Florida Law Book Online

Florida Law Book Online
Homeschooling a high schooler?

I'm looking into homeschooling for myself. I'm a 9th grader in Florida and I'm doing pretty well in the public education system but I think I could do a lot better in homeschooling and I'd be able to handle the many things I do each day a lot easier.

I've already looked up some of the laws involving homeschooling, but I was wondering if it was necessary to actually hire a tutor or something? I know some people do homeschooling online. Does that require certain software? How much would that cost?

When teaching the curriculum, do you just simply buy the books and learn it and have tests periodically?

What happens if you have to be "absent" for a day or two?

Thanks

It really depends on how motivated you are. You seem willing to research and learn - that you honestly want to do this - so I think it could be a good match for you.

Your parents would be in charge of your education, and you would work directly with them to figure out your coursework and expectations. You don't have to hire a tutor or get certain software; those are options that are open to you, but there are many ways to homeschool.

As a high schooler, you could also take co op classes (have outside instructors that you choose, and are accountable to, for various classes), take concurrent enrollment (college classes that count for both high school and college credit), take an internship or mentorship in an area that you are interested in, or do independent study. There are curriculums available in nearly every form - DVD, CDRom, online courses, and books. You can also work with your parents or a local instructor/expert in their field to construct your own class, either as a core or elective class, and then do the projects, research, and coursework necessary for it.

The curriculum that you get will depend on your learning style. Do you learn best from books, from audio sources, or from the computer? There are even curriculums out there that will integrate all three into a course.

The great thing about homeschooling is that because your course isn't being taught to 120 students every day, it can be tailored to your needs. Many classroom teachers would do this if it were feasible for them, but it's just not.

I suggest you take a look at Rainbow Resource - it's a family-run curriculum distributor which carries curricula for all subjects, all ages, and all learning styles (most of it at good discounts). They will send you a catalog free of charge - it's about the size of a phone book. You should be able to find some pretty great courses in there!

As far as absences - you get to determine (with your parents) your own schedule. You have to meet at least the state minimums for attendance, but you don't have to do it on their timetable. Again, when working with hundreds or thousands of students, plus staff and faculty, a standard calendar is needed. When it's just you, you get to determine your own schedule. My son, for example, logs about 42-45 weeks per year, and takes much of June and December off. This is what works for his needs. He has friends who attend 12 weeks and take 3 weeks off, and others who attend Sept-May. He has still other friends who attend year-round and take a day or two whenever they need it. As long as the requirements are met, how you do it is up to you.

Hope that helps!

HUFFPOST HILL - JULY 15TH, 2010
What's Your Reaction? A banner day for slime reduction. In Washington, Wall Street reform finally passed the Senate and BP at long last managed to ShamWow the fissured oil well into submission. The bad guys still eked out a couple of wins.