Homeschooling High School with The HomeScholar ~ a TOS review

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Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

 It’s Friday guys and that means I am at the end of our prep time for our upcoming 13th year of homeschooling. For us, we start back on August 23rd and we will be entering our 4th rotation through High School. WHOA, time flies! 

 

If you are just entering into the high school season you may be stressing about everything, but don’t! I am here to tell you that homeschooling high school does not have to be scary. This summer I have been working through the High School Solution training from The HomeScholar LLC learning a few new things as I go along. 

If you are new to homeschooling or a veteran you may have already heard of Lee Binz. With the help of her husband, Matt, they have become the go to experts for over 15 years, guiding thousands of families through the homeschooling through high school process. The HomeScholar has a variety of products available to help you and we were blessed to be able to receive a 6-month subscription to the High School Solution. 

You’re probably wondering why I would need this product since I have already gone through the high school cycle 3 times? You know what!? I have learned so much in the short 6 weeks I have had access to this program. There are over 50 hours of how-to-homeschooling video trainings and handouts on how to plan for standardized testing like the SAT or ACT and how to homeschool gifted children. Plus there are printable templates for every stage and age starting in middle school. It’s a literal goldmine at your fingertips for a lifetime! 

Throughout the course you will hear Lee emphasize her three core beliefs about homeschooling through high school. They are: 

1. Independently homeschooling provides the best possible learning environment for your children. 

2. Every child, whether or not they are college bound, deserves a college-pre education. 

3. You as the parent are fully capable of providing a superior education for your children.  

To begin, I watched the main presentation for the course. Be warned its over 4 hours long but definitely and an enjoyable time spent. I split up my watching time and listening to the presentation while planning or keeping busy organizing my office and schoolroom. The time really flew by and I gained a lot of new insight. 

University attendance is the focus of this presentation and it is the end goal in our homeschool process. Being able to accomplish this without paying for University education is also high on our list, but that’s for another posting.

I love that this program emphasizes to not be afraid and that you can, in fact, do it! I honestly wish I had access when my oldest, Marie, was in middle school and then again when Madison’s IQ exploded and expanded seemingly overnight in middle school. Haivng access to many of the trainings and courses in The High School Solution would have definitely saved me many sleepless nights and I am sure my hair might be a little less gray  I have navigated three different college prep course loads and processes for my older three girls. Each being a different and separate process including traditional universities, service academies, ROTC, and NCAA.

As I head into the process once again, I find myself being drawn to the middle school process because I am seeing the same IQ/learning tendencies I saw in Madison and Montana now presenting in McKenzie. I think we have a good, solid plan for Montana as she heads into high school and having access to information to help McKenzie navigate middle school in preparation for high school gives me confidence that I can give her the push and pull that she needs as she makes the transition between elementary and high school.

This quote from the Taming Middles School Anxiety article included in The High School Solution has really stuck out to me, especially as McKenzie is ahead in math and science and our course selections this upcoming school year has raised a few eyebrows. 

 “Middle school is the time to advance in subjects when the student is ready, but it’s also the time to review subjects that still need more time. Some children are right at grade level. Not all children are at a remedial level or ready for advanced classes. They don’t all have to be doing remedial work or high school work; you can do remedial work in certain areas and move ahead into high school work in other areas”.

 

The High School Solution helps to make the planning and implementing part of homeschooling high school less daunting. With tried and true strategies, Lee will help you formulate a plan of study that gives you confidence to successfully lead your children from freshman year to graduation. Don’t just take my word for it! Over 30 of my CrewMates received access to this program and the others being reviewed including, Total Transcript Solution , Comprehensive Record Solution, and the College Launch Solution. Be sure to click the banner below to read their thoughts.

   

 

Company ~ The HomeScholar LLC 

 Product ~ High School Solution 

 Format ~ online 

 Price ~ $197.00 

 Ages ~ homeschooling parents  

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 © 2008 - 2021 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. http://astablebeginning.com

Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! from The Critical Thinking Co. ~ a TOS review

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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.  

Do you have a favorite homeschool company that you always seem to navigate back to? I am a huge fan of The Critical Thinking Co.™ so I was thrilled when we were picked to receive one of their newer products, Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know!, that is geared towards your high schoolers. Mikayla has been using curriculum from The Critical Thinking Co.™ since she was in 3rd grade so it’s only fitting that they help us as we navigate her last year as she embarks on her college applications.

The Critical Thinking Co.™ is a family-owned business that has been “empowering the mind” for more than 50 years. They sell critical thinking products/supplements that cover reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. Instead of rote drilling and memorization, students are encouraged to “carefully analyze what they are learning.” The Critical Thinking Co.™ s on a mission to develop the critical thinking skills in all children. The Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! book is available in either book form or Windows PC download.
I specifically requested a digital copy of the Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! book that includes 150 pages! I find that this format works best for our family, especially since I have three younger children who will also be able to utilize this workbook. I especially appreciate the generous copywrite TThe Critical Thinking Co.™provides in letting the purchaser make as many copies of the pages within the eBook as necessary for their family. This is extremely helpful to me as I try to provide quality learning materials for my family. This product is also available as a paperback, and carries the same “family” copywrite provisions if you have multiple children to use this book.

