Apr. 3, 2006
Homeschooling the High Schooler - From Transcripts to Graduation
Homeschooling the High Schooler
From Transcripts to Graduation
A Book Review
By Harriette Keen Jacobs
My husband and I have sons that are 12 and 13 years old. Here I stand at the threshold of what is commonly perceived as unchartable waters: Homeschooling them through high school. How blessed I am to be provided with the opportunity to read and review Homeschooling the High Schooler, From Transcripts to Graduation! What impeccable timing the Lord has!
Paul and Gena Suarez, owners/publishers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, along with their project team, have amassed a compilation of not only personal testimonies but also very real tools for how to educate our children through high school and beyond.
At first glance, the list of well respected contributing writers (many whose independent work Ive already read) is stand alone reason to read this book! First and foremost, they are Christians, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers, but essentially: homeschooling parents who are seasoned in what they share. This book pulls together an invaluable resource full of insight to support and uplift parents in their journey to raise and educate Godly children.
Whether you have always homeschooled or are considering bringing your high schooler home, this book provides the necessary tools of how to and the where to go resources making this a homeschooling parents must have book to refer to again and again.
Not only is this book comprised with testimonies from veteran homeschooling parents, you will be encouraged to read the words of homeschooling graduates as well. From how to get started and understanding transcripts, to dual enrollment, Homeschooling the High Schooler is honest but encouraging and is broken down into realistic chunks of information that will inspire parents, enabling them to realize, Yes, I can do this high school thing!
The contents throughout this book are thought provoking, especially, when I reflect upon my own high school and college experiences:
Contributing writer Michael Badgley states, You can do it!...In reality, it should be a badge of honor to be able to go forward in the investment of time and energy
for the benefit of our children.
Inge Cannon, Executive Director of Education Plus, states, Far too many students in American society have no idea why they are enrolled in college, and for them college is simply an extension of their high school experience, effectively delaying them from the serious business of deciding what to do with their lives. She also states, If we are committed to obedience, we cannot fail our children.
I laughed out loud reading Rhea Perry and she literally mirrored the desires of my heart when she stated:
I wanted my kids to have the time they needed to explore and think, the tools they needed to create projects, and a place where they were safe from the destructive influences of the world.
As I read through this book, I was compelled to highlight text and make notes in the margins. I found myself engaged in excitement over the endless possibilities and opportunities for homeschooling our quickly rising high schoolers knowing that this is a greater opportunity to see our parental roles be fulfilled as we guide our sons into their adult lives. And while I had convinced myself that my teaching ability time was running out with the most difficult years to face bearing down upon me, this book and its contributors have helped me to realize that truly, the best years are yet to come.
Harriette Keen Jacobs
