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Search Results for: diploma

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Ask Jeanne: Can a 20-Year-Old Earn a Homeschool Diploma?

by Jeanne Faulconer
Can a 20 year old earn a homeschool diploma?

As a parent of a high school homeschooler, I was approached by a neighbor who asked if I knew what the age limit was to begin homeschool. Her 20-year-old son never finished school, sadly. It seemed almost impossible for him to get his GED, having been enrolled on and off since he was 16. Knowing the need for a diploma, she’s considering homeschool, believing with one-on-one teaching, he will obtain his diploma, and his future will much brighter. Unable to find information on the North Carolina Homeschool help website about age restrictions, I’m hoping you can help us. Continue reading »

Ask Jeanne: Do Homeschoolers Get a Diploma?

by Jeanne Faulconer
Ask Jeanne: Do Homeschoolers Get a Diploma?

“Do homeschoolers get a diploma? Half of my family is pro-homeschooling and half is anti-homeschooling. How do I convince my family that homeschooling would be a better and more positive solution than public school?” You have a couple of overt questions and a couple of implied ones. Let’s see what we can tease apart here, because these are common concerns for prospective homeschoolers. Continue reading »

Making the Mid-Year Homeschool Switch Successful

by Online Education Contributor by Time4Learning
Making the Mid-Year Switch

For whatever reason, and there are many possible reasons, you are choosing the homeschooling option this mid-year. Maybe your child has a learning disability and the teachers can’t give him or her the necessary attention, or you don’t agree with the curriculum, or perhaps there are bullying issues. The list goes on for parents but whatever your reason, remember this—it’s the right reason for you. It may not be the easiest decision, especially mid-year with so much going on, but if it will help enhance your child’s educational experience then go for it! But before you get started, review these tips for making your transition a smooth and successful one. Continue reading »

What Is Accreditation? Should My Homeschool Be Accredited?

by Karen Skelton
Accreditation & Homeschooling - Woman wondering, "Does my homeschool need to be accredited?"

With the slow but steady growth of homeschooling across the United States comes a parallel growth in online, distance learning programs and schools. While many parents continue to provide independent, customized instruction to their children, others seek “enrolled homeschooling”—that which provides teacher-guided instruction, report cards/transcripts/credits, and other familiar elements of traditional education. Choosing a provider for this type of schooling naturally leads to an increase in questions about accreditation: what is it exactly, and how does it pertain to homeschooling? Continue reading »

Homeschooling for School Anxiety / School Refusal

by Jeanne Faulconer
Homeschooling for School Anxiety / School Refusal

Can you homeschool your child who refuses to go to school due to school anxiety? Should you? Kids in crisis who are too anxious to go to school are in a challenge called school resistance or school refusal. What if school refusers are telling us something through their refusal? What can we do to help? This post covers reasons we might homeschool a child with school anxiety along with concerns that might arise and tips to make the best of homeschooling in such a situation. Continue reading »

NorthStar Academy

by Mary Ann Kelley

NorthStar Academy (NSA) is an accredited online private Christian school that currently offers students in grades 4-12 a complete academic and diploma-granting program.

Homeschool Transcripts Explained—Spoiler Alert… They’re Easy & Free!

by Mary Ann Kelley
Screenshot of homeschool transcripts with text: Homeschool Transcripts Explained : includes free transcript templates

One of the things that intimidates people the most about homeschooling high school is how to make homeschool transcripts. Thankfully, the solution is much easier than homeschoolers expect it to be, and it’s free—you don’t need a homeschool transcript service or expensive record-keeping software in order to create a homeschool transcript to send to colleges. There are several ways to produce homeschool transcripts for your student, including availability from various organizations, online planner services, or creating your own. We have made it easy to print your own transcripts with our free homeschool transcript template for Excel—just input the information, set the print area, and print the spreadsheet. You’ll find the link at the bottom of this page. Continue reading »

How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum

by Jeanne Faulconer
open book with magnifying glass and text: How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family's Needs

Choosing curriculum is important to new and prospective homeschooling parents, as well as those who want to improve homeschooling or adjust to a new phase, such as kids starting high school. Many parents start with the question, “What’s the best homeschool curriculum?” A more productive question is, “What homeschool curriculum is the best fit?” Continue reading »

Naming Your Homeschool

by Jeanne Faulconer
Naming Your Homeschool

Does your homeschool have a name? Does it need one? What makes a good name for a homeschool? Whether you name your homeschool has to do with law, custom, and personal preference. You will want to consider benefits and disadvantages to naming your homeschool, as well as naming ideas, things to avoid, and how you can use a homeschool name to your (and your children’s) advantage. Continue reading »

Ask Jeanne: Help! Should I Homeschool?

by Jeanne Faulconer
Ask Jeanne: Help! Should I Homeschool?

