NCHENZ

by Rosalind Peterson

1. GOALS.

Talk to your young teen (see #3) find out what his/her goals are. Are they realistic or pure dreaming (eg to be an All Black)? Look at his/her interests and strengths. What choices are possible? What is needed to get there? Eg if the teenager wants to enter a polytechnic course (which requires four Year 12 passes, say, for entry), then talk with him/her about what work will be needed to get there and make a plan together. (And be realistic about exactly which 4 subjects will be passable. A light study of French for a term or two at home, is probably insufficient preparation to take on Year 12 French – and pass.)

2. LONG-TERM VIEW

You have only a few more years before your “child” will have embarked out on his own – for better or for worse. What do you especially want him/her to have done before leaving home? – Read through the whole Bible? Attend an Alpha course?

3. DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIP

Again, because it won’t be very long before your “child” will have left home. Schedule some relaxed “mate” time together – regularly. Setting goals (see #1 above) will require listening to your teenager – and a setting where he/she feels comfortable to share his/her thoughts and dreams.

4. CURRICULUM

You can create a rich education for primary-aged children with lots of interesting field trips to the Royal Ballet and Ambury Park Farm etc – but a teenager needs to study fewer subjects at greater depth. (See #1.) Raymond Moore, the grandfather of homeschooling, recommends lots of unit studies for primary school aged children – but to follow solid textbooks for every high school subject. (He also advocates plenty of physical work, eg serving others, to combat selfishness.)

Our family follows an eclectic approach, ie we choose resources from many different publishers. (I prefer to buy the best “wheel” I can find, rather than try to reinvent it!) – eg Saxon for Maths and Physics, Alpha Omega (and Progeny Press) for Language Arts, Bob Jones and Apologia for Biology and Chemistry, and Insight’s Accounting. Different publishers may better suit your family, but I strongly advise using textbooks for high school – and finishing the books!

5. BE REALISTIC

If your child wishes to enter a degree programme (at univ or tech), he/she will require a minimum of three Year 13 subject passes (including minimum Maths and English). Although seeing “Beauty and the Beast” performed on stage is a wonderfully rich educational experience for primary aged kids – it is certainly not on the same academic level as studying (in depth) a Shakespearean play – and passing Year 13 English.