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Is homeschooling through high school really worth it? If you’re a beginning homeschooling parent of little ones, you may tremble at the thought of tackling algebra problems, fractions, chemistry experiments, and all things related to the high school years.

As a single homeschooling mom of four ( I have two teens & two adults now, wow!), I often struggled with the same issues when mine were younger. I told myself countless times, “You’re not qualified. You don’t have a teaching degree.”  “How can you teach higher math when math has always been a weak area for you?” I’m so thankful I didn’t listen to the lies I had brewing in my head.

Homeschooling through high school can be very intimidating (and indeed difficult), but it’s definitely possible even when you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. As I’m  entering into the fourth quarter of this amazing journey, daily reflections have bombarded my mind. Was it all worth it? Yes indeed!

The Importance of Homeschooling Through High School

Apart from all the technicalities of homeschooling during the high school years (which I will briefly go over in just a bit), it actually is quite fun! You get to spend the most critical years with your teenagers. It’s no mystery that in our society today, teens are constantly inundated with so much garbage from the media, negative peers, and simply their own sinful hearts.

If you’ve taught your children from home throughout elementary and junior high, I believe the high school years are no time to abandon your post. Your teens need you now more than ever.They will face numerous obstacles that will require your diligence, love, fervent prayers, and a listening ear. Sure, you can still connect with your child if they attend public or private school, but I feel it’s a much closer bond when you are your child’s primary teacher.

They’re going to need strong mentors along the way, but your influence should be the most dominant. Stay strong. Stay the course and have fun enjoying your teenagers!

Academics and all the Technical Stuff

Now that you know the reasons why I feel homeschooling is so important, I want to give you a little insight on what to expect as you consider homeschooling your teens…I call it dealing with all the “technical stuff.” Here are two major things to consider:

I. Choosing Curriculum: There’s one thing you need to keep in mind when considering homeschooling through high school (or at any grade level): You have a plethora of options. When searching for homeschooling curriculum choices, it’s a lot like shopping for groceries, shoes, clothes, etc. There are so many options to choose from, especially if you rely on Google to begin your search.

*Note: HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a great resource for homeschooling through high school. I highly recommend starting here.

The lists of curriculum resources out today is enormous! Do your homework. Ask friends or family if they know of someone homeschooling currently or has home schooled in the past. The importance in choosing a particular curriculum should fall in line with things like your family vision, budget, and your child’s learning style.

When we began homeschooling 19 years ago, I wanted a strong program for reading and math–a program that would give my children a good foundation in the basics. I chose the Abeka program because of the simple way they approach reading (the traditional phonics method). I also thoroughly enjoyed their math, science, bible, and history. It’s one of my favorite programs.😊

As my children grew older and more independent, I was graciously given a more self-paced curriculum (Switched-On-Schoolhouse) which I use as our primary base. For years, I’ve considered myself as an “eclectic” homeschool mom. I enjoy mixing & matching a variety of learning tools/curriculum ideas to better suit the needs of my children.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to homeschool, and many resources available. Please do your own research before choosing curriculum options. It will save a lot of time and money in the long run.

II. Record Keeping: Ever since we started homeschooling, I always had a habit of grading things. If you’ve followed my blog or social media accounts, you will notice my love for teaching. I even wrote a post about this subject on my Instagram account. Teaching has always been my passion since I was a little girl.

Although I’ve never taught in a traditional classroom setting, I’m definitely a teacher at heart.There’s just something about having my trusty “red pen” in hand grading those papers (although as a mom, it has made me cringe when I had to place a bunch of negative marks on my poor child’s tests/quizzes).

With this in mind, I truly believe it’s important to keep up with grading (especially during the high school years). Grading helps you give your child feedback on their progress. Over the years, I’ve found that my children enjoyed seeing their own progress (maybe not seeing D’s or F’s, but you get the point). I’ve always made it a habit of allowing my child to correct their mistakes (this helps aide in the learning process).

As far as keeping up with your child’s grades, you can simply use some sort of portfolio (something to save tests, quizzes, reports, etc) or a spreadsheet to document grades. If you choose to use an online or computer based program, grades will be automatically recorded as the child completes his/her daily work, tests, etc. You may have to grade thought questions and reports, but the bulk of grading is done within the system. Keeping up with grades (whether in report card form or any other means) will allow you to easily form a transcript for your child at the end of their high school years. Transcripts are often required for college, the military, and even certain jobs.

There are many companies that offer transcript services (they do them for you). Some offer transcript templates you can use to create your own. When my oldest son graduated, I used a template from HSLDA. I absolutely loved the way it turned out! It’s professional looking and was easy to make.

The key to record keeping is simply this…keep good records! You never know when you might need them.

The Heart of the Matter

Aside from all the mundane things we as homeschooling moms of teenagers do (especially single homeschooling moms), our job is pretty amazing! If we can just stop long enough and think about the wonderful opportunities we have to impact our teen’s future, all the “technical stuff” would seem a lot less important.

It’s important that our kids have a great education. We should always aim to homeschool with excellence! But that shouldn’t be our main focus. The heart of the matter is that we focus on what really matters–that we point our teens to Jesus. There’s so much in this world leading them away from Christ. We are only given about 18 years to mold godly character into the hearts of our children. This is just a short time, so don’t let it slip away! You can still influence your teenagers, even as a single homeschooling mom. Don’t give up! Take courage. And most importantly, enjoy your teenagers (even the stubborn ones!).😊

So, I ask you the question…”Is homeschooling through high school worth it?” What do you think? I’d love to hear from you today! Just comment in the comments section to chime in with us. I pray this post has encouraged someone who may be considering homeschooling through high school. Until next time…Happy Parenting!❤️

✨Fun fact: Did you know my blog was listed on the Top 100 Single Mom Blogs List page? Check it out! Click here