Upper Level Homeschool (ebook-course)

by Terri Johnson

Knowledge Quest Inc.

Terri Johnson's Upper Level Homeschool is actually a weekly course for parents who want to home educate their teens. Terri draws on her own experience as she writes, and she also pulls in the experts such as Janice Campbell, author of Transcripts Made Easy, to address their areas of expertise. For thirteen weeks, you receive a "chapter" per week that includes core information on the following topics:

1. Mapping a 4 Year Course of Study
2. Designing a Course for High School Credit
3. Outsourcing Difficult Subjects
4. Starting & Maintaining a Transcript
5. Establishing Good Study Habits
6. Preparing for Aptitude Tests – SAT/ACT
7. Tackling Timed Essays
8. Taking Courses for Dual-Credit
9. CLEP Testing for College Credit
10. Planning and Preparing for College
11. Applying for Financial Aid
12. Financial Literacy for Teens
13. Launching for Success

Each PDF file includes "assignments" for parents and/or students that require some concrete action related to the topic. Some of these assignments (e.g., starting test preparation) might wait till later, while others such as selecting a method of assigning course credit should be done right away.

There's a great discussion on carnegie units and different ways of establishing course equivalencies in the second lesson. The third lesson presents some good ideas for outsourcing courses—a valuable strategy that many new homeschoolers fail to consider. (Note that this section suggests contacting your state organization for lists of opportunities, but in larger states—and maybe even in most smaller states—this type information would only be available at the local level.)

PDF files frequently include links to other resources that expand upon or enhance the topic under discussion. Lessons are relatively brief. You should be able to read through a lesson in ten to fifteen minutes. You might spend more time on links and assignments, but the lessons themselves will not take much time. If you were to compare Upper Level Homeschool to other standard books on the same subject, you would probably find more content in the books. However, the extra links add a dimension that cannot be included in books.

In addition, bonus files are included with your subscription. Right now, bonus files include "Forms and Checklists," Helping Teens Find Their Talents and Passion by Lorrie Flem, a "Scholarship Tracking Form," and Type Write Touch Typing by Diane Hurst.

A 60-day money-back guarantee takes the risk out of trying Upper Level Homeschool.

Parents of students in junior high can get a jumpstart on high school planning with Upper Level Homeschool. Even if you have already started high school, it's not too late to get on top of things.