I blinked, and my daughters grew from tiny newborns, into young ladies, seemingly overnight. Those older folks who used to stop me in the grocery store were right when they would remark, "Enjoy these days, they pass by so quickly...". I would politely smile and agree, but I didn't realize how spot on those words were. Where did the time go? The topics of conversation no longer center on favorite preschool shows, or when we can go to the park. Nope, now it's all about favorite bands, school assignments, and... what do you want to do with your life when you graduate high school? Wow. High school brings new challenges to both parents and students, and for homeschooling parents, we're thinking, what do I do about a transcript? My oldest started her freshman year this past September, and that was on my mind. How do I put it all together? This review of Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide To High School Paperwork from Everyday Education was a timely arrival, and I'm happy to share it with you.
This is a fourth edition of the resource, and has not been relegated to homeschoolers, as even some private schools have put it to use. As I made a cursory look through the nearly 140 pages included in this e-book, I was quickly impressed, and truth be told, relieved. Everything that you need to know is included, and I could see that yes, I would be able to begin the daunting task of the high school transcript.
The book is divided into 6 parts:
Part 1- Meet the Transcript - This will introduce you to everything you ever wanted and needed to know about this piece of paper. You'll find out, what it includes, who will see it, and how to begin putting it together.
Part 2 - Plan With the End in Mind - You'll have help deciding what courses should be studied, skills and habits to develop at this stage, standardized tests, college alternatives, and several more valuable strategies.
Part 3 - Keep Simple Records - This section provides all of the information necessary to keep track of your student's classes and schedules. There is also information to help with special needs students.
Part 4 - Grades, Credit, and the GPA - The title says it all, everything you need to determine grades, and assign credits.
Part 5 - Create the Transcript - Once again, it's all in the title. This is where you'll find the how to's to create your transcript.
Part 6 - References, Resources, and Reproducibles - There is a glossary here, many, many, suggested resources that include books, tests and test prep, reproducible forms, and blank transcript forms.
When I learned that I would be reviewing this resource, my initial thoughts were, that sounds alright, and I was mildly interested. When I actually received the e-book, and begin looking through it, my enthusiasm rose dramatically. Everything that I need is right here, and walks me through the process. I wouldn't say that I was worried about putting a transcript together necessarily, but it definitely has been on my mind as we have entered the high school years, and now having this, I'm feeling confident that we can get this done well.
I printed the entire book out, and put it in a binder, and it is now a faithful planning companion, lol. Until I saw the 138 pages printed out in their entirety, I didn't completely appreciate how much is in this bad boy. I started out by flipping to sections that popped out at me at first, but now I am going over it more slowly, and enjoying the wealth of tips. I was happy to see that I'm on the right track in my course planning, but there are some great tips that I'm now using to include in our paperwork. For example:
- Dual college credit
- Volunteer opportunities
- Start a Microbusiness
- Develop special interests
- Learn Through Travel
I've always loved homeschooling for its flexibility, and now that we are in these teen years, I'm seeing more and more how many opportunities we have. If I sound cheesy in my excitement for this resource, well, sorry, not sorry! I'm really pumped about Transcripts Made Easy , and I love showing it to my homeschool friends. It is my companion when we go to extracurricular activities, and I have time to chat with other moms. Even if you're students are still in the elementary grades, it's not too early to begin planning. This e-book will take the stress out of the process, and help you develop a great transcript. Don't wait, get your copy.
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