Do you plan to Homeschool through High School?

[Mrs.Gregg]

My oldest child turns 10 this week and It's had me thinking a lot about our homeschooling journey. She attended private Montessori school from 2 1/2 until 5 1/2. Then public school until the December of 3rd grade when we pulled her out to homeschool. During her public school time we did "afterschooling". We are entering our 3rd year of Homeschooling.

 

We've (DH and I) have been kicking around several ideas of high school.

1) Homeschool all the way through, continue with our ALE and use thar "school" for her to obtain her diploma.

2) Homeschool until 10th grade intensively then have her start taking classes at the local community college and homeschool as needed for other subjects.

3) Have her attend a private school for High School, last time I checked there is a local school that follows a classical approach.

4) Have her attend public high school.

[Mama2Many4]

I'm planning on HS'ing the entire way through. Whatever happens for college when it happens, happens.

 

Clear as mud?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds14 just finished his first year of high school at home. We are homeschooling the entire way. Dd10 isn't there yet but unless something drastic comes to change our minds, we will homeschool her through high school. The high school subforum here has been very helpful.

[speedmom4]

Yep. :001_smile:

 

I have always homeschooled my children and I have one in high school and one that will be starting high school in the fall. It is very rewarding watching my teens discover who they are and how they are pursuing their passions.

 

The benefits of homeschooling have always outweighed any negatives for our family. It's great to have so many choices how to homeschool. Community college, online classes/schools, private school classes, etc are making homeschooling high school more accessible and interesting for everyone.

 

God Bless,

Elise in NC

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes.

[higginszoo]

Some yes, some no.

 

#1 -- Probably. He's almost halfway through high school now. He'll do dual enrollment in the local community college for a couple of years, and will probably graduate a year early.

 

#2 -- Probably not. She wants to try ps again for high school. She'll likely enroll in our school district's IB diploma program, but a Science Charter school hasn't been completely ruled out. If she decides differently once she's there, she can come back home after the first year.

 

#3 -- Probably. My unschooler has never been to school and doesn't see the point in institutional education yet. He'll likely do dual enrollment at the CC too, and is the only one of my dc who is already actually looking at colleges, but he is just starting middle school, so we have time.

 

#4 -- Likely not. She'll likely go out to school as soon as a tenable situation is found. Even if she ends up staying home for a while longer, her brother will be done 3-4 years ahead of her, and she is much too extroverted to be happy in a 1 on 1 situation once the siblings are gone. She may come home for a gap year at some point, though, as she's a year ahead at the moment, but what's best socially at 7 might not be what's best at 15.

Edited June 12, 2012 by higginszoo

[Plucky]

I always planned on it. By 10th grade ds needed some independence and went part-time to ps, then off to community college. Oldest dd is going to private school 9th-10th and then community college. My last two I have no idea what path they will take. We will either continue with the ps parent partnership and then cc or private school and then cc.

[carol p]

We are faced with this decision much sooner. This year my oldest will be in 8th grade. We are not sure what we are going to do. It will be a very difficult decision but one that we will all make together.

 

Carol

mom of 3 ds

[profmom]

Our kids will all stay home, but they are taking many online classes at The Potter's School. Their Classical Track has been a great fit for our oldest! We may try to have her take a couple of classes at cc.

[KRG]

We will start our first year of high school in August. I'm almost certain ds will be homeschooled all of high school.

[AdventureMoms]

Mine are little, so many, many things can (and will) change before they hit highschool. However as of now we plan to homeschool all the way through. The local highschool is pretty awful. The elementary school actually has a decent reputation, but the highschool is really terrible and there are no private high schools within an hour of here. My neighbor has two daughters in high school and when she found out I was homeschooling my kids, she asked if I would homeschool them just to get them out of there.

 

However, we may move, there may be a charter school that will open, something I haven't even thought of may come up, homeschooling might go so badly that even the really bad public school (or the hour long commute with high tuition) start looking good. In the current situation though, if I had a 10yo and homeschooling was going reasonably ok, I would choose #1 or #2, or some mix of those. If I had the option of #3 and could afford the tuition, that would be a reasonable choice if I felt the child would benefit from a different environment.

[Remudamom]

I did. All five of them from K-12. One finished with college, one a senior in college, two beginning college in the fall and one still debating on what to do. 8)

[Kelly1730]

We actually intended to put the twins into private Christian school at third grade after my dd graduated, avoiding payment of three tuitions at one time. It was working so well that we decided to keep going and at this point, Lord willing, we plan to continue through highschool.

[littlebug42]

We are planning to homeschool high school. My daughters have no desire to attend school outside the home. We will likely supplement with some community college courses.

[Denise in Florida]

We did for both daughters. One is now getting ready for her Junior year in college and one starts college in the fall.

 

I used online virtual school (FLVS) for math and latin (freshman and sophmore years). Both girls also enrolled in community college for their Junior/Senior years of high school. They took comp 1 and 2, algebra/calc and science through the community college, we homeschooled the rest.

[chepyl]

It is far off for us, but DS would like to at this point. We will take it year by year. I would like to.

[hsmomto5]

Have already homeschooled 2 through high school that are now in college and will continue with the other 3. Would not miss those years for anything!

Lora in NC

[DianeW88]

I already have. Two are currently in college and my youngest is starting his 6th grade year at home this fall. I never used any brick and mortar classes or online programs, and they both were accepted to multiple universities with scholarships. It can be done, and it isn't as hard as you think.

[Pamela H in Texas]

We are very open to the possibilities.

 

First kiddo went to 8 weeks of 4th grade, used a correspondence program for 7th, 1½ years of Spanish (only) at the local private school, 1 year of Biology at a co-op (I was the teacher though), and 1 year dual enrollment at the local college.

