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Originally Posted by UnschoolnMa
How do you teach high schoolers subjects like chemistry (without a lab) or calculus or physics (all of which I know nothing about.)
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I thought I'd chime in since I have a highschooler myself.
The stuff I don't know about, I don't teach him. That doesn't mean he doesn't learn it. Part of what we tried to do with our kids, was to teach them to learn on their own. That way, when they got older (such as high school) most of my job would be to supervise and check things over. After all, when/if they go to college, they won't have an instructor holding their hand ever step of the way.
Every time someone asks me about homeschooling for high school, it is mostly about science and math, two things a lot of people feel they don't know much about. So in one sense, you really need to meet low expectations.
Practically speaking, though, there are some pretty good higher math & science books out there specifically for homeschooler, and they have step-by-step instructions and the answer keys. I know a lot of people think doing labs would be expensive, but you can do it cheaper than reproducing a "real" science lab, really. You can buy dissection kits, for example, that are less than $100 and "count" for high school biology. Just a point I'd like to make - you really don't have to get that involved with high school biology if that's not the direction your child wants to go.
Science labs are more about the process of the scientific method, and following directions for reproducible results, than the actual work involved.
I had a friend who really struggled with physics, trying to instruct her son when she herself didn't understand it. It turns out she thought it was something she "had" to cover. Also, her son was not going into a career field that needed it, so they really didn't have to struggle, plus she had picked up a textbook that was far above either of their levels. My point here is you often have other parents with which to compare and take notes abou texts and subjects. Also, in other subjects, I have gone and read ahead in the book I purchased for the kids, to refresh my own memory, to even re-learn it sometimes. We're trying to make it fun, here, and if we all have to do it to discuss it, then we will. (like history and Shakespeare)
Higher maths such as calculus and trig don't need to be covered so intently unless you're in a pretty regulated state or your child is going into a field that needs it. My son wants to go into computers and programming just like his father is, so guess who goes over his algebra work when he has question? Not me!
That's now dad's job. Even with a full-time job, it has only taken them an hour or so a week to go over the finer details.
It's easier to get into smaller, more independant universities and college, and there are generally more hoops and scrutiny for the larger, state/provincially run colleges. At lot of them also like to see early admissions, up to two years ahead of time, and they will help you with getting standardized tests done, if you need it. That's why they have a person there specifically in charge of homeschoolers, to help you.
By the time your ds gets old enough, I bet it'll be just like any other student they get. In fact, there are more and more universities and college who are actively recruiting homeschooled students!
