What's Goin' On

We know that summer is over when we watch the South Vienna Corn Festival parade go by our house. The handsome man carrying the American flag is indeed my husband in his US Air Force Honor Guard uniform.

Which brings us month into the school year. Alanna and Neal have both declared their independence from scheduling by asking to do their school on their own, mostly. Alanna, in particular, has an ulterior motive:  she wants a hamster. To get permission, she has to do her lessons regularly and without fail.

So far, she's adapting well. She often will do the whole week's health reading in one day, then math on another day, etc., but that seems to work well. She finished her history book entirely in a few long sittings.  She does do Spanish every day, though, since it's important for achieving any real fluency.

Every week I leave messages for the kids on what needs to be accomplished. Every day we meet for a while to talk, look over assignments, talk some more, check Neal's Khan Academy math progress, talk a while, play a game, etc. This seems to work well.

So school right now has a structured period of 'checking in', an obvious set of expectations, and a fair amount of freedom.

Working on Next Year..Logically!

I'm hard at work devising our plans for the next year of school. Neal is pretty much a junior, though he needs a math credit. Alanna is beginning her freshman year.


Those of you who know our family are now asking yourselves, "They really need to teach their kids to argue? I thought that  the kids do a fine job already!" But no, this is basic logic and beginning debate. Various informal fallacies are introduced, with creative illustrations and faux ads to bring it all alive. We had  a some interesting discussions last year, mostly centered around the use of fallacies in politics, media and religion.

This year, we will move on to the second book, The Discovery of Deduction, which introduces more formal logic. In it, we'll discover Socratic dialogue, reducing arguments to symbols and much more.

We don't usually spend a long time at it. The books seem to be so effective that Allie and Neal remember without having to drag it out and reteach repeatedly. It's  a nice way to begin a school day. Logic gets their brains in gear and prepares them for the joys of math!

School Report, Winter 2011

Snow. Lots of snow. Weeks and weeks of snow, on the ground since sometime in the beginning of December.

We've been sledding several times since mid-December, usually with Elizabeth and once with Ken. Or rather, they've been sledding. Going down the hill on a sled makes me nauseated, which is really, really wimpy, I know. So I sit in the van at the bottom of the hill and read books on the Kobo reader that Evan gave me for Christmas. Can't get bored with 150+ books along!

Any suggestions for books to download?

As for our school report...

Ken as started studying Geographic Information Systems online with Columbus State. Basically, he'll be making sense of all the magnificent information that is available from satellites, Google, surveys, etc. He's been into geography since he was able to think about the world. I think that it started with this book:



We recently got one for Brenna and Noah. Now they can plan their trips around the world, and start their own imaginary travel agency!

Neal and Alanna are studying Twentieth Century History together. We're using a wide variety of books, and a set of videos:


They're nice for giving an overview of time periods, and they help make mental pictures that stay in the mind. They're a bit graphic, though. I skipped through the parts about amputation in the Civil War. It was more than we needed to see!

I also looked up a list of interesting people, places and events that the kids should know, put them on slips of paper, and let them draw three or four a day. They look them up online and report back to us on what they've found. We discuss not only the subject matter at hand, but also the methods of research used and the reliability of various sources.

In the end, it's most important that they know how to learn and how to find out. Knowledge will grow, and many 'facts' they learn today will be disproved tomorrow, but the thrill of the chase of knowledge will still be there.

Neal is taking a break from Algebra to do some Geometry, as is Alanna.

I'm reviewing a Chemistry book from CK-12 that is online, excellent and entirely free! Open Source texts are awesome! I've also found a Conceptual Physics text that is also OS.

Homeschooling Chemistry - Online Reosurces

Chem 4 Kids
An excellent site with a complete chem course for seven- to twelve- year olds. Very nicely done!

All Info About Chemistry
News, experiments, clip art, science fair projects...a lot of info here!

About.com Chemistry for Kids
Experiments, evaluations of chemistry sets, and good explanations.

MathMol Hypertext
Links chemistry and math with excellent graphics.

Chymist
Experiments and explanations...really useful!!

