High scores on standardized tests can make students eligible for scholarships covering tuition and even room and board at a variety of public and private colleges.

But high scores aren’t just the result of luck. Students who score well on the SAT see the fruit of long hours of strenuous study.Often satisfactory scores are achieved only after the third, fourth, or fifth round of testing.

There are some wonderful prep programs out there. On the other hand, there are plenty of courses available that cost almost as much as a college education. Private test prep courses can easily cost thousands of dollars. So what constitutes both effective and reasonably priced test prep?

Over the years, we’ve tried dozens of different prep programs. Books and software from College Board, Princeton Review, Kaplan, and others have graced our desks.

Our favorite, by far though, has been Kaplan’s books. Twelve Practice Tests for the SAT, the SAT Verbal Workbook, and the SAT Math Workbook are all reasonably priced (and available through Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble) and lay a great foundation for the SAT. For high-scoring students trying to add a few more points to their tests, the SAT 2400 book is wonderful.

Recently, through the Homeschool Co-op, we discovered another great resource, Kaplan’s SAT Online test prep program.

Kaplan’s tests are consistently reflective of actual SAT tests. Their helpful scoring charts help students accurately project test scores. However, we have consistently seen higher scores on the real tests than on the Kaplan prep tests.

Additionally, the real tests always seem easier than the Kaplan practice tests. In other words, Kaplan prepares students by making the tests seem harder than they will actually be.

Do your high-school students a favor this summer and help them spend some time on SAT prep. Whether they are just beginning to think about standardized tests or are taking the SAT for the last time, a little preparation will be well worth the effort.

Recently, she had the opportunity to subscribe  to a new program at a heavily discounted price through the Homeschool Buyer’s Co-op. IXL is a web-based math program that provides drills beginning at the pre-K level and extending up to the 5th grade. Topics covered include:

• counting
• addition
• subtraction
• identifying money
• identifying shapes
• multiplication
• division
• decimals
• word graphs

The system keep track of each student’s accuracy and provides parents with reports for each session. Students are rewarded with virtual prizes as they successfully master levels. IXL also tracks education standards by state. Your students’ lesson plan can be tailored to meet the education standards of your state. The program will even provide you with feedback about your child’s readiness for state testing.

The program’s design is light and attractive and graphics are kept to a minimum. This is helpful for young children who are easily distracted by overwhelming images. Since the program is web-based, users can access IXL Math from anywhere. A subscription for one child is $9.95 per month or $79.95 for the year. However, if you decide to subscribe, search first for discounts available on the web.

There is no cost associated with becoming a member of the co-op. The coop is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making homeschooling affordable. They are supported primarily by advertising. The strength of the coop can be found in the number of families that belong to it. As they gain members, the coop is able to provide additional opportunities and services to the homeschooling community.

I have found The Homeschool Buyer’s Coop to be a terrific resource. You can find more terrific tips and ideas over at Rocks In My Dryer’s Works For Me Wednesday.

“It is an uneasy lot at best, to be what we call highly taught and yet not to enjoy: to be present at this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry shivering self–never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold, never to have our consciousness rapturously transformed into the vividness of a thought, the ardor of a passion, the energy of an action, but always to be scholarly and uninspired, ambitious and timid, scrupulous and dim-sighted.” – George Eliot

God is gracious. Within months of beginning, He brought a lovely person into my life – Jeannie Cornish. I initially contacted her through our mutual piano teacher. She had agreed to help me with curriculum choices. I was immediately drawn in by her enthusiasm and love for her family and her husband. She was passionate about educating her children. She was passionate about her relationship with her husband. She was passionate about her walk with God.

Jeannie would prove to be a dear friend and a mentor that I would lean on continually as we home-educated our children over the next 15 years. She not only helped us with the academics of home education, but she enthusiastically brought to light social  and moral issues that our young children would face as they matured. Her insight would allow us to wrestle with issues early,  and prepare for controversy that we would face later.

The most interesting factors about my friendship and mentoring relationship with Jeannie were found in our differences. Our children were not the same age. They  were not playmates. We attended different churches and walked in different circles. Most importantly, she was a pioneer and I was merely a settler in the homeschooling movement. Our choices were broader and easier. Yet, she was passionate about helping us to make the most of our decision to home educate our children. She zealously encouraged us to implement ideas and alternatives that were unavailable to her when she began to homeschool her children.

