There are multiple reasons (philosophical, lifestyle, financial) why a family may opt to homeschool their children. For the early grades and even for some more advanced courses (where a parent or close connection has a background in that area), it’s fairly easy to direct the education of homeschooled children. But what do you do for those courses that you aren’t comfortable teaching?
Let’s start with courses that are more specialized—upper-level math and language classes, for example. What do you do when your son wants to study French literature but you can barely order from the French restaurant around the corner? Or if your daughter wants to study Calculus while you never got past Algebra II? Finding other students who are interested in the same courses and sharing knowledge (and teachers) is a common method for homeschoolers who are taking courses that fall outside of the scope of general knowledge (they’re also a great way for homeschool kids to make friends and learn how to socialize). You can also enlist in the services of a private teacher or tutor; here at The Tutoring School, we’ve had students take everything from general science topics and English to AP Calculus and IB Chemistry. Services like ours can help provide support and structure, which can be a challenge for homeschool classes.
What do you do when your child is interested in taking Chemistry and you don’t have access to a fully-equipped (and safe) lab? Specialized materials or equipment can make certain subjects seem out of reach, but schools may offer the opportunity for partnerships. Each week, our school opens its doors to small groups of homeschoolers who all want to gain experience in a lab setting. They benefit from a trained teacher familiar with our lab and a group setting for cooperative learning (and socialization).
If your child is interested in taking an AP exam, you’ll soon find out in your research that, unlike the SAT or ACT, there are no national test centers for the AP. And, because AP exams must be ordered and administered by schools that have a CEEB code (a six-digit number that is unique to each school registered with the College Board), you can’t do it yourself. The key is to identify which exams your child will take far in advance so that you can start doing your research to find a school/testing site early (for more specific information, read this article.)