Periodic Table Worksheets
here at AIA

Science with me

A cheery, colorful website with games, animations, worksheets and coloring pages for preschool to about age 10. Subscription required, but it's free!

Experiments and Helps

Chemistry Comes Alive!
Several really fascinating experiments that you can watch...and probably not try at home!! Nice explosions!

Delights of Chemistry
Photos and video of over 100 experiments from the University of Leeds.

United Nuclear
Many fun experiments, with supplies sold onsite. Our favorite is "Water starts a Fire."   Be aware, though, that this doesn't start a small  flame: it starts a whooshing bright green blaze that destroyed the foil we started it on....

The pH Factor
A fun site for 8 to 12 year olds.

How to Color Fire
One of our family favorites! Try this at your next bonfire, and you can call it school!!

Burning Money
What you often feel like you're doing anyway...so why not do it literally?

Common Chemicals Around Your Home
Need something for an experiment, but afraid that ordering it will put you on a list at Homeland Security? Check other sources.

Fun With Alkali Metals!
A video of something that you probably don't want to try at home!

Curiosities
A list of things that keep science interesting.

Elements and Periodic Tables

WebElements Periodic Table
An excellent interactive table for teens. Has videos and information about each element.

Printable Periodic Table with Common Uses
A nice poster for kids. Features pictures of common things made with each element.

A Few Other Possible Periodic Tables
A new way of looking at things. Have your teen design her own!

Fun

Chemistry comics

The TWINKIES Project
Fun with bored college students. What happens to a twinkie when you....?

The Google Periodic Table
The top Google picture for each element.

Tom Lehrer
An animated song of the elements...

The Periodic Table of Comic Books
Calcium in Wonder Woman, Tungsten in Metal Men...

Homeschooling Biology - Online Resources

General Biology Websites

Biology 4 Kids
Excellent sequential lessons about cells, plants, animals, body systems and more. Great for kids ages 8 to 13, for teens' review, or for adult reference.

Treehouses on the Tree of Life
Make your own webpages about various animals, plants, or other organisms as part of this ever-growing project. Hosted bt The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Ask A Biologist
Experiments, articles, links....very useful, especially if you have a question that your books don't answer.

Biology in Action
More video, fascinating!

Biology in Motion
Flash animations of biological processes: digestion, glandular activity, cell division, etc. Helps cement ideas in the memory. Ages 12 and up.

National Geographic Kids
Excellent site, with photos, videos, games, puzzles, news, and many things to keep a kid busy and learning. Great for times when school isn't going to happen....

Science with me

A cheery, colorful website with games, animations, worksheets and coloring pages for preschool to about age 10. Subscription required, but it's free!

Microbial Life, Cells Websites

Microbe World
Stunning site! Videos, photos, news and information about life in the world of the very small. Great for teens, and curious younger ones. Check this out for yourself, also!

Cells Alive!
Another well-done, very visual site, with lots of information games, puzzles, etc. Older kids and teens.

The Virtual Cell
Great for visualizing cell structure. Has a virtual textbook, worksheets, etc.

Heredity

I Can Do That!
For younger kids, ages 5 to 10...very nice explanations of cells, DNA, RNA and cloning. Teacher/parent pages also.

DNA From the Beginning
A really well-done interactive Flash animation site which teaches genetics in a fascinating way. Highly recommended for older kids and teens, and you!

Animal Life

Animal Diversity Web
A teen-level University of Michigan site about taxonomy and the lives and structure of animals. Look up any animal that exists, and several that don't anymore....

Electronic Naturalist
Learning about the world around us...includes 'identify this', ask-a-naturalist, and many fun things to learn.

What's That Bug?
Insects galore! All ages.

All About Birds
From Cornell, a multimedia site that will be a great help to bird watchers and those who have a report to do.... teens and up, unless your younger one LOVES birds...

Human Biology

Human Anatomy Online
Study the systems of the body with pictures and lessons.

What Color Eyes Would Your Children Have?
Basic genetics for older kids and teens...interesting approach! Compare their results with your actual kids!!

