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The Homeschool Highschool Podcast
Hosted by The Homeschool Highschool Podcast · EN
You can homeschool high school — and do it well. The team behind 7Sisters Homeschool walks you through everything that intimidates parents about grades 9–12: earning credits, building a transcript, GPAs, college and career prep, testing, and raising capable, faith-grounded teens without the overwhelm. Been-there, practical, and reassuring — for parents of homeschooled high schoolers. Follow the show and homeschool the teen years with confidence.
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How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything- Special Replay
Feb 2400:40:36Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything. How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything No homeschool mom wants to leave holes in their teens’ education. EVERYONE has holes in their education. No matter where you were educated or how much you are educated you have holes somewhere in what you know. Holes are everywhere! Even the most expert professionals in long careers still have holes somewhere in their knowledge base. But don’t worry, your teens are learning to explore interests and become independent learners. Many teens will let you know what holes are important to them and help you explore how to fill those holes. Know that some holes don’t matter! These holes are information your teen will never need in their future careers. (For example, a teen who will become a hair stylist or a Communications major don’t really need Calculus in homeschool high school.) Our homeschool highschoolers learn to be lifelong learners. Homeschool highschool is a foundation of their life-learning. It is just a start. You can’t handle everything in the world in 4 years. Sciences often make moms nervous. Who remembers their last Science course? It was a LONG time ago! But there are LOTS of ways to solve the problem of teaching the required Sciences to homeschool highschoolers. Remember: There’s not ONE right way to tackle topics you don’t know. Look into one or more of these: Pray Co-ops and group classes Swap courses with a mom-friend Community college Video courses and online courses (Here’s an episode on digital learning.) You might enjoy these episodes on labs and ideas for non-science learners. Higher Maths often intimidate homeschool moms. Here are some tips: The tips listed for Sciences also apply to higher Maths. Also, try: Working with a tutor Find a homeschool highschool study-buddy Language Arts/Writing is intimidating to many homeschool moms (especially grading writing): Make peace with the subjective parts of writing…really mom, you can handle subjectiveness Use a rubric (that’s why 7Sisters’ writing curriculum includes rubrics) Have a friend of friends grade papers Send your homeschool highschooler to co-op, group classes or online classes (This often includes the important experience: peer review.) Language Arts/Literature can be frustrated to some homeschool teens: Try Book clubs in person Try Instagram book clubs (supervise) Use Literature Study Guides (7SistersHomeschool.com are no-busywork, level-able guides that help teens build inferential-thinking skills…not just comprehension skills.) Use online books and literary analysis/guides Co-ops and group classes are great for discussion Try Readers Theatre to read some plays. Here’s an episode to explain. World Languages are so intimidating for homeschool moms. Here are some workable ideas: Co-ops and group classes are wonderful so that teens get the discussion portion of Languages Form a language club Use apps for supplementing texts. Online courses are often good Listen to this episode on handling World Languages. History is so much fun to teach in homeschool highschool! You and your teen can learn together or they can usually easily handle independent learning. Often, if a textbook is engaging, teens can do the text independently. (Independent learning is a goal for 7Sisters’ Psychology and Human Development courses.) Group classes and co-ops are marvelous for discussions. Online courses Video courses Phys Ed sometimes takes some creativity! Remember to keep logs! Listen to this episode on Phys Ed. Fine Arts is intimidating to moms who aren’t artsy. Remember this: Lot those hours Think Arts Appreciation (Here’s a link to a good how-to do Arts Appreciation freebie.) Join Sabrina and Kym for TONS of ideas on homeschooling highschool when you don’t know everything! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER Follow this link to our iTunes page. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page. Click SUBSCRIBE. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!) Thanks! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon Tap *Subscribe* Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily. Thanks! Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Well Planned Gal Rebecca from the Well Planned Gal understands the challenges of working within a budget, managing multiple children, and trying to keep up with a variety of information. That is why she created popular planner bundles! Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything The post How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Transcribe →GPA on the Homeschool Transcript
