Free! Online Classes: Catholic Homeschooling

"What can I do to help my child learn faster, really understand schoolwork, and know how to study better?" As homeschooling parents, we ask ourselves this question all the time.

True, there are many ways to help -- but one thing is for sure: Developing skills and implementing good habits is critical to ensure our children's success. With excellent study, note taking, and test taking skills, our teens can have a successful high school career that  prepares them for life far beyond the teen years.

If our teens can learn how to get homework completed well, remember and apply the information, and ace all their tests, then learning will be easier and more enjoyable.

Here at Homeschool Connections, we want to help your teen accomplish just that.

How to Be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and How to Get an A is a short-but-powerful course designed for your 7th to 10th grade student by Professor Erin Brown Conroy (author of Simplified Writing 101 and Master Teacher of over 30 years) and presented through Homeschool Connections.

And this course is now totally and completely FREE. 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

To register, click here: Homeschool Connections 2015/2016 Registration Page.
Then choose the semester and click on "Search".

We are offering How to Be an Excellent Student free over the next three semesters. Here are the dates:

Summer 2015 Semester (daily):
M, T, W, Th May 4 to 7 at 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific) The May course is full and closed for registration.
M, T, W, Th, June 29 to July 2 at 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific) The June course is full and closed for registration.

Fall 2015 Semester (weekly):
Fridays, September 25 to October 16, 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Fridays, November 6 to December 4 (No class Nov. 27), 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)

Spring 2016 Semester (weekly):
Tuesdays, January 5 to 26, 3:00 PM Eastern (2:00 Central; 1:00 Mountain; Noon Pacific)

The course details are as follows:

How to be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and How to Get an A

Total classes: 4
Duration: 50 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 7th to 10th grade
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, MFA
Course description: This course is designed to help your student become strong, confident, and able to study for any high school level course with success.
Course outline:
Class 1: Active listening and how to take notes effectively
Class 2: Active reading and how to study effectively
Class 3: Critical reading skills for comprehension
Class 4: Test-taking in a timed setting
Course materials: All materials provided free from the instructor.
Homework: This is a lecture course with approximately 2 hours work per class (reading and automated quizzes).

Please note: Registration is limited. We suggest registering early to ensure a seat. If your circumstances change and you will not participate in the course, please email us to cancel immediately. This way someone who is on the waiting list will be able to step into the course. Please treat this free course just as you would treat a paid course. Students and parents should be actively engaged in the classes. 

Homeschool Connections email: homeschoolconnections@gmail.com

Summer School: Latin

Latin does NOT need to be drudgery. It can be fun and interesting. There are so many great benefits to learning Latin, from higher ACT scores to understanding the language of antiquity and so much more. Why not make it fun to learn?!

Well, we're here to help in that area.

This June we'll be translating Winnie Ille Pu (that's Winnie the Pooh for you non-Latinistas) and we hope you'll join us ...

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

To register, click here: Homeschool Connections 2015/2016 Registration Page.

(Choose "2015 Summer" semester.)

Here are course details for you:

Winnie the Pooh in Latin 
Class dates : Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, June 2nd - June 18th (June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18)
Total classes : 9
Starting time: 7:30 PM Eastern (6:30 Central; 5:30 Mountain; 4:30 Pacific)
Duration: 45 minutes
Prerequisite: Latin 2 (both parts 1 and 2) or equivalent.
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1/2 semester Latin
Fee: $100 for all 9 classes
Instructor:  Emily Henry
Course description: Students who have taken Latin 2 (or higher) with Mrs. Henry will enjoy a laid back summer course of translating portions of Winnie the Pooh from Latin into English. The course will help students sharpen their grammar and translation skills without the pressure of a regular class or grades. This engaging and fun course will allow students to see Latin in a different light.
Course outline:  Translating a designated number of lines in preparation for class.
Course materials: Winnie Ille Pu (Latin Edition) (Click on title for ordering information: affiliate link)
Homework: Students should plan to spend up to an hour on their homework in preparation for each class.