Evolution

Becoming Human
Very interactive site about how man evolved. Ages 12 and up.

PBS Evolution Lessons
Student lessons, teacher pages, activities, and videos. 12 and up.

Explorations Through Time
The history of life on earth presented in interactive modules for various age groups. Reading needed, but concepts are well-presented.

Evolving Planet: Tour Through Time
The Field Museum's  illustrated timeline about the history of the earth. Older kids and teens.

Mathematics Resources on the 'Net

Younger Kids' Math Pages

Aunty Math
Every week, new story problems are posted, with options for easier or harder ones. They're generally made for ages 5 to 11, and good explanations are given the next week.


Word Problems for Kids
Hundreds of fun mindbenders to try, with answers and explanations given

Play Kids Games
Several fun games for ages 5 to 10. Great for reinforcing basic skills. Better than flashcards!

Create a Graph
Make graphs with this fun online program!

Figure This!
Math challenges for families!

Math Timeline
Scroll along the timeline and click on the Mathematician's icon...a fun way to learn a bit about the history of mathematics.

Numbernut
Flash tutorials that start with digits and head on through computation.

Timez Attack
A free, really well-done video game that teaches times tables with the aura of a typical adventure computer game!My son did actually plead to play it! The full version costs money, but it's worth it!!

BBC Schools Ages 4 to 11
Games and activities to reinforce learning.

Older Kids' Math Pages (Pre-Algebra and beyond)

Homemade Algebra Tiles
A way to reinforce Algebra lessons for your kinesthetic learner. With explanations of how to use them.

Algebasics
A flash program that teaches algebra interactively, with audio and animations.

Coolmath
A graphically illustrated site with a monster mind reader, fractal generator, crop circle geometry, and algebra animations!

BBC Schools Secondary Math
The Beeb helps the older ones study...

Numb3rs
This mathematically-based show has a website which provides activities to go along with the shows...Bill Nye has even guested on it, so how far off can they be? Actually, the Head of the Mathematics Dept. at Caltech handles their math for them...

Simpsons Math
Yes, the TV show.  Al Jean, Executive Producer and head writer, has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University, and many of the shows have a mathematical theme...

First Report

Nearly two weeks of school done!

We've burned various chemicals to see their colors, looked at onion cells, began our study of the Constitution, watched part of the BBC Life series (the one with David Attenborough), learned a bit about grammar and math, gone to the library in Columbus, played soccer, walked the Darn and Clark Lake, cuddled the kitties, read about a few composers....

We're fairly up-to-date with our folders of work, except maybe on the math. Today should be Math Day, to get us on track.

We've decided that we want to get a Red Panda. Or several.

New Year's Celebration

School starts in our area next Monday, which means that our house will have a few less young people hanging around the house, so we will start also.


We're considering taking one week off a month, and then having the whole month of July or August off. That would work well with our usual learning patterns, and would mean less review time in the Fall. Same number of days and hours, though.

We filed our paperwork with the county school board on Monday and got our exemption papers on Wednesday. Guess it would be a bit silly to pester families filing for their 23rd exemption!

Here are our intended curricula. Alanna is 10, Neal is 13.

                                                            INTENDED CURRICULUM FOR ALANNA   2010-2011

Math

Calvert 6

Life of Fred Fractions

Math Doesn't Suck

Key to Geometry 

Challenge Math

Sixth/Seventh Grade math. 

Science

Exploring the Way Life Works: The Science of Biology 

Biology: Concepts and Connections 

Digital Frog and Cell Structures and Functions CD-ROMs

Life BBC DVDs

Biology Coloring Book

Middle school to introductory high school biology, including lab work.

History, American/ World

The Story of US 1776- present 

Yo, Millard Fillmore

The World of Abraham Lincoln

Ohio: Our StateOhio: Our State

Springfield and Clark County

The History of the Kellys

McCafferty History Collection

US history from 1800 to the present.


Government



The Words We Live By

Standard Deviants US Government DVD

Introduction to the Constitution and basic structure of the government, local, state and national.