Feb 1700:16:27Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: GPA on the Homeschool Transcript. GPA on the Homeschool Transcript Creating your homeschool high schoolers’ transcripts is one of our most stressful but important tasks. That’s why our 7th Sisters often ask about how to handle GPAs on the homeschool transcript. (BTW- There are six of us 7Sisters: Vicki, Kym, Marilyn, Sara, Allison, and Sabrina. So WHO’s the 7th Sister? YOU are!) So let’s lower the stress levels and talk about how to handle the GPA on the homeschool transcript! What is the GPA? The GPA stands for the “grade point average“. It includes the average of your teen’s grades for their credits. Most homeschool transcripts will need to show a GPA at least at the end of senior year. (The GPA may need to be included starting in ninth grade, updating it yearly until the completion of senior year. Many college-bound or military-bound teens will need to include a first-semester senior year GPA on their transcript.) By the way, 7SistersHomeschool has an editable transcript form along with a how-to guide. It coaches you all the way through the transcript process, including how to determine the GPA. There’s not ONE right way to handle the GPA Like all our homeschool high school experiences, there’s not ONE right way to handle the GPA for your teen’s transcript. To determine the GPA, you will need to give some thought to your teen’s goals based on whether they are college-bound or career-bound. (It is a good idea to write these goals, so you do not forget.) When you know the goals, you can clarify the method of determining the GPA. GPA for teens who are career-bound Many of our teens are not college-bound. They might be entering the military, trade school, or the workforce. Calculating their GPA is not as stressful. The transcript will definitely need to be included on the transcript for our military-bound students, and most often, those who are trade-school-bound. However, compared to the intense pressure that teens applying to a competitive college are experiencing, the stress on GPA is reduced. College-bound teens need to take the GPA seriously Our college-bound teens need to have a GPA that shows their academic achievement. Many colleges include the GPA as part of their algorithm to determine who will be accepted, and sometimes who is eligible for some scholarships. There is a lot of pressure on us parents as the transcript creators to get the GPA right! GPA: Weighted or Not? Parents often ask us whether to have a weighted or a non-weighted GPA. There’s no unified code in the United States for weighting/not-weighting. A weighted GPA assigns more GPA points to more rigorous courses. Homeschool families (like schools that weigh GPAs) will give more points to higher-level courses. For instance, if a teen is taking an Honors course and they received an A for the course, they might receive a GPA score of 4.5 for that course instead of the traditionally unweighted score of 4.0 So for us, when our teens did, uh, the highest level courses, those level five courses, we call them honors courses, they would have the most rigorous course, a weighted course if they got an A for one of those courses would be a 4.5. When your teen applies to colleges, the admissions officers know how to compare apples and oranges of weighted vs non-weighted GPAs. Each college finds a way to standardize the GPAs themselves. Some of them simply unweight the weighted GPAs, some have more complicated algorithms. How to determine GPA Step 1: Determine which percentage points determine the letter grades This is important because you need the letter grade to figure the GPA. (Also, college applications often ask this.) You get to decide this; there is not a standard. A simple method (This is the method used by the homeschool umbrella school that the 7Sisters’s homeschoolers have attended. It is based on several decades of observing student capabilities and college admissions.): Lowest B= 82 Lowest C= 73 Lowest A= 92 A more complex method could be: Lowest A= 93 Lowest A= 97 Lowest A-= 90 Lowest B+= 87 Lowest B= 83 Lowest B-= 80 Lowest C+= 77 Lowest C= 73 Lowest C-= 70 Lowest D+= 67 Lowest D= 63 Lowest D-= 60 (I personally don’t recommend allowing a homeschool high schooler any credit for a grade lower than a C-. There cannot be mastery of a subject with a low grade. I would have the student re-take the course. This, however, is a matter of opinion.) Step 2: Assign a Grade Point to each course Again, the simple method (used by the homeschool umbrella school that the 7Sisters’s homeschoolers have attended): Lowest A= 92= 4 Lowest B= 82= 3 Lowest C= 73= 2 Again, the more complex method could be. (These is no set standard for Grade Points, there are many variations.) Lowest A+= 97=4.0 Lowest A= 93=3.8 Lowest A-= 90=3.6 Lowest B+= 87=3.4 Lowest B= 83=3.2 Lowest B-= 80=3.0 Lowest C+= 77=2.8 Lowest C= 73=2.4 Lowest C-= 70=2.0 Lowest D+= 67=1.8 Lowest D= 63=1.4 Lowest D-= 60=1.0 Step 3: Assign the amount of credit earned to each course on the transcript Use this post to help you determine the number of credits. Step 4: Figure the GPA This is simple math. You are simply going to average of the Grade Points. Do this by: Adding together all the Grade Points earned in a year. Adding the number of credits earned in a year. Dividing the Grade Points by the number of credits earned. At our umbrella school, we only counted the core courses as part of the GPA. The course courses are: Language Arts Mathematics Social Studies/Histories Sciences World Languages Here’s an example, Sally’s 9th grade core courses looked like this: American Literature 1 credit, A grade, 4 GP Algebra I 1 credit, B grade, 3 GP American History 1 credit, A grade, 4 GP Physical Science 1 credit, A grade, 4 GP Spanish I 1 credit, A grade, 4 GP Sally’s total GP was 19. She earned 5 credits. 19/5=3.8 For more on GPAs and transcripts check out our Authoritative Guide to Transcripts post and download our easy, editable transcript with how-tos. For more on GPA’s check out 3 things to know about GPAs post. How we 7Sisters handled GPA Between the six of us 7Sisters, we graduated a LOT of homeschoolers. Each of our kids had different goals for life after graduation. Although their goals were different, we found that the unweighted GPA worked well for them. However, it was important for our college-bound teens’ transcripts to show the levels of rigor of their courses in their course titles. So, their transcripts include the level of rigor of each core course (and electives that earned credit at rigorous levels). Thus, our teens’ transcripts would show Level 3 (College-Prep), Level 4 (Advanced), or Level 5 (Honors) written along with the title of the course on the transcript. <img loading="l...
