Homeschool Resources for Middle & High School

Many homeschool families make a drastic change when their children hit middle school or high school–they stop homeschooling.

Some make this change based on well-thought-through decisions and preferences. The choice is what they’ve determined is best for them, and that’s wonderful! Those families are not who I am writing to today.

I’m addressing those who really want to continue homeschooling but don’t think they have what it takes to homeschool into the upper grades, those who are fearful they might “mess up” their child’s education or chance of getting into college.

You DO have what it takes, and you won’t mess up anything!

One of the reasons I know this? RESOURCES. Resources abound, online and off, to help you through and lead you along the path.

Resources for Homeschooling Middle School and High School

Homeschool Guidance Counselor–– Teach Them Diligently has set up a FREE homeschool guidance counselor program that is designed to give you all the information you need to homeschool your children all the way through high school. Starting with a downloadable road map for each year and continuing with monthly email reminders of what you can expect and weekly office hour videos, and culminating in onsite helps and information at Teach Them Diligently events, the Homeschool Guidance Counselor program is the most comprehensive help for high school available. Sign up today and get started homeschooling high school with a lot more confidence.

Homeschool Guidance Counselor Facebook Group— Through the free guidance counselor program, we also make available a private homeschool high school Facebook group, moderated by Matthew Bullington, the TTD guidance counselor. This is a great place to watch the weekly office hours videos live, interact with others who are homeschooling high school, ask your questions, and more. Join us there today!

*HSLDA—There is a ton of general homeschooling information here, but they also have links for specific state education websites where you can find graduation requirements. Very important stuff to know!

*Let’s Homeschool High School—There are ways to connect with other high school parents here, ways for your kids to connect with other homeschool high schoolers, and an amazing amount of practical helps and tips. This is a great place to start if you’re just beginning to look into homeschooling through high school. They’ve got a beginner’s guide that is quite helpful.

*Homeschool High Facebook Page—This is a group on Facebook for homeschooling parents of high schoolers. Have questions? Ask away! Searching for curriculum ideas? Get a feel for what others have used. Not sure what subjects to include for what year? Hear from those who have tried different methods. This is a wonderful support community.

*Online Schools and Curriculum–If you prefer for your child to be accountable to someone other than you for their work, there are many options available for online schools and classes. Here are just a few: MorningStar Academy (an online Christian school), Apologia (offers online science and Bible/apologetics/worldview classes for grades 7-12), Alpha Omega Academy (an online Christian school), BJU Press (online distance learning). and Liberty Online Academy (online distance learning.)

*People who have “been there”–One of the great resources available to you is someone who has walked the path you are just stepping foot on! And there are many of them out there! Here is one, for example: Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Kris has lots of curriculum posts and ideas, plus great encouragement for how to raise teens, homeschool them, and LOVE DOING IT!

*Your student–An exciting component to homeschooling your upper grade students is tailoring their education to their interests, passions, and strengths. As your children mature and get a clearer picture of where they may be headed after graduation, you can gear their years at home toward those goals and desires. Lee Binz who is mentioned above, really focuses on this aspect of homeschooling your older children.

*Yourself–Yes, you! You know your child and are still his or her best teacher, even into the middle and high school years.

Will you, as the homeschool parent, need to do your homework, a.k.a research and plan? Yes. Will you need to know the requirements? Yes. Will you need to keep track of curriculum and credits? Yes. Is all this really doable? Absolutely.

To find more helpful articles on middle school and high school homeschooling, and how to make it work for your family click here to search a multitude of blogs and sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on many homeschool topics.