Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

When to take the SAT or ACT (specific advice from the parent of high scorers)

Many people think taking the SAT/ACT is a 12th grade thing. I remember that was my mindset when I was a high school senior, too.

If you get anything out of this article, it should be that waiting until 12th grade to take the SAT or ACT is a bad idea. In fact, since scores take a while to process, it can cause your student to miss an application deadline and ruin his/her chance of getting into the college. No joke.

If you get anything else out of this article, it should be that SATs and ACTs are not the kind of tests you wait until 12th grade to think about. Students who take these tests without practice and without experience may not do well. They might, but taking the tests multiple times often results in higher scores. Why take that chance?

It’s so much better to start planning early.

Success on the SAT / ACT means planning early…9th grade isn’t too soon.

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Time and Preparation

In my professional opinion, which matches the opinions of many other experts in this field, SAT and ACT test taking requires time and preparation. Preparation, when done right, that spans all four years of a high school education; and preparation, that if ignored, can harm a student’s chances of getting into college and receiving scholarships.

The purpose of this article is to give you a workable plan, one you can use to plan your student’s high school testing experience. It is based on my research, what I learned thru my own childrens’ successes, and what I’ve seen via the families I work with (comparing those who listened to this advice, and those who didn’t).

Are there other ways to plan SAT and ACT testing? Of course. But, if you’re looking for advice from a the parent of high scoring students (we’ve even had a “perfect” here and there), read on.

SAT/ACT planning. Advice from a parent of high scorers.

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The Plan:

Grade by Grade Recommendations

for SAT and/or ACT Testing

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9th Grade

Research and preparedness 

  • Begin conversations about college.
  • When in doubt if a student is college-bound, assume yes.
  • Learn the names of each test, the cost, the registration process, and browse test schedules.
  • Offer high school courses that target the specific subject areas covered on each test.
  • Begin researching colleges and universities, programs and careers, and requirements.
  • Involve student in every step (in later grades, this should be student-led).

10th Grade

PSAT in the fall

Actual test in the spring (optional)

  • Continue all 9th grade activities.
  • Register for fall PSAT at your local high school. Take it for learning and practice.
  • Target which test(s) to study for. Purchase study workbooks. Find sample tests online.
  • Start studying in the spring, a little every day or week throughout the rest of the school year.
  • Register for an actual test in the spring. Don’t send scores; use for learning and practice.
  • Plan for intense study over the summer.

11th Grade

PSAT in the fall

Test in the fall

Test in the spring

Test in late summer (optional)

  • Continue all 9th grade activities, paying special attention to strengthening areas of weakness.
  • Take PSAT in October (for National Merit eligibility and additional practice)
  • Purchase updated materials for newest test(s) as needed. Use only reputable materials.
  • Continue regular studying. Take practice tests (actual previous tests).
  • Use classes, workshops, tutors, or other help if necessary.
  • Decide which test (SAT or ACT or both) seems most appropriate for the student.
  • When looking at test-optional colleges, discuss the possible impact of skipping tests altogether.
  • Create online account with test provider(s). Explore college planning tools available there, too.
  • Decide if writing portion of test is necessary (check with colleges).
  • Decide if subject tests are needed (check with colleges).
  • Test in fall
  • Unless a perfect score in fall, test again in spring.
  • Plan summer test if necessary.
  • Send best spring (or summer) scores to colleges of choice.
  • Continue intense studying if needed.

12th Grade

Early fall testing (optional)

  • Continue all 9th grade activities.
  • Test again if scores will process in time for college deadlines.
  • Make sure best and highest scores are sent to colleges of choice (or all if super-scored).

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As you can see, it’s all about 11th grade. That’s why it’s so important to use grades 9 and 10 wisely for preparation and practice. This is exactly what I recommend, and almost exactly the schedule my children followed before each received lots of acceptance letters, lots of free tuition and lots of great scholarships. If you need help with this, I’ve linked some articles, below. If you still need help, I’m available.

To your success,

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 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.

