5 Words for Homeschooling High School
Homeschooling High School can seem intimidating. I know I spent a whole year preparing when my daughter was in 8th grade. Now 2 years later I can honestly say that, while it comes with its challenges, homeschooling high school is not as scary as I once thought.
1. Planning
When it came time to think about homeschooling high school, I tackled it like anything else, with lots of planning! I started thinking about it when my daughter was in 7th grade. At that time, I kept my eyes peeled for anything homeschool-high-school-related. I saved articles, looked at curriculum, and read books.
It was during her 8th grade year that I really kicked planning into full gear. I created this 4 year High School Plan. It is a free spreadsheet printable that you can customize for your own needs.
2. Electives
Electives are a big part of homeschooling high school–or really high school in general. Electives allow kids to explore things outside their core subjects that might be of interest to them. Not only did I create an extensive list of electives options, I also created a plan of action for helping my teen narrow the field and choose some that would suit her interests, fulfill her high school requirements, and be a good fit if she chooses to attend college in the future.
3. Management/Organization
Not only do you need to be organized, but you need to help your teens learn to organize and manage themselves. During their teen years, part of their growing up and schooling process is to learn to take charge of their own lives. High school is a great time to do this in a guided fashion so they can learn to do it themselves.
4. Curriculum
Now that they are older, you should have a better sense of what types of things work and don’t work for your teen. Teens can also be involved in the process of deciding what and how they want to learn the subjects they are engaging in. Within the confines of your overall plan, your teen can learn to take charge and gain a sense of control over his or her learning process.
5. Patience
Patience is probably the most important one! The teen years are tough all by themselves! Then add in homeschooling your teen, and some days you might just want to run for the hills! You will stumble. They will stumble. The path might change as you go. That is OK!
Take a deep breath and be patient with yourself and your teen as you work through the process of homeschooling high school.
If you’d like to read more posts about homeschooling high school, here are some you might enjoy!
If you need encouragement that you can homeschool for high school, read this article.
If you’d like to read what a homeschooled high schooler has to say about why she loves being homeschooled for high school, read this.
If you’re not sure whether your should homeschool your college-bound high schooler, read this article.