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We homeschooled all of our children (14 of them) all the way through high school.
And I am so glad that we did. Here are 10 tips that I have learned through the years of homeschooling high schoolers that can help to make these years more enjoyable, effective, and productive for you and your kids.

10 Tips for Teaching High Schoolers at Home

1. Substitute creative subjects for what is usually taught in high school.

Public schools don’t have the one best plan for education. Every young person is unique.
One of my daughters wanted to do biology, advanced biology, first aid, and advanced first
aid for her science credits. That’s fine. Don’t feel like you have to follow a public school
plan.

2. Ask for input from your student when teaching your high schooler at home.

Ask them how they learn best, what they would like to learn, what curriculum looks good to them. The more input they have into what they learn, the more they will invest themselves in learning.

3. Be sure you have an outlet for your high schooler to invest in the lives of others.

Teach them to have a servant’s heart and not be self-focused. Teach them to
look for needs in others and extend themselves in meeting those needs. If you instill
that in them, you’ve been a success. Life is about serving others, not pleasing self.

4. Let your high-schooler get a head start if they have a direction for future plans.

If they know what career they’d like to pursue, let them do it in high school. Let them take
courses that will train them in what their passion is. Let them avail themselves of
opportunities while in high school. My youngest graduated from high school this year,
but she worked and studied to obtain her private’s pilot license and got that before she
completed high school.

5. Interview others who have jobs they might like to consider.

If your student doesn’t have a clear direction for the future, invite people to your home. Ask them about their careers, their preparation for it, whether they went to college, whether they needed the college training. Ask questions about what they like about their work and what they don’t.

Let them, for instance, volunteer with the rescue squad if they are considering the
medical field, to see if they would really like that line of work. Find someone in a
business they think they might like and let them shadow the person for a week to learn
about the job.

6. Make the opportunity to get to know their friends, invite their friends into your home.

Let your home be a place to hang-out. Our home is ALWAYS open to our kids’ friends,
and some of their friends have become like adopted kids to us. You all will be blessed.
Befriend your kid’s friends. Invest yourself in others.

7. Be available to talk to them (even if it’s late at night!)

Be available to talk about struggles, fears about the future, relationships, goals, etc. Some of my best talks with my kids were late at night when the little guys were in bed and the house was quiet. Kids weren’t given for our convenience. Be available when they need you.

8. Help them as they sort through values.

Don’t be threatened as they set values for themselves. It is normal for them to sort through your values in order to adopt values of their own. Don’t be threatened if they don’t do everything exactly as you did, be open to tell them the whys and how you arrived at your own values.

9. Invest your life in making them successful (and part of that is encouraging them to help others to be successful).

So many of your own goals in life need to be on the back burner while you invest in raising your kids. Lose your life in making them successful in their God-given passions.

10. Be open to their ideas.

Let them try some activities. Don’t be a kill-joy. Enjoy life with them. God has gifted my kids in so many areas that I’m not gifted in, so I appreciate their ideas and let them try things. Be involved as much as they want you to be.

So there you have it! My best 10 Tips for Teaching High Schoolers at Home! What would you add to this list?

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“She’s so ENCOURAGING!” That’s what moms say about Marilyn Boyer, homeschooling author and mother of 14. Marilyn’s heartfelt speaking style is both challenging and comforting, her content based on over thirty years’ experience in homeschooling her own children. Her many years in the trenches have convinced her that the most important part of education is the building of godly character. That’s why she created Character Concepts, a Bible-based curriculum for kids from preschool through high school. Learn more of her resources for teaching character to kids at www.CharacterConcepts.com

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It seems like just yesterday your teen was a toddler playing in the back yard. Today, you look at them and realize that time is short and their launch from your home is coming soon. You want to make sure that they are not like so many teens who leave home and leave the faith. But how do you do that? What do they need to know to hang on to their faith as they begin their adult life?

5 Things Your Christian Teens Need to Know About Their Faith

Each teen is different but there are five things we can do to ensure they have the skills not only to keep their faith but have the tools and motivation to grow in their faith.

