Homeschooling High School. This is a time when many parents throw the towel in on the whole homeschooling thing. Why? They find it too intimidating. Too hard. They feel like they aren’t smart enough, or want their kids to have a REAL diploma.
I know. I always said by the time high school came around I’d be signing the kids up for online public school. But, then I realized something.
It’s not that hard to homeschool high school! Believe me, my friend Ann wrote all about it.
By the time you are homeschooling high school your kids will be pretty well independent learners. This means LESS supervision and more responsibility on their shoulders. This is not a bad thing.
Homeschooling high school also offers amazing benefits to both parents and kids.
Reduced Peer Pressure
Listen, I hated high school. Yes, I liked my friends and prom. But, high school kind of stunk. You are pressured in so many different directions, and the lack of parental supervision often leads to trouble.
By homeschooling high school, your kids won’t experience as much peer pressure. Yes, it may still be there to an extent from homeschool group or even youth group, but the level will be a lot less
You can provide a higher quality program
Who knows your children better than you? No one! This means that if you are raising a budding writer, you know to invest in a quality writing program. Have a child interested in veterinary medicine? Zoology and vet science is where you want to focus. Homeschooling allows you the opportunity to offer your high schooler resources that can strengthen the areas they hope to study in college. It also allows you to tailor their education to improve weaker areas while highlighting their strengths. There is no teaching to the middle. Students can push past their comfort zones in areas where the excel and spend extra time in areas where they struggle. There are no boundaries, and that is a great thing!
You are providing your high schooler with real life experiences
Let’s face it, high school is fake. When will a child ever again spend a whole day with kids their own age? NEVER. Homeschoolers are able to experience real life opportunities every day. They have a flexible schedule and are able to regularly take learning opportunities outside the classroom.
Have a student who is interested in graphic design? They can shadow a successful graphic designer in the middle of the day on a school day! Have a student who is interested in auto body, photography, medicine? Same thing. The ability to career sample or even apprentice is HUGE at this age and can allow your high schooler to truly experience what life would be like on that career path. This is a real life experience that many high schools can’t offer.
More Time for Special Talents
Homeschoolers are tearing up spelling and geography bees, music and robotics competitions and more. Why? They often have more time to pursue these special talents than their public school counterparts. No homework means more time to focus on their interest. No set schedule means they can practice an instrument for hours instead of minutes due to moving on to the next class.
The last four years at home is a huge stepping stone for our teenagers academic and spiritual lives. The teen years are often deemed challenging and yes, that may sometimes be true, but what better time to spend training up your children than those formative years. You will have the ability to watch them rise above societies expectations and can help them mature in godliness and focus on their own unique gifts and talents.
These are just a few of the many reasons to homeschool high school!
Misty Bailey is a work at home homeschool, mom. She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares her struggles with time management, becoming unglued and finding joy in the everyday moments of her blog Joy in the Journey.
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