You might like:

SAT, ACT and the new CLT exam

Core 16 and other high school information

Positive Things Cause Stress, Too

I remember like it was yesterday. Expensive coffee in one hand, deals and coupons in the other, I looked forward to Christmas shopping all year. Black Friday always kicked off the holiday season for me. It was the one day all year that was virtually guaranteed to put me in a good mood for weeks to come, so I’d never miss it, no matter the ridiculous amount of planning it sometimes took to get the morning off.

If I was so happy, then why did I feel so run down? And how was I suddenly blind-sided with panic without a clue there was anything wrong? I can almost recreate the dizziness, the heart palpitations and feeling drenched in my own sweat. I remember thinking I might actually tip over, and how embarrassing that would be in the middle of J.C. Penney. Finding a place to sit down in the bedding department, I called my husband, who talked me through it until I caught my breath. The attack caught me utterly by surprise, as I hear from so many other women who report experiencing exactly the same thing.

Miserable as that was, I gained some big understanding that day. I had a real awakening about stress, dominating the lies I’d heard for years from doctors and drug companies. I realized that positive life experiences can be stressful, too. It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

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This is a really big idea actually.

It’s not what you believed about stress just a few minutes ago, is it?

See, I  assumed relaxation and fun were antidotes for my stress, like some automatic way to cancel my symptoms. But what’s really true is that all kinds of experiences can be stressful, even positive ones. My body had just been on high alert so long, anything could have set me off — so it did.

Do you think you might be near a breaking point, too?

Have you considered where your stress is actually coming from?

Most of us think stress is a response to unpleasantness in our lives. But, if you think back to the last time you planned a party/welcomed a new baby/began an exciting new job, I think you’ll see what I mean.

Since that time, I’ve made life changes.  Major ones. If you experience stress, you can make life changes, too.

Even a happy life can make us stressed out. Remember it’s the stacking of many things that make us overloaded.

To your health and healing,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

The art of slowing down

 

May contain affiliate links.

There once was a woman raising a houseful of delightfully inquisitive children. The woman chose home education for the children, and it soon became her full-time job. Despite her new job, she continued performing the other jobs she had prior to starting her own school. And, because no one ever told the woman she couldn’t do it all, she never said no, never asked for help, and just kept adding more things to her calendar. To be productive, the woman was always in motion, and she was continually juggling many things. Her days were spent rushing from one task to another, morning until night, with never a break in between. Because her life was successful, it never dawned on the woman to lighten her load, not even one bit. Until one day, when things started going wrong. The woman’s health showed signs of stress (though she had no time to notice). More serious symptoms developed (but there was no time to figure them out). Until finally, the woman broke. Her body had grown very sick from being ignored for so long. It screamed so painfully, she had no choice but to finally listen. So, she did.

When I tell the longer version of my story, there’s a part where people in the audience begin nodding their heads. That’s because busyness and rushing through life rings true for many people. Brave women will come up afterwards, finally realizing what they’ve been doing to themselves. Every one of them wishing they’d known this sooner, rather than spending years of pain, frustration, doctor hopping, and thinking they were a tad crazy.

The good news, I tell my audiences, is this madness can be stopped. As in 100%. That’s the message I’m sharing with you, now. You don’t have to live like that. No one does.

Want to un-create a life of stress & busyness? Simple instructions found here:

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This lifestyle I’m referring to — this crazy one of busyness and rushing – is one created by ourselves. Meaning, if we can create it, we can un-create it. No one needs to suffer as I did, and as 50 million other Americans suffering with autoimmune dis-eases do. With a simple mind shift, we can change our jam-packed lives, and no longer be sick from putting so much pressure on ourselves.

The Secret

What’s the secret to creating this new life? In reality, there are many secrets, each depending on the circumstances and symptoms of the sufferer. But, there is one universal secret I can share freely, since it’s a prescription that helps everyone who tries it:

~ Slow down ~

Sounds simple, right? And yet, if you’re used to operating at the heightened levels I’ve described, slowing down can be the hardest thing in the world. We’re resistant to change, plus our belief systems like to be right. Slowing down assaults the ego, speaking poorly about our ability to cope and handle it all.

Not an easy change to make.

But, How Exactly?

