Shop Project

Home Ec and other electives for girls seem to come easy for me. I love to sew, bake, cook, crochet, cross-stitch ... all activities that make for great Home Ec projects. Shop, however, is another story. As my son enters high school, I've been stumped looking for projects he and I could do together. Certainly he is learning to cook and bake, but I want him to develop other skills as well.

So last weekend we hit upon a project almost by accident! Aaron needed a new dresser ... the one he was using just wasn't meeting his needs any longer. So off he went with his dad to check out possibilities ... and back they came with a huge box full of hardware and pieces of very heavy wood! Instant "shop" project!

We sorted through pieces, read through the directions, and spent a couple of hours assembling a very nice dresser. I thoroughly enjoyed working side-by-side with my 14 year old "man" of few words. The end result was a very nice piece of furniture and the satisfaction of sharing a job well done. And the confidence that we can look for future projects to do together!

~Judy

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