Now in her second week of public charter high school, Allegra is enjoying the experience of learning amongst her peers. The first week was an adjustment, making the transition from the quiet isolation of homeschooling to the raucous atmosphere created by 200 teenagers. But now she loves it, and I don’t think she would opt for homeschooling over attending public high school.
At times during homeschooling, we worried if she were keeping up academically with her peers. We’ve since learned that homeschooling didn’t hold her back. She tested into the top classes offered by the high school she is attending, and she is feeling comfortable in those classes.
One of the most valuable things Allegra learned during homeschooling was study skills: listening, note-taking, outlining, organizing. These skills are serving her well in high school. She has observed that very few students in her classes take notes. I’m guessing these students haven’t learned the importance of study skills--but they're about to. For example, in Latin, half the class failed the first exam, while Allegra aced it. I asked her why she thought this happened. She replied, “I guess they didn’t study.”
