How to Homeschool a High Schooler
Use a pre-packaged curriculum., Look through subject-specific textbooks with your child., Make use of online teaching resources., Teach classes outside of core requirements., Tailor the courses for your child’s post-high-school plans., Help your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use a pre-packaged curriculum.
Many homeschooling companies have developed full high-school level curriculums that can be purchased and taught for a full school year.
These curriculums will include textbooks covering typical high-school subjects, such as English and American literature, biology, chemistry, physics, and history.
If you prefer to use this model of high school education, you can purchase and use four separate curriculums, one for each year of high school.While many of these curriculums tend to be explicitly Christian—including well-known curriculums such as Calvert and A Beka—there are plenty of secular options as well. -
Step 2: Look through subject-specific textbooks with your child.
If you prefer not to use a pre-packaged curriculum—or would like to supplement the curriculum with textbooks of your choosing—you can teach your child directly out of subject textbooks.
Even if you are not an expert in the academic subject in question, the textbook will include enough explanatory material—often including CDs or online teacher’s guides and lesson plans—to resolve any questions you or your child has.Homeschool textbooks can be purchased from book vendors online.
Alternately, if you’d like to access a wide selection in person, most states hold annual homeschooling conventions, at which you can flip through dozens of textbooks. , Your child can take complete courses online, and interact with other homeschooled high-school students.
These online courses are often designed and sold by the same companies who make pre-packaged homeschool curriculums.Online courses can also include pre-filmed lectures or educational videos.
For example, visit the website for HomeSchool.com; this site directs you to a number of online resources and curriculums.These include:
The Home Learning Institute, which provides K–12 online education for $49 per course; Middlebury Interactive, which provides K–12 foreign language courses; and the Conceptual Academy, which provides science courses to high-school students online.
The Homeschool Legal Defense also provides a variety of full high-school curriculums online and provides concise explanations of legal homeschool concerns.If you do not have a consistently reliable internet connection, there are also DVD-based curriculums that have recorded lectures, in addition to workbooks and textbooks. , It’s not difficult to find textbooks or online course material for core classes like English, math, and science (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.).To teach classes beyond these you can find textbooks and curriculums online for courses such as web design, computer sciences, and courses on health and fitness and art.
Students should take one or two electives each semester.If you’d like, you can consult the yearly course requirements of your local public high school for an idea of which non-core classes are typically offered.
Keep in mind that public schools will have scientific and athletic facilities and so offer courses that you may not be able to offer, such as courses in wrestling, weight lifting, or swimming. , Talk with your child and inquire about their plans for after high school, then work with them to tailor their coursework towards these goals. (This will likely be more useful for older high school students , but do take into account whatever post-high-school plans younger students may have too.) If your child has an idea of a future college major or a future career path, find or develop high-school courses they can take that will help them achieve this future goal.
For example, if your child plans to go into a political position or wants to run for office, you can tailor history courses towards political history, and teach elective courses in economics or political theory.
If your child is thinking of becoming a dentist or a doctor, focus on biology and anatomy courses in their later years of high school; perhaps the child could take an advanced biology course instead of physics. , This is a common practice at public schools, where students work closely with guidance counselors to make sure they are progressing through classes at a rate that will allow them to graduate on time.
As a homeschooler, you can do the same: make sure that your child completes an English course each year of high school, and completes three courses each in math, sciences, and social studies.Since many colleges and universities expect students to have a foreign language on their transcript, encourage your child to study a language for at least two years.
Also encourage your homeschool students to keep their grades up; failing classes can easily derail a well-planned 4-year plan. , If the administration will allow this, it can be beneficial to let your child take one or two courses each semester at the local public high school.
Not only will this expose your son or daughter to other individuals their age, but to will allow them to pursue academic topics that may be difficult to fully teach in the home.
For example, if your child is interested in creating artwork, the high school will likely have facilities such as a photography darkroom, a painting studio, a ceramic kiln, and a sculpting wheel.
Also consider enrolling your child in courses that cannot be taught at home due to the large number of student required: for example, playing an instrument in a band or orchestra, or singing in the choir. , An enrichment program is formed when multiple homeschool families bring their age children for weekly courses, taught by the homeschooling parents.
This will allow your child to participate in an educational program out of the home, and also allow them to take classes from experienced homeschooling parents, often who teach classes in specialized fields.
For example, if a homeschooling parent has taught literature courses at the high-school or college level, they could offer to teach a similar course to the high school students.
A parent fluent in a foreign language like Spanish or French could teach a language-acquisition course.
Enrichment programs don’t have to be only for high schoolers; homeschooled children of all ages can join and take classes focused on their educational level. , For high-level juniors and seniors who are planning to attend college after they graduate, a community college can be a beneficial intermediate step between the homeschool classroom and a large university.
