How to Homeschool High School
Even parents who have homeschooled for many years sometimes question homeschooling high school. Many are surprised to find that homeschooling high school is often even easier than the younger grades. Students are more mature, often have better study habits, and take more responsibility for their own learning.
Going from Homeschool to College: What You Need to Know
Homeschool graduates can and do go to college—all the time. Homeschooled teens who are prepared for college-level work and who can submit strong applications are often admitted to multiple colleges, just like their public school friends and peers.
That said, homeschooling parents and their teens benefit from learning more about the college admissions process and the best practices they should follow as they prepare for higher education and submit their applications. There is no official guidance counselor in every homeschool family, so parents take on that responsibility and need to stay on top of what is expected of prospective college students.
While ...
Homeschool to Military
Information for homeschoolers considering entering one of the military academies or a branch of service
High School Course Planner
Tracking all courses taken for high school credit helps eliminate surprises before graduation. Our simple high school course planner is a spreadsheet used to track courses taken for credit from 8th through 12th grades.
Although not printer-friendly (it is wide), the High School Course Planner is designed to keep up with course selections and credits over the period of 8th - 12th grade for a single student. Each grade has columns for the course selected (& the provider), the cost of the course, the number of credits, and the final grade.
If you wish to duplicate the spreadsheet in a new tab, ...
Homeschool Dual Enrollment & More: Earn College Credit While Homeschooling
Homeschool dual enrollment and testing for college credit are two ways students can earn college credit and provide outside evidence of college readiness.
Permanently Accessible Homeschool Records
If you homeschool through high school, you absolutely need to create homeschool records. Here's how to make sure kids have them when they need them.
Homeschooled Adults: What To Do When You Have No Transcripts
As homeschooling has become more popular, some graduates are finding themselves without transcripts or a diploma. These recommendations can help.
Alternatives to College: A High School Roadmap
Some teens are more interested in going to work or starting a business immediately after their graduation from homeschool. Some want to join the military, take a gap year, volunteer extensively, work on the family farm, or learn a vocation or skilled trade. You can help launch these homeschooled teens who are pursuing what they want to do with their lives—with alternatives to college.
High School Homeschool Curriculum
High school homeschool curriculum doesn't need to be expensive or complicated—you just have to be clever how you go about things.
Outsourcing Homeschooling
Maybe you want to homeschool and outsource. That is, you want to direct your child’s education, and you want it to be a home-based education, but you also want to outsource parts of that education. Can you do that?
Transferring Homeschool Credits to Public High School
New homeschoolers who homeschool for a year or two thinking that they will be able to transfer homeschool high school credits into a public high school may run into roadblocks. Transferring credits earned while homeschooling does not always work. Let's look at what this means as far as planning your child's education.
Three Things About Homeschooling I Learned the Hard Way
I'm sharing three things I learned about homeschooling the hard way in hopes I can shine some light and encourage others who are either starting out with homeschooling or perhaps right in the thick of it.
The Congressional Award
Participation in the Congressional Award program is one way for homeschooled high school students to show evidence of community involvement. Here is what it involves.
Tips for Creating Friendships and Community for Homeschooled Teens
Cultivating connections and friendships while homeschooling is an often discussed topic. In fact, most homeschooling parents I hear from are looking to help their pre-teens and teens plug into other groups and communities. As our children get older, they naturally want (and need) solid and healthy peer groups. But how do we do this?
How to Manage Stress & Find Balance in High School
Being out of balance almost always leads to feelings of stress, which can limit our ability to absorb new information and engage with learning in a meaningful way. Share these six tips with your high school student to help them maintain a sense of balance and joy amidst the day-to-day stresses of high school.
Unschooling High School: Tips for Assigning Credits for Your Non-Traditional Learner or Unschooler
One thing that worried me about my non-traditional learner was creating a transcript that showcased his specialized education but would also be appropriate if he decided to attend a post-secondary educational institution. Here are ways we turned resources and experiences into credits.
3 Challenging Things about High School (and What To Do About Them)
Homeschooling the high school years can be challenging—it's not all sunshine, rainbows, and parent-teen bonding 24/7. But just because something is challenging, doesn't mean we should just give up on it, right?
5 Tips for New Homeschoolers with Teens
Looking to start homeschooling and you have teens? I've put together five helpful tips to help you get started. You and your teen can partner to create a unique home education adventure.
How Mentors Can Help Homeschooled Teens
If you want to liven up homeschool for your older kids as you start the new year, consider whether they might be ready for a mentor. Mentors can be powerful positive influences in the lives of homeschooled teens. Here are six ways mentors can help homeschooled teens.
Our 10th Grade Plan for a Non-Traditional Learner
Our 10th grade non-traditional learner stated that he wanted to tackle more challenging content, more in-person classes with homework and projects, and wanted to be in charge of his schedule. I got to work researching local classes, online classes, curricula, and more. We had long conversations, lots of texting back and forth, and finally came up with a plan that worked for him, for me and his dad, and for our budget and schedule.
