Students have several options for studying AP subjects at home.
For bright students, home schooling can be an interesting opportunity to pursue studies beyond the level of average high school classes. However, as a child progresses, she may go beyond her parents' knowledge base and wish to expand into other subject areas in greater depth. In addition, honors Advanced Placement (or AP) courses often help boost a student's chances at being accepted into more competitive colleges. To give your home-schooled child the best chance at succeeding, consider several options for honors AP courses.
Parent Teaching
Depending on your own knowledge areas and education level, you may be able to guide your child through an Honors AP course on your own. Many books are available, both online and in bookstores, with teacher and student editions. If you have the time to spend preparing the materials, guiding your child through an Honors AP course, or several of them, can be a rewarding experience.
Self-Teaching
If teaching your child about the AP subjects she wishes to learn is beyond your capabilities or time availabilities, consider giving your child the teacher and student editions of the books, or simply purchasing a preparatory guide for the subject, covering the most important points tested on the AP exam. You can evaluate your child's learning through the book's tests or through practice exams, which you can purchase online and proctor for your child. It can be difficult for a teenager to motivate herself, so some supervision will be necessary.
Online Teaching
Several institutions offer the opportunity to take AP courses over the Internet, letting your child learn in a virtual classroom with other gifted students. These courses usually involve a great deal of homework and self-study, while supplementing this with video or telephone conferencing as well as lectures. Programs include APEX and Stanford University's Educational Program for Gifted Youth, among others. Though the costs can be high, these programs provide children with many tools to succeed both in their AP classes and eventually in the exams.
College Courses
If none of the above options work for you, you might consider looking at local colleges' introductory classes and seeing if your student can enroll through a university-run high school program. AP courses are designed to mimic the first year of college introductory classes in many subjects, and thus cover similar material. If your child wishes to take the AP exam, however, it is best for him to also purchase a guide to the exam itself, as the material may be slightly different or in a different format from what he is used to.
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