Transcribe →Homeschooling Several Ages at Once with Natalie Burton
Feb 1100:22:40Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Homeschooling Several Ages at Once with Natalie Burton. Homeschooling Several Ages at Once with Natalie Burton Many of us homeschool more than one young person at a time. It CAN be done! That’s why we were excited to talk with our friend, Natalie Burton, again. We had Natalie on the podcast earlier, talking about homeschool and life balance. She is always a giver of wisdom and encouragement! Natalie Burton’s story Natalie has four homeschoolers ranging in age from four to eleven. This year is her official first year homeschooling all four of them. However, even though her four-year-old is just starting his official education, he has always been with his sisters at the table when they are doing their lessons. He has always been in the mix of everything homeschool! Natalie is married into a ministry family. Her husband is a worship leader at Macedonia Baptist Church in Southeast Washington DC. With the busy church life and homeschooling, Natalie has learned to be flexible and open to God’s leadings. Year-round homeschooling Natalie and her family homeschool year-round. She uses the summer to map out the upcoming school year. Year-round homeschooling works well for her family. One reason is that her oldest child is neurodivergent. For her, the timeline of a traditional school year felt like too much pressure. The year-round format helped her relax and opened up with her education. Natalie found that the year-round format allowed for intermittent breaks, so that they never truly get to the place of burnout. Her homeschoolers are mostly always excited to do school. The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that you can make it fit the rhythm of your family! Natalie’s tips for homeschooling several ages One thing Natalie has learned is to be adaptable and open to the Lord’s guidance throughout the year. Here are some of her tips: One-on-ones and entertaining littles Natalie has learned that her homeschoolers work much better when they have some time doing one-on-one core-subject lessons with her. The personal time gives her students focus and excitement. To pull this off, Natalie has special activities that her younger ones can do. The special activities generally keep the young ones’ attention until they arrive at lunch, recess, or a family/group activity. Early rising The Lord put on Natalie’s heart to get up early in the morning. She felt that God showed her that He blessed her with multiple children, and with that comes more responsibility. It helps her to get up forty-five minutes earlier than she did when the kids were younger. This gives her extra prep time and time to get centered and ready for the day. Homeschool co-op Natalie searched for two years to find the right homeschool co-op for her family. She loves this co-op because it is a dynamic, Christ-centered, and all of the moms there make it a safe place for all the homeschoolers to learn together. Her kids love it because they have a great time. The co-op families feel like family for Natalie and her kids. All the homeschool moms help out at the co-op. For instance, Natalie serves as treasurer. When looking for a co-op, she highly suggests finding one where the moms are involved (as opposed to the ones where parents can drop kids off and leave). The relationships formed by serving together are important for homeschool-mom support and encouragement. Immediate Breaks There’s no such thing as an all-the-time, picture-perfect homeschool (or anything). Natalie has instituted “immediate breaks” for herself and her homeschoolers. When anyone is feeling their calm slip away, they are allowed an immediate break to stop, breathe, and self-regulate. After all, it’s hard for moms to teach or students to learn if they are too stressed. A little calm-down time helps everyone to get back on track. Self-discipline Natalie has found that God has used her prayer life and homeschooling her kids to develop the fruit of the spirit of self-discipline. This can look like taking an immediate break and breathing for a bit. It can also look like staying on task (and helping her kids learn to do so) when they need to complete their lessons. Balanced with flexibility Natalie’s oldest child has been a teacher of flexibility for her. When her daughter becomes overwhelmed, they have learned to take that immediate break. Natalie is naturally a Type A, so educating her daughter has helped her moderate that style and be more adaptable to the needs of her child in the moment. Find role models One of Natalie’s closest friends and role models is Anita Gibson. Our listeners know Anita through our interviews with her, including: No Second-class Homeschoolers You Are the Right Parent for Your Homeschooler And her work at National Homeschool Advocacy (Natalie works with Anita in this organization) Anita and Natalie’s mother started homeschooling their kids when Natalie was a young child. They went to church together. Anita has served as a mentor and support to Natalie for her entire life. Natalie also helps Anita with the Simply Homeschool Facebook group. Let the process be the process Homeschooling is a process for the whole family, so let the process be the process. Give yourself over to it. Learn with your children. Allow yourself to change as the years go by. Homeschooling is a growth process, a learning curve. You can do this! Forget perfection! Natalie has learned to remove the lens of trying to be perfect. When you let go of that, things get a lot easier, the pressure comes off, and you can actually inhale! Remove the lens of trying to be perfect. Read alouds Natalie spends some family-learning time reading the Bible, literature, and poetry with her homeschoolers. This gives them shared experiences and builds their listening skills. This is one of her favorite times of the day! The most important thing that Natalie wants you to know is that with God’s help, you can do this! Join Vicki and Natalie Burton for tips for homeschooling several ages at once. Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing. Keep Listening How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything GPA on the Homeschool Transcript 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School Homeschooling College-Bound Teens First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job Character Development in Homeschool High School How to Start the Homeschool High School Year PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER Follow this link to our iTunes page. IMPORTANT S...
