Homeschool High School: Making Hard Decisions

Here we are - 11th grade looming on the horizon for my youngest child.

I remember this being a crucial time in my oldest’s homeschool high school experience. We made a big change in her schooling and never regretted having the courage to recognize something wasn’t working and then making a change.

(That child is now a sophomore in college and wants to be an Occupational Therapist. She’s doing well and I believe she had the preparation she needed for the path she is on.)

When our high schoolers reach the age of 15 or 16 there are new worlds opening to them. Their personalities are continuing to develop. They are thinking about life beyond high school.

Hard decisions need to be made.

Mom and dad are learning to let go.

I’d like to go over some of those hard decisions in this post, and also give you a little update on life in our homeschool right now.

Also - I can’t emphasize enough how different each child is. The path my daughter took isn’t the same one my son will take. Children change, times change (pandemics happen and everything suddenly becomes more tenuous), and opportunities change.

And, at the end of the day, I always remain thankful that we have had the opportunity and blessing to homeschool our children.

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How Do We Continue to Honor Our Child’s Interests?

As our children progress through high school it is imperative they do not lose the wonder in learning!

My son has always been interested in design and architecture. This year he took an Intro. to Architecture class that gave him a glimpse into what an architect does. We’re going to follow this up with a Graphic Design class next year. (Check out Excelsior Classes - we had a great experience with them this year!)

Additionally, LEGO bricks have always played a HUGE part in our homeschool. It seems that this interest just continues through high school. I’m trying to encourage Grant in any way I can. He has applied for a job at our local LEGO store, is learning to make YouTube videos (many of them about his LEGO creations), and might even embark on a fun online project with LEGOS next year.

In addition to these things he also plays the piano and loves to play basketball.

All of these things contribute to him being a well-rounded young person.

(And isn’t that a goal for homeschool parents? We want happy, well-rounded young people who love to learn!)

Do We Continue With Classical Conversations?

Each year around this time we always look ahead to the next level of Challenge.

I sit down with Grant and go over each of the strands for the following year. Do they interest him? Does he find value in them? (Believe me, sometimes this takes some prodding from me - of course, it’s hard for a typical teenager to see the value in some of these academics!)

Can we handle the Challenge workload and still pursue his interests?

The answer right now is YES. Grant is looking forward to Challenge III, and I think a lot of this is because of his strong peer group and how this style of learning just WORKS for him. I’ve watched all the pieces click into place the past few years, and it is VERY exciting!

I fully understand, however, that at this point in time some teens will step back from the Challenge program to pursue a more traditional “school” experience, dual enroll or take advantage of a number of other opportunities.

What About Dual Enrollment for Homeschoolers?

To dual enroll or not dual enroll? That is the question.

I like this comprehensive article about dual enrollment from Walking by the Way.

In our state (Georgia) we have access to free dual enrollment classes. As I think about this, I know it isn’t “free” - there. is a cost, and that cost is what could potentially be taught in the class, the bias of the professor, and more. So, if we decide to dual enroll we will go in with eyes wide open and doing research about where and when very carefully.

(As of this writing, we have decided against dual enrollment in Grant’s 11th grade year.)

For our family, I want to use every ounce of time while my child is under my room to maintain the integrity of their Classical Christian education. If a dual enrollment class fits our criteria, that is wonderful. We aren’t however, doing it just because it is “free”.

(My daughter took a couple of Advanced Placement classes and we were happy with that and she earned some college credit. You can read about that here.)

Which Standardized Test Should My Homeschool High Schooler Take?

I thought I had this all figured out until a global pandemic happened.

Now, I am wondering if the next couple of years will be test-optional as well?

So, here is my approach right now: continue to do practice problems from the ACT practice book. Take practice tests. Be prepared to take the PSAT and/or SAT or ACT next year if needed.

Grant will also take the Classic Learning Test this year, too.

To be frank, I am going on faith with this right now. At this point in my daughter’s high school career she had taken the PSAT and ACT. Things are different now, and I have to trust that all will be well.

Is College Even Worth It?

Is a 4-year degree the path for success?

(I am also exercising trust in this area - both my husband and I have college and advanced degrees. They were of great benefit to us. I’ve had to adjust my thinking in this area.)

College isn’t what it used to be. We are blessed in the state of Georgia to have the Hope and Zell scholarships, which pay college tuition when you meet certain academic requirements. My oldest is going tuition-free to a Georgia university to pursue her undergraduate that is necessary to get into Occupational Therapy School.

We will NOT allow our children to go into debt for school. They must have a plan that necessitates college if they want to attend college.

Maybe my son wants to work when he graduates high school and figure out what he wants to do. Maybe he would like to earn his two-year degree locally before heading off for his 4-year degree. (I heard yesterday about a young man who went to a local technical school (again, paid for by our state) to get an Electrician’s certificate - working while doing so to save money to then apply to Georgia Tech engineering school. Smart.)

The days of a 4-year degree being the automatic path for so many young people are gone, and I hope that as homeschoolers we have equipped our children to think outside the box to work hard, maybe start their own businesses, and just HUSTLE.

With each of the large areas mentioned above, it strikes me that PRAYER is the answer to each of them.