Jeannie was impassioned and enthusiastic, full of wisdom. However, she was gentle, kind, and non-judgemental. She was selfless in desiring the best for our family as we embarked on this adventure of homeschooling.

Her family eventually took a different path. Her chidlren attended traditional schools in the latter years of their education. Yet, our hearts were on the same path. We desired God’s best for our children. The Cornish’s two oldest children are adults now. They are lovely and successful. Most importantly, all three of their children have hearts for God and His Kingdom.

Although we have lived in different states for years, Jeannie and I continue to follow each other’s lives. God blessed me with a mentor when I needed it so dearly and He also gave me a lovely friend in the process. Thank you, Jeannie!

I encourage others to seek wisdom and friendship through mentoring relationships. Sage advice is always helpful. It works for me! For other great ideas, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

“Then [the older women] can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Titus 2:4-5

They even provide thematic materials for each month. Once you subscribe to this terrific group, you will have access to  a plethora of printable worksheets, games, and puzzles to supplement your children’s curriculum.

The annual fee is relatively low: $19.99 for the basic K -8 package and $39.98 for the package that includes high school and special needs materials. It is quite a value considering the abundance of resources available at this site.  Armed with a printer, you could possibly print everything you would need for the academic portion of your child’s education at Ed helper.

For additional great tips visit Rocks in My Dryer’s Works for Me Wednesday.

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts. “-C.S. Lewis

Well, I must admit, I am one who helps fuel the economy and I struggled to come up with even ONE freebie site that I visit regularly. And then it hit me . . . I am actually a devotee of FOUR complimentary educational sites.

• Wikipedia – A free encyclopedia with thousands, no, millions of articles in a plethora of languages.
• Dictionary.com – This is a fabulous free dictionary, thesaurus and vocabulary learning resource.
• Bible Gateway – An online Bible with easy-to-use passage and keyword search engines utilizing over 100 versions of the Bible.
• Words by William Whitaker – A Latin-to-English dictionary that my children have used for years.

I hope you find these sites helpful and enjoyable as well as FREE.

“Gold, for the instant, lost its lustre in his eyes, for there were countless treasures of the heart which it could never purchase. ” – Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

Three points come immediately come to mind.

First and probably the most profound misconception that I held was that homeschooling is homogeneous. The belief systems, the educational philosophies, the goals, and the child-rearing theories of homeschooling parents could not be more interesting and diverse.

Secondly, homeschooling is not a panacea for godly, brilliant, lovely children that morph into supremely excellent adults.

Thirdly, all homeschooled children are not worthy of becoming spelling bee champs.

Hope this is enlightening!

Note-taking should not become a tedious, overwhelming task. It should not impede, but enhance your child’s reading experience. Initiate the process with manageable goals.  Inspire your child to record one quote that they find particularly interesting. If your child is young ( late elementary),  he could search for an unfamiliar word in his reading.

Obtain a simple but distinct notebook or journal for your son or daughter.  This will become their companion as they read. My experience has been that this journal should be unique, something your child will treasure. Title a page with the title of their present book and begin utilizing it immediately.

Your child’s reading journal will prove to be an invaluable tool. They will turn to it as they write book reports, study for literature tests, prepare for Advanced Placement tests and ready themselves for college entrance exams.

“Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” – Sir Francis Bacon

You are your child’s best advocate – I have heard this often, particularly as the parent of  a child with special needs. in fact, I have heard it repeated so often that it has come to sound almost trite.

On the other hand, I have, over the years, come to an understanding of what I think it means to be your child’s advocate. Children can reap the benefits of private schools, experience the expertise in  public schools, or enjoy a  homeschooled education. However, when the final page is turned and their young life is giving way to adulthood, what matters is how you have shaped and molded their values and education. It is up to us as parents to equip our children to succeed in society practically and morally. Yes, other experts and individuals can assist in this process but we must, as parents, understand that our children’s welfare and education is our responsibility. After all, no one else can love them, nurture them and fully understand their weaknesses and strengths as a parent does.

