Mt. Sophia Ideas» Education

5 Tips to Help Study for a Big Test

Vicki Tillman — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:47:45 +0000

Do you get nervous before a big test?

Try these ideas:

1) Study each day. A little daily learning helps develop strong neural pathways in your brain. These strong neural pathways make information easier to retrieve even if you feel tense during a test.

2) Review your notes the evening before the test. Take some deep breaths (to lower your stress levels) and read your notes outloud. THEN find something to laugh about (laughter makes things easier to remember).

3) Quickly look over your notes again in the morning.

4) Talk to yourself well. Remind yourself of other times you’ve done well on a test.

5) Do some deep breathing before you begin the test.

You’re going to do well!

3 Tips for a Successful Homeschool High School Year

Vicki Tillman — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:54:04 +0000

We are getting ready to leap into the new school year.

Here are 3 tips to help this year be successful:

1) Make a schedule

Students who make and follow a schedule tend to do better than those who don’t. Schedules help you pace yourself- not over work and not over play.

2) Make friends

High school is an important time to surround yourself with friends who believe in you and your ideals. You need the support and the fun of having friends.

3) Make time to pray

Sounds cheesy, maybe- but you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you. BUT you can’t do all things on your own. Check in with Him daily! Learn to listen for His voice.

Have a great year!

Six Good Reasons to Consider Trade School by Angela O’Shaughnessy

Vicki Tillman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:59:30 +0000

In May 2011, Mike Rowe, creator and host of “Dirty Jobs,” testified before Congress about the “skills gap” in America. He said, “We’ve elevated the importance of ‘higher education’ to such a lofty perch that all other forms of knowledge are now labeled ‘alternative.’ Millions of parents and kids see apprenticeships and on-the-job-training opportunities as ‘vocational consolation prizes,’ best suited for those not cut out for a four-year degree. And still, we talk about millions of ‘shovel ready’ jobs for a society that doesn’t encourage people to pick up a shovel.”

Homeschoolers have a long tradition of creating more opportunities for students to have hands-on experiences and apprenticeships. Therefore, we may be uniquely positioned to help fill this skills gap. Here are some very good reasons for some students to consider a trade or vocational route.

1. Trade schools can be a financially responsible choice. According to the College Board, the cost for an in-state public college for the 2010–2011 academic year averaged $20,339. A moderate budget at a private college averaged $40,476. In our current economic environment, it may be appealing to spend a great deal less time and money to prepare to make a good living. In addition, the average pay rate for many trades – right out of school – is higher than many other entry-level jobs.

2. Trade schools have hands-on appeal. If you want to spend less time learning theories and esoteric knowledge, and getting right down to learning the nuts of bolts of your trade, then you should consider mapping out a vocational school route.

3. Technical schools require less time. If you prefer to get out in the world and start making a living sooner, consider trade school.

4. Avoid test anxiety. Vocational schools don’t need to see your SAT scores. They want to know that you are willing to learn and ready to apply practical skills.

5. You may face less job competition or outsourcing. Hoards of people graduate from college each year and face stiff competition for jobs. However, fewer people are going into trades, and there is more attrition, so occupations requiring skilled tradesmen have less competition. Also, it’s pretty hard to send your car to India to be worked on, or to import a plumber from China, so outsourcing is not much of a worry.

6. Our country needs skilled workers. Mike Rowe said it best: “I encourage you (Congress) to support these efforts, because closing the skills gap doesn’t just benefit future tradesmen and the companies desperate to hire them. It benefits people like me, and anyone else who shares my addiction to paved roads, reliable bridges, heating, air conditioning, and indoor plumbing.”

Who is Your Homeschooler?

Vicki Tillman — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:05:51 +0000

Who is your homeschooler?

If I ran into you in an elevator and asked you to describe your homeschooler(s), could you give me a one-minute answer?

(This by the way, is called an elevator pitch.)

If you don’t have an elevator pitch about your kids, maybe your mission has become fuzzy?

Why are you homeschooling? What are you hoping to create (work for God to create)?

This is a GOOD homework assignment for the summer.

Here are some things to help you get started. Let’s look at what your homeschooler is not:

-His transcript

-Her SAT scores

-His acheivement test percentiles

-Her number of honors courses

-His awesome apprenticeships

These are things your homeschooler DOES, but WHO is a different, more essential question (the rest is icing on the cake).

Try these questions:

-What does God say about your child?

-In whose image was she created?

-What gifts did He place within him and why (as much as you can know)?

-What is her character?

If you know these things, you can be faithful to the mission God has given you as a parent. The effect will be a transcript and activities that meet your child’s needs and the family mission, but it will be formed by God’s ideas.

Why not try composing an elevator pitch about your homeschooler?

3 Powerful Ways to Enhance a Transcript

Vicki Tillman — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:04:16 +0000

Competition is fierce for entrance into some colleges.