Transcribe →Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle Schoolers
Feb 300:13:59Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle Schoolers. Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle Schoolers Our middle schoolers will be high schoolers before we know it. So, we want to invest well and make the most out of middle school. One of the things we 7Sisters wanted to think about when we were homeschooling our tweens was: how do we make middle school useful, but not take all the joy out of learning? Middle school years are the last years when kids can just have fun with education without having to earn credits. Therefore, we want to invest well, prepare them for high school, and have some fun. The 7Sisters story There is a group of six of us moms who homeschooled our 20-some-odd kids in co-ops for years. (That would be Sabrina, Kym, Vicki, Marilyn, Allison, and Sara.) After a few years, we started an umbrella school, as well. We enjoyed functioning together in educating our kids. As we saw the end of our homeschooling with our own kids coming to an end, we decided to start sharing the curriculum that we created with other homeschool families. We wanted others to know that there is no-busywork curriculum out there! We had created lots of no-busywork curriculum because our teens had told us that many textbooks are boring because each chapter has a uniform number of pages, whether there is anything to say necessary to say or not. Our teens loved doing Language Arts and electives together. There were lots of kinds of learners so, we made sure the curriculum was adaptable to different levels of rigor. If they were interested in the topic or wanted to add rigor, there were meaningful activities to earn honors credits. So, we started publishing the curriculum online. We like the name 7Sisters, because we realized that’s because we’re all in this homeschooling thing together. Everyone who was part of the homeschool community is our seventh sister, so, or a seventh sibling for all those dads out there. Let’s talk about literature for middle schoolers There are lots of wonderful books for middle schoolers to read! Remember: there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, so choose books that fit your tween’s needs and interests, such as: Books for fun (lighthearted books with no need to do a study guide for them) Classic and excellent modern books at their age demographic We also suggest introducing literature study guides by doing four to nine guides per year 7Sisters literature study guides provide an introduction to literature analysis skills. These guides are not supposed to be exhaustive because that’s exhausting. Instead, the guides cover one or two literature analysis skills in each guide. Over the year, young people develop literature analysis skills, and still enjoy reading. 7Sisters Literature Study Guides for Middle School We 7Sisters like to create no-busywork literature study guides that do not take the fun out of the book. Here are our favorites: Esperanza Rising Esperanza Rising is the story of a young girl who comes from Mexico and is working on a farm. It is a gentle, attention-catching, and precious book. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind This is an empowering, true story of a young man in Africa who builds a windmill for his village. Misty of Chincoteague This is one of 7Sister Vicki’s favorite stories of all time! It is a fabulous, classic book to cover if your middle schooler is learning American geography. Students learn about the wild pony roundups on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH This is a good read-aloud for the whole family! If you wish, your middle schooler can listen and then do the literature study guide. The Boy on the Wooden Box The true story of a Jewish boy and Oskar Schindler during World War II. It is compelling but not overwhelming for young people. The Phantom Toll Booth Isn’t this a wonderful story? This classic is another good read-aloud for the whole family. If you wish, your middle schooler can listen and then do the literature study guide. The Watsons go to Birmingham This is a very important book that is very gently and wisely presented. It is a great addition to American history studies. Snow Treasure This classic book is based on the true story of the Nazi occupation of Norway and the legends about the children saving the national gold. Let’s talk about middle school writing guides Every homeschooler is unique! We want to introduce writing skills that will prepare them for high school, but not take the joy out of learning. We 7Sisters created writing guides that give middle schoolers the basics without overwhelming them. Essay writing The Middle School Guide to Essay Writing covers the topic over a series of weeks: step by step. Middle schoolers learn the basics of writing the five-paragraph essay that they will be doing a lot of in high school. It is a gentle, user-friendly, success-oriented, but not cheesy guide. Fairy tale writing It is wise to make sure that every year, there are some fun writing assignments. In middle school, this is a great time to just have some fun writing a fairytale. This guide will take you step by step, week by week for several weeks, one little assignment at a time, to write an absolutely delightful fairytale. Report writing, if you have a reluctant writer This is a freebie for homeschool parents. If you have young people who have not written a report, this can get you started. It is instructions on working together as a parent and middle schooler on writing that first report, so that your young person feels encouraged. Research Readiness If your middle schooler likes to explore interests, they would like a step-by-step guide to help them understand the process of writing a research paper. This is a good guide to get them started on the research-paper writing adventure. Homeschooling middle school is so rewarding! Enjoy these years. Join Vicki for a discussion of good books and guides. Keep Listening How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything GPA on the Homeschool Transcript <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/5-ways-to-earn-credits-in-homeschool-high-s...
Transcribe →Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School- Special Replay
