True story, y’all.<\/p>\n
Now, that I’ve graduated two homeschoolers, I feel that way about homeschooling high school, too. It terrified me. I just knew I’d screw something up beyond repair. But, you know what? Homeschooling high school wasn’t that bad.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nYes, you may need to step up your record-keeping game. Yes, you may need to consider tutors, co-ops, online classes, or dual-enrollment. But, you really can homeschool high school.<\/p>\n
Here’s what you need to know along with some helpful resources so you can dig in deeper where you need to.<\/p>\n
Homeschooling High School – How do I prepare?<\/h2>\n
You don’t want to wait until 9th grade to start preparing to homeschool high school<\/a><\/strong>. That’s just a recipe for stress. I like to use the middle school years, mainly 8th grade, to get my kids ready for high school. Some of the areas I focus on are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Check out these tips for using middle school to get ready for high school:<\/p>\n The thought of teaching high school level subjects intimidates many homeschool parents. Take comfort in the fact that at this point we’re more facilitators than instructors. Our job morphs into guidance counselor<\/strong><\/a> and helping our kids find the right resources for their independent learning.<\/p>\n That doesn’t mean that we need to turn our students loose. We need to remain involved with our independent learners<\/strong><\/a> for oversight, tutoring, and guidance. Use the following tips for teaching many of the core high school subjects.<\/p>\n When we hear the words “high school science,” we feel the first stirrings of panic thinking of dissecting frogs on the kitchen table or blowing up the house with a chemical reaction.<\/p>\n High school science doesn’t have to be scary. Believe it or not, it can be fun! First, we have to learn to teach high school science without sucking the fun out of it<\/a><\/strong>. Then, it helps to remember a few crucial facts.<\/p>\n If you still feel intimidated, check out these articles for more tips and reassurance:<\/p>\n I’m a word nerd, so I love digging into language arts. In high school, the subject usually encompasses literature, composition, vocabulary, and developing research and analytical skills.<\/p>\n I like combining history, literature, and geography<\/a><\/strong>, so history lessons typically drive literature choices at our house. For example, we’ll do American literature the same year we do American history and world literature when we do world history.<\/p>\n And, don’t forget to include popular modern literature. I’ve read that many colleges find that homeschooling families focus too heavily on classics. It’s okay to include books like Harry Potter<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Lord of the Rings<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, and The Hunger Games<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Here are some more fantastic language arts tips:<\/p>\n Science and math. Those are the high school two subjects that usually strike fear into the hearts of homeschooling parents. As with science, look for online courses, co-ops, tutoring, and dual-enrollment. Teaching Textbooks<\/strong><\/a> proved a sanity-saver for me. And, apps like DragonBox Math<\/a><\/strong> make even algebra fun.<\/p>\n In high school, I thought history was boring. So, for me, it’s essential to give my kids a different opinion of what is now my favorite subject. I love diving into history with literature, historical fiction, and captivating biographies.<\/p>\n For high school students, courses such as government, economics, sociology, and psychology fall under the social studies umbrella with history. My kids and I loved Constitutional Literacy<\/a><\/strong> from Apologia.<\/p>\n One of the best parts of homeschooling high school is getting your teens involved in choosing curriculum – even if that curriculum doesn’t look like traditional textbooks. Try these tips for including your teen in the process:<\/p>\n Homeschooling high school doesn’t mean that you have to change your homeschooling style either. Just because you have to keep transcripts doesn’t mean there isn’t room for interest-led or project-based learning styles. Continue to do what works for your family!<\/p>\n Despite what the stereotypes might have you believe, we aren’t all raising National Spelling Bee champions or kids who graduate college at 14. Some of us even have {gasp} struggling learners. If that’s you, don’t miss High School for Academically Behind Children<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Electives are the fun part of high school – the part where students get to choose what they<\/em> want to learn in addition to the core subjects that they’re supposed<\/em> to learn.<\/p>\n Nearly any topic, skill, hobby, or interest can qualify for elective credit. Students typically take at least seven elective courses, so they’re a fantastic way for your teen to dive into his interests. You never know when a passion might lead to a career or a life-long hobby.<\/p>\n Many homeschool parents have questions about graduating their students. How do you graduate a homeschooled teen? When do you know they’ve met the requirements for graduation? The following articles address those questions and more.<\/p>\n Transcripts can cause homeschool parents undue stress. Like homeschooling high school, transcripts aren’t that bad. These articles will help you understand how to create a quality transcript for your student.<\/p>\n Make sure that your teen is prepared for college – if college is in his future. If it’s not, there are plans for that, too!<\/p>\n\n
Getting Ready<\/h4>\n
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Academics<\/h2>\n
Science<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\nLanguage Arts<\/h4>\n
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<\/div>\nMath<\/h4>\n
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History<\/h4>\n
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<\/div>\nChoosing High School Homeschool Curriculum<\/h3>\n
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Don’t Change Your Style<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nElectives<\/h2>\n
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Graduation<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n
Transcripts<\/h2>\n
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Getting Ready for College<\/h2>\n
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