Finding High School Homeschool Curriculum

What kinds of high school homeschool curriculum are available? I have been asking the question myself because I will be teaching high school again. Sometime during your child's junior high school years you will need to start looking for curriculum.

Planning a Curriculum

What is included in a high school homeschool curriculum? First check what the requirements of your state for high school. You can also look at trade schools and colleges to see what there requirements for enrollment are.

The basic course of study is:

• four years of Language Arts,

• two to four years of math,

• two to four years of science,

• two to four years of history.

• Most curricula also include two years of a foreign language.

To the basic course you would add electives that interest your child.

During your child's junior and senior year he should look at his goals and talents. He should think about what he would like to do for a job or ministry. Then he should start to take elective classes to help him with his goals.

Packaged Curriculum

You can find high school homeschool curriculum from your favorite homeschool provider. If you and your child liked what you were doing in elementary and junior high you can continue with the same curriculum in the high school years.

Alpha Omega, Bob Jones, and Sonlight sell boxed sets for each year of high school. The set contains Math, Language Arts, Science, and history. You can also buy individual subjects.

If you do not want to do textbooks or workbooks you can also continue with unit studies. The Weaver, Konos, and My Father's World sell high school unit studies.

If you want the curriculum dealer to keep a transcript and give out a diploma most have an academy that you can pay extra for.

Online Curriculum

There are two ways to do online curriculum. Your child can take some online classes or he can be part of a virtual school. Virtual schools are run by public or private schools. You can usually get an accredited diploma from such a school. You can find schools by typing online high schools.

Your high schooler can also take a class or two online. An online class would be good for a subject that the parent has little knowledge of such as a foreign language.

There is mixed success with e-learning. Some students do very well. Taking an online class can teach a child to learn independently. The classes can also teach time management.

Other high schoolers have a hard time with learning online. It is sometimes hard to get help with the subject matter. The quality of distant learning varies greatly. The classes can also be expensive.

Curriculum that You Make

Some people are comfortable unschooling during the high school years. They learn what interest the child and not what a set curriculum says.

Most of us will combine the core subjects of language arts, math, science and history with elective. Then depending on the interests of our children we might take classes in music, or physical education. Our elective classes will be as varied as our children.

If our children are special needs and are not capable of college we will be looking at classes that are geared to their interests. We will also be teaching them life skills.

With some planning it should not be too hard to develop a high school homeschool curriculum.