For the 10 years the HomeLink Program has worked with homeschooling families, we have heard common questions from many. Each of the questions below has a brief reply. We also welcome your inquiries.
The HomeLink Program’s purpose is to assist families with homeschooling and to provide support, encouragement, accountability, and training that will enhance the parent’s role as parent-teacher. HomeLink’s mission is to provide the place, resources, and advisors that parents can depend on. HomeLink provides classes, projects, and direction for advancing the work of home education.
The HomeLink Program is not a school. We are not registered as a school, we do not create and keep academic records of students who use our services, and we do not issue credits for work done in our program (however, we have an agreement with a fully accredited private school that will allow HomeLink students to earn high school credit). HomeLink is a support service for homeschooling families.
No. The HomeLink Program is a private support service for homeschoolers. It is not part of any school district and receives no public funding.
Parents who want our services pay for them on "pay-as-you-go" basis.
The Program links academics to the students at home. It operates as a "college model" -- students to come to a class for one period per week, then study for that class at home, then return the following week to review their work and move to the next lesson in the class. This model is similar to what college students would experience. Each class period is scheduled for 1 hour.
The target population for actual classes with HomeLink are grades 6 - 12. Other services are available for younger students, such as portfolio reviews, academic advising on a weekly basis, academic advising on an “as needed” basis, curriculum design, standardized testing, and more. You are welcome to write or call the HomeLink Program to discuss your need. There is no charge for a conversation about your student.
The HomeLink Program has an open admission policy. But HomeLink administration reserves the right to exclude students who we believe would not benefit from the program. This rarely happens, but it sometimes becomes apparent that the HomeLink Program is not working for some.
Each local program is different and can change from year-to-year. Generally, the HomeLink Program tries to target core subjects such as Math, English, Science, and Social Studies. But, there are also exciting electives presented in some locations; these include landscaping and horticulture, forensics and problem-solving (Crime Scene Investigation), equestrian skills, drama, speech, art, creative writing, and many more. Ask the local HomeLink director for a list of the ³Elective² courses offered in that location.
The only real limit is the schedule. Since we try to offer all of the courses on the same day (for parent's convenience), a student chooses only the courses that can consecutively fit into his or her schedule.
All of our "teachers" are really Advisors. Some are certified teachers, some are experts in their fields, and some are simply passionate about the courses they lead. All are chosen for their ability to communicate the subject matter in an understandable way. The parent, ultimately, is still the teacher of the course -- while the HomeLink Advisor leads the student in his lessons, projects, and assignments, the parent oversees and leads the student on the other days of the week.
Generally, the HomeLink Advisor is responsible for choosing the actual classroom materials to be used. Parents may still select their own curriculum for what is done outside the classroom work, but the classes are generally focused on specific materials chosen by the HomeLink Program and the Advisor.
HomeLink Advisors have arranged a full academic year’s worth of assignments for each course. This weekly assignment sheet is available to only students registered in the program, and they are available only on a a week-to-week basis. (While these weekly assignment sheets make wonderful course outlines for all homeschoolers, only those who are actually registered with the HomeLink Program have access to them.)
Also, weekly assignments can be given by phone to the parent, and, in some cases, sent electronically to the parents or student. Parents are still in charge of these assignments and have the freedom to either enrich or shorten these assignments as the situation warrants. In some cases, the parent and the Advisor can decide on appropriate accommodations for each student’s learning needs.
There are occasional classes and assignments that are corrected by the parent before a student returns to the next week's class. And, from time to time, students will be asked to exchange their work in class for peer review, collaboration, or simple corrections from an answer sheet. These methods allow the class time and Advisor time to be used most effectively. Other times, the student submits the work to his or her Advisor and the Advisor corrects each student¹s work outside of class time.
Yes, we do offer grades and scores for student work. At the end of each quarter, a Grade Report is given to each HomeLink family. The Quarterly Grade Report lists the courses and the grade achieved by the student.
