Homeschooling High School can be AMAZING if you do it right. Learn how to do that here. ​
It's a great time!
Whether you have been homeschooling all along or you are just making the switch to homeschooling high school, these years are intimidating. The elementary and middle school years are often full of wonder and discovery as little children grow into young teens and parents develop into confident teachers comfortable in their roles. Then something odd happens. Our sweet little learners now wear size 12 shoes and are fighting pimples and reaching for razors. Homeschooling high school has arrived! For many parents, what has been comfortable now feels like foreign territory, as parents realize that homeschooling the high school years is serious business.
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You are not alone!
Homeschooling High School requires planning and good record keeping. We can help you every step of the way! Our High School Services help you plan coursework and know what to track for attendance and records of studies. It is critical to ensure they earn enough credits to meet their post-graduation goals. Don't know if the courses your student has completed is enough to get them where they want to go? We can help with all of these things and more! Members of our umbrella school, Statheros Academy, are eligible to utilize our Transcript and Diploma Services. We offer a Transcript Review Service, Curriculum Planning, Homeschool Coaches and much more. Just remember as you work your way through all of this information about homeschooling high school, that we are here to help whenever you want or need it.
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Build Your Network
Work with a Homeschool Coach or our High School Specialist and ask them for advice about curriculum, relationships with teens, how to find helpful resources and much more. Stay in touch with your Homeschool Coach; don't disengage! The high school years can be like a roller coaster, and it is very helpful if you have someone you can count on; to help you weather the storm.
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Work with Your Teen to Identify Goals
Is your teen college bound? Does your teen like to work with her hands to make things? Are they interested in a certain skill or craft? Discuss their dreams and goals to decide the best use of these high school years. You can turn all of these skills and dreams into electives that will make their transcript stand out.
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Consider Adding a Little Structure
Unschooling families and those on a purely delight-directed path may wish to be more intentional during the high school years. If you’ve been lax about record keeping, tighten your belt now so that your student is prepared to show a potential employer or college what she/he did during her/his last years of school. If you need help creating a transcript, deciding what to include, writing good course descriptions, or any other part of the high school transcript process, check out what Statheros Academy offers to help you.
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Look Beyond Your Walls
Learn what resources are available for online and local classes at both high schools and colleges. Many older teens are ready to spread their wings by attending classes, and this will give you a break from having to teach every difficult high school subject. Can’t find a history, literature, or chemistry class that you like? Consider an online course, a college course or hire a local expert to teach your teen and a few of their friends.
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Literacy
Skills to develop: shore up reading skills. Wherever your student is at in reading, help them learn to enjoy it so they can reach higher literary levels and beyond. Classics are a good choice, but if your student is a reluctant reader, start with books they enjoy. Extend their reading and comfort level by challenging them with books of greater difficulty. One of the best things you can do for your child is to inspire in them a love for reading and books. Let your students see you reading books and enjoying them! You can even have a special book time in the day. Make it memorable, with tea and maybe classical music, so it is a special time to look forward to during their busy day. Be sure that you are reading a book too, not doing dishes or laundry, or they will learn that reading is something adults make kids do but grow out of when they reach adulthood. Since the goal is life-long learning, we need to demonstrate that we are life-long learners too. High school kids are not too old to be read to! Don't underestimate the power of family reading with older kids.
Writing
Skills to develop: writing progresses to referenced research projects and essays, APA style and MLA style. Students need to understand that if they quote something from another person’s work, they need to properly reference it. Mistakes made in this area can be especially serious once they are in college. Plagiarism comes with serious consequences. In high school, the editing and rewriting process is critical. This is the time to teach your students how to perfect an essay. Careful editing can make a difference when they start to write essays in college. Early experience in this area can help them to be better prepared. A new area for our students to learn about is Ai and Chat GPT. Our students need to know what is ethical and what is not ethical in using Ai in their education. This is critical for students to know before they go off to college because plagiarizing by using Chat GPT can get students expelled from college.
