school years. This paid off! Emily advises young women who might be interested in STEM:

• Make sure there are lots science credits on the transcript (core sciences and electives, if possible)
• Study the sciences at higher levels of rigor, such as Honors or AP
• Take all of your exams such as the SATs and/or ACTs
• Spend time volunteering
• Don’t forget to include extracurriculars

Be resilient and look for good to happen

When Emily applied to college, she did not get into her top school. She felt heartbroken. However, she was accepted into University of Delaware. At UD, she received a scholarship because she was a good student, volunteered, did extracurriculars, and had played hockey in high school.

When Emily was not accepted at her preferred college, her parents helped her remember to believe in herself and bounce back from the disappointment. They helped her to stay open to the idea that good things will happen for her at University of Delaware, where she was accepted. This was true! At UD, Emily could continue playing hockey, met Kendall and Carlie and LOTS of new friends, and had a wonderful education.

Interestingly, when Emily graduated and was applying to graduate programs, she was accepted to University of Maryland (which had been her preferred college for undergrad.) So, she got to attend her dream school after all.

Emily learned an important fact about timing through this!

In the end, that just wasn’t the time that I was gonna go to that school.

Do not believe all the pressure-givers

Emily, just like lots of teens these days, are often pressured to believe that they need to go to the top school or else life is a total disaster and nothing good will ever happen again!

Fortunately, Emily has the kind of parents that said, “That just wasn’t your school.”

Then, they helped her trust that when she went to UD something good would happen… and it did.

Good advisors at University of Delaware

One of the important aspects to look for in a college (especially for young women thinking about STEM majors) is good advisors. Emily had great advisors in her program. In fact, Emily ended up with the same advisor that her father had had when he was there, years ago! (When he first saw Emily, he laughed and said, “A hockey! I need to retire. There are too many of you!).

Good advisors spend time with their students. Emily’s advisor got to know her and could give her advice like, “I really think you should go this route.” Or he would ask, “What do you want to do later in life? Maybe we should go with this route.”

Keep a meaningful lifestyle during college

Emily found that she was healthiest when she kept a balance of activities and friends all through college. This included:

• Playing hockey (which gave her a team of twenty good friends, including the twins)
• Continuing to volunteer
• A few other extracurriculars
• Making friends with other students in her major

These things helped encourage her when classes get really hard and she did not have her parents right there for encouragement.

Of course, Emily reminds college students not to spread themselves too thin, but being busy is a good thing.

Be flexible with graduate programs

When it was time to apply to graduate programs, Emily had learned to keep her options open. She was interested in STEM, however, she knew there are few openings in the sciences, so she should be open to exploring the specific degree. Emily was accepted at the University of Maryland to study with a young female astrochemist. Her program was looking for graduate students who had a more well-rounded lifestyle and Emily fit the bill.

That’s how Emily narrowed her degree to astrochemistry!

Resilience, always resilience

Because it was a new program, Emily had the honor of helping her new PhD advisor build their lab from the ground up. You can see the Dodson Lab and watch a video about the ongoing research there with this page and video from University of Maryland.

Then COVID happened which forced them to experience delays. However, her advisor modeled resilience and was able to move much of their research online. When they were able to work in the lab in person, Emily worked with an instrument called a matrix isolation spectrometer. It was comprised of a cryogenic vacuum chamber.

Emily helped design and an instrument that could reach 10 degrees Kelvin (-460 degrees Fahrenheit). ultra high vacuum pressure. She could deposit gas samples into the instrument and freeze them. Next, she could shoot a laser at it and obtain molecular information.

These instruments are important because the help scientist learn about the molecules in space. Space temperatures go down to  -400 Fahrenheit degrees. So Emily would simulate those conditions in the lab and “do chemistry” to try to gain an understanding of what is actually happening in space. She and her fellow scientists would ask, “When all of these observers detect a new molecule in space, can we help provide information?”

Graduate school opens doors for adventures

Emily had some exciting opportunities during grad school. She was able to spend time at University of California at Berkeley and work at a national lab on one of their specialized instruments. She also did some experiments at NASA Goddard because one of my committee members worked on James Webb Space Telescope.

In the end, Emily’s dissertation research involved all these instruments. Incidentally, Vicki loves to hear the names of dissertations, so she asked Emily. The name of her dissertation is:

Matrix Isolation and Gas-based Kinetics of Astro Chemically Relevant Species.

Working on a fellowship with Air Force Research Laboratory

Today, Emily is in Florida, working in a fellowship (post-graduate research) with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Women in STEM

It is not as unusual to have women in STEM majors and with STEM careers these days. However, in fields like chemistry, physics,  astrophysics, and astrochemistry, Dr. Emily Hockey is still in the minority. However, her PhD advisor was a female and had made it her mission to help women grow interest in STEM careers. This worked because Emily’s PhD cohort was majority women.

Emily still runs into some awkward moments. (For instance, at a conference, a male scientist told her that she was too pretty to be a scientist.)

However, she know that this did not mean that she was “less”. She had learned from her advisors and her parents to believe in herself.

Today, at Emily’s current job there are twenty-four scientists with PhDs and only three of those are women. However, she has learned to say to herself:

I just have to show them that I got the same degree that you did. I did the work. I’ve got the brains.

Impostor syndrome

Almost everyone has imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. Especially women in STEM because there are just now many women in the field. With impostor syndrome, our brains begin to doubt and start to ask, “Am I good enough to do this?

It is important to remember healthy self-talk, “I am good enough and, yes, I earned this.”

It is also important to have people who believe in you and encourage you.

Encouragers

Today, Emily works with scientists in the field who have been at this job for twenty-plus years. These scientists are excited to see the new generation come in and hear what we have to say. She has found that they are respectful, encouraging, and they really push the new generation. So, while there are fewer women in the field than men, things are going well.

Emily’s Advice to young people interested in STEM

If you are starting high school and you are excited about STEM, just keep going. There’s so much stuff online now that you can go get resources; you can read books.

Learn what you can about this generations scientists. Ask questions. Check out this non-profit that works with high schools to encourage women in stem through mentorship opportunities!

You will be standing on the shoulders of those who came before you!

Join Vicki, Kym, and Dr. Emily Hockey for encouragement for young women interested in STEM!

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing, and thank you Dr. Emily Hockey for your time with us!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
5. Tap *Subscribe*
6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

The post Women in STEM with Emily Hockey appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Learning Like Lewis: Oxford-Style Tutoring with Justin McGeary

Most people who know 7SistersHomeschool and Vicki, know that she LOVES the writings and the story of C.S. Lewis. Thus, she was to have a conversation with Justin McGee, who shares about Oxford style tutoring (the education that Lewis received from Professor Kirkpatrick)!

Justin McGeary’s story

Justin is a homeschool graduate himself. He remembers, back in the day, his family going to homeschool conventions and buying their curriculum for each school year! (BTW- Homeschool conferences are still great continuing education for homeschooling parents and great opportunities to meet people and look at curriculum.)

When they started homeschooling, his mother was excited, while Justin and his father were a bit reluctant or nervous about it. But then one of my siblings was diagnosed with leukemia. Homeschooling part time became necessary because of his brother’s treatments. During that time, Justin would talk to his teachers every day or every few days and get his homework for him.

Then, when Justin was in middle school, his mother took the dive because the Christian school they were attending closed. She homeschooled five children at some points. In those days the were mostly doing “traditional school at home”. Mm-hmm.

Over time, they gained the confidence to became more flexible, adding learning experiences like traveling, projects. and co-op classes. One co-op class that Justin enjoyed was physics with a physics professor!

Actually, the teacher was their dad, who taught physics at a major university nearby. He tested out one of his physics textbooks on the co-op teens!

When Justing was gearing up to graduate and go off to college, a lot of people would say to him, “Oh, you’re homeschooled and you’re going off to college! Oh, I hope you’re okay!”

Because of the questions, Justin wondered if going into college after being homeschooled, if he I must be at a disadvantage compared to my peers. However, it turned out to not be the case. It turns out that his home education actually better adapted him for the college level academics. This was, in part, because homeschooling high school is about developing independent learning skills that are needed in college.

Justin goes to Oxford

During his junior year of college, Justin had the opportunity to study at Oxford, which he loved. He was part of a Christian liberal arts college consortium that have a program in Oxford. The name of the program is Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford. During his term of Oxford study, he was able to experience the tutorial system, go to lectures, see all the libraries, as well as traveling and experiencing British culture and history.

Justin’s turorials were in Modern English Literature and 19th century American Literature. He also attended different types of lectures. One of the most interesting was a lecture series on JRR token and the use of old English literature in The Lord of the Rings.

Comparing educational systems

He was fascinated by how different the college educational system in Britain is from the US. It reminded him of the difference between his experiences with home education versus his experiences with traditional education. These created a real interest in understanding how we learn.

The tutorial system

At the heart of the Oxford education is the tutorial. The goal of the tutorial system is to create independent learners with good critical thinking skills.

There are two key features of the tutorial. One is the importance of essay writing, and the other is then the importance of the conversation. Through each course, the tutor gives the student a list of essay topics with resources for the week.

The student reads through them and decides which essay question they want to tackle. The tutor then discusses with the student  the most important things that have been said on this topic.