This book helps guide your student to stellar college applications by guiding them through the writing exercise to help them stand out among a sea of applicants. The book is broken down into 5 sections:

 1 ~ Student Self-Assessment : will help your student take a deep look within and find out who they are as a person and a student. 

 2 ~ Searching the Colleges - Building Your College List: offers help to researching different colleges and what they offer. 

3 ~ Communications: this is the section that deals with writing essays and contacting schools 

4 ~ College Admissions Calendar: helps you discover the best time to apply to schools. 

5 ~ Glossary: to help you fully understand the terms within the book.

Mikayla has already been doing many of the steps provided in this book because she has been in the recruiting process for college gymnastics since the 10th grade. I really wish we had this book two years ago as she was beginning this process of contacting schools. However, this book has given us the grounding and the ability to focus on her essay. Even in the midst of Covid-19 and many of the schools she is being recruited by are making the essay optional or waiving it altogether I still plan on having her submit one so they can know her as a person outside of her gymnastics ability.

We have always loved all the curriculum we have used from The Critical Thinking Co.™ so it was a no brainer for me to jump on this review. We both are very pleased with Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! and highly recommend you check it out. Even though Mikayla is soon to be my third graduate, this book has given us a lot of insight into the whole college process. I am excited to also be able to use this book with my younger children and plan to have Montana start the self-assessment process at the beginning of 10th grade because she has big plans to secure an appointment to West Point or to Army ROTC so she can pursue her dream of being a veterinarian.
Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this book, Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know!, and the other products being reviewed. There are 65 reviewers reviewing the following products:

Creative Problem Solving Level 1 (Grades PreK-2) 

Dare to Compare Math: Beginning (Grades 2-3) 

Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving (Grades 6-9) 

Company ~ The Critical Thinking Co.™ 

Product ~ Who Is This Kid? Colleges Want to Know! 

Format ~ online eBook (Windows-Only) 

Price ~ $13.99 

Ages ~ 9th-12th graders

Social Media Links: 

 Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube 

 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.   

  http://astablebeginning.com

When one door closes, another one opens

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Good Friday evening friends! Hope you have had a great week! We are in full summer mode here and I am so thankful that I get to use my new Erin Condren Life Planner to help me juggle all that needs to be done. Can I blow your mind for a second? Anyone want to guess how many times a week, (M-Sat) that I drive to and from the gym? It's a doozie of a number and I know you will be as shocked as I was when I actually counted it. 

Our summer schedule has been making my days fly by, which is just fine for me! With July just around the corner I am excited to start my school planning next week. For the next five weeks I am going to focus on each of my remaining five students at home and get their Plan of Study done (on paper and the blog) as well as start gathering and/or ordering what we need. This year we are blessed to only need a few things.

Madison, my rising Senior will be first up in our Plan of Study reveal. It's been an interesting week pre-planning for her to say the least. The doors to attend a local community college kept shutting because we don’t qualify for in-state tuition. Yes, we live here in our current state and have for the past 10 years AND pay property taxes, but we are not considered residents based on our states domicile requirements. After speaking to the head registrar at the College on Wednesday morning I prayed for God to make a way if He wanted her on campus in the fall. 

Yesterday afternoon we found out the final decision and it was that we would have to pay out of state tuition each semester for her 7 credits. $$$ 💸 Not happening! I was bummed and so was Madison because we really liked the campus and the staff we met. Plus she would have the opportunity to show that she can preform inside a “real” classroom that the service academies like to see in homeschooled applicants. 

I am a firm believer that if it is not meant to be there is a bigger and better reason why that we just don’t see. Another door will open that will be better for Madison. So Last night we registered her for AP Physics and Pre-Calculus through an online school and we are excited to go this route. Both of her teachers have such a passion for Christ and the classes they teach. 

This morning at 4am I woke to a start and after saying my morning prayers I checked my email. Guess what was in my inbox? An email from the pre-College program that Madison is attending next week! She is going away to a college in Michigan and taking a fully credited class for the next 4+ weeks. Meaning she will be inside of a “real” classroom and be able to show the Air Force Academy admissions team that she can hold her own and in an accelerated course to boot! 

God is good! 

In my haste to get her registered at the community college I totally forgot about the significance of the class she is going to be taking in Michigan. As we start planning for her trip we are praising God for opening doors for Madison. Her hard work and dedication to her studies is paying off and she is just a few short months from finding out if she will be admitted to the Air Force Academy Class of 2023! Her dream school since she was in the 7th grade. 

