I'm Back to Homeschooling High School!

My goodness! It's been nearly seven years since I posted on this blog! Back then in the 2013-2014 school year, I was teaching at a homeschool hybrid program across town. One of my sons was enrolled there for his freshman year. My other kids had been transitioning into public school and I wasn't homeschooling any of them for high school from Fall 2014 until just a year ago.   

But I'm back! My youngest daughter, who is starting 10th grade, is still homeschooled and will continue with me until graduation. Not only that, I will teach high school and middle school language arts in a different homeschool hybrid program this school year. I am very excited about that!

Last year, homeschooling was admittedly a difficult one for so many of us, due to COVID and whatever other issues life threw our way. (I'm a single mom who works part-time at a crisis hotline, and I just graduated from seminary. Full plate!) We did find our groove somewhere in there, and next month we will pick up where we left off.

So here are two resources that we have really liked for high school so far:

No-Nonsense Algebra: It's an inexpensive workbook on Amazon. The lessons are very straightforward, not overwhelming. The book comes with a code for free pre-recorded video sessions online, one for each workbook lesson. Each of these videos is less than 10 minutes. We watch the video. She does the lessons with me so I know she's understanding it as she works. It's virtually painless, unlike anything else we have tried. We will finish this up next year and then alternate the lessons in the related Algebra Word Problems Made Simple book partway through the year. 

Friendly Biology: This program redeemed Biology for us. I had pulled my daughter out of a weekly class that was using the Apologia Biology book. Neither of us could understand it at all. Then I found Friendly Biology at our local used bookstore. We tried it out, and now we are both understanding, and even enjoying, Biology. It is for the student who needs to take Biology but isn't able to follow anything that's overly technical. It is written in a conversational approach by homeschool parents of 10. The dad has a doctorate in veterinary medicine and a masters in curriculum and instruction. The mom also has a master's in curriculum and instruction and is working on a doctorate in education. The book comes in either a secular or Christian edition. We have the secular one because that's what was in the store. There are some typos in the accompanying workbook, but that doesn't detract from the program. There is also a test book. You can also purchase access to video lessons online but we haven't done that yet. 

In addition to this biology text, my daughter reads a lot of books and articles and watches a lot of videos related to anatomy and physiology. This is one of her key interests. When she watches a video or reads an article online, she sends the link to the email account we have set up specifically for her school stuff. Along with a workbook on Medical Investigation and some first aid and CPR classes later on, we're turning all of this into a class on Medical Skills, which is a legitimate high school course in the state of Florida. 

We also take a lot of field trips. In the spring we spent two days in St. Petersburg, Florida visiting the Imagine modern glass arts museum, the Chihuly glass art museum (see photo at top of post), a glassblowing exhibition, a botanical garden, and more. Over the summer, she visited the Ford's Theatre Museum (where Lincoln was assassinated), the Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. We also visited Shenandoah National Park, Natural Chimneys, and Natural Bridge in rural Virginia -- all stunning for the geological formations. Then we toured a cathedral and a ship museum in Savannah, Georgia. 

Last spring, I took the time to plan out what classes my daughter needs to complete before she graduates. Since she's homeschooled, we have some flexibility in the number of credits and how they can be accomplished. For example, she is doing her World Geography a little each year, studying one continent per semester. She may do some of her classes with Florida Virtual School, or she may dual enroll in the local community college with online classes. She will take English (with me) and other classes at the homeschool program where I will be teaching. 

Pretty soon I'll write another post on what I'm teaching in my high school language arts class this year. 

Until then!

Virginia Knowles

Art Show Pieces and Another Graduate!

"Still Life 1"

"James"
from the book
James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl
(Yes, those are the sea gulls carrying
the peach across the ocean.)

Lydia
Photo by Joanna Knowles

My daughter Lydia was home schooled up through 9th grade, then transferred to a public school where she took primarily honors and AP courses for 10th and 11th. She was also president of the art club and a member of the drama set crew.  (See Making the Transition into Public High School or College.) She wanted to dual enroll at Seminole State for her senior year to take advanced math, science, and more art.  She couldn't dual enroll full-time while enrolled in the public school, so she decided to re-enroll in the private home school program she had been in before.  Next week, she will be our fifth graduate from The Regent Academy.   

One of the great perks about dual enrolling is the opportunity to take art classes from professional college level instructors.  Lydia really liked her teachers there, and I guess they liked her too since two of her pieces were selected to be included in SSC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition and the pencil sketch won a prize.  She is trying to decide whether to go to art school after she gets her AA, or whether to major in science.  Either way, I'm so proud of Lydia and her artistic accomplishments!  She has three more large ceramic pieces sitting in our dining room now, and I'll try to photograph them soon.

Virginia Knowles
www.FinishWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com