It is likely your teens have been in church for most of their lives. As a parent, we want to do a quick inventory and make sure they have the basics Bible study skills down before they leave home. This would include

• Understanding the Bible Timeline
• Interacting with the major characters and events
• Knowing basic Bible geography
• Practicing how to use Bible study tools
  • Bible Dictionary
  • Topical Bible
  • Bible Concordance
  • Bible Atlas
• Know how to ask the 5 W and 1 H questions of a Bible passage
  • Who
  • What
  • When
  • Where
  • Why
  • How

Knowing the practical parts of Bible study is key to helping to launch our teens. Along with the knowledge they need to how to apply the Word to their lives.

Bible Application for Teens

It is easy for Bible study to become an intellectual exercise, we have all heard the phrase, “Don’t give me the Sunday School answer, stop and think first”. But how do we know if our teens are just giving us an intellectual answer or speaking from the heart? An even harder question is how to take teens from the intellectual part of Bible study and teaching them how to apply the Word to their lives. Here are a few questions that they can ask after each Bible study.

• What did I learn about God’s Character from this passage?
  • For example, we can see from Genesis 1 that God is Creator, but to go one step further, one of God’s character traits from Genesis 1 is that He is a God of order.
• Based upon what you have just studied, what action, attitude or belief do I need to change? We should never come away from God’s Word without taking an action, be that adjust our attitude, changing and action, or modifying a belief to better align with the Bible.

Applying what we have learned in the Bible is a life-long process that will help us to continue to grow in our faith. As your teens grow, they encounter those who believe differently and that is where apologetics comes in.

Apologetics for Teens

As we work through the knowledge and practice of Bible study, we also want to help our students begin to understand how Christianity differs from other major religions. Comparative religion is a class that you do want to before your teen leaves home.

In our homeschool, we met one time with people of other faiths and allowed them to tell our teens their basic beliefs from their perspective. Then our teens were able to ask them directly about their beliefs. This allowed us to see where our teens needed extra help. If your teen is not ready for interviews, there are many books and videos on the market to help you teach your teen about the other major religions.

They need to be able to clearly understand the following about their faith

• How Christianity is the same
• How Christianity is different
• Terms used that are the same but have different meanings

Apologetics can be fun and deepen the faith of your teens as they see the amazing faith that has been passed down to us!

Mentors for Christian Teens

As parents, we are the first mentors of our teens, but we want to have other mentors as well. When we were parents of young children we were advised by a wise older couple to pray and encourage our kids to have mentors. The kind of mentor you want for your teen is important.

Here are a few things we looked for in a mentor for our kids:

• Christians who actively lived their faith
• Someone of the same sex as the teen
• One who would give them the same advice we would

The last thing I will say about mentors is to give your children permission, verbally, to seek advice and develop relationships with others. You are never guaranteed a long life, and you want others who can come alongside your teen and young adult who will be a second parent to them when they don’t feel they can talk to you.

You Can Raise Godly Adults

Finally, continue to cover your teen in prayer. There is no magic formula, no sure what to help your teen successfully launch, but they can leave your home fully equipped.

At Grapevine, we help parents do the first two things on this list. There are great resources available for apologetics and comparative religions. Finding a mentor requires deliberate prayer and interaction within the Christian community.

Having four adult children, who are now college grads and have all maintained an active Christian walk into their thirties, it can be done. Your teen does not have to be a tragic statistic within Christianity. You can help them to launch confident, equipped, and ready to do the work the Lord has assigned them in this day. The world needs godly adults, and you can raise one!

Serving Him with Stick Figures,

Dianna

Author, Grapevine Studies

PS If you would like to try a Grapevine Bible Study use Coupon Code Best2020 for 20% off your order until August 31, 2020

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Christian parents want their children to know the Bible, but often they don’t know where to start or have a plan? Grapevine Studies gives parents a method and a plan to teach the next generation the Bible. John and Dianna’s children are now grown and teaching their children using the Grapevine method.

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There is so much to consider when you start out homeschooling highschool. Actually every year of high school you will face different challenges! But before you start to sort out all the how-to’s, you need to be very clear on the most important priority. You need to know your “why”.

Why are you homeschooling high school? Regardless of how long you’ve been homeschooling you need to ask this question and know the answer.

A little saying that Peter and I constantly remind ourselves of is: If your WHY is broken, so too is your HOW. (Heather McEwan)

It is easy to get caught up in researching for the best “How”

• How do I teach high school math?
• Essay writing for high school? How do I teach that?
• How do we prepare them for University?
• How can we get them job-ready?