The first tutorial Justin attended in his Oxford Modern English Literature course was on TS Elliot’s poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Proofrock. His tutor assigned him to read the poem, a list of the important things that had been written on that poem, and then come back with an essay.

Then he read the essay to his tutor. The tutor gave him feedback, discussed other things he had learned, and asked what he thought about what he read.

Justin discovered that the difference between the Oxford tutorial model versus American college instruction is the emphasis on asking, “What does the student think? What are the students’ arguments?” 

The goal is not for them to regurgitate what another important person in order to pass a test. It’s about learning through writing, thinking critically, and discussing critically. Students learn to develop and defend their ideas.

Founding Trinity House

Justin was so impressed with his education at Oxford that he wanted to share it with homeschooling high schoolers. That’s why he started Trinity House Tutorials.

Tutorials with Justin at Trinity House work like those he experienced at Oxford. Students are given topics to select and research materials. They do research, write essays, have conversations with the tutor, get feedback, and learn to refine their thinking processes.

Teens are telling Justin that they are enjoying the writing because it matters, and because they receive feedback on it. It’s rigorous, but it’s enjoyable in many ways. Teens learn that they can strengthen their discipline and hard work skills.

Not only that, teens tell Justin that they appreciate the relational learning part of the tutorial system. The conversations with the tutor are helping them build their thinking skills.

Parents also appreciate that tutorials at Trinity House come from a Christian worldview.

Courses at Trinity House

There are number of courses offered at Trinity House Tutorials. These have included:

• Western History
• Ancient Greece and Rome
• Medieval and Renaissance History
• American History
• In January, they offer exploratory tutorials with Great Books
• Summer special sessions have included Comparing the Life and Thought of Jonathan Edwards with Benjamin Franklin
• Exploratories that are lighter and introduce teens to Oxford-style tutorials

Contact Justin McGeary and Trinity House Tutorials

• Check out Trinity House Tutorials.
• Sign up for more information and watch a good introductory video about working with Justin McGeary.
• Instagram: Justinattrinityhouse
• Facebook: Justin with Trinity House Tutorials

If you have students that are kind of motivated looking for a unique learning opportunity or gifted, who wants to learn like Lewis, check out this inspiring conversation with Vicki and Justin McGeary at Trinity House Tutorials.

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Learning Like Lewis: Oxford-Style Tutoring with Justin McGeary appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Homeschool Astronomy with Tony Ceraso

One of my teens’ favorite sciences during homeschool high school was Astronomy. He loved learning about the fascinating universe outside our atmosphere. He especially loved the many “lab” hours, sitting in lawn chairs with his dad and a small telescope, watching the night sky.

Today’s teens have access to a delightful curriculum thanks to Tony Ceraso and Homeschool Astronomy.

Tony Ceraso’s story

Tony’s mom and Star Trek were integral in getting him into astronomy. Back in the early 1970s when Tony was a child, she would watch the original Star Trek series while he running around at her feet or sitting with her. She would look over at him and say, “I just think space is so fascinating!”

As he grew, Tony joined his mother in loving astronomy. He would put together astronomy lessons in his attic and then force my parents listen to his lesson. (His mother was a teacher, so she had taught him to create his own curriculum by cutting and pasting homemade resources.)

Throughout his teen years, he learned more astronomy and read lots of science fiction.

Then when he got married and had kids of his own, he taught them to love astronomy. In fact, he was often invited to his kids’ classrooms to teach astronomy lessons. The school kids loved the presentations!

Today, Tony works in IT and volunteers at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Some days he runs their planetarium. He alsos writes curriculum for them.

Then, his wife told their homeschooling friends about his presentations

Soon, he was sharing about astronomy in their local homeschool community and demand for his lessons spread.

That led him to producing digital lessons that combined video, photos, reading and interactions that homeschoolers have been enjoying.

Homeschool Astronomy Curriculum

Tony’s popular 28 lesson Homeschool Astronomy course (14 lessons per semester) was created to help high schoolers love astronomy as much as he does.

Parents enjoy it, as well. This is because the format of the course helps it meet the standards for credit on the transcript. The course includes for each lesson:

• an objective
• warmup activity
• gradable questions
• cross-curricular activities
• test questions

These are really nice if you need something concrete to put in a portfolio and then on a transcript. The lessons give high schoolers educational experiences that cover material five days per week for about thirty minutes per day.

(He follows New Jersey’s standards for earning credits. This can be important if you are in a state that reimburses for curriculum.)

The course is self-directed, so it’s easy on parents!

For the homeschool transcript

Homeschool Astronomy can be a Science elective on the transcript or teens can use to course to level up another Science to Honors.

Free lesson

Homeschool Astronomy shares a page of free videos. Also, you can email Tony Ceraso directly for a free lesson TonyCeraso@homeschoolastronomy.com or the website is homeschool astronomy.com.

Want to inspire your teens to be curious about astronomy?

Tony has a few suggestions:

• Get a small telescope or binoculars and do some skywatching
• Watch some classic Science Fiction movies and television
• Read some books inspired by Science Fiction (for instance, C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew and his Space Trilogy)
• Visit the Air and Space Museum or a local planetarium
• Participate in a local state park’s stargazing activities
• Visit the NASA website and watch videos from the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Web Telescope

Contact Tony Ceraso at Homeschool Astronomy

Check out the high school Astronomy course.

Also, you can email Tony Ceraso directly for a free lesson TonyCeraso@homeschoolastronomy.com or the website is homeschool astronomy.com.

Join Vicki and Tony for a delightful discussion on Homeschool Astronomy and helping your teens enjoy God’s universe!

Thank you Seth Tillman for editing.

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Homeschooling College-Bound Teens with Kat Patrick

Feeling a little nervous starting the high school years with homeschoolers bound for college? That’s okay. We have all felt that way. However, our friend, Kat Patrick, has some encouragement and tips to help!

Kat’s story

This fall has been momentous for Kat. Her youngest graduated from homeschooling and just left for college. All of her children homeschooled through graduation. Today, some are college graduates already, as well.

Although Kat was born in Texas, all her kids were born in England. In England, children start secondary school in sixth grade. (BTW- we interviewed Kat about homeschooling in England.)

While she was thinking about what would be best for her oldest as she prepared for secondary school, Kat wrestled with whether they were going to follow the English journey of secondary school or go back to her roots of liberal arts studies and Charlotte Mason.

Kat knew that the British approach gradually narrows a student’s focus down more and more over the next years. Then, at age 16, they take a series of ten subject exams. From there, they narrow down their studies to three subjects. After that, if they go to university, they study one subject for three years.

Kat had gone to the University of Texas in her youth. As an undergraduate, she started off with pre-med and realized in her junior year that she actually liked history and English better. She was able switch majors and graduate on time because of the rich liberal arts background in her studies.

If she followed the British track with her homeschoolers, they would not have the easy flexibility to change interests after a point. Having homeschooled for a long time, she knew that even if they went to college and changed majors, there is never wasted time in education because all of learning is useful.

Kat’s oldest daughter’s college experience

Several years ago, Vicki interviewed Kat’s oldest daughter, Lauren, about how she prepared for a competitive college.  Lauren originally planned to double major in English and Entrepreneurship. She graduated with a double major in English and astrophysics. This change of major happened when she was approached in her very first semester by the Astronomy department. One of her professors asked if she would be interested in doing a major in Astrophysics after her general education Astronomy class. They could could tell that Lauren had a real passion for that science.

Lauren was concerned that she did not have enough math background for Astrophysics. Her department was so encouraging that they gave her additional math support to get her started. It turned out to be the right-fit career for Lauren.

Kat’s advice for moms who are homeschooling high school

After graduating four homeschoolers with four kinds of interests and personalities, Kat has some good ideas and experiences.

Learn alongside your teens

You probably will not know everything your teens need to learn. There are lots of ways to learn alongside your teens. Kat learned this openness to lifelong learning from Charlotte Mason (which is all about curiosity and love of learning).

Make use of online resources

Kat found that she wanted her teens to have some group-learning experiences based on the ideas of Charlotte Mason. Her teens were aiming for more competitive colleges, so she new this format would help prepare them.

Because there were few online Charlotte Mason-style classes, Kat started her own: Dreaming Spires Home Learning. At Dreaming Spires, her teens learned alongside students from around the world! Their studies included Literature, History, and Science.

Dreaming Spires Home Learning is unique in that it is accredited and also standards for several international organizations. Kat has found that her students grow in confidence in their writing and overall academic skills with the group setting and individual mentoring.

The motto of the school is:

We want you better in May than you are today.

Whether students need to grow in grammar, use of words and thoughts, or learning to be concise, Kat believes they can love their studies using Charlotte Mason techniques at Dreaming Spires Home Learning.

Dual enrollment is a good choice for some teens

Some of her teens wanted a taste of college while still in high school, so these high schoolers did dual enrollment courses at a local college. This gave them a taste of the college-learning experience. However, dual enrollment would not have been the best fit for all of her teens. That’s why we always say: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school.

Talk about how to use technology wisely

Kat has found with the tools like Grammarly and other AI platforms, that students can sometime get lazy on their own editing skills (or even their writing skills if they have AI write their papers for them). She makes sure that she talks with her homeschoolers and those at Dreaming Spires about protecting their own agency and use of their own minds when writing.

