We have two teenage boys in our house and you know what that means. Driving a car is just around the corner. We found two driver’s education resources that will help us prepare our teens for the privilege of driving. I hope if you have an up and coming teenage driver that you will check these programs out.
Driver’s Education and Auto Shop
Both driver’s education and auto shop are important courses that can be included as high school electives in your homeschool. These are two programs we have used and loved in our homeschool.
Driver’s Education
DriversEd.com is the leading provider of online driver’s education. They offer resources for teens and adults to help with obtaining a permit, both online and in car driving instruction and more.
We were so happy to have found DriversEd.com online driver’s education class and my son highly recommends it for teens in any state to prepare for their learner’s permit.
Here are some of his thoughts:
I was able to make good use of my time and go at my own pace. There were animated sections, videos, and lots of places to get involved with the lessons. I was glad I was not just sitting and reading from the screen. I think this course prepared me for the written test at the DMV. I would definitely recommend this program.
As parents, we wanted him to have a thorough knowledge of the rules of the road before we went in to take the written test for his driver’s permit. I watched over his shoulder quite a bit as he worked through this program and I was very happy with the quality of the lessons.
- Plenty of opportunities to take practice tests to build knowledge and confidence.
- Accountability built into the system so parents can be as hands-on or hands-off as they want.
- The added benefit of taking an online course for Driver’s Education is that you can complete the program at times that work for your schedule.
- Far cheaper than the classroom version offered in our local area.
There are courses for each state so you will need to pop over to their website for a complete listing of each state’s requirements and for prices.
Auto Shop
My husband and I have had the goal of offering our sons an auto shop type class once they hit their teen years. I stumbled upon Auto Upkeep doing an internet search and then read the review on Rainbow Resource. I was convinced to give it a try.
We are in the third chapter of the book and both my son and I are finding it to be an excellent program.
- A great mix of reading, researching, and lab activities.
- Each chapter has lab activities to perform with a car in real life.
- Prepares students to complete light maintenance for an automobile
- Also includes chapters on buying cars, safety, and emergency information.
He will be learning how to change a tire, change the oil, check the spark plugs, and many more things that every person should know who owns a car. I highly recommend this program!
What’s Inside the Homeschool Kit?
The Homeschool Kit includes:
- Auto Upkeep Textbook
- Workbook
- Homeschool Resource USB Flash Drive – contains supplemental materials relating to the textbook and workbook. It includes a Course Syllabus Outline, PowerPoint Presentations, Lab Activities, Study Questions, Chapter Tests, Exams & Final, and Answer Keys.
Where to Buy:
Auto Upkeep website – Purchase directly from their website for book, ebook, and virtual options
Amazon – You have the option to rent or by the homeschool curriculum kit
Other High School Ideas
- CTCMath Homeschool Math Review
- Choosing High School Curriculum
- Homeschooling High School with eCourses
- Foreign Language Curriculum Reviews
- One Year Adventure Novel
- Earn College Credit with CLEP Test Prep
** Originally published September 2009 by Barb at Harmony Fine Arts.
Barb McCoy- Harmony Art Mom writes about homeschooling their teens on her blog Harmony Art Mom. and taking family outdoor adventures on her other blog, Handbook of Nature Study. She is the author and host for the Outdoor Hour Challenge and a series of ebooks helping families get started with simple nature study. Barb also founded Harmony Fine Arts which helps homeschoolers with their art and music appreciation.
I am a driving instructor, and although there are currently 2 questions at the start of a test about the car (for ex. how to de-mist windows), I think eventually other things will be (and should be) introduced, such as how to change a tyre.
.-= Driving Lessons Bournemouth´s last blog ..Observer on test =-.
As a driving instructor it is very encouraging to see parent’s taking such a strong interest in their child learning to drive, I also agree that a good knowledge of auto upkeep is just as essential as driving skills to keeping them safe on the road and I’ll take a look at the workbook to recommend it to my pupils.
We, too, are using Auto Upkeep as a high school elective. My son is thoroughly enjoying it and we’ve enjoyed the benefits of having him learn about and check the various systems in the car. He also views the “Eric the Car Guy” videos on YouTube as he’s completing each chapter; it gives him more in depth explanations and visuals to help him understand the concepts. In the Auto Upkeep chapter test answers, however, I was surprised to read the answer to Chapter 18, question #14. “The fossil fuels (non-renewable) that we use today formed over hundreds of millions of years. ” I beg to differ. Otherwise, I agree it’s a great intro to auto maintenance course.