The college-level coursework will challenge the high schooler, and they can start building up college credits before graduating high school.Community colleges often appreciate the enrollment of homeschooled students, as these students tend to be focused and engaged, even if they are younger than some of their classmates. , Accreditation means you’re your homeschool has been approved by a state accrediting body; the diploma you give your child will signify that the homeschool curriculum has been approved and carries the same weight as would a diploma from a public school.
For many homeschool parents, this legitimates the homeschooling process.
To receive an accredited diploma, you’ll need to contact an accrediting organization within your state and send them copies of your child’s transcript.Accredited diplomas are more highly regarded by colleges and universities, and will increase your child’s chances of acceptance.
Accreditation is not mandatory; many homeschool parents choose not to accredit their transcript.
In fact, plenty of public high schools do not offer accredited diplomas.
If your child does not plan to attend college, there is no need to accredit your homeschool program. , If your child plans to attend college, you’ll need to help them prepare through coursework.
In fact, you can use university admission guidelines as a template for your child’s high-school curriculum.
For example, most universities will require three years of science, social studies, and math courses, and four years of English.
Colleges generally have no problem accepting homeschooled students from accredited programs., During your child’s Junior year, you’ll need to help them register and study for the ACT or SAT exam.
It’s important for homeschool students to take one or both of these tests, as they lend legitimacy to the student’s homeschool credentials.
Just as with any public-school students, your child will appear especially valuable to the college if they’ve scored well on the ACT or SAT exam.Then, near the end of the Fall semester of your child’s senior year, you’ll also need to help them with college applications.
Private colleges may be more inclined to accept homeschooled students.
Private schools can be more selective in general, and should appreciate the unique background that your child brings. , This document will need to be sent to colleges and universities as part of the application process.
When making a transcript for your student, note each course title, the semester the course was taken during, the dates of the semester, and the student’s grade in the course.You should keep the transcript up-to-date during throughout high school, as it will be easier to update biannually than to compile the entire thing as the student graduates.
Aside from the transcripts, you should keep permanent records which note which textbooks your students used, how many credits were given for each class (if you assign credit values to courses), and a 2–3 sentence summary of each course your child took during high school. -
Step 3: Make use of online teaching resources.
-
Step 4: Teach classes outside of core requirements.
-
Step 5: Tailor the courses for your child’s post-high-school plans.
-
Step 6: Help your child assemble a 4-year (or 5-year) plan for graduation.
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Step 7: Enroll your child in courses at a local high school.
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Step 8: Look for homeschool enrichment programs.
-
Step 9: Enroll your child in courses at the local community college.
-
Step 10: Consider accrediting your homeschool.
-
Step 11: Guide your child through the necessary coursework.
-
Step 12: Help with ACT or SAT prep and college applications.
-
Step 13: Create transcripts of your child’s homeschool courses.
Detailed Guide
Many homeschooling companies have developed full high-school level curriculums that can be purchased and taught for a full school year.
These curriculums will include textbooks covering typical high-school subjects, such as English and American literature, biology, chemistry, physics, and history.
If you prefer to use this model of high school education, you can purchase and use four separate curriculums, one for each year of high school.While many of these curriculums tend to be explicitly Christian—including well-known curriculums such as Calvert and A Beka—there are plenty of secular options as well.
If you prefer not to use a pre-packaged curriculum—or would like to supplement the curriculum with textbooks of your choosing—you can teach your child directly out of subject textbooks.
Even if you are not an expert in the academic subject in question, the textbook will include enough explanatory material—often including CDs or online teacher’s guides and lesson plans—to resolve any questions you or your child has.Homeschool textbooks can be purchased from book vendors online.
Alternately, if you’d like to access a wide selection in person, most states hold annual homeschooling conventions, at which you can flip through dozens of textbooks. , Your child can take complete courses online, and interact with other homeschooled high-school students.
These online courses are often designed and sold by the same companies who make pre-packaged homeschool curriculums.Online courses can also include pre-filmed lectures or educational videos.
For example, visit the website for HomeSchool.com; this site directs you to a number of online resources and curriculums.These include:
The Home Learning Institute, which provides K–12 online education for $49 per course; Middlebury Interactive, which provides K–12 foreign language courses; and the Conceptual Academy, which provides science courses to high-school students online.
The Homeschool Legal Defense also provides a variety of full high-school curriculums online and provides concise explanations of legal homeschool concerns.If you do not have a consistently reliable internet connection, there are also DVD-based curriculums that have recorded lectures, in addition to workbooks and textbooks. , It’s not difficult to find textbooks or online course material for core classes like English, math, and science (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.).To teach classes beyond these you can find textbooks and curriculums online for courses such as web design, computer sciences, and courses on health and fitness and art.