Slowing down means different things to different people.  In general, it’s about lightening your load, taking on less, and especially making space in your life to be still. It takes guts to cancel long-held commitments and start saying no more often. If you’re like others who do this to themselves, it takes even more guts to sit still for more than a few minutes without guilting yourself into thinking you should be doing something else.

But, slowing down also means physically slowing down, something some people have never known. It could look like a leisurely walk in the park or a yoga class in the evenings. It could mean observing with consciousness every move you make, and deliberately slowing it down, which is what worked for me.

Whatever slowing down means to you, it’s important to find it and start doing it right away. You’ll be surprised how the simple act of slowing down can make such a difference. In health, emotions, relationships, and in all other aspects of life. And if  you’re worried about losing your edge or sacrificing excellence, I can help you with that, too. Let’s talk.

Be warned though. Slowing down may take years of practice before letting go of old patterns. Remember, we’re programmed from an early age to do it all, and our powerful belief systems will fight us all the way. But, I have seen the miracles of slowing down in myself and so many women around me. Isn’t it worth exploring in your life, too?

Let go of old patterns and create a simple life of balance. Find out how.

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For your inspiration, I’m including 2 powerful TED talks that target this issue in very some personal and profound ways. The first is a talk by Carl Honore, the author of “In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed” (see the book here). The second is a talk by Katrina Alcorn, the author of “Maxxed Out: American Moms on the Brink” (see the book here).

Let me know how you’re doing in a COMMENT today. This is an important conversation, and I’d love to share it with you here.

To your health and healing,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Want to Create the Best Homeschool? Start with your WHY.

I’m often asked the best way to homeschool. If you’ve been homeschooling a while, I’ll bet you get asked this question, too.

After being in this industry for 20 years, I’ve seen lots of different products and studied lots of different methods and theories. Yet, despite my experience, when someone asks me the best way to homeschool, I never start by recommending products, methods and theories. What I do instead, is start exploring their WHY.

Knowing your WHY is important for creating the best homeschool

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Some families know their WHY and can articulate it easily. For others, it takes some discussion before getting to the real reason they’re homeschooling, or the underlying circumstances prompting them to make the choice. Armed with the information they share, I can make recommendations to fit the situation. It helps me help them, since I can customize suggestions to their experiences and present goals.

Do You Know Your WHY?

In my experience, not every family stops to think about their WHY. At least not at first. In a world of social media and Pinterest, it’s become so easy to  copy what other people are doing and assume it’ll work for us. With homeschooling growing so rapidly, families can be quick to jump on board without taking the time to sort out all the details first.

What is a WHY?

A WHY is the reason for doing something. In the case of homeschooling, there can be many WHYs, and they may even be different for different children in the family.

For homeschoolers of the past, WHY(s) might’ve looked something like:

  • religion
  • geography
  • autonomy

For modern homeschoolers, WHY(s) often include things like:

  • failing schools
  • failing kids
  • drugs and violence
  • cliques and bullying
  • excessive testing or homework
  • lack of resources, loss of crucial programs
  • highly sexualized school culture
  • little recognition of children who learn “differently”

Thanks to an awareness of different schooling options, the modern WHY also includes a lot of things like:

  • wanting to create a more relaxed pace lifestyle
  • allowing students to focus on talents and interests
  • shoring up skills in some areas while skipping ahead in others
  • creating time during the day to pursue other things
  • removing children from the classroom to explore the world around them

I devote an entire chapter in Suddenly Homeschooling to explaining the modern WHY, if you’re interested in learning more about this.

Then what?

Once you’ve identified your WHY is when the real progress begins. You’ll stop thinking about what you should be doing or what everybody else is doing. Instead, your choices become clear, since you’re focused on your WHYs.

If, for example, catching up a student in certain skill areas where they’ve been lagging is one of your WHYs, choosing resources for that will become an important part of your homeschool design.

If frequent travel is one of your WHYs, designing a flexible school year using adaptable products and experiences might become your design.

If your WHY is to include time for your child to practice a skill all morning, completing schoolwork in the afternoons or weekends will start to dictate your overall plan.

You get the idea.