Feb 300:25:54Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School- Special Replay. Movies for Educational Purposes in Homeschool High School Need some fun in your homeschool high school? Think: movies! Can movies and reading books BOTH count as English/Language Arts assignments? It’s complicated, but the answer is: Yes! Movies alone cannot count as literature for teens’ ELA booklists, but they can be used to learn: themes plots characters and other tools of literary analysis In fact, we 7Sisters have always allowed our teens to count some movies as books for their ELA booklist as long as they complete an accompanying study guide that emphasizes literature analysis skills. That’s why we have made sure they had good resources for studying movies as if they are books (like 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides). Join Sabrina and Vicki for an enlightening discussion of movies for educational process. Why learn literature analysis skills through watching movies? There are lots of reasons to add some movies to homeschool high schoolers’ literature analysis lessons. Let’s start with another of Sabrina’s famous quotes: Stories are stories. So, a story in a movie is still a story. Studying a movie can add some sparkle to a year that is getting bogged down in heavy literature books Of course, teens need to read lots of good books during their homeschooling high school years. Some teens like to choose literature topics for a year, such as: American Literature British Literature World Literature Great Christian Writers CS Lewis Poetry Other high schoolers prefer a mix of genres and authors (which is why 7Sisters offers the popular “One-Year” ELA series). Either way, reading books, books, books can be cumbersome, so liven things up by learning literature analysis skills through movies! Teens with learning difficulties will find analysis skills more accessible when they watch and discuss movies Learning story analysis skills by watching movies is good for all teens, of course. However, learning some of these literature analysis skills while watching a movie simplifies the educational process and adds a layer of multi-sensory learning. Studying movies for educational purposes is an inspiring activity for co-op Teens love watching movies together and the literature analysis skills are great discussion material. It’s fun! Face it, it’s fun to watch movies! So why not have some educational fun! So where do you start? First off: We recommend that you do not overdo it! Just choose one or two aspects of the story to discuss and analyze, even if the movie has lots of outstanding features that could be explored. In other words, don’t kill the movie (or a book, for that matter) trying to analyze everything that could be analyzed! Instead, allow teens to concentrate on just a couple of outstanding facets to analyze! Then they can actually learn and hold onto their learning- and still have positive feelings and inspiration from the movie. We suggest 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides for this. When teens learn some concepts from a film story, they can then find those concepts when they read books. Making these connections is a necessary facet of education (and an important life skill). Watching movies as an educational tool, helps teens begin to think that any time they watch a movie They can use their brains and think about what they are consuming. In other words, when given tools for analysis in a gentle way, most teens will have more critical thinking skills for watching movies any time. All 7Sisters curriculum is level-able (adaptable for Average- through Honors-level studies.) Homeschool high schoolers who are college-bound Honors level cinema studies will find interesting and meaningful leveling-up activities in 7Sisters Cinema Studies for Literature Learning Study Guides. The way the Cinema Studies guides work: Students watch the movie. They take notes as they watch the movie on anything that is interesting to them. They watch the movie again several days later. Then they complete the study guide (questions and a writing assignment). As an aside, Vicki and Sabrina rabbit trailed onto the topic of audiobooks for books and poetry. They noted that Benedict Cumberbach is one of their favorite readers. Vicki has several pins on her Pinterest Poetry board with him reading a poem. Join Sabrina and Vicki for a “moving” talk about movies! For more creative Language Arts ideas, check out this episode! Keep Listening How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything GPA on the Homeschool Transcript 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School <a hre...
Transcribe →Resources for Homeschoolers Who Learn Differently with Keisha Berry
Jan 2700:23:51Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Resources for Homeschoolers Who Learn Differently with Keisha Berry. Resources for Homeschoolers Who Learn Differently with Keisha Berry There’s not ONE right way to homeschool and there’s not ONE kind of homeschooler! That’s why Vicki was so excited to talk to our friend, Keisha Berry of Spectrum Education and Therapy Center, again about resources for homeschoolers who learn differently. Vicki’s story about Keisha This story highlights the respect that Vicki has for Keisha’s work: “Keisha and I were both at the MACHE Convention in 2025. We both had tables next to each other in the vendor hall. It was early in the morning, and the doors had just opened for people to come into the building. Then a distraught grandmother who was homeschooling her grandchild entered the room. She was determined to find help for her grandson who was having learning problems. She couldn,’t figure out how to help him find the resources he needed. You could see desperation as she walked into the room, it was just radiating off of her. She started just talking to the room, “I’m homeschooling my grandson and I need help, and he needs help.” Then Keisha just stood up and in this authoritative, calm voice, like the subject matter expert she is, “There’s help. We’ll get you help.” And I watched the calm descend on that grandmother from the top of her head down her face and her body relaxed.” Both Keisha and Vicki have homeschooled their own kids who have some learning differences. Vicki’s kids have all made it to adulthood, thanks to I had access to resources to help my kids who needed help. Keisha’s story Keisha started to consider homeschooling when she began to get comments on her son’s report card in the first grade. The teacher said that although he made straight A’s, he was inattentive and hyperactive. Keisha was working in his school as a special education teacher at the time, and I knew at that point that he needed something that he was not getting in school. Keisha’s sister, Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville (who has also discussed learning differences on Homeschool Highschool Podcast before), was already homeschooling. She suggested homeschooling to Keisha. So, she decided to try homeschooling. Keisha thought it was going be a temporary situation, but the next thing she knew, it was sixteen years later. Taking him out of school did not take away his inattentiveness or his hyperactivity. However, Keisha taught him how to manage himself through strategies for executive functioning, such as: He was not required to sit at a desk They taught him how to take notes He learned how to use highlighters She taught him how to use his digital calendars He learned to use AI to help him use his syllabi So, how did her son end up in Saudi Arabia No matter how many skills you have, the ADHD-type inattentiveness does not really go away. Sometimes it pops up into real life. After high school, Keisha’s son was applying for jobs. He accidentally applied for a job in Saudi Arabia. When he interviewed with several people about the job, no one mentioned the location! At the last interview, he was hired. That’s when he learned that he was going to Saudi Arabia! It was two weeks between the time of the last interview and when he got on the plane! A famous homeschool theory and globe-trotting son There is a famous homeschool theory: We teach our children how to learn, not what to learn. Using his skills on “how to learn”, Keisha’s son went online, and he figured out what he needed to do. He learned about the culture so that he was dressed appropriately and was respectful of their customs. Now