At Dreaming Spires, homeschool high schoolers start the year with a module on integrity in learning.

Make time for extracurriculars

Help your teens explore interests and gifts. This takes some time management but is worth it. Kat’s teens have enjoyed swimming. Three out of four continued their competitive swimming in college. One of her daughters was recently on the National Championship relay team. Preparation for this level of sports takes time in high school! (Here’s a Homeschool Highschool Podcast episode on preparing teens for NCAA sports.)

Don’t stop read alouds

Even in high school, a little shared family time with read alouds is good. Teens can work on art projects, tinker, or just listen. It is good family time.

Bible memorization never goes out of style

Kat’s family kept up the Bible memory activities together as well. (It’s interesting how many adults tell me how they appreciated the Bible memorization they did as kids and teens.)

Learn World Languages from a native speaker, when possible

Of course, this is not always an option. Kat’s family had the blessing of having Spanish au pairs when her kids were young, so they got some basics with good accents while they were young. BTW- for folks looking for high school Spanish taught by native Spanish speakers, check out Homeschool Spanish Curriculum with our friend and Cousin, Karim Morato.

Have high expectations AND know that talented students are not gifted at everything

Try not to limit your high schoolers by lowering expectations. Kat always kept really high expectations for academics of her college-bound teens. However, she knew that advanced students are not always advanced in everything. For instance, some of her teens were good in English, but not very good in math. It is good to adjust curriculum and plans up or down according to teens’ needs.

Invest in interests

High schoolers do not know what all of their life interests will be. However, most of them are beginning to discover some of their interests. When Kat’s teens voiced an interest, she helped them explore that interest.

For instance, one of Kat’s daughters told her that she wanted to be a writer. Kat made sure her writing curriculum built those skills. Then Kat helped her publish her books on Kindle. That led to opportunities for her daughter to start editing and publishing books for other people on Kindle. Her daughter started a creative writing club while in college. Now she has a career writing website and other content for NASA.

Do Career Exploration during high school

While teens need to stay open and flexible, Kat also believes that need to explore and begin defining direction. She recommends that homeschool high schoolers complete a Career Exploration curriculum, such as the textbook from 7Sisters.

Talk about college decisions ahead of time

Periodically, chat with your teens about college. Ask them what they want to get out of college (an internship, sports during college, or singing in college choir, for instance). If you gently talk about it over the years, it will not feel so intimidating during junior and senior years.

Go on college tours

Going on college tours is an excellent way help your teens:

• Hone interests
• Know which colleges are good fits
• Inspire them to work hard towards their high school goals

Remember Psalm 23

Kat holds onto Psalm 23. It reminds her that God, her shepherd, leads her beside still waters and green pastures. She has discovered that being a homeschooling mom is being a shepherd, too:

You take your sheep into the pasture of wonderful green grass, and beautiful clean water. However, you cannot force them to eat and drink. Your job is to take them there and to protect them, and that just. This keeps a lot of pressure off Kat to just keep giving them the good food and the good drink and, and just trust the process.

Join Kat and Vicki for encouragement for moms of homeschooling high schoolers.

Thank you for Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Homeschooling College-Bound Teens with Kat Patrick appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

CJ’s Tips for Homeschooling High School 

Vicki was SO excited to chat with her new friend, CJ of Homeschooling Through High School! CJ has a wonderful YouTube channel full of helpful, fun and authentic posts about homeschooling high school. She (and sometimes, her delightful family) have so many cool ideas and insights on resources.

The teenage years are often thought of as tumultuous and unpredictable, making the idea of homeschooling a teenager seem like a daunting one. There can be an initial skepticism about homeschooling in the high school years – from both newer homeschool parents and teens – regarding its potential to meet the educational needs of teenagers. Many parents worry that their children will miss out on social interactions and opportunities for growth.

Well, as today’s special guest, CJ shares her personal story of how she went from being skeptical about homeschooling to becoming a passionate advocate. Join us as we explore the reasons behind her decision and discover some valuable tips for homeschooling high school successfully!

Unveiling the CJ’s Homeschooling Journey

CJ begins her story by admitting that she used to think homeschooling was only for weird folks. I think we’ve all been there at this point, right? However, fate had other plans for CJ when she met a homeschooled young man who would later become her husband. 

But as time went on, she found herself pregnant with our first child and that’s when things started to change for her. The world seemed to be getting out of control with schools cutting out art and music and prayer – all the values she grew up with were slowly disappearing. 

Despite her initial resistance, CJ found herself reconsidering homeschooling as a viable option. She realized the importance of instilling Christian values and character into her children’s education. She wanted to give her future kids a solid Christian education, and paying for private school for each child was just not feasible. 

After much contemplation, her and her husband had a light bulb moment and decided to take the plunge into homeschooling. 

“Yep, the one who swore she’d never do it became a homeschooling mama.” – CJ

When her oldest hit middle school, the reality of high school started to sink in. CJ noticed a trend where many parents throw in the towel at middle school and would send their kids off back to public school during the high school years. A lot of reasons for this is due to the lack of confidence in themselves for teaching high school material as well as the overabundance of oppressive doubt in doing a job well done. 

And if this is the way that’s best for your family – going to pubic school high school when it’s time – there is nothing wrong with this if that’s what fits your family. However, for CJ, she had gained so much confidence during the middle school years that she just knew she could handle high school too. And she knew that she could always look for the very many homeschool high school resources available these days so she didn’t have to do it all alone. 

Tips for Homeschooling High School Successfully

It’s through these CJ’s researching, experiencing, and others’ resources that she learned so much about homeschooling during the high school years. From planning out the classes to teaching (or not teaching!) certain classes, there are so many incredible ways to homeschool your high school – it’s not all cookie cutter! 

Here are a few of CJ’s most valuable tips for homeschooling your high schooler:

Build a Strong Relationship

CJ emphasizes the importance of fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. This is key. Sometimes, it’s essential to prioritize bonding over academics. Taking a break from algebra to enjoy a fun outing or simply spending quality time together can do wonders for both the child’s well-being and the homeschooling experience.

“The relationship you have with your child is more important than any subject you’ll ever teach.” – CJ

Weekly Meetings

Treat yourself as the mentor and guidance counselor for your high schooler. Have regular check-ins to discuss their progress, address any challenges, and provide support. These meetings encourage open communication, help identify areas that require improvement, and allow for spiritual growth. 

Utilize Resources

You don’t have to do it all. CJ dispels the misconception that homeschooling through high school requires mastering every subject. There are numerous resources available, including free curriculum options, co-ops, enrichment programs, and knowledgeable individuals within the community who can supplement your teaching. Outsourcing subjects that may be outside your expertise ensures a well-rounded education for your child.

And hey, if your neighbor happens to be a surgeon and wants to teach biology, why not take advantage of that? It’s all about finding what works for you and your child.

Dual Enrollment

Consider dual enrollment in local community colleges or online schools for your high schooler. This option allows them to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. 

However, it’s essential to evaluate whether your child is ready for the challenges of college-level coursework and if it aligns with their goals and maturity level.

Embracing the Teen Years

Remember what we said at the beginning of this blog post? About how most parents refer to the “dreaded teenage years” as doom and gloom? CJ encourages parents to shed that negative chatter surrounding the teenage years. 

Despite the stereotypes, she found the high school years to be a blast – some of the most enjoyable and rewarding years of her homeschooling. Why? Because teenagers are capable of engaging in meaningful conversations, exploring their identities, and building strong connections with their parents. 

Surrounding you and your teen with like-minded individuals who are uplifting and supportive can make these high school teen years even more fulfilling.

​​CJ’s Tips for Homeschooling High School 

Homeschooling through high school may seem daunting, but CJ’s story proves that with determination, support, a few well-utilized resources, and running with the confidence you built over the younger years, it can be a truly enriching experience. By prioritizing relationships, maintaining open communication, and embracing the unique opportunities homeschooling offers, you can guide your high schooler to success!

Remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. Reach out to the homeschooling community, tap into available resources, and enjoy the journey of homeschooling through high school. You can make the high school years a rewarding and memorable experience for your children. 

Connect with CJ

If you’re considering homeschooling your high schooler or are already on this exciting journey, be sure to check out CJ’s Homeschooling Through High School YouTube channel for more tips, inspiration, and encouragement on homeschooling through high school.

Also, you’ll love her review of 7Sisters Animal Farm Literature Study Guide.

Thank you to Richie Soares with Homeschool and Humor for writing this blog post!

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The post CJ’s Tips for Homeschooling High School- Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School

One of Vicki’s favorite topics is earning credits in homeschooling high school. Having graduated her five homeschoolers and advised many others through the local homeschool umbrella school, she has had lots of practice helping homeschooling parents and their teens find the best-fit ways to earn credits for the transcript.

We know that many parents feel stressed when they think about how their high schoolers will earn all the required credits! However, once you get used to it, earning credits is a fun game. Remember, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, so you can do what is best for you and your teens!

Background information on earning credits in homeschool high school

We know that in homeschool high school, as in all high school programs, our teens are earning credits to prove that they are ready to graduate and be successful in the next part of life. Whether that’s going into a:

• job
• career
• the military
• college

Earning credits builds a transcript that shows that teens have the knowledge needed to graduate.

