high school

WHY DEBATE?

Participation in debate is a huge commitment, but benefits abound! Christy Shipe writes, “…Whatever the resolution, a student will almost certainly cover government, economics, political science, composition, research, public speaking, logic, rhetoric, current events, typing/word processing, computer skills, editing, and argumentation and debate theory…”

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE?

Check individual class and club listings at www.mache.org/mnhs&d for age/grade recommendations.  For debate competition, home educated students age 12-18 by January 1st of the current school year may participate.

HOW DOES A STUDENT BECOME INVOLVED? (7th- 9th)

Younger students (7th - 9th) who are not yet ready for debate can improve their speaking and reasoning skills in the following speech events:

Impromptu Speaking:

In a class, club, or competition students pick a topic and are given two minutes to...

“I’m wondering at what age I should begin teaching speech skills to my children. I have an 10-year old who loves to give presentations to anyone who will listen. Please let me know what you think I should do to help her grow in this area.”

“…I’m a homeschool mom not quite ready to teach speech to my nine-year old. When should I begin?“

The two comments above raise a frequently asked question in regard to teaching speech skills to children. These parents have different ideas of when that should take place…and that’s okay, but…

My reply to those posing this query typically is, “You already are teaching your child speech skills whether you realize it or not.” Let me explain.

The moment your child is born, they begin learning by watching your eyes and expression, and hearing the sounds and inflections made with your voice. You are doing them a favor by speaking clearly and slowly so that they mimic you correctly.

As the cooing and babbling change to real words, you can continue to help your child become a better speaker (formally or informally) in...

Most parents would love for their children to become effective speakers! This would be an important goal when we consider how Scripture calls us to speak out for the cause of Christ. Minnesota Homeschool Speech and Debate (MNHS&D) believes in that goal and desires to be supportive to parents and students alike. Because of the times in which we live, we particularly need to raise up the next generation of young people to stand firmly for the freedoms and issues that we face now and in the years to come! One area of opportunity to hone those skills is in the competitive realm. A specific question we hear frequently is, “How do I prepare my children for competitive speech and debate?” Good question! I’d like to address this issue based on my experience and study.

Who may participate in Competitive Speech?

Home educated students age 12 and up by January 1 of the current school year may participate in qualifying speech competitions.

Where does a family begin?

One of the first areas to consider is the type of speech a child is interested in presenting...

In Minnesota, competitive speech and debate at the local and state levels is made possible by parents from all over the state who volunteer their time during the season serving as teachers, coaches, judges, and tournament coordinators.  These individuals are motivated by the desire to see students grow to be effective communicators in all areas of life, but the ultimate desire is that students grow to be effective communicators for Christ.

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought answer every man.” Colossians 4:6

What do parents, coaches, and speakers say about competitive speech and debate?

“My friends and I laughed when I began competitive speech; I was the one who mumbled, panicked, and lost track during oral reports. God (in His) sovereignty led my mom to sign me up for a Speech Interpretation class.  I would never have believed that I would love it so much! Speech has been invaluable to me, I see how God has used it in my life.  I have...

Just like your banking records, there are certain papers that are useful for you to stash away for the future, whether for a school official, or for your children, or for you to reminisce!

It is helpful to put together a portfolio each year, even if you use a testing option to verify your progress to the school officials. Because I use a homeschool lesson planning/recordkeeping book that is fairly comprehensive, all I need to add to my lesson plan book are some photos and samples of my girls’ work. Your portfolio for the year might include:

• Your school calendar, with field trips, outings, sports events, etc. marked (as well as any attendance records).
• Your typical daily schedule. You might even include your teacher lesson plan book or journal.
• Lists of the materials you used this year. I like to include how much I spent and where I purchased my materials, for future reference.
• Report cards/grades, if issued, and any standardized test scores or evaluation reports.
• List of...

Organization at a Glance

• Pray about what God wants you to work on for your particular family.

• Ask your spouse for guidance as to which areas are important to him.

• Find a balance: “Our house is clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy.”

• Be careful not to be such a perfectionist that people are uncomfortable living in your house.

• Our goal is to glorify God with our lives and, as homemakers, with our homes. We can do that better in an orderly home because we can be more gracious to our children when we aren’t rushed or hunting for the car keys or always behind, and can be hospitable. Our home is more peaceful and calm.

• This is a spiritual work because the end result is to bring peace to our homes and to glorify our Creator.

• Look for ways to bring order to your home, but don't allow...

Homeschooling through the high school years can be a tremendous blessing and an opportunity for you and your children. This workshop will address parents' questions regarding these important years of growth and potential. You can do it!

you will learn how to do the following:

• Keep records, create transcripts and build resumés

• Earn college credits during high school

• Maneuver through the maze of college entrance testing

• Choose a post high school path other than college

• Participate in extra and co-curricular activities

• Manage the difficult subjects (algebra, chemistry, etc.)

upcoming "Finishing the journey (FTJ)" workshops:

Finishing the Journey: Homeschooling Through High School Workshop (in conjunction with the Considering Homeschool Workshop)

Saturday, September 8, 2013...

Make the most of the “togetherness” inherent in homeschooling—with some fun and games designed to build family relationships while reinforcing skills. Games promote family bonding while building math, language, and thinking skills. Game play reinforces both character and curriculum by encouraging children to take turns, follow directions, think strategically, and recall information learned or skills developed.

“There are many kinds of success in life worth having. It is exceedingly interesting and attractive to be a successful business man, or railroad man, or farmer, or a President, or a ranchman, or the colonel of a fighting regiment, or to kill grizzly bears and lions. But for unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly makes all other forms of success and achievement lose their importance by comparison.” —Theodore Roosevelt, Autobiography, 1913

...

With the increasing challenge for students to afford a college degree, families are searching for options.  There are several ways students can earn college credit while in high school, reducing their college costs.  Most of these programs are free to the student.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) allows Minnesota high school juniors and seniors to take courses at a college, on campus or online, at no cost (includes textbooks).  The Advanced Placement® exams (AP) and International Baccalaureate® (IB) are two well-known Credit-by-Exam programs (CBE) that also allow juniors and seniors to earn college credit.  But perhaps you’ve never heard of CLEP® and DSST®, two other credit-by-exam programs.  These exams were developed to enable colleges to award students credit for demonstrating knowledge equivalent to that...

Premise:  If the right curriculum can be found, it will perform the magic – the abracadabra – to transform a student from ignorant to educated all by itself.

As an experienced homeschool mom, speaker and curriculum writer, I’ve noticed that many believe this and seek earnestly for the genie, or the wand, or the catalog.  And, lest you think I’m loftily looking down my nose, let me add that I was one of them.  In the early days of homeschooling, I was convinced that there truly existed a perfect curriculum, and spent years on a quest, like those in search of the Holy Grail, to find it.

Most of us who invested way too much time and money on this zealous mission have found by now that there is no fantastic carpet ride — only increasing disappointment, discouragement, and often the end of homeschooling altogether.  We wonder why all of our attempts end in defeat, in our children showing distaste and disgust at the results of our valiant effort to find the perfect curriculum.  Convinced that it’s the curriculum that accomplishes the difficult feat of teaching, we continue to crawl toward the...