I am struck by the huge amount of research that shows that the school kids attend has no effect on whether a kid gets out of poverty. Read more
Most students wanting to go to college will need to present some sort of evidence of what they’ve done in school. Most kids use a transcript, so the first question is how can homeschooled students create a transcript? Read more
The concept of an American Dream started with desires for religious freedom. By the 1800s, German immigrants came to America dreaming about upward mobility—something you couldn’t get in Europe. The 1900s saw the American Dream morph into consumerism—in order to avoid a post-war recession. (Go to college! Buy a house! We’ll give you a loan to have it all!) Read more
This is a guest post from Anna Keller. She has written here before about taking her son out of school, and then putting him back in. This is her third post.
I guess technically my son is an 11th grader. It’s a big year for most students—the year that counts the most for college applications when kids choose rigorous courses—often including AP and honors, get serious about extra curricular activities, and ramp up the community service. Many start heavy test prep. Read more
I’m reading this book that is so great that I almost want to start a reading group so we can discuss each chapter. It’s called Childhood in America, and it’s a 700-page anthology of three-page excerpts from scholarly writing about childhood.
Colleges don’t want generalists in their schools. Colleges want a whole class of well-rounded specialists. For homeschoolers who want to go to a top college, they will need to specialize. Here are some tips for helping your kid find a specialty. Read more
The pictures hanging up are from my niece and nephew. My kids don’t draw. They don’t color. The last time I recall one of my kids holding a pen was when my son wrote his Seven Games password on his shorts because he couldn’t find a piece of paper. Read more
When I first started homeschooling my biggest worry was friends. I have a very social son. He told me all the time that he needed more friends, and I spent a lot of time feeling guilty. Read more
You can tell if you’re writing something that’s interesting to other people because they will either comment on your post or they will share your post. I have found that commenting means You make a good argument, but I don’t agree. And sharing on Facebook means This is what I believe as well. But either way, anyone acknowledging your writing—reading what you write closely enough to have a response—is so incredibly gratifying. Read more