In the early 1900s the Carnegie Foundation helped kind of standardize what a high school education might look like

They did this by establishing the idea of earning credits. They suggested that there should be about 120 hours of study in one subject. So, for each credit that was earned, there should be 120 hours of instruction, of study, of some kind of educational activity. That idea caught on, and schools have been using that then ever since.

These days, the idea of 120 hours per credit varies from state to state (some states require 180 hours per credit). Also if you are in a supervising organization such as a homeschool umbrella school, your teens may be required to show more hours per credit.

You can check your state’s Department of Education or Homeschool Legal Defense Association for requirements for graduation in your area.

Here are five ways to earn credits

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to earn credits. Choose what is best for your teen’s needs and goals.

Curriculum

Much of the high school curriculum that is available is designed to meet requirements for a credit. The text will explain whether it is a full-credit or half-credit textbook. Remember: for your record keeping, you want proof of education. Thus, you hold onto tests, papers, assignments, and projects that are related to that textbook and credit earned.

Note that most high school textbooks are written at a college-prep level. If you have a teen that is an average learner, you can look for some that are for more average students or curricula that are aimed towards students with learning challenges. Note: 7SistersHomeschool’s Introduction to Psychology and Human Development textbooks are written at Level 2 (average) with enrichment for leveling up to Honors.

Log hours

The second way earn high school credit is to log the hours of educational experiences. The Carnegie Foundation had set up the idea that around 120 hours of education per credit (or whatever your state or supervising organization is looking for).

Some teens learn best by experiences, by hands-on, such as:

• Field trips
• Research and writing
• Public speaking experiences
• Memorizations (check out this freebie Songs for Memorizing Poetry)
• Working on individual or group projects
• Watching instructional videos and documentaries

If your teen is learning credits in this way remember your record keeping. Keep logs with hours completed and what work was time each hour! If you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen.

Real books

Another way our teens have earned their high school credits is by reading real books on a topic of special interest. With special interest electives, they have read:

• Biographies
• Nonfiction
• Historical fiction
• Poetry

For record keeping teens should

• Keep a book list
• Plus: Complete a:
  • study guide
  • book summary
  • essay on one of the topics

These activities demonstrate that they have interacted with the readings.

We have found that if they read around sixteen real books and complete the study guides or some written summaries or essays, they will have earned at least 120 hours (thus, a credit).

Dual Enrollment

These days, dual enrollment is a popular choice these days. Dual enrollments are available at many:

• Community colleges
• Colleges

These courses are sometimes in person and sometimes online courses. These courses should only be chosen teens who are ready for  college-level work.

For record keeping and the transcript: a one-semester dual enrollment course equals a one high school credit on the transcript.

Online courses

Online courses are enormously popular these days. (Teens are always asking 7SistersHomeschool for more digital courses!)

These courses can be:

• Live classes
  • Independent providers, like Model Diplomacy with our friend and Cousin, Natalie Mack
  • Online schools like:
    • FundaFunda Academy
    • Dreaming Spires Home Learning
• Self-paced classes
  • Like those offered by 7SistersHomeschool
    • Psychology
    • Human Development
    • Health
    • Shakespeare
    • APA Research Paper
    • Civics add-ons:
      • Constitution studies
      • Declaration of Independence studies

BONUS: In person classes in co-ops and umbrella schools

Teens can also take local classes in their co-ops and umbrella schools. These can be a good way to earn credits for their homeschool transcripts.

There are so many ways to earn credits for homeschool high school. Choose what is best for each teen and each credit/course.

Check out the encouragement and resources from 7SistersHomeschool at:

• 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group
• Substack
• Instagram
• Pinterest

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing and Stacey Clendaniel for all the VA support.

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The post 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How and Why to Write Poetry in High School ELA

One of Vicki’s favorite topics is poetry. What she knows is that writing poetry is good for teens!

Here are some reasons why it is good for teens to have experiences with poetry during high school

It’s part of a solid English/Language Arts credit

Teens benefit from several kinds of writing in their homeschool high school years:

• Essays
• Research Papers
• Short Stories
• Poetry

Each of these types of writing requires different thinking and communicating skills. Variety of experiences creates a strong ELA credit for the transcript.

Poetry is a method of communication that uses words imaginatively

For instance, in normal life we communicate in sentences. Each sentence has a beginning, middle, and end…a subject and verb.

In poetry, we communicate with words that build imagery. The sentence structure may or may not be there. It’s a whole different way of communicating. When communicating through word images, poetry ignites imagination.

Students improve their speaking and writing

Over the years, Vicki has advised hundreds of homeschool high schoolers. Many reconnected with her during their college years to share about things that helped them in their college courses. Often, these college students shared that poetry reading, memorization, and writing prepared them for strong speaking and writing skills in college.

For example, in Freshman Composition class in college, teachers are grading hundreds of papers each semester. Many of these papers are excruciatingly boring. (Vicki has heard this from college teachers.) However, if a student that uses some poetry skills in their papers (such as a little bit of alliteration or an image-bearing word), it makes the paper more interesting and teacher’s life that teacher’s life so much better!

Writing poetry can be a tool for emotional health and healing

Teens benefit from journaling and writing poetry. Research has found that emotional health improves journaling poetry is a tool for better health.

The ancient Greek physicians, Soranus believed that poetry was part of the healing process. Today there are branches of psychotherapy that employ poetry-writing as a healing tool.

For more on poetry for health and healing, check out this post.

God is a poet

There is lots of poetry in the Bible.

• The Psalms are poems, of course
• The minor prophet Nahum is written in a poetic style, as well as:
• Job
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon

So, God obviously likes poetry.

Poetry improves vocabulary

When teens read poetry, and especially if they memorize it really does help improve their vocabulary. And what we’re finding is that the better vocabulary a person has, the better they’re able to think in problem-solving, forward-thinking, healthy-living kind of thoughts ways.

Poetry can be silly and fun

Sometimes teens just need som fun. They can have fun with poetry! For instance:

• Limericks are silly poems
• The poetry of Ogden Nash is full of silliness
• One of Vicki’s favorite books of poems is Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cat by T.S. Eliot.
  • In fact, 7Sisters has a popular Literature Study Guide for Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats!

For teens who love poetry: A Full Credit in Poetry

A few years ago, Vicki was teaching a group of homeschool high schoolers through the poetry components in their English/Language Arts. Some of the teens told her, “Next year, we want a full ELA credit in poetry!”

So, she created a class for them where they could earn a full credit in poetry (check out this post with the syllabus and guidelines).

Teens can make an entire Language Arts credit covered by a single topic such as poetry. This takes a little creativity since a full Language Arts credit requires some books and papers. The number of books to read and papers to write will vary by teen’s age and goals (the highlighted posts will help you decide).

The workbooks in this course will be counted as books for the booklist:

• Introductory Guide to Poetry Writing
• Intermediate Guide to Poetry Writing
• British Poetry
• Advanced Guide to Poetry Writing
• Ol’ Possums Book of Practical Cats
• American Poetry: Reading and Writing
• World Poetry: Reading and Writing
• Poetry Analysis

Traditionally, an English/Language Arts credit includes: Poetry, Short Story, Essays and Research Paper.

• In this course, students write volumes of poetry, thus the workbooks will count for the Poetry, Short Story and Essays. The final unit of the year is Poetry Analysis. The assignments in this book will be gathered as a Research Paper.

For more on teaching poetry, check out this Homeschool Highschool Podcast episode.

Even teens who don’t think they like writing poetry, often find that they do

For instance, in year one of our homeschool group ELA classes, one young man told Vicki he did not like to write, especially poetry. Vicki told him to hang on, that maybe he would find out that he does like poetry writing! The poetry section of the high school class, started out with couplets (couplets are just two lines of poetry, each line ending in a rhyme). When this young man realized that he could write couplets, his confidence increased.

Then he commented to Vicki, “I didn’t think I could do poetry, but I did this couplet.”

He kept building on that growth mindset and by the end of the school year, he was churning out poetry with all the rest of them. Now, he did not need to grow up and be a great poet because he wanted to be a firefighter, but he built more confidence with his ability to communicate with words.

Btw- he grew up to be a firefighter well-versed firefighter. Poetry was a little part of building his confidence!

Poetry is an awesome part of ELA credits! Join Vicki for a discussion on how and why to write poetry.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing!

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The post How and Why to Write Poetry in High School ELA appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

5 Tips for Making Spanish Learning Fun with Karim Morato

Most homeschool high schoolers need some World Language credit for their graduation requirements. Our friend and Cousin, Karim Morato, is a Spanish subject matter expert and favorite of many homeschool high schoolers. She joined Vicki for this chat about making learning Spanish fun and meaningful.

Karim’s story

Karim is originally from Guatemala. Her husband is from Bolivia. He came up to me with a “crazy idea” to homeschool before they had kids. Uh, we got married and I was so excited and, you know, dreaming when we have kids and we gonna send them to private schools.

Karim has a Master’s degree in Education and taught in schools for sixteen years. However, when they had kids, she started visiting homeschool conferences. She loved all the curriculum choices and learning opportunities. Not only that, she loved watching the interactions of the homeschooling parents with their homeschoolers.

