Homeschooling high schoolers means you are almost finished homeschooling. Unless, there are younger kids, then it is just the start of a new and exciting chapter in your homeschool journey.
But homeschooling high schoolers might feel like a giant leap from the elementary years. And you are also planning for after high school, college or not to college, and really preparing your students for the rest of their lives.
No pressure, right?
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This stage of parenting, high schoolers, is really the hardest stage of parenting. Even if your teens are fabulous, and I think mine are, it is still a really challenging stage. I heard some great advice when it comes to parenting teens. It is probably the best advice I’ve heard, and I am going to share it with you. Here is the advice: Just hold on. I just felt this deep in my soul when I heard it.
Even though high schoolers are the hardest stage of parenting because the stakes are high for growth, independence, and meaningful learning experiences (dumb decisions anyone). There are still some essential tips to help homeschool high schoolers with confidence, clarity, and courage.
Mom, you can do this. Is it easy? Nope, but it is doable. This post is going to give you the essential tips to homeschool high schoolers.
Plan for Homeschooling High Schoolers
I am all about planning. For the most part, when kids are left to their own devices chaos ensues. So make a plan. It doesn’t mean you will follow it to the letter, but think of it as more of a guide. You don’t want to get to senior year and realize your student doesn’t meet the requirements for his plans after high school.
Homeschooling high schoolers is all about planning for what comes after high school. If your student wants to attend college, join the military, or something else, they will have requirements for high school. Colleges and military do have expectations for high school students, so find out what they are before you start planning for your high schooler.
My 3 teens all had a different response to high school. My oldest didn’t know what he wanted to do, my second responded with a shrug, and my daughter has the next 10 years planned out. Since my oldest two didn’t know what direction to head in, I planned for them to get their associates degree in high school. This gives them really cheap tuition, and it puts them on the path with the most options. They can easily join the military, continue with college, or get a job after high school. My daughter is also working on her associates degree because it fits with her 10 year plan.
However you plan, remember to be flexible with your plans.
Essential Tips for Homeschooling High Schoolers
1. How to Create a High School Plan
You want to plan homeschool high school with after high school in mind. If your child has a certain college he wants to attend, then you will need to find out what that college requires for incoming students.
I have yet to find a state that has graduation requirements, so you get to set the standard for graduation. You get to determine the credit hours your student needs. You have the freedom to determine what your high school looks like.
Need help with high school planning? The be sure to download my high school planning guide. It even comes with sample plans that you can customize for your high school.
2. Transcripts are Important for High Schoolers
Yes, it is important to create a transcript. You never know when you will need it, and it is better to have it just in case then to try and go back and remember four years of high school.
Psst…transcript templates are included in the homeschooling planning guide above.
Here’s the funny thing with transcripts. You might not need it, but if you do you will wish you had it. Also, it is much easier to update the transcript every year.
I create the transcript template at the start of their high school, and then I just update it as we go along. It is very easy to do it this way. And by the end of their high school, they have a complete record. It is the most painless ways to do it.
Or you can use something like Homeschool Planet, and they have a transcript template built in already.
3. Get Input from Your High Schooler
If you want to create independent thinkers, then you need to let them have input on their curriculum. We need to start shifting responsibility to our teens. This is the hardest stage of parenting, and they will make dumb mistakes. But we are here to teach them the process of making an important decision.
You are still the final decision maker, but show your teen the plan, and include him in the process. It creates ownership and more motivation in your teen.
4. Dual Enrollment
Dual enrollment is a great way to earn a degree while paying very cheap tuition. You can replace high school classes with college classes and your teen can earn a degree in high school or right after.
It boosts a teens resume. College degree on a resume is more meaningful than just high school. Also, if your child wants to attend a 4-year university, once a college degree is received, in my experience, the high school transcript isn’t requested. Everyone is looking at the college transcript now. But you should still keep a high school transcript, just in case.
