College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates with Seth and Caroline Tillman Replay

August 11, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates with Seth and Caroline Tillman- Replay.

College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates

 

College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates

This is a replay of a favorite episode. We feel like it is useful information for our grads who are heading to college soon.

Featured in this college safety and fun:

  • Safety Tip #1: Walk in a group
  • Safety Tip #2: Lock your dorm or apartment doors when you leave
  • Safety Tip #3: Ride-share advice
  • Safety Tip #4: If you are walking around while listening to music or podcasts, leave one earbud out
  • Safety Tip #5: Use the share your location app on your phone
  • Safety Tip #6: Have a friend who leaves their phone on sound at night for you (and you for them)
  • Safety Tip #7: When going on college tours, what kind of campus safety measures are in place at the school?
  • Safety Tip #8: When going to an event, make sure that at least one or two of your group will stand up for you

Vicki’s five homeschool high schoolers are all graduated from college now, even her youngest, Seth, and his newlywed wife, Caroline. Seth and Caroline loved their years of homeschooling. College was a big change for them both, but they loved it and made the most of their experiences there by getting involved in college activities and mentoring relationships. They also made lots of friends.

From the many experiences they or their friends had, Seth and Caroline offered to share some safety tips for homeschool high schoolers who will head off to college (or anywhere in the big, wide world).

Seth and Caroline Tillman

Seth and Caroline Tillman, photo used with permission

So here are Seth and Caroline’s tips for college safety and fun for homeschool graduates

Seth is a elementary music education teacher in a local public school. Caroline first worked in the retirement industry but recently transferred to the University of Delaware as academic advisor and assistant to the UD Health Professions program. Both of them have had the adventure of spending part of their year teaching or advising remotely. (Check out Seth’s videos for his music students.) They believe in paying the things they have learned forward to current homeschoolers to help them prepare for college or employment situations.

Safety Tip #1: Walk in a group

As often as you can, especially at night. If you will be late at the library, call a friend and talk to a friend while walking and use “Find My Friend” app on your phone. (Predatory people tend to prey on lone individuals, so groups are best when possible.)

Safety Tip #2: Lock your dorm or apartment doors when you leave

You would think this is not something you really need to tell teens. But Caroline shared that she saw the poor outcome of roommates or friends not locking doors a number of times. (Keep a key on a hair tie if you find keychains are too cumbersome.)

Safety Tip #3: Ride-share advice

Ask the driver what YOUR name is. Make sure they and their car look like the descriptions you were told when ordering the ride. Also look for the lit sign in the windshield of the car (Uber or Lyft have signs). If you can, ride with a friend on the ordered ride.

Safety Tip #4: If you are walking around while listening to music or podcasts, leave one earbud out

This makes you more aware of your environment, especially for crossing roads but also for unusual things that might need your attention.

Safety Tip #5: Use the share your location app on your phone

But only share that with close, safe friends. It is not a social media app!

Safety Tip #6: Have a friend who leaves their phone on sound at night for you (and you for them)

If you have car trouble, are locked out of your apartment, or are in an uncomfortable situation, phoning a friend can be a lifesaver.

Safety Tip #7: When going on college tours, what kind of campus safety measures are in place at the school?

For example, at the University of Delaware, there are safety blue lights regularly around the campus for calling for help. It is so important for schools to be considering the safety of their students!

Safety Tip #8: When going to an event, make sure that at least one or two of your group will stand up for you

Let there be an understanding that if things get uncomfortable, you can say to your friend, “I need to go” and they will actually leave with you.

Teach safety skills as well as academic skills for your college bound teen.

Okay, now for some uncomfortable topics. Sometimes we homeschool parents try so hard to shelter our teens, that we find it extremely difficult to discuss “adult” topics with our young adults as they leave for college. (As Seth says, your kids are not kids anymore when they leave for college, they are adults…young adults but adults, so need to be prepared for an “adult” world.) Naivety will not work for new adults.

Safety Tip #9: When encountering alcohol, if you see someone heavily intoxicated, please do not leave that person alone

Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone who is not okay, call the university police or 911. If it is someone you know and you feel safe, help them get back to their dorm. When calling 911, remember it’s better to have folks mad at you about it than have someone die from alcohol poisoning. Also, there is usually a medical amnesty policy that protects you from getting in trouble when you call 911.

Safety Tip #10: Know what alcohol poisoning looks like

From Mayo Clinic’s website: confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing, irregular breathing, blue-tinged or pale skin, low body temperature, passing out and cannot be wakened.

Seth and Caroline graduated from a state college. Seth points out that alcohol is common in state colleges, so they were not surprised to see these kinds of things. He also has lots of friends who went to small private or Christian colleges. In the smaller schools, these things happen, too (but mostly in secret).

Safety Tip #11: Monitor what you are drinking

This is difficult to talk about but important. No matter where you are whether restaurants, parties or get togethers. Vicki jumped in on this to add that, as a counselor who works with college students, she has worked with a number young women who have been “roofied” (a date rape drug slipped into their drink) while at a public gathering. So:

  • Keep a lid on what you are drinking when possible
  • If you go to the bathroom, have a trustworthy friend watch your drink
  • If you start to feel bad and feel like you are “blacking out” and you do not have a trustworthy friend with you but are at a public place, ask staff for help
  • If you feel frightened, call 911

Safety Tip #12: If you are choosing to drink (or have friends that choose to drink) alcohol, understand that not all alcohols are alike

Some are stronger than others. Learn about it ahead of time.

Safety Tip #13: Offer rides if you have a car

Of course, keep boundaries (some people might think you are an endless free ride) and remember that you can offer but not everyone feels comfortable accepting rides.

Safety Tip #14: Offer your dorm to a safe friend if they are stuck on campus late in the evening

Of course, only if you know they are safe friends

Safety Tip #15: Know what harassment and consent look like

If you see someone who appears uncomfortable, (and you are safe) walk up to the person who looks uncomfortable and talk right to that person. If you do not feel comfortable, feel free to call 911. Don’t just walk away, err on the side of keeping people safe.

If you are in an uncomfortable situation and do not feel safe, it is okay to lie in order to stay safe, as in: “Sorry, I can’t go with you, I have to meet my roommate here.” Or give out a fake phone number. Remember that actually if you find you are making someone feel uncomfortable, stop and walk away.

