Middle School Archives - Eva Varga


October 25, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

Finishing-Strong-500x500I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites?

My VIPKID Experience @EvaVarga.netWorking From Home

When I talk with my friends and family about our choice to homeschool, many have commented that they would love to homeschool but financial worries hold them back. While everyone’s financial situation is different, there are many ways you can earn an income while working from home. One of the most rewarding that I have found is VIPKid.

I started working for VIPKid a few weeks ago and have had a fantastic time getting to know my Chinese students while also learning more about teaching ESL. It has been both challenging and a lot of fun.

While getting up at 4a.m. each day is grueling, the smiles I see on their faces when their camera turns on make each yawn worthwhile.

Finishing Strong

We hope you’ll take some time to check out the amazing posts that have been shared with us. We are so thankful to all of our readers and contributors who help make Finishing Strong a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

The top posts shared last week

Below are a couple of the posts I most enjoyed from last week. The first post is the one that received the most clicks. You won’t want to miss it! high-school-forecastingHigh School Forecasting

from Me here at Eva Varga (Academia Celestia) ~ Learn how to compose a four-year plan to guide your student through each academic year – everything you need to know to coordinate schedules, CLEP Exams, and College Courses.

Responding to Questions About Homeschooling High School

from Heidi at Starts at Eight ~ While the numbers of families choosing to homeschool continue to rise. Homeschooling high school is still an anomaly in many areas of the country. Heidi shares tips for responding to the queries we are often asked in regards to our schooling choice.

How to Navigate the College Selection Process

from Heather at Blog She Wrote ~ Heather’s post is perfect timing for us. My daughter is now a sophomore in high school and she is just beginning to give thought to which university she may like to attend. While she is leaning towards the state university (both her father and I are alumni), we are encouraging her to keep her options open. I love Heather’s perspective and insight – she’s graduated one already who will be attending Purdue! – into the process of selecting the right college.

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As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




October 18, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

Finishing-Strong-500x500I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites?

 

High School Forecasting

When I was in college, one of my earliest advisors provided me with a chart and asked that I map out all the courses I would need to achieve my academic goals and graduate with the degree I needed for my career. Every term I made adjustments based on what courses were available and to reflect my progress. This map or forecasting sheet was an invaluable tool and one that I continue to use today as I guide my daughter along her academic journey.

high-school-forecastingShe’s dual enrolled. This means she is taking a full course load of courses at the local community college. These courses fulfill both high school graduation requirements and are applicable to her college degree.

When she met with her academic advisor at the start of this term, she shared the forecasting sheet that she and I mapped out together. Her advisor was impressed and remarked that she was already more aware and more prepared than students who had already completed high school – a big boost to her confidence!

Learn more about High School Forecasting and find the link to download the free customizable spreadsheet I used to map out her courses – it was created by fellow Finishing Strong co-host Heidi from Starts at Eight (Thank you, Heidi!).

 

Finishing Strong

We hope you’ll take some time to check out the amazing posts that have been shared with us. We are so thankful to all of our readers and contributors who help make Finishing Strong a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

The top posts shared last week

Below are a couple of the posts I most enjoyed from last week. The first post is the one that received the most clicks. You won’t want to miss it! alt title
Homeschooling High School Q & A

from Ann at Annie & Everything ~ To be honest, the issue of a diploma has been eating at me so when I read, “A diploma can be purchased. Nobody NEEDS to look at it. Colleges only look at transcripts … future employers won’t ask to see it. In short, nobody cares about this but you.” I immediately felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

 

Must Have Supplies for High School

from Heather at Blog She Wrote ~ Heather provides an in-depth look at everything your high schooler will need from lab equipment, office supplies, organizational tools, and technology.

BJ’s Guide to the Common Application

from BJ at BJ’s Homeschool Encouragement ~ Applying to college can be overwhelming. BJ walks you through the common application including important changes to facilitate the process and help you in the transition from high school to college.

 

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As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




October 11, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

Finishing-Strong-500x500I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites?

STEM

Girls in STEM

My daughter has been interested in engineering, sciences, and mathematics since she was just a wee little one. I thereby seek out opportunities and experiences to challenge and inspire her to pursue these areas as a possible career.

I’ve shared several tips and activities to encourage girls in STEM. Take a few minutes to browse the materials available here – Encouraging Girls in STEM – as well as learn more about upcoming events.

The annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day will be here before you know it (it’s February 22nd) and events are being planned across the nation. In preparation for this annual celebration of Girls in STEM, there is an opportunity to take part in a webinar (Wednesday, November 8th at 12pm EST) to help make this the best Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day yet!

Sign up for the free webinar and you’ll get ideas to help jumpstart your planning and:

• Learn about new resources and programs
• Hear two Girl Day Role Models share their experience
• Discover how you can make a difference in a girl’s future
• Get Inspired!
• And more!

Finishing Strong

We hope you’ll take some time to check out the amazing posts that have been shared with us. We are so thankful to all of our readers and contributors who help make Finishing Strong a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

The top posts shared last week

Below are a couple of the posts I most enjoyed from last week. The first post is the one that received the most clicks. You won’t want to miss it! alt title
Boyschooling Homeschool Curriculum for 5th and 12th Grades (2017-18)

from Cindy at Our Journey Westward ~ Cindy coins the term, boyschooling … I love it! Hop over to learn more about the curriculum choices she has made for each of her two boys.

