Written by a Certified Financial Planner® Professional who is a product of homeschooling and a homeschool dad, Personal Finance for Homeschoolers focuses on case studies to apply the lesson material. The virtual course is divided into two sections – Personal and Business – and is designed for high school age students.
The personal finance lessons are geared toward everyday household finance. Lesson material draws on our client experiences. The business lessons are especially geared toward helping the student think about self-employment and how to operate a small business.
Each lesson opens with a pre-test. Pre-tests are non-graded assignments to gauge the student’s knowledge of the lesson topic. While pre-tests are not graded, they are still an important part of learning and applying the material. Grading is divided into four parts. One-fourth of the grade is based on projects and case study quizzes at the end of each lesson. The other three parts are divided equally among the following:
- Opening a bank account, either checking or saving. Of course, there is also a lesson which explains how to manage a bank account.
- Preparing a basic financial plan. The case study presents the student with an individual in financial trouble with few goals. The student’s task is to address a broken budget and help to develop goals.
- Preparing a business plan. At the end of the business lessons, a sample business plan is provided. The specific field of business is for the student to choose, and instructions are provided to help the student research the chosen field. The student is then to use the research and instructions to prepare a basic business plan.
Several lessons and assignments present the student with faith-based, Christian principles as they apply to the topic of money.
Although the course is fully online, a Teacher’s Guide is provided, so that the parent, guardian, or teacher can follow along with the student. Included in the Teacher’s Guide is additional material to develop a grading rubric for the financial plan and business plan.
Quizzes are auto-graded, and the student will be provided with explanations for why answers are correct and incorrect. The same material is provided in the Teacher’s Guide.
We hope you will have fun with the course!