Why Continue with High School Homeschooling? Here Are 10 Good Reasons

Most parents, even those who have confidently homeschooled through the elementary grades, wonder if they should send their children to a traditional high school. Some are concerned about the issue of teaching higher-level courses. Other parents consider social issues, like sports and graduation. This is a personal choice that must be considered by individual families, but here are 10 reasons to continue homeschooling through high school.

Academics

Statistically, homeschool learners score higher on college entrance exams like the ACT. Most universities actively recruit homeschoolers, as they know they are independent students who will take their academics seriously. What about those higher-level subjects that scare some parents, like physics or chemistry? Join a homeschool that offers such courses, or take advantage of the numerous online homeschool courses available.

Apprenticeships

Homeschooling enables learners to explore their interests to determine a future career. Flexible scheduling makes it easy to set up internships or apprenticeships in the student’s fields of interest. Better to decide that you do not want to be a veterinarian after an internship than after many years of university or college! Apprenticeships and internships, and job shadowing, can help a learner who is not yet sure which career they want to make an informed decision.

Family Values

Many parents decide to homeschool to instill their own values and worldview into their children, instead of the values taught (by word or example) at the local traditional school. If you began homeschooling for this reason, why change now? High school students still require guidance in making right decisions.

Peer Pressure

Have you ever heard or read about a “good kid from a good family” who was arrested or was the victim of criminal activity? Often the child got involved with the wrong group of persons. Sometimes children cave into peer pressure and do things they would never do on their own. Continuing homeschooling in high school provides them with an opportunity to mature and make choices without a peer group’s influence.

Flexibility

Homeschooling offers so much flexibility that conventional schools can’t match. Learners can part-time or work full while continuing their high school education. Since homeschooling can be done any time of day, homeschool learners can often work day shifts not available to other students. Flexibility in scheduling is a big advantage for employers, making homeschoolers an attractive pool of potential workforces.

Healthy Family Relationships

When homeschooling, not only do you get to spend a lot of time with your kids, but your children get to spend a lot of time with each other. Siblings have a greater opportunity of creating a strong tie with each other as they learn and grow together.

Older children can help with the care and teaching of the younger ones. This develops many qualities like responsibility, positive role-modeling, and compassion. Their cooperative spirit engenders good feelings and closeness that will endure into their adult relationships.

Protection from Negative Influences

Homeschooling allows parents to protect their children from adverse influences, whether that comes in the form of a teacher convincing a student of something that conflicts with the family’s worldview or a peer that entices a student into negative attitudes and behavior. Exposing children to negative influences before establishing a strong system of beliefs and acquired critical thinking skills can be disastrous. Homeschooling can guard against the impact of negative influences and offer parents the time they require to prepare their children to make sound decisions and handle themselves wisely.

It Prepares You Students for Life After School

It is a well-documented fact that 100% of homeschooling students will someday finish homeschooling. At some point, we all retire, or at the very least, change jobs. And working through some of the very same resources with your child to help them navigate the next step in their journey can help you do the very same thing when the time certainly arrives.

Traditional School is Social Suicide

Non-homeschooling parents usually ask whether children have an opportunity to socialize outside of school. At home, parents can allow children to talk to others, unlike in traditional schools. Many schools in the United States strictly forbid socialization, and this affects children negatively. Socialization is one of the main factors that can affect a child’s self-esteem. The ability to socialize with others outside of school can boost your children’s confidence, as well as allow them to interact with people who are different from themselves.

The Right to Develop their Own Ideology

Homeschooling parents have the freedom to design their own curriculum and spend more time educating their children without government intervention or restrictions in the classroom. While every family has its own level of religious beliefs and convictions, homeschoolers generally have more opportunities for exploring those convictions in an academic manner. Students are able to learn about other faiths, even if they aren’t studied by the family, giving students a chance to develop critical thinking skills. Parents are able to give their children a strong moral background and build relationships with their children that run even deeper.

Children can make friendships with other homeschoolers around the world, through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or by joining support groups where they share similar interests. Homeschooling gives parents a chance to be involved in their children’s lives. They can help students get into college if desired, as well as help them develop and hone job skills such as writing resumes, developing portfolios of work so clients can see previous projects or products, networking, and practicing for interviews. These aren’t things that most schools will provide any time soon!

Bullying is a Big Issue in Schools

Buying in schools is a big problem in the country. Schools take vulnerable, immature children away from their parents and guardians prematurely, pack them into a structure with little supervision, lock the doors, and then wonder why they cannot solve their bullying epidemic.

The utopian ideal is that all children can learn to get along; that by forcing children to socialize with others, the school will breed understanding and tolerance. That would be perfect if it were possible. But it is not. You take a violent street thug and lock him in with a small nerdy child, and worse things occur.

Is Homeschooling Worth It?

If you are wondering, ‘Should I keep homeschooling in high school?’, the answer is yes! It’s not challenging the way you think, and it comes with a host of rewards you would not often find if your children attend school.

If you are feeling snowed under, remember there are a plethora of resources out there to assist you in navigating your children’s later years of education. The homeschooling community will often point you in the correct direction so you can easily keep educating at home. So, if you are feeling lost now, why not email a trusted homeschool friend who’s been through it all with their children?

Can you finish high school through homeschooling?

The answer is yes, and it can be a great choice for many homeschoolers.

Before you begin high school education at home you will have to review the requirements of your state. Make sure that this approach meets all local laws or regulations regarding homeschooling in your region.

Students who successfully complete high school courses through homeschooling will still want to attend college as there might be some challenges ahead. Transferring credits from online high schools or traditional brick-and-mortar institutions may require additional time and effort on the part of students and their instructors.

Students who choose this option may need to attend community colleges first before transferring to four-year universities or vocational programs. For more information about how best to prepare for college after homeschooling, contact a college advisor or college preparatory course.

How to finish high school through homeschooling?

If you are considering this option for your child, here are some important things to remember:

Each year of high school will require between 120 and 150 hours of instruction time per subject, depending on the curriculum. This amounts to at least 10 hours every week in order to complete each semester’s work with enough time left over for testing and record-keeping.

For example, if you have six courses per year, that is 60 hours per week divided by 6. If your family requires more than one teacher (recommended), then make sure they account for the additional 30–40 hours of instruction time needed per subject once you have signed up for one course per semester.

Create a schedule that works and stick to it. Remember, in the beginning, you will be learning together. If you are teaching at home with younger children, choose a subject that is age-appropriate and have them help out as much as possible.

They can even go over math problems or read along if they are older. Another way to make sure your schedule stays on track is to look for free printable planning calendars online or make one yourself after reviewing state requirements for your child’s grade level and adjusting accordingly so you don’t fall behind on any major subjects during your time together each week/month. With homeschooling, flexibility is key!

As always, use a planner to keep notes about lessons learned, assignments completed, and tests taken. Look out for changes in grades or major drops in performance that may require you to contact an educational advisor.

This is a great option if your child will be leaving home at the end of high school anyway.

Homeschooling high school can also be a great way to add variety to your children’s learning experience. It is less stressful than traditional schooling because there are no deadlines to meet, curriculum requirements are generally more flexible than other classroom settings, and education takes place in a relaxed environment that better caters to all learners (especially those with A.D.D.). With the right preparation and strong support system, homeschooled families can make it through high school together successfully!

Resources and References:

• ACT Exams
• Helping Bullied Learners
• Benefits of Homeschooling