The nice thing about homeschooling is that you can create almost any electives for your child under the sun!  You aren't limited to electives that a teacher is interested in, and you aren't limited to electives that you feel comfortable teaching.

The bad part about homeschooling, is that when you recognize you can teach any elective under the sun, you have to somehow find the materials for your child to use!  Donna was talking to me about her child's interests.

Do you have any recommendations for a Mandarin Language course? My daughter would also like to study the Chinese culture. Do you have any courses you could recommend? Amazon has so many to choose from. Any guidelines to look for? ~ Donna

Mandarin Chinese?  Sounds like so much fun!  That's a very in-demand language, by the way, particularly by military and missionary organizations.

For Mandarin, there aren't that many foreign language programs to choose from.  So I'd suggest looking at Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, and PowerGlide foreign language courses, because I think they have that option.  It's OK to blend a variety of options, and count hours spent on the task.  A minimum of 15 minutes per day will provide enough momentum to learn the language.  About 45 minutes per day would be a good amount for a high school credit.  That 45 minutes per day (or 4-5 hours per week) would be a blend of culture and language activities.

For a culture section of your course, I have always thought this looks good: From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History.

These are all "Great Courses" college level courses, taught from varying worldviews, but I do think they are usually good college preparation, with discussion at home.  Teachers usually use a great vocabulary when they speak, and it's a good opportunity for live note-taking skills.

I talk about Great Courses and how to use them here: The Great Courses for High School Credit.
This describes the note-taking class: Great High School Writing Course!
For more ideas on foreign language, this article may help: How to Have Fun with Foreign Language

Remember that a Mandarin class might include the culture (DVD or visiting museums and cultural centers) plus the language (reading, writing, speaking, listening.... )  Because there is so much, and so many pieces of a foreign language course, remember you can't do it all.  Just do your best, be consistent, and strive for 15-60 minutes every single day, one way or another.


Whether you have questions about delight directed learning, honors courses, CLEP, or the ACT, I am here to help.  My Parent Training A la Carte courses will help you become fully prepared for your next step in homeschooling.