Our 9th Grade Plan for a Non-Traditional Learner
Since it can be helpful to read about what other homeschoolers are doing for high school, I’ve detailed out our plan for our first year of homeschooling high school with a non-traditional learner. I’m not an expert by any means—my teen is my guinea pig and I definitely needed some guidelines on how I could build an experience for him and not just school. My kid thrives on experiences. The more the better.
Homeschooling a Non-Traditional Learner for High School
My oldest child started high school at home this year. He's a very non-traditional learner, which can present a challenge when mom is the opposite. I never intended to homeschool and I really couldn't imagine homeschooling high school. But here we are, and here's how we are preparing a high school plan that works for us.
9 Hands-On Learning Ideas for Teens
One thing that has remained consistent into the teen years for my kids is their need for hands-on learning. We've just updated and tweaked what that looks like these days compared with when they were younger. With some creativity, planning, partnership, and imagination, hands-on learning can be explored in a variety of ways. I've got nine ways you can cultivate hands-on learning for your older homeschooled kids. Grab your pen and planner, and let's chat!
What Is Accreditation? Should My Homeschool Be Accredited?
With the slow but steady growth of homeschooling across the United States comes a parallel growth in online, distance learning programs and schools. While many parents continue to provide independent, customized instruction to their children, others seek “enrolled homeschooling”—that which provides teacher-guided instruction, report cards/transcripts/credits, and other familiar elements of traditional education. Choosing a provider for this type of schooling naturally leads to an increase in questions about accreditation: what is it exactly, and how does it pertain to homeschooling?
Outside Evidence of College Readiness
Homeschooling parents whose kids will likely seek admission to college usually realize their homeschool graduates will need parent-made homeschool transcripts. They will probably also need "outside evidence." That's because a homeschool transcript full of parent-graded courses and independent learning done at home may not by itself convince university admissions counselors of a teen's preparation for college-level work.
Ask Jeanne: Can a 20-Year-Old Earn a Homeschool Diploma?
As a parent of a high school homeschooler, I was approached by a neighbor who asked if I knew what the age limit was to begin homeschool. Her 20-year-old son never finished school, sadly. It seemed almost impossible for him to get his GED, having been enrolled on and off since he was 16. Knowing the need for a diploma, she’s considering homeschool, believing with one-on-one teaching, he will obtain his diploma, and his future will much brighter. Unable to find information on the North Carolina Homeschool help website about age restrictions, I’m hoping you can help us.
Ask Jeanne: Homeschool a Prospective Dropout?
I am seriously looking into whether homeschooling would be an appropriate option for my high school student who is failing in the public school system. She's extremely bright, and excels in honors and higher courses, but is failing everything else. I believe homeschooling might be helpful, but I also know it could backfire too. We desperately need some expert advice! ~ Concerned in Colorado
Government Class (High School)
American government class requirements don't need to be based on dry curriculum. Try this activities approach to earning US government credits for high school.
Homeschooling a High Schooler Who Is Not College-Bound
So you have a high school student who is definitely not college-bound. How do you educate him? What does she REALLY need? Are there alternative training options available? I asked myself these same questions not so very long ago. Here is what I discovered...
Ask Jeanne: Online Homeschool Program?
The first few weeks of school this year haven't gone well for Cheryl, and she wrote to me for help deciding whether to homeschool her 7th and 11th graders who are in negative school situations. I wanted to answer a specific part of her question in greater detail: I have never homeschooled and I need advice. I thought of doing the online homeschool called . Please help!
Resources for Homeschooling High School When Mom's Not the Expert
How do homeschoolers learn things that their parents don't know anything about? Just a little research in the world of homeschoolers can show people that homeschooling parents don't have to teach everything their children are learning. They just have to facilitate opportunities so their kids can learn. Here are a few of the ways kids learn things their parents don't know about.
College Requirements for Homeschoolers
Parents of homeschoolers who are on a college track often wonder what the college admissions requirements are for homeschoolers and how they might differ from those for public or private school students. Here are some considerations to keep in mind as you navigate the high school years with college in mind.
Bad News/Good News of Starting Homeschooling in High School
Starting homeschooling during the high school years can seem intimidating or liberating—or both. There is both good news and bad news about starting out homeschooling in high school, but for many people the good outweighs the bad.
Ask Jeanne: Do Homeschoolers Get a Diploma?
"Do homeschoolers get a diploma? Half of my family is pro-homeschooling and half is anti-homeschooling. How do I convince my family that homeschooling would be a better and more positive solution than public school?" You have a couple of overt questions and a couple of implied ones. Let's see what we can tease apart here, because these are common concerns for prospective homeschoolers.
Teen Tech Project: Building a Computer
This week I visited with a homeschooling family whose son was anxiously awaiting his shipments from New Egg and Tiger Direct -- full of the components he would assemble into his own PC.
This brought back fond memories, since two of my three sons undertook this same project during their teen years, and my oldest actually did the same after he graduated.