Safety Tip #16: Take a self-defense class

It is a genuinely valuable investment of time

Safety Tip #17: Parents: teach your male sons to be respectful

Teach them to be gentlemen. Teach them no means no. Teach them the value of all God’s creation. Teach them good manners.

NOW, before you feel terrified for your young adults (and also we aren’t advocating for any unhealthy behaviors; we just don’t want young adults to be naive), here are some GOOD things that happen in college:

  • Going out to eat with classmates so you get to know them better and enjoy class together more.
  • Inviting classmates to study groups at the library (especially those in your major)
  • Joining a healthy fraternity and sorority (not all of those organizations are about partying and wild living; rather some are about service or building their major)
  • Joining the university choir
  • Joining an interest group or club
  • Getting an on-campus job (Caroline worked in the college creamery, Seth worked in events)
  • For more tips on making friends in college, check out this post

Join Vicki, Seth and Caroline Tillman for an empowering discussion. Also check out the college success tips interview with their friend, Kendall Smythe.

Watch one of Seth’s digital classes for his elementary music students (his school was online during COVID-19). And his fun project with friends, Newbit.

 

 

 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

 

College Safety and Fun for Homeschool Graduates

Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , ,

Cooking for High School Credit with Angela Smith

August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Cooking for High School Credit with Angela Smith.

Cooking for High School Credit with Angela Smith

Cooking for High School Credit with Angela Smith

As homeschool parents, we 7Sisters know a win when we see one! How about life skills, cooking, and food science combined for a fun and meaningful high school elective credit?

That’s what we found with Angela Smith at Inquisicook!

Featured in this article:

  • Angela Smith’s story
  • Inquisicook’s story
  • How Inquisicook works
  • Find Inquisicooks
  • Learn more about electives

Angela Smith’s story

Angela likes to say that she is “actually a native member of the homeschool tribe”. Her family started homeschooling in 1992 and continued until their last child went to college. These days, Angela is helping with the homeschooling of her twelve grandchildren.

Inquisicook’s story

The Inquisicook online program combines food science, life skills, and culinary arts into hands-on courses that put delicious food on the family table.

The Inquisicook online program combines food science, life skills, and culinary arts into hands-on courses that put delicious food on the family table.

These practical, elective courses include science labs that wind up as a prepared dish for the family table!

When her youngest child was about ten or eleven years old, she informed Angela that she wanted cooking to be one of her homeschool subjects. They were already cooking together as part of their family lifestyle. (Angela’s family loves to exercise hospitality.)

However, being a homeschool mom, Angela wanted to incorporate a science-driven approach to cooking. She thought it made sense to study the science that’s literally under their noses and that they were engaging with daily.

Angela believes that anybody ought to be able to prepare a tasty dish based on what’s in season, what’s on sale, or what’s in the fridge. She wants teens to be free from the tyranny of an ingredients list that says, “I’ve got to buy, you know, this and this and this, and if I don’t have those things, I can’t make this recipe.”

Angela could not find a curriculum that taught comprehensive, science-based cooking, so (being an industrious homeschool mom), she created her own. It took years to finally have the course in the form she wanted to launch, but it’s ready, and you can get your teens started now!

How Inquisicook works

Inquisicook offers two courses. Each of the courses is divided into five units with fifteen lessons. Also included are optional recipes that we call “for further eating”, and teacher resources.

Inquisicook 1 covers eggs, quick breads, salads and dressings, yeast breads, along with herbs, spices, and seasonings. This is combined with soups and stocks.

In this first course, teens also learn the basic culinary art skills, such as:

  • Knife skills,
  • How to use a double boiler
  • Recognizing signs of doneness

Students also conduct sensory evaluations for every recipe they re-prepare, rating it based on appearance, flavor, texture, and aroma. This guides them to think specifically and analytically about their outcomes. It also gives them a pathway to craft improvements or variations for future attempts at the recipes, because we want them to be intuitive cooks, not recipe followers.

These skills help students figure out what the version two of that recipe might look like for their family’s tastes.

Food science in Inquisicook

Of course, all of the units are packed with science. For instance, they learn about egg protein molecules and how those molecules are transformed when heat is applied to them. They learn the physics of whisking: what is happening to egg proteins as they unfurl and then collect around bubbles to create an egg white foam.

In the science of custards, students learn special techniques to trap moisture droplets within the protein network.

In the quick breads unit, they learn the differences between biological leaveners, physical leaveners, and chemical leaveners. They learn about the different types of wheat, different protein contents of the wheat, and the different ways to capture those little air bubbles that cause bread to rise.

During the soups and stocks unit, students learn about extracting flavor through long, slow cooking and the science behind different flavoring agents in terms of herbs and spices

Inquisicook is an applied science that’s super tasty!

This course would be a good choice as an elective on the high school transcript!

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing the podcast.

Find Inquisicook at:

Learn more about high school electives in these Homeschool Highschool Podcast episodes:

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*
Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , , ,

Choosing This Year’s Curriculum for Homeschool High School

July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Choosing This Year’s Curriculum for Homeschool High School.

Choosing This Year's Curriculum for Homeschool High School

Choosing This Year’s Curriculum for Homeschool High School

Let’s talk about choosing this year’s curriculum for your homeschool high schoolers! This is one of the most fun (and sometimes stressful) parts of the homeschool year.

Every year, you have different circumstances and a different budget. Every year, you must choose curriculum that fits your teen’s goals (and your goals) for their graduation.

Featured in this post:

  • Tips from homeschool veterans on how to choose curriculum
  • Start with prayer
  • Clarify your budget
  • Remember your long-term and short-term goals
  • What kind of learning situation or curriculum is needed?
  • Factoring in circumstances
  • Used resources
  • Curriculum reviews
  • Every teen is different

So, here are tips from homeschool veterans on how to choose curriculum

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, and there’s not ONE right way to choose curriculum. You are homeschooling to do what is best for your unique teens.

Start with prayer

The number one thing to do is to pray. As our 7Sister Kim always says, “Pray first and pray always.” We all need skillful and godly wisdom in all areas of our homeschooling, especially in purchasing curriculum.

