does anyone here homeschool teenagers?

Question

If so how do you keep them motivated and what kinds of extracurricular activities do they do? also what are you doing for a diploma?

taogent since you obviously were not homeschooled and dont know anything about homeschool why are you answering a homeschool question? is this a remark to attempt to look smart?

Answer 1

Some are motivated knowing someone besides "just mom" is seeing their work.

One way I'm motivating my oldest is participating in a once/week homeschool co op. He'll have at least 2 classes plus lunch together, adding social time to academics. For example, his science class will do experiments and study vocabulary words from the same book, led by moms taking turns.

Another thing I'm doing is paying for 1 subject taught via an internet school (Univ. of Nebraska, but there are many others). I don't want to do that for all his classes, but by chosing the subject he most dislikes (also the one I least like to grade), it keeps him accountable and gives me a break.

His passion is sports, which he does through local rec center (can't use schools here). He likes to volunteer at a food bank for the poor, and is in church youth group. Our homeschool group does activities he enjoys (teen pizza party, movie night, PE, field trips etc.).
He should have his work caught up to participate in outside things.

Motivation depends on the kid's personality, family dynamics, etc. This particular child wants to know what he has to do to "be done" with schoolwork each day, and freely admits "unschooling" would never work for him. My second child is totally different.

So, do what works for YOUR family and THAT child.

RE: diploma, we have been getting transcripts through a military-related program we're in; but when that ends, I'll probably go with an accredited program like Clonlara, Keystone, American School, or Our Lady of Victory.

Answer 2

I have numerous family members that homeschool, on my husband's side. Plus neighbors. My sister in law's children are extremely intelligent, popular and talented in various in music, art, science and sports. They were on Saturday night live, in a bunch of commercials and one is on a play that is about to hit broadway (at age 8). The oldest is 18 and has been taking college classes for about 2 years. I really think it is a matter of how someone goes about it. I know my sister in law struggled to keep them involved in community activites and sports and spent much of the last ten years driving each one of them, there are six, to various activities. The poeple across the street have a son that just started college. He seems a little immature. I know my sister in law is 18 now and I believe has struggled a little with the lack of social interaction that a school would have offered. She is the youngest by a few years and my mother in law works. She does her homework on her own and is able to work and have flexibility. I really think it depends on the teenager and the situation. If the student is extremely motivated and has an easy time meeting people than it could work. For me homeschooling never would have worked. I would be very lazy and learn just enough to get by. I used to think homeschooling was wierd, but I have been meeting more and more mothers that are doing it. I think there are alot of things going on in schools now that are not ok for young people. Sure, sex drinking and drugs have always been around. But these things are becoming more and more accepted. Eleven year olds should not be having sex! I I'd rather not expose my daughter to that behavior if I can prevent it. Power to the parents that have the courage and motivation to homeschool.

Answer 3

My daughter went to public kindergarten & first grade, homeschooled for 8 years, went 2 years to a private highschool, started taking classes at the local community college, graduated this December from a state university. I reconsidered homeschooling every year & asked for Katie's opinion but let her know that I was making the decision. There are always problems motivating students (at home or in a school). If it is a constant battle then I suggest you reconsider homeschooling. My daughter had days when she was not interested in lessons but I worked with her & set some requirements & recognized that a person's education is not confined to formal lessons. Find out what fascinates your child & incorporate it into schooling. A teenager (& younger) should be allowed to influence their education. You should not expect perfection & they should not expect to dictate all the parameters. Kate never bothered with a diploma. She thought she might need one for "grunt" jobs but was not able to test for GED when she first started college (which she started young because she spent her tuition $ on a trip to Europe & chose to take college classes rather than go to the public highschool or return to homeschooling) & soon decided that she didn't want any job that required a highschool diploma. Most community colleges, certainly those in IL, will admit people without a diploma & most universities will admit transfer students based on their college coursework. Kate was asked by a university English professor if she wrote her own report because it was longer than required & nearly perfect. Kate had used this required composition to research a subject of interest & had developed her writing skill due to the nagging of mother. What now, you ask? She is in the midst of about 5 months in Louisiana doing Katrina relief work -- organizing records, serving on community planning committees, roofing & repairing homes, training & recruiting & planning volunteer groups, etc. Homeschooling, if nothing else, teaches flexibility & the ability to learn as you go.

Answer 4

My son will be a teenager soon and my friend has homeschooled all 7 of her kids (3 of which have graduated), 2 others are teenagers, and the 2 youngest are in early elementary years.

The key to teenagers is to make sure they have a broad enough learning curriculum as well as a well rounded social life. Both together will ensure a happy and healthy (physically and mentally), young adult.

Answer 5

My older son isn't quite a teenager yet, but he does have motivation issues. I just try to remember that there will be days when we need to push through and there will be days we need to close up the books and do something else. In the end, he'll get what he needs.

I like the idea of allowing them to follow their own interests for some things - I'm allowing my son to do this for science. I set the boundaries, but he's free to choose anything within those boundaries.

For extracurriculars, he has enjoyed the local chess and fencing clubs and is starting to get involved in tennis.

Since he's not at that level yet, I haven't decided what to do about the diploma. My husband was schooled in PS but never got his diploma (or GED). He got into junior college and transferred to university from there. He now has two Bachelor's and a Master's degree. I'm already planning on 'dual enrollment' for math as hds is quite advanced, but not sure what I'll do about anything else.

It may be your child just needs a break. Take a month off with no school, but make sure s/he understands what's going to happen when y'all go back to it.

Answer 6

I home school a pre-teen and a tween. When my son turned 10, I found that we needed outside accountability. MOM was a pushover!

So we enrolled him into a college prep program for homeschoolers. He will start taking summer college courses at age 14 to finish highschool with an associates degree, and as for a high school transcript, I am considering using an acceditating agency that reviews all of his work and assigns credits.

Answer 7

I have 4 kids who were homeschooled. One just graduated from college and will be starting on graduate school next month. One is about to graduate from junior college, one works full time at a job he likes and the last is still at home.

One went into the air force--the army didn't want to accept him because he didn't have a diploma from an "accredited" high school, but the air force guy saw that he had already done college classes (at the local junior college) and that he not only could get accepted, but at a higher pay grade!

They motivated themselves by studying things they were interested in, participating in things they liked doing.

The son who is working applied for his first job and they sent me a form to fill out, as his high school. It basically asked when he had graduated. I filled it out, sent it back, and he got the job. We've never had anyone else even ask. In California they not only allow high school age students to take classes at community college, the classes are free (you just have to buy the books)!

Answer 8

I am a homeschooled teenager, so I suppose I could answer. Actually, there is a school I am going to that gives manuals and books and you just follow the manual and do the work, and internet schools are also popping up. Extracurricular activities? Find something your children are interested in and choose something constructive according to that. Myself, I prefer pottery, and there is a pottery workshop that I go to.

Answer 9

I'm a homeschooled teenager. I like it better. I work aswell so I can fit my school work around working. ITs great...

Answer 10

That's for fruitcakes that are too good to let their children be influenced by society. It also helps because, that way, the kid will never be educated enought to realize momy and dady are screwballs.