How to Plan Your Homeschool High School

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

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.

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:

• Authoritative Guide to Planning Homeschool High School (free detailed post from 7SistersHomeschool.com)
• How to Homeschool High School (interview with Vicki on Vintage Homeschool Moms podcast)
• Homeschooling through High School YouTube channel with our friend, CJ
• Our friend, BJ, shares her favorite frugal high school curriculum

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.

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