Clarify your budget

The next thing we want to consider is the budget. These days, everything is more costly: groceries, gas, and medical expenses. Everybody needs to balance the budget as best they can.

What fits in your budget for this year’s curriculum purchases?

Remember your goals

Most, or all, of our curriculum choices need to reflect our short-term and long-term goals.

  • Long-term goals
    • We know what our teens should have accomplished by the time they get to graduation day. If not,  think about your teens walking across the stage or the backyard at graduation. While you are watching them, and you’re so proud, and you think, “These are the things they have accomplished, and we’re so grateful that they have accomplished those things, and we know they’re ready for the next part of life.”
    • Those are your long-term goals.
  • Short-term goals
    • What are this year’s specific goals that should be accomplished for those long-term goals to happen? (BTW- 7SistersHomeschool offers a self-paced online course for parents to help get started, including how to do your goal setting.)
    • Look at the long-term goals. Break out the specific goals that need to be completed this year
      • What academic subjects will they be covering?
      • And is my teen this year working towards college or a career or the military or missions?
      • What should they work on towards those goals?

What kind of learning situation or curriculum do our teens (and we want) this year?

Talk with your teens. What are some considerations for curriculum and learning experiences that need to fit your budget?

  • Are they hoping for co-op, umbrella school, or digital classes? (Remember: you will need the required textbooks and supplies, along with any other required fees.
  • What are my teen’s areas of interest?
  • Which careers or majors is my teen exploring?
  • Are there some areas that need extra textbooks or experiences to build a strong transcript?
  • What courses do I need to beef up?
  • What are my teens’ learning styles?
    • Some teens love to sit down and read a textbook. They really like it.
    • Some teens do not like to sit down and read a textbook.
  • Are our teens self-directed learners yet?
    • Or are they working on a course they will need or want a lot of direction in? If your teen is facing a subject that they will need more support for, take a look at possible curriculum choices and make sure you and your teen both like it!

Factoring in circumstances

Are there circumstances that will affect curriculum needs and choices?

Teens’ Needs

  • Sometimes, teens hit a rough patch. For instance, let’s say your teen all of a sudden started worrying about whether they wanted to go to college. Like, “Oh, no, maybe I can’t do it.” And before we had been thinking, “Oh, let’s, let’s do a more competitive college,” or, “Let’s aim for our state college.” And the teen all of a sudden gets angsty and says, “I don’t know whether I can do this honors-level work that is required for admissions to competitive colleges.”
    • When this happens, you might be hearing some burnout, so you might need to back it off this year. Thus, you will be looking for a curriculum that gives them a little bit of time to recalibrate (more of the basic college-prep curriculum rather than Level 5/Honors work.
  • Family’s needs
    • What are our family needs this year?
      • Do you have multiple high schoolers or multiple kids?
      • Do we need portable curriculum because we’re gonna be road schooling this year
      • If there are needs for less space, you definitely want to look into PDF curriculum like 7Sisters Homeschool.

Used resources

Are there some subjects that my teens can share a textbook or borrow one from a friend? (Our umbrella school has a lending library of sharable curriculum.) Of course, this is limited by any copyright rules (such as sharing downloadable curriculum is usually only okay between family members).

Curriculum Reviews

Many homeschooling families feel best with actual curriculum, whether this is downloadable PDFs or hardcover textbooks. Check out these resources:

Every teen is different

There’s not one right way to be a learner. Some teens are more interest-led, preferring a more relaxed homeschooling or even unschooling situation. For those teens, you may just totally toss out the textbook and work more on logging hours.

You can always change things up

Relax. You can give yourself comfort in knowing that even if you get a curriculum that doesn’t really fit, it is okay at any point during the year to say, “this isn’t working,” and put it on the shelf.

Maybe it’ll work for the next kid…or simply toss the curriculum. One of my favorite posts at 7Sisters is 50 Ways to Scrap Your School Book, because there have been many times when we have tossed curriculum around January. You can always change. You are not locked in just because you purchase something.

Learn more on these related topics:

You CAN do this! Be encouraged!

Also, you can get more suggestions and advice from all the 7th Sisters in our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group. Join us there!

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
  3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review
Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , ,

How to Plan Your Homeschool High School

July 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Homeschooling High School — Homeschool Help Hub | Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network

The high school years are where homeschool moms panic most — transcripts, credits, GPAs, graduation, college. Take a deep breath: thousands of families graduate confident, college-ready teens from the kitchen table every year, and you can too. This guide pulls together the how-to plus the best episodes from across our shows to walk you through all four years.

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How to Plan Your Homeschool High School.

How to Plan Homeschool High School

How to Plan Your Homeschool High School

Let’s talk about planning high school. We know that planning for homeschooling high school can feel intimidating.

I (Vicki) remember, back in those early days, getting ready to start homeschooling her first high schooler. During those days, I was president of our local homeschool organization. There were not many people homeschooling high schoolers back then.

We were not sure how to plan out our high schoolers’ educations. So, a group of us moms in the homeschool support group got together and started researching how to homeschool high school.

We shared our research results in our weekly meetings, and prayed a lot. When the time came, we felt intimidated, but as ready as we could be. Since then, that group of moms evolved into 7SistersHomeschool and Homeschool Highschool Podcast. We have homeschooled twenty-six of our kids through graduation. Not only that, but we have also advised several hundred other local homeschoolers through our umbrella school.

Featured in this post:

  • Guidelines for planning homeschool high school including
    • Guideline #1 of planning homeschool high school: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school
    • Guideline #2 for planning homeschool high school is to know this: What’s your why?
    • Guideline #3 for planning homeschool high school: Know your teen
    • Guideline #4: What is your philosophy of homeschooling high school?
    • Guideline #5: Are there any unusual needs in the family right now?
    • Guideline #6: Clarify your goals
    • Guideline #7: What is the budget for this year?

Guidelines for planning homeschool high school

By the way, let us share a FREE video course for parents called Are You Intimidated To Homeschool High School? It gets you started, gives you confidence and ideas.

Intimidated by Homeschooling High school?

Then if you want a really deep dive with sixteen lessons on how to do homeschool high school, we have a parent video course for that as well.

Homeschool High School: You CAN Do It!

Guideline #1 of planning homeschool high school: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school

Just because your friend is homeschooling high school in one way does not mean you must homeschool high school as they do. Every teen is different; every family’s needs, rhythms, and interests are different as well.

