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It used to be that parents were concerned about our children receiving  accidental exposure to pornography, or wasting time with video games. As Internet Addiction becomes a popular topic on the news, I keep thinking about how it relates to homeschoolers. Read these recent articles warning against internet addiction:Technology Companies Want Your Kids Addicted    Internet companies are learning what the tobacco industry has long known -- addiction is good for business. Much of what we do online releases...

Lisa was so excited to take her son to college this fall. I often hear stories of "Shock and Awe" and Lisa has a great one! The college loved her homeschool records so much, they asked to use them as an example for other homeschoolers! Dear Lee,We dropped my son off at NU Wednesday. During the registration process, one of the check in location representatives stopped me and said,"Your documents for your son when applying to...

"How important is the transcript compared to SAT or ACT scores when it comes to college admissions or scholarships? I know it is good to have both but without those great scores it seems like all is lost."~ Anne on FacebookHi Anne!The transcript is extremely important. It's the one page overview of your student so the college can give them a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" quickly. It's a good idea to have some outside documentation...

What is it like to homeschool? Great fun experiences and opportunities! And as the homeschool parent, you can put the academics awesomeness into your high school records. I just got a sweet letter from Kathy explaining how she used a hike up Mt. Fuji for a PE class, for example. Feel FREE to look outside the box, and do whatever works with your child to help them learn, and prepare them for college admission and scholarships!...

What do you do when your child's PSAT score surprises you? Life with a gifted child is never boring! Sometimes you just don't know what to do next. PSAT Scores: 14 and Gifted Hi Lee,I just got a jolt when I read on your website that a rough conversion from PSAT to SAT is to add a zero to the end. So what do I do with a 14 year old who has a PSAT selection index...

When faced with courses such as math or spelling, most homeschool parents feel pretty confident in their grading methods.  But what about those more challenging courses, like fine arts, or even creative writing--how do you grade those things?  If you were teaching culinary arts, think about a yummy piece of chocolate dessert, and how you would grade something like that! Of course, grades definitely have their place, but an equally useful method of evaluating your child’s...

Question: How do you plan high school courses when all colleges are different and you don't know which college your child is interested in?Answer: Provide a general college preparation early in high school, and then fill in gaps later! First, plan your high school courses keeping normal college preparation requirements in mind.  This article will help you figure out what "college prep" means.  Planning High School Courses.  And this article is helpful to learn about science labs: You...

Some things about homeschooling high school really are NOT hard.  Even scary words like "grades" and "credits" can be simple when you know the easy way to do it!I'll be glad to show you the easy way to calculate high school credits.  You'll be amazed at how simple it is!  No need for a scary-sounding boot camp, with sweating and tremendous effort while the Drill Sergeant is screaming at you. Instead, calculating homeschool credits is more...

Are you ever unsure about how many English credits to give your students? Does your student spend more time on English assignments than they do on any other subject? These are common conundrums and you are not alone! Can composition and literature be documented as two separate credits?My student spends an hour on composition and an hour on literature each day. In answer to this I will tell you that there are some classes that simply take...

What are your plans for fall?  Are you at the Crossroads?  Wondering if you should continue homeschooling?  If so, I think this article will really help you! My job is to make sure you don't make a decision based on fear - so you can listen to your heart. Facing the Crossroads   Everyone makes the decision to homeschool for their own reason.  I don't know what is right for your family, but you do. If you...

Don't give up!  Every year parents contact me surprised at their own successes.  Face this coming year with confidence and determination.  Read what Renee, Janet, and Kathleen have shared.  What will YOUR story be?  When the year is done, and you have the results of your hard work, let me know.  I love to encourage others!Renee wrote:I just wanted to write and thank you for the encouragement you provided as my daughter applied to colleges this...

I'm getting those calls and emails again.  The ones where parents start with "Help!  I don't know what I'm doing!" I hear it all.  See if these worries sound familiar: Can my child get into college? Can she get good scholarships? How can I provide opportunities for his future? How do we apply to college? What do I do first?If you are confused with the whole process, and don't even know what to do first, please...