So they began homeschooling their three kids. At first, she was the only one in her community who was homeschooling but it caught on! She and her family led the way.

Now her homeschoolers have graduated and in college. In fact, one recently graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering. Her second homeschool graduate is studying Business in college. Her youngest is a homeschool high schooler.

Karim started a Spanish-learning online platform years ago at Spanish Homeschool Curriculum. She and her teachers make learning Spanish fun and meaningful. All her teachers are native Spanish speakers, so teens learn to speak authentically.

Karim also serves as Spanish-speaking community liaison for Homeschool Legal Defense Association.

Karim has been with us for a couple Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes:

• Resources for Learning Spanish
• Spanish for Homeschool High School

We were so happy to talk with her again and share encouraging tips for making learning Spanish fun!

There are lots of ideas for a fun and meaningful Spanish program. Here are just a few.

Tip #1: Listen to the Becoming Bilingual podcast

Teens and parents love the Becoming Bilingual podcast. Spanish speakers or Spanish learners join Karim each episode to share encouraging and fun ideas and adventures. Vicki suggests that even if you are not learning Spanish, you will still love the podcast because of the interesting people on it.

Tip #2: Take classes on Spanish Homeschool Curriculum

Karim her teachers make learning Spanish fun and meaningful. They provide instruction for Spanish learning for high schoolers, and also for elementary and middle schoolers as well.

Not only that, Karim shares FREE 5-Day Parent Courses to help parents understand Spanish language and earning credits. It addresses throughts like:

• “I want my kids to learn Spanish, but I don’t even speak it!”
• “We’ve tried apps or worksheets… but nothing really stuck.”
• “I’m not sure how to fit Spanish into our homeschool schedule.”
• “My teen needs credits, and I have no idea how to make that happen!”
•  “I am Sick of quitting halfway! I need help sticking with Spanish—without overwhelm or burnout.”

If that’s you, you’re not alone—and you’re exactly who this course was made for.

Tip #3: Address the stress

Karim learned long ago that teens sometimes experience anxiety when they are speaking Spanish in group classes (even online classes). She notice that they would often turn their cameras off during speaking times. One of the gifts Karim brings to her students is addressing the stress and helping teens overcome the fear of “public speaking” Spanish. Once teens address the stress, they are free to enjoy learning!

Karim also realized that some teens will feel less stressed when they take self-paced classes instead of live classes, so she offers both formats.

The Becoming Bilingual podcast has a wonderful episode on “When Spanish Makes You Anxious: Breaking the Pressure Triangle“.

Tip #4: Prepare for our bilingual world

Our teens are living in a bilingual world. Learning Spanish is an asset when applying to jobs. Knowing Spanish is also helpful for traveling the world, which many teens do on missions trips or studies abroad. When teens know there is a useful life purpose for learning Spanish, they can enjoy the course more deeply and find it more meaningful.

Tip #5: Help teens see their potential more than their limitations

We are used to seeing our teens’ potentials and we focus on their potentials, not our limitations. One of the values Karim has for her classes is the commitment to helping students believe in the potentials, values, and abilities that God has given them. It helps them move forward in their studies and even, in their lives outside their studies.

Learning Spanish can be fun and meaningful for teens and younger homeschoolers. (For more ideas on making learning World Languages fun, check out this post.)

Connect with Karim Morato at:

• Spanish Homeschool Curriculum
• Becoming Bilingual Podcast
• Instagram: Spanish Educational Solutions
• Facebook: Spanish Educational Solutions

Join Vicki and Karim Marato for tips for making Spanish learning fun.

Thank you Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post 5 Tips for Making Spanish Learning Fun with Karim Morato appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

ASVAB and Homeschool High Schoolers with Natalie Mack

One of the most interesting career-oriented tests for young people is the ASVAB. Our friend and Cousin, Natalie Mack, works with the military to offer the ASVAB to local high schoolers. We asked Natalie to share about ASVAB.

Natalie Mack is a homeschool leader, military homeschool mom, Tedx speaker, HSLDA staff member, and more!

What’s happening these days in Natalie’s world?

Natalie and her husband (a retired Navy chaplain) have five children. The youngest just graduated from homeschooling high school. (Our listeners met Nathaniel Mack when we interviewed him about his inspiring conservation project.) The other four have all finished college.

Natalie is keeping busy with her service to the homeschool community.

• She is offering consultations for homeschoolers through Natalie Mack, LLCI.
• Helping with the nonprofit for military homeschoolers called the Military Homeschoolers Association.
• Speaking at homeschool conferences around the nation, often on behalf of Homeschool Legal Defense Association. (as well as serving as their military outreach coordinator).
• Teaching Model Diplomacy online.
• And MORE!

About the ASVAB

ASVAB is the acronym for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Besides the test itself, ASVAB offers a career exploration program.

There is no cost to the test. Teens can take the test digitally or in the old fashioned, paper and pencil format. The results help teens know what careers in the military might be a good fit for them.

This year, Natalie hosted two ASVABs. Mm-hmm. One with Northern Virginia Community College, the Alexandria Campus (with the help of the Alexandria Recruiting Battalion); the other at Baltimore MEPS.

What to know about ASVAB

It is always going be a free opportunity. Most homeschoolers finish in an hour and a half.

Recruiters cannot administer the test. (This is because parents have been concerned that their teen would be targeted or would be constantly hounded by texts or phone calls from recruiters trying to pull them into the service.) However, that is not the way it works.

The goal is to offer free career assessments! You also get real in-person interpretations of your scores. These scores for your student mean they are likely to be good at these type of careers.

Recruiters will come to the testing in case there are homeschoolers who want more information.

For teens who would like to think about the military

Teens can talk to recruiters at the time they take the ASVAB or drop by a recruiting location in their local area.

Natalie likes to remind homeschooling parents that serving our nation in the military is an honorable career. Those who serve are helping fulfill the promises in the United States Constitution of securing the common defense. An in the military there are many, many kinds of jobs. The ASVAB is useful in helping match service member to the best-fit job.

Also, check out these Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes on:

• What Military Recruiters are Looking for in Homeschoolers
• Advice for Moms of Military-Bound Homeschoolers with Ticia Messing
• Preparing for Military Careers with Gretchen Mahoney

Connect with Natalie Mack

As Vicki says, Natalie Mack is pervasive. She is involved in so many things around the nation. However, you can find her at:

• Natalie-Mack.com. She has a comprehensive high school checklist there that includes the College Board’s Big Future Program.
• If you are a military homeschooler, visit MilitaryHomeschoolers.org.
• On Facebook: Homeschool Natalie Mack.
• Her Tedx Talk about The Impact of Homeschooling.
• On Instagram: Homeschool Natalie Mack.

Join Vicki and Natalie and learn about ASVAB and your homeschoool high schooler.

And check out our many chats with Natalie Mack about all kinds of homeschooling high school topics:

• Handling Depression in Teens 
• Stress Management for the Holidays
• Emotionally Preparing Teens for College
• Tips for Homeschooling High School

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post ASVAB and Homeschool High Schoolers with Natalie Mack appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How to be a Sports Mom

Lots of homeschool high schoolers are not just busy with academics; they are also engaged athletes! This week Kym and Vicki talk about what it’s like to be a sports mom (a healthy version of being a sports mom, that is).

Kym’s story

7Sister Kym and her husband have four now-adult children. Her youngest are twins. When they were young, Kym had lots of mom-friends who worked at our local YMCA. The kids of those mothers to play in the gym and swim in the pool at the Y. Kym’s kids were buddies with those the kids. One day at a play date, the kids all came up to her and said, “Mommy, you should work at the YMCA, so we could go play there too with our friends.”

The moms at the play date heard and answered, “Well, there’s an opening.”

At the time, Kym had zero interest in working at the YMCA. She was doing other things that were taking up more than enough time, but out of love for her kids, she started working at the YMCA. She found that one of the great benefits was all of the sports that her kids could to try there.

At the time, Kym’s youngest were about four and her oldest was ten years old. Her eight year old son began playing playing roller hockey at the Y.  Her twin daughters wanted to try every single sport.

Kym and her kids learned people skills

There were so many skills Kym and her kids learned over the years. Kym was not passive about learning the skills. She discussed with her kids about:

• Teamwork
• Leadership with peers and through watching coaches coach well or poorly
• Psychology
• Faith
• Boundary setting with peers (or when it’s time to move onto another team or sport)
• How to win well and lose well
• Competitive drive

Kym also developed skills for being a sports mom, such as:

• How to talk to coaches
• Volunteering and spectating sports mom balance
  • Not needing to boss or always take charge, but being present and supportive when needed
• Building a support system with other parents
• When to encourage or nudge your athletes, when to back off

Over time, hockey became the twins’ favorite sport

Kym’s family had always enjoyed watching hockey on television, along with fun hockey movies like Mighty Ducks. When the twins were old enough, they joined a local youth hockey team and that was that. They convinced their parents that they wanted to go all in on hockey. Kym and her husband decided to make it happen.

They played women’s youth travel team hockey all through high school. These adventures took the family to games in many places around the U.S. (One of their best friends on their team was Emily Hockey who is now an astrophysicist. Keep your eyes open soon for an interview with her on the Homeschool Highschool Podcast!)

