A lot of folks seem to be intimidated by the idea of homeschooling their teens through high school and graduation. When we first began homeschooling, we met some pushback, but persisted and even fifteen years later were still got asked occasionally if they kids were going to high school. While one son did do dual enrollment, the right fit for him, and another did votech classes at the local community college, again the right fit, both boys also took several classes at home as well. They graduated from homeschool.
If you’re planning to graduate a teen from homeschool, there are a few things you’ll want to plan for first.
Know Your State Law
Be sure that you know the homeschooling laws for your state so that there are no surprises at the end of the journey! Some states, such as New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania, have very specific rules governing how a homeschooler can get a diploma, while most other states simply offer guidelines. Check HSLDA to find your state’s specific laws.
If a college or program requires accreditation, know that your homeschool and curriculum are not accredited. Most colleges, however, will accept a homeschool diploma if your students meets the entrance requirements, and it’s worth noting that not all public schools maintain their accreditation either.
Have an Idea of Your Student’s Plan
Start with the end in sight. Choose courses and a high school plan based on what the student plans to do post-graduation, be that a college major or setting off on a career path. If college is the plan, check their admissions requirements and plan accordingly. If career is the goal, you’ll still need to meet basic requirements for graduation, but choose electives based on that future path.
Generally, most students should be taking four years of language arts, three years of science, three years of history, three years of math, two years of a foreign language, and several electives to total approximately 26 credits. Some states will have additional requirements, such as state history or health and physical education, so be sure to check those laws and your state department of education website.
If your student isn’t sure of the post-graduation plan, homeschool with college as the end goal. It is easier to go down a career path with a college-prep education than it is to apply for college with only career-prep courses.
Start keeping the high school transcript in ninth grade, and eighth grade if they are taking advanced classes. It’s not only colleges who will ask for it, but many first-time employers and scholarship providers will as well. Be sure to transfer grades from any online programs or outside grade sources to the transcript and keep any certificates your student earns as well. In Through the Door, you’ll find transcript templates and instructions for putting together each section of this important document.
Standardized testing is another important part of record-keeping, especially if college is the future goal. Most students will need to take either the ACT or SAT entrance exam. College-bound students might take the exam more than once, both to get a superscore (where the highest scores from each subsection are combined from across all testing experiences) and for the test-retest effect. However, even if your student isn’t college-bound, it can be a good idea to take the exam simply to back up the grades you have given in homeschool, just in case you are ever questioned about them.
Stay in the Loop
Make a connection with the local high school counselor and learn where they post information for students. Get on that communication thread and stay in the loop. While traditionally-schooled students are often inundated with information about when testing dates are, what career and college fairs are on the horizon, or other opportunities for teens, homeschoolers aren’t usually privy to that information…and you want to be. This can also be a good place to learn about local scholarship programs or job shadowing events.
Plan a Graduation
After you’ve kept the coursework, met the requirements, and printed the transcripts, it’s time to issue a diploma. Many families choose to join a local group for a formal graduation ceremony or host their own at home.
If you want to host a ceremony at home, it can be as simple as playing the commencement song, saying some words, looking over pictures from kindergarten through graduation, and handing out a diploma. Some families host a reception, similar to a wedding reception, afterward, with food and fun.
Admittedly, rather than hosting or joining a ceremony, we provided our sons with graduation experiences. England, Germany, South Africa…these travel opportunities provide a lifetime of memories and new cultural experiences. Travel is important to mom and dad, and we roadschooled across the country with the kids when they were younger, so it was a natural progression to spend that money on an overseas trip of their choice, and they preferred it over a big party event. Again, the beauty of homeschooling is that each family can make a choice that is right for them!
Seasoned homeschoolers with a few graduates under their belts can easily remember the anxiety of homeschooling that oldest child, making sure to meet all of the requirements and hoping that it was the right move for their future. We all want what is best for our kids, and by being informed, you can confidently proceed toward a successful homeschool graduation.
A gap year is a period of time, typically a year, between years of formal education. Some choose to take a gap year between high school and college, while others might take a break during the college years. During this time, students may travel, volunteer, or work, as they gain life experience and explore the world.
