The Happy Housewife™ :: Home Schooling

homeschool tips, printables, curriculum reviews, and more

Dual Enrollment

by

Did you know that many homeschoolers graduate from high school with their Associates degree? Dual Enrollment is a great way for your child to get a head start in their college career as well as save money on their college education.

Benefits of Dual Enrollment

Free College Credits

In many states dual enrollment is free! This means your child can earn college credits at no cost. If they plan on attending a state school after graduation all these credits will transfer, therefore reducing the cost of their college education.

Preparation for College

Dual enrollment is a great way to ease your child into college. Community colleges are usually smaller and more laid back than a university. Your child can “try out” college before leaving home.

Relieves Teaching Responsibilities

If you don’t think you are cut out for teaching high school, dual enrollment classes can do it for you. Most colleges accept students at age 15 or 16 depending on their test scores. If teaching high school scares you, dual enrollment can help.

Preparing for Dual Enrollment

Raise an Independent Learner

If you think your child will be taking college classes in high school, start preparing them in the eighth grade. Let them take ownership of their education and see if they are up to the challenge. A child who needs constant daily prodding to finish their work in the tenth grade probably isn’t ready for college classes.

Let them Drive

For the first two months of dual enrollment I drove my daughter to college and back twice a week. If you don’t want to spend your school day in the car, make sure your child has their driver’s license before they start classes.  This will free you up to teach your younger children.

Prep for Tests

Most colleges require ACT/ SAT or college placement scores from homeschoolers in order to sign up for classes. Make sure your child is prepared for the standardized tests well in advance. The college placement test is free and is administered by the college.

Dual Enrollment isn’t for Everyone

Not every child is cut out for dual enrollment. If you aren’t comfortable with your child sitting in a classroom with thirty people they don’t know, ages 17-50 then consider online classes or waiting until your child is older.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.

More Homeschooling Through High School

Don’t Think Your Child Won’t Cheat

by

The following is a post from Linda.

A mom approaches the homeschool director with fear and trepidation. “My son has been cheating,” she says. The director smiles and says, “It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.”

Yet as moms we somehow think that our kids won’t cheat. We don’t expect them to be perfect people, but homeschoolers are not supposed to cheat! At least, that’s what I thought.

You’ve probably guessed. One of my high school kids did cheat. And it wasn’t the kid who I might have suspected. He had never shown a tendency towards being dishonest.

How You Can Avoid Cheating

1. Never say, “This kid would never cheat.” Assume that any of your children could be tempted in this way.

2. Oversee test taking, and daily work if necessary. If a test is in the same book as the answers, be sure to copy the test. Then have the kid take the test in the same room with you. If daily cheating is a problem, then all work should be done that way.

3. Tell your kid that in high school, you don’t always get A’s or even B’s. My son did not cheat because he was failing. He cheated because in grade school math, I didn’t move on until he learned a new concept. As a result, he always got A’s, and he thought he should always get A’s in high school.

4.  Help your child have realistic expectations.  Similar to point three, kids can expect too much of themselves because they think all homeschool kids should be geniuses.  When they start coming up short, they might be tempted to cheat.  Let them know you want them to do their best, but that won’t necessarily mean straight A’s.

5. Talk to your kids about this temptation. Help them work through it. Little did we know that the guilt he was carrying was the issue behind his challenging teen behavior. Once he confessed, he was a different person! How I wish we had brought up the topic of cheating  and given him opportunities to talk about it sooner.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.

Linda has three boys and has been homeschooling for over 15 years.  Her oldest is now in college, the second graduates this spring, and her youngest is in 10th grade.  She blogs about food at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

More Homeschooling Through High School

Help! I Can’t Teach Calculus!

by

Yesterday I shared ideas for choosing a curriculum. I mentioned that most parent’s cannot teach every single subject to their high schooler. Linda has some tips for getting through those difficult subjects, like math! 

