The ABCs of Homeschooling - Letter H

Letter H - High School

     Homeschooling for high school can be pretty intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. It just takes some minor adjustments.  For one, I never gave my kids report cards, but once they started high school there were transcripts with which to be concerned. 

     Since my kids have been homeschooled their whole lives, they are rather independent, generally.  They know by the time they reach high school pretty much what is expected. Therefore, at this point, they make up their own schedules.  What I mean by that is, I tell them I want 20 school days per month from September through May.  That leaves the whole month of June for our evaluation.  I don't care if they do their work day or night.  I don't care if they work from Saturday through Wednesday each week, or Monday through Friday.  That is on them.  Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not involved at all.  There are, among other things, papers to correct and questions to be answered.

   All of my kids have worked jobs while in high school, so they appreciate the flexibility, I am sure.  Besides that, unlike teenagers who go to school, they can have both a job, and play sports because it doesn't take all day to do their schoolwork. Sometimes, those jobs have been part of their schooling.

   Two of my sons got a vocational diploma.  By the time they reached 12th grade, they had only to complete English, giving them extra time to work.  Their work was actually part of their schooling.

   One of the things I actually dislike about high school is that it is too narrow.  What I mean by that is, in the younger grades, anything relating to science could be counted as such.  Same with all of the other subjects.  But once you reach high school, there is no deviation.  One year, for instance, you teach American History.  One year is world history, and another is Pennsylvania History.

   That is not to say that all of my kids took the same courses.  My one daughter took horticulture one year instead of, say biology.  Both of my boys received credit in agricultural science based on their farming activities here at home.  It all depends on your diploma program.

   Having mentioned that, we move on to the next topic, which is diploma programs.  I think that the top three used in Pennsylvania are Pennsylvania Homeschoolers, Susquehanna Valley Homeschoolers, and Erie Homeschoolers.  Pennsylvnaia Homeschoolers is the most demanding and offers only an academic diploma.  As I recall, Erie offers some different options, but I've never used it and so can't answer specifically.  Susquehanna Valley offers Business, General, Vocational and Academic. Having these choices can in some way make things more difficult, especially if you are indecisive, but at the same time, make things less difficult because you are not trying to push your child into a mold to which they don't belong.

   Some parents are concerned that they don't have the know how- to teach some of the subjects.  This is a valid point, but there are ways around that, too.  Video courses, online courses, and co-op are three possible ways to get around those topics with which you are not comfortable. When it comes to high school at home, it is just like everything else in life.  As they say, "Where there's a will there's a way."