9 Homeschool Resolutions for Parents of High School Students

Posted by Lee | 0 comments

Work on these easy resolutions and in only a few minutes you can feel confident in your ability to homeschool high school!

1. Start Record Keeping!

You can initiate a record keeping system in 5 minutes or less. Just grab box, and put it in an out of the way corner. You can use the box as a record keeping system, just by remembering to put things in it. Sure there are better and fancier ways to keep records, but ANYTHING is better than nothing.

2. Mark your Calendar!

Mark your calendar with important dates now, while this year’s calendar is still looking empty! Find the dates for important tests on the College Board website. Most high school kids take the PSAT in fall of 10th grade and again in 11th grade. The SAT or ACT test is taken in the spring of junior year.

3. Have a Parent-Teacher Meeting!

Go ahead, talk to yourself! Review your high school plan with your spouse and students. Every college has different requirements, so check with a possible college to see what is required. Usual requirements are: English 4 years, Math 3-4 years, Science 3 years,Social Studies 3-4 years,Foreign Language 2-3 years, PE 2 years,Fine Arts 1 year, Electives enough to make 24 credits.

4. Adjust Curriculum!

While you are looking at your high school plan, think about what is working for you. If it doesn’t work, throw it out! Try a different strategy that may work better. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the curriculum is, what matter is if you children are learning. Out with the old, and in with the new!

5. Try a Transcript!

You don’t have to finish, your goal is to just START your transcript. The way to make your transcript accurate and professional-looking is to work on it regularly. Spend just a few minutes writing down what you have already done.

6. Identify Specialization!

Check your annoy-o-meter and in 5 minutes or less you can determine your child’s area of specialization. What is your student most likely doing when you say “Will you PLEASE put that down?” Is it possible that is your child’s specialization? Their interests may be annoying, so look closely at what they are doing when you feel frustrated.

7. Estimate SAT score!

Quickly estimate an SAT score from PSAT results. In each subject area on the test, add a “zero” to the end of their score. For example, a 50 on the PSAT math section would be approximately a 500 on the SAT math. Knowing this number can help you determine what college would be a good fit, and if SAT preparation is important.

8. Make a Reading List!

On a piece of paper, print “Reading list.” Then have your students collect books they have read in the past 3 months. They can practice typing skills while listing the name and author of each book.

9. Sip Tea!

Each of these resolutions is is very quick and easy, and you could get through this list in a few hours. Once you have accomplished these resolutions, and now it’s time to take a break. Your job is to sip some herbal tea and relax.

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.