English/ Literature

Writing

Reading : Adventures in American Literature

Grammar : Writers Inc

Major American Poets

Alanna will continue work on her novels and  read voraciously for a few hours a day.

Philosophy

Sophie's World

Basic introduction to philosophy for young people.

Spanish

BBC  Online Spanish Lessons

PE

Soccer

Bicycling

Walking

Wii Fit

Art

Pottery Class, Springfield Museum of Art

Drawing Class

INTENDED CURRICULUM FOR NEAL , 2010 - 2011  

Math

Real World Algebra

Life of Fred Algebra

Spectrum Math 8

Continue basic Algebra, review arithmetic.

Science

Earth Science - The Teaching Company DVDs

Chemistry - The Teaching Company DVDs

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments  Thomson

The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things Snyder

The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry  Gonick and Criddle

Finish Earth Science, begin basic high school chemistry with lab.

Health

You: The Owner's Manual  Roizen and Oz

Intro to teen health.

History, Geography

World Geography Today  Holt
Economics  Williams

Introduction to college geography and economics.

English


Painless Grammar

Shakespeare for Dummies 

Hamlet - Stewart and Tennant

Romeo + Juliet  - DiCaprio and Danes

Macbeth -  Sexton

Frequent writing and reading, Shakespeare.

Computer

Assorted Linux Distributions: Ubuntu, Fedora, PCOS, Linux Mint, etc.

Building another computer

COMP TIAA A+ Certification studies on ProProf.com

DANTES Introduction to Computing

More exploration of technology.

PE

Soccer

Bicycling

Swimming

Art and Music

Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities  Cunningham and Reich

Meditations on a Football Pitch

(Notice that I didn't say “soccer field.” My kids would berate me soundly if I did!)

It's that time of year again, when kids head to the pitch and start kicking a blac-and-white (or pink-and-white) ball around and yelling “Goal!!” a lot. Our yard regularly fills with teenagers who bounce balls on their heads and try to kick them through the goals that Ken made out of PVC pipe last year. Practice fills the evenings, and dinner is once again served in shifts.

Meanwhile, Mom waits in the van, writing and having a few minutes of uninterrupted reading time. Sometimes I get out of the van and walk for a bit of exercise and fresh spring air, if it happens to be a reasonable day.

Long ago, it seems, I made the pilgrimages to the pitches or playground fields with a baby, a toddler, and the child or children in their cleats and shin guards, water bottles clutched or forgotten on the kitchen counter. Then, practices and games were times to amuse little siblings while waiting for Older Sibling, or to drop of Child Number One before scurrying to the field in the small town nearby to drop off Child Number Two. This was even more fun on Game Days, when the dropoffs could need to be made at roughly the same time, in locations that were separated by twenty miles or so.

Now, even with two kids playing, things are less chaotic. No babies to ready, no small ones to amuse, just two players who know the drill and entertain themselves and me with interesting conversation and take charge of the music in the van.

The music has changed, too. It used to be nursery rhymes and sing-alongs. Now it's Indie music that someone has found on MySpace or Youtube. The songs aren't about how to tie one's shoes, but about Harry Potter and Doctor Who, about mythology and pain, about life as it is, or could be. I let my kids put songs on my MP3 player sometimes, just so I can hear something new and find out what the kids are feeling.

Alanna comes in, having walked home from her practice with her friend Elizabeth, who may as well live at our house. The girls look strong and healthy and beautiful. Neal complains about playing keeper too much, his tall, lanky body leaning against the counter as I watch him grow before my eyes. (How long will those new cleats fit?)

The days of toting diaper bags and baggies full of graham crackers are gone, but I'm really comfortable with the relative calm that has replaced them. Sitting in a quiet van, writing about what's really important is where I'm meant to be now.

My Mad, Mad Love for The Teaching Company

When kids make the transition into True Teenhood, it can be hard to satisfy their innate curiosity without boring them to tears : that is, the format in which they learn may bore them excruciatingly.


