By Mimi Rothschild
As you and your child take steps forward in homeschooling, it is always a good idea to stay aware of your child’s interests. In most public school systems, career planning and counseling usually don’t become important issues until high school. Homeschooling has an advantage in that you and your child can focus on his or her unique interests much earlier. This gives you the time to research possible career options in unique and positive ways. The homeschool environment is flexible, and as your child enters the middle school years, or even before that, you and he or she can adapt part of your homeschooling curriculum to include career counseling and investigation.
One of the ways that you and your child can start integrating career planning into your homeschooling curriculum is to set aside one day per week as “career day”. On this day, you can use career counseling software to help your child match her interests with different career options, as well as use the Internet to do research on different careers. You can also take part of the day to visit professionals who work in fields that your child is interested. Or, you could visit companies that specialize in areas that interest your child. Most companies are happy to help homeschooling parents in this way, as long as they receive sufficient notice. The flexibility of homeschooling helps encourage your child to engage in careful planning to find the career that will fit him or her best. As your child enters high school age, your homeschooling curriculum can begin to include college planning, and you can incorporate homeschooling courses that are geared specifically toward your child’s career interests.
Homeschooling provides an optimum environment for developing your child’s interests, and for helping him or her gain the confidence to attain his or her life goals.
By Mimi Rothschild
A GED has long been an acceptable replacement for a high school diploma, but now those who are homeschooled no longer have to make a choice between the two.
The Morningstar Academy in Florida has the ability to graduate homeschooled students with a traditional high school diploma. How? Simply have your homeschooled student demonstrate that he or she has completed at least 18 credits (1 credit per class) worth of studies at home through The MorningStar Academy. It is recommended that homeschooled students complete at least 22 credits if they will be attending college. No matter what age your homeschool child is, if she has done the work, the diploma is his or hers. Courses done through homeschooling are more than enough to fulfill these requirements. A combination of public or private high school credits and courses taken through the Morningstar Academy will work as well.
A credit is earned when a student spends 180 days studying a particular subject. Often half credits are granted for 90 days of work or more in one subject of study.
Documenting credits is as simple as printing out the MorningStar transcript. Volunteer work, internships, and apprenticeships all count toward study time in a particular subject. This includes classes taken in organized sports, art, through homeschool co-ops, foreign languages, and AP credited courses (after the requisite AP exam has been taken).
It isn’t necessary for a homeschooled student to have a high school diploma in order to get into college or to get a job, but in many situations, it can make it a great deal easier. The Morningstar Academy is one way to make that happen for your homeschooled student.
By Mimi Rothschild
Imagine working out a complicated science experiment with your child on your dining room table, or going for a field trip in the family car. Parents who homeschool their children end up creating these activities for their children. The decision to homeschool is not for everyone, but for those parents who are capable of the self-sacrifice needed for homeschooling, the investment of time is well-worth it.
The number of children learning at home is rapidly growing, and one of the reasons for this is that more parents are realizing that homeschooling for their children is a viable option. Homeschooling is a good choice for parents who want to make sure that their children are learning at their own pace, according to their particular learning style, and in an environment that reinforces their values. Many parents decide to homeschool because they do not want their children to be affected by peer pressure and negative influences in school that often conflict with religious and moral teachings. Instead of sending their children to a distant and expensive private school, they opt for homeschooling.
Parents who homeschool their children need not worry about whether or not their children can get into the college of their choice. Students who have been educated at home have been accepted at such prestigious universities as Yale, Rice, Stanford, Dartmouth and many others. College admissions departments know that homeschooling produces students who are well-organized, self-motivated and who can use their time well.
By Mimi Rothschild
Many people advocate homeschooling for a variety of reasons. One thing that many people never think about is why some public school administrators are so opposed to homeschooling. While some may honestly believe that they can do a better job educating your children, some are not so honest. Do you ever get the feeling that your local school district is using you and your children? That may be exactly what is happening.
Schools are funded based on how many students they have enrolled in their schools. The more students they have, the more money that particular school receives to operate. Teachers and parents have been complaining for years that classrooms are overcrowded and ineffectual, but the fact remains that it is in the school’s best financial interest to get as many kids in that school as the fire chief will allow. Homeschooling removes your child from this environment and places him or her in one that doesn’t look at her like a dollar sign, but as a special and unique human being that is thirsting to learn.
By homeschooling your child, you are removing him or her from this destructive environment. Homeschooling allows your child to receive the special attention that he or she deserves. Your child is not a dollar sign and they are not worth X amount of dollars per year when they are at homeschool. The school cannot misuse money associated with your child’s enrollment if he or she is not enrolled in the school and is instead at homeschool. Furthermore, even though your child is a participant in homeschooling, he or she may have access to some of the good things about public schools. Children in homeschool can play sports or participate in the bands and choirs at some local schools. They can sometimes be involved in clubs and some districts allow children in homeschool to attend foreign language classes.
By Mimi Rothschild
Preparing for college requires the same curriculum for homeschooling students as for children who are educated in public or private schools. Colleges and Universities recommend that students take four years of English, including grammar literature and composition. They recommend four years of math, up to trigonometry or calculus. They recommend four years of history and four years of science. Homeschooling students, like other students, should also learn a foreign language, and computer science. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, music or drama, are also important on a college application. Homeschooling students, fortunately, are often allowed to participate in these activities at their public school. Parents who homeschool their children should also encourage volunteer work and/or summer work.
Some parents who homeschool their children are concerned that they do not have the expertise to teach certain subjects, such as higher level math. They may feel that, in a homeschooling setting, they do not have access to the same materials. For this reason, many homeschooling parents register with an accredited distance education provider. You can find online lectures ideal for homeschooling, as well as lessons given by certified teachers. Make sure that these distance learning providers are accredited and have certified teachers.
Homeschooling is not a disadvantage on a college application. On the contrary, many admissions departments are aware that homeschooling students are more organized and self-motivated than ordinary students. Students who were homeschooled have gone on to attend such prestigious universities as Dartmouth, Rice, Stanford and many others. Students who were homeschooled are able to deal with the independent study required of college students.