This has far-reaching implications for  families and society as a whole. Quite frankly, I do not wish to begin to touch on these implications here. But I would like to offer a few suggestions that will help parents equip  their children academically in any school setting. It’s time to ”drill” .  .  . .

I am a fan of drills. They may appear boring, monotonous, and even painful, but they do work. Furthermore, drills do not always have to carry negative connotations.  From the moment you teach a child to recite the ABC’s or step-count, they are practicing drills. The acquisition of math facts, Bible verses, nursery rhymes, poetry, musical scales, typing and language skills can be assisted and accelerated with drills.

Drills can be quite interactive. You, as a parent, can drill your child in a one-on-one setting.  However, drills can also be utilized to promote independent learning. Children can drill themselves with computer programs as well as work sheets. There are a number of educational games that are drill-based.

My children’s education has been enhanced, if not accelerated, by the use of drills. Memorizing the multiplication table was painless, at least from my point of view. My children simply filled out a multiplication table at least once a day (just like a daily vitamin) until it was second nature. They acquired the ability to type (at a pretty fast clip) early on from daily work with computer drills. Our piano teachers have always utilized drills in the form of practising scales. The sports activities that the children engage in all involve drills.

Help your child increase their knowledge base and develop skills that are vitally important to their academic education simply through the process of drilling.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Calculadder – Math drill ( K – upper elementary)
• Quarter Mile Math – Computer based math drills (K – 12)
• Abeka’s Arithmetic Test and Speed Drills (K – 12)
• Mavis Beacon Typing (Beginning through advanced drill-based typing program)
• Abeka’s Oral Language Exercises – English grammar drills (K – 6)
• Abeka’s Read and Think – Reading Comprehension speed drills (K – 6)
• Daily Skills by Houghton Mifflin – Daily drills in math, language, geography, spelling, phonics  and science (separate workbooks for individual subjects grades K – 6)
• Math It  – Math game great for acquiring math facts (K – 4)
• English From the Roots Up - Vocabulary drill program based on Latin and Greek words and their English derivatives
• Around The Garden – Vocabulary game (early elementary)
• Flash cards for math facts (any brand will work; you can also easily make them)

Academic drills can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.  Here is a blank Multiplication Chart to help you get started.

Addendum: I just discovered Works for Me Wednesday over at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/. This is my Works for Me Wednesday tip!

The senior year of high-school is an exciting, watershed moment in a young person’s life. Children are on the brink of a new era. I think it’s important that they enjoy this year and, yet, take it seriously. It can be a fun, memorable year and still be quite productive. Following is my daughter’s curriculum for her senior year.

Note: American Government can be a semester course. However, I will incorporate literature and writing assignments, thus making it a year-long course.

12th grade

• Bible Study – How To Ruin Your Life By 40, Know What You Believe, Know Why You Believe, Mere Christianity
• Advanced Biology: Human Anatomy – Apologia
• AP Latin – Scholars Online
• American Government – A Beka, with supplemental reading
• Algebra II (Completed by December), Pre-Calculus – Teaching Textbooks
• American Literature – See reading list
• Piano – Private instruction through IPFW Community Arts
• Writing – incorporated into literature and American Government

Reading List

• The Scarlet Letter
• Daisy Miller
• Washington Square
• The Great Gatsby
• The Grapes of Wrath
• A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
• As I Lay Dying
• Age of Innocence
• The Four Loves
• The Great Divorce
• The Best Short Stories of O. Henry
• The Chosen
• The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
• Moby Dick
• Selected Poetry
• Our Town
• The Portable Poe
• The View From Saturday
• Walden and Civil Disobedience
• Black Like Me
• The Dry Divide
• Eternity in Their Hearts
• The Jungle
• Up From Slavery
• Anna Karenina
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
• A Good Man is Hard To Find (Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor)
• Their Eyes Were Watching God

“We are man and woman now, with sober work to do, for playtime is over, and we must give up frolicking. I’m sure you feel this. I see the change in you, and you’ll find it in me. I shall miss my boy, but I shall love the man as much, and admire him more, because he means to be what I hoped he would.” -Louisa May Alcott