And from there we start buying curriculum, establishing routines, and thinking about study habits.

But are these things the most important priority? Do these things reflect your why?

The Most Important Priority For Homeschooling High School

It seems to me that whoever I speak to wants their kids to have faith (if they are Christian parents), have good character, develop their talents, and get along with people. And yet when we follow the dictates of the education system, we fill their highschool years with academics that don’t actually address those primary concerns.

→ Belinda has a short email course that helps you make a transition to a heart focused homeschool. Learn more here.

Here are 3 Priorities For Homeschooling High School That Are More Important than Academics

#1 When homeschooling high school, remember your teens’ heart is more important than their head (the academics)

The high school years are years full of adjustment for our teens. It is in this season of their life that they start to take full ownership of the beliefs and values they hold and have been previously taught.

It never ceases to surprise me how many conversations we had to have with our teens about beliefs and values. Ones that we had already discussed often when they were younger. At times it felt like they must never have heard those things before.

What is really going on though, is that as our children grow older their world is expanding. They now have to connect the beliefs and values that we discussed in their childhood with the world that they are now walking into. So in a sense, it is a completely new situation for them in high school! We have to walk alongside of them being loving, patient, gracious, and forgiving!

We cannot afford to fill their lives with academic pressures that push aside the heart issues. They need to wrestle with them as they get close to being a self-governing young adult.

#2 Your family life is more important of a priority than homeschooling high school

Though education changes as our kids move into high school, the family and family life is still more important than academics. It is in the family life that we are able to address the whole of life growth that our kids need before they reach adulthood.

It is in family life that they grow spiritually. They strengthen their moral resolve. It is there that they learn social, intrapersonal and the life skills they need to be responsible with their resources. These lessons are invaluable for their transition to self-governing young adults and yet, these lessons are not found in an academic program.

Everything is set towards graduating from high school and moving into adult education, but they will undoubtedly do better when they are more grounded and established in every area of their life.

Academics without character and life skills will limit their impact in their chosen field. We have the opportunity to continue teaching and training our children in every area of their life. We cannot discard these important life lessons just because they are now homeschooling high school.

Continue to make it a priority to include your highschooler in the life of your family and watch them continue to grow as a whole person.

#3 Being a mother is the priority over being a teacher

I don’t know what it is but as soon as we put on a teacher hat our mother vibe changes. For some reason, we tend to morph into our most disliked high school teacher from our own time at school. Our kids don’t need a teacher – they need a mother. Don’t get me wrong, mom can teach stuff but believe me a teacher can’t be mom.

Our role as mom is precious. We hold our children’s hearts, we treasure their uniqueness and we pray over their future.

No amount of education, curriculum, and tests will ever replace the value of mom in a homeschooling teen’s life.

If you feel your high school student doesn’t respect you when you move into study time, the solution isn’t for you to become a stern teacher. The solution is heart-based – your child (no matter what age) needs to learn to respect their mother! 

Homeschooling high school can be intimidating for many moms.

Don’t let the pressure of academics rob you from the time you need to nurture your relationship with your teen. They don’t need to learn everything before they graduate. Their continued education can take a different track – there are options. But a relationship broken because of striving and conforming to the education processes is hard to fix.

You may well be familiar with the phrase – parenting is heart work. The thing is, it is often our own heart that we need to work on before we work on our kid’s heart. And preparing for homeschooling high school is certainly one of those heart-work moments.

What do you believe is the most important priority when homeschooling high school?

Are you committed to the idea of educating the whole child – not just the intellect?

These are heart-based questions. They clarify what you believe and what you value. Once these questions have been answered you can then do the next important thing…. plan the homeschool high school academics.

Academics need to happen. But we live in a culture that elevates academics beyond everything else. As intentional parents who are homeschooling high schoolers, we can change that for our family.

We need to know our most important priority for homeschooling high school and then make our plans accordingly.

If you want to think more along the lines of being a heart focused homeschool sign up for Belinda’s short email course. She shares key principles behind heart focus homeschool. You will discover what is important to you beyond academics, and how you are going to make that a part of your homeschooling experience. SIGN UP HERE

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30 DAYS OF THE BEST ENCOURAGEMENT FOR HOMESCHOOLING MOMS SERIES CONTRIBUTOR:

Belinda Letchford writes at Live life with your Kids! Where she encourages parents to build strong relationships, shape their children’s hearts and use the whole of life to teach faith, character and life skills. Belinda and Peter raised four kids – who are now all adults and have left home. Life is very different now but Belinda continues to support mums to be intentional, relational and heart focused through writing, teaching and coaching. You can also find Belinda on Instagram

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I remember how excited I felt the very first day I decided to homeschool my kids. As a previous teacher in public education, the options seemed amazing and the possibilities endless.