he is working in Saudi Arabia, living his best life! The inattentiveness has not prevented his success. In fact, it is Keisha’s theory is that ADHD is just a different kind of way the brain works. It is a kind of neurodiversity that is a gift if you know how to: manage yourself learn be cautious when necessary understand how God has made you In college, Keisha’s son majored in Cultural Anthropology. He loved his study-abroad programs, where he traveled to Greece and Senegal. His love of globe-trotting was a gift God gave him, so the trip to Saudi Arabia was not overwhelming to him at all. Keisha’s training and homeschooling her son Keisha had worked for years as a special educator. She holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, which includes Speech and Language Pathology. Keisha had always worked in multidisciplinary settings, especially working closely with occupational therapists. She was able to use her training and experience to help her son maximize his gifts and manage his weaker areas. As she started homeschooling her son, she used her skills to learn how he learned. He did not always want to learn things that his parents thought he should learn about, so he had to learn to learn the required subjects. (They live in Maryland, and we have seven subjects that they required to show that you’re doing regular and thorough instructions in.) Along with this, he learned how to research and learn about things that interested him. For instance, during the pandemic, he was curious if there had been epidemics in the past. So he researched and learned about Ebola. For instance, he learned about what the government did to address the health crisis. He saw how politics affected addressing an epidemic. Then, he was able to draw comparisons, and he actually started to understand the current situation. Investing in his interests One of the greatest gifts a homeschooling parent can give their student who learns differently is to help them discover and invest in their interests. Keisha had known that ever since he was a little boy, her son was a National Geographic magazine fanatic. So, she made sure that those subscriptions continued throughout his homeschooling. In the magazines, her son read and learned about other places in the world. By the time he went to college, he was ready to travel the world and see things for himself! His desire for traveling sparked Keisha and her son with the opportunity to learn to manage his ADHD inattentiveness to details. With ADHD, some details will likely be missed (as in ending up with a job in Saudi Arabia). However, he learned to handle many of the details for his adventures. One of his favorite tools One of his favorite tools is a really cool feature on Google where you can tell Google to group the tabs that are open. Google will group them based on topic. So now, he can think about a million things at once, and he has Google to assist him by compartmentalizing them for him. Many of the other tools that Keisha’s son learned to use came from her expertise in working with children who learn differently. These are the same tools that she used at Spectrum Education and Therapy Center. Spectrum Education and Therapy Center Spectrum Education and Therapy Center is a multidisciplinary practice. Keisha and her colleagues work with homeschoolers to build tools for success with their homeschoolers. Her staff includes: Speech language pathologists Occupational therapy Psychologists who can assist with those tri-annual evaluations that children and families need for the state of Maryland Social workers, social work, and mental health support are something that they added recently because she recognized that many families were starting to homeschool because their children were facing mental health challenges. Academic coaches and consultants for evaluations and selecting curriculum Special education tutors and educators Free 30 minute consultations for all new families Not only in Maryland While Spectrum Education and Therapy Center is located in Maryland, you do not have to be in Maryland to access it. Keisha and her staff have a selection of virtual programs and events. These include workshops for new homeschooling fami...
Transcribe →Passion Leads to Purpose for Teens with Maynard Okereke
Jan 2000:23:41Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Passion Leads to Purpose for Teens with Maynard Okereke. Passion Leads to Purpose for Teens with Maynard Okereke We are SO excited about this episode! One of our favorite things to do is talk to people who are doing interesting, fun, and inspiring things. Vicki has been enjoying the Hip Hop Science Show, so she contacted the Hip Hop Scientist, Maynard Okereke, and asked if he would talk to our podcast friends. Vicki first discovered Maynard Okereke on Instagram. When she listened to his story, she said to herself, “This is the heart that we homeschool parents have for our teens!” Then, she discovered his YouTube channel MayNERD’s Wild World of Science, full of fascinating and fun science videos. She knew she had to invite him to talk to everyone on the podcast! Maynard Okereke’s story Maynard is not just a science lover, but an actual engineer who turned his love for music, acting, and science into a mission to make learning exciting for kids everywhere! Whether it’s crazy nature explorations through the jungle, or experiencing zero gravity on the vomit comet, he brings unique, curious energy to all his scientific adventures. Maynard has appeared on: Netflix’s Ada Twist, Scientist The Science Channel Curiosity Stream Maynard has been recognized in a number of venues including: His STEM outreach work has been published in Scientific American Odyssey Award for Excellence in Social Media The National Society for Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year Award Ebony’s Power 100 List Maynard’s story Maynard is a first-generation American. His mother’s side of the family is from Cameroon. His dad’s side is from Nigeria. So, I was born here in the States, but he spent his early childhood overseas in West Africa. When he returned to the States, he lived and then went to college in the Northwest. So, he has lots of perspectives on people and cultures. As he was growing up, Maynard was interested in Wildlife Biology. He wanted to study it in college, but his academic advisors told him that he should go into Engineering instead. His advisors had the idea that people who looked like him did not choose careers in the natural sciences. Maynard thought about it. He loved nature shows on television, but rarely saw any people of color on these programs. So, he chose Engineering as a field of study. Fortunately, he loves science, and he did well. At college, he made some amazing connections and got involved with the National Society of Black Engineers, where he met a lot of peers who looked like him. Over time, Maynard branched out into science communication, where he can explore and share his love for all the sciences. Not only that, he has the opportunity to represent young people of all colors so that they can follow their passions and study any science. That’s why he loves the opportunities to undertake these incredible explorations. Hip Hop Science shows that anyone can be a scientist if they stay curious! Maynard started Hip Hop Science to show others, especially those who don’t