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Mathematical Literacy
Skills to Develop: shore up arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, numeration, large quantities, and word problems. Ensure that students are comfortable with fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, the metric system, ratios, roots and powers, and order of operations. Some students have gaps in their learning, and it is important to find the gaps and correct them. If Algebra I was completed in middle school, move on to Geometry or Algebra II. If Pre-Algebra was completed, move on to Algebra I. The typical order is Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II. Then you can do Statistics, Pre-Calculus, and if Algebra I was completed in middle school, Calculus for their senior year (Calculus is important for some math and science fields and statistics is important for a wide variety of majors). Don’t feel like you need to know everything in order to help your students excel at math. You can learn alongside them and research mathematical topics together. Explore those online courses or classes at a local college if it's just too much for you. There are only a certain number of basic things to learn in math and they can be mastered much more quickly than you can imagine. Try to have fun with math and let your kids see you enjoying it too.
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Look Beyond Classes
During the high school years, kids benefit from apprenticeships and job-shadowing. They can also develop leadership skills by teaching younger children or even starting a small business. Of course, keep in mind local regulations applicable to minors working. All of these opportunities enrich your teen’s high school years.
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Respect Your Teen as a Partner in Educational Choices
When your teen was a younger student, you made all the educational decisions for them, but now you will benefit from working with your teen. Together, craft a unique and personalized high school path. Sit down often with your teen to evaluate your homeschooling path and make corrections if needed.
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Incorporate Life Skills
Teens need to know how to budget, balance their bank account, do laundry, cook, interview for a job, maintain a car and home, and stay healthy. Make a list of the skills that you desire for your child to know before they move out of your home and ensure that you incorporate those skills into high school electives. Life skills are just as important as purely academic classes.
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Avoid Comparisons
Rejoice in your teen’s strengths and gifts and thank God that your high schooler is unique and wonderfully made. When you catch yourself comparing your teen to someone else’s kid, choose instead to compare your teen to where they were a year ago, five years ago, or when you first started homeschooling them. Celebrate their accomplishments and rejoice in their individuality.
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You Are Free
Enjoy the freedom that homeschooling offers. Take breaks when you or your teen are overwhelmed. Accelerate or slow down a class if it is not at a comfortable pace. Don’t be afraid to use a book designed for older or younger students. Complete high school in three years… or five. Throw off the chains that bind you to the rules and customs of other schools and do what is right for your teens.
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One Foot in Childhood
Your teen is physically maturing at an incredible rate but can still get easily frustrated or act silly now and then. Enjoy these last glimmers of childhood knowing that soon childish ways will be totally abandoned.
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Keep an Eye Beyond Graduation
High school years are the perfect time for college visits, job shadowing, and exploring options for beyond high school. While some of these visits are terrific one-on-one time with your child, bring along little siblings on some trips, as they will be high schoolers soon, too!
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Test Prep?
Students interested in attending a competitive college should learn strategies for taking the SAT, ACT, CLT, NMSQT, and/or the ASVAB. The two tests most widely used by colleges for scholarships are the SAT and the ACT (most colleges have removed minimum test score requirements for admissions and some colleges are test-optional entirely). You may not have previously prepared your children for any standardized tests. Now is the time to dedicate time to learn how to get top scores on these tests. Work with your teen to identify how to set aside time to prepare for these tests. Consider checking out library books for test preparation before deciding to pay for expensive courses. If your student prefers books that can be written in, check thrift stores for test prep books that cost only a few dollars. Do practice tests. There are free practice tests available on the SAT and ACT official websites as well as number2.com and Khan Academy. Consider doing the PSAT for practice. Scoring well on tests is the secret to scholarships and entering your programs of choice in many colleges. You can also retake tests for a better score and some colleges Super Score your student's tests. Use what is available to you. If you need assistance navigating high school, reach out to our High School Specialist.
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Ready, Set, HOMESCHOOL!
Once you’ve sketched out a high school plan for your student, you are ready to start on this wonderful adventure.
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Celebrate!
Finishing high school is an immense accomplishment. Work with your teen to plan and carry out an amazing graduation ceremony, big or small, to celebrate the end of their homeschooling and to wish them well in the next stage of life, knowing that they are well prepared. As a Statheros Academy member, utilize our Transcript Service for a professional transcript and our Diploma Service for a beautiful diploma to celebrate your student's hard work. Then sit back and relax and enjoy the young adult that your child has become. Well done homeschool mama!