Financing hockey took prayer and budgeting

Kym and her husband invested in the twins’ dreams. It took faith and budgeting, but the family was committed. They often found that when a need arose, they could pray and something would come for help. For instance, one of the twins became a goalie but needed new equipment. They prayed. Kym randomly ran into another mom whose son had been a goalie for a short time but hated it. The mom sold Kym the equipment at a price that fit the budget!

Being willing to budget and to pray is key!

The twins graduated from high school and went on to play club hockey at the University of Delaware.

Btw- check out these interviews with the twins:

• How Homeschoolers Find Success in College with Kendall Smythe 
• Homeschooler’s Tips for College with Carlie Smythe

Another prayer and organizing project was travel

The family had to drive all over the country! Kym and her husband prayed before they made this commitment to their twins’ hockey team. She says,

“I can’t tell you how many prayers I prayed, not like please let this work out, but please just make it clear.”

Advice from Kym for sports moms

• Don’t be a “heavy equipment mom” with your teens.
  • Don’t be the kind of sport parent that becomes the helicopter mom, bulldozer  mom, yelling mom. Support your teens, but don’t vicariously live your sports dreams through them. Don’t confuse your identity as a sports mom with their athletic success.
• Discuss with your teens:
  • Be leaders and guides
  • Give affirmations to team members
• Model being a good person and good volunteer
• Have a good attitude when vacations aren’t vacations, they are sports tournaments
• Check out this episode on How to Prepare Homeschoolers for NCAA Sports
• Also, check out this interview with one of homeschool graduates who swam for Harvard

Balancing sports and academics for college choices

As high school progressed, Kym and the twins had to discuss college search and choices. Should they look for colleges with women’s club hockey or NCAA hockey? It was a tough decision and needed lots of prayer and wisdom. They decided on club hockey because they wanted to make certain that they had time to prioritize academics. NCAA-level sports might not give them enough academic study time.

Today, both twins have graduated and have sports-related careers. They still love hockey and are pleased with the choices they made in personal development, academics, and sports.

Connect with 7SistersHomeschool at:

• website: 7SistersHomeschool.com (curriculum and how-tos)
• 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group (great discussions there!)
• Our Substack
• Instagram: 7SistersHomeschool
• 7Sisters YouTube channel
• Our Pinterest resources

Thank you Seth Tillman for editing.

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7 Ways to Earn High School Credits

Some parents who are homeschooling a high schooler may be wondering how in the world they can earn a high school credit? Is there just one way or are there other ways? Well, you may or may not know this, but there are in fact seven different ways to earn high school credits! Your child will be building a valuable transcript for their high school years before you know it.

7 Ways to Earn Credits In High School

Because there are seven different ways to earn credits in high school, that means there is not one “right” way to homeschool your high schooler and therefore not one right way to earn credits as well.

You can choose from a variety of different topics. For instance, you might have a textbook you would like to use for math, and then you might want to do independent study for history. These would count for your credits. 

You can use all these different, creative ways to earn credits for different subjects, for all kinds of learners, and to meet your family needs.

Textbook Credits

The classic way to earn credits for homeschool high schoolers is with a textbook. If you read the textbook description, it will usually tell you how much credit is earned when teens complete the work of that textbook. 

And usually with textbooks, there’s associated tests or assignments that they do. When they’ve completed all that work, they have either earned half a credit or a full credit.

Online Courses

Another way to do that is to do some online courses. There are two kinds of online courses:

• Live online courses: If you have a subject you want your teens to learn from somebody else, this is a good way to do that. It also puts the responsibility for getting that information to your teens onto someone else. They can teach your teen in a way that might even be more understandable than you could do, or even more understandable than you’re interested in doing it (which is totally okay by the way!).
  
• Self-Paced courses: One-off courses are also available where the courses are not live but instead are self-paced. Teens just simply go online and take the course on their own schedule in their own time. This is great for teens who like to study late in the veenings or want to knock out a chunk of school or credits really quickly.

You can find a few places online right now that have online course academies for teens! Places such as True North Homeschool Academy, Funda Funda Academy, and Dreaming Spires Home Education are just a few of them.

Also, our 7Sisters course, Psychology, is self-paced which is perfect to go on a high school transcript. But keep your eyes open for more!

College Classes

Another way to earn credits is with college classes. So very often local areas, like community colleges, will make teens wait until they are juniors or seniors. And sometimes teens can do online courses through a university a little bit younger than that.

Just check with the different schools around your area. If you get to something that you just don’t want to teach, or that your teens have outgrown the information you have available for them, then they may be ready to take a course college level. 

Independent Study

Another way to earn credits for our homeschool high schoolers is independent study. We very simply call that logging hours because it’s just so clear what teens are going to do. 

For example, let’s say you have a teenager who loves history. They just want to learn everything they can about a specific topic in history, like maybe the World Wars or the Colonial Era fashion. They can simply just study and learn everything they can from valid websites on the internet and library books and field trips and crafts and cooking, and just all kinds of online and in-person experiences. These make rich electives on the transcript.

And your teen will log the hours down. They will write down what they did on a certain day and how long they did it until they reach a Carnegie unit credit.

Side Note:

If you go to the Carnegie website, generally they’ll say it is 120 hours of instruction, but each state has adapted that to their own wish. Like in our area, a Carnegie credit for teens is 135 hours of education or instruction, which is about average. But some states need 180, so make sure you look at your state’s Department of Education site or check HSLDA. Both should tell you how many equals a credit, but you should aim for at least 120. 

The good thing about that is teens can earn a credit in anything that is meaningful to them. The tough thing is they have to remember to log that. Sometimes you may need to meet with them regularly and go over their progress by having them show you what they’re doing so that you’re sure they’re actually logging it down.

As the saying goes, if you didn’t write it down, it did not happen!

Here are some more tips from Carol Anne Swett in this Homeschool Highschool Podcast discussion about practical credits for reluctant learners.

Take Co-0p Classes

Another way to earn credits for high school is to take co-op classes or umbrella school classes. These are like live in-person classes, and they’re usually so much fun to do because:

• They usually get a different teacher each class or term
• They get to hang out with friends in person
• They get local expertise

Your kids can learn about so many topics that you just don’t have the talent nor knowledge – nor energy – to teach about. For example, your kids can learn all about poetry or how to cook.

Generally, you know how much credit a teen is earning in a co-op class or an umbrella school class because it will be in the course description. If it’s not, you can ask and work with whoever the teacher is to clarify how much credit is being earned. Because you don’t want to shortchange your teen, but then you don’t want to exaggerate either.

Read Real Books

Another way to earn credits that is actually quite popular among the teens who love to read is…reading! Some of teens are bookworms and love to read. They will explore an area of particular interest by reading real books of historical novels, biographies, nonfiction, and so on. 

And as they read real books, they are accumulating hours of knowledge. Generally, teens will have them do a study guide, book summary or a reaction paper to show they had read it and interacted with the material in order to show they’ve learned from it. Because you don’t want them to passively read something. You want them to engage it and think about it and write it. You can have some kind of written interaction for them to do. 

And for a Carnegie Credit, usually around sixteen books will be pretty close to one Carnegie credit, but it varies. Also, if you have a monstrous book, you may count that as a couple of books, like an anthology book you could count as several books. 

Have teens keep a book list and their interaction papers or study guides that they have completed, so you could count those as a credit in that interest area.

Life Experiences

The final way to earn high school credits is through life experiences. Teens sometimes get opportunities to do a variety of things, like traveling or mission trips. These could easily count as an immersion experience because of seeing different cultures, hearing different languages if they are out of the country. This is experience and education that you can get in no other way!

When teens are having an immersive experience, you could count a week’s activity or a week’s travel as a quarter credit, so your teen could get a quarter credit for missions if they were headed for a Christian college. If they are headed to a secular college, a week would be a one-quarter credit called cross-cultural.

If your teen is going to do an apprenticeship, this experience looks incredibly valuable. Generally, teens will put a lot of hours in there, and it will really inflate what their transcript could look like. They might get two Carnegie units worth of hours done. 

Seven Ways to Earn High School Credits

As you can see, there are so many ways a teen could earn credits in high school. As a recap, they could earn from:

1. Textbooks
2. Online courses or self-paced, asynchronous courses
3. College classes
4. Co-op and umbrella school classes
5. Independent study
6. Reading real books
7. Life experiences

Also, you  can combine credit styles to earn credits, check out this episode for details. Here is information on leveling up the credits to Honors.

And all of those go together to make a credit on their transcript. So sit down with your teen and discuss with them about how they can have a really awesome educational experience and a mighty transcript for their homeschool high school!

Thanks to Richie Soares with Homeschool and Humor for transcribing this episode.

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The post 7 Ways to Earn High School Credits- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

C.S. Lewis Literature & Composition Full-Year ELA Bundle

We get so excited when we get to talk about something new! This week on the podcast, we share about our new Full-Year CS Lewis Literature and Composition. If you are like Vicki (whose favorite author is C.S. Lewis), you are going to be SO excited!

Click image for full description.

As you know, 7Sisters full-year literature and composition courses are downloadable bundles of literature guides, study guides, and resources. In this full-credit bundle are concentrating on the novels by (and about) Lewis. Even in a lot of the writing is based on the myth-fantasy writing of Lewis (and his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien).

