Homeschooling My Tenth Grade Daughter

Last time I posted on this blog, my oldest was 8.  She is now 15 and in 10th grade.  And I finally have some time to myself to write again.  Homeschooling is a full time job.  I've also opened, managed, kept and also sold several businesses in the interim.  Now that my kids are older (the youngest is 5), the businesses have simmered down, and my life is generally calmer, I decided that I wanted to write again.  What to write about?  What else, but Homeschooling, the thing I know and love best in this life. 

Because I have had several folks, both friends and strangers, ask me advice on homeschooling recently, I'll respond here, with a series of blog entries.  I'm beginning with four entries, giving an overview of what a homeschool day looks like with each of my four kids. 

10th Grade with 15-Year-Old Shana

Like her siblings, Shana has been homeschooled most of her life.  She did go to preschool the year she was four, but that was the extent of her school career.  Two years ago, as she approached high school age, I began encouraging her to think about attending a traditional high school.  I honestly would have been excited for her to give it a try, if she had wanted to.  After a lot of consideration, she declined.  She liked the flexibility and freedom that she had as a homeschooler, and she was sure that she did not want to go to a traditional High School.  Now, two years into homeschool high school, I'm confident about Shana's decision, and she is too.

One thing that is different about homeschooling a highschooler, is that her work is more self-directed.  She takes classes at a local community college, where she is basically on her own, and is viewed, by both her professors and other students, as an adult.  She also takes classes online, through Khan Academy, and through our local homeschool partnership.  She also does two classes with me this semester.  I've designed a curriculum for those classes, and we meet formally once a week, and informally throughout the week, to discuss the material and turn in assignments.  We talk frequently about all of her classes, during lunch, in the evening, while driving to activities, and she knows that I am always there to help with anything, although she rarely asks for direct help at this point in her educational career.      

Another thing that is different about homeschooling a high school student, is that even though she does much of her work on her own, I feel like it is more important than ever for me to keep track of what she is doing, in order to be sure that she is prepared for what she wants to do after High School. Unlike with my younger students, I am not sitting by Shana with manipulatives on hand to help while she does math.  So how do I ensure that she is learning math (or any other subject)?   I have several methods, including testing (something I don't do with my younger students); frequent and ongoing conversations about all of her classes; and reviewing papers and other work that she completes.

Home life is a little different with an older student, as well.  For example, the younger kids want to be around me for the most part, while we do our daily activities together.  Shana, however, is at the point where she wants more privacy, but is also more willing to take on responsibilities and share household tasks.  Two days per week, she leaves early to go to classes at the local college.  On the other three days of the week, Shana is in and out of our homeschool day.  She comes down for breakfast, but then does the bulk of her work in her room throughout the morning.  We all meet up again for lunch and reading.  After the lunch hour, she'll sometimes go back to her room to do more work.  Other times, she and I will sit down and work on one of her classes together.  Then we all do chores together, take a walk, or just enjoy our afternoon.

There's so much more I could say about homeschooling a high school student.  For example, another huge element is preparing a transcript and applying for colleges.  I am actively helping Shana through this now, but that is another blog post.