Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

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May 26 2015

“I have no idea where to get the books!”

{This post is one in a series called, “Top 10 Fears”, in which I speak to the most common fears parents express about homeschooling the high school years.  To see all of the topics, or start at the beginning, click HERE.}

10fears

Top Fear #3:

Not knowing where to get the books

This might be a no-brainer to some people, but to others this is a very real concern.  This confusion and lack of knowledge can be a real deal-breaker for some people, causing them to give up on the idea of homeschooling high school altogether.

Let me start by reminding my readers that homeschooling isn’t just about books.  Though books are crucial for homeschoolers, and should be easily accessible (in large quantities!) throughout the homeschool years, I remind you there are many ways to learn that do not involve books at all.

Nevertheless, I want you to know there are many, many sources of quality books, textbooks and curriculum to use when homeschooling.  Many of these places are easily found online, and lots of them can be found in most cities and towns, too.

Here’s a short list of places to find books — turns out, they’re not nearly that difficult to find at all:

  • Online homeschool book stores, such as Rainbow Resources, Homeschool Supercenter, or ROCK Solid, Inc.  Search for more, as there are hundreds
  • Online book retailers, like Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and all the rest
  • Publisher web sites, such as Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Harcourt.
  • Homeschool product sites, from the makers of Institute for Excellence in Writing, Common Sense Press, and Moving Beyond the Page plus all the places on these lists
  • Libraries for borrowing books, and sometimes for buying used books, too
  • Garage sales
  • Homeschool conventions where many vendors gather all in one place
  • New or used book sales like home shopping parties (think Usborne), public school book sales, curriculum sales held by homeschool groups, and used book sales held at churches or local organizations
  • Warehouse sales, like the ones sponsored by Scholastic Books throughout the year
  • Online swap boards like Vegsource, Homeschool Classifieds, plus all those “Swip Swap” groups that can be found on Facebook
  • Friends, teachers and other homeschoolers who have books to loan or donate
  • Ebay or other auction sites
  • Amazon used or half price books on Half
  • Book depositories, like the ones where schools bring their outdated copies and books no longer in print

The great news is that books can be found most everywhere.  Perhaps the harder task is trying to resist buying too many!

Other articles of interest:

Using textbooks

Where do homeschoolers get supplies?

Why we write in our books

Marie-Claire Moreau, Quick Start Homeschool

 

 

MCM thumb

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  The founder of many homeschool groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, or with no educational background whatsoever.  A liaison for regional school-to-home organizations and a homeschool leader in Florida, Marie-Claire also mentors homeschool families nationwide. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, and many other events.  She currently writes for audiences at Quick Start Homeschool, which she founded in 2010, and as a guest writer on other sites as often as she can.  Her articles have appeared in CONNECT magazine, on Homefires, at Circle of Moms, and she has contributed to hundreds of other blogs nationwide.  Dr. Moreau can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: books, classroom resources, curriculum

May 24 2015

Afraid you can’t teach the classes?

{This post is one in a series called, “Top 10 Fears”, in which I speak to the most common fears parents express about homeschooling the high school years.  To see all of the topics, or start at the beginning, click HERE.}

10fears

Top Fear #2

Afraid you can’t teach all the classes yourself

Even the most confident parents may shudder at teaching classes they don’t know.  The most well-educated parents can get rusty, too.

This is a normal concern.  And a very easy one to get around.

The first rule to remember is that not everyone can be good at everything.  Everybody needs a little help from time to time.  No shame in that.

The second rule is that it’s okay for homeschool parents not to teach everything themselves.  Leaving certain courses to more skilled individuals may guarantee better results anyway.  Put your pride or embarrassment aside, and realize that out-sourcing high school isn’t that big a big deal.

Look specifically for these kinds of resources — ones that take the burden off you and put it somewhere else:

  • A teacher, tutor, other homeschool parent, or some trusted individual to teach the class for you (could be done via Skype or other method, too).  Everybody has a friend, uncle, former teacher, or neighbor skilled at something.  Offer to pay as you would any other professional.
  • An online class that provides lectures, assignments, assessments, and grading without you lifting a finger.  This can be an online virtual school, a private school that accepts homeschoolers, or classes via online businesses that are worthy of high school credit.  Make sure it’s all-inclusive, and you’ll be ready to go.
  • A group of other students and families who have hired someone to teach the class.  This can be in a homeschool co-op (what’s a co-op?) or can just be an informal group of friends all looking for the same class.  This works well for academic subjects as well as lab experiments and test prep, too.
  • A community college class nearby, where your student may attend like any other student.  Look into rules in your area, finding out tuition costs (if any), placement information, and what is needed to register your homeschooler on campus.  As a bonus, these classes often give college credit, too (how does that work?).
  • A local high school, tech school or community ed program where your student can take the class.  This is a little like sending your teen to school, except you control the curriculum, and it’s only 1-2 classes at a time.  Find out which schools accept homeschoolers in your area, and register for classes there instead of doing them at home.
  • A packaged curriculum product where everything is provided: lessons, assignments, answer keys, and more (automated is even better).  Many products are designed with this specific fear in mind.  Check out Teaching Textbooks, Rosetta Stone, The Spectrum, and some of the other products on this list.