High school math has to be one of the most dreaded subjects for homeschool moms. Even if you did alright in high school math yourself, if you haven’t used math for many years, it can be intimidating. And if you’re not a math person at all, it can be down right overwhelming.

How to Make It Through High School Math

1. Choose curriculum with an audio/visual component. This isn’t always necessary, but it can be very helpful for your student to see and hear instruction rather than just reading it from a textbook.

2. Be sure the curriculum has a solutions manual. A solutions manual is different than an answer key. It provides step by step solutions to the math problems.

3. Get a tutor. You don’t have to go with “professionals” here, and it doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. Try asking someone you know to tutor your student and offer reasonable compensation . If you know another homeschool mom who is good at math, offer to do her grocery shopping or cook her dinner while she tutors your kid, or whatever would be helpful to her. College students or older high school students are another possibility.

4. Take outside classes. If there are co-op classes or other homeschool programs available to you that offer math classes, that might be a good way to go. Having a teacher who really understands the material can make a big difference.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.

Linda has three boys and has been homeschooling for over 15 years.  Her oldest is now in college, the second graduates this spring, and her youngest is in 10th grade.  She blogs about food at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

More Homeschooling Through High School

Grading a High Schooler

by

The following is a post from Linda.

When it comes to grading, moms are more likely to go easy on their kids than other teachers are. But we need to be preparing our teens for the real world. College, technical school, or a job are all places where Mom will not be the teacher or boss. Places where people will not go easy on them.

Here are a few suggestions for grading your high schooler.

1. Use objective tests for core subjects. Most subjects will have some writing assignments involved which require subjective grading, but try to work in some objective tests too.

2. Use a writing rubric to grade writing assignments. You might not do this all the time, but it can be a useful tool for you and the student. You can find help with creating a rubric at Homeschool-Articles.com or Learn for Your Life.

3. Have other people evaluate writing assignments occasionally. Many times dads are able to look at their child’s work more objectively than moms. You could also ask a friend to take a look at an occasional writing assignment. Getting outside input can let you know if you are on track or off base with your grading.

4. Enroll students in classes where they will have a teacher other than you. Co-op classes, community college classes, or other homeschool programs are a great way to start getting your kids used to other teachers and tougher grading.

5. Grade hourly classes honestly. For classes such as P.E. where the course is determined by the number of hours, it is likely that your grade is very subjective. Be honest. Just because it’s P.E. doesn’t mean he/she should get an “A.” I consider how much effort a kid puts into the activities and what kind of attitude he has. Was it truly excellent?

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.

Linda has three boys and has been homeschooling for over 15 years.  Her oldest is now in college, the second graduates this spring, and her youngest is in 10th grade.  She blogs about food at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

More Homeschooling Through High School

Homeschool Planning for High School (and College!)

by

The following is a post from contributing writer Tabitha.

I was thrust into homeschooling high school preparation before I was ready. The timing involved a course my oldest son was planning to take with his friends,  and he truly was ready for the demands of high school. It just took some planning.

We sat down and said, “Okay, once we start high school we need to make sure we hit all the requirements for any college you might want to attend.” We researched, discussed, and made a tentative plan, subject to changes.

Here are some great websites we used to help us out, including things I never considered and things that apply to everyone, college bound or not.

Resources for Planning the High School Years

  1. DonnaYoung.org has a great list of things to consider when planning high school, including some great printables and other resources. There are even some ideas on what to do when.
  2. HSLDA.org also has some brochures and other things to consider when planning for high school. Whether you love them or hate them, there are some good resources here.
  3. CollegeBoard.org –  A major part of high school/college prep is taking the SAT exam as well as others. The schedule is helpful for those students who want to take these exams and need to learn when, how, and where to take them.
  4. BeSmart.com –  Many colleges have people who cover just homeschool student admissions and you can usually find their contact information on the college website. This site, specific to my son’s first choice in colleges, is a good example of what is available for help with planning.

