mini e-course Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Jul 21 2014

{Day 1} College Prep High Schooling — Covering The Basics

Day 1: Covering the Basics

[View the entire series HERE]

If you’ve been homeschooled any length of time, you already understand how many choices there are for homeschooling the high school years.

You may:

follow the same curriculum and take the same courses as teens in traditional high schools;
do things differently, even as radically as not taking those subjects at all;
or, anything along the vast continuum of options in between.

Having options is the trademark of homeschooling — freedom of choice. Right? Right.

Also keep in mind as you’re reading this, that no matter what kind of homeschooler you are, there is a college out there for you — uniquely you.

Here’s the catch, though. Colleges are going to want to know who you are, what you took in high school, what you’ve been doing so far, and — of particular interest to them – what you’ll bring to the table when you get there.

Unless you select an open admissions college, one that admits every student who applies, or one with no requirements whatsoever (pretty hard to find), it’s a fact. You can’t get around it. At least not as of this writing.

So, freedom aside, let’s talk reality.

The truth is, colleges want to know you’ve covered the basics — English, math, science, history, foreign language, and so on. So, whether you’re learning these things in the form of traditional high school courses (lessons, books or lectures), or whether you’re learning this stuff through exploration and experiencing them on your own, they need to be there. On your transcript. By the time you apply.

Imagine a student graduating from an American high school today. He or she has probably completed (hopefully successfully, with decent grades) the following classes:

4 English courses (including lots of writing)
4 math courses (including Algebra and math “higher” than that)
3 science courses (usually, a couple that had labs)
2 or 3 social science courses (like history or geography)
at least a couple of foreign language classes (sometimes called World Languages)
a couple of arts courses (like music, art or theater)
at least 1 or 2 health, P.E. or fitness courses
maybe an online course or two
maybe a computer class, or something in the technologies
and a whole bunch of electives (sometimes focusing in the same general area)

Which means, if you’re applying to college, you should probably be taking those kinds of classes in high school, too.

Do you need to do all of them? Exactly the same ones? Can you take more, less or different classes? No, no and yes. And you can learn the material differently than other teens, too.

But the reality is that admissions officers — at most colleges – expect to see mastery in those areas on a high school transcript. So you’ll need to cover those skills, too.

Your job now is to figure out how and when you’ll knock those classes out during high school. So you’ve got the same, or similar, or more of the same stuff as other applicants to.

You can do it, you just need to start planning.

Here’s the list of courses you’ll need to complete if you’re applying to college.

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Next up is Day 2: Shore Up That Writing

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many 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, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

Jul 20 2014

5 Days of College-Prep High Schooling {series}

College Prep Series for Homeschoolers

If you’re preparing a high schooler for college, this is the series for you. In the next 5 articles, I’ll be sharing some of my most valuable tips for homeschool parents and their college-bound teens. Trust me, you need to know this stuff. It’s pretty basic, but is sometimes overlooked.

Homeschooling your college-bound teenager? Here are some of the top things you’ll want to know.

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I suggest reading the topics in order, and inviting your student to read all of them, too. They are:

Day 1: Covering the basics

Day 2: Shore up that writing

Day 3: Standing out

Day 4: Tackling those tests

Day 5: Marketing yourself

Why keep this to yourself? Share it with a friend.

To your success,

Jan 31 2014

{Day 31} Time Out For Moms And Dads

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

~ This is the final article in this series / check web site for more free courses and articles ~

Few parents are busier than homeschool parents. Between teaching and creating lesson plans, driving children to and from activities, creating schedules and keeping academic records, some days never seem to end. Couple this with a larger-than-average families and spending more time at home (i.e., more mess, more housework), and it’s easy to see why homeschool moms and dads get no time alone.

What’s not so easy, is for homeschool parents to carve out time for themselves. For many, this seems impossible. This is exactly the reason moms and dads need to make togetherness a priority. Without specific attention on the marriage during the homeschool years, partners may experience stress or indifference, and relationships strained.

Families differ, but some techniques seem to work well in many households. Using these tips as a guide, time for moms and dads can be woven into very busy days.

The process begins with the recognition that couples don’t need to leave the house to be alone. Getting away is better, but locking a door and sharing a scone and a latte constitutes a date in many households. Some parents even sit in a parked vehicle in the driveway for a few moments just to get away. These brief periods are refreshing while they last, until a longer opportunity comes along the next time.

