Freshman Year for Free with Modern States (CLEP tests)

At the end of our homeschooling journey, I had the padawans take several CLEP tests to save time and money.
We didn't know which college they'd attend so we focused on general education exams that most schools accept. (We did confirm that their likely choices would take these.)

Tenor took the US History I, English Literature, and US History II CLEP tests.
Soprano tackled US History I, English Lit, and American Government.

I recently decided to move forward with finishing my degree, and I have just taken the American Government CLEP test.

What I didn't know until Soprano's last test was that we could have done them all for free. Cue the sad trombone: wah-wah.
Since I learned about Modern States' "Freshman Year for Free," I was able to take my first CLEP at no cost.
 

Here's how it works:

1. Go to Modern States and create an account.

2. Go to College Board and create an account.

3. On the College Board CLEP info page, you can search for your chosen school to see which CLEP tests they accept and what the minimum passing scores are. When you find your school, you can click on the "Find a nearby test center" button to make note of where you can take the test.

Note: Here's a list of exams ranked from easiest to hardest.

4. Pick your course of study at Modern States. I read somewhere that spending an hour a day for about 6 weeks should be enough time to finish the course.

Note: Here's an archived website with lots of extra practice exams. Scroll to the bottom of the page to access all of the listed resources.

5. When you're done with the course (all the reading, all the homework), you can submit a screenshot of your progress to Modern States to get a voucher for the CLEP test fee. (The progress bar must show 100% completion.)

6. Then, register for your exam at a nearby testing center. Here's where you can select your college of choice. Modern States will send your score directly to them. Don't forget to enter your voucher code to skip the $89 test cost!

7. Schedule your test with the testing center, pay their proctoring fee (my center charges $30), and take the test. If you pass, you've just earned 3 college credits—woo-hoo!

8. If your score is high enough, you can also get a testing center fee reimbursement from Modern States. You'll need a receipt from the testing center and a copy of your test score. Take pics of both and upload.

And that's it—a super easy process to earn college credit at no cost.
I've got 1 more to go!

My Top 7: Favorite Helpful Homeschooling Books

I've been sitting on a draft of this post for ages now, for absolutely no good reason. :) With the world functioning the way it is right now, homeschooling has come up more and more as an educational option. It's doable, folks... all the way through high school. And the benefits are amazing and eternal! (Doesn't mean it's all sunshine and roses everyday. We don't wear coordinating outfits made out of draperies and skip through the hills singing. lol)
But homeschooling and getting started in homeschooling can be intimidating, so here's a list of my favorite resource books!
(No affiliate links are used.)

 1. The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson

     A very thorough look at what Bible-based homeschooling should look like and helpful instruction and rationale about why a Classical approach doesn't line up with biblical principles.

2. Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie

    If you're Type A with OCD and perfectionistic, have-to-cross-out-everything-on-the-list tendencies like me, this book will help you chill.

3. The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell

    The name says it all

4. The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

    A great help in understanding learning modalities (how people learn) and finding out how your kids will learn best

5. Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

    Lists of good, appropriate literature by age/grade

6. Any books by Lee Binz

     Her Coffee Break books series is fantastic. Short, quick, easy-to-digest, informative books on a variety of homeschooling topics. She helps to break down homeschooling high school with very helpful advice.

7. Blueprint Homeschooling by Amy Knepper 

    A helpful resource to plan out what you want to do.

Honorable Mentions:
Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant-Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring

    This has book recommendations, examples of how they chose to homeschool, and how to make homeschooling fit your life and your kids so it doesn't become drudgery.

Worth Looking At:
Approaches to Christian Homeschooling by Kerry Beck

    A good overview for beginners of various teaching styles and methods

For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick

    I like Heart of Wisdom better but this one has good points.

