Homeschooling the High School Years

Homeschooling high school always seems to scare people the most, when it can really be the best time of your entire homeschool journey. All the basics are out of the way, and you are building on concepts already learned. This is also a time to get to dig into your student’s passions and to start working towards their future goals.

Requirements for homeschooling high school  vary by state. In Alabama you have the freedom to shape exactly the track you and your student want. If your student is heading down a vocational road, you can start looking into vocational “early enrollment” programs at area colleges or internships at local businesses. If your child is college bound, they can start preparing and even earning credits!

Electives come into play in high school as well. You can get creative with these by taking things your child has always wanted to learn and turning them into credits! entrepreneurship, wood shop, environmental conservation,  auto mechanics, cooking, sewing, photography, and so much MORE!

So how do you teach the classes once they have surpassed what you remember how to do, like those Algebra and Chemistry courses? There are many curricululms that teach these for you, as well as online courses with LIVE teachers, and co-op classes. If you are still nervous about your abilities to teach these classes your child can start early enrollment in college courses as early as 10th grade. These methods take those classes off your teacher-plate, and give your child college credits at the same time! We have gathered early enrollment tips, tricks, and what that cost will look like to help you out!

Another thing to consider is transcripts, which are often seen as the ‘boogie man’ of the high school years. Most church schools will provide these for your student. If yours does not, a quick Pinterest search will lead you to “easy to pull together”, no stress, transcripts. South Alabama Homeschooling has a Pinterest Board with numerous samples. [ SAH board ]  To ensure yourself the easiest time in pulling together a quality transcript,  be sure to keep track of the subjects you are teaching every semester as you go. It is more difficult to remember what you taught 2 or 3 years back than you might think.

Finally GRADUATION! A legally valid church school or private school diploma is recognized by colleges, universities, employers, the military and more. When it comes to ceremonies there are a couple options. If you are looking for a bigger ceremony with other graduates, several area church schools and support groups offer ceremonies. Others do simple, in-home, ceremonies for their grads with just close family and friends.

There are a multitude of stories about homeschool graduate successes in the world around us!  {See several stories about them!}  Don’t forget to check out the national group ” It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool High School ,” and Blue Collar Homeschool , as they are great sources of support and information as you head into high school.