As I’ve done with my children since before they were born, I pray for them. I pray for their future, that they love Jesus, and that they love their families and love to learn. I pray for their future spouse and I pray for this crazy world we’re living in.

I always come back to this: Homeschooling has been the best thing we could have done for our children. I know of no better way to equip our children for the world they are living in!

I hope this has given you a little homeschool and life update.

I’d love to hear from you and how your high school journey is going.

Leave me a comment below!

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5 Reasons Why We Chose to Homeschool

Can you remember when you first heard that your children’s school would be going virtual?  

I certainly can!  It was just going to be two weeks, right?  We all wondered how in the world we would make it even that long!  

It was during those early days of the pandemic as educators tried to adjust to a “new normal” of Zoom calls and P.E. consisting of jumping on the trampoline in the backyard that I began to look at the education of my children very differently. 

Although I had always been engaged in my children’s education, I now found myself sitting next to a fourth-grader - solely responsible for all he was learning and asking myself...could there be a better option for their education?

Did they really need to be away from home for 8 hours a day to receive the “best” education?

As this went well beyond two weeks, my husband and I began to seriously consider ways that we could supplement their education at home. Ultimately this led to our decision to choose homeschooling for the next year.

5 Reasons Why We Chose to Homeschool

• Uncertainty

  We were chugging along...my 4th grader in public school and my 4-year-old coming to our church preschool with me where she was in Pre-K and I was teaching a three-year-old class when we found out schools would be closing.

  I continually checked my son’s Google Classroom site to see how his teacher would handle this “virtual schooling” and was shocked to find out that all we would receive was a list of assignments to complete online.  No communication...no virtual lessons...no nothing!  

  We never had any communication or instruction from his teacher again. 

  This is what initially led my husband and me to even consider homeschooling as we felt that was what we were having to do in the absence of any given instruction from the public school system.  And much to our surprise...we were all loving it! 

  Fast forward to the end of the summer when no one was sure when school would begin or what it would look like. I couldn’t stand the thought of my ten-year-old spending an entire day away from us, in a mask, isolated at a desk or on a computer.

  I began researching options for curriculum, state standards, and methods of homeschooling. We decided to unenroll him and tackle this year and see where it would lead. I can honestly say now I feel it leads to homeschooling for the long haul!

  I now set the schedule, set the pace, and what makes up our curriculum.

• Content Control

  We all know that no one, not even the best-intentioned teacher, is going to care for and know your children as you do.  I wanted to be able to research and investigate various options for curriculum and methods of instruction that would resonate best with my child’s learning style.  

  I also know that as our children spend more and more time away from home, they are influenced by world views that do not necessarily align with the Christian beliefs we as a family hold.  

  By choosing to homeschool, I was able to tailor his learning so that it aligned with these beliefs and no longer had to worry that he was going to be taught something or exposed to something in public school that we didn’t agree with or that he wasn’t yet able to understand. 

• Religious Instruction

  As I began talking to others and examining curriculum options, the thought of beginning our day with devotions and Bible reading was very appealing. 

   It has allowed us to have deeper level conversations about faith while allowing us to share some very rewarding time together.  

  I’ve also grown in my understanding of the Bible now reading it as a “teacher” trying to help my son understand and not just reading for my own understanding.  

  We have also been able to memorize scripture together which has proved challenging and rewarding for us both.  This is giving him a knowledge he would never have received in public school.

• Reading Exposure

  We are a family of avid readers.  It’s what we do!  I realized I was able to incorporate novels, articles, picture books, and more into our days that enriched our learning in ways that allowed us to bond over this shared love of reading.  

  Due to our mutual love of reading, we have chosen a reading heavy curriculum that has allowed us to read more widely both together and independently.  

  He is thriving and we have created many wonderful memories around shared stories.  It’s allowed him much more time to read independently as well, noticeably increasing his reading fluency and vocabulary. 

(Taking advantage of a SQUILT LIVE! lesson - we are enjoying incorporating things like music appreciation into his education now!)

• Impressive Homeschoolers and Parents

  I’ll admit I had preconceived notions about homeschool families.  

  Having grown up as a public school student, I assumed homeschoolers were strange kids from strange families who just didn’t fit in with the norm of school.  

  More and more, however, over the past few years, I’ve met homeschool moms and students who proved me totally wrong.  

  They are impressive, they are people I respect and want my child to emulate. They are knowledgeable, thoughtful, well-spoken people who simply chose a different way of educating their children. 

  ( I’m not sure where they’ve been hiding all this time!)

  They chose what they felt was best for their family and I can now see the merits of this choice. 

  
  The wake of the events of the past year has left a lot of changes in our world. One change that I will forever be thankful for is the opportunity it provided for me to take more direct involvement in my children’s education and to discover the numerous options available for moving my children from traditional public education to an environment of education at home.

I’m curious - what made YOU decide to homeschool?

Let me know in the comments below!

This is post is from Homegrown Learners contributor, Allison. She is a wife and mother with a passion for reading. With a background in Early Childhood Education as well as experience working in Corporate America, the events of the past year exposed her to the rewards of teaching her own children at home. She hopes to encourage anyone who has ever been anxious about taking this leap with her own personal successes and failures of her family's first year homeschooling.

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