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Many homeschool parents feel anxious that they will not remember to include everything in the course descriptions and reading lists. The key to writin...

Homeschoolers are often Christian families, and they regularly include Christian education in their homeschool. Let me show you how to include your st...

Are you wondering how to write course descriptions for your homeschool high school student? Creating course descriptions can be fairly straight forwar...

Most colleges require, request, or appreciate course descriptions. Most parents plan ahead by having homeschool course descriptions ready for college ...

Please note that as of January 2021, The College Board has discontinued SAT Subject Tests® and SAT® essay. How to Avoid Writing Homeschool High School Course Descriptions I’m a huge advocate of parents creating homeschool course descriptions and transcripts, and I have all sorts of great resources on my website to help even the most intimidated and overwhelmed parent do this. But I also realize that some people won’t get around to. Although many, if not...

Some colleges say they don't need homeschool course descriptions for admission, but most colleges will request or appreciate course des...

Writing a Course Description for Chorus Cindy was working on her course descriptions (go, team, go!!!) and got stuck with music class.  I would like to count all the singing our youth group does as Choir but not sure how to write it on a course description or on the transcript. How can I best represent this in a transcript and Course description. Oh yeah, they do a drama in the performance too!It's so common for...

What's better than bacon? Keeping your files safe with Carbonite! {Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy I make a few pennies, but sadly, not enough for a latte.}   Most homeschoolers don’t have the time or energy to back up all their data like that, but disasters can happen.  A single computer virus, a major computer crash, or a household disaster or theft can destroy all the hard work you put...

Sometimes we forget how many homeschool high school course options there are for our kids to choose from. Are you teaching an occupational education class in your homeschool? If your child loves to spend time painting nails or trying out all the hairstyles on Pinterest and just enjoys all things having to do with beauty, why not consider cosmetology for high school credit? Occupational Education: Cosmetology You can call an elective class “Occupational Education: Cosmetology.” Some public high...

  If your homeschool family is struggling to make the time to write course descriptions, this might be a good blog post to share with your spouse.If you had the perfect job, working from home, loving your children, how much could you earn per hour, do you think? Traci found out that her job as a homeschool parent was actually earning her WELL over minimum wage. Can you believe it? $1600/hour for working on her homeschool...

When you don't finish a subject within the regular school year, you have options!  In a public, private, or alternative school, the only option is usually a big "W" on your transcript - for "Withdraw." But independent homeschoolers have many more options available!You can give 1/2 credit instead of 1 creditIf it's a class that doesn't need a whole credit, then you can award 1/2 credit and just be done with it. For example, if you...

When it comes to course descriptions, the more information you can provide about each class the better, as long as you don't go over 1 page of information. That's why I often suggest that each description includes 3 main ingredients.  1. Write a paragraph about what you did2. Make a list of what you used3. Describe how you graded. Within those main ingredients, there are a lot of different ways to give information about your class....

Use the "Binder Queen Method" of record keeping.My favorite method of record keeping is not a product you buy, it's reasonably price and easy to assemble.  I recommend a simple 3 ring binder, divider tabs, and lined notebook paper. Super-smart moms might want "college ruled" paper, but that is completely optional!I have seen far to many moms buy the latest and greatest record keeping, and then not use it. It doesn't matter what you BUY, you...

What kind of reception will your child receive at college? How will the admission representative view your homeschool? Amazing Reception of Our Transcript and Course DescriptionsDear Lee Binz,During November of last year, my daughter applied for early admission to her choice school. They have a very selective Creative Writing department, and she knew that was the perfect school for her. I had already done a transcript before for some dual enrollment programs she attended her senior...

Kerrie posted the sweetest comment on Facebook, while in the midst of a challenging marathon of writing her course descriptions.This is what a house looks like at Christmastime when you wait until the last minute to write course descriptions and reading lists for college applications! Lee Binz of The HomeScholar - we should've listened to your advice and started much earlier! See well-worn copies of the two books on top of paper pile! (College Admission and...