Even if college is not in the plans, it’s a good idea to know what you want to cover during the high school years. There are many resources that can help you meet your goals with your high school student, but the main things to remember are to involve your homeschool student, and plan according to your goals, together.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.

More Homeschooling Through High School

Fun Preschool Activities

by

The following is a post from contributing writer Stef.

Both of my boys were once little. I didn’t “do” much teaching when they were toddlers, but we had a great time around ages three and four.  Depending on your child’s fine motor skills and ability to keep stuff out of his/her mouth, here are a few fun preschooler activities.

1. Flash Cards.  My son loves sorting words into categories, colors, or alphabet.
2. Magnetic Letters. You can have little ones match the magnet to a flash card on the table.

 3. Chalk. Host an art day outside for everyone (play Pictionary).
4. Stickers.  Make a spring collage.
5. ABC Books. We can’t check out enough of them.
6. Hop Scotch.  Get creative and use masking tape to play inside (do the alphabet instead).
7. Egg Cartons. Color inside each one and have your child sort colored buttons.

8. Nature Walks. Bring zip lock bags.  My son loves to fill them up with leaves and pine cones.
9. Giant Dice.  Roll and count the dots, match the number to flash cards.
10. Stamps. Foam stamps are great for washable paints.
11. Size Sorting.  Sort objects according to size–small, medium, and large.
12. Dry Erase Boards.  We have many – 1 for the car, 1 for the table.  You can use them to work on letters.
13. Music Time. Chances are your preschooler likes to dance, so have a dance party.
14. Giant Floor Puzzles.  My son prefers the alphabet ones.

More posts from Stef

Birds: April Unit Study

by

This month we’re studying birds. At our house, ducks are using our backyard as a crosswalk every afternoon and the kids are enjoying their new feathered friends.

apologia exploring creation zoology flying creatures

A few years ago we studied birds for an entire year, using Apologia’s Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day: Exploring Creation with Zoology 1 curriculum. I highly recommend it.

If you are headed to the library, download this sheet with all the recommended reading.

Birds Book List
Birds Book List
Birds Book List.pdf
191.8 KiB
Details...

You can view the snack, craft, and printables for the bird unit here.

Make Way for Ducklings

Feathers for Lunch

Backyard Birds (Field Guides for Young Naturalists)

Beginning Birdwatcher’s Book: With 48 Stickers (Dover Children’s Activity Books)

Thunder Birds: Nature’s Flying Predators

Audubon’s Birds of America Coloring Book

Draw 50 Birds: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Chickadees, Peacocks, Toucans, Mallards, and Many More of Our Feathered Friends (Draw 50 Series)

Birds, Nests & Eggs (Take Along Guides)

Bird (DK Eyewitness Books)

Birds (Eye Wonder)

Migrating with the Arctic Tern (Animal Journeys)

About Birds: A Guide for Children

Ostrich (Day in the Life: Grassland Animals)

The Best Nest (Beginner Books(R))

Duck for President

Are You My Mother?

10 Little Rubber Ducks Board Book (World of Eric Carle (Harper))

Rooster’s Off to See the World (World of Eric Carle)

Early Learning Activities Using Balls

by

The following is a post from contributing writer Angie.

photo credit

For five years, after receiving my masters degree in special education, I worked doing in-home therapy for children under the age of three with developmental delays and disabilities.  I found during that time that many of the parents hoped that buying expensive equipment or special toys were necessary for early learning play.  I loved, however, to show them ways they could use toys and objects that they likely already had around the house in very purposeful ways.

Here are thirteen fun activities for very young children with the simple, but classic, children’s toy — the ball.

1. Use balls with a variety of textures to encourage different sensory experiences.  Let your child explore the feeling of these balls.  Examples of balls with a variety of textures around the house may include: basketball, rubber “playground” ball, ping pong ball, soccer ball, tennis ball, softball/baseball, football, nubby ball, Koosh ball.

2. Roll a ball (of any variety) back and forth with your child.  Sitting in just one spot is a great way to work on balance for very young children.  For this activity, make sure to work with your child on keeping the ball on the ground.  It is not uncommon for children to get excited and throw the ball instead.

