My Daily Domestic Diigolet 04/23/2008

Cafi Cohen — author of And What About College? How Homeschooling Leads to Admission to the Best Colleges and Universities — spent two full days observing public school classes. During those days, she kept track of administrative time versus on-task time. On-task time is roughly defined as students really doing something – reading, writing, listening to lectures, etc. Cohen discovered that less than one hour out of each six-hour school day was spent on-task. The bulk of the day was spent on administrative duties: taking attendance, collecting homework and reports, making announcements, passing out supplies, preparing for activities, cleaning up, and discipline – perhaps the biggest time-waster of all.

Many teens are also overwhelmed by the prospect of spending an hour or more a day on the school bus getting to and from school, only to be faced with three or more hours of homework in the evening. In the teen group I facilitate, teens stress wasted time as a major reason for homeschooling along with problems in the school environment: peer pressure, negative influences (drugs and sex), bullying, and even personal safety.

• Homeschooling: The Teen Years — Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- to 18-Year Old by Cafi Cohen. If you can buy only one homeschooling book, this is it.
• Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook — Preparing 12- to 18-Year-Olds for Success in the College of Their Choiceby Cafi Cohen . For kids with college in their future, Cohen provides valuable information and resources for both parents and teens.
• The Teenage Liberation Handbook (a classic among homeschool families) and Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don’t Go to School, both by Grace Llewellyn. These books will inspire and guide your teen with real stories about kids who learn in freedom.
• The Big Book of Home Learning: Junior High Through College by Mary Pride. An enormous collection of resources and advice from a homechooling veteran.
• The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 88 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling’s Most Respected Voices by Linda Dobson. The best book for those new to homeschooling. Intelligent answers to just about every homeschooling question.
• The Homeschooler’s Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer. Covers the most difficult aspect of homeschooling teens: maintaining accurate records.