This past month I have shared the span from preschool to middle school – our curriculum choices for each age and stage. Today we reach high school. We are headed into our third year of high school.
This year we again have two high schoolers – young adults in 10th and 11th grade. Two high schoolers. I am thankful my husband and I have the privilege of this time with our young adults. Thankful we can tailor an educational plan with their input and with consideration of their gifts, talents and needs. Am I as nervous as I was this time last year about high school? Actually not. But oh I am definitely still learning. It’s still continuing education for me! But I have proof. I have seen how the Lord provides and we have two years of high school behind us! Plus, I still say…
God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability. ~ Mary Kay Ash
This is a rather long post, but there’s plenty to think about for two high schoolers – and this still doesn’t cover it all (like those frequent, late-night talks with my two teenagers).
PLEASE note: These are ALL our favorites. Those we enjoyed last two years PLUS those we plan to use this year.
Hodgepodge Homeschool High School Curriculum Choices
You might know that my husband and I are owners of The Curriculum Choice homeschool review site. So we extend a standing invitation to visit there at any time. The group of fellow, veteran homeschoolers there regularly shares reviews of those favorites that they use in their homes and love for their homeschools. You’ll notice that many of my reviews link over to The Curriculum Choice.
In the past I have shared our homeschool curriculum choices by grade. I list those below. But from now on I will keep our high school curriculum choices here in one spot.
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Any and all we have used in our years of high school!
Bible
Answers in Genesis High School Bible Curriculum – We surely love resources from Answers in Genesis.
Doorposts and a suggested resource from the Doorposts folks – Polished Cornerstones, Plants Grown Up and Christian Character. All of these offer real life, practical application and practice. From housekeeping to fixing cars to interviewing mentors and grandparents – definitely a high school career’s worth of info here.
Language Arts and Writing
Rod and Staff English for 9th and 10th Grades – also a great resource for writing assignments.
Writing – Besides Rod and Staff, Tapestry of Grace (I’ll share more about Tapestry in my multiple ages post) offers weekly writing assignments to tie in with our history studies. I love the variety, we often choose between the two each week. We pick whatever fits our studies best.
Math
Teaching Textbooks – Algebra 1 and Geometry
Science
(There is a giveaway through the end of July 2014 for the Exploring Creation with Biology set, pictured above. Hop over to The Curriculum Choice to enter to win!)
Apologia Exploring Creation with Biology (9th grade) – we spread this curriculum out over 8th and 9th grades on the advice of a good friend. That gave us time to get used to high school level science, the experiments and the requirements. More specifics in How Summer Nature Study Complements High School Biology and Homeschooling High School Update.
Apologia Exploring Creation with Marine Biology (10th grade) – we all so very much enjoyed this course! Our high schoolers each used the Apologia resource while the rest of the children learned with Apologia’s Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day – all learning together more about marine biology! My full review here.
We went to the Georgia Aquarium to use our passes for up close study. We went on a trip to the Florida coast. And used this fabulous gathering of marine biology resources from Barb-Harmony Art Mom’s homeschool.
Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry (11th grade) – we are delving into the world of chemistry this year and my son is especially excited! A full review coming this fall!
History/Government
Tapestry of Grace – Everything here on our Tapestry of Grace at Hodgepodge plus What I’ve Learned Homeschooling with Tapestry of Grace.
(There is a giveaway through the end of July 2014 for the Constitutional Literacy set, pictured above. Hop over to The Curriculum Choice to enter to win!)
Constitutional Literacy – A fantastic course (25 part DVD series and workbook) for our high schoolers made by Michael Farris of HSLDA and offered by Apologia. A full review of this coming soon!
Meeting the Benham Brothers at Faith and Freedom Coalition‘s Road to Majority National Conference in Washington, D.C. in June 2014.
Government and Civics class offered by the president of Georgia chapter of Faith and Freedom Coalition – a local homeschool mom who graduated her four children. We went to the state capitol for field trips and learned about branches of government and their functions, free markets, rule of law and regulation. My two eldest girls paged at the Georgia State Capitol for the Speaker of the House one day during legislative session. Plus we continue to participate in opportunities to be involved in local grass roots campaigning. Hodgepodgedad and the older three children traveled to Washington, D.C. in June to help with the national convention there.
Foreign Language
Visual Latin (my review)
Electives/Extracurricular
Here is a listing of the electives we have enjoyed so far or those we plan to study this year.
Triple 1070 – (my review) our high schoolers will continue building Biblical financial foundations for a lifetime.
Robotics Course – Totally Simple Version (by Barb Harmony-Art Mom) – Our son will be following this course this year.
Lynda.com technology and photography. Both of our high schoolers will take further courses, choosing what they are most interested in via Lynda.com
Appreciation of Fine Arts – Our rising 11th grader will continue with piano lessons. Each year we aim to attend several plays and musicals. And our appreciation of fine arts will be rounded out with Harmony Fine Arts (more on this in my Multiple Ages post since we’ll be studying this with all the children together again).
In addition to any chalk pastel art with our Art for All Ages curriculum, we are so very much looking forward to A Year of Art Journaling from Christine Hiester at Bare Branch Blooming. It’s “a year long fine art curriculum for homeschooled high school students.”
