middle school

​Find out what's new in this month's Gold Care Club update!  How To Training Courses Quick Start : Your Goals This School Year Beginner : Preparing to Homeschool High School - Live 3 Hour Virginia Convention Presentation Intermediate : Schedulin...

 New for this month in the Gold Care Club... How To Training Courses Quick Start: Finding Curriculum that's Effective and Fun Beginner: Preparing to Homeschool High School - 4 Hour Webinar Presentation Intermediate: Homeschooling Middle School A...

Each month there are reminders that will help you in your homeschool journey! Have you looked at the calendar this month for the April homeschool calendar reminders?  Middle School: Make a decision not to panic. Instead, spend some time on conti...

 

Purpose for Students

Middle school is the pause between elementary school and high school. Children learn at different rates –not just homeschoolers, ALL kids! The pause, middle school, gives slow or reluctant learners time to catch up before high school. At the same time, it gives quick and academically capable children a chance to continue learning at their level. Do you find yourself becoming stressed out over middle school? Read my article, Taming Middle School Anxiety. It's sure to help you and your student calm any anxiety this stage of life brings.

What field trips have you taken this year, or past years, that you have really enjoyed with your teens? My Facebook group was going crazy, sharing some great ideas. You can include field trips in your course descriptions, by the way. While course des...

I believe that read-aloud families create successful students. I requested an opportunity to review, The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie to see what she had to say, and I absolutely loved it. It's perfect for parents of children of ANY age, home...

It can be a temptation to totally panic when you start planning middle school for the first time. You may like my article, Taming Middle School Anxiety . But right now, let me give you 7 easy steps to assist you in your planning. 1. Make a plan ...

 Planning the coming year with high school students? Let me give you a quick review of what you really need to cover each year of high school. You'll end up with the perfect plan for homeschooling high school. English Make a plan for English tha...

I was recently on a European River Cruise, and lots of people have been asking me for advice on international travel. Since this was my first time, I was really nervous. I relied a lot on my daughter-in-law, because she has done a lot of internationa...

Games for teens can make summer more fun. Staying sane in summer requires a careful balance of structure (so the kids don't go crazy) and time away from homeschooling (so the mom doesn't go crazy.) How do you keep that balance? Educational games! Che...

Speak kindly to yourself. You are God's precious child. He is kind and loving, and He wants us to be kind and loving to our self as well. Women, in particular, can be very hard on themselves. Harsh self-talk that is edifying or helpful...

The 5 Stages of Homeschooling High School

Many homeschool parents today are intimidated by the thought of homeschooling through high school, overwhelmed by the thought of college applications, and unsure how to plan for this final stage of their child’s education. Generally, parents tend to react in one of two ways to this challenge. Some are stressed out and need minimal information, because if they are given too much information, they become immobilized and can’t do anything. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum are parents who need more information to overcome these challenges. These are the parents who want all of the information at one time, as soon as humanly possible. When they don’t get it, they get incredibly stressed and frustrated.

Both kinds of parents need information in order to succeed at homeschooling high school, but one kind needs a ton, and the other kind needs to know when to plug their ears and hum, "La la la, I can’t hear you!” No matter which kind of homeschool parent you are, knowing the five stages of homeschooling high school will put you on the path to success and help you keep from being overwhelmed.

The first stage of homeschooling high school is middle school, grades 7 and 8 or sometimes grades 6, 7 and 8 (usually about age twelve to thirteen). This is a time when you’re training students in good study habits, grounding them in the basics, and helping them to explore the topics starting to interest them.

The second stage of homeschooling high school is freshman year, which is grade 9 (beginning at about age fourteen or fifteen). This is when keeping records and transcripts becomes important, because you’ll be submitting them to colleges when your student applies in senior year.

The next stage of homeschooling high school is sophomore year, which is grade 10 (about ages fifteen or sixteen). This is a time when you need to work on specific things to prepare for college, such as covering the courses that most colleges require for admission.

The fourth stage is junior year, eleventh grade (beginning at age sixteen or seventeen). This is the time to work on finding colleges your student is interested in, and making campus visits.