But, as the execution began, I realized that my expectations and idealistic dreams were not realistic. I was juggling homeschooling my child, managing a household, and running my large counseling center part-time. 

6 Ways to Set Healthy Expectations for Homeschooling

As summer vacation winds down, I know many of you dream about the expectations and progress the coming school year will bring. But even for current homeschool parents, COVID-19 has impacted the way homeschool looks. The little amount of co-op activity and socialization occurring changes everything, yet it does not stop homeschooling success.

Below are some practical tips for setting healthy expectations for homeschooling. You can  enjoy your children, educate them well, and successfully make it through the coming year:

1. Have revised, realistic expectations.

Realize that this year will look different and your children’s ability to perform and learn will also look different. Evaluate ahead of time and be realistic yet flexible in your expectations.

2. Consider the emotional and social stressors that they have faced for months now.

Understand that you will not always meet the child you desire in your homeschool classroom. All of the emotional and social stressors that they have been facing for months now, may very well show up in other ways. Homeschooling is a “convenient” place for pent up stressors to rear their heads. Pray, prepare the best you can, and be ready to take those extra steps to address the heart and be a safe place when they show up.

3. Be more flexible than you have ever been.

All of us face unknowns this year. Hopefully, we will choose to embrace a sense of peace
about this and learn to manage what we expect. The beauty of homeschooling is that adapting is always an option!

4. Manage your own emotions as you begin to help your child manage theirs.

As mamas, we, too, are under more stress than we have ever experienced before. Our rhythms and routines have been knocked off base, except for the few introverts who are just relishing every moment of this season. Work on managing your own changing emotions well.

5. Reach out for support but do not compare yourself to others.

One mama’s “up day” is another mama’s “down”. There is such beauty in friendship and community that is there to encourage and lift one another up on those tough days. Comparison steals joy, community helps us reclaim joy when our expectations fail us.

6. The most important gift you can give your child this year in homeschool is to help them feel loved and cherished.

Feeling loved and cherished makes such a difference in how kids respond to you and how they perform. If you need help instilling this vital concept in your child’s life, pre-order my newest devotional, Loved, and Cherished, for 8 to 12-year-old girls coming out this September.

Remember, you are not alone—we are cheering you on as you start this school year!

I understand that envisioning this coming year is hard with each day changing drastically. But the comfort and peace that God never changes is the truth we must cling to each day. He is for you and your child!

My hope is that this year would begin knowing that you, Mama, are loved. May it end the year with your child knowing they, too, are loved. My hope is for you to enjoy your children in this homeschool process and give them a lifetime love for learning and that they succeed academically. But more than anything, I want you and your child to see that learning about God and clinging to truth is the most valuable lesson to happen this next year.

Which of these 6 Ways to Set Healthy Expectations for Homeschooling will you start with?

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Michelle Nietert, M.A., Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor has been providing therapeutic interventions to children and their families in counseling offices for over 20 years. As a previous educator, public school crisis counselor, and youth and children’s minister, she interacts regularly with parents and students at public school assemblies, PTA meetings, local churches, and is the mental health consultant for a local private Christian school. Michelle also provides training for school counselors, teachers, and homeschool parents. 

A recognized expert in Solution Focused Therapy, she is the clinical director and owner of a large counseling center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Michelle’s writing can be found on the MOPS blog, in Lifeway’s Parenting Magazine and she is the Mental Health columnist for Just Between Us Magazine. She also joins her audiences in the parenting trenches as a happily married mom of two school-aged children. To discover her Counselor Thoughts blog and podcast providing Solutions for Life, please visit MichelleNietert.com.

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This year I have three high schoolers, and one wannabe (8th grade going on 20!). I’ll tell you what – it feels like the pressure is on. These young people are in a sweet mix of having just enough space in their lives to have a few hobbies, and some (read that: not all) feel the squeeze to get all the boxes checked for their transcripts.

