All articles are presented to stimulate thought and assist Christian families in homeschooling their children. Articles may or may not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the management of HomeschoolChristian.com.
Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschooling
High School and Beyond
- How do you homeschool a high schooler?
- What about apprenticeships for higher schoolers if they are not interested in college?
- How will future employers view my homeschooling experience?
- Will my children be able to go to college/university? Will they be eligible for scholarships?
- Can my high schooler get college credit for some of his homeschooling?
- Can my high schooler attend junior college or university before finishing high school?
- What is "Clepping" a college course?
- What about getting into the military?
How do you homeschool a high schooler?
This year my son decided to quit public school, just starting 9th grade. I had already researched the possibilities available to educate him at home. I choose an independent study program that maintains grades, counsels, creates transcripts and ultimately issues a diploma. There are so many options, we choose to mirror our states requirements for a high school diploma, he is just studying at home. The study program I choose was created from different sources by Hewitt Homeschooling Resources. It suits my son well, since he is already used to a textbook-based study, whereas my 5th grader is used to a literature-unit study based education. She may not be able to utilize this same independent study program. I will have to tailor her high school program. --Briva
In Florida, students at 10th grade level can enroll free of charge in the local community college. This enables them to finish a two year degree (either technical or "Arts"-transferrable to universities) by the time they graduate high school. Homeschooled students can also pursue various vocational certificates at the community college FREE. What a great deal! -- Martha R.
It is possible for a parent to homeschool a child all on her own without an on-line school. It's done pretty much the same way you've schooled so far. You pick your courses and then pick your curricula. There are lots of programs that can be done independently to teach History, Foreign Language, and Science (like Notgrass, Rosetta Stone, or Apologia) or with minimal help such as Math and English (SMARR, Lightening Literature, IEW.). If you're scared of Math there are several programs that have lessons on DVD or the computer with step-by-step answers so your child and you will know immediately where you went wrong (TT, MUS, Chalkdust, Lial's.) There's really no limit on the materials you can find. I would recommend checking with colleges your child might attend to see if they require specific courses for admission. Check your state for the laws that apply to high school (if any.) The law and the requirements for public school students may give you guidance on what to teach. You will need to teach the basics (Math, Science, History, English and two years of a Foreign Language.) For electives, be creative. Concentrate on something your child wants to learn more about. (We did a music course, an art course, home economics, and photography) I would also recommend getting a computerized record keeping system like HomeschoolTracker or Edu-Trac. Both of these will keep track of grades, attendance, course descriptions, and book lists. When it's time to apply to colleges, the tracker will produce a very professional-looking transcript with grades and the child's GPA. -- Alyce
See HomeschoolChristian.com's High School Resources Section for more information and free resources!
What about apprenticeships for higher schoolers if they are not interested in college?
Three years ago my husband and I started brain storming with our now 17-year-old son, about what he would like to do with his adult life. One interest was sports broadcasting. My husband met with the local radio station and asked if our son could volunteer (aka apprentice, :-) . They were very enthusiastic. He learned how to plug in the commercials. This enabled the broadcasters to go live to a high school basketball game and leave our son to run the board. Now he works part-time for them. He no longer wants to be a sports broadcaster, but he would not have known that had he not volunteered. He loves the computer they use to run the station, and has become a useful employee. They all love him too! --Mary Stoughton
My son has been volunteering at a charity thrift store for five years now (starting at 13 years old.) He also volunteers at the local police station. These have given him invaluable experience that will help him in his future, even if he doesn't go into retail or law enforcement. --Martha R.
How will future employers view my homeschooling experience?
If you apprentice your child to a tradesman and the child does well, the tradesman can provide a reference or even a job. If you have your child attend college or university then the degree obtained (or the level of classes taken) should be sufficient. In either case, the future employer will be viewing the completed apprenticeship or college degree. If you are more concerned, there is also a way to affiliate your children with a national high school degree granting program, a distance learning solution. Search on the web among homeschooling sites. But, perhaps, they'll enjoy be self-employed? Our plan is college, so life is a bit simpler. Homeschoolers typically do very well in college compared to their public school brethren. --Chuck S.
Will my children be able to go to college/university? Will they be eligible for scholarships?
Yes. Read Colfax' Homeschooling for Excellence (4 kids, 4 Harvard scholarships) and Cohen's And What About College?--Chuck S.
Yes! Colleges and universities are actively pursuing homeschooled students. Your student should study for the ACT and SAT so that their test scores will be good enough to write their own tickets to the college of their choice.-- Martha R.
Be sure to visit HomeschoolChristian.com's Beyond High School Section for articles and resources for college at home, paying for college, and deciding what college to attend.
Can my high schooler get college credit for some of his homeschooling?
Two ways. The less risky, but more work, way is to enroll him or her in local college courses while still in "10th or 11th grade". (If you don't do "grades", be creative but consistent with the outside world.) The course should be one where the college has a policy of accepting it for credit, or it is usually "transferable" to the college your child will likely attend. If the class is something which you've already covered at home, that's why it's more work: for your child. The more risky way, but less work, is to expect you've done a good job at home in a subject, so that when your child gets into college, he will either have entrance exam scores to allow him or her to bypass some classes, or he or she can "test out of" the course covering that subject. Check with your prospective college or university's catalog for the rules involved in any of these. There is basically nothing different between a homeschooler and a public/private schooler, here, except the former is better educated. --Chuck S.
Can my high schooler attend junior college or university before finishing high school?
Yes. A 15 year old in our local group is doing just that with a local college computer programming class. The nice thing about this is that, for high school children, most fees are usually waived. --Chuck S.
What is "Clepping" a college course?
Many subject areas have placement tests designed to give college credit by achieving a particular score on the test for that subject area. There are two basic types of placement tests, so called AP (advanced placement) and CLEP tests. AP tests are scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. Often there is a specific course designed to teach the requirements for the test, but you can find out the requirements and teach them yourself, without your high schooler attending a special course. Arrangements to take an AP exam can usually be made through your local public high school, or through CollegeBoard.com.
CLEP tests are similar, but not the same. You take a test in a specific subject area, and you can earn 3 to 12 semester hours of college credit, depending on your score and the university. The tests are quite demanding, and you need a thorough knowledge of the subject area. They aren't cheap, either, unless you compare the cost to the price of taking the same course at a university. You can find more information at CollegeBoard.com.
In all cases, before you sign up for taking a test, or put in the work to do an AP course, make sure that your prospective college(s) accept AP or CLEP credit, and look at what the score requirements are. For AP, most colleges require a score of at least 3 to grant any credit. More selective colleges may require a 4 or even a 5 to grant credit. --Mike R.
What about getting into the military?
Homeschoolers are being actively sought by military recruiters because of their ability to learn on their own, their superior education and test scores, and their above average motivation.
Naval Sea Cadets and Civil Air Patrol are two options for homeschoolers to get a taste of military life. These programs are similar to Boy Scouts in many ways, but the cadets wear uniforms, do marching, exercise, and participate in a military-type leadership structure. Students who have participated in these frequently can enlist at a higher rank. Additionally, these programs give a huge boost to those who wish to apply to the military academies.
Also see HomeschoolChristian.com's JROTC Resources page.