The HomeLink Program has a cooperative agreement with the North Atlantic Regional High School to award high school credit for courses taken, as long as the courses are high school level and the student received a satisfactory grade. For more information about the NARHS program, please see www.narhs.org Or, contact the local HomeLink director.
As mentioned in question above, HomeLink works with families who are homeschooling. In addition to actual classes on location, the HomeLink Program services can include curriculum design, placement testing, achievement testing, college and career planning, parent classes in organizational skills, and much more. From time to time we can assist HomeLink students arrange apprenticeships, job-shadowing opportunities, work-study programs, and community service assignments. Also, we have a special program we call Independent Study.
Independent Study allows each student to receive one-on-one work with an Advisor. The student meets with an advisor for one hour each week. They arrange a consistent appointment time to receive lessons, check homework, record grades, and determine assignments for the following week. Weekly grades are kept and a quarterly grade report is issued. Course work can range from Advanced Placement to standard core subjects. Whatever the subject of the independent study is, it will be designed specifically for this student's learning style, pace, and academic ability.
Independent study can be arranged for one course, or, to cover the assignments is multiple courses. There are time constraints with available advisors, but adjustments can be made if more than one hour is needed each week.
Regular courses cost $36 per month, payable at the beginning of each month. If a student takes 2 different courses, then the cost is $72 per month. There is no automatic discount for for taking multiple courses.
ALSO: Some courses require more class time, so there are 1-1/2 hour courses for which the cost is $56 per month.
NOTE: Independent Study is priced differently, so please contact the HomeLink director for details.
Generally, all classes are held on the same day of the week. This all-classes-on- the-same-day-schedule allows homeschooling parents to travel to the HomeLink site just once every week. After years of working with homeschooling families, this arrangement has been their desired option. In some locations, and for some special events, other days of the week may be used.
For the most part, yes. We try to have the same weeks off as the public school system in the local area. Each class period is scheduled for 1 hour per week. Each quarter marking period lasts 8 weeks and begins shortly after the local school year begins for the public school.
Each Advisor has prepared (in advance) all of the weekly assignment sheets for each course. Students who miss a class are encouraged to work on the lessons they missed by following the Advisor¹s assignment sheet. Assignment sheets are available from the HomeLink Program office or from the HomeLink director. We can sometimes forward these electronically if that is more convenient.
HomeLink is an academic program that uses a broad spectrum of materials -- selected materials contain high moral values and some have Christian content. HomeLink selects materials that strengthen Christian values and behavior, but this does not limit our HomeLink services to just Christians. All students are invited, and over the years, very few families have objected to the materials used in the HomeLink Program. If you have concerns or questions about specific materials or courses, you are invited to call the director of the local program.
Many churches support the concept of homeschooling. Many churches have well-equipped educational classrooms that are not used during the week. They also have parking lots and a relatively safe facility for classes. The HomeLink Program has developed beneficial relationships with churches to allow classes to be held at their facilities when the Homelink schedule does not conflict with the church¹s schedule. We appreciate their service to homeschooling families.
Yes.
Independent Study classes are designed to work at any speed needed for the student. If the student participates in a class, then they are expected to keep pace with the class.
Yes, there is flexibility. Students may work at one level in math and science, but they may choose to work at a different level in history and language arts. For example, the same student might work in Math and Science on the 8th grade level and then work in the 9th grade level History and English. These arrangements are made in consultation between the parent, the student, and the HomeLink director.
It is best for LD students to use the Independent Study option and electives. The electives can be an enriching experience for group learning, for productive socialization, and for LD students to catch the excitement of a new learning experience (or visa versa).
Generally, no. The HomeLink Program does not do the homeschooling in place of the parent and HomeLink does not take the place of a traditional school.
On the West Coast please call Yakima, WA at 509-248-6388 pacific time.
On the East Coast please call West Palm Beach, FL at 561-533-6008 eastern time.
You are invited to email your questions or ideas to info@homelinkprogram.org