High School Transcript

In my experience, one of the things that causes the most anxiety about homeschooling through high school is the thought of creating a transcript. I must admit I shared that anxiety until I had to create one ... then I found it wasn't nearly as intimidating as I had thought!

The first step in creating a transcript is record keeping ... and it needs to begin when your student is a freshman ... not when they reach their junior year. Keep track of your student's academics, extracurricular activities, employment, volunteering, etc...

The second step is confidence ... the belief that as the homeschool parent/teacher, you are the best judge of what constitutes a credit for your student.

I found that assigning credits to Sonlight programs was fairly logical and not difficult at all. For example, the year our oldest did Core 400, here are the credits I assigned:

• American Literature - 1 credit for English (the American Lit portion of Core 400)
  
• Sophmore Composition - 1/2 credit for English (Creative writing portion of Core 400)
• American History - 1 credit for History (History literature in Core 400)
• Civics & Government - 1/2 credit (Government title in Core 400)

Obviously Sonlight is not an accredited agency, and thus does not assign credits to their curriculum materials. However, I as the homeschool teacher have the freedom to do just that!

If you're interested in a copy of a sample transcript, please email me and I'll be happy to send one. More on high school homeschooling to follow!

High School?!

The concept of homeschooling through high school strikes fear into the hearts of many (myself included)! Five years later ... one graduated and another part-way through the high school years, I've found it's not nearly as intimidating as I thought it might be.


One of the first things that I did in preparation for homeschooling a high schooler was to read an excellent (IMHO) book recommended by a friend. The Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook by Cafi Cohen is a wonderful resource that covers doing high school at home, creating credits and granting a diploma, writing a transcript, application essays, and much, much more. Her book is full of wonderful testimonies and practical suggestions from other homeschool moms. I spent many hours poring over the book and highlighting sections that were especially helpful.

Another thing I would highly recommend is to find someone that has already begun, or even completed, the high school portion of their homeschool journey. There is great value in taking the time to "sit at the feet" of someone who can share first-hand what worked for them and what did not. If you lack this kind of "skin-on" resource ... find your local homeschool support group or get in touch with your state support group to find out what regulations apply for educating a student in high school.

Get your student involved! Talk with your high schooler about where their interests lay and what types of things they might wish to study. One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling a teen is the chance to provide them with opportunities to learn and grow in their area(s) of interest. Beginning with excellent curriculum material is only part of the equation ... there are all sorts of opportunities for internships, job-shadowing, field trips, and other hands-on experiences that will greatly enrich your student's high school years.

More on homeschooling through high school in another post. For now ... order the book I recommended and begin talking with your student about the possibilities of a high school career at home!

~Judy

Free Chocolate?

Don't those words just bring joy to your heart?!! Every homeschool mom should make time for a chocolate break ... especially if the chocolate is free!

To celebrate the "birth" of my new recipe blog, I decided to join the Ultimate Blog Party this week and get in on some of the fun.



So set aside a few minutes of "mom time" in the next few days and check out both the Ultimate Blog Party site for some great prizes ... then pop over to my new recipe blog and find out how you can win yourself some free chocolate!

Oh ... and don't forget to bookmark this site as well ... and share it with some of your friends!

~Judy

It's in the mail!!

The 2009 Sonlight catalog hit the mailstream today. As I post this, large numbers of catalogs are making their way to various impatient, waiting customers!

So how will you enjoy your catalog when it arrives? Will you hide it away and wait for a quiet moment ... late at night, when the kids are asleep? Or maybe relax in a long, hot bath with your coveted catty? Even better yet ... perhaps you'll arrange to get together with other catalog-loving friends and share your enjoyment at a local coffee shop?

Now that the catalog has begun its journey, I'm beginning to really get excited with my convention planning! Both CHAP and NYS LEAH have begun taking registrations for their 2009 conventions ... and I'm working hard on designing my booth displays to provide a unique opportunity for folks to see and experience our new product line.

If you haven't already, drop me an email and ask about an invitation to my private consultant forum. It's an excellent place to begin your convention preparation. Come tell me what you'd like to see at one of my conventions. If you won't be able to attend a convention this year ... let's chat about your curriculum plans for 2009. I'm looking forward to meeting or chatting with you!

You've never signed up for a Sonlight catalog? Feel free to head over to the Sonlight web site and ask for yours today.

Computer Education

Looking for an interesting, attention-getting elective for your Jr High or High School student? Web design is a valuable skill for any student ... especially in this age of technology. Worried that you don't have the knowledge to teach this particular subject? Worry no longer ... the Professor is on the way.

Student-driven and self-paced, Professor Teaches: Web Pages & Graphics is a great way for your kids to learn the basics of web design and html.

• Publisher 2007
• Expression Web
• FrontPage
• Dreamweaver
• PhotoShop
• Flash

Hundreds of practical exercises will help your student build their skills quickly. It's a must-have for your homeschool and it's available from Sonlight. Head over to my landing page and enter "Professor Teaches" in the search field.

~Judy
Sonlight Consultant

Planning for 2009

Catalog and convention fever has hit the Sonlight Forums! Who would imagine that a curriculum catalog would generate so much excitement?

But sometimes a new Sonlight catalog generates frustration and confusion. Why? Because it seems as though it can't possibly be time to plan for a new school year when we're not done with this year's materials yet! Planning what to purchase for the coming year can cause your head to spin at all the possibilities, especially if you're trying to plan for multiple students.

A simple tool that I've found particularly helpful over the years is a spreadsheet that allows me to do some advance planning. There are many benefits to the exercise of filling out this type of spreadsheet:

• it allows me to *see* my planning all in one location (I tend to be a visual person)
• it often generates planning ideas that I hadn't considered before
• it prevents me from possibly "missing" doing a Core level before a student graduates
• it makes it easier to see where I might combine students with one Core, or at least plan on using "complimentary" Cores.

I'm sure there are more benefits to planning ahead ... including the fact that you really can't aim well at a goal until you set it ... but these few were sufficient to motivate me to invest the time in creating the spreadsheet.

Perhaps my spreadsheet will be helpful in your planning as well! Please feel free to copy this idea and utilize it for your own homeschool. This one is a sample of our homeschool plan ... take some time to create your own! If you like what you see, feel free to email me for a blank copy of this Excel spreadsheet.



~Judy
Sonlight Consultant