The concept of a gap year is not new; it goes back centuries to the European elites who would finish their schooling and then take a grand world tour, visiting a variety of places, learning about different cultures and languages, and making connections. It fell out of vogue during the Napoleonic Wars, but came back into play in the 20th century. During the 1960s, it became popular in America with the baby boomers. Their theory was that by travelling and learning about other cultures, they could foster world peace.
The gap year often provides flexibility to explore special interests, travel, do an exchange program, or volunteer. For students who may not have the same financial resources, it is also an opportunity to explore career options, work to earn money for college expenses, take a rest from academics, and explore special interests or take a trip. The common thread among nearly all gap years is that they are a time of self-discovery when students can gain practical life experiences that help them make those important future decisions.
Should you take a gap year?
Students looking for more independence will have an opportunity to make their own decisions, manage their own finances and schedule, and cultivate peer connections.
Students looking for cultural experiences and a broader worldview can travel, volunteer with travelling organizations, interact with other cultures, and face new life experiences.
Students who are undecided about their next steps can take some time to explore career opportunities, gain life experiences, explore various fields and interests, and make an informed decision about their future academic or career tracks.
Students looking to cover college expenses without major loans can mitigate those expenses by continuing to live at home and working full time. While this is the least “fun” of the gap year options, it still provides an opportunity for self-reflection, gaining life experiences, and laying a strong foundation for the future.
There are some drawbacks, however, to taking a gap year. Some students may feel left out, as their peers head into college and they do not. Without adequate planning for both the gap year and what happens afterward, students might stall or spend the entire year unwisely, not gaining the experiences they wanted. If there is a lot of travelling involved, there might be a large cost for the year. Finally, after taking a year off, it can be difficult to get back into the academic groove to finish out college, and students may not have the same resources they had (to assist with college planning) in high school.
Gap Year Pros and Cons
Pros Work Experiences Life Skills Cultural Experiences Self-Reflection & Growth Save / Earn Money Explore Interests Rest and Recharge
Cons Feeling Left Out / FOMO Stalling Cost Lack of Structure Difficult to Get Back Potential Lost Time Restricted Resources
One additional pro of taking a gap year is that students will have fodder for all those college and scholarship application essays! However, it is of the utmost importance to spend time responsibly planning the gap year. Map out experiences, break down the months into an ‘experience calendar,’ and research different gap year programs that provide travel, volunteering, and other life experiences. (Caveat – these can be expensive.)
Before heading into a gap year, remember to get copies of transcripts, letters of recommendation, references, and any other academic resources from the school that will be needed during the transition from gap year to a return to academics. If the plan is to return to college, remember to keep that end goal in sight, too. Bon voyage!
Because laughter is the best balm for a soul…. Here are ten signs that you’re homeschooling a teenager!
You have an intimate relationship with YouTube.
Gone are the days of stepping on Legos and math manipulatives. These days, if you want to help your teen figure out how to solve a math problem, you have to YouTube how to do it and hope that it rings even the teensiest of bells from your own schooling so that you can help your teen…or just let them watch and explain it to you. Check out – Should You be YouTube Schooling?
Your children have turned into Hobbits.
They require second breakfast and Elevensies. They have their days and nights mixed up. Granted, some kids start this as early as birth, but it becomes a real issue when they’re teens. Maybe they’ll work second or third shift when they graduate. Or maybe their rhythms will even out. Time will tell. Got kids who love the Hobbit? Check out The Hobbit & Writing Fantasy Fiction.
The dreaded question has changed.
Remember how often you got asked about socialization when your kids were younger? Now you’re getting asked about things like dating, prom, and graduation. Won’t they miss out on it? Think back to your high school days…some folks loved those events, others tolerated them, and others skipped out. The homeschool community has evolved such that, if you want to participate in these events, you’ll be able to find them (unless you live in a superbly remote area). No one is missing out!
Arts and crafts are less cute and more functional.
Sure, you can’t put a dissected sheep eye on the refrigerator (and who would want to?), and it’s difficult to show off your kid’s vocational skills (which saved you quite a bit on that refrigerator repair), but just because you can’t pin these images doesn’t make them less worthy. These life skills, fostered in their teen years, can really pay off in the long run when they help you out in the future. Check out Career-Based Electives for Teens.