 

photo credit

3. Now it’s time to throw the ball!  For working on throwing and catching balls, young children tend to have more success with larger balls.  A beach ball (or slightly smaller ball) is perfect for younger children.  As they grow older, you can work toward throwing and catching with smaller balls.

4. An extension of throwing balls is the activity “Knock Down a Tower.”  You can build up a block tower, put empty plastic bottles around, or use some other easily knocked over object as a target for your child to throw toward.  Children will typically be very excited for this new way to knock over objects.  (If you have a “no throwing in the house” rule, you may want to do this activity outdoors as to not confuse your child when you encourage them to do something that is against the rules in your home.)

5. Solo Throw and Catch – You can model for your child how to (lightly) throw the ball in the air straight up and catch it.  This is a harder skill for very young children – be prepared that the ball may go everywhere.  This is great to try once your child has the hang of throwing and catching with a partner.

6. Work on kicking a ball (playground ball or larger) that is stationary.  While it may be tempting to roll the ball to your child for them to kick it, definitely start with a ball at rest first.

7. Once they are pros at stationary kicking, move to rolling ball kicking.  When beginning this, roll the ball very slowly.  As their skills progress, so can the speed that you roll.  As with any activity, it’s fun to reverse rolls and have your child try to roll the ball for you to kick it as well.

8. Name That Ball – Set up a variety of balls and have your child name the different types of balls.  You can also work on naming them by color only, if they are unfamiliar with the actual types of balls.

9. Textured Ball Fun – There is a lot of free play that can be done with any ball that is quite a bit different from your average ball.  This could include balls like a Koosh ball, textured balls, nubby balls, and stress balls.  While these activities are good for all children, this is especially good for children to experience who have displayed some sensory defensiveness

10. Rolling on a large exercise ball can be great fun for young children!  Other balls that are similar to exercise balls might be (very sturdy) beach balls or very large playground type balls.  Have your child lay their belly on the ball as you gently roll them from side to side.  You can also try this with them sitting on the top of the ball as you bounce them.  This is a great activity for working on spatial and vestibular skills.

11. Bowling with soda bottles – If you have empty bottles (such as two liter soda bottles), a ball can be combined with these to have some impromptu bowling right inside the house.

12. Painting with marbles – Dip marbles into paint and then roll them around in a paper plate with an edge for a cool painting project.  (When this is done with small children, an adult must be in constant supervision, as marbles are a choking hazard.)

13. Hide small balls under paper cups – This is a magic show favorite, but you don’t have to be a magician to have fun with this.  Just try to be tricky with one small ball and three paper cups.  Move the cups around and see if your child can find which cup holds the ball.  An even more fun twist on this activity is allowing your child to be the one who hides the ball while you guess.  Children often show a lot of pride in this activity, especially if they can “trick” you a few times.

You might also enjoy:

Ocean Unit Study Worksheets and Printables

by

The following is a post from Lauren.

This month’s homeschooling theme is The Sea.  If you’re participating in this month’s theme, download this set of ocean-themed printable worksheets to use with your kindergartner through second grader.

Ocean Themed Worksheets

Included in this ocean-themed set:

  • Beginning Sounds – Choose the correct beginning sound of each word.
  • Reading Comprehension: Fish Facts – Read the short narrative and answer the questions.
  • Patterns – Determine which object comes next in the pattern in this cut and paste activity.
  • Addition Practice – Solve simple addition equations up to the sum of 12; answer simple addition word problems.
Ocean Unit Study
Ocean Unit Study
March Ocean Themed Printables.pdf
723.9 KiB
Details...
If you have any problems with the download, try it in a different browser.
For other Ocean Unit Study helps, see The Sea Booklist or visit the Ocean Board on Pinterest.

You might also like…

STAY UPDATED!

Get every article delivered to your inbox!

homeschool curriculum reviews

CONNECT WITH ME