A phone conversation is another way homeschool parents can reconnect. When getting together isn’t possible, sometimes a 15 minute telephone call during a lunch break or nap time, is. I don’t suggest using wireless devices while driving, but I have met several couples who hold scheduled conversations every evening while the husband is driving home from work. They explain this works because his duties as a dad begin the moment he walks through the door, so the phone call gives him time to spend with his wife before he gets there.

Getting out of the house can be possible, too. That is, as long as parents realize date nights don’t have to be at night, and they don’t have to be planned, either. Grabbing chunks of time whenever an opportunity presents itself is the key. If a trusted friend, relative, or neighbor offers to watch the children for an hour, parents should be willing to get up and go. Spontaneous dates are sometimes the most fun, and should never be turned down without a very important reason.

The 31 Days of Homeschooling is now available for download! CLICK HERE to find out how to purchase this program and receive hundreds of homeschool tips all in one place! Includes BONUS MATERIAL not found anywhere else.

Actual date nights begin to happen more easily as children get older. In larger families, an older sibling can supervise the younger children when mom and dad need to go out. Having grown up together, knowing all of the procedures and routines well, older siblings make the best sitters around.

If there are no siblings quite ready for child care, a babysitter can be found, with the understanding that older siblings are also permitted to help. Sometimes, parents reluctant to use sitters feel better when an older child is present, since their own values and directions will still be followed while they are away.

Finally, some couples take the whole family out on dates. Though it might seem counter-intuitive, dating with the children isn’t so far-fetched if it’s at the right place. Those with infants can easily dine with a sleeping baby in a sling or a car seat. Those with toddlers can choose a fast-food restaurant with a safe area for children to play alone. Families with older children may enjoy an arcade-style restaurant (think Chuck E. Cheese or Dave & Busters) where children receive wrist bands and cannot leave the premises without their parents. These solutions may be more expensive, but offer the chance for couples to talk and eat alone. Some moms and dads also hire a sitter to accompany them to these places, so they have nothing to do except pay the bill!

The perfect time to get out may never come — that is, until all of the children are grown. Homeschool parents need to get creative about finding blocks of time to spend together whenever they can. Whether a few minutes or an entire night off, this is so important to maintaining a solid relationship, not to mention handling the life they have created together — once they get home.

The homeschool years don’t last forever, and those years are too precious to be missed. However, time away from the children does not harm those years — it enhances them. Children feel most secure with happy, loving parents. Time out for moms and dads is the best way to guarantee this will always be the case.

CHECK WEB SITE FOR MORE FREE MATERIAL LIKE THIS!

CONTACT ME FOR QUESTIONS OR CONSULTATIONS

Further reading:

Everyone needs personal space

Homeschool burnout

On homeschool moms and letting go

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many 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 public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A liaison for regional school-to-home organizations, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT, Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Jan 30 2014

{Day 30} Record Keeping To Be Proud Of

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

To advance to the next lesson, look for the “NEXT LESSON” link at the end of this article.

After several years of homeschooling, most families seem to settle into a favorite method of homeschool record-keeping. Some choose a very highly organized system, unable to operate any other way. Others are more relaxed about it, using something that might seem disorganized to everyone else, but works perfectly well for them.

There are valid reasons to keep accurate homeschool records. Some of the reasons include:

Satisfying legal requirements
Monitoring progress
Calculating grades
Creating a scrapbook or log of experiences
Helping to select materials & plan the next year

For families with high school students, the reasons for record-keeping are even more obvious. They include:

Making sure students have completed academic requirements
Creating high school transcripts
Supplying information to colleges and scholarship committees

Complete and accurate records makes performing these tasks a breeze — that is, compared to recreating four years of homeschooling from memory.

Homeschool records can take on many forms. Some families do little more than toss completed papers in a cardboard box or plastic bin. This isn’t ideal, but is better than having nothing at all. If papers are stored in date order, all the better. At the very least, the pile may be turned upside-down, creating a story of the entire homeschool year from beginning to end.