We are homeschooling to do what is best for our own teens. So, enjoy the process, make it your own, and make it fit your teens!

Guideline #2 for planning homeschool high school is to know this: What’s your why?

Ask yourself, “Why am I homeschooling high school?”

There are a gazillion reasons. However, if you are homeschooling high school to help your teen really delve into an interest, then your homeschool high school will be different from a family with a teen who has medical needs.

Perhaps your teen is aiming for a competitive college; their high school will look more academically challenging than a teen who wants to go into a trade.

Write your WHY. On a bad day, it’ll help you remember. A written WHY will help you stay on mission.

Guideline #3 for planning homeschool high school: Know your teen

You are going to spend a lot of time and effort in homeschooling these teenagers. It’s a good idea to know the person you are homeschooling.

Of course, you do not know everything about who they are, but God knows them well. Thus, one thing you do is you pray. You can pray:

“God, help me have the eyes to see and ears to hear and heart to understand my teen and your will for my teen.”

Also, ask yourself:

  • Has my teen developed interests? For instance, perhaps they love playing guitar, or studying biology, creating art or music, or playing soccer.
  • What is their rhythm? Do they normally move about with a slow or calm rhythm? Or are they naturally busy bees?
  • Do they like to get up late or get up with the sun?
  • How would you describe their personalities and learning styles? (A wonderful book for this is Anita Gibson’s Starfinder.)
  • Do your teens already have life goals? Some do, many don’t have a clue.

Guideline #4: What is your philosophy of homeschooling high school?

Many homeschooling families do not have a one-size-fits-all homeschooling philosophy. Instead, our ideas grow and change over the years. That’s okay! For the moment, though, define as best you can what makes homeschooling important to you.

Let’s take a moment and define your homeschooling philosophy for this time in life. What is important to you and your teens?

  • Are they like my teens: They enjoy learning most things as long as there is no busywork and that they can “level up” to more rigorous credits in a meaningful way. In other words, do not waste their time and do help them fulfill their dreams.
  • On the other hand, some homeschooling families love specific ideologies of homeschooling, such as Classical, Charlotte Mason, or unschooling.

Guideline #5: Are there any unusual needs in the family right now?

Sometimes families have some unusual needs or plans for the year that will affect how and where they homeschool.

  • Medical needs
  • Caregiving for one of the grandparents
  • A cross-country move
  • A wedding in the family that will require lots of time

These are all time-consuming needs. Be sure when you are planning that you do not leave your teens out of the planning. When teens understand the demands on the family, they can give input and suggestions on best-fit curriculum and extracurriculars.

Guideline #6: Clarify your goals

It is wise to have written goals for the long-term and short-term (this year).

  • Long-term goals describe what you want your teens to have experienced and accomplished by the time they graduate.
  • Short-term goals are goals for this school year.

You need both!

Guideline #7: What is the budget for this year?

So every year may be different, and that’s okay. If you know what the budget is and you can answer the other questions, then you are set to go to set your plans and choose curriculum.

Get more details and how-tos:

If you have any questions, join the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group. It is such a lovely group of homeschooling parents that can answer questions and encourage you!

Join us on 7SistersHomeschool Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing and to Stacy Clendaniel for all of the cool videos and graphics that she does for us on social media.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on 
    1. View in “…your favorite podcast source”
  3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

OR PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

🎧 Featured episode

Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses

From The Homeschool Highschool Podcast — press play, then explore more episodes below.

Homeschool high school episodes from across our shows

Transcripts, credits & graduation

College & career prep

Teaching the high school years

Encouragement & teen challenges

Go deeper with The Homeschool Highschool Podcast, and see our guides on getting started and a strong new year.

Explore more guides in the Homeschool Help Hub →

🛒 Need curriculum or resources? Shop Christian homeschool books, science, and unit studies from Media Angels.

🎓 You’ve got this — and you’re not alone

Get our free Christian Homeschool Starter Kit for confidence and a plan, and tune in to shows made for the high school years.

Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , ,

Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses

July 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment
📚 Part of our guide: Homeschooling High School

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses.

Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses

Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses

We often receive questions from parents of homeschool middle schoolers. They want to know how to record on the transcript their high school-level courses completed during middle school.

They want to know how and where to record those high school-level courses completed during middle school!

Featured in this post:

  • High school courses in middle school can be done
  • Why might a middle schooler do some high school-level work?
  • How do you handle those high school courses your tweens completed?
  • Ways to show the high school courses completed in middle school on the transcript

High school courses in middle school: It can be done!

First, let me remind you there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, and not ONE right way to handle transcripts.

As a side note: Your middle schoolers do not have to rush to do high school. It is okay to wait till high school to do high school work.

Tweens are not in a competition to see, “How can I get ahead in the game?”

If they need time simply to be in middle school and simply enjoy the last few years before transcript life, that is absolutely marvelous. In fact, many of the 7Sisters middle schoolers did not work on high school courses.

Also, we did have some middle schoolers who wanted to jump the gun on things and start some high school courses. There’s really NOT one right way to homeschool middle school.

Why might a middle schooler do some high school-level work?

One reason a middle schooler might jump ahead and start taking a few high school courses is that they are academically ready and need the challenge of a high school course. Some kids are raring to go and want to do high school-level work.

Another reason middle schoolers might take a high school course is that they have a particular interest or a gifting that should not be neglected. Some middle schoolers are advanced in areas like music, the arts, science, math, languages, or literature. It is responsible to help them lean into those interests and gifts.

Some middle schoolers are part of a co-op teaching a high school course they are interested in. When the co-op allows middle schoolers to participate and the tween is capable of high school-level work, why not allow them?

Whatever the reason for taking those high school courses, make sure that you keep records to show that each of those courses were completed at a high school level (nothing scaled back for middle schoolers).

So, how do you handle those high school courses your tweens completed?

There are several tips to help you handle this process:

Keep records because if you don’t have a record of how they earned that credit, it did not happen. This can include:

  • Course description
  • Syllabus
  • Evidence of the work that was done
  • How that credit was earned
  • Grades
  • Amount of credit

It is wise to keep all this in a binder, portfolio, or wherever you’re keeping records.

