AP, Honors, or CLEP? which is better?
I recently attended the PHAA “High School at Home” Conference and gleaned some clarifications and explanations that were very helpful! 1. AP Courses are the best preparation for college. The courses themselves are more challenging, get the student interacting with an expert teacher and other quality students. Even if your teen does not take the […]
How to Turn a Course into an “Honors Course”
In general, most teens want to get their courses completed as quickly and easily as possible, often with a “just git ‘er done” attitude. But once in a while a student really puts extra effort into a course, delving into personal study of an area of interest, entering a contest that requires additional research and […]
Book Recommendations … for Guys
Mrs. Susan Richman recently wrote an article for evaluators in the summer 2013 edition of Excelsior Magazine. She makes the point that teens often react very differently to the literature assigned for their reading in high school English courses. “Why the difference? Seems to me,” she writes, “that a main one is … some of […]
Can a student graduate early?
This question is asked often of the Richmans, of the PHAA Diploma program. Here is a recently published answer from Susan Richman: “This is a question we get *regularly*, and the answer is always the same– NO, it’s NOT possible to graduate early in less than 4 years. “That said, some PHAA students are ready […]
Testing! Testing!
What tests are required? What tests should my child take? What tests will colleges see and care about? How do I get those tests? Students in grades 3, 5, and 8 are required by the homeschool law to be tested using a standardized achievement test. The law specifies a list of a few approved tests (see list […]
Recommended Read: “Aggressive Girls, Clueless Boys”
A parent of a teen in our school heard about this book about aggressive girls on a radio interview and suggested we get it for the library. I did, and read it as soon as it arrived. Here’s the review I wrote on Amazon.com: “As principal of a Christian school for almost 30 years, I […]
Introducing the Susquehanna Diploma Program
I had heard good things about this diploma program from a colleague who has used them for quite a while. The phrase she used that stuck with me was, “They offer a lot of grace to the struggling student.” So in July of 2010 I met with the board and learned more about their program, […]
Math curriculum
My occupation is as a math and science teacher. When I started teaching back in 1985 I used Bob Jones and A Beka textbooks. Since I have been at EBA I have used primarily Saxon Math (the blue Algebra 1/2, orange Algebra I, red Algebra II, and green Advanced Math). Though I am a creature […]
Classics
Howard Richman’s PHAA diploma program requires that students read 25 books each year, three of which need to be “classics,” which often leads to a discussion with parents about just exactly what is a classic? Does it have to be Shakespeare? There is no master list or consensus definition of what is a classic, and […]
Help for struggling learners
Over the years of teaching and working with homeschool students, I have had an increased burden for students who struggle with academics. I didn’t always feel that way — school came easy for me as a teen and college student, so I expected all students to be able to succeed. Lack of progress must be […]