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Can Home Schooled Kids Get Into College?

Home schooling has become mainstreamed these days. It is no longer a hush-hush word. Awareness of what it’s all about has given home schooling a new respect. Now, the new concern is not whether it is a viable way to educate, but will colleges admit home schooled students?

It has been stated that home schooled children score higher on standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT than students in the traditional school setting. Why? Speculation is that the environment is more relaxed than in a regular school.

The one on one treatment that students get in the home school environment leads to a better understanding of school subjects. The deciding factor is time. In a structured setting each class is in a block of fifty minutes. At home, you may spend two hours on one subject that is particularly difficult and thirty minutes the next. The flexibility allows for a child to learn at their own rate until they know the information like the back of their hand.

The truth of the matter is, as long as a home schooled student can meet the requirements for college admission, they will be admitted to school. The point of complying with state requirements for home schooling sets a student up for success after high school. It is advised that parents start well in advance of the college years preparing for college paperwork.

If your child has an idea what colleges they would like to apply to, begin a relationship with them. Find out what types of things they look for in their potential students. Add a class to the curriculum that deals with college preparation. Give your kids an idea of what they have to look forward to and how well they must perform to get admitted.

Several colleges admit home schooled students. From their performance on standardized tests, advanced placement classes, and other academic criteria home schooled students have as much chance as any other student. This is the same with regular schools. Just because you get a traditional education doesn’t mean that a college will admit you.

Getting into college is a matter of strategy and careful planning. A smart person, who doesn’t take the time to write a good essay or study for the SAT, won’t impress a college committee. A confident student who knows their subjects, whether home schooled or public school taught, will make it into the college of their choice. Parents don’t worry. Home schooling is not a hindrance but a plus.

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Extracurricular Activities for Home Schooled Kids

All kids get bored, even home schooled kids. Variety allows kids to explore their desires and dreams. Having a choice in activities to participate in opens a lot of doors to the future. Here are some extracurricular activities to consider for home schooled children.

1.

Scouting. Scouting offers not only the chance to meet kids with similar interests but also to teach survival and life ski9lls. Kids learn to do fun things like build a campfire, read a compass, and make useful tools out of common items. These same kids also learn about CPR, first aid, and different forms of communication in an emergency.

2.

Sports. Kids who like to move and shake need an outlet. One such outlet is community sports teams. Just like public school teams, community leagues have practices, schedules of games, and tournaments. In addition, community teams play during the summer so kids don’t get lazy and out of shape for two months.

3.

Seminars. These can be turned into field trips for school credit as well. At the local zoo or museum, experts teach about caring for animals and how to appreciate art and literature. They are used to conducting seminars for school children to make the presentation more hands-on and interesting.

4.

Theater groups. Most cities have a local theater group for kids. They can audition for several plays performed throughout the year. Children interested in drama and the stage can stretch their acting chops. Check with the state to see if these plays can qualify as credit for part of the child’s curriculum requirement.

5.

Community activities. The one thing that kids need to learn is how to serve others. We are a nation of people who work together to get things accomplished. Community service teaches humility, patience, and a respect for all people. Kids can participate in soup kitchens, food banks, nursing homes, or create their own community project to implement.

6.

Music lessons. Many public schools are cutting back funding to creative arts programs like art classes and music. Learning to play an instrument or sing is a part of a well rounded education. Children that show an interest in these subjects can be signed up for lessons with a local instructor. Get together with other home school households and the instructor may give a discounted rate to the group.

No shortage of activities exists for home schooled children. In fact, opportunities for them are increased because of the lack of time constraints involved in a public school education.

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Special Needs Children and Home Schooling

Children come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of learning ability. It could be that your child has some special challenges when it comes to learning. Home schooling has been a difficult issue for students without any other considerations. It brings up new concerns for children that need additional resources. Should a special needs child be home schooled?

There are parents who would respond with a big “yes.” One difficulty that children with special needs have is the necessary time and attention to make education possible. Each state offers resources for parents to mainstream their special children. Some offer more and some less. In the end, it is up to parents to see that their children get what they need to succeed.

What any child is entitled to is an excellent education. For too long, parents and children have settled for a mediocre education because that was what public school offered. Home schooling has changed that. The evidence of the success of home schooling is seen in the lives of special needs children.

Let’s look at attention deficit disorder. It is considered by the school system to be a special need. Children have a hard time concentrating and keeping still. School work that is not challenging enough just increases the anxiety. This situation can be resolved through home study.

No, being home schooled doesn’t provide an instant fix for educational problems. It merely allows a child with special needs to learn in a more relaxed environment and at a pace that suits them. If reaching them requires three hours one day and four the next, a home school curriculum works with the child. Their grades won’t suffer because they can’t keep up in a traditional classroom.

Parents know their children better than anyone. No one else will take the time that is warranted to keep him or her on track with their education. Your child may be a visual learner. In a classroom of thirty students, it is hard to create a lesson that will challenge both the visual learner and those who can read and comprehend. It isn’t enough time.

With the help of tutors (if needed) and counselors, students with special needs enjoy a fulfilling educational experience at home. No longer do they have to suffer through being picked on or frustration because they “just don’t get it.” The home school environment is conducive to helping them learn the way that feels comfortable to them.

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