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| Summer 2005 - July/August |
Number 69
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Accelerating Into High School
by Shirley M.R.Minster
Each spring (and summer) parents and students make plans for the next homeschool year. One consideration is if a child should bypass eighth grade and move right into high school in the fall. Recently one parent told me that she heard that junior high is pretty much a review of all the elementary years and teaching eighth grade is not necessary. My experience has been that skipping this grade is often a mistake because children need time to mature mentally and emotionally and this grade gives them time to rest, grow, and play. Once they reach high school, courses become more difficult, the program tends to become more tightly structured, and careers and the future are more seriously considered. It is a tremendous responsibility for both the parents and the children to determine when to start high school because of these concerns.
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However, in certain circumstances, skipping a grade may be exactly the right thing to do. To help make the decision, parents should ask questions to gain perspective. The first is how long has the child been homeschooling? If homeschooling is a new venture that will start in the fall, there are many things to think about. Both the parent and the student will need to spend a goodly amount of time getting to know each other in a new way. The child will also need some time to acclimate to the new study environment. What materials will be used? How will the levels of material be chosen? It may be better to wait until both have
at least one year under their belts before considering acceleration.
What is the reason for moving into high school-level work? It is best if the parent takes at least one full year to investigate all aspects of acceleration rather than moving into it blindly because once the process is begun, the high school transcript should reflect the program components. Equally important is that the student will begin to tell others of the change. If at some point he decides to slow down his program, deciding to spend one more year in high school, colleges will want an explanation.
If a homeschooling parent knows someone who accelerated his program, query both the parent and student about the process and how each felt about it. Also consider what the student is doing now that he has
completed secondary school.
Another question to ask is if the student is ready for high school-level courses. An individual achievement test or other diagnostic test can determine the levels of achievement attained. If the child has been homeschooling for at least a year, has she been using materials that were presented at a faster pace with the goal to prepare her for the higher level materials coming up next year? Has the seventh grader been doing well in pre-algebra? Is she ready to move into algebra I? Has she been working on her composition skills so she can proceed into materials appropriate for a 16-year-old student or has she been using a seventh grade text that is paced more slowly, yet appropriately, for the lower level? If the latter is the case, then she may not be ready for secondary school material.
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How proficient is the student in his writing skills? Research skills? Vocabulary skills? In order to plan a strong high school level English course, for instance, these aspects must be determined. Typical courses
in ninth grade English are world literature, vocabulary development, grammar, and composition. Typical for tenth through twelfth grades are literature, vocabulary development, research skills, and composition. Each is taught in ever increasing depth and higher abstract reasoning and inferential skills.
What goals do the child and parent have for post-high school? It is important to structure the high school years to focus on college-preparatory if this is the track being considered. If the student thinks she may attend a vocational school college, activities and courses appropriate for that career direction are necessary. If the student is planning on a career in the business field, then the high school program needs structure with that goal in mind.
When will the student take the PSAT/NMSQT, ACT, SAT, or SAT II? Will she be ready for these very focused and intense testing situations,
given that she will be taking them at a younger age?
Homeschooling gives students opportunities that are not available to students in a public school or traditional private school. It is important to not rush through the final years of high school because moving into college or fulltime work force too quickly is not usually in the student's best interest. Think carefully. Decide if the student is maturationally ready for this leap. There are plenty of ways to challenge a student without bypassing those important early teen years.
About the author:
Shirley is the founder of Home Education & Family Services and Royal Academy which provide unique services to families who have chosen to educate their own children. Home Education & Family Services/Royal Academyand works annually with hundreds of families offering a wide variety of services and helping parents custom design learning programs to fit their childrenâ™s learning profiles and the familyâ™s lifestyles.
Visit the website:
http://www.homeeducator.com for more information or call: 207-657-2800 |
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