What Some Days in a Girl’s Year 7 Look Like

from Carol at Journey and Destination ~ Carol provides us with a little peak into “a day in the life” of her daughter as they work through Ambleside Online Year 7.

Fall Nature Walk – Scavenger Hunt Lists & Resources

from Heidi at Starts at Eight ~ Nature study is near and dear to my heart. I really miss doing it with my kiddos and need to carve out more time in our week. Heidi shares a great list of resources and materials to implement nature study in your homeschool.

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As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




October 4, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

Finishing-Strong-500x500I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites

The Puzzling Impact of Erno Rubik @EvaVarga.net

A Day in the Life of a Speed Cuber

My son is obsessed with speed cubing. So much so that he spends more time learning new algorithms to improve his solve time than he does practicing the piano anymore. Argh! He has a competition coming up in a couple of weeks and as a result he shares his solutions with me regularly – reconstructing it turn by turn. I have to admit that my eyes generally gloss over and I have no clue what he is saying.

It is hard to believe that Ernő Rubik, the inventor of the Rubik’s cube, took one month to solve his own puzzle. Today, the world record is just a wee bit more than 4 seconds!! Do you have a child interested in cubing? Learn more in my post, The Puzzling Impact of Ernő Rubik.


Finishing Strong

We hope you’ll take some time to check out the amazing posts that have been shared with us. We are so thankful to all of our readers and contributors who help make Finishing Strong a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

The top posts shared last week

Below are a couple of the posts I most enjoyed from last week. The first post is the one that received the most clicks. You won’t want to miss it! alt title

A Day in the Life of Homeschooling High School

from Marci at The Homeschool Scientist ~ Just as our children have their own unique personalities, so too do all homeschool. Everyone approaches homeschooling differently. Once in a while, it is fun to get a peak into how others do it. Marci provides us with a little peak into a day in their homeschool.

A Day in the Life of Unschoolers – 2017 Edition

from Joan at Unschool Rules ~ Continuing with the ‘day in the life’ theme, take a peak at Joan’s unschooling approach to high school. I am always inspired by their relaxed approach to education.

Homeschool Ecology Course for High School

from Ami at Walking by the Way ~ Ecology is my favorite genre of science. I just love seeing how everything fits together and how small changes can affect entire ecosystems. It is fascinating to me and a subject that is so very fun to teach. Ami has put together a great course outline for high school level ecology.

@ @ @

As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




September 27, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That’s has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

Finishing-Strong-500x500

Promote Science Literacy

Hands-on science instruction and experience in inquiry science is important for understanding STEM concepts. However, it is also important for students to develop an understanding of what scientists actually DO in their day-to-day work.

Scientists at Work

In the post, Scientists at Work: Activities and Books to Promote Science Literacy, I share a list of book titles that are perfect for read-aloud time. I also provide tips for incorporating science literacy and career related studies into your science curriculum.

Finishing Strong

There were only a small handful of posts shared with us last week. Perhaps you have written a blog posts sharing an activity that worked well with your middle school student? Have you found an article that inspired you? Have you discovered a product that is perfect for homeschoolers with older students? Let us know by linking up below.

We also encourage you to share Finishing Strong on your social media – help us grow this link-up as a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

Below are some of the posts I enjoyed from last week, as well as the one that received the most clicks (in the #1 spot). Did I choose one of your favorites?

books-that-feature-homeschoolersBooks that Feature Homeschoolers

from Heidi at Starts at Eight ~ The most clicked upon post shared last week is one I’ve often thought of writing myself. Heidi’s list shares titles I am familiar with like Nim’s Island, but also a few new titles I’ll be adding to our own reading lists.

How to Painlessly Incorporate Read-Aloud Time into Your Homeschool

from Shelly at There’s No Place Like Home ~ Speaking of reading lists, I enjoyed Shelly’s post sharing tips for incorporating read-aloud time into our homeschool day. I have to admit, I read-aloud much more frequently when the kids were younger. My son, however, is not one to sit quietly with a book so I’ve been wanting to bring this tradition back into our day.

Preparing for College Made Easy – A Guide to the Common Application

from Heather at Blog, She Wrote ~ I wasn’t previously familiar with the Common Application but I am so thankful Heather shared her experience. This tool streamlines the college application process – students simply choose the schools and all the information and requirements is right there in a click.

@ @ @

As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




September 20, 2017

Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That’s has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong #135

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.

Finishing-Strong-500x500

What I Wish Someone Told Me BEFORE I Started Homeschooling

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Started Homeschooling High School

In the post, What I Wish Someone Had Told Me BEFORE I Started Homeschooling, Heidi from Starts At Eight shares a little insight into what she has learned about homeschooling high school, and some things you might want to know!

I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites?

Finishing Strong

We hope you’ll take some time to check out the amazing posts that have been shared with us. We are so thankful to all of our readers and contributors who help make Finishing Strong a key resource for everyone homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

Below are some of the posts I enjoyed from last week, as well as the one that received the most clicks. Did I choose one of your favorites?

Our Favorite Easy Way to Study Grammar

from BJs Homeschool ~Betsy talks about how she worked with grammar in middle and high school with a slightly out of the box, more fun approach!

How to Homeschool High School English Simply and Effectively

from There’s No Place Like Home ~ Simple is easier, and this article offers multiple approaches to teaching English in the high school years that might help you find your simple!

This Simple Game Can Build Mental Math Skills

from Education Possible ~ Anytime you can make math a little more fun, and a little less intimidating is a win in my book. Here is a fun math game to help build mental math skills!

@ @ @

As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years