You may know that your high schooler is bright, but as a homeschooling parent, how do you decide whether he should pursue the next level of academic challenge? This week on Home School Heartbeat, HSLDA’s high school coordinator Diane Kummer joins host Mike Farris with some benchmarks for determining Advanced Placement readiness.
Mike Farris:
My guest today is HSLDA High School Coordinator Diane Kummer. Diane, thanks so much for joining me!
Diane Kummer:
Well, hello, Mike, it’s a joy to be here with you today.
Mike:
Diane, homeschool parents may be looking at their high school student and know he’s smart, but not sure whether he’s ready for something like Advanced Placement courses and tests. How do you suggest parents determine whether he’s ready?
Diane:
Well, first a student should have excellent reading and writing skills. An AP instructor may also designate other prerequisites that a student should have. Second, the student should be self-motivated, organized, and responsible. And third, because the materials used in AP courses are college level, parents should be sure their teens are up to that level of learning.
Mike:
Do AP courses take a lot more time? Does the student need to take a lighter load in his other work? How does it work?
Diane:
Well, Mike, most AP instructors do give students an idea of how much time will be required. The typical AP course takes anywhere from seven to ten hours of work a week, sometimes even more. So parents should definitely consider this when planning out the school year. I recommend that a student take no more than one or, at the most, two AP courses the first time around in order to get a feel for the course load.
Mike:
Diane, thanks so much! That’s very helpful information. We’ll talk more about AP credit for homeschoolers next time. I’m Mike Farris.