Ways to show the high school courses completed in middle school on the transcript

Remember: there’s not ONE right way to record a high school class done in middle school on the transcript. Here are some ways that families we have worked with in our umbrella school have done this.

  • Create a transcript that includes an extra box before the 9th grade year on that transcript that says 8th grade year or middle school years
    • Then you list the courses that were done, along with the grade earned for that course and the amount of credit assigned
  • Many people use a transcript form that does not include an 8th grade section. At 7Sisters, we offer an editable transcript form with a package of how-tos. It does not have an 8th grade section.
    • Instead, for our teens, we added those courses to the 9th grade year on the transcript.
    • To differentiate these courses from the 9th grade courses, we (in parentheses) would write “completed in 8th grade”.
    • For instance, if they completed Algebra 1 in 8th grade, and we wanted to record that course on the transcript, in the 9th grade year it would say:

Algebra 1 (completed in 8th grade)

  • You can choose not to show high school courses taken in middle school.

A caveat

We need to note that some colleges do not count those 8th grade courses. That’s okay, because usually our homeschool high schoolers have many credits when they graduate. They really do not need to show them all on the transcript.

Also, sometimes the courses done in middle school are implied, and so you do not need to show them. So, for instance, if your 9th grader is taking geometry for their math, it’s implied that they did Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them! (If they are ready for high school work, if it excites them and inspires them, if it challenges them, feel free to have them take the course. Then include it on the transcript…or not!)

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them!

Stay in touch

So please join us there at the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group where you can ask all your questions and receive wisdom and encouragement from all the 7th Sisters out there!

Also, if you’re new to Substack, look up 7SistersHomeschool on Substack.

More help with homeschooling middle school

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
  3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

 

Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , ,

Resource for Teens Who Struggle With Reading with Tara Giddings

July 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment
📚 Part of our guide: Homeschooling a Struggling Learner

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Resource for Teens Who Struggle With Reading with Tara Giddings.

Resource For Teens Who Struggle With Reading with Tara Giddings

Resource For Teens Who Struggle With Reading with Tara Giddings

Some homeschooling high schoolers love reading. Others do not! Some teens struggle with reading. That’s why Vicki was excited to talk about a reading program that respectfully helps teens build their reading skills.

We talked to Tara Giddings from LearnUp Centers. She and her team work with teens who have struggled with reading. (It’s not anything to be ashamed of because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.)

About LearnUp

LearnUp is a non-profit that has been around for ten years. They are on a mission to help all young people learn how to read.

LearnUp is on a mission to help all young people learn how to read.

The team works with readers of all ages and all grades! They have developed a program specifically to support our teen learners.

The LearnUp program supports students using their proven structured literacy program. They offer high-dosage tutoring for students in-person in San Francisco and online nationwide.

How things got started

The LearnUp reading program was initially created for a family whose fifth-grader was reading at below a second-grade level. They had tried many different programs. Nothing was working.

The family was feeling frustrated: “What do we do? How can we help our kid learn how to read?”

They finally found Steve Tatum, the founder of the LearnUp reading program, Tatum Reading. Working with Steve, the child rose from a second-grade reading level to high school level in less than a year!

The family was so excited about their child’s success! So, Steve sat down with the parents and walked them through the structured literacy reading program. (He calls this a train-the-trainer approach.)

Steve Tatum had combined the best elements of a number of reading programs. Using this “best elements” approach helped students learn as quickly as possible while still being engaging.

The non-profit is launched

The family was so happy about their child’s reading success that they asked to work with Steve to start a non-profit. They wanted to share the program with as many students as possible and for it to be accessible for families who may not otherwise be able to afford these services. They knew that education is key to unlocking success in the future. So LearnUp was born. They strive to make sure that students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have the same opportunities.

LearnUp helps middle and high schoolers

Learning quickly is especially important for our middle and high schoolers; they don’t have time to waste. They need to catch up fast.

The team from LearnUp wants to make sure they are clear about what we do differently when we work with teens.

They adapted the curriculum, called Unlocking Reading Success, specifically for those older students. The lessons are engaging and story-driven. Teens can make sense of weird phonics rules, presented in a way that does not feel babyish. They never want teens to feel like they’re being talked down to.

LearnUp tutors interact with teens differently than with younger students. They know they need to get teens’ buy-in and engagement. They learn to see themselves as readers!

How to get started with LearnUp

The first step in starting LearnUp is to take their free virtual intake assessment.

They want to make sure that all families can get insight into their homeschooler’s reading. Contact LearnUp, and you will be connected with one of their advanced tutors.

This intake assessment will show their student’s entry level. The entry levels are one reason they can move teens more quickly through the program, because we don’t start at the beginning of our scope and sequence with every student. LearnUp meets them where they are.

LearnUp has found students tend to bucket into about five different entry levels, ranging from a non-reader who knows some sounds, to an early reader who can read some one-syllable words. Then there are what they call “Start 3s and 4s”. Those students have more skills, but need support in areas such as reading multi-syllable words.

An example of how LearnUp works

When a student comes in at entry-level Start 4, their tutor would start them at more advanced phonics so the student feels challenged. They would go back and fill in the gaps in their reading as needed.

Some students come to LearnUP at the last Start, an entry level where the teen sounds like they can read. However, they need support in comprehension, decoding, and writing.

So what would a LearnUp session look like?

After the assessment, parents connect with LearnUp to schedule their teen with a tutor.

During each session, tutors and students use visual and auditory aids to review what they have covered so far. Then teens learn a new phonics concept of the day. They practice on a digital board using “nonsense words”, so that they are challenged to apply the new phonics concept. The teen and the tutor also practice the concept by taking turns sharing nonsense words.

Then they would practice some spelling with real words.

Next, they read a decodable story in a chapter book using that day’s phonics concept. These stories are relevant and engaging for the teens. These are not reading children’s stories, but rather interesting, culturally relevant stories from Japanese mythology to African American folklore.

Reading stories builds comprehension and engagement skills. These are the skills they need for schoolwork and for life!

LearnUp success stories

Tara shares the story of a high school student who was referred to as a hall walker by her school’s staff.  She was technically at school, but never spending any time in class. Rather, she was just walking around the hallways the whole time. This is an avoidance technique because the student knows they cannot engage in class.)