For many homeschoolers, college is the next step after high school. How can he/she add power to a good transcript?

1) Develop expertise in a talent.

Colleges are often impressed when a transcript shows that a student has put quality time into a talent and developed expertise in that area.

When my daughter was in high school, she was passionate about photography and showed talent in that area. In order to develop that gift, she took courses at the local community college- earning a certificate in Visual Communications at the same time she was graduating from high school.

When she interviewed with the department chair at the college she liked best, she came armed with a professional quality portfolio and walked out with an extra scholarship.

2) Find appropriate competitions.

One of my sons had skill in film production. We looked for competitions to show his determination and skill in that arena.

-As part of our Cinematography Club in our homeschool support group, we took some teens and their film entries to the San Antonia Independent Christian Film Festival for several years.

-He entered, with his friends, music videos into Association of Christian Schools International’s Regional Fine Arts Competition. (ACSI allowed our support group to participate as a non-member school.)

-He kept his eyes open for other, smaller competitions and, with his friends, produced small videos to enter.

3) Volunteer in the Talent Area

Find a community organization or ministry that could use your teen’s skill.

Both my son and my daughter used their skills to help out the local Urban Promise ministry. Ezra produced a promotional video. Joanna did photography for their promotional brochures.

All these things go work to make a powerful transcript. List special courses under curriculum, competitions and volunteer work in separate sections on the transcript.

This post is running concurrently on my other blog http://7sistershomeschool.com

An Explanation of Levels at Mt. Sophia

Vicki Tillman — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:39:24 +0000

You may have noticed that Mt. Sophia’s high school courses now have “Levels” attached to them.

What are levels?

Colleges these days are looking for a description of the amount of academic rigor associated with each class. Some high schools call this description “Levels”; some call it “Phases”.

Whatever a school calls the description, that must be put on the transcript beside the course title. (Also a brief description of what our levels are is placed on the transcript. A more detailed description goes on the school profile that is mailed along with transcripts.)

There is not much standardization of levels from school to school. Mt. Sophia’s levels are much more robust than many schools. However, our reputation for high standards has opened doors for our students to many colleges.

LEVELS: All high school academic subjects have a specific level, or can accommodate multiple levels. The key to the level is as follows:

Level 1- Remedial Courses
This level is for students who struggle in a subject. While it is acceptable for high school graduation, Remedial Courses are not acceptable for college applicants.

Level 2- Average High School Courses
This level is for average high school students. While Level 2 Courses are not as rigorous as Level 3- College Prep courses, taking a Level 2 course does not prevent a student from going to college.

Level 3- College Preparatory Courses
This level is for students who are certain they are going to college. These courses mimic the rigor of college classes.

Level 4- Advanced Courses
This level is for students in College Prep courses who are able to do more rigorous work. These courses add power to the transcript and are attractive to colleges. Level 4 at Mt. Sophia requires Level 3 work plus 1/2 more credit to equal 1 advanced credit.

Level 5- Honors Courses
This level is for highly competitive students who want the most powerful transcripts. These courses look very attractive to colleges but are very rigorous. Level 5 at Mt. Sophia requires fully double the work of a Level 3 course.

10 Top Reasons to Homeschool

Vicki Tillman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:55:08 +0000

I am running this post concurrently at 7sistershomeschool.com. I thought it would be a good review for us all.

Now for a little review before the test. Oh, wait- no test.

Just the review. Why on earth do you give up your freedom to do what you want in order to homeschool your kids? Here are my top 10 reasons:

10) Fashionable- 1,500,000 current homeschoolers in the US! According to the US Department of Education that’s our number.

9) Individualized- Each student can learn according to their style and needs.

Self-concept development- Research shows homeschooled children feel better about themselves than do their other-schooled peers (see research at National Home Education Institute).

7) Inoculation vs Immersion- Homeschooled children have less exposure to the damaging influences in society. We give them appropriate doses of what they need to deal with at the right time rather than immerse them in a culture that has values far different than ours.

6) Anti-ageism- Our children live and learn with various age levels rather than being segregated with only their age-peers. They grow up talking to and feeling affinity with those older and younger than themselves.

5) Socialization- The definition of socialization is: “The passing on to the next generation the culture, values, and ideals that are important to the present generation.”

Our kids catch our values rather than that of the “crowd”.

4) Great peer group for the kids- My kids have grown up being active in our homeschool community. Even as adults, some of their best friends have been from their homeschooling days. (And some spouses as well.)

3) Great peer group for me- My closest friends are the moms I have homeschooled with over the years. Nothing like co-oping and praying together to form great bonds.

2) Faith- I get to pass my faith onto my kids, not just as lectures but as lifestyle.

1) Successful education- Our kids are prepared for life. For instance, at our umbrella school, Mt. Sophia Academy, the 13-year record of placement is 100% for the college bound. For career bound students, apprenticeships, character development, and good education have opened the doors to the job market.

