Thinking About Homeschooling High School

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This post is sponsored by Oak Meadow. 

It’s happening.

Bug is growing up, and it’s time to start thinking about homeschooling high school.

(can you believe that???)

We just received our Oak Meadow Eighth Grade curriculum in the mail and, of course, this gave me hives. Okay, not really, but there is something so final and overwhelming to be starting the eighth grade. Thinking About Homeschooling High School? High school is right around the corner for us, and I need to start planning.

We’ve been using Oak Meadow with Bug for as long as I can remember, so I turned to them for advice. Much of this information is helpful no matter what curriculum you are using, but if you are looking for flexible, complete, challenging-yet-creative programs for your child, make sure you check out the Oak Meadow catalog as you do your research.

Thinking about Homeschooling High School

1. How do I get started planning?

When you start planning your child’s high school education, I always recommend working backward. Sit down with your child and discuss their interests, what they want to do when they grow up, and what kind of college they’d like to attend. Look at college websites and see what requirements they have for admission. Get a realistic idea of what your child needs to accomplish in the next four years.Then, take a deep breath and remember you are not in this alone. There are many other homeschooling parents who have successfully graduated students. Find one, and sit down and talk to them. Remember that you can always choose to use accredited programs, distance learning programs, co-ops, online courses, DVD courses, or even dual-enroll at community colleges in order to get the support you need in challenging subjects.

Oak Meadow offers a fully accredited High School that is the equivalent of enrolling your child in a virtual private school if you are interested in that option. You can also choose to use one (or more) of their courses in conjunction with another curriculum without enrolling in the school.

2. Should I plan as I go, or plan all four years at once?

It is helpful to do both, look at specific courses for 9th grade but keep a rough idea of what you will want and need to take to graduate. If you are planning on taking AP courses or high-level science or math it is important to know what prerequisites you will need to take.Each year you should sit down with your child and re-evaluate your course selection and child’s interests as you move through the years. Oak Meadow has a wonderful college counselor who can help a student who is interested in a specific college or career goal select appropriate courses. They also have Educational Counselors who can help discuss course selection and make a plan each year towards graduation.

3. How do I choose which courses for my child to take?

High school is a wonderful time for your child to explore their interests. There are many different choices for every subject, and electives can be anything you want them to be. Bug loves science, so I know he’ll be doing a lot of computer science, coding classes, experiments and other STEM activities for his electives. He’s also very interested in sports science, so anatomy classes and nutrition classes are on the plan for him. Of course, these things may change as he grows up, but for now, that’s the plan.

At Oak Meadow, you’ll want to read the course descriptions carefully. Depending on the subject some courses will have prerequisites such as math and science. We also have English and Social Studies courses that are more geared to 9th and 10th graders to help build writing and research skills and other courses more appropriate for 11th and 12th grade due to content and rigor of the course. You can view a suggested schedule on our website under graduation requirements, found on our high school page. You can also call our office and talk with an Educational Counselor at 802-251-7250.

4. How do I navigate the Oak Meadow website for high school, and who can I call if I need help?

To find information about Oak Meadow’s high school program I suggest clicking on WHAT WE DO and selecting high school. There you can find information about courses by subject, graduation requirements,  accreditation, signature programs and much more. I also recommend reading the Frequently Asked Questions about High School (FAQ’s) and viewing curriculum samples under the resource tab.

Whether you use Oak Meadow, or homeschool high school on your own, remember you are not alone. 

Oak Meadow offers free webinars for any family getting ready to homeschool high school, so make sure you check them out. Reach out to your local homeschooling community, or find one online (Facebook is a great place to start). Find a friend to lean on, and have some fun with it!

I’ll make sure I keep sharing our adventure as the kids grow. Soon, I’ll share some record keeping tips from Oak Meadow, and in the next couple months, I’ll share our Box Day for Oak Meadow Grade Eight and our review of Grade Eight.

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