For instance, while Neal may love to read, he finds that most textbooks are mentally anesthetic. They give stock answers to unenticingly-asked questions, then proceed to make it sound as if all the answers have been found. This make subjects like science, which are intrinsically  fascinating, into Butt-blasting Boredom with a capital 'B' or two.


Happily, Neal has taken quite well to dvds and such from The Teaching Company (no $$ or free products have exchanged hands here, : we have really, honestly used and enjoyed them after paying with our own hard-earned monies.) We've used ones on Algebra, history (we're currently using The Early Middle Ages set), World History (the ones for High school are great fun and very memorable) and science (cosmology and more.) Neal gets college-level teaching that respects his curiosity and caters a bit to his need for a bit of entertainment and variety. It works well all around.


The DVDs are pricey, but watch the site for sales. All of the sets go on sale quite regularly at amazing discounts. Occasionally, used ones are available on Amazon or Ebay. They have a great resale value also!

Meteorology

Neal has decided to study weather, probably because he so coveted a weather kit that we saw at the gift shop of the Boonshoft Museum in Dayton. Maybe someone else could use my list of links! These are reviewed as they might apply to a bright 13yo.

We start with Wikipedia because it links so nicely to authoritative sources. (No, it's not a good primary source, but it's a superlative starting point!)

JetStream is a program put together by NOAA. It's designed to teach people about how the weather works. Looks promising.... a god basic resource.

Ooooo....free instruction, online quizzes and more at COMET. These are designed for adults, but they could prove useful. It's also much more fun to take a test online and have them record the score than for mom to do it.


Bad Meteorology - a site after my own heart! Raindrops aren't teardrop-shaped, clouds don't form because cool air holds less water....misconceptions skewered

here!


The Globe Program links weather watchers from all over the world. If Neal gets really excited about it, this could be an outlet for his enthusiasm.

That should get us started!

Free Science Lessons-Physics

How Stuff Works

All ages. How do computers work? How do malaria drugs work? What if I tried to drive my car underwater? A great site for the bored kid...and a great resource for the Eternal Questioner.

Fizzics Fizzle

All ages. A Thinkquest site which gives a very good introduction to physics. There are games and animations that reinforce the information presented. A great reference, introduction or refresher.

Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab

7 and up. A fun site with many experiments and good explanations of the results. Also has games and puzzles!


MadSci Network

For all ages. Another great site for the bored child. "represents a collective cranium of scientists providing answers to your questions. For good measure we provide a variety of oddities as well." Really fun, and has an 'Ask a Scientist' program!

NASA Beginner Guide to Rockets

Ages 11 and up. Look at various types of rockets - from bottle and stomp rockets to full-scale boosters. Find out how the work.

Life, the Universe, and the Electron

For teens. An exhibit about atomic structure.

Teach Engineering

Lessons all ages.

Glencoe Physical Science

Has quizzes and web resources for ninth-grade textbook in physical science. Can be useful.

Optics For Kids

Ages 10 and up. Learn about light, lenses, and lasers.


The Atoms Family

11 and up. Basic physics in a fun and memorable way!

Physics Life

11 and up. A look at the physics pf things in our everyday world. Nice interactivity.

Antimatter: Mirror of the Universe

8 and up. A look at the CERN particle accelerator and the quest for antimatter. Good for the teen who likes mysterious subjects. There is a kids' section!

Science Hobbyist

8 and up. Fun and useful articles and experiments. Includes the famous resource, Is Your Child's Science Textbook Wrong?

The Particle Adventure

8 and up. Activity sheets, graphics, animations..all explaining the subatomic world.

PHet Simulations

All kinds of Java physics demonstrations! Colorful and insightful!

EdHeads Simple Machines

Ages 6 to 12. Activities, animations, etc. all explaining how simple  machines work.

Science with me

A cheery, colorful website with games, animations, worksheets and coloring pages for preschool to about age 10. Subscription required, but it's free!

For Fun!

Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations

10 and up. I can walk on burning coals...can you? Here's how we all can...

Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments

All ages...but watch out!!  What would happen to this if I put it in the microwave??