Students should take one or two electives each semester.If you’d like, you can consult the yearly course requirements of your local public high school for an idea of which non-core classes are typically offered.
Keep in mind that public schools will have scientific and athletic facilities and so offer courses that you may not be able to offer, such as courses in wrestling, weight lifting, or swimming. , Talk with your child and inquire about their plans for after high school, then work with them to tailor their coursework towards these goals. (This will likely be more useful for older high school students , but do take into account whatever post-high-school plans younger students may have too.) If your child has an idea of a future college major or a future career path, find or develop high-school courses they can take that will help them achieve this future goal.
For example, if your child plans to go into a political position or wants to run for office, you can tailor history courses towards political history, and teach elective courses in economics or political theory.
If your child is thinking of becoming a dentist or a doctor, focus on biology and anatomy courses in their later years of high school; perhaps the child could take an advanced biology course instead of physics. , This is a common practice at public schools, where students work closely with guidance counselors to make sure they are progressing through classes at a rate that will allow them to graduate on time.
As a homeschooler, you can do the same: make sure that your child completes an English course each year of high school, and completes three courses each in math, sciences, and social studies.Since many colleges and universities expect students to have a foreign language on their transcript, encourage your child to study a language for at least two years.
Also encourage your homeschool students to keep their grades up; failing classes can easily derail a well-planned 4-year plan. , If the administration will allow this, it can be beneficial to let your child take one or two courses each semester at the local public high school.
Not only will this expose your son or daughter to other individuals their age, but to will allow them to pursue academic topics that may be difficult to fully teach in the home.
For example, if your child is interested in creating artwork, the high school will likely have facilities such as a photography darkroom, a painting studio, a ceramic kiln, and a sculpting wheel.
Also consider enrolling your child in courses that cannot be taught at home due to the large number of student required: for example, playing an instrument in a band or orchestra, or singing in the choir. , An enrichment program is formed when multiple homeschool families bring their age children for weekly courses, taught by the homeschooling parents.
This will allow your child to participate in an educational program out of the home, and also allow them to take classes from experienced homeschooling parents, often who teach classes in specialized fields.
For example, if a homeschooling parent has taught literature courses at the high-school or college level, they could offer to teach a similar course to the high school students.
A parent fluent in a foreign language like Spanish or French could teach a language-acquisition course.
Enrichment programs don’t have to be only for high schoolers; homeschooled children of all ages can join and take classes focused on their educational level. , For high-level juniors and seniors who are planning to attend college after they graduate, a community college can be a beneficial intermediate step between the homeschool classroom and a large university.
The college-level coursework will challenge the high schooler, and they can start building up college credits before graduating high school.Community colleges often appreciate the enrollment of homeschooled students, as these students tend to be focused and engaged, even if they are younger than some of their classmates. , Accreditation means you’re your homeschool has been approved by a state accrediting body; the diploma you give your child will signify that the homeschool curriculum has been approved and carries the same weight as would a diploma from a public school.
For many homeschool parents, this legitimates the homeschooling process.
To receive an accredited diploma, you’ll need to contact an accrediting organization within your state and send them copies of your child’s transcript.Accredited diplomas are more highly regarded by colleges and universities, and will increase your child’s chances of acceptance.
Accreditation is not mandatory; many homeschool parents choose not to accredit their transcript.
In fact, plenty of public high schools do not offer accredited diplomas.
If your child does not plan to attend college, there is no need to accredit your homeschool program. , If your child plans to attend college, you’ll need to help them prepare through coursework.
In fact, you can use university admission guidelines as a template for your child’s high-school curriculum.
For example, most universities will require three years of science, social studies, and math courses, and four years of English.
Colleges generally have no problem accepting homeschooled students from accredited programs., During your child’s Junior year, you’ll need to help them register and study for the ACT or SAT exam.
It’s important for homeschool students to take one or both of these tests, as they lend legitimacy to the student’s homeschool credentials.
Just as with any public-school students, your child will appear especially valuable to the college if they’ve scored well on the ACT or SAT exam.Then, near the end of the Fall semester of your child’s senior year, you’ll also need to help them with college applications.
Private colleges may be more inclined to accept homeschooled students.
Private schools can be more selective in general, and should appreciate the unique background that your child brings. , This document will need to be sent to colleges and universities as part of the application process.
When making a transcript for your student, note each course title, the semester the course was taken during, the dates of the semester, and the student’s grade in the course.You should keep the transcript up-to-date during throughout high school, as it will be easier to update biannually than to compile the entire thing as the student graduates.
Aside from the transcripts, you should keep permanent records which note which textbooks your students used, how many credits were given for each class (if you assign credit values to courses), and a 2–3 sentence summary of each course your child took during high school.
About the Author
Carolyn Kennedy
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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