So let’s talk about why you would want your teen to have a full-year focus on C.S. Lewis

Lewis said that the imagination is the organ of meaning. Our creativity and the imagination that God gave us is the generator of the meaning and the purpose that God has created us to have as individuals (and as people altogether created in his image).

After all, God is a creative God and he made us in his image to be creative and to enjoy creative things. So when we do creative reading or  creative writing, we are actually creating some meaning in our lives, even if it’s just fun (because fun can be meaningful too).

So, this is this full year C.S. Lewis literature and composition bundle is about creativity and meaning.

What is included in the Full Year of English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition bundle?

Remember, all 7Sisters curriculum is NO-busywork, and levelable to various goals and abilities of each teen.

C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition is chock full of classic favorites from Lewis, plus a delightful graphic novel about C.S. Lewis and his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.

The books include:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and His Boy
• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Last Battle
• Out of the Silent Planet
• Perelandra
• That Hideous Strength
• The Mythmakers by John Hendrix

(You will need to buy copies of these books for your teen to read, or borrow a copy from the library. You might want to purchase from Amazon; if so, we are Amazon associates, and will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you visit Amazon using our link in our sidebar to the right.)

Which Cinema Studies guides are a part of this year’s bundle?

Your teens will have fun with these movies and unique study guides:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005, directed by Andrew Adamson)
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Comparing Two Versions: 2005 directed by Andrew Adamson & 1988 BBC Version
• The Most Reluctant Convert (directed by Norman Stone, starring Max McClean)

(You will need to buy or rent these movies; many are available on streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Netflix, or borrow them from a friend or from the library.)

If your teen has already completed these Cinema Studies Literature Guides in the past, see information below about how to adapt this ELA bundle.

Which writing guides are included in 3b – A Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition?

• 10- Week Essay Writing Guide
• Creative Writing: Create APA “research paper” subcreation in the style of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien
• Myth-Fantasy short story
• APA-style research paper based on some topic of interest

What else will I find in this bundle?

1. Grammar Granules – Essential Elements of English
2. Recommended Resources for Supplemental Grammar and Vocabulary Learning
3. Confidence-Building Skills for Public Speaking Experience
4. Parents Manual – Intro and How to Use This Bundle (including direction for grading and determining a final ELA grade for the transcript)
5. Chart for Determining the Level of Rigor for our year of High School ELA
6. Recommendations for HOW MANY BOOKS TOTAL your student should read this year

Download the Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition for an inspiring and empowering academic year!

Connect with us!

We love having you as a 7th Sibling. (After all, there are only six of us 7Sisters, so who is the 7th Sister? YOU are!)

Meet us and all your 7th Sisters on:

• Our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group (you can post question up in the Facebook group and somebody is going answer it!)
• 7 Sisters Homeschool Instagram
• And on Pinterest 7 Sisters Homeschool
• 7 Sisters Homeschool YouTube

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Introducing C.S. Lewis Literature & Composition Full-Year ELA Bundle appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Staying Calm in Times of Imminent Stress

If you watch the news or social media, you might be noticing lots of stressful events, it sometimes feels like stress is a looming, imminent presence! That’s difficult enough for us parents, but even more so for teens, who are just developing their self-awareness and stress management skills. With that in mind, I asked our friend, Cousin, and Homeschool Mama Self-care coach, Teresa Wiedrick, to help us work out some skills we can all use for staying calm in these times.

Teresa often works with homeschool moms who are dealing with periods of time when there is significant stress at the moment or coming soon.  In those times, homeschool parents have to put on their good skills in order to lead the family in a possibly dangerous time.

Teresa’s story

Teresa homeschooled her four kids for almost two decades four kids. They are all graduated, and as Teresa says, she now as a graduated homeschool mom.

She felt called to help her fellow homeschooling moms and gradually moved into the homeschool coach role. She officially launched her coaching practice at Capturing the Charmed Life in 2019, after she had written the wonderfully helpful book, Homeschool Mama Self-care.

Next, Teresa started the Homeschool Mama Self-Care podcast and started connecting people around the world from my home. She absolutely loves this work of empowering women to be all that they were meant to be in their homeschool lives and in their lives in general.

Teresa lives western Canada, where there are some stressful times of year

She live in mountainous British Columbia where she homesteads outside of a small town. One of her big, yearly-imminent stressors is fire season. When we recorded this episode, there were fires within a one-hour drive from her home. At the time, one of the fires had been generally suppressed about a mile away! SO, there’s a lot of imminent stress going on!

The news in the US showed pictures of airplanes dumping the fire retardant chemicals on the fire. That was the fire just a mile or so from her house! That fire is what you could call an imminent stressor, especially for the many evacuees in her area. The government was trying to find new places for people to move to because so many homes had been lost.

What Teresa has learned about managing imminent stressors

The biggest thing that Teresa has learned is that we are not in control of everything that happens. We stress ourselves out more when we do not accept that truth. For instance, she could not control the Park Forest fire that burned thousands of acres of land, including a small town of 15,000 people. She cannot control the fact that all those people were left homeless.

Some of our homeschool families are in areas that are prone to natural disasters

We have homeschooling friends who live in areas that have seen more tornado activity in the past few years. Our families on the East Coast and Gulf Coast see hurricane activity some years.

So there are these times where we can’t “make it better”. We can’t say, “there won’t be a fire, there won’t be a hurricane”. However, as parents, we must still keep some measure of mental health in the family.

However, we can give our teens, younger children, and ourselves, some stress-coping skills, so that they are more resilient and positive (and not simply waiting in fear for a natural disaster).

Teresa teaches her family meditations or somatic mindfulness kind (such as yoga or tai chi practices). These calming activities help ease the body and soul when they feel anxious.

One practice Teresa likes is identifying somatic feelings

Identifying big emotions is truly helpful. You ask teens (and yourself) what you are feeling and where in the body we are  feeling it. (You noticed, there are probably places in your body that carry your stress, like a tense jaw or neck.) In a way, identifying the feeling helps to almost bring it outside of us, like we are observing it. It lessens the feeling of stress for our bodies and souls.

Then, importantly, you say (and teach your teen to say), “I feel this but I’m still okay.”

I think that there’s certain breath work activities that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system that really do help to slow down what’s going on inside of us.

Breathing helps

When we do slow, deep breathing, it helps all the systems in our body will slow down, just like you’re putting a foot on a brake in the car. (You can add this to your teens’ health credit by explaining that slow, deep breathing will stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body. We know also that oxygen reduces the stress hormone.)

There are many types of deep breathing. One of Vicki’s favorites is called progressive relaxation (it combines tensing and relaxing muscle groups as you breath. Here’s a how to for progressive relaxation.)

Teresa enjoys “box breathing”. In this deep breathing you breathe in for four beats breath. Then you holding it for four beats. Next exhale for four beats, and then hold for four. Repeat the exercise three times.

Connection helps

When teens (or adults) feel stress, it can help to have a go-to person to talk to. For instance, when the fires were raging in her region, and Teresa was watching the helicopters fly over their homestead with huge water buckets. She was alone on the homestead that day, and knew that she was feeling anxious. Teresa’s go-to person is her husband, so she called him.

She asked for his help in getting grounding (feeling less anxious). Although she knew how to do box breathing, it felt good to her to breathe over the phone with her husband. The breathing calmed her, and connecting with him calmed her.

People are made to connect, to look out for each other. Thus, during times of imminent stress, it is important to do simple things together, like talking and breathing.

Be prepared

It helps to lower anxiety if we are prepared ahead of time. Recruit your teens to help create an emergency plan and emergency kit. (Remember fire drills at school when you were a kid?)

Create an evacuation plan if your family faced fire or natural disaster. Create an emergency kit with medical, first aid, emergency radio, and copies of important documents. Teens feel empowered if they have completed the Red Cross first aid and CPR classes.

Learn to be calm before the stressful times, then practice often

There are many ways to teach the body and mind to be calmer. These are good to practice every day.

Teresa enjoys guided meditations (one of the many things she talks about in her Homeschool Mama Self-care Support Group on Facebook).

Somatic meditations are good self-awareness practices (also called a body scan meditation). In this meditation, teens breathe, then notice each part of their body and identify what those parts are feeling (stress?, pain?, just-fine?). Respect the feeling, then remind yourself: “I feel this but I’m still okay.”

It helps to have a coach

It’s a nice thing for us homeschool moms to have a calm, wise person to talk to before and/or during times of imminent stress. Teresa has helped so many of her coachees grow in self-awareness, manage stress, feeling empowered to enjoy their homeschool work.

Connect with Teresa Wiedrick

You can find Teresa at:

• Homeschool Mama Self-care/Capturing the Charmed Life.
• Check out her encouraging podcast: Homeschool Mama Self-care: Nurturing the Nurturer
• Find her on social media:
  • Facebook Homeschool Mama Self-care
  • Instagram Homeschool Life Coach

Also, you will love our other chats with Teresa on Homeschool Highschool Podcast:

• Harmonious Homeschools
• How to Engage Homeschool High Schoolers
• Homeschooling in Canada

Join Vicki and Teresa for a discussion on helping the family to stay calm during times of imminent stress and natural disasters.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

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The post Staying Calm in Times of Imminent Stress and Natural Disasters with Teresa Wiedrick appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Model Diplomacy with Natalie Mack

One of the blessings of homeschooling high school is the ability to give our teens some outstanding extracurricular experiences. Model Diplomacy is one of those marvelous opportunities. Our friend and Cousin, Natalie Mack, teaches Model Diplomacy. She agreed to tell us about it!