My son has just started a small private Christian school but I am not at all happy with it. I want to withdraw him but I need to make sure it is the right decision. He is in 7th grade. My husband is worried he will be isolated. He is also not disciplined enough to sit continuously without being distracted. My 11th-grade daughter is in an honors charter high school. The work is rigorous and she often comes home crying. I have never homeschooled and I need advice. I thought of doing an online homeschool. Please help! ~ Cheryl Continue reading »

Learning with the Olympics

by Jeanne Faulconer

I’m cautious about twisting every interesting thing into a “learning opportunity” that can turn off otherwise interested kids, but the Olympic Games are compelling, and your kids will probably want to know more.

Watching actual competitions on television or via internet is surely the hook. Competition is its own drama, and the personal stories of athletes who have trained for so many years are interesting.

But with the 2016 Olympics in Rio set for August 5 – 21, what are some good resources for additional learning? Continue reading »

Homeschool Schedules: Arranging a Strong Homeschool Week

by Jeanne Faulconer
Your Homeschool Schedule: Arranging a Strong Week

As a homeschool evaluator in Virginia, I’ve worked with hundreds of kids in families who have used all kinds of weekly homeschool schedules. I’m also in my 19th year of homeschooling, and since we’ve moved around a lot, I’ve been in a ton of different homeschooling communities and groups with so many good homeschooling families. I’ve seen all kinds of weekly schedules work well for people, and creating a strong week of homeschooling can look different for each homeschooling family. Some families have weekly schedules that look like school schedules, but most homeschooling families use the flexibility of homeschooling to create a weekly schedule that is customized for them. Here are some of the homeschool schedules that I have seen work to create a strong homeschooling week. Continue reading »

College Admission Requirements: Homeschooling High School

by Jeanne Faulconer
Homeschooling High School - Course Planning for College Admissions

Course selection and completion are very big deals when you’re in school, and even if you are homeschooling, colleges may have specific courses that they want to see. Homeschooling is not public schooling, and homeschooling parents have wide latitude in what their children should study, how they should learn, and what qualifies a teen for graduation or a diploma. If there are no course requirements, as with homeschoolers in most states, what should your child study and learn during high school, if college is on the horizon? Continue reading »

When Grandparents Don’t Like Homeschooling

by Jeanne Faulconer
Ask Jeanne: When Grandparents Don't Like Homeschooling

Dear Jeanne,

Hi all, so I have made the decision to homeschool my son again for his 4th grade year. He also has a two-year-old baby sister whom I also intend to homeschool. I homeschooled my son up until 3rd grade, when I made the choice to allow him to go to public school because of personal health issues. Also contributing was the fact that my mother and younger sister would not stop arguing with me about how he needs this that or the other that he can get “more” of in public school, which I knew was wrong, but here I am having this argument again, and I don’t know how to deal with them. They have a tendency to be very opinionated — mostly behind my back but in front of my children. I don’t want to tell them they can’t take the kids anymore, but I’m tired of this! Do you have any suggestions that might help dealing with family that disagrees with you??? PLEASE HELP! Continue reading »

5 Homeschool Graduation Ceremony Ideas

by Jeanne Faulconer
TheHomeSchoolMom Blog: 5 Homeschool Graduation Ceremony Ideas

Do homeschoolers have graduation ceremonies?

Some do; some don’t. And those who do have graduation ceremonies may mark the occasion differently from one another. If you are looking for homeschool graduation ceremony ideas that fit your family, there are many options from which to choose. Here are a few that work for many different types of kids and families. Continue reading »

Homeschooling on a Budget

by Mary Ann Kelley
Image of upward facing hand full of coins with a seedline sprouting from the coins and text Homeschooling on a Budget: TheHomeSchoolMom

Homeschooling does not have to break your budget! The range of families who homeschool varies from the wealthy movie stars to low-income families that must be careful with every dime. Keep in mind that although you may be spending money to homeschool, you will save money by not having your child in a public or private school. Continue reading »

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