You May Also Like:
Homeschool Dual Enrollment: Your Ultimate Guide
Dual Enrollment Decoded: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
10 Benefits of Teens in the Home
5. Do You Need SAT/ACT?
You do not need these tests to graduate high school. Also, if you are already attending college through dual enrollment you won’t need them either.
In my experience the only time you need them is if the college requires it. Ask the college to confirm that it is needed. If you are planning to join one of the military academies. If you want to be eligible for more scholarships.
Go back to your plan and decide if these tests are necessary.
6. Life Skills and Responsibility for Your High Schoolers
We need to prepare our kids for responsibility on their own. That includes things like budgeting (and living within it), how to buy a car, taxes, laundry, cooking, and time management, these are essential skills for every young adult.
Incorporate these skills into their weekly routine. When my oldest kids got their first jobs before they could spend any money, we created a budget together. I showed them how to update it and keep track of where their money was going.
I know it is easier for us to keep doing everything and sometimes it is less stressful for us to just do it. Especially if it is a new task that takes them outside of their comfort zone. But our job is to nudge them to do these things. Once something is successfully accomplished, it builds confidence in your teen.
Create opportunities for your teen to take increasing responsibility over their life and schedule. This prepares them for college, work, or living on their own with confidence.
7. Be Flexible
Your plans will change. As you figure things out and your teen gets a better idea of what he wants to do, you will adjust your plans.
The most important thing you can do is to remain flexible through these years. Set your graduation requirements (how many credits are needed), but be flexible on how you get there.
Sometimes the best learning moments aren’t in your planner. And that’s the beauty of homeschooling. Stay open to spontaneity, creativity, and connection.
Disclaimer: Part of this is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my time to review and write about Master Books World Geography and Cultures for high schoolers. All opinions are always my own. For more information on sponsored posts, see my disclosure.
Curriculum for High Schoolers
Here are some of my curriculum recommendations for high schoolers.Whether you want to go eclectic or all in one, here are some of my favorite recommendations
1. Mr D Math
This is one of my favorite math programs to recommend for high school. I have always struggled to help my kids with high school. It isn’t because I’m bad at math, I always did well, it is because I can’t remember it any more. I haven’t used it since high school, and so I can’t remember all the steps.
Mr D Math offers live or self-paced high school classes. They are gamified, which brings learning math to a new level of fun, engagement and motivation. The program is fully accredited, if you want that, but your curriculum doesn’t need to accredited.
The math courses offered by Mr D Math range from pre-algebra to calculus. If you are dreading math as you approach high school, then Mr D Math just might save your sanity.
2. Master Books Geography
Geography is one of my favorite subjects and this can make your high school learning so much fun. Explore the world with Master Books World Geography. Your student will understand how geography shapes human life, culture, and history.
This is a full year one credit social study course. If your student is applying to a four year university or has other plans, Master Books Geography exceeds the standard. The structure of the course is designed for students to be independent, which is always a plus in my book.
The best part of using Master Books World Geography and Cultures are the colorful pictures throughout the textbook. Your students are not only learning and engaging with the culture, but also immersing themselves in the landscape.
The textbook covers all six inhabited continents, giving in-depth profiles of the major regions of each continent. Your high schoolers will learn more than landforms, weather, and culture. They will understand how these resources shape the way people live and understand global events.
3. Greg Landry’s Homeschool Science
This is another subject that I love to outsource. Between the teaching and the science labs this is not a class that I enjoy. That’s why I highly recommend Greg Landry’s Homeschool Science. He is a former college professor that offers classes from 4th grade through high school.
If you want to give your kids a homeschool science with faith-based values that is going to shape their critical thinking and understanding of the world around them, then you need to get Greg Landry Homeschool Science.
High school classes offered: biology, chemistry, conceptual physics, anatomy & physiology, and more! But most important the classes also offer virtual labs. No more science experiments on your kitchen counters.
4. Master Books Worldviews in Conflict
This is one of those must teach electives for your high school student. If your student is going to college, the military, or something else after high school, then they need to understand the worldviews that they will be facing.