Integrity First, Service Before Self, 

Excellence in All We Do ~ Air Force Academy

© 2008 - 2018 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.   

    http://astablebeginning.com 

Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis ~ a TOS review

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Today I am excited to share with you my last review of the 2017 Homeschool Review Crew a division of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. If you are looking to do a few changes in the high school writing department, keep reading because today I am sharing with you the new homeschool high school writing program from Writing with Sharon Watson called Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis.

If you are not familiar with the products by Sharon Watson let me tell you a little bit more about her. Sharon Watson is a former homeschool mom who only quit homeschooling because she ran out of children of her own to teach. She began her company Writing With Sharon Watson after sitting in a friend’s kitchen chatting it up with Dr. Jay Wile {Yes, the Dr. Wile, how cool is that!} about how many mothers were outsourcing, i.e. driving their children here and there and everywhere, for writing and composition lessons. At the suggestion of Dr. Wile she wrote up her first middle school course, Jump In, and the rest is history.

Mrs. Watson holds these beliefs for her curriculum: 

 ~ students are more important than the material in the textbook

 ~ teaching writing is tough but she shows you the way ~ writing assignments should not be issue driven, especially in the beginning 

~ She wholeheartedly believes that the Bible is the Word of God and that it reveals to us our precious Savior, Jesus Christ 

Our Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis includes for following products:


Teacher’s Guide: this book contains everything you need to be a successful writing teacher for your child. All the monthly lesson plans, grading grids, and answers to questions asked in the student textbook are found in this guide. There is even information on how to start your own monthly book club if that’s your sort of thing.


Student Textbook: This textbook includes everything your student needs to be successful as a writer. Background information and interesting author facts are also included. Within this program, students read complete novels, not just short passages.


Quiz and Answer Manual: this manual is completely optional but a life saver for those who prefer to have your child take written tests on paper instead of online. This manual also includes all the literary term quizzes, the “Yes, I read it” quizzes, and the opinion surveys for each book or short story. *If you prefer digital and saving paper, you also have free access to all the online quizzes and opinion surveys online by clicking HERE.

*You must have the textbook or Teacher’s Guide to obtain the passwords though.


Novel Notebook in a FREE PDF download: This is a required part of the course and is available as a free download and coordinates with the textbook. Throughout the course the student answers question, collects information and draws conclusions about what they have been reading. I printed this notebook at home and bound it for ease of usage. You can also put it in a 3-ring binder. Over the course of using this writing curriculum your child will learn almost 100 literary terms and devices. They also will be reading good, quality novels and stories. There is no room for twaddle here!

Below is a list of the stories and books read during the course:

 • “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell, in the textbook

 • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dover Publications 

• Silas Marner by George Eliot, Dover Publications

 • Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Dover Publications 

o An Assortment of Short Stories:

 o “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett, in the textbook

 o “The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Luis Borges, link provided

 o “Haircut” by Ring Lardner, link provided

 o “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton, in the textbook 

o “Of the Passing of the First-Born” by W. E. B. Du Bois, in the textbook

 o “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas, link provided 

• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Dover Publications

 • Biography or autobiography of student’s choice

 • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Mariner Books

This curriculum is perfect for college-prep work and reluctant readers alike and is especially written for Christian high schoolers, homeschools, and co-op settings for grades: 9-12. The course is written to the student with easy to follow homework schedules and directions. With two semesters of work your child will earn 1 high school credit with completion of the course.

This review came at the perfect time for us! I needed to make a switch with Mikayla’s writing program as it just was not working. The catch to that is that Mikayla’s courses all have to be high school level material. Because Mikayla is interested and on the track to be a NCAA Collegiate gymnast, all of her courses must be high school level work and they have to be approved by the NCAA. I have no doubt that this homeschool writing curriculum will be approved with the rest of the courses that make up her English 1 class when we submit our courses because it is so thorough.

This course has been lifesaver! Not only is Mikayla able to work somewhat independently on the assignments I am able to see that she does indeed understand with the included quizzes to test her knowledge of the novel and stories. Mikayla enjoyed having the online quiz option the most and she was able to complete her assignments while at the gym on training break. She is still plowing through Frankenstein but with great success and we hope to finish before Christmas break.

Overall, we have truly enjoyed his program and give it two thumbs up! The cover is stunning and I find myself staring at it all the time. It meets our needs for a writing curriculum and as I said before I have no doubt that it will pass the NCAA scrutiny. Having one less thing to worry about with this program is a huge blessing! If you want to check it out yourself, you’re in luck! You can download free sample chapters, grading grids, and quizzes on the course page by clicking HERE or on this one:

Don’t just take my word for it, check out what my CrewMates thought of this by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Writing with Sharon Watson 

 Product ~ Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis 

 Price ~ Teacher’s Guide $18, Student Textbook $43, Quiz and Answer Manual, $9, Novel Notebook FREE 

 Ages ~ College Prep, 9th-12th

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Facebook ~ Pinterest 

©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. 

 http://astablebeginning.com