The LearnUp tutor worked with this teen who was at an early-reader level. (She was only able to read some one-syllable words.) However, within sixty sessions during one semester, she was able to jump over three grade levels. She gained confidence and began attending and engaging in her classes instead of hall walking.

Connect with LearnUp

To get started with LearnUp, you can contact LearnUp at

For more on helping struggling high school learners:

Join Vicki and Tara and learn about reading resources with LearnUp.

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
  3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*
Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , , ,

10 Ways to Help Teens Develop Their Interests

June 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
📚 Part of our guide: Homeschooling High School

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: 10 Ways to Help Teens Develop Their Interests.

10 Ways to Help Teens Develop Their Interests

10 Ways to Help Teens Develop Their Interests

 One of the joys of homeschooling high school is helping teens invest in their interests.

One of the most important gifts we can give our teens in their high school years is to lean into discovering their interests, to explore ideas that are important to them, or simply to find out that they have interests, and to try on hats and to see which ones are the best fits for them.

Out of these interests, teens may turn them into hobbies or avocations that will follow them for the rest of their lives, or just for the high school years.

However, often these interests will become the first steps towards a career.

We, parents, want to know that we have done our part in helping our teens be ready for the next phase of life. We want to invest in them,  to know whether they really are interested in something enough to make it a career.

Whether an interest will become a hobby or a career, an important part of high school is investing in interests.

Let’s talk about 10 ways to help teens develop their interests

Remember, discovering and developing interests is an adventure, so try not to get stressed about it! Here are ten ways to have an interesting adventure!

1. Start get-togethers or a club

If you find your teen has an interest they would like to explore, see if they’ve got some friends who have the same interests. Let them have get-togethers and participate in the activity together, or make a club.

One of Vicki’s sons and his friends were interested in doing film. The movie The Lord of the Rings was popular in those days. My son and his friends watched the extra material on the videos. This inspired them to make their own videos.

Soon, they wanted a Cinematography Club. The teens had so much fun. They made short movies from start to finish: scripting, filming, acting, and making props. We were able to include this as an extracurricular on their transcripts.

That son went to community college and got his AA degree in video production. By that time, he had said, “You know what? This is not what I want to do for a career, but it’s going to be a good tool.” He has used filmmaking throughout college to do his presentations.

He is a teacher now, and he has sponsored a Cinematography Club at his school.

Remember: You are never wasting time when investing in your teen’s interests.

2. Join a local group that’s already there

In some areas, there are lots of opportunities for teens to explore different interests. For instance:

  • Local libraries often have programs for teens

Your co-op, local homeschool support groups, or umbrella schools often have some kind of interest groups for teens. Our homeschool high schoolers have participated in public speaking groups, choirs, bands, service groups, and sports teams through our umbrella school or homeschool support group.

3. Sometimes churches will have things that our teens find interesting

Teens who are ministry-oriented, mission-oriented, and/or enjoy church youth groups can join groups that help them explore these interests. A number of our teens have been in the church youth group and have joined missions trips overseas or here in the States.

4. Opportunities in the community

Look for interesting opportunities in the community: ranger-led walks in state parks, organizations that do river cleanup days, birdwatching groups, etc.

5. Take an online or a local course

There are endless opportunities for our teens:

6. Log hours for an elective credit

If your teen wants to spend some time exploring a subject, let them do it. Have them log the hours. One of our top articles at 7SistersHomeschool is from the Freedom Homeschool mom. Her name is Sarah, and her teens have been exploring gardening. They have done gardening for an elective credit. They log those hours and get elective credit.

7. If they are interested in something that can build core credits, let’s let them lean into it

Some of our teens who have been into sciences have done extra sciences like marine biology or an extra chemistry course. If they are into it, let them explore.

We have had teens get a textbook on astronomy and take courses in that.

7. Have them write a research paper for their ELA credit or towards some elective hours

Teens can turn interests into electives! One of my teens was born a musician and has enjoyed singing, playing guitar, and being part of a church worship band. When he was in high school, he developed an interest in the history of church music. So, one year, he did a deep dive into this topic, writing a research paper on the topic. He spent enough time on the topic that he logged an elective credit in Church Music History.

(BTW- this is a true “sparkle credit” on the transcript!)

8. Teens can take a dual enrollment course

Teens can take dual enrollment courses at their local community college or online courses through a college. If these courses help them explore an interest, they earn a triple blessing: early college credit, high school credit, and another way to explore interests.

9. Find an apprenticeship

Finding an apprenticeship for your teen is a good idea. Years ago, one of our teens wanted to explore becoming a farrier. She found a local farrier and worked with them, and began learning those skills. This was a first step in a career that was meaningful to her.

Another one of our teens was interested in becoming a large animal vet. She did an apprenticeship for a vet. This was a valuable experience for her because she found that she did NOT like the on-call lifestyle of a veterinarian.

10. Find a service or volunteer opportunity

Is there something related to your interest that the teen can do to serve the community? For instance, in our area near the Chesapeake Bay, some organizations take families kayaking and participate in a river cleanup.  This gives teens service hours, as well as understanding the local waterway, using a kayak, and enjoying nature.

Bonus: 11.  Allow your teen time each day for fun exploring their interest!

Don’t forget to join the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook Group. It’s a great place to ask questions and share your own ideas with others.

For more on helping your teens explore interests, check out these:

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*
Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , , , ,

20+ Credits Needed for Graduation

June 16, 2026 by Leave a Comment
📚 Part of our guide: Homeschooling High School

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: 20+ Credits Needed for Graduation.

20+ Credits Needed for Graduation

20+ Credits Needed for Graduation

Lots of homeschooling parents feel intimidated by transcripts. They worry if they will include the correct courses and credits for a successful launch for their homeschool high schoolers into the next phase of life.

That’s why I (7Sister Vicki) am excited to talk about homeschool transcripts! I know this can be a stressful topic for new homeschooling parents, but once you get used to it, it’s a fun game!

Start with: This is a game to learn to play!

Creating your teen’s homeschool transcript is a game. It can be fun!

So, let’s all take a deep breath and say to ourselves, “This is a game. I can play the game, and it can be fun.”

So we practice a positive attitude, and it won’t be so bad! (Believe me, it is true. We have successfully helped our teens and hundreds of our local advisees create a successful transcript.)

