Mike Smith:
Diane, college academics are very different from learning at home. What skills should homeschooling parents cover during high school to help their students succeed at college?

Diane Kummer:
Most professors teach by presenting lectures. So one important skill to teach teens is note-taking. Have your teen practice this skill by taking notes during your pastor’s sermon, or perhaps while watching an educational video.

Research skills are another important area to teach your teens. Give your teens projects that involve using encyclopedias, films, atlases, dictionaries, magazines, newspapers, and of course, the internet. Teach your teen how to take a major project or paper and divide it into smaller segments in order to pace themselves and not be overwhelmed.

Probably most importantly, teach your teens to meet deadlines and complete assignments in plenty of time to compensate for any last-minute glitches that may come up. The College Board website has wonderful free information on study skills you may want to use.

Don’t try to teach all study skills in one year, but instead, decide on a few study skills that you may want to introduce or concentrate on during each year of high school.

Mike:
Diane, thank you so much for being on the program again this week. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.