The final stage of homeschooling high school is senior year, grade 12 (about ages seventeen to eighteen). Senior year is when your student applies to the colleges of their choice and gets ready to graduate.

The important point is to focus on what stage you are in and what’s coming up, and avoid the temptation to get overwhelmed by the big picture! Step by step, you can successfully homeschool high school!

Would you like to learn more about your goals at each stage of homeschooling high school?

This article is an excerpt from my Coffee Break Book, Your Goals this Year: A Year by Year Guide to Homeschooling High School. Regular price is $2.99 for Kindle.



Once you’ve read it, I would be so grateful if you left a quick review to let me know what you think. Thanks so much!

What Grade is Your Child in Next Year?

What grade is your child in next year? Are you ready? If you need to plan for the coming year, I have a book that's a perfect fit, no matter what grade!

Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose: How to Successfully Navigate 6th through 8th Grade

Middle school is a time when homeschool parents often get frightened and quit. But now is no time to panic! Middle school can be the sweetest, most rewarding time to homeschool! Learn strategies for gently guiding your preteen through the physical, intellectual, and social changes that come with this age. You will be able to reconnect with your child and be encouraged and energized to prepare them for high school and beyond.

How to Homeschool 9th and 10th Grade: Simple Steps for Starting Strong

If starting to homeschool high school makes you nervous, this book will help you homeschool with confidence. Get a great start homeschooling high school! Learn what you need to cover in freshman and sophomore year! These are exciting years in your child's life!

Junior Year is the Key to Homeschool Success: How to Unlock the Gate to Graduation and Beyond

This book covers the important tasks of junior year, including taking the PSAT, preparing for college admission tests, attending college fairs, choosing a college, finding merit scholarships, and getting a jump on senior year. Have you “fumbled the ball” in previous years? There is still time to catch up and be ready for college applications during senior year! Have you kept good records all along and given your child a college prep education? There are still plenty of other tasks that need to be done!

Senior Year Step-by-Step: Simple Instructions for Busy Homeschool Parents

Does the thought of homeschooling senior year of high school seem scary to you? It doesn't have to be! You can do it, just take it one step at a time! This book covers homeschool records, forms and deadlines, college application essays, college interviews, planning a graduation ceremony, how to save money and get those scholarships, preparing for college life, and more! Get the encouragement, tips, and tricks you need to get through senior year.

Heading to College

Are your kids headed to college? You don't need a book, you need to know what to buy for them to take to college! Here is a list of things that will likely be needed during the year: College Packing List. Some items may be restricted by your university, so check their policy before buying electrical equipment such as microwaves, refrigerators, and toaster ovens.



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NEW Kindle Book: Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose

Middle school is a time when homeschool parents often get frightened and quit. But now is no time to panic! Middle school can be the sweetest, most rewarding time to homeschool! Learn strategies for gently guiding your preteen through the physical, intellectual, and social changes that come with this age. You will be able to reconnect with your child and be encouraged and energized to prepare them for high school and beyond.

Middle school doesn't have to be the train wreck you remember or have seen depicted on TV! Homeschool parents can shape and mold children through the middle school years, even during bursts of hormonally charged awkwardness. You can ensure your child learns appropriate behavior in the safety of your own home. This book will give you practical strategies to handle preteen academic and emotional challenges.

As a book in my Coffee Break Book Series, it is designed especially for parents who don’t want to spend hours and hours reading a 400-page book on homeschooling high school, each book combines Lee's practical and friendly approach with detailed, but easy-to-digest information, perfect to read over a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop!

Never overwhelming, always accessible and manageable, each book in the series will give parents the tools they need to tackle the tasks of homeschooling high school, one warm sip at a time.

Download Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose for FREE 11/23-11/27!

Please take a moment to download Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose for free, through November 27!  It's a short read with simple strategies to help you homeschool your middle school student!

When you are done with the book, please leave a review on Amazon too!  We really count on your reviews - thank you so much for taking a moment to let me know what you think of this new book.

 

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 on standardized tests.  While things like critical thinking and logic are generally nice to have, they are not specific for test preparation.