Homeschooling Teens: Finding a Third Place
Homeschooling teens means a lot of questions about preparing for college admission or getting experience and training for a vocation or artistic endeavor. We wring our hands over curriculum and credits, and we help our teens learn to drive and manage their money.
But another little piece of life experience we can help our teens with is being able to work in "a third place."
Typically, a third place is talked about in the world of adults, as the place that is "not home" and "not work."
College students and some high school students often study or socialize in a "third place" that ...
Homeschooling High School: Our 11th Grade Plan for a Prospective Engineer
We are homeschooling high school all the way through. If you would like to see how we track credits and create transcripts, see Our 10th Grade Plan. If you haven't checked out our free Homeschool Planner Plus, you should take a look at it for creating high school transcripts. It is easy to plug in your courses and credits and the spreadsheet calculates your GPA for you.
The 11th Grade Plan: DE English - This year's focus is on composition through the local community college's ENG 111 course. Over the course of the semester, students work to complete a research ...
5 Homeschool Graduation Ceremony Ideas
Do homeschoolers have graduation ceremonies?
Some do; some don't. And those who do have graduation ceremonies may mark the occasion differently from one another. If you are looking for homeschool graduation ceremony ideas that fit your family, there are many options from which to choose. Here are a few that work for many different types of kids and families.
Two Vital Factors for Homeschooling Teens
The teenaged years are actually the most rewarding of the homeschooling years. That's what we've found with our four homeschooled kids. And that's what I was told by many of the 110 families I interviewed for my book Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything. People in Ireland, Australia, India, and the U.S. described coming to this realization in similar ways. Their concerns about helping a young child master the basics or their struggles to find the right homeschooling style gradually resolved. Parents grew to trust the process of learning much more completely and, perhaps as a result, they saw ...
9 Benefits of Hosting an International Exchange Student
Hosting an international exchange student can be a great experience for homeschooling families. We hosted a student from Ecuador, and while the commitment can seem daunting, having Isaac José with us for a school year enriched our lives.
What are some of the benefits of hosting an international student?
Challenges to Homeschooling High School
Homeschooling a teen can be really hard. While I'm overall glad to be homeschooling, I have a high school age daughter who is difficult to work with and who is inconsistent in her approach to homeschooling. She has always been a challenging child, and as expected, the teen years have had a lot of turmoil. Homeschooling seems to catch a lot of blame for our problems -- but it’s not from outsiders or family members. She spends a lot of time lamenting being homeschooled and blaming us for trapping her in home education -- despite the fact that she has ...
English Composition for High School
Using process-based writing resources, students can master writing effective English compositions. Resources include parent info and student assignments.
High School Homeschooling: Our 10th Grade Plan
From the feedback and questions that we get on our Facebook page, there is a great deal of interest in how to homeschool high school. This year my daughter is a sophomore in high school, and I thought it might be helpful to share our 10th grade plan with you. Contrary to popular belief, homeschooling high school is often easier than homeschooling younger grades. Students are older, more mature, and better able to manage their own academics. When they need assistance, the material is more difficult, but between teacher guides, online resources, and friends with a knowledge of the subject ...
Teaching Teens About Worldview and Confirmation Bias
Teaching teens to think critically about the resources they use for information is an important part of becoming well-educated. Here is how you can help students challenge themselves with information that comes from a variety of editorial viewpoints.
Contextual Learning: Homeschooling Through Fashion
This year in my role as a homeschool evaluator, I met a number of tweens and teens who are interested in fashion. As we went through their portfolio of work and talked about their year, I was fascinated with the ways they had woven their interest in fashion with their academic studies. Two of the teens I met with had taken their interest in current fashion into the past -- studying the typical dress and accessorizing of women and men in earlier periods of history. They also took their fashion interest international -- studying the current typical dress of modern-day ...
Instead of Curriculum: The Great Courses
Our family has greatly enjoyed using The Great Courses audio and video recorded classes. The first of The Great Courses we used was The Story of Human Language, presented by leading linguist John McWhorter, who gives 36 lectures about the development of human language, why languages change or become extinct, dialects, how languages and their grammars affect thinking, and what the study of language can tell us about history and interconnectedness of early peoples.
From there, we began listening to every Great Courses CD set the library had. They offer courses in science, math, fine arts, music, religion, philosophy, history, ...
Dropping Out Was a Great Idea
Lately, I've been hearing a lot of questions raised about how innovations in technology will change education as we know it - Can machines replace teachers? Do internet resources provide everything needed to develop professional skills? What happens if you replace school with online learning? I've spent my life trying to find out, and the answers I have are both promising and a little horrifying.
High School Graduation Checklist
Parents can provide a college preparation during high school for every student, which can benefit every child. If they ultimately don't go to college, then your homeschool education will be the only education they get. Make it great! They'll be well prepared for life and their civic responsibilities. Plus, if they ever change their mind and decide to go to college, they will have a much easier time getting in. On the other hand, some parents know early on that their children are college bound. ...