Home Economics – my friend Kim found this resource – I full year of high school home economics lessons! And we will include Kim’s idea of creating Pinterest boards. Her Home Economics, Updated at Habits for a Happy Home.
How to Raise Your High School Grades by half a point in one semester – is full of quirky opinions mixed with excellent advice.
The Official SAT Question of the Day (app or site) – Annie Kate’s review
Driver’s Ed, Auto Upkeep and a rebuilding of our VW Camper – along and along
Service Opportunities
Our two high schoolers stay busy with volunteer positions besides the extracurricular drama troupe, piano and online computer courses. Each week our Eldest Son (10th grader) spends time shadowing Hodgepodgedad at his second job – on staff at our church. He is the IT Director so there is plenty to do running a computer network. Plus they also team up to run the sound and lighting for one of the church services each week.
Eldest Girl (11th grader) has been challenging herself in learning the keyboard and playing in the youth band. She’s been playing piano since she was seven. We got her a keyboard for Christmas so she could expand further into playing praise songs. She has practice with the band twice a week and loves it!
The Rest of the Homeschool Day
Our high schoolers will, of course, also participate in all the learning we do with our multiple ages (literature, writing, art, music, history, science, nature study and more). So this list isn’t complete.
High School Organization
I mentioned in past curriculum posts that our high schoolers pick and choose where they like to do school work around the house. Teaching Textbooks is, of course, completed at the computer (unless Eldest Girl carts the book off and does it elsewhere then comes back to enter her answers). We continue to make quiet spots in each of their bedrooms. Eldest Girl got a Micke IKEA desk a while back. Now, Eldest Boy has one too! Hodgepodgedad swung by IKEA on his way home earlier in the week so we’d have the new desk to put together this weekend. The plan is to also get an IKEA desk for his roommate, Lil’ Buddy. Eldest Boy uses his desk spread out the Raspberry Pi and Raspberry WiPi.
This way each of our high schoolers can retreat away from all the noise, noise, noise, if they need to. They can do a subject in their room or spread out on the family room couch. Wherever they are comfortable and most productive is what I want for them.
Record Keeping
This is another one of those “I’m still learning” parts of homeschooling. I kept track of high school records in the most natural way for me. I wrote a narrative of all my high schoolers did. Course work, extracurricular and enrichment activities. Electives, science fair projects, awards, leadership positions at church. Standardized testing.
And I put it all in Evernote (Hodgepodgedad’s review – our uses for this have expanded even more!). I have a separate notebook for each of my children in Evernote. (Great post here on creating an Evernote Portfolio). I have a template I use that a fellow mom in our homeschool group shared. But I also understand that one of the best ways to track credits is to go to the website of the college your child is considering and download their credit tracker. That way your can tailor your high school credit and planning towards the college of their choice. If that is what your child is considering.
For plain ol’ attendance and credits I also use the Well Planned Day 4 Year High School Planner.
Great advice on just this – by Betsy – in the High School resources post at Curriculum Choice
10 Steps for Preparing for College by Kim at Habits for a Happy Home
Colleges and Universities Accepting Homeschoolers group Pinterest board by Curriculum Choice
High School Four Year Planner by Well Planned Day (Daniele’s review at Curriculum Choice) – we have this, use it and so appreciate the prompts throughout (e.g., time to take the PSAT, make goals, etc.)
Weekly Homeschool Planning Meetings
We also hold weekly homeschool planning meetings with our eldest three children. My friend, Barb-Harmony Art Mom has been a wonderful mentor and great example in this area. This is a big focus and truly helps us to not only stay on track but talk through what resources would be good at the time. Plus, we can chase rabbits and build in time for the current topic of interest – and fit in that get together we just found out about. More detail in this post about our homeschool planning meetings.
Also know, at this age, both my young adults are independent learners. They plan, contribute to our overall plan and continue to learn how to research and find resources themselves. That’s the beauty of homeschooling high school. My husband and I are here as their parents, to guide, question, challenge, encourage and more…
The magazine rack above the family room couch is a great spot to keep things within sight – and to keep our planners!
There is truly so much to look forward to and love about homeschooling high school with your young adults!
More Resources for You!
Homeschooling High School at Hodgepodge plus a mid-year update.
My Homeschooling High School Pinterest board plus Curriculum Choice’s High School board (so many great resources I visit often here!)
Even more resources at Curriculum Choice! Our authors shared Choosing Homeschool High School Curriculum.
the 10 Parts of the Hodgepodge Schedule – (including how we fit in all the extras, afternoon quiet time and the household service opportunities)
When do we start our homeschool year?
Our Hodgepodge homeschool method
Our IKEA and chalkboard homeschool room
Let me sum it up with this verse:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4
Hodgepodge Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Each of these links will be live as I share about them:
Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum Choices
Elementary Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Middle School Homeschool Curriculum Choices
High School Homeschool Curriculum Choices
Multiple ages – all those resources we enjoy with all ages together
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Linking up with Finishing Strong at Education Possible and
iHomeschool Network’s Not Back to School Blog Hop
Was this post long enough for you? What are your thoughts on homeschooling high school?
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