There’s not ONE right way

Anyway, let me remind you that there’s not one right way to homeschool high school. (We say that all the time!) And it is especially true about transcripts.

There’s not one right way to do transcripts. Even if you had a teen in a public school, every school’s transcript looks different. Thus, you get to adapt anything I share to meet your teens’ needs.

BTW- at 7SistersHomeschool, when you download our transcript package, you will find a transcript in an editable format that we have used with all our teens. You, too, can use it to make your own transcript. The how-tos are all included! It has been useful for homeschool graduates for admission into college, the military, trade schools, or whatever their next steps are.

How to Create a High School Transcript with Editable Transcript

Just like there’s not one right way to create a transcript, there’s not one right way to decide how many credits to put on the transcript. Every state has a different set of requirements for what kinds and number of credits are needed for graduation.

In our umbrella school, we had kids from Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Thus, we had to require the highest number of credits from each state’s graduation requirements. Our teens needed twenty-six credits on their transcripts.

With this in mind, adjust these tips for your teens’ needs and your state’s requirements.

Courses your teens need on their transcripts

Homeschool high schoolers need several kinds of courses on their homeschool transcripts:

Core courses

The core courses are the basic academics that teens need for graduation. Most states require the same core subjects, but may vary in the number of credits for each category.

Core courses for the homeschool transcript include:

  • English/Language Arts (ELA)– usually four credits
  • Maths- usually three or four credits
    • These credits usually include Algebra and Geometry; many states also require Algebra II. College-bound teens may need Pre-Calculus or Calculus, according to their major. Some states add Financial Literacy or Consumer Math to these requirements.
  • Social Studies/History- usually three or four credits
  • Science- usually three or four credits
    • Many states require Biology and Chemistry credits. Some also include Health, Physical Science, or Physics.
  • World Languages- usually two to three credits

Other required courses

Many states have additional required credits, such as:

  • Physical Education- usually one or two credits
  • Fine Arts- usually one credit
    • This can include drama, art, music, and sometimes dance, if it’s not counted as Phys Ed.
  • Technology- usually one credit
  • Career Pathways- usually one to four credits
    • A few states require Career Exploration, followed by courses that build experience in a possible career choice.
      • For instance, teens interested in a Science major, all of their sciences count as Career Pathways
      • Teens interested in non-college or trade schools. For instance, if  Early Childhood Eduation is a teen’s Career Pathway, shadowing, volunteering or working at a daycare or preschool, as well as 7Sisters Early Childhood Education textbook.

Elective courses

Most states require some elective credits (usually one to four credits). Many homeschool high schoolers have more than the minimum elective requirement. That’s because we can include ALL of their educational experiences on the transcript to highlight the richness of learning.

Electives are topics that interest your teens, they want to explore for fun, or are extra courses related to a favorite core course.

So, let’s say your teen had all the fine arts they needed, but they enjoyed being in a choir. They can count those choir hours as a Choir Elective.

One of my teens was interested in the History of Church Music. He created his own credit in that topic.

Elective credits add sparkle to the transcript. It also shows that your teen is self-motivated and can explore an interest.

Don’t be intimidated. Transcripts are a game.

There you have it! Since transcripts are a game, you may as well show off your teen’s excellent high school experiences! Never exaggerate or fib, but do show off your teens’ educational strengths!

Keep your attitude positive! You can do this!

Stay in touch!

Join Vicki for encouragement as you plan your teens’ credits for the homeschool transcript.

For more on transcripts, check out:

Thank you to Seth Tillman for editing today.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*
Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , , ,

How I Homeschooled with Natalie Mack

June 9, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How I Homeschooled with Natalie Mack.

How I Homeschooled with Natalie Mack

How I Homeschooled with Natalie Mack

Our listeners tell us that one of their favorite podcast episode topics is when fellow homeschool parents tell how they homeschool!

That’s because there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. It is encouraging and fun to hear how other parents are handling their educational adventures.

One of our favorite people to have on the podcast is our friend and 7Sisters Cousin, Natalie Mack! Natalie is a force in the homeschool community! She has done TEDx Talks, is active in the military homeschool community, has helped with HSLDA’s work, and more.

Every time Natalie Mack has been on Homeschool Highschool Podcast, listeners ask for more.

Natalie’s story

Natalie and her family are now a retired Navy chaplain’s family. Natalie’s husband was military active duty, along with a little bit of reserve time in two branches. He started out after college in the Army as an intel officer.

Natalie married him a few years after college. They moved around the world as an Army couple with one child at the time, their oldest daughter.

Then he was called to the ministry and left the military. They did some (“what we call ‘civilian time’”) for about seven years. They were living back in Maryland, their home. Her husband became a licensed minister after completing his Master’s in Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary. They had had three more children by that time.

Then they looked at each other and said, “We miss military life!”

So, they returned to military life as a Navy family, her husband as a Navy chaplain soon after 9/11 in 2001.

Natalie had just started homeschooling that September, as well. Her husband was assigned to Camp Pendleton in California. The family accompanied him to several locations. The last assignment was in Naples, Italy.

Back in the States in 2020, Natalie started working with HSLDA as a high school educational consultant. She also created their military outreach program.

Next, Natalie started an LLC to consult with homeschooling parents.

She did the TEDx Talk: The Impact of Homeschooling.

She also started a nonprofit, Military Homeschoolers Association. Natalie, as you can see, stays busy.

These days, Natalie spends part of her time helping recruiters and military education service specialists in the different branches of the military, training them on homeschooling, helping them understand what homeschoolers bring to the table.

How Natalie’s family homeschools

Every family homeschools in their own unique way according to their unique goals and priorities.

Here are some of Natalie’s family’s goals/priorities.

Focus on homeschooling geared to passions and interests

A focus on passions and interests includes parents, too! As you can see from Natalie’s story, she was faithful to explore the interests God gave her, and he opened doors for her. Also, following passions and interests is good role modeling.

Natalie intentionally worked with each of her homeschool high schoolers to have coursework, volunteer work, and other experiences that helped them explore their interests.

For instance, one daughter loved languages and studied them enthusiastically. This helped her with missions trips and college major choices.

Another of Natalie’s high schoolers was interested in international politics. Natalie made sure that some of their experiences included courses in these areas. This led to his college studies at American University in that field.