Photos become much more unique.
Whether because they’re adding stickers and emojis to digital photos, or just because they can’t seem to pose without making a face, sticking out their tongue, or putting rabbit ears behind a sibling, you haven’t had a decent photo of your kid in a couple of years. Hold out for those holiday photos – Christmas and Mother’s Day are sacred, and you deserve a smiling photo on these. Stay strong!
The expensive Legos have been replaced by expensive musical instruments / car parts / insert hobby or sport equipment here.
Gone are the days of kvetching over spending a hundred dollars on a Lego set. Those are the good ol’ days. Sporting equipment, car parts, new technology, and musical instruments….these are the things that have replaced those simple building toys. Check out Should Your Teen Have a Job?
Home Economics, Homesteading (if you have a farm), Auto Mechanics, Shop…all of these are elective credits that you can give you child now that s/he is actively contributing to the household management and chores. Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, meal planning, and shopping all count toward Home Economics. Check out A Self-Sufficient Life.
Field trips become a little bit scary.
It’s not so much because they’ve run off at the zoo…again…as it is because they actually drove you to the field trip. I believe that teaching teens to drive shaves a full year or more off of parents’ lives. Especially when they nearly miss their turn and take a 90-degree turn at 45 mph, going up on two wheels. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.
The house is suddenly very quiet.
It’s not like when they were toddlers, however, and you knew the silence meant that trouble was just around the corner. Which is not to say that there isn’t trouble around the corner, but it’s most likely happening outside of your home where you won’t know until later. But then the house is loud at night when everyone is together for dinner again. Think of this as a transition period for when you become an empty nester.
You become sentimental.
Suddenly you understand what people meant when they were babies and you were told, ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ We only get eighteen summers, and then they spread their wings and fly. Savor these four years of high school. Transition your relationship from parent-child to more of a mentorship, and know that there may be bumps along the path to independence, but you’re supporting them, love them, and will miss them dearly once they graduate. (Even if they don’t realize it.)
Field trips are just as important now that your students are teens as they were back in elementary school. There’s no need to stop taking them, but you’ll want to change how you approach them…and you can do some pretty interesting things!
Here are some field trip ideas for middle and high school students. There are both local and travel options, ranging from free to need-to-plan-ahead. What are your teens favorite places to visit, and would you add to this list?
After the field trip, take time to debrief. This may be an art project, an essay comparing or contrasting different aspects of the topic, or even a lab report, timeline, or research paper. These last few ideas are perfect for high schoolers doing virtual/simulated science labs, deep-diving into history, or creating a senior thesis or research project. Talk about:
The results or outcomes of the field trip.
What did they know before they went on the field trip? What did they learn?
What new insights can they take from the experience and apply to daily life?
What connections can be made between anything at the field trip with other aspects or topics they’re learning about?
What was the most interesting or fun? Why?
What else would they like to learn about this topic?
Finally, even though these aren’t free, educational subscription boxes are a great way to bring the field trip into your home. Here are some of our favorites!
Need some field trip inspiration? Here are a list of adventures from across the United States – find one for your next local or vacation journey!
Electives are an excellent way to delve into topics and interests – no matter how strange they seem – in your child’s middle and high school years. There’s your typical shop and home economics, but also specifics like aviation or hieroglyphs. Think back…when else did you have so much freedom to explore? As homeschooled teens, the world is their oyster!
Elective classes give them a chance for career exploration, too. Your student may discover that he doesn’t really want to be a veterinarian after all….or that he loves to write!
If you want some inspiration or just a quick-start guide, discover several free downloads of elective course curricula for specialized electives in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Choosing electives for high school can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. If it’s a class outside of the core curriculum (required courses for graduation), then it’s an elective class. What do colleges want to see? What does your child really need? And how do you know what to pick…?
Electives can be a good way to make high school fun, to bring some moments of levity to a day crowded with the intense courses found in these upper grades, particularly in a college prep scenario. What is your child interested in? Which hobbies does s/he gravitate toward? Are there any career interests yet? This is a good way to let colleges know more about your student, as they see which electives made the cut and ended up on the transcript.
