We’ve talked before about how the thought of homeschooling our teens through high school can be intimidating. The coursework may be tougher and take more planning than we’ve been used to, but there are some huge benefits to homeschooling through these years.
One key to success is keeping our teens interested and engaged, so here’s a few tips that we’ve learned over the years.
Create a Framework and Let Your Teens Follow Their Interests
Let your teens have a say in what they study, and they’ll be a lot more likely to engage and excel in their work. As a parent, you can decide on subjects and expected outcomes, but we should certainly let them help choose textbooks, videos, projects, and field trips based on their own interests.
Learning world history? Invite your teens to choose a few movies and books to accompany their lessons. American literature? Ask your students to choose novels and short stories to include in their studies.
Schedule Activities Outside the Home
Another great way to make learning fun and interesting for teens is to take advantage of extracurricular opportunities within your community. Book clubs, classes, volunteering, sports, and youth groups will all offer your teen a chance to interact with their peers while learning and growing.
They will build relationships and become more independent while pursuing their interests, and it’s a nice change of pace from all that book work that comes with upper-level classes.
Set the Bar High
As a homeschool parent, we can expect our teens to challenge themselves and achieve more than they might in a school setting. We’re to be busy encouraging our kids to push forward out of their comfort zones and really focus on learning and bettering themselves.
Learning at home will allow them to work at their own pace, but it’s important to keep boredom at bay. Encourage your teens to use the high school years to set lofty goals and work toward achieving them.
Dual Credit at Home is a great way for your teens to start working toward a college degree while still in high school. College-level coursework is challenging, but students are able to set the pace for their learning.
As you prepare for the upcoming school year, it’s important to remember that you are raising and teaching a future leader. Instead of helping them “make it through” the teen years, help them invest in their learning so that they can prepare for a bright and prosperous future!
Get Becky’s Weekly Newsletter on Homeschooling High School
We will never sell or share your email address.