My husband and I have always felt an intense desire to pass on to our children a Biblical worldview.

In the elementary years that has meant using our curriculum as a springboard for discussions and teaching moments that sometimes lead to important rabbit trails.

But as the high school years have come, passing on a Biblical worldview can feel challenging. Often the “required” courses take more and more time and are increasingly more difficult. 

Here’s How To Invest In Your High Schoolers Biblical Worldview

When we were newlyweds, my husband and I would have long conversations about at what point a child or young person is solid in their worldview.

Initially, I thought 12 was a turning point. If a child had Christian perspectives taught to him during his childhood, by 12 perhaps he might be solid.

Then I remembered my peers as a 12-year-old; the petty social and fashion imitations, shallow relationships, and faulty common sense that was so popular. I thought, no, not quite at that age. 

Then I thought about the high school years.

While many who have received Biblical worldview instruction are becoming more stable in their beliefs, high schoolers are also highly influenced by the culture around them.

The very nature of universities is that they are reaching an age group that is still able to be profoundly shaped. Not just by the strong minds of professors, but by the peer culture.

If college and university students were locked-down, and totally fixed in their views and beliefs, colleges, by definition, could not exist or function. They are counting on being able to influence the thinking of students.

But for now, I’m talking specifically about highschoolers.

I’d like to encourage you, as a homeschool mom, to think carefully about the sanctity of your young person’s training.

The temptation many homeschooling parents face with a strongly rooted young person is to think their child can withstand the false teaching and youthful temptation prevalent in America’s government educational system.

In the name of evangelism, many parents send their teens to government schools to be “missionaries.” I’d like to challenge you to place a higher value on education.

Not just academics, but the spiritual, emotional, and academic training of your child, viewing it as a service to them to fit them for life.

There are multitudes of ways to reach out to the world with the Gospel without enrolling your students in the government school system. 

Young adults are maturing and increasingly thinking deeply, and yet sometimes they still demonstrate seasons of immaturity and/or stubbornness.

We yearn to take their education to that level of passing on a legacy of Biblical thinking.

If you are like me, you’re feeling pressed for time in getting through the courses for high school and also with younger children! If that is you, mom, I would like to offer some help:

Immerse yourself in your young person’s studies.

That doesn’t mean you have to hold their hand through every single problem, but it means you need to be involved enough that you know what concepts they are wrestling through in their studies so you can have meaningful conversations with them.

Deuteronomy 6 has had a deeper meaning for me in my years with high schoolers. We’re passing on this message WHILE we walk with our teens, WHILE we talk through corrections in their work, WHILE we help them sort out understanding their course work. Worldview isn’t meant solely to be a separate study.

It is best understood and assimilated when integrated into life in front of us. There are moments waiting to be captured! Let’s use them! 

Biblical Worldview Curriculum For High Schoolers

Choose a curriculum that integrates a Biblical worldview into the core subjects. The options for curriculum, yes, even high school curriculum, have expanded greatly in the last several years.

There are amazing resources for guiding your young person not only in challenging and academically excellent material, but that also integrates a solid Biblical perspective.

It is important that we don’t buy into a philosophy of value-neutral academics. There is no such thing.

The government schools are skillfully integrating a worldview into every class experience.

They know that education is more than just information – it is a belief system, a perspective on how to utilize knowledge.

By carefully choosing curriculum that takes the ideologies and perspectives of truth, with a Biblical approach, we’re gaining help in our end goal by our resources.

Get Dad To Invest In Your High Schoolers Biblical Worldview

Team up with dad for in-depth conversations about the concepts your home school high school is sorting through currently. Perhaps to get that kind of conversation going, utilize videos, church discussion groups, current events, or media.

This doesn’t all have to be heavy! Make it interesting, and when necessary, make it short.

Conversations With Your High Schooler That Count

If in-person discussions aren’t happening in your home, look for other ways to communicate with your teen. During busy seasons, perhaps writing back and forth via text or email can be a good option. 

Worldview is so essential for our young people to take WHAT they know and use it for the Lord.

In their future careers, they may be brilliant in their area of expertise… but if it isn’t used for the Lord, its value is likened to wood, hay, and stubble – the stuff of earth that fades away. Right now we have an influence on our young people’s life.

As they grow, each of our children will have life choices of their own surrender to the Lord.

