You CAN Homeschool High School!

Some people think of homeschooling as something that is only for young children, and then at some point you need to put them in “school”.

I disagree. I think the best thing we can do for our kids is to homeschool them all the way through high school.

If you desire to keep that warm, close relationship that you’ve been building with your teen instead of sending him or her away just because you’re afraid you can’t do a good job of covering the high school years, I’ve got good news for you. It’s not hard to homeschool high school. By the time they’re in high school, they can do everything independently. All you have to do is find out what they’re interested in and let them major in that. You can find curriculum for the basic subjects like English, Math, Science, and Social Studies and let them work through it on their own.

Just think about what high school was like for you. Did the teachers really teach you by their lectures, or did you learn by reading the books? Or did you really learn at all? Or did you just do whatever you had to do to pass the tests and make good grades.

Homeschooling your child through high school is your best chance to let them learn what they really need to learn in life. And to keep them from losing all of the values and ideals you worked so hard to instill in them. To me, putting them in school is tantamount to undoing all the work you did up to that point. That’s how I feel about it.

So to help you feel more confident about homeschooling them through high school, I’ll give you a few tips.

1. Making a transcript is not hard. I have made transcripts for many people. I have a template I use that makes it very easy.
2. You don’t even have to keep grades in the different subjects unless you want to. I estimate grades for the transcript based on the student’s effort and their interest in the subject. The grades given by teachers in schools are often subjective and don’t always reflect the level of knowledge of the student. You may need to think differently about grades and how important they really are. Give your student a grade that reflects how well they learned the subject, not how well they did on tests.
3. Let your teen help plan what they want to study. Give them the chance to take the reins and make their education their own. This is their education, not yours. All you need to do is facilitate. Help them get whatever supplies, courses, or opportunities they need to dig deeper into the things that they are interested in and may want to do as a future career. You can even help them with hobbies they enjoy and give them time to enjoy them.
4. There are ways to get your kids into sports if they are great athletes, and it means a lot to them. There are some schools that allow homeschoolers to play, some Christian schools. You just have to research and find a way to make it happen. It may not be easy, but God will guide you and help you find everything you need for your children.
5. They can get a job, and their employers will love them, because they are available at times other students are not available to work.
6. You can find a group that has a nice graduation ceremony if that’s important to you. Again, just research and find out what’s available in your area.
7. And you can get a nice diploma for your student. I like to use Homeschooldiploma.com. I have used them many times, and their diplomas look very professional and authentic. You don’t need to feel like you aren’t qualified to give your child a diploma. You are more qualified than the teachers who would have barely known your child and could only assess them based on a few hours in their class. You know your child. You know the time and effort they put into their studies. You know their interests and their hopes and dreams. You are the most qualified to pronounce that they are ready to move on to the next stage of life. 

        So I hope this helps you to feel better about your ability to homeschool your child all the way through high school. It may take more work to find some of the things that schools provide, but, in the end, it will be a much better experience for you and for your child.

Here’s the Transcript I like to use. 

If you have any questions, email me and I would be glad to help you! penneymaried@yahoo.com – Use the subject heading “Homeschooling High School”