Middle School

Many parents feel anxious about homeschooling middle school. Parents can find themselves suddenly staring across the breakfast table at strangers. Del...

  Test Preparation in Middle School What do you do to prepare for the SAT and ACT when your child is in middle school? Read these 7 ways to effectively prepare for the SAT and ACT before high school. The best test prep in middle school is making sure you do a good job with reading, writing, penmanship, and math. Also, providing practice with fill in the bubble tests can ensure that they will be successful...

Some of my Gold Care Club members want me to give them direction and ask me regularly, "What should I be doing right now?" Well, here are my calendar reminders for summer suggestions for what you can all be doing all summer long. Relax! Fill summer with Delight Directed Learning, and provide time for kids to pursue their own interests.  It's the best thing that you can do to prepare them for college - and life!...

Encourage Reading with Teens Are you having trouble encouraging your middle school or high school child to read? It can be so difficult to find suitable books for a pre-teen or teenager! Never fear; you CAN encourage reading with teens! Let me help with ideas and free resources for you. Make Reading Fun Encourage fun by using real, quality literature. If you're having trouble finding suitable books, you might like my handy Printable Middle School Reading List PDF  to...

I help prepare parents to homeschool high school all the time. I tell them to "read books, attend conferences, watch instructional videos and invest in yourself and your chosen profession." Parents also want to know the other side of the equation. How do you prepare your child for high school? Prepare Your Child for High School I have great news. The way you prepare your child for high school is the same way you prepare them for success...

If you are sure your child is doing high school level work in an academic subject area like math, science, or foreign language in middle school, put that on your transcript and earn early high school credits! Why? Because when it's honest and true it goes on the transcript. And because schools do it too! My record keeping earned our family $187,000 in scholarships. Click this link if you could use that sort of college cash: The HomeScholar...

Junior High is Training Time for Parents Junior High is a great time for both homeschool parents and their students to get ready to homeschool high school! During 6th, 7th and 8th grade, parents should be spending time learning how to homeschool high school. Take classes on homeschooling high school at a convention or online convention, read books on how to homeschool high school, and visit the College Board® website to check out their college prep plan....

I am often asked about a particular homeschool curriculum. Sandy had a great question about Saxon geometry... Lee, We recently watched your Preparing to Homeschool High School videos in our homeschool group. They were great! I have a question about Saxon Math. My 10th grader is taking Advanced Math and has already completed Algebra 1 and 2. Do you have an opinion about Saxon and the way geometry is included? Would you suggest another route? My...

Feeling Freaked Out or Anxious About the Coming Year?  The hardest part about homeschooling is when you are faced with something new.  The first time you had to teach a child to write in cursive, or mulitply, for example, it was pretty intimidating. If you are feeling stressed about the coming year, chances are you are faced with something new.  These are my "OH MY GOODNESS I'M PANICKING!" articles that I hope will talk you down...

Is Sleep the Only Reason Homeschool Kids are Healthier & Happier? Recently I read an article  Homeschoolers Are Healthier and Happier Than Public or Private School Students  about sleep and success in high school. It stated that homeschooled students are healthier and happier, due in large part to the fact that they get more sleep than their schooled peers.  It reminded me of when my children were toddlers, and how difficult it was to convince them...

"But How do I Get Them to Work?!" I get a lot of different questions about homeschooling high school. A big one is “How do I get my student to do the work?”  Especially for parents new to homeschooling, this is the big worry.  How do you make them listen and get the job done? Unfortunately, perhaps, children are free moral agents.  They sometimes do not cooperate, and there isn’t any magic way to force them...

  Each stage of life can bring unique challenges, but 7th grade?!  Yikes!  It can seem so scary! Here are some suggestions for parents of middle school students.  Try these first, before having a major melt-down, and most of your questions will be answered. Make sure you are on my free newsletter list, and start reading it regularly: The HomeScholar Record .  Then read the article called: Taming Middle School Anxiety . I created a DVD...

Some parents are born homeschooling their children.  Other parents begin educating their children in the common way until they realize they need to make a change.  It's interesting to watch families taking their first tentative steps into the homeschool arena. Some begin the journey resistant, even angry at the world for being forced into the lifestyle.  First tentative, gradually they become more confident.  Eventually they begin to feel fulfilled as a parent and as a family....

Should we count extensive European travel during middle school as early high school credit? Traveling Europe, learning foreign languages, and experiencing the art and culture of other countries is awesome!  If these were done during high school, then you can give high school credit for the whole experience. If these experiences are completed prior to high school, does it count? In  my opinion only the academic subjects taught at high school level can be counted as high school...

I encourage parents with young children to sign up for my free monthly newsletter . Every month, when you see the phrase "homeschooling high school" it will strengthen and encourage you. By seeing that title, I hope to remove your fear of homeschooling the upper grades.  Then, by the time your children are old enough for high school, it will seem like the next normal step to take! That way you can listen to your heart...