All around me, the moms of rising high schoolers are bailing out of homeschooling. Their kids are going to school, or they're signing up for the public cyber-charter school (popular here in Pennsylvania). There is something about those choices that intrigue me: having someone else take over high school.
But the truth is, I don't want someone else to take high school over for me. And so far, my kids don't either.
So, I need inspiration. And help! What are the best resources - books, blogs, commercial sites, Facebook pages - for homeschooling high school?
Leave a comment with your faves - help me fill my reader and my bookshelf.
10 comments:
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell has been a great influence in helping me think through some of the issues I need to make it through high school. I read it this past summer for 8th grade ideas, but I plan to read it again this summer before starting 9th grade. That's my top recommendation. Other than that, I'm on the lookout as well for resources. I'll be interested to see what your other commenters say.
Lee Binz: http://www.thehomescholar.com/
Fantastic site!
My favorite materials for high school are still LLATL, Apologia (science) and Kahn's Academy online (free, but really wonderful math).
I was going to mention the Kahn Academy, but Birdie already did. It's very well done video.
A Stanford professor resigned and is setting up a site called Udacity.com. Right now it's computer technology, but who knows how it will develop. MIT, yes that MIT, has a who slew of free courses online. Some of the Udacity and MIT courses are probably too advanced for your kids right now, but, from what I remember, most of my freshman and sophomore level college courses weren't any harder than high school, just faster paced. Considering your dedication and your kids smarts, I bet they could tackle a good bit of this.
Heck, I have a nephew whose a senior in high school in Ohio. In Ohio, high school students can take college classes and a public college/university and the school system pays for it. My nephew attends college full-time and only goes to the high school for basketball practice and games. He'll start college being halfway through his sophomore year. If he can handle the college level material, I'm sure your kids can.
You might want to check and see if your state has a similar program. I know Ohio and Kentucky both do. At some point your kids might want to go to college a little early.
Oh! I was just looking at the MIT site and they have an entire section devoted to high school.
http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/
Kahn acadamy, I third it. Great help for math. Also, if you can get them to start, I would homeschool if only to participate in the NCFCA. It's a speech club (which is why I say if you can get them started) but it is so much more than that. The kids make tight friendships all over the country, debate huge questions, answer apologetic questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. The quality is amazing. I wish I had gotten my older kids in it and for my three middle girls it will be the bulk of their high school education. I won't get on my soap box here but truly, I can't say enough about it. Just go to one of the events to watch (Or volunteer as a judge, which I think you, especially, would really enjoy.)and you will see what I mean. :)
Really, the fun is just beginning. :)
Also if they'd like to do the college thing early, there is College Plus. Two kids from our church have gotten their degrees by 17.
I plan on homeschooling, independently, right through high school too... so I'll be watching your blog! Wish I had some helpful hints, but we're still a ways from the high school years.
Thanks, y'all! Well done - some new things here, and some reminders.
I'm collecting some information from other places and hope to do a followup post soon.
Her Teen Dream is a nice story for teens. It has a good message about dating and is sensitive to teenage problems. It can be found on audible.com
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