Physics of Superheroes

All ages. A Youtube lecture on the way things DON"T work in the world of comic book heroes! Really funny, and informative. Good for adult as well as kid enthusiasts, and for anyone who's ever watched a cartoon and marveled at how they are a bit different from real life!


Amusement Park Physics

7 and up.  Design your own roller coaster, and see how gravity and friction affect your choices.

Skateboard Science

7 and up. Your future Tony Hawk will enjoy knowing how the tricks are done, and how to improve his or her own skating.

A Few Favorite Online Resources for Lesson Planning and Worksheets

JASON Science 

 -  Weather, ecology and energy are presented to kids from about 10 to 15 in really cool multimedia units. (Bright, interested younger kids might enjoy these also.) There are videos, activities and printables all available for free. It's easy to teach, or your self-starter can do it on her own. Not enough for a year of science, but certainly good for some variety. Has my kids' Great rating.

Curriki

- As a confirmed Linux user (can't wait for Ubuntu Karmic Koala!!!), I've been hunting Open Source educational materials as well. Curriki is the home of thousands of such projects - some ongoing, some finished. There's even a homeschool section. This is the home of the software developed for the One Laptop per Child initiative, which means that much of the curriculum is web-based rather than text-based. It covers from toddlerhood to college. Submissions are welcome also. Every time I go there, I'm amazed!

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers (including homeschool types) put their best  lessons, power point presentations, worksheets etc online, and other teachers (again including us radicals) throw them a few bucks to get the resources. Again, it's little ones on up, and there are quite a few few freebies. The previews are good, also. It's possible to make a bit of money on this site. The indexing is a bit clunky, though.

If you don't have Power Point and would like to use the ones offered on any of the sites above, try Open Office, a free, open souce program by Sun Microsystems that is much better than MS Office and includes quite a bit that MS doesn't. And it's awesome.

There are quite a few more to add to this list...but this should offer a nice beginning!

Halloo, hooray!!

Calloo, callay!

Allie is actually asking to do math! She's even been heard lecturing Neal on the joys of math. Amazing!

Must be the entertaining combo of Life of Fred: Fractions and Math Doesn't Suck...

Neal is doing fine with Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra, but he's obligated to complain because his little sister isn't.

Physics Fun

Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations

10 and up. I can walk on burning coals...can you? Here's how we all can...

Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments

All ages...but watch out!! What would happen to this if I put it in the microwave??


Physics of Superheroes

All ages. A Youtube lecture on the way things DON"T work in the world of comic book heroes! Really funny, and informative. Good for adult as well as kid enthusiasts, and for anyone who's ever watched a cartoon and marveled at how they are a bit different from real life!


Amusement Park Physics

7 and up. Design your own roller coaster, and see how gravity and friction affect your choices.

Skateboard Science

7 and up. Your future Tony Hawk will enjoy knowing how the tricks are done, and how to improve his or her own skating.

To Sleep, Perchance to Grow

Starting at about age 11, a child's internal clock gets a bit screwed up, to put it mildly. Most children go from being the family's early risers to needing a marching band through their bedrooms to get them out of bed.

This isn't (just) stubbornness : this is biology.

Most parents and doctors used to think that the later bedtimes and comfortable waking times were determined mainly by social factors, instead of biological ones, but recent research has led to the possibility that the trend towards night-owlishness and late rising is a result of changes in the young person's circadian clock. Indeed, teens tend to fall asleep later, need more sleep than when they were children, and it can be said that they have truly reached maturity when they stop sleeping in every chance they get. This seems to be related to the fact that the brain's circadian clock, which is mostly controlled by melatonin, switches time zones and keeps the child feeling awake until later in the evening...and sleepy later in the morning.


This isn't surprising when we consider the things going on in the young person's body. During the teen years, the brain overproduces gray matter, the thinking, sensory-processing part of the brain. The extra neurons are trimmed off as needed. Thus the brain is essentially rewired during the teens. The body, besides growing out of clothes every three weeks, is having a constantly changing hormone cocktail to deal with. And, because puberty is happening earlier and earlier, this is all happening to less and less mature people.

The kids need all the help they can get.


