| One of the traps that homeschool families fall into is in | | | | with appropriate techniques and strategies, as well as |
| the area of awarding academic credit for everything | | | | students who are personally responsible to take on |
| that their students do. Not every area of study is | | | | leadership of themselves and their surroundings when |
| worth awarding academic credit even though it might | | | | not at home any longer. |
| be worthy of studying or doing. Colleges will be | | | | Homeschool families, who take their education |
| suspicious of homeschool records where students | | | | seriously and apply themselves to studying, learning, |
| have earned excessive credits in P.E., Art, Drama, | | | | and engaging their brain for longer retention, can easily |
| Debate, etc., even if students have actually spent | | | | include life application skills into their programs. The two |
| many hours pursuing those activities. | | | | goals are compatible and should go hand in hand as |
| Some studies and interests are valid to the overall | | | | objectives in any effective homeschool program. Be |
| preparation and formation of your student, but use | | | | sure that you are focusing on a well-rounded student |
| caution in thinking that academic credit must be | | | | in your homeschool. As adults, some things that we |
| awarded for every single activity that your student | | | | learn and some activities that we engage in are just |
| engages in. For instance, a homeschool student may | | | | "good for us" to do. We do not need to seek credit for |
| be responsible for all of the cooking for a particular | | | | them. The same is true for our homeschool students. |
| month, or a standard week or day of every month, but | | | | A well-rounded student will have a strong academic |
| that does not mean that Home Economics credit | | | | transcript to show for their homeschool career, |
| should be awarded on the homeschool transcript. It | | | | including evidence of diligent work in the core subject |
| can be awarded based on a course of study and skill | | | | areas of Math, Science, Social Sciences, and English, |
| development, with objectives, lesson plans, standards | | | | but with a reasonable, not excessive, amount of the |
| of measurement, etc., but awarding homeschool | | | | extracurricular and elective courses. |
| credits based on day to day responsibilities is one area | | | | Colleges will be more open to an academically solid |
| where homeschool families can get into trouble with | | | | student, homeschool or otherwise, who demonstrates |
| colleges. | | | | academic success than they will a student who has |
| There are many regular skill sets that can, and should, | | | | excelled only in Debate or Theater, for instance, and |
| be taught at home in a homeschool program. These | | | | done very little work in Math or English. Assess your |
| things should include regular chores or contributions | | | | program to ensure that you are developing a |
| around the home, small home repairs and maintenance, | | | | homeschool student of excellence. Students who are |
| financial management and record keeping. A | | | | prepared for life and personal management skills will |
| homeschool environment lends itself nicely to taking on | | | | do well in college when they also have an academic |
| these skills prior to sending a child off to college, but | | | | foundation that prepares them to study, learn, and test |
| that does not require that these skills appear on a | | | | at that level. Don't overlook or skip their academic |
| homeschool transcript for credit. The goal for a | | | | foundation in lieu of abundant time in activities that are |
| homeschool family should be to train up students who | | | | just plain fun. |
| are academically capable, prepared to study and learn | | | | |