Other articles of interest:

Why you need to teach the tough stuff

Online and correspondence schools

Traditional high school sequence: Grades 9-12

Marie-Claire Moreau, Quick Start Homeschool

 

MCM thumb

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  The founder of many homeschool groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast.  Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, or with no educational background whatsoever.  A liaison for regional school-to-home organizations and a homeschool leader in Florida, Marie-Claire also mentors homeschool families nationwide. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, and many other events.  She currently writes for audiences at Quick Start Homeschool, which she founded in 2010, and as a guest writer on other sites as often as she can.  Her articles have appeared in CONNECT magazine, on Homefires, at Circle of Moms, and she has contributed to hundreds of other blogs nationwide.  Dr. Moreau can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

 

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: books, classroom resources, high school, lesson

Jan 19 2015

Where to find high school curriculum

By the time homeschoolers get to high school, parents don’t have to teach (or oversee) everything any more.  In high school, sourcing products and outside experiences is the name of the game.

Parents often ask where to find curriculum for their teens.  They’re usually frustrated after searching for some universal high school curriculum that really doesn’t exist.

In high school, sourcing products and outside experiences is the name of the game.

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I love meeting with parents of teens and speaking to groups about homeschooling the high school years. When I do, I explain there is no standard high school curriculum, and that high school is different for every student.  I let parents know there are lots of ways for teens to learn in high school, and I offer suggestions for where to begin looking for curriculum options, too.

[Need a high school speaker? Contact me here.]

Are you that parent?  Have you been having trouble finding curriculum and products for your high schooler?

Let me give you some ideas.

But, before you scroll down, remember this: the sky’s the limit in terms of what can be included, excluded or combined in a home curriculum for high school.

Now, here’s a list of places to help you source high school courses, curriculum and experiences:

Curriculum Products: You’re less likely to find all-in-one curriculum products for high school, but what you will find are tons of great products to teach individual subjects, such as Algebra, Architecture or Ancient History.  Browse what your favorite homeschool author, homeschool publisher, online curriculum vendor, book retailer, or homeschool blogger  has to offer.  Glean ideas for which ones you can choose for your teen.  Better yet, have your teenager choose for himself.  By combining many of those products together, you’ll have enough curriculum for an entire year of high school.

Community and Junior Colleges: Often called “dual enrollment”, most American students now have access to programs for early college at community and junior colleges.  Check your state’s requirements first, then visit a local campus to learn about placement tests and other requirements for homeschoolers.  Depending on the area, your high schooler may be able to attend part-time — even full-time – for free or a fraction of the tuition cost.  Best yet, your student earns college credit for courses taken there, too.

Your Local High School:  Although you have opted-out of public high school, there’s nothing wrong with dropping back in for a class or two.  Many areas allow homeschoolers to attend high school part-time while still holding on to homeschool status.  Ask how things are done in your district, and then browse the high school’s course descriptions to find classes your high schooler can use.

Adult & Community Education Programs:  Most cities offer continuing education through adult and community programs.  Since these classes are offered year-round, it’s easy to combine several classes for high school credit.  Community courses are great for picking up new skills, learning alongside other people in classroom settings, and experimenting with topics for a few weeks before launching into year-long studies.

Technical Schools: Just like colleges, trade and tech schools are great places to pick up classes during high school, too. Visit a local campus to find out about opportunities for homeschooled teens.

Online High Schools: There are at least 2 kinds of online high schools, some designed for school kids who want to study from home, and others for those who want to hold on to homeschool status.  Check with each school to learn about homeschool options before enrolling.  Learn more about online high school and correspondence programs here.

Online College Courses: Today’s learners have access to an amazing line-up of lectures that have been archived from courses taught at Columbia, MIT, Harvard, Yale and other top colleges and universities.  Teens can take advantage of these lectures to  learn just about anything.  When using these courses, parents can choose to award credit based on the lectures alone, or by adding a writing or other physical component to help document learning.  No matter how it’s done, it’s like learning from top university professors, only without the cost of tuition! Learn where to find some of these courses here.

Free Online Classes: Lots of companies, businesses and individuals offer training courses online.  Teens can learn many high school-worthy things online, such as web design, coding, world languages, business skills, home making, SAT study skills and more.  Free definitely does not mean worthless, by the way, because many quality courses are offered free, requiring nothing more than signing up.