How this plays out in our home schools varies as much as the families themselves. In our family, I've tried to use our middle son's tendencies towards sleep deprivation experiments for our benefit. Ken goes to bed late on school days, and he gets up later than anyone else. This gives me time to spend with his two younger siblings, which means that the younger two get more attention, and Ken gets his own special time also, though he has some science activities with his younger brother. It's not standard, but it works, and Ken is less of a zombie.

Deciding Whether to Homeschool High School

Homeschooling High School can be fun and rewarding, especially if you have a teenager who wants to learn. It can also be difficult and stressful. Here are a few things to consider before you take on the challenge:

• Research your local school's policies on admitting homeschoolers later in the education process. In the state in which we live, one school may accept all a homeschool's courses as transferred credits, while another may insist on stating all students as Freshmen (first-years). In one case, the school took all of the credits that the student had some evidence for...except Physical Education! This can mean that, once the choice has been made to remove the child or homeschool high school, it can be difficult to decide to put a child into high school.
• Consider your child's maturity level and ability to teach herself. Some young people are quite comfortable with directing their own education from age thirteen on, while others need a kick in the pants to do anything. The self-starters are easy to deal with: the less self-directed may offer more challenges. Sometimes making it clear to the child that the time has come for them to take more responsibility will change their approach to things. A bit more maturity is also a key factor!
• Think about the resources available in your community. What could you use to add to the educational experiences? What could you use to teach the subjects that you are not proficient in? Online courses are available everywhere, community colleges often welcome younger students for a course or two, as in post-secondary classes, where they give credit for both high school and college for the same class. Maybe a grandparent or friend, or paid tutor would be able to help out.
• Discuss your child's vision for her future with her. College? Trade school? Apprenticeship? Starting a business? Help her to see how what is available and what it will take to get her where she wants to go. Can she shadow someone to learn about a possible career? Can she try out a part-time job in a field that interests her?
• Keep good records of his academic life...and anything remotely related. From clubs to volunteer work to courses completed, document it all. Check out various college pages on homeschooling to get an idea. For instance, the USAF Academy has a clear picture, as does Mary Baldwin College and Amherst. Keep in mind, though, that many colleges are not nearly so strict: all our local community college required was that my son be basically literate. Most colleges are very happy to help homeschoolers, though, so don't be intimidated.
• Be sure to keep your child's desires in mind. Many homeschooled kids who start in school are not very happy with it within a short period of time, so maybe a happy medium is in order. Some public and private schools will allow a student to enroll part-time, so this option could be considered.
• For a very bright, motivated student, consider the option of skipping high school and starting college online. Many online schools don't require a high school diploma to take courses, and all the courses don't have to be taken from one school. Here are a few very respected, fully-accredited colleges that can be good for homeschoolers:

Charter Oak State College’s motto is "Degrees Without Boundaries." Headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut, they will take homeschooled students beginning at age 16, though students may take courses from other schools earlier and transfer the credits. The cost of advisement and 12 credits per year is $3750 for one year for an out-of-state resident.

Excelsior College, formerly known as Regent’s College was founded in 1971 by the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York as an external studies degree-granting program. They also have a very useful Credit Banking service which will, for a fee, allow you to keep all your credits from various sources on one transcript, which can be useful when documenting educational experiences for employers or colleges.

Thomas Edison State College works mostly with those twenty-one and over, but they sometimes accept younger students with college credits already banked up. A non-New Jersey resident will pay about $5800 for a year of up to 36 credits, earned in many ways, and $5100 for subsequent years.

Time For College!

It used to be that homeschooling families approached colleges with some fear and trepidation. The path to admission was quirky and nonsensical, and the hoops that needed to be jumped through were often ridiculous…if the school would even consider accepting a non-traditionally-schooled person. Homeschoolers had no access to federal scholarships, and colleges rarely gave any money to them.

Things have changed, and definitely for the better. Homeschoolers are entering college in record numbers, with higher test scores than their public school counterparts.