We want our kids to be independent thinkers and understand how to process information. Before they can do that, they need the right foundation and understanding of ideas. Ideas have consequences. Those ideas unfold throughout the events of history. If we want to truly understand why something happened, then it is imperative to study how the ideas developed over time.
The pursuit of knowledge is a good and necessary endeavor. But when this pursuit becomes untethered from truth, the result is bad philosophy. It is important to know how to answer bad ideas because some of these ideas have had a devastating effect on western civilization.
There are a lot of ideas out there, so where do you even start to gain an understanding of them? If you want your high schoo
5. Sonlight
This is one of my favorite all in one curriculum. High school can feel overwhelming trying to put it altogether. If you want an easy open and go curriculum that uses a lot of real books, then check out Sonlight.
If your teen isn’t a fan of textbooks, but loves to read books, then this is a great program for high school. It is a literature-based program that does all the heavy lifting and planning for you.
This was the perfect program for my oldest son. When we switched to it in high school, I finally felt like we got the right curriculum. He enjoys reading, but hates textbooks. This curriculum really engaged him for high school.
6. Abeka
My daughter has used Abeka Academy since second grade. Anytime I asked if she wanted to try something new, she always refused. If you want an open and go curriculum, then this is a good option.
Abeka is a more traditional school curriculum, especially if you use the DVDs. She wanted to use the DVDs for science and math, but didn’t find them necessary for the other classes.
Abeka makes high school planning very easy because you just follow their plan for each year of high school. It is a rigorous program, so my daughter easily transitioned to college classes.
7. Dual Enrollment
My three oldest kids have all done dual enrollment. It is a great way to get a jump start on college and pay really cheap tuition.
College dual enrollment is exactly what it sounds like. Your high school student is taking college classes while in high school. Pretty simple. There are a lot of colleges that will do dual enrollment. If there is a particular college you are interested in, check to see if they offer it.
Keep this in mind, many colleges offer lower tuition rates for high school students. In your search, make sure you are in the dual enrollment section of the college. Search for dual enrollment, early college, or something like that. Tuition is much cheaper.
Also, keep in mind that not all colleges will offer a degree. There may also be a limit to how many credits a high school student can take. I also discovered that many colleges won’t offer a super-senior year. The dual enrollment tuition is just for 4 years of high school. Then regular tuition kicks in. That can be three times the amount of dual enrollment tuition. So keep these things in mind as you are planning your homeschool dual enrollment program.
Books for High Schoolers
I have lots of book reviews for all ages. If you need some great book recommendations for high school, then check out my book review section.
Conclusion: Homeschool High Schoolers Confidently
Homeschooling high schoolers may seem overwhelming at first, but with a bit of planning you can guide your teen with confidence through these years and onto the next step.
Plan your teen’s high school in pencil and not in pen. If your teens are unsure of the next steps, then give them the most balanced high school plan. For us that means dual enrollment and an associate’s degree in high school.
You don’t need to have it all figured out today—you just need to take the next step.
Download the high school planning guide now.
FAQs: Homeschooling High Schoolers
Q: Is it hard to homeschool a high schooler?
A: It can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. With the right resources and mindset, many parents find it becomes easier over time.
Q: How do I issue a diploma as a homeschool parent?
A: As the administrator of your homeschool, you have the right to issue a diploma. It’s all about documenting the work on a transcript which validates the diploma.
Q: What if my teen wants to go back to public school?
A: That’s a valid concern. If it happens, work with the school to transfer credits and ensure a smooth transition. Keep detailed records just in case.
Q: Do colleges accept homeschoolers?
A: Yes, many colleges actively recruit homeschoolers and often view them as independent, motivated learners. Make sure your teen has a strong transcript and, if applicable, test scores or portfolios to showcase their work. Speak with the colleges to find out what they require for enrollment.
Q: Can my teen still do sports and extracurriculars?
A: Absolutely. Many homeschoolers participate in community leagues, private classes, and local clubs. Some states even allow homeschoolers to join public school teams.
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