Model Diplomacy is a gift we can give our homeschool high schoolers to help them be better prepared for life and good citizenship.

About Natalie Mack

Natalie’s family has been homeschooling a for over twenty-three years. She and her husband (a retired Navy chaplain) have five children. Four of them have now finished college and one just graduated from homeschooling high school. (You will love her son Nathaniel’s interview on the podcast. He shared about his experiences with a Virginia Conservation District’s student project program.)

In her other hats (and Natalie has LOTS of other hats), she serves as:

• a homeschool educational consultant
• helps with a Military Homeschool Association
• works part-time for Homeschool Legal Defense Association, aiding military homeschool families
• a frequent conference speaker
• Retro Report ambassador

You can find Natalie all over the place, even on Tedx (where she talked about homeschooling). You could say that Natalie Mack is a diplomat for homeschooling families!

About Model Diplomacy

When Natalie was working on her degrees at Spelman College, she was a double major in Political Science and Spanish. Her plan had been to go on to graduate school and study International Affairs. In graduate school Natalie ended up switching her major to Counseling. (So she and Vicki are both counselors.) She worked as a counselor in private practice and as a drug and alcohol therapist. Then came homeschooling for more than two decades!

Whether it was counseling or International Affairs, Natalie has always been drawn to is the study of people and culture. As a homeschool mom, Natalie has been teaching Civics to local homeschool high schoolers so that they could earn their required credit while learning about government and how to be a good citizen in a nonpartisan manner.

After a while, Natalie was contacted by the Council for Foreign Relations, known as CFR. They mentioned a Model Diplomacy educational resources. She was excited. She began teaching Model Diplomacy in-person the military homeschoolers in her area. Then, as the word got out, more teens wanted her classes, so she added some of her own resources and moved to Google Classroom.

Just a few of the topics and resources from CFR that Natalie has used include:

There are resources and discussion material for teachers and students for these topics and more.

• The United States, Russia, and China and the fight for who governs and controls the Arctic
• Explosion of the USS Maine in 1898
• Cuban immigration in 1980
• What are asylum seekers?
• Climate migrants, people who are devastated by natural disasters and weather phenomenon
• The Zimmerman Telegram.
• Who owns space?
• The Oregon boundary dispute in 1845
• How do nations interact?
• What makes a good citizen?

So, teens are learning current events and past events that were current events at that time. They learn perspective-taking, how governments work, and how to be a good citizen.

Teens learn better with examples. That’s why the lessons are example based. Through the examples, they see and discuss the ways things actually interacted in the past and in the present, rather than just reading a textbook.

Model Diplomacy Popup

Natalie calls her class the Model Diplomacy Popup because the individually segmented events popup in time.

Each lesson includes:

• new vocabulary
• historical background information
• understanding different perspectives and positions on the topic
• the event/topic of the lesson
• application-to-diplomacy discussions
• homework: a question to research and develop a stance on

If Model Diplomacy looks interesting for your homeschool high schoolers, contactNatalieMack@gmail.com and mention Model Diplomacy classes.

You can also find Natalie Mack at:

• Homeschool Natalie Mack on Facebook and Instagram.
• Natalie has LOTS of information about homeschooling high school at NatalieMack.com
• You will be blessed by these discussions with Natalie on Homeschool Highschool Podcast:
  • Helping Teens Handle Depression
  • Stress Management for the Holidays
  • Emotionally Preparing Teens for College
  • Tips for Homeschooling High School
  • How to Get Started Starting Things

Join Vicki and Natalie for a delightful discussion on Model Diplomacy.

Thank you, Seth Tillman for editing.

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4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
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6. Thanks!

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The post Model Diplomacy with Natalie Mack appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Spectrum Resources for Homeschooling with Keisha Berry

There’s not ONE kind of homeschooler but every homeschooler matters! That’s why we are so excited to talk with our friend, Keisha Berry of Spectrum Education and Therapy Center,  about resources and tips for supporting our unique learners!

Keisha Barry is a speech and language pathologist and special education teacher. Her Spectrum Education and Therapy Center was created to help “neuro-spicy” homeschoolers and their parents with tools for sucess. (Keisha is the sister of our friend and Cousin, Dr. Rochelle Matthews Somerville of EFM Education.)

Keisha’s Story

Keisha was working as a special education teacher when her sister (Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville) began homeschooling. She at first thought, “Are you crazy?”

Then her son, who was attending a traditional school, started having some challenges. He was a very bright kid and also, neurodivergent. They had not pursued the diagnosis, but she started to get comments in his report card that he was hyperactive and inattentive. He did the testing for the talented and gifted program at school and found that they were definitely dealing with a twice-exceptional young man.

As they went along, Keisha learned about her son and his needs. School, she realized, felt so much more like a box and he was ready to expand. So she pulled him out of school in the first grade. It was supposed to be a temporary thing. Her sister Rochelle said, “well, just try it.”

She did not have enough money to send him to a private school, so she followed her sister’s advice. Keisha homeschooled him. He graduated and is in college now.

Keisha and her husband now have three more daughters that are homeschooled. They have never looked back to those kind of traditional settings.

The story of Keisha’s son is important because it can encourage the many parents with 2e kids. And not just, 2e kids- there are all kinds young people with all kinds of differences. They matter and their education matters. Homeschooling can help them thrive.

Keisha’s professional training helped, now she is helping others

With her training as a special education professional and her Masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Keisha had expertise that helped her create the best learning environment for her son.

She also knew that she could help bless the families of other children who are on the autism spectrum. Keisha wanted to help with both education and therapy side. So that’s where Spectrum Education and Therapy Center name comes from. A lot of people think she is referring only to the autism spectrum, but it’s actually the spectrum of education and therapy services.

SETClearning.com provides a variety of specialty services and support for neurodivergent homeschoolers. Keisha’s dream is to support these young people and their parents with (with in-person AND virtual services):

• homeschool related services
• speech therapy
• occupational therapy
• special educators
• psychologists who can do assessments and clinical evaluations
• counselors

Keisha wants parents to know that their neurodivergent kids are not lost. They are waiting to be developed. When you have the right resources and support, they’re going to do all the wonderful things.

Tips for homeschooling kids on the spectrum

Here are some tips from Keisha:

Why won’t you just sit still at the table?

Because you can successfully do  math can be done upside down on the steps, on a swing, or on the front porch . Who cares? Education does not need to happen on a chair at the table.

Pay attention to environmental stimuli

Keisha’s son explained to her one day that having multiple sounds going on helped him focus because he had to be intentional about ignoring things like sound. Every homeschooler is different! Some homeschoolers need quiet. You can talk to your homeschooler and observe to find out what works for them.

Why don’t you keep still?

Homeschoolers do not need to keep still to learn. Keisha’s son needed movement to help him focus on what he was doing.

Talk to your homeschooler

Try to did a lot of talking, a lot of asking why. Help them learn to say what they are feeling and what they need. They grow in self-awareness and ability to advocate for themselves. Keisha’s son is now in college where knowing himself is important.

Help them learn how to learn and explore their interests

Keisha embraced helping her son learn how to learn. Then, he could learn anything. By eighth grade he had learned to love learning. He would say, “Mom, let me tell you what I just learned. What do you think about this?”

Learn how to stay with the conversation

Keisha learned to embrace the joy of staying with conversations. She discovered that if they start a simple conversation, her son was going somewhere grand. And that conversation is really going to develop! She learned that  sometimes she had to take a deep breath and  stay in there on the conversation- listen to the whole thing.

Use the library explore interests or discover new things

When her son expressed an interest in a topic, she would say,  “let’s go to the library and pick out some books”. Her son discovered book series that she would have never picked for him- so he discovered an interest!

Some interests could be explored at the library. Keisha’s son has always been into Greek mythology. Exploring the library for books on Greek mythology helped him to build that interest.

Freedom is key

Keisha’s son had the freedom to choose and direct his exploration of interest. Her job was to help him find resources, such as the library.

Teach character

Some character skills need to be taught. Learning these skills is empowering to young people on the spectrum.  Think about teaching:

• love of self
• citizenship
• how to be a decent person
• managing their self-awareness and mental health
  • Don’t forget the power of working with professional counselors who can walk both parents and students through what they’re feeling. That is a high priority.

Connect with Spectrum Education and Therapy Center

You can access SETClearning.com for digital services/

If you are in the DC/Virginia/Maryland  area, look into the local Because you got local resources at SETClearning.com. Keisha puts out a monthly calendar with the events and field trips.

Find Keisha

• at SETClearning.com
• and at National Homeschool Advocacy (where both she and Vicki serve as homeschool experts)

Join Vicki and Keisha for a delightful discussion on homeschooling resources for young people on the spectrum.

For more ideas of finding curriculum for homeschoolers with differences, check out this post.

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