“Home educated students generally score at the 65th to 80th percentile on achievement tests, 15 to 30 percentile points higher than those in public schools,” writes Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. of the National Home Education Research Institute. They also tend to stay in college and finish on time, often with above-average grades. This makes them very desirable students.

The Financial Aid picture has changed also. Thanks to the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 (Pub. L. No. 105-244), the student is eligible for Federal Aid if “the student has completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting that is treated as a homeschool or a private school under state law. That’s all that is necessary. No GED, no special tests, just a homeschool diploma. The law also discourages colleges from discriminating against homeschoolers, and encourages them to accept students on the basis of their ability, not the accreditation of their school.

This played out very well recently when I took my seventeen-year-old son to our local community college to enroll him in their computer science program. I went armed: copies of my letters from the county board of education to prove that we were legal, a homemade high-school transcript to show what he’d studied, results of a recent standardized test, and a copy of the state homeschool regulations.

I didn’t need any of it.

I dropped Evan off to take his entrance placement tests to see which level of classes he needed to start with. Evan hadn’t studied much, but he felt ready for the challenge, and it could be retaken if he chose.

An hour and a half later, I went to pick Evan up. He was not in the testing room, and he’d left only about two minutes before. I wandered around the campus, wondering how I could lose someone twice my size. After a nice long walk, one of the ladies in the testing room said that maybe they’d sent him to the academic counselor.

When I finally caught up with Evan, all there was to do was pay.

He’d registered, been accepted, and signed up for three classes (no remedial needed).

It was a bit more complicated five years ago when his older sister, Claire, applied to a small, private, heavily academic college. She had a few small scholarships to the school from some church programs she’d participated in, but she was only sixteen, so we doubted she’d make it. On the other hand, she had an excellent ACT score.

This school, like may now, had a user-friendly program for admitting homeschoolers. They asked for a list of courses taken with books used, test scores, a student essay, and recommendations. It was easy to navigate, and the admittance office was very helpful. All-in-all, though, it took a few months, not counting the dishearteningly long FAFSA application.

When all was said and done, though, Claire was offered most of her tuition paid in scholarships and a very low-interest loan for the rest. She graduated last year, second –and youngest- in her class!

A few useful links for all college-bound students:

All Info About Non Traditional College

College Board

Colleges that admit homeschoolers

Fastweb

Petersons

Scientifically Literate Teens

Learning the mathematics that are part of advanced science classes is like learning a foreign language: while everyone can get some working phrases down, it often takes total immersion to learn to speak it perfectly. Even then, some people aren't wired for that kind of thing and will have a harder time with the number crunching than others.

Limiting the wonders of science to those who can grasp the math has had the effect of making most adults just past scientifically illiterate. This is evident in the way people fall for scams and pseudo-news stories that involve science. It seems that many people see science through the lens of the National Enquirer tabloid, the paper where Bigfoot lands in a UFO in the middle of the FIFA Cup to pass out irradiated Hershey bars.

If your teen is up to the challenge of learning the math, great! There are books, tutors and online resources to help, and early college courses are an excellent option. But what if she isn't quite to that point, or if that isn't an option for her at all?

Happily, there are wonderful science courses available for the less mathematically inclined. They are so intriguing that they will awaken or encourage the sense of wonder, and they may even encourage a student to wade through the math in further study.

The point of all this is to make sure that your young person understands the basics of science, and to interpret news articles and follow what's going on in the continuing discovery of our world. Even with only a rudimentary knowledge of higher math, it's still a fascinating journey.

This is also a good option for a science-oriented kid who isn't satisfied with the late-childhood books available, but who isn't ready for the more difficult things. It will introduce the child to the concepts and reasoning without being too demanding.

In some families, a teen could be assigned to read the books: in others, it may be enough to just leave the books around. Kids have a way of finding what they need when they're ready for it.

A friend once said that learning the science without knowing the math is useless. I disagree. It's a bit like reading a book in a translation: it does have a deeper meaning if you learn the language it's written in, but you can still enjoy the story if the translation is good. And just maybe you'll be inspired to learn the original language!

Conceptual Physics

The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things

Teen Reading for Homeschooling Science