But right now, in our homes, in our educational guidance, we have a precious opportunity to pass on to our children a way of seeing the world around them through a Biblical lens. 

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I remember getting excited about choosing electives when I was in high school. Finally, the chance to study something I really wanted to study, something that interested me. 

But rarely did things go as I hoped. Whether it was the limitations of what was offered or the time those classes were scheduled, I actually had very few choices. But your homeschool high schooler doesn’t have those problems! You have the freedom to homeschool high school electives and do it in a natural way. A way that allows them to explore, discover,  and learn!

How to Homeschool High School Electives Naturally

Choosing Homeschool High School Electives

Designing electives can be one of the most beneficial and enjoyable parts of the high school years. I’m sure there are some specific things you may want your student to study, but the more control you can give your teen of this aspect of their education, the better.

Electives are the subjects where your teen can take ownership. They can choose what they want to study and even how they want to study it. That in itself is an incredible life-lesson if we truly want our kids to know how to learn and not just what to learn. It equips them to be lifelong learners. 

That doesn’t mean they don’t need you! According to their level and maturity, you’ll need to work alongside them to help guide the process. You will also need to help facilitate their learning by helping to find resources and opportunities. 

Begin with These Questions 

When trying to plan your homeschool high school electives, hold a planning meeting with your teens and help them think through the following questions:

• What are my current interests?
• I have unique gifts and talents. What are they?
• Are there any careers am I interested in?
• What sounds “fun” to me? 
• If I could explore topics, I would pick… 
• I get really excited about ….

Brainstorm Options for Homeschool High School Electives

Next, brainstorm some options. Here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Career Exploration
• Public Speaking
• Creative Writing 
• Modern Written Communication
• Computer Programming
• Graphic Design
• Motion Graphics
• Computer Programing
• Animation
• Art—this could be the history of it, a specific skill, etc. 
• Music
• Life Skills
• Personal Finances
• Home Economics
• Psychology
• Missions
• Discipleship
• Genealogy
• Interior design
• Mechanics
• Woodworking

The Natural Approach to Homeschooling High School Electives

Teaching high school electives naturally is about respecting how your student learns best. It’s about choosing resources that deliver the information in the most effective way for your students. It’s a common sense approach you can base around some simple questions:

Questions to Ask Yourself and Your Teens

How do my teens learn best? Some of the most common learning styles include auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (or experienced-based). Students also have different kinds of intelligences, also known as smarts. And each will have unique gifts and talents. All of these factor into answering this question!

1. Have your teens take an online learning style assessment: EducationPlanner.org has one that breaks down the student’s learning styles by percentages. 
2. Think through how your teens are “smart” by answering the questions in this assessment from the American Institute for Learning and Human Development.
3. Ask your teens, “What do you think you are good at?” Then share the talents and gifts you see in them. That might include abilities and skills such as drawing or playing an instrument. But it can also be the way they interact with people or always work hard at what they try. 

What is the most common-sense approach to teaching/learning about these electives?

 Another way to think of this one is “What is the best delivery system for the information needed to learn this subject?” This will probably be a combination of more than one type of resource or method. For example, if your student wants to learn about public speaking, they may need books, videos, and actual practice giving speeches. Maybe they can attend some lectures or political campaigns or evaluate the sermons they hear at church.

Make a Plan for a Homeschool High School Electives

Once your teen has chosen what they want to study as an elective and thought through the most natural way for them to study it, it’s time to sit down and make a plan. 

1. Discuss the following questions with your students.

• What specifically do you want to learn about this subject? Sometimes topics are too broad and need to be narrowed down. For example “I want to study art” can encompass so many different things. Learning about art history is very different from learning specific skills to make art.
• What opportunities are available? Will it be possible to talk to people in this field of study either online or in-person? Can you take relevant field trips?
• What are some “out-of-the-textbook-box” ideas for studying this subject? 
• What resources will I need?

2. Title the elective. 

Try to think “college speak” if your student plans on studying at a university in the future. Instead of Cooking call it Culinary Arts. 

3. Create a course description.

This is simply something to help focus your study. It will also communicate to potential colleges exactly what your teen has studied. A short paragraph is plenty!

4. Make a list of resources. 

This might include books, websites, online learning platforms, in-person interviews, field trips, hands-on experiences, etc. 