 
Recommended by others but I haven't read yet:
Homeschooling for Excellence by David and Micki Colfax
You CAN Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick

100% Skippable (save your cash and time):
101Ways to De-Stressify Your Homeschool by Aimee Colbert
Approaches to Christian Homeschooling by Kerry Beck
Homeschooling High School: Planning Ahead for College Admission by Jeanne Gowen Dennis

Interior Design Homeschool Elective for High School

I've been meaning to get this on the blog for ages. Soprano was/is interested in interior design and decorating so I thought she'd enjoy an interest-led elective exploring it. I couldn't really find anything for high schoolers that would be enough for a 1/2 credit, so I made my own course, pulling together all sorts of resources.
Then she loved it so much in 9th grade that she wanted to continue with it in 10th grade. Begin the search for materials again... :)
Since HGTV and the DIY Network are so popular, I'm guessing there are other students out there that might be interested in an elective course too. Here it is for you!
Part 1 is a half-credit course, while part 2 has enough work to be a full credit. You could add a lot of hands-on project hours and have 2 full credits. Enjoy!

Part 1 Materials:
PDF of schedule

"My Beautiful Room" not pictured

Intro to Interior Design
Course Description:

In this course, the student will utilize various resources to explore the world of interior design and decorating. Topics will include: housing and human needs, interior design careers, housing styles and choices, floor planning, elements of design (line, shape, color, emphasis, balance, proportion, texture), furniture, backgrounds and accessories, lighting, budgeting for design, and building components and materials, etc. The student will also put into practice what they will learn about design and technical drawing and creating briefs, client profiles, and design proposals with various projects. Hands-on application will be emphasized with a completed portfolio due at the end of the course. The final capstone project will be presented orally and include a design brief, client profile, design proposal with sample board, floor plan, and budget.

Materials used:

Interior Design: Designing Space You Can Live With by Learning Zone Xpress

Interior Design Course by Tomris Tangaz

My Beautiful Room by Jasmine Orchard and Olivia Whitworth

Elements of Interior Design Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child
Doodle Design & Draw: Dream Rooms by Ellen Christiansen Kraft

Fashion Angels Portfolio: Interior Design Sketch Set by Fashion Angels

Grading Assessment:

Daily Work - 10%	Discussion/Worksheets - 15%	Projects, Lapbook, Portfolio - 35%	Quizzes – 10%
		Capstone Project - 30%	Credits – .5

Part 1 main spines

Part 1 hands-on activity extras

Work Samples:

Examples of design terms

Color wheel and color theory

Creating various types of color schemes

Hands of a Child final lapbook

At the end of the year (and part 1), Soprano presented a complete room design for her capstone project. Counted that towards Speech too. :)


Part 2 Materials:
PDF of schedule

Applications of Interior Design 
Course Description:

In this course, the student will use various resources to explore the world of interior design and decorating. Topics will include: the history of furniture styles, color and design principles, measuring/drawing floor plans, space planning, architectural details, flooring, lighting, window treatments, 2-D and 3-D objects, kitchens and baths, and interior design as a business. They will put into practice what they learn by completing full designs for 2 living rooms, a dining room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom. For those rooms, they will create floor and space plans, lighting and furniture schedules, sample boards, and budgets. They will complete various other projects like creating a watercolor color wheel, creating a business name and business card, using architectural detail cut-outs to create interiors that match exteriors worksheets, creating furniture style notecards, creating an architectural detail glossary, sewing a pillow, and writing responses to prompts. The student will also keep a log of projects they work on around the house. The design projects will be presented orally.

Materials used:

Decorating Hints & Tips by Julian Cassell and Peter Parham
Decorating with Architectural Details by Philip Schmidt
Interior Decorating 101: Volume I by Shirley Lise
Interior Decorating 101: Volume II by Shirley Lise
“Family and Consumer Science Unit 6” by Alpha Omega Publications
Architecture Paper: Home Sweet Home by Roylco.com
Stanley Project Planners: Landscape Designer (optional)

Grading Assessment:

Daily Work - 15%	Projects/Activity Log - 35%	Room Designs Project - 35%	Credits – 1
Quizzes – 5%	Tests – 10%

 

Part 2 main spines

A fun, optional extra I found at a thrift store

Work Samples:

Furniture styles and eras | Pictorial glossary of architectural details

Room design project for the Alpha Omega Lifepac

Creating interiors to coordinate with the exterior architecture paper from Roylco.com

2 of 6 final room designs for the end-of-year presentation

We also kept a log of hours for any home decorating or DIY that Soprano tackled or helped us with. We're in the middle of some remodeling so she was able to get quite a few hours. It's another good way to have some practical hands-on work.

Happy designing!