Those are my top 10. What are your top reasons for homeschooling?

Setting Goals- Marilyn Groop

Vicki Tillman — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:54:00 +0000

Do you have written goals for each child and for your homeschool? If you do, congratulations. Few people have written goals. If you don’t, here is a way to write some. Of course, just as there is no one right way to homeschool, there is not one right way to write your goals.

Here are some goal setting guidelines. Adapt them to your purposes:

1) Think about what you want for your child by the time he or she graduates from high school. You may want her to go to college.

You may even want or need him to get a scholarship to help pay for said college.

You may not think college is in your child’s future, but you probably do want her to be able to support herself and move out on her own. That would mean that your child would have a marketable skill.

You probably want your child to be able to support a family, prepare a meal, have friends, be serving in church, balance a checkbook, and bring your grandchildren back to see you!

2) These are all long-term goals and can be written as such.

3) Once you have your long-term goals written, think about what steps you need to take this school year to bring you closer to these goals. These will be your short-term goals.

-If my child is in third grade and my long-term goal is being able to balance a checkbook, I might need him to be able to add and subtract multi-digit numbers accurately. This would bring him a step closer to my goal.

-If I want her to be able to study her Bible, perhaps working on reading comprehension would be a good start.

4) Once you have your long-term and short-term goals, think about the “how” of accomplishing them. What is my plan for this year that will bring my child closer to this goal?

-Do I need to complete a math workbook?

-Do I need to study another culture?

-Do I need to teach her about proper nutrition and exercise?

5) When you set your goals, don’t focus entirely on academics.

-You can include physical, social, and spiritual goals.

-You can include obedience, teamwork, and diligence. (These will all be important to raising a child who is ready to enter the real world someday.)

When my boys were little, I included a goal of being able to “handle a variety of social settings”. For years, it seemed that the short-term goal was accomplished if they burped and said “excuse me” instead of “that was a good one”. As they grew and matured it included things like being able to handle a job interview, knowing how to dress appropriately for an occasion and proper etiquette on a date or on the dance floor at a wedding.

Each child and family is unique. We can glean from each other, but it is detrimental to compare ourselves to others. Once you have your written goals, you can use them to help you decide which curriculum or activities fit for you. And, you will be surprised to see how much you accomplish each year!

3 Guides on Decision-Making for Homeschoolers- Marilyn Groop

Vicki Tillman — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:51:20 +0000

Back in the dark ages when I started homeschooling, our options were limited. There were only a few curriculum publishers who catered to homeschool students. There were few extracurricular activities geared to homeschoolers, especially to middle and high school students. The internet was not available to answer questions and help you find resources. This is in sharp contrast to the world of homeschooling today.

Today, there are numerous curriculum sources and resources available. But, with these increased options, parents can find themselves anxious about making the right choices. Which curriculum should I choose? Which activities are the best match for my children and my family? How do I find the balance between social activities and academics, extracurricular activities and down time?

Obviously, there are many factors to consider and ways to decide, but let’s get back to the basics. There are three vital things you should do:

1) Pray. God has promised wisdom to those who ask, and He knows your family, your students, and your circumstances better than anyone (even you!). So, ask Him. And then listen for the answer.

2) Seek Godly counsel. There are many veteran homeschoolers and experts who can help you in the process. They can give you their opinions about curriculum that they have tried. (They can help, but only you know your unique circumstances enough to make the final decision.)

3) Look at your goals and whether this particular option would help to attain those goals. To do that, you actually have to have your goals. Written goals are a great way to keep yourself on task and to help you make decisions.

Which leads us to a discussion about goals… Stay tuned…

5 Things Colleges Like to See on Transcripts

Vicki Tillman — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:49:08 +0000

Is your high schooler headed for college?

One of the joys of homeschooling through high school is that you have the opportunity to really invest the 4 years of high school in 5 fruitful areas that colleges often like to see:

1) Solid GPA. We have the luxury of teaching for mastery, so your high schooler can spend 1 hour or 3 hours per day mastering algebra equations or chemical formulas if needs be. He can stick with it until he has great mastery. Then his test scores and papers look terrific.

2) Academic Challenge. Many colleges want to know that your student is challenging herself academically. Are most of her courses at College Prep level? Is she taking some Advanced, Honors, or AP classes? (Check the mtsophiaideas.com archives for a post explaining the levels.)

3) Extra-curriculars. We still have to avoid the stereotype that homeschoolers are well educated misfits who never left the basement for 12 years. Rich extra-curriculars are absolutely necessary to show that your student is community minded and has good social skills. (See Ask Barb’s blog at mtsophia.com for some ideas for powerful extra-curriculars.)

4) Competitions. College is a competitive place. Competitions show drive and diligence in your student’s character. He doesn’t have to win, just enter.

5) Service. Research shows that people who are active and service-minded have lower levels of depression than the general population. So, besides showing that your student is a good kid who cares, service hours show some health on her part.