High School Graduating Ages...when is "older" too
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 4:23 am
We are new to the forum and to homeschooling as well. Briefly - what started out in Feb 2014 as 18 months of traveling to explore parts of Europe looks like it will be extended to 2 1/2 years of travel as we've actually gotten out on the road.
Our four American kids (age range of 8-14) are now being homeschooled by their two tired parents in between visits to museums, galleries, historical sights, castles, cities, towns and all the myriad of things there are to see across Europe. In additional to their English curriculum, the kids have grown up overseas and bilingual so they have homework and studies in two languages, which adds a lot to the load. Important to note as well, they won't be returning to US schools but will be studying overseas in Asia upon our return, where all these home school rules don't really seem to apply nearly as much.
Originally when doing just a year and a half off, we'd planned to just have the kids stay back one grade when we returned. We figured we could homeschooling the second semester they all missed when we pulled out of school in January and then just hold them back one year. This way, they graduate high school at about 19, instead of 18.
Now that we are extending to 2 1/2 years, we think we really have to get serious and do 1 1/2 years of homeschool work over the 2 1/2 years of our travels. Otherwise, the kids will all be 2 years behind, and graduate high school closer to 20, which seems really old. So we've plunged into finding iPad and Kindle books and lots of supplemental reading and study materials (Brainpop, Khan Academy, etc) to supplement their education.
My question: What experience do parents have with their kids finishing high school one or two years older than other kids, due to something like this? We feel like we can, in two and a half years, keep them up so they are only one year behind when we come back, meaning graduating at 19. Our worry though, is what if for some reason schools require them to repeat all the grades they missed. I'd love some other opinions:).
Any thoughts?
I didn't want to get into curriculum as well yet, but have lots of questions there I'll post separately.
Thanks
Our four American kids (age range of 8-14) are now being homeschooled by their two tired parents in between visits to museums, galleries, historical sights, castles, cities, towns and all the myriad of things there are to see across Europe. In additional to their English curriculum, the kids have grown up overseas and bilingual so they have homework and studies in two languages, which adds a lot to the load. Important to note as well, they won't be returning to US schools but will be studying overseas in Asia upon our return, where all these home school rules don't really seem to apply nearly as much.
Originally when doing just a year and a half off, we'd planned to just have the kids stay back one grade when we returned. We figured we could homeschooling the second semester they all missed when we pulled out of school in January and then just hold them back one year. This way, they graduate high school at about 19, instead of 18.
Now that we are extending to 2 1/2 years, we think we really have to get serious and do 1 1/2 years of homeschool work over the 2 1/2 years of our travels. Otherwise, the kids will all be 2 years behind, and graduate high school closer to 20, which seems really old. So we've plunged into finding iPad and Kindle books and lots of supplemental reading and study materials (Brainpop, Khan Academy, etc) to supplement their education.
My question: What experience do parents have with their kids finishing high school one or two years older than other kids, due to something like this? We feel like we can, in two and a half years, keep them up so they are only one year behind when we come back, meaning graduating at 19. Our worry though, is what if for some reason schools require them to repeat all the grades they missed. I'd love some other opinions:).
Any thoughts?
I didn't want to get into curriculum as well yet, but have lots of questions there I'll post separately.
Thanks