Online Classical Education Courses

The Trivium is a time-proven method for educating children. It is a model that recognizes God's design and how He created children to learn. For this reason, Homeschool Connections has created engaging, online classes that are classical in nature and also raise students' hearts to God.

We currently offer middle school (logic stage) and high school (rhetoric stage) courses. Grammar school courses are in the planning process. 

We work very hard to keep our courses affordable for Catholic homeschool families. The typical live, interactive online course is $550 to $1,300 per year. Homeschool Connections live, interactive courses average $360 per year. The typical recorded, independent-learning course is $400 per course per year per student. Homeschool Connections' recorded, independent-learning courses are only $330 for 150 courses for the immediate family. (Yes, 150 courses for your entire family!)

Just a few of our classical offerings:

Biblical Greek

Latin

Philosophy

Formal Logic

Shakespeare

Myths and Drama

Greek Literature

Ancient History

and so much more.

Our instructors include: 

Professor Joseph Pearce, Catholic speaker and author of many books on Shakespeare and Tolkien.

Dr. Henry Russell, Creator of the Shakespeare Audio Series from Kolbe Academy

Dr. Jean Rioux, Chair of Philosophy at Benedictine College 

Dr. Robert Gotcher, Contributing author to Why Should I Learn This: "Why Should I Learn Using the Trivium" and "Why Should I Learn Formal Logic".

Please don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with your questions and suggestions. Or, leave a comment for us below.

How to Rock High School: Free Study Skills Classes

What is the number one way to rock your high school career? Great study skills! If you can learn how to get homework done in a breeze and ace all your tests, then you have it made.

You can do that. With good study, note taking, and test taking skills your high school years will be much easier and more fulfilling. Plus, a successful high school career will prepare you for life far beyond your teen years.

Here at Homeschool Connections, we want to help you accomplish all you can accomplish in high school. We want to help you develop good skills and implement good habits that will ensure your success.

Along with Professor Erin Brown Conroy (author of Simplified Writing 101), we created an online course just for you: How to Be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and How to Get an A.

Now, here's the crazy part ... it's totally and completely FREE.

This course is designed for 7th to 10th grade students. So if you're looking forward to high school in a year or two and want to be prepared, or if you're already in high school looking to improve, we have you covered.

Now for all the course details ...

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

To register, click here: Homeschool Connections 2015/2016 Registration Page.
Then choose the semester and "search".

We are offering How to Be an Excellent Student FREE over the next three semesters. Here are the dates:

Summer 2015 Semester (daily):
M, T, W, Th May 4 to 7 at 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
M, T, W, Th, June 29 to July 2 at 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Summer semester Excellent Student courses are full and closed.

Fall 2015 Semester (weekly):
Fridays, September 25 to October 16, 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Fridays, November 6 to December 4 (No class Nov. 27), 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)

Spring 2016 Semester (weekly):
Tuesdays, January 5 to 26, 3:00 PM Eastern (2:00 Central; 1:00 Mountain; Noon Pacific)

The course details are as follows:

How to be an Excellent Student: Note Taking, Test Taking, and How to Get an A

Total classes: 4
Duration: 50 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 7th to 10th grade
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Erin Brown Conroy, MA, MFA
Course description: This course is designed to help your student become strong, confident, and able to study for any high school level course with success.
Course outline:
Class 1: Active listening and how to take notes effectively
Class 2: Active reading and how to study effectively
Class 3: Critical reading skills for comprehension
Class 4: Test-taking in a timed setting
Course materials: All materials provided free from the instructor.
Homework: This is a lecture course with approximately 2 hours work per class (reading and automated quizzes).

Please note: Registration is limited. We suggest registering early to ensure a seat. If your circumstances change and you will not participate in the course, please email us to cancel immediately. This way someone who is on the waiting list will be able to step into the course. Please treat this free course just as you would treat a paid course. Students and parents should be actively engaged in the classes.

Homeschool Connections email: homeschoolconnections@gmail.com