End the Repeat

Working forward, year by year, the repeating eludes us.  But, standing where I’ve been twice now, on the lane of homeschool past and college future, I feel a bit like a character out of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, The Christmas Carol.

If you’re a first-time-driver down this lane of grades 6-12+, you might not recognize that your student is passing the same mile-markers.  He might pass them from different vantage points.  He might view them at a distance in one passing and up close on another, but he will see the same mile-markers.

Let me give you an example of how students often progress through Social Studies:

• Grade 6: Social Studies ~ People, Places and Civics
• Grade 7: Social Studies ~ Ancient Civilizations
• Grade 8: American History
• Grade 9: World Geography
• Grade 10: US History
• Grade 11: World History
• Grade 12: American Government
• College: US History

My 10^th grader is currently reading through his high school text for US History.  When he is finished reading up to the Reconstruction Era, he will take 2-3 weeks and study for the US History I CLEP Exam.  This is his first study of US History since 6^th grade, so by studying once and earning college credit, he has saved himself years of repeat.  Instead of repeating, his social studies time has been filled with Personal Finance, Psychology and Sociology.  The last two he also earned college credit for.

Since 75% of middle-school students plan on going to college, it is wise to help them understand what courses are required and how they can shorten their path by making choices now. ¹

Up Next: 10 College Courses or CLEPs to include in your plan

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Further Reading:

Authors Gary North and John Taylor Gatto have written extensively about the need for those middle-school years often lending themselves to bridging the gap between the elementary and the high school years.  Oliver DeMille, author of A Thomas Jefferson Education, is another thought-provoking read.

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¹ http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/LeaderTalk/2011/03/college_and_career_readiness_d.html