Free Online Videos: Khan Academy (though excellent) isn’t the only name in free video online learning any more.  Lots of people offer free online learning content via Youtube or other video streaming service.  These lessons can be used to supplement existing courses, or for stand-alone high school credit, too.  Find a favorite, and then list videos in order to create a set of lesson plans.  Assign labs or written work in between — curriculum solved!

High School Co-ops: Parents searching for ways for teens to make friends, learn alongside other teens, or receive simulated classroom learning, may want to look into into (or form) co-ops.  Co-ops are perfect for learning things that are hard to teach at home, learning in groups, and sharing expensive equipment.  I love co-ops and strongly recommend them at least once during the high school years.  Never heard of a homeschool co-op?  Read more about co-ops here.

Textbooks:  Though many homeschoolers shy away from standard textbooks, I am actually a fan of high school texts when used in certain ways.  One way is to use textbooks as a framework for what to study about a subject (a detailed table of contents can be your best friend).  Another way is to use textbooks combined with other resources (texts don’t have to stand alone).  Finally, because texts are designed to provide a full year of high school work, they can help to gauge just how much is considered worthy of a transcript credit.  There are other ways to use textbooks, but I caution against blindly following standards found in textbooks, because in my opinion, meeting national standards is not the same as real learning. Read how to use stand-alone textbooks here.

Internships/Mentoring: Some of the best learning comes from doing, and that’s where this idea comes in.  By working with individuals in your community (or communicating with mentors online) teens can learn first-hand the things others only read about in books.  Finding internships and mentors isn’t always easy, but great places to look include church groups, community groups, a local Chamber of Commerce, area professsional organizations, and the workplaces of people you know.

By now, you have seen that high schooling can be made of many different experiences, each tailored to the specific needs and goals for that student.  Combine many of these options to design a customized high school curriculum, then sit back and observe the rewards of personalizing an education for your teen!

For more high school articles, be sure to follow the high school tag at the bottom of this post.

Marie-Claire Moreau, Quick Start Homeschool

This is a great article to share with friends with middle and high schoolers.

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Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: books, classroom resources, college, high school, lesson plans, middle school

Dec 30 2014

Big List of Products for Music

Big List of Music

 

Inclusion does not imply endorsement:

iTunes U Courses

New York Philharmonic Kids Zone

Ambleside Online free music curriculum

Color The Classics

Music Appreciation series

Classics for Kids

MusIQhomeschool

My Father’s World

Easy Peasy Music Appreciation

Sonlight Music

Maestro Classics

Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers

Jazzkids Homeschool Piano

Simply Music Piano

Harmony Fine Arts

Beethoven Who? Family Fun With Music

SQUILT

8Notes free sheet music

Music Lessons dot com

Riff Academy

Music for Homeschoolers

The Gift of Music

San Francisco Symphony Orchestra web site

Mel Bay book series

Piano Nanny

Boston Symphony Orchestra web site

Making Music Fun

Let’s Play Music

BJU

Music Learning Community

Famous Composers notebooking set

Classical Composers Monthly

Musicards online music flash cards

Online keyboards (your choice)

Homespun Music Instruction

Additional links of interest:

Homeschool Music Association

Ultimate List of Music Education Games

 

Want more BIG LISTS? Click here!

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Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: books, classroom resources, lesson planning, music

Dec 30 2014

Big List of Products for Teaching Electives

Big List of Electives

 

It would be impossible to list the many, many elective courses that exist to date, or the many different combinations of resources that could be used to form elective credits!  But, to help you get started, I have listed a few elective ideas below.

When you click on each link, you’ll be taken to a web site or product that could be used to teach that topic at home.  BUT — if what you need isn’t listed here, don’t give up.  I can help you find the perfect product or system for your student! (Contact me for assistance.)

Speech, Debate:

Toastmasters for Kids

NCFCA Speech and Debate

STOA speech and debate

Art:

Sculpture

Art History

See a full list for art here

Technology:

Computer Programming

Code Academy

Homeschool Programming

Life Skills:

Foundations in Personal Finance

Home Economics: Family and Consumer Science

National Endowment for Financial Education

Junior Master Gardener

Poetry:

A Child’s Garden of Verses

Harp and Laurel Wreath

Driver’s Ed:

Driver Ed In A Box

Rules of the Road

National Driver Training

Foreign Language (required in some states, not electives):

Mango

Rosetta Stone

See a full list of language programs here

Other ideas:

Probability and Statistics

Calligraphy

Philosophy

Dance

Religion

Wildlife and Nature

Woodshop

Guitar

Health

Theatre/Drama

Check back often, as this list is being updated…

Want more BIG LISTS? Click here!

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Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: books, classroom resources, lesson planning

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