Thursday, May 12

High School Help with SchoolhouseTeachers

Looking for high school help? As the homeschooling community continues to grow, one of the biggest concerns we hear from parents is that they don’t know what to do for high school. It’s not the academics that are nerve-wracking so much as it is all of those ‘special things,’ like testing, applications, and deadlines that must be met for a smooth transition into college.

At SchoolhouseTeachers, there are several targeted learning centers designed to help parents with specific seasons of homeschooling life. One of these centers is High School Help for the Homeschooler. ALL of the resources included in this parent center are included with your family membership...

What is SchoolhouseTeachers?

For those of you who are new to the program, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the homeschooler's one-stop site, with complete curriculum, aids such as printables, daily lessons, lapbooks, free e-books, and conference recordings on various homeschool topics prepared by recognized homeschool leaders. You have access to daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly lesson plans by some of the best from within the homeschooling community. The Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership covers grades Pre-K through 12th grade...every subject! It even includes post-graduation and parent helpers. (Meal planning, anyone?)

High School Help

I see a lot of folks who are intimidated by the thought of homeschooling in the high school years, but these can be some of the richest, most rewarding days a homeschooling parent and student can experience! The teen years are challenging, and by homeschooling you have the opportunity to have those hard conversations as they arise, to help navigate your child, and to guide them through murky waters.

In the high school help center, you'll find information and worksheets for taking standardized tests, finding colleges and scholarships, creating transcripts, and more. (As always, be sure you are familiar with your own state laws and requirements, and keep good records.)

The center includes downloadable eBooks on various topics, including:

College Success Begins at Home
Homeschooling the High Schooler
The Things I Learned When My Kid Went to College
Transcripts, CLEPs, and Other Ways to Get Into College
Career Training, Mentorship, and Parenthood
Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler

The Preparation Worksheet Collection includes:

High School Transcript
Test Prep
High School Plan
Course of Study
GPA Calculation
Hours / Tracking Log
Individualized High School Plan
College Planning Checklist
College Study Plan
Checklist for College
Credit Your Own Course

Additionally, they host an online College Directory. It seems to only include religious-based institutions, but that may be exactly what your child is seeking.

One-on-One Consultations

Maybe you still want a little bit of assistance. After all, there are a lot of moving parts to high school, especially if your student is college-bound. At Sparks Academy, a nationally board-certified school counselor will help you with transcripts, scholarships, and making the transition!

Every consultation includes:

Two ebooks: Through the Door + A Genius in Every Seat
Consultation meeting – typically runs 45-60 minutes – an opportunity to gain insight into current needs, provide an outside perspective/accountability, and assign relevant modules and activities.
Evaluation of student academic and extracurricular background
Course planning (for 6th-10th graders) - OR - Writing consultation / feedback for one scholarship or application essay (for 11th & 12th graders)
Reading list recommendations
Prior to the meeting, the student/parents are sent a short form to complete to evaluate progress on the established plan and to help set goals for the meeting. Meetings are conducted via telephone or Zoom
Follow-up email with meeting summary and action points

Just want to do it yourself?

While the transition itself, for the homeschooled student, is not so different from the traditionally-schooled student, the homeschool parent must take on the roles of teacher, counselor, and school administrator during this time. In ‘Through the Door,’ you’ll learn the tips & tricks most counselors use to give their students a jump start on their bright futures!

The book’s accompanying work text features reproducible planning and organization pages, essay practice and guidance, life skills exercises, career planning surveys, request forms, and more to help guide you through this hectic time and keep track of everything in one place!