always see themselves in science, that anyone can be a scientist if they stay curious. While his official title these days is “Science Communicator.” He educates young people on various science topics, and anything under the umbrella of STEM. Maynard’s technical background is in civil environmental engineering with a degree from the University of Washington. However, he always had a love for entertainment, music, and acting. So, he stepped away from engineering after working in the industry for a few years to pursue some dreams that he had in science entertainment. His passions for both helped him bridge the gap between science and entertainment! With his digital platforms, Maynard is bringing a fun, youthful energy, excitement, and curiosity to the world of STEM! In his work, he: showcases all the amazing opportunities that students have before them when pursuing a STEM career talks about how to pursue STEM careers ignites that natural fascination and love for science that we all intrinsically have as kids growing up shows young people how to connect science to real life things, day-to-day things Pop culture elements That’s where the hip hop science and pop culture elements come to play. These elements help all kinds of young people to connect with material by making it relatable. Young people like being connected to learning digitally, especially if they are having fun. That’s what Hip Hop Science is all about! Helping teens find their passion In tandem with his work of sparking curiosity and excitement, Maynard also tries to share on his platforms the inspiration for young people to follow their passion, follow their purpose, and be rooted in the things that they love doing. Sometimes adults push expectations upon teens. And sometimes those expectations aren’t things that they necessarily want. However, Maynard likes to showcase that they can find cool science-related, STEM-related connections to almost everything they want to do, whether they love dance, fashion, history, art, literature, or STEM. Two Top Tips for exploring interests that lead to passion The Hip Hop Scientist has two fun ideas for helping young people explore their interests that may become their passion. Watch MayNERD’s Wild World of Science Maynard inspires young people through all kinds of STEM-related videos. These are just the right length of time for them to say, “I’m just gonna watch a video real quick!” Become a citizen scientist You don’t even have to go to the Amazon to do citizen science. There are things that teens can do in their backyard if they have a phone. For instance, they can use the iNaturalist app. This app helps teens find insects or whatever things might be in their backyard. They can take a photo and load it onto the app. In this way, teens are able to actually help scientists collect data. That goes a long way in helping understand where species are and how they are changing in different areas. Passion leads to purpose Maynard tells young people that the passion they have is in there on purpose, and they can make it their purpose. Parents need to give their young people permission to invest in that passion. Then the young people need to know that if they are not passive about their passion, it can come about, and the coolest things can happen! Maynard’s passion for science has led to the purpose of being a science communicator. These days, you can find him on social media like YouTube and Instagram. He is also a popular keynote speaker and often travels to schools to bring Hip Hop Science to inspire young people to discover their passion and purpose. Connect with Maynard Okereke You will find Maynard Okereke in many places. Here are a few: Hip Hop Science Show website MayNERD’s Wild World of Science Instagram HipHopScienceShow Keep your eyes out for lesson plans and resources coming soon from the Hip Hop Scientist, Maynard Okereke. Join Vicki and Maynard for his inspiring story so that you can inspire your teens to find their passions and purposes. Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing. Keep Listening How to Homeschool High School When You Don’t Know Everything GPA on the Homeschool Transcript 5 Ways to Earn Credits in Homeschool High School <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschooling-college-bound-teens-with-kat-pa...
Transcribe →Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School
Jan 1300:16:49Tap to summarizeThis year on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School. Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School We can remember starting every homeschool year with fresh curriculum and ideas, just knowing it was going to be awesome! By Christmas break, we often found out that some curriculum just was not working. That’s why we always took the new calendar year mark as a spot for recalibrating. How about you? Got any curriculum that is not working? That’s okay. We homeschool to do what is best for our kids, so we can change things up whenever we need to! January is a good time to toss the curriculum and things that aren’t working This is a good time to evaluate: Are there any changes to this year’s goals and priorities? What is working? Is the curriculum a good match for your homeschoolers’ needs? Beware the “just gotta get to the finish line” mentality Sabrina tells about the mindset that she used to hold about curriculum and plans: “Whatever the circumstances, I just gotta get to the finish line.” She thought she had to push through and finish the year with their curriculum, even if it was a poor fit. Take January to recalibrate instead We found that it was a good idea to recalibrate as a homeschooling parent within yourself. We learned to break recalibration into three areas: academics family our own personal identity Let’s start with academics If you want to have fun with curriculum change, you can start with Vicki’s 50 Ways to Scrap Your Schoolbook, where you’ll find out how she and her homeschool high schoolers handled ditching what needed to be ditched. Some of the ways they handled it included: Donating unwanted curriculum to the umbrella school library If the book was bad enough, they recycled it after the teens enjoyed drawing mustaches on the photos (not even kidding) Kym shared that one of her homeschool high schoolers needed to try seven or eight Geometry textbooks before they found a good fit. Fortunately, she had homeschooling friends and an umbrella school library as resources! So remember: Instead of ending up with a bloody forehead from banging against the wall all the time, try something different. Beware the shoulds It’s easy to fall into shoulds. We should push through and get this yucky curriculum done. Maybe it is time to recalibrate and try something new. Although sometimes you should Just to be clear, friends, sometimes you should push through. Sometimes teens need to learn to persevere, to learn that they can do hard things. So, how to know when to scrap your schoolbook and when to persevere? The answer comes out of your prayer life. It comes out of your time with the Lord. It comes out of your conversations with your spouse. Also, it comes out of your conversations with your kids. It also comes with chatting with homeschool friends. Remember: There’s not one right way to homeschool high school! We cannot give everybody a formula and say, “This is how you have to handle your