Some families go a step further and separate work by child, and by subject. Boxes and bins can be used for this, too, as well as straw baskets, plastic drawers, or anything else. These systems make it easy to store papers in order, plus additional dividers and tabs can be used to highlight important items, as well. This is an excellent way to get started — for those who may have never done this before.

Still a notch more organized is using individual file folders or 3-ring binders. This method may be slightly harder to set up, but is the easiest to follow once established. It allows parents to collect school work in certain sections, while also collecting grades, test scores, legal documents, or any other important items in a separate folder all their own. File and binder systems can be stored in boxes, baskets, filing cabinets, or just about anywhere, and can even look attractive using some of the decorative tips found on homeschool blogs, Instagram or Pinterest.

No matter what system is used, the goal of any record-keeping system is always the same — easy access and retrieval of information when it is needed. Since it takes longer to find things in a messy system than in an organized one, organized is usually the best way to go.

Easy access to information makes it possible to create great-looking portfolios, reading lists, student resumes, transcripts, and many of the other kinds of documents families need over the years. There is no time wasted when information is handy, so parents can spend more time creating professional-looking documents sure to grab anyone’s attention. {The transcripts I produce for the families I work with are highly praised by colleges and universities! Contact me if you need transcript help.}

You’ll find a variety of homeschool helps in the FREEBIE section, my e-books and this section of my web site. Browse these selections to find sample forms to download, photos of different organizational tools, and more advice on how to keep accurate, up-to-date homeschool records. For a comprehensive look at homeschool record-keeping, This book contains an entire chapter of record-keeping ideas and methods to suit every possible family, budget and style.

NEXT LESSON

Further reading:

Writing course descriptions for high school

Homeschool organization

Household Binder (plus free download)

Comprehensive high school record

Jan 29 2014

{Day 29} Pointers For College Prep

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

To advance to the next lesson, look for the “NEXT LESSON” link at the end of this article.

Admissions requirements for colleges and universities are fairly straight-forward. Whether traditionally or non-traditionally schooled, all applicants must meet the same set of basic requirements.

For Freshman, these requirements usually consist of:

a completed college application
proof of high school completion
an SAT or ACT score
a transcript of high school course work
a Freshman resume listing accomplishments, activities and extracurriculars

Although no two people are exactly alike, these requirements result in most applications looking exactly alike once they are submitted. Just imagine an admissions office receiving thousands of similar applications every year!

This begs the question, what makes certain students stand out? In particular, what can homeschoolers do to increase their chances?

Homeschoolers already several default advantages. Unlike traditionally schooled students, homeschoolers are able to mix and match courses and experiences to focus on specific areas, and then showcase their expertise in endless varieties of ways — projects, internships, jobs, service, special electives and more. Exploiting this flexibility by choosing high school experiences wisely is one way homeschoolers already stand out.

Another advantage is the result of homeschoolers being raised and schooled at home. Differences in character and maturity are immediately obvious during college interviews, making favorable impressions right off the bat. These characteristics come across in the activities that homeschoolers choose during high school, too. They shine through in written essays, as well.

A deliberate way for homeschoolers to stand out is to have a rigorous education plan. By completing a challenging curriculum and by investing the time and energy it takes to do well, graduates will be well prepared to compete for limited college vacancies. Adding into the education plan things like early college, AP and honors courses, and in depth treatment of certain subjects, and the transcript just looks better and better.

Another way to stand out is by sending additional exam scores. Instead of just taking an SAT or ACT, homeschoolers can take subject examinations, too. Subject-focused exams provide ways for homeschoolers who excel in certain areas to pull ahead from the rest of the pack. Working this strategy into the homeschool curriculum is crucial, so that a high level of mastery can be achieved by test taking season.

Finally, as a by-product of certain kinds of homeschooling, many homeschooled grads are already excellent writers. For those who are not, there is plenty of time to practice during high school. Strengthening writing skills makes it easier to ace college application essays, compared to students less skilled in this area. Colleges notice.

Across the board, homeschooled graduates have no difficulty get into good colleges, and great colleges too. For additional college prep advice, follow the ‘high school’ and ‘college’ tags at the end of this post. You’re invited to contact me for more specific advice, or to schedule a high school seminar for your group or organization.

NEXT LESSON

Further reading:

Free homeschool curriculum for high school

Earning credit for life skills

Goal-setting for a great beginning

The Core