One of the things that Natalie has used and recommends is the ASVAB Career Exploration Program. It is provided by the military, but there is no commitment to enlist.

Academics

Academics were always important to  Natalie and her husband. They are first-generation college graduates, both with Master’s Degrees.  They saw college as the next destination for all five of their children. All five also wanted to go to college, as well.

That goal has held, as all five of Natalie’s kids have now been to college. The youngest has finished his freshman year of college, and the other four have graduated from college, and two completed Master’s degree programs, and one is in his second year of a Master’s in Urban Planning with Virginia Tech.

Note: Natalie’s youngest was on the podcast during his high school senior year. It was a great episode where he shared about the senior project he was doing for the conservation district.

Have conversations

Natalie’s family prioritized conversations. A lot of them happened late at night. “And, and I tell you what. That is when the most fruitful conversations have been.”

God is Guide

Through all the homeschooling years, Natalie and her husband trusted God as their Guide. The wisdom He gave them helped them:

  • Survive on a single income
  • Find meaningful resources and opportunities on a budget (for instance, libraries, community centers, local bulletin boards)
  • Enjoy opportunities as they came, for instance, it was a blessing to Natalie and her family when she started helping HSLDA as an advisor for military families

Model values

Natalie and her husband modeled family values like:

Note: Natalie’s youngest was on the podcast during his high school senior year. It was a great episode where he shared about the senior project he was doing for the conservation district.

And check out Natalie’s contributions to the homeschool community at:

Continue listening to encouraging interviews with Natalie Mack on Homeschool Highschool Podcast:

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

 

Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , ,

Finding the Right College Fit with Shellee Howard

June 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Finding the Right College Fit with Shellee Howard.

Finding the Right College Fit with Shellee Howard

Finding the Right College Fit with Shellee Howard

 If you have a homeschool high schooler who is starting to think about college, you will find this interview with Shellee Howard to be a help. She is a subject-matter expert on the college search process, and she has created the College Ready Plan to help teens. 

She loves working with homeschool families. One of her team members, Miss Christine, is a certified college consultant who homeschooled four of her own boys, so she works directly with homeschool families. In fact, Shellee started the interview by reminding listeners that she will share several resources they can grab for free to help them lay the foundation for their success!

Shellee’s story

Shellee is a mom of four, so she has lived in the “trenches with mom-ness.” When her son came home from eighth grade and told her he wanted to be a brain surgeon and go to an Ivy League school, she panicked. She did not know how to handle her son’s goals, but she did what she could: she went back to school, earned her master’s degree, and became a certified independent college strategist. Then, she started touring twenty-five colleges per semester.

With all that experience, she was able to help guide her son through his high school years. He did exactly what she recommended. He ended up applying to twelve schools, getting into eleven, received seven full-ride offers (including Harvard). That young man is now an orthopedic surgeon who is graduating from chief residency at UCLA. Plus, he is a debt-free doctor (which you don’t hear very often).

She knew she could also help other high schoolers achieve their college goals, so she started College Ready. Shellee has been helping teens for eighteen years now.

How to find the right college fit

There are all kinds of  homeschool high schoolers. Some are interested in Ivy League, some who just need a degree from a local college. How do parents and teens look for the right college fit? Here are Shellee’s tips:

Get clarity within the family

Sit down with your teenager and clarify:

 Ask your teen to answer the question: “Who are you?” Some may get a little squirmy, a little uncomfortable because they are not sure who they are at this young age (such as Shellee’s three youngest).

Others may know, such as Shellee’s firstborn.

Communicate with genuine curiosity. For instance, say, “So tell me why you wanna be a botanist,” rather than, “Oh, great. You’re never gonna make any money.”

Next, discuss the best kinds of colleges for your teens

Have a discussion between parents and teens about the kinds of schools that will help them accomplish their goals:

  • academic fit
  • social fit
  • financial fit
  • athletic or performing arts fit

At this stage, teens need to learn to prioritize. If the most important thing to your family is that your child gets in and out of college without debt, that strategy looks very different from if the number one thing is a social fit. (Social fit: They prioritize having an incredible experience, maybe meeting the future love of their life, and developing their network of people.)

Or maybe you say, “Wait, this child is an incredible sponge. We’re looking for the academic fit. We want them to go, get as educated as they can, change the world with their brains.”

Do you see how they’re all very unique?

When you clarify these priorities, you can find the best-fit college for your teen!

Steps to help teens set realistic expectations

Step one is to get really clear about why they’re going to college. Again, it’s that open discussion. Stay curious.

For some families, college is mandatory. There’s no discussion. You’re going to college, the end of the story.

Other families recognize that college is necessary for the teen to get the training and degree they need for the career they desire. Remember, not every college has every major. So finding a college with the major your teen desires is important.

Step two: Clarify finances

The cost of college ranges from free to completely $100,000 a year. That’s a big decision as a family.

Step three: Does your teen want a big school, a small school, East Coast, West Coast, private, public, or international college.

Now you’re ready to pick your school!

Shellee has software that can show a student what it takes to get into any school in the world:

  • GPA they need
  • test scores
  • community service
  • leadership
  • extracurriculars
  • letters of recommendation
  • essays

She recommends they have reach schools, comfort schools, and safety schools.

Shellee has free resources at College Ready

Check out these free resources from Shellee Howard:

  • If you want to find out how your child is doing on this path, we call it the College Ready Checklist
  • Go to collegereadyplan.info. That’s collegereadyplan.info. Sign up for a 30-minute complimentary session
  • Shellee offers two free Kindle Books:
    • How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money
    • The College Admissions Plan Simplified.
  • Calculate your student aid index. It’s called an SAI. CollegeReadyPlan.com will get you that free opportunity to learn your student aid index.

Shellee finished the conversation with this advice, “And parents, please don’t believe everything you see online. Our students earned over $10.2 million in scholarships last year, 80 million over the last 18 years. There’s plenty of money. Don’t let that stop you from learning how to get it done. You’ve got this.”

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our Apple Podcasts page.
  2. OR take this IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in “…your favorite podcast source”
  3. This will take you to Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast source and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

OR PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review*

 

Filed Under: Homeschool Highschool Tagged With: , , , ,
Next Page »