5. Keep in mind what constitutes a credit.

Generally, one high school credit is 120 hours of study in that area. Be sure to check with your state laws.

6. Decide what will need to be done each day. 

Finally, break down what needs to be done to earn the credit. You’ll want to work with your teens to create some deadlines along the way to help them stay on track. A simple planner will work for this and they can use it to record the time they spend on the subject there, too. 

Homeschooling high school electives allows you to truly customize your teens’ education, while also helping them learn how they can keep learning long after they graduate from your homeschool. 

Click here to get a FREE copy of Homeschooling Today’s Spring digital issue! Each issue will include more about how to homeschool “naturally” in my new column, Learning Naturally.

Tell us below, what is your first step in how to homeschool high school electives naturally?

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30 DAYS OF THE BEST ENCOURAGEMENT FOR HOMESCHOOLING MOMS SERIES CONTRIBUTOR:

Kay Chance homeschooled her children for fifteen years. While teaching them, she discovered a passion for writing and developing curriculum resources. She loves sharing natural learning methods and creative lesson ideas with other homeschooling parents.

Kay is the Co-executive Editor of Homeschooling Today magazine and the author of the older extensions for the Trail Guide to Learning series. She makes her home in Texas with her husband Brian. 

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But Mom, everyone else gets to watch that movie.

But Dad, everyone else gets to stay out until midnight…why can’t I?

And, why do I have to study Math?

Ever heard that in your house of teens?

I remember those days. Our kids questioned our decisions and pushed the envelope many times. If you have teens in your home, you know what I mean. How do you deal with your teens, in the midst of hormones and homeschooling?

How to Help Your Teens Make Wise Decisions

Your kids, like ours, may wonder why we have certain rules in our home. We continually try to teach our children that rules and standards are a good thing. Without standards, we are left unprotected. But as a teenager, that may not mean much to them. All they can see is what they can’t do and they question everything. All I wanted was to be a drama-free mom.

We used this season of questioning as a learning experience, a time for our teens to make wise decisions while they were still under our roof. 

Help Your Teens Make Wise Decisions in Homeschooling

Do you let your teens make decisions about their homeschooling? Or, do you have all four years planned for them? The way you answer those questions determines if your teen will be prepared for real-life after high school.

As our kids began high school, we believed it was important they took ownership of their studies. At the beginning of each year, we discussed their goals and how their studies might look. From there, I showed each child how to plan their week.

During their first semester of high school, we met every Monday to plan together. We used a plain lesson plan, a simple spreadsheet. By January, they could plan on their own. I still reviewed their weekly plan, but they took ownership; they made decisions about their studies.

Why let your teens plan their homeschool studies?

One of our homeschool goals is our kids to be leaders when they grow up. If I am always telling them what to study and when to write a paper, they continue to follow. When they plan their homeschool and make decisions about their studies, they learn to lead. It’s an easy, yet significant step that parents can use on how to raise a leader, not a follower.

Help Your Teens Make Wise Decisions in Life

Like us, you want your kids to grow up to make wise decisions in life. For this reason, we discussed the difference between God’s Rules and our House Rules. Although you may start with younger kids, it’s important that teens definitely know the difference. When they learn the difference, they can apply the Bible to their own life. Let me share how we did this.

God’s Rules are standards specifically stated in His Word. “Do not lie. Do not cheat. Do not commit adultery.” By the time our kids are teens they should know God’s Word and His standards like the back of their hand. 

House Rules are standards that our family follows. Our House Rules are based on God’s Word, His standard. 

For instance, the movies our kids were allowed to watch differed from other families. We were very particular about what they watched as they grow up. Where we drew the line was simply a House Rule, not God’s Rule. 

Your House Rules will look different than other families’ House Rules. House Rules cover a large variety of topics, including movies, TV, books, clothing, curfew, friends, sleep-overs, snacks, courtship, and so on. You get the idea, I’m sure.

Why do teenagers have difficulty making good decisions?

Many Christian teens don’t know the difference between God’s Rules and the House Rules in their own family. When parents don’t teach the difference, teens think all rules are the same. This leads to legalism and often, to rebellion. 

One way to avoid legalism & rebellion is talking to your kids about standards, regularly. These discussions should be around the dinner table, in the car, on a walk. Casual talks are the best time to discuss House Rules and God’s Rules because your kids are more likely to listen and interact about these ideas.