Here’s how knowing your WHY can help you plan a better homeschool

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What to do now

If you’re still reading, and still looking for the best way to homeschool, it’s probably time to make a list of WHYs. Take some time to look deep into reasons you want to homeschool (or are continuing) and what you truly hope to accomplish by doing it. (And if you’re homeschooling multiple kids, have a list of WHYs for every child, too.)

After doing this exercise, I guarantee choices will start to rise to the surface. You might even want to carry the list around as you shop for products, register for classes, and plan a schedule for your family this year.

The optimal education is different in every family and for every child. Knowing your WHY is the key to finding the best solution all around.

To your success,

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 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.

Beliefs and their impact on well-being

There’s something so powerful about beliefs.  Guiding and empowering, our belief system follows us throughout our lives. Quietly, subtly, it’s always in the background, like an invisible coach both cheering for us and advising what to do at any given moment.

In simple terms — our belief system tells us what to do.

When beliefs are positive ones, we experience desirable effects. Think of a little girl raised to believe there are no limits to what women can accomplish. Or a young boy filled with unshakable confidence in his abilities throughout his childhood.

Beliefs fuel us. They make us unstoppable.

Positive beliefs can propel us to do big things.

When beliefs go wrong, however, is when they’re troubling.  Whenever false beliefs — really just inaccurate, limiting stories – become lodged in the mind and body, life takes an entirely different turn. Though limiting beliefs don’t have to impact negatively, very often they do. Scarier still, these lies have the potential to impact most anything, from self-image to health to physical capabilities to relationships to finances and so much more.

No aspect of human life is immune to the effects of the lies we tell ourselves, and constantly reinforce, via limiting beliefs.

No aspect of life is immune to the effects of the lies we tell ourselves, and constantly reinforce.

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False beliefs can potentially cause a range of symptoms and behaviors. Acting nervously, fearful, sickly, loud, timid, stupid, incapable, or unworthy, are just examples.  They can lead us to stay small, feel inadequate, resist change, or refrain from speaking up in life, too. Imagine the lifelong impact of our thoughts! As they remain stuck in the subconscious, they literally have the power to keep us stuck and unable to move past them as adults.

Insidious in nature, perhaps the most dangerous characteristic of limiting beliefs is we usually don’t know they’re there. True or untrue, they can impact lives profoundly, causing behaviors that continually validate the beliefs themselves! How? Like the silent cheer leader I described, our inner coaches utilize beliefs as the basis for giving advice. Thus, if our coaches have nothing but limiting advice on which to draw from, they dole it out as truths. False truths lead to bad coaching. And bad coaching reinforces limiting truths. Thus, the cycle continues.

Unless it is interrupted.

That’s where looking inward is crucial and clearing is essential.

Often, limiting beliefs take root during childhood. Sometimes, depending upon your openness to looking beyond the present life, one can even begin looking in the womb, or at beliefs carried forth from past lives, if this feels right to you.

False truths lead to bad coaching. Bad coaching reinforces limiting truths.

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Regardless of their origin, clearing limiting beliefs is essential to well-being. Clearing can lead to a greater sense of freedom, greater successes, and greater fulfillment as we move toward becoming our true selves. For without clearing the lies, we continue living within their restrictions, never fully expressing ourselves as we are meant to be.

Different practitioners advise different methods for clearing these lies. Energy movement, emotional clearing, and guided meditation, are just a few of the ways one can begin recognizing and removing (clearing) blocks and limitations. Other ways include daily affirmations, hypno kinds of therapies, and positive self-talk.

In my own life and research, and in helping other women, some techniques tend to delve deeper, and seem to be more successful than others. But like anything else, what works well for one may not work as well for another. It can take many attempts and exploring many different modalities before finding one that feels right.

Bottom line, it may be time to begin recognizing it’s the inner subconscious (your silent coach) who is really in charge of what’s happening in your life. Only by noticing the power of past experiences can we even begin to understand our daily challenges, behaviors and frustrations.  Taking steps to begin clearing these beliefs can help pave the path to freedom.

Standing with you as you reflect on the possibilities!

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!