by Patty Marler
Homeschooling through high school is an often overlooked opportunity. Some parents may think that attending a brick and mortar school is necessary for graduation/university entrance or that homeschooling through high school will be too overwhelming, but the reality is that homeschooling through high school can be the most rewarding time in a homeschooling journey.
Homeschool Curricula Tailored to Teen
Individualized scheduling and focused attention give home educated students an advantage in pursuing their goals. Youth may focus on their area of passion, which could be a specific subject area (i.e. biology, history, chemistry), athletic, artistic or musical pursuit, or career path preference (trades, medical fields, computer programming, agriculture). Home educating through high school allows students to customize a plan that meets their own specialized learning needs, desires, and career goals. This focused attention allows home educated students to excel in their area of interest.
Solid high school curriculum is readily available for home educators. Homeschool parents may include additional specialized programming (i.e. worldview studies, financial training, trades skill development, etc.) that can benefit a youth’s growth and worldly understanding. If parents are unsure of which programming would suit their child, talking to an experienced home education resource provider can be extremely valuable. Such resources can be accessed by visiting the resources page at Homeschool.Today.
Personal and Family Benefits of Homeschooling in High School
Many parents report that some of the best and most important discussions happen during the high school years. In addition to exploring different viewpoints and ways of approaching situations, youth are also navigating personal relationships and sensitive subjects. These can lead to incredibly valuable conversations which are best had with parents and family, who have a vested interest in the youth’s growth and life.
An unprecedented development of self motivation, self management, and an attitude of discovery often occur in home educated high school students. These attributes can make the transition to post secondary studies and adult life much easier. Many post secondary instructors and institutions recognize this, with some institutions implementing specialized home education admissions policies, which have been created with the sole purpose of attracting home educated students. Home educated high school students may display their motivation in a variety of ways. For some, success in post secondary education is a testament to their strong time management skills and goal-oriented behaviour. For others, this motivation can result in home educated students extending their high school studies in order to either continue independently exploring areas of interest or to start their career training, apprenticeship, or post secondary studies during the high school years. There is significant flexibility when home educating through high school.
The Long-term Impact of Home Education in High School
It can be encouraging to know how high school home educated students fare in later years. A sampling of one small community of high school home educated individuals found successful adults had emerged: a nurse, 3rd class power engineer, red seal machinist, world champion bullfighter, teacher, university champion curler, provincial soccer goalie of the year, bank manager, mechanic, radio announcer, worship leader, mother, father, repeat employee of the month retail worker, chemist/distillery-developer/business owner, chiropractor and more. These individuals did not consider themselves to be exceptionally gifted, but they attributed their success to the encouragement and guidance they received from their homeschooling parents, who were passionate about the success of their children.
Home educating through high school is an incredible opportunity. The benefits to youth on their education, career development and relationships can have lifelong positive impacts.
