Help with homeschooling?!?!?

Question

Hi, We use the accredited A Beka dvd program to homeschool and I will be in 11th grade this year. How do we keep everything organized? Are the parents allowed to make study guides for our tests? How do you know what to study for quizzes and tests? Where do you put your homework since it doesn't need to be graded. My mom is always really busy so we need to use this dvd program. Also, please don't suggest another program instead of A Beka, because this is what we have already decided on. I just need some serious organizing tips. Where do you put the work and the graded tests and quizzes. Please help with any tips on homeschooling, we are not used to this, because I just came from public school (which I hated) and we are VERY new to homeschooling. So please help us in any way you can. Thank you so much...

Answer 1

I have never done the DVD program, but I have used a few things from a beka.  I am not sure how things are with the DVD program, but I can share a few details from our life.  Hopefully, if they aren't an exact fit they will at least spring board an idea.

  I have a box on my desk that the kids put any ungraded work in.  I am a real visual person, so if I see it, I will remember to do it.  If I see stuff in my box, I know I have work to do.  Each kid has their own 3 ring binder for tests and quizzes.  Once I grade things, I upload it to our umbrella program and file my copy in the binder.  Separating subjects with those tabbed dividers will help too.

  Just like in a regular classroom, teachers should have some wiggle room to fit a program to your needs.  I don't see how it would be a problem for your parents to create their own study guides.  If they do not have time to write out one, they could just give you a list of topics that the test covers.

Edit:

I had a few other thoughts to add.  I usually designate Aug -the month before schools starts - for planning and organizing.  I look at my house and try to streamline things so that clutter isn't taking up too much space. etc. I like to go to a number of office supply centers and just look at what they offer and compare it to our needs and the actual space and flow of our house.  Homeschoolers  usually use every square inch of their houses, so if something takes up too much space or creates busy work, it can be a real pain.

Answer 2

Honestly, I'd say another DVD-based program (such as BJU) would be a lot less work (for you and your mom), but just know up front that A Beka is really heavy on seatwork.  There will be a lot of it.

Next...just because homework isn't graded by them doesn't mean that it shouldn't be graded.  If your mom doesn't have time to grade it, you need to have access to the teacher's manual to check your work.  If your mom doesn't assign grades for homework, that's up to her.  However, if nobody (including your) checks your homework, how do you know you're doing it correctly?  The purpose for homework is to give you practice - if you practice incorrectly, that'll show on your tests.

Third - just because A Beka assigns the homework doesn't mean that you have to complete it.  Weird, I know.  However, they are *extremely* heavy on seatwork, and they likely assign way more than you need.  If they assign you 30 algebra problems, and you "get it" in 15, it's fine to only do the odds or evens.  I really would do all of the writing projects - it'll prep you for college - but some of the repetitious problems could be cut.  That may save you some time.

Study guides...yes, of course your mom can make study guides.  However, I'd suggest she involve you in this process, at least after the first couple, as you're old enough that you really need to know how to make one.  In college, your prof will just hand you a syllabus with due dates and expect you to make your own.  Instead of looking at the test ahead of time to make the study guide, you need to learn how to look through the chapter, find the important or emphasized sections (or anything you had trouble with) and make yourself notes.  Her just making your study guides won't help you much - it'll tell you what to study, but now how or why.

What to do with work, and with graded tests and quizzes...

3-ring binders.  They're easy to divide however you need, and easy to store.  

Anyway, some of this may not be what you want to hear, but after homeschooling for over 4 years, it's what we've found.  Hope something here helps!

Answer 3

Hi, there! I think that a lot of things will be more clear to you once you start using the curriculum, but here is some advice anyways. :)

Yes, the parents are allowed to make study guides. However, just personally speaking, I take notes in every lesson, and instead of having your parents make you a study guide, you could at least takes notes on the review lessons, because A Beka always has at least one whole lesson dedicated to just studying for the upcoming test. That way, if you're writing down the information you need by yourself, it sticks with you better.

As to how you will know what to study for quizzes and tests, the teachers on the DVDs will tell you. For quizzes, they will give page numbers, and for tests, they will give chapter numbers. Again, in this case, I personally like to study my notes for whichever chapter we're having a test on. If not, you can study the comprehension checks at the end of each lesson(or so), or the chapter review at the end of every chapter, or the bold print terms throughout the specified pages/chapters.

I would suggest keeping your homework/classwork in a binder with tabs separating each class(chemistry, U.S. history, etc.) so that you can refer back to it when needed.

After your quizzes and tests are graded, you can put them in a filing cabinet, again labeling tabs for each class. This way, you can keep them all organized, and it'll be easy for you to average/weight the grades you made when the time for report cards comes.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy home schooling and I really hope it works out well for you! :) I've been using A Beka since 4th grade and it's been GREAT for me!

Answer 4

Get a plastic file box from wal*mart or somewhere like that.  Put a bunch of file folders in it.  Write the name of your class (example: Math) on a folder tab, next to the name of the class put what goes in that folder (example: homework).  So you might end up with three file folders for Math, one says, "Math: Homework", one says, "Math: Quizzes and Tests", one says, "Math: Notes".  Put all three math files next to each other in the file box, do the same for English, Literature, etc.  I realize that homework on the DVD program is not graded because the instructor on the DVD goes over the homework the next day, be sure to note the correct answer to any you got wrong so you can use the homework to help you prepare for tests.

Incidentally, Abeka makes it very easy to study for the tests, the chapter reviews make great study guides for the quizzes and tests, and the quizzes, once corrected, make great study guides for the big tests.  The homework itself is also helpful in knowing what you need to know.