teens.” That is because every teen is different, and our families are in different seasons of life. So take our advice and do some talking and listening, then recalibrate the rest of the school year together! Let’s talk about recalibrating family Homeschooling is a whole lifestyle, not just an educational choice. It impacts all sorts of other things: finances scheduling literal physical space within our houses The midyear point of the academic year is a great time to look at how family things are faring: meal prep and grocery shopping housework and chores Mid-year is a great time to have a family meeting. Sit down and chat with the family about what is working and not working. Sabrina’s did “yucks and yahoos”. It is a fun way to find out what needs to be recalibrated. What’s a Yahoo? (What’s, what’s feeling good right now?) What are the yucks? And then let’s not leave them. Let’s talk about recalibrating your self-care Mid-year is a good time to see if you’re taking care of yourself. (Because if you crumble, it’s not going to make it easier for your homeschool!) Not only that, but our own self-care is also modeling good life skills for your students. If it is difficult to find time or energy for your own self-care, our Cousin Teresa Wiedrick’s Harmonius Homeschool shares practical tips. It is important to do these periodic points of recalibration for your family academically. Then you will all have a happier homeschool new year! Join Vicki, Sabrina, and Kym for tips on mid-year recalibration! Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER Follow this link to our iTunes page. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page. Click SUBSCRIBE. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!) Thanks! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon Tap *Subscribe* Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily. Thanks! The post Mid-Year Recalibration for Homeschool High School appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Transcribe →Have s C.S. Lewis Year: Full-Year ELA Bundle
Jan 600:15:42Tap to summarizeThis week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Have a C.S. Lewis Year: Full-Year ELA Bundle. Have a C.S. Lewis Year: Full-Year ELA Bundle If you know Vicki from 7SistersHomeschool, you know that her favorite author is C.S. Lewis. The appreciation for Lewis is contagious. Her Lewis-based literature courses for the teens in their homeschool co-op and umbrella school classes have always been popular. Recently, 7Sisters has released the Lewis course as a full-year ELA Bundle! Click image for full description. Let’s talk about how to connect your teens to a year of inspired learning with C.S. Lewis! As you know, our homeschooling high schoolers need a yearly English/Language Arts credit. While there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, we recommend that each English/Language Arts credit include: Literature (either based on a theme or a mix of genres) Writing Public Speaking Vocabulary Grammar or editing The C.S. Lewis Full-Year ELA Bundle does that! Why you would want your team to have a full year focus on C.S. Lewis? Lewis said that the imagination is the organ of meaning. Our creativity and the imagination that God gave us is the generator of the meaning and the purpose that God has created us to have as individuals (and as people altogether created in his image). After all, God is a creative God and he made us in his image to be creative and to enjoy creative things. So when we do creative reading or creative writing, we are actually creating some meaning in our lives, even if it’s just fun (because fun can be meaningful too). So, this is this full year C.S. Lewis literature and composition bundle is about creativity and meaning. What is included in the Full Year of English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition bundle? Remember, all 7Sisters curriculum is NO-busywork, and level-able to various goals and abilities of each teen. C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition is chock full of classic favorites from Lewis, plus a delightful graphic novel about C.S. Lewis and his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. The books include: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician’s Nephew The Last Battle Out of the Silent Planet Perelandra That Hideous Strength The Mythmakers by John Hendrix (You will need to buy copies of these books for your teen to read, or borrow a copy from the library. You might want to purchase from Amazon; if so, we are Amazon associates, and will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you visit Amazon using our link in our sidebar to the right.) Which Cinema Studies guides are a part of this year’s bundle? Your teens will have fun with these movies and unique study guides: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005, directed by Andrew Adamson) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Comparing Two Versions: 2005 directed by Andrew Adamson & 1988 BBC Version The Most Reluctant Convert (directed by Norman Stone, starring Max McClean) (You will need to buy or rent these movies; many are available on streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Netflix, or borrow them from a friend or from the library.) If your teen has already completed these Cinema Studies Literature Guides in the past, see information below about how to adapt this ELA bundle. Which writing guides are included in 3b – A Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C. S. Lewis Literature & Composition? 10- Week Essay Writing Guide Creative Writing: Create APA “research paper” subcreation in the style of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien Myth-Fantasy short story APA-style research paper based on some topic of interest What else will I find in this bundle? Grammar Granules – Essential Elements of English Recommended Resources for Supplemental Grammar and Vocabulary Learning Confidence-Building Skills for Public Speaking Experience Parents Manual – Intro and How to Use This Bundle (including direction for grading and determining a final ELA grade for the transcript) Chart for Determining the Level of Rigor for our year of High School ELA Recommendations for HOW MANY BOOKS TOTAL your student should read this year Download the Full Year of High School English/Language Arts: C.S. Lewis Literature and Composition for an inspiring and empowering academic year! Connect with us! We love having you as a 7th Sibling. (After all, there are only six of us 7Sisters, so who is the 7th Sister? YOU are!) Meet us and all your 7th Sisters on: Our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group (you can post question up in the Facebook group and somebody is going answer it!) 7 Sisters Homeschool Instagram And on Pinterest 7 Sisters Homeschool 7 Sisters Homeschool YouTube Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source” This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page. Click SUBSCRIBE. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!) Thanks! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon Tap *Subscribe* Please tap *Ratings and Review* The post Have s C....
Transcribe →Why Study CS Lewis
Nov 9, 2021Tap to summarizeWhy Study CS Lewis Why Study CS Lewis The post Why Study CS Lewis appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Transcribe →