enrichment

Dear Friends,

If February is a month in which you find your enthusiasm waning because the hustle and bustle of the holidays are  behind you and the freshness of spring has yet to arrive, then we have something special to suggest for you and your family. Instead of spending time in the doldrums, plan some fun activities for your high schoolers to participate in during the rest of the semester and well into  summer. Be sure to include your high schoolers in the planning--that's part of the fun!

We've collected a number of entertaining ideas for events and activities other homeschool families have tried. You may want to plan a similar activity, or use these to jumpstart your own imagination. Some of these ideas will be targeted mainly to teens, others to the whole family, and still others to the seniors looking forward to graduation--of course, any and all can be adapted to your personal preferences.

Due to your own personal convictions, some activities we've listed may not be suitable for your family...

Dear Friends,

Congratulations to all parents graduating their teens from high school. Our hats are off to you, Moms and Dads!

Some of your teens may have definite plans for the next step, but often high school graduation brings up the question of "What next?" especially for students who do not have clear direction for the future. Honestly addressing your teen's indecision can take some of the pressure off and prevent hasty decisions not in your teen's best interest. A gap or transition year immediately following graduation will give your teen time to gather his thoughts, look into career possibilities, or simply grow and mature. Let's investigate some available opportunities and benefits a gap year affords.

MATURITY

Children don't necessarily mature at the same rate. There are those who are "born old," while others are "late bloomers." Usually the former group knows what they want to do in life and how to go about doing it. The latter group, however,...

Dear Friends,

During the teen years, it may be tempting to eliminate field trips from your school schedule simply because your days are full teaching high school subjects. But we'd like to encourage you to keep going on field trips with your teens! A field trip provides a wealth of information; it helps your teens to experience many different educational opportunities, and it affords an opportunity for all of you to enjoy learning outside of a textbook.

Planning a Field Trip

Organizing a field trip does not have to be time-consuming. First, off the bat, keep them to a manageable number. Then ask your teens to suggest ideas for areas/interests that they are curious about and assign them some of the responsibility for nailing down the details. Much of the planning may be done online which will save you time. Some field trips require very little planning. For example, one phone call to a local author setting up a day, time, and location to meet may be all it takes to arrange a great field trip that will...

Dear Friends,

The school year is winding down and summer is fast approaching. It's not too early to consider what you and your teens will be doing to occupy your time after the school books are tucked away. If you feel in need of a refresher course before the next school year begins, why not plan to join us for one or both of the HSLDA High School Teacher Training sessions in June and July. You can register for these dates on our website.
 

Your teens, on the other hand, may be planning to earn some income through summer jobs. Since jobs may not be abundant this year, it's important to begin the search now.

In preparation for job interviews, your teen should work on updating his resume and gathering some references to include on it. Be sure your teen knows that it's important to receive permission from his references before listing their names on his resume. On the...