If your student doesn’t know what they want to take and / or doesn’t have a field of interest for a possible future career yet, it might be time to check out a Career Exploration course. The Career Clusters Student Interest Survey is an inventory that helps narrow down your child’s field of interest based on preferences, hobbies, and skills. It takes about fifteen minutes to complete and then shows the top three fields of interest for possible careers. This metric includes sixteen different ’career clusters,’ including jobs ranging from entry-level to professional, and is a great way to determine elective choice!
If you have the opportunity, it will benefit your student to take elective choices aligning with his or her career interests. This will help with determining if that is a good fit (it’s better to find this out in high school than once you’ve paid for that college training!), and will give them some introductory level knowledge, which can be a leg up in the job market.
Have an open discussion about future goals and plans with your high schooler. Are they considering college? Military? Vocational-technical school? Starting a business? Each of these post-graduation paths will benefit from a variety of elective opportunities.
Depending on their future goals, create your high school plan. First fill in your state graduation requirements. Then add in all the interest-based ideas your teen has and work toward filling in the elective, and sometimes the core classes as well, with those interests.
Be sure to check with your local and state laws regarding what is required for graduating from homeschool high school. Note the classes, credits, and other details so that when your student reaches their senior year, your transcript is ready to roll. If you need help, the Sparks Academy School Counselor can help with creating a four-year plan.
Spring and summer are a fantastic time to take your homeschool outside! Hands-on projects can be completed year-round, but during these times, it’s easier to incorporate nature and do big, messy projects. Getting hands-on helps students to become more engaged, involve their senses in learning, and prevent burnout. It also helps to flesh out abstract ideas in a more concrete format, applying difficult-to-understand concepts into a real-world application. This not only helps the student understand more, but also retain more.
Each of these resources is appropriate for middle and high school students. If you prefer family-style teaching, they can be tailored down, or you may eliminate some of the more complicated aspects, for elementary students. Want to create your own hands-on nature study? Download the unit study planner, and get started exploring your family’s interests!
A literature study is a fantastic jumping-off point for further exploration. Pick a topic, read all about it, and then get hands on with the additional projects!
Maybe you’re not quite ready to head outside…or maybe you’re required to have more structured learning. Either way, these curricula incorporate real-world learning projects into the lessons!
Learn about forensic science and methods. Go hands-on with techniques like fingerprinting, collecting shoe prints, and more. Use the same tools the pros use to detect the presence of blood and identify theft suspects. Each box comes with gear that real investigators use along with activities designed to let you learn by doing. Your first box contains a free one-year subscription to our online detective game. Examine the evidence and solve the case.
We search planet Earth for the most interesting forms of matter. Each month we ship fossils, tools, specimens, materials, or artifacts that have been carefully selected as some of the most interesting pieces of matter in our accessible universe. Part museum, part laboratory, perfect for quarantine! Feed your curiosity or spark someone’s else’s. This one is for the kid who knows everything!! It will spark an interest for further research…
Beautiful Discovery kits use visually and kinesthetically engaging patterns of nature to unleash your hidden pattern power and give you STEAM skills. Items include eco-games, art, origami, drag and drop code, models, natural wonders, full color informational cards, full color picture books and booklets, paints and colored pencils, drawing sheets with art lessons on patterns seen in the natural wonders.
Perfect for the student who is hesitant about math, but all about art! This box combines the beauty of nature with real-world math through projects with seashells, crystals, dried leaves, flowers, for their beautiful patterns. There’s even an computer coding element with simple drag and drop block coding that will simulate the patterns seen in the natural wonders studied in each box.
Let’s make science fun one month at a time! A subscription to Spangler Science Club is a guarantee that we’re working together to prepare your young scientist for a future STEM-based career. Choose from one of three levels of hands-on science kits and subscribe to amazing science delivered every month!
With Groovy Lab in a Box, you will receive boxes full of everything you need to learn about and do hands on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiments for ages 8+. We blend Scientific Inquiry and the Engineering Design Process, which allows children to create ingenious inventions, enhance problem solving skills and FUN!
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