Especially when you have teenagers, it’s imperative to have these casual discussions all the time, as part of your natural family conversation. 

• Standards are great when your teens understand them.
• Standards protect your teens. 
• Standards produce future leaders when properly understood. 
• Standards should be explained in light of God’s Word.

God’s Word is the final word on our decisions and behavior.

As your teens understand standards, it’s time to give them freedom in decision making. It’s a chance to keep their eyes on Jesus as they make decisions.

How can I help my child make better decisions?

I remember our girls wanting to watch a movie that I wasn’t sure about. I asked them to read the Plugged In Reviews and then we could discuss it. After reading the review, we discussed if this is a movie they should see. They decided not to go with their friends to the movie. That’s a hard decision as a teen, but one I was proud to see them make.

Teens need the opportunity to apply God’s Rules while they are at home with your guidance. As they make right decisions, reinforce how they are following God’s rule in that decision. As they make wrong decisions, gently teach them what God would want in that situation. 

It’s better for them to fall a few times at home with your direction, rather than later, out of the house. Teens with opportunities to make their own decisions (with guidance, support, and encouragement from their parents) grow up to follow God, becoming wise leaders of tomorrow.

Kerry wants to give you a free class called Teach Your Kids “How to Think”. You can register here for free.

How Will You Help Your Teens Make Wise Decisions Starting Today?

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Kerry Beck helps you get past the perfect Instagram image & move on to real life ways to inspire your kids to love learning, think critically & grow up to influence others. Kerry teaches free classes each month and has a free how to homeschool ebook for you at HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com.

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Kerry Beck helps you get past the perfect Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook image and get on to real life…real life ways to inspire your kids to grow in Christ and love learning. Her passion is helping moms to love learning, while giving their kids a superb, Christian education . . . where they think critically & Biblically.

You can connect with Kerry on her blog and in her How to Homeschool private group. She also hangs out at Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram. Feel free to email her at kerry@HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com

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Are you close to having a homeschooled high schooler in your homeschool? Or, maybe you already do? What will you be doing for Fine Arts? You haven’t thought about that yet? No problem! Today, I’ll be sharing what you need to know to teach Fine Arts to High School Students.

How to Teach fine Arts to High School Students

What Exactly is Fine Arts?

I have been teaching music for over 25 years, so I tend to lean toward the music side of things when I think of Fine Arts. But, it encompasses so much more! Fine arts includes visual art (painting, sculpture, photography, quilting, art history), dance (ballet, praise dance, tap, jazz, lyrical), theater (acting, musical theater, stagecraft, improv, costume design), and music (private lessons, music appreciation, music theory, song-writing)! And, some educators broaden the definition even more to include some of the writing/language arts disciplines such as poetry and screenwriting. Some extend it even further by including technical arts such as video editing, animation, and graphic design.

Does Every Homeschooled High Schooler Need Fine Arts?

It does, of course, depend on your student’s goals. Is your homeschooler headed to college, technical school, the military, straight to a job, or straight to marriage and family? But, for a well-rounded high school transcript, it is my belief that every homeschooled high schooler, not matter what their future goals are, gets at least a half-credit in fine arts. Some states require it, so please check how much they expect and what their “definition” includes for Fine Arts.

How to Get a Fine Arts Credit

This is the fun part because there are so many different ways to get a Fine Arts credit!

1. Take a live class. This could be something like a pottery class at your town’s studio or an art history at your local community college.
2. Take an online course. There are so many to choose from such as 20th Century Music Appreciation or the Charlotte Mason Inspired High School Fine Arts course.
3. Participate in a local performing group such as a choir, band, orchestra, or musical theater group.
4. Create your own Fine Arts credit course that includes the disciplines you’d specifically like to work on. For example, one of my sons got an Advanced Graphic Design credit his senior year. He simply kept track of how many hours (120-180 hours for a full credit/ 60-90 hours for half-credit) that he worked on his creations and printed out what he designed for a portfolio type of “proof” that he did the course.

Another fun way to create your own Fine Arts credit course is to spend a lot of time “experiencing” the Fine Arts by going to plays, musicals, operas, ballets, art galleries/exhibits/museums, recitals, and other performances! See here for details on how to create your own Fine Arts Credit Course.

Which of these ways to teach fine arts to your high school student will you choose?

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