 

Second kiddo went to 8 weeks of 1st grade, used a virtual academy for 7th and half of 8th, used a homeschool program for high school.

 

Other kids will likely to be home all the way through also though we are flexible with how it will be done. I would think dual enrollment is a given for at least two of them.

[kewb]

When we started this journey there was no way no how I was going to homeschool high school. Wasn't even a blip on the radar. Now that ds is finishing up 8th grade we are looking forward to next year at home. We did spend the last 2 years worrying and making lists and thinking about what to do for high school. If all goes as planned they will do high school at home with some community college classes.

[marbel]

We've always said we'd take it year but year, but as we start high school I feel like we will continue. Neither of my kids have any desire to go to school, though of course that could change. My oldest is not a good fit for traditional school. My younger would do fine, but she has no interest at this point. Both my kids see the advantages of homeschooling - which are quite different for each of them. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I think we'll be carrying on.

[usetoschool]

We did and we will. One graduated college, one in college, one finished cosmetology school and one starting high school in a couple years.

[Mommyfaithe]

Yep.....here we go again!:D

[prairiegirl]

To those naysayers around me, I have always said that we take one year at a time but, secretly, I have always planned to homeschool. My oldest will be 13 this week so I have one year to go before we tiptoe into that unchartered (for me) territory. :001_unsure:

 

Due to where we live, I will be doing everything by myself. We have no possibilities of outsourcing. That makes the stress level go skyhigh but I am still looking forward to teaching those years.:D

[FairProspects]

Probably not. We are actually considering moving long term to give us access to better public and private schools.

[Mimm]

We're taking it year at a time though I plan every year as if we will continue through high school. My older daughter in particular has asked if she can go to public high school and my husband and I both believe that a teenager's opinion should matter more and more as they get older. At the same time, my husband very strongly believes in our children not going to public school. (I consider him much more anti-public school than me.) Not looking forward to seeing what happens if one of my very strong willed daughters insists on public school while my incredibly stubborn husband disagrees. :p For the time being, I try to talk about how homeschooling in high school might look. The local community college regularly lets homeschoolers take classes, plus there's a really active co-op in town that offers a lot of classes for high school, plus there's online classes. High school can offer some unique learning opportunities.

[tntgoodwin]

Probably not. DW doesn't enjoy homeschooling, so once we move somewhere with decent schools, we will probably put the kids in non-homeschool.

[elegantlion]

We are homeschooling through high school. We're starting our 9th year this fall, 9th grade easy to keep track of. :lol:

 

For our son it's the best educational choice. If we had more children, we'd evaluate them separately.

 

We may do some dual enrollment either junior or senior year, but that's not fully decided yet.

[mama2cntrykids]

Hmmm...that's a good question. My ds11 has thought about public high school when he gets to be that age, but honestly, unless it's STELLAR, I don't think it's a good idea. He's thriving in hs, why think of changing. It's a ways off for him though.

 

My second ds is an aspie, so a traditional high school may not be for him. Shoot, he's going into fourth grade and I told him that he can do writing on the computer, but he's DOING writing this year lol.

 

Dd6 is my social bug who loves to learn. That's sooo far away for her, that it's hard to judge. Like I said, it largely depends on the individual child and the high school.. The school would have to be impressive, I think.

 

The baby, she's just a baby lol. Who knows, that's WAY too far out for her.

[Guest]

I thought I would. We ended up choosing private school beginning 9th grade. I am happy with how this is working out and now hope to do the same for the others.

[Nestof3]

Yes, I did it with our eldest who will graduate from university this summer. I may have the other boys take some community college classes in place of some high school courses -- science, language, etc.

[sparrow]

Our kids have never attended school outside of our home, and so far, have no desire to do so. We have always taken it one year at a time.

 

Dh and I made the decision that if they were going to attend PS, it would not be during the middle school years. This fall, ds would be in 7th grade, in PS years, and dd would be in 5th grade, which is now middle school here. We would seriously consider allowing them to attend PS in 9th grade. I can see it being a real possibility for my dd. She is an excellent athlete and I suspect she'd get more athletic opportunities (and scholarships!) in PS.

[Sandy in Indy]

I homeschooled my oldest two through high school, and as the principal of our school, issued diplomas for them. (Indiana considers homeschools equivalent to private schools.) They took the SAT, applied to private and state colleges, got acceptances and scholarships at all of those....

 

I will homeschool my youngest all the way through as well. I am adamantly opposed to PS for my children. (JMHO)

[Sandy in Indy]

I homeschooled my oldest two through high school, and as the principal of our school, issued diplomas for them. (Indiana considers homeschools equivalent to private schools.) They took the SAT, applied to private and state colleges, got acceptances and scholarships at all of those....

 

I will homeschool my youngest all the way through as well. I am adamantly opposed to PS for my children. (JMHO)

[besroma]

We plan to homeschool all of ours through high school.

[fischerl]

I have graduated two and my youngest will be a sophomore in the fall. The older two have each thanked me for homeschooling them all the way through. DD21 was accepted at all of the colleges to which she applied and received academic and music scholarships. She says she was well-prepared for university life. (I did out-source a few things: all math after Algebra 1 and she took intensive Honors English classes during 10th and 11th grades).

 

DS is very bright, creative and a slow reader. He does great work in every subject but needs plenty of time to do it. Homeschool afforded that, and also gave him time to create his music.

 

It's been a great fit for us, especially with all the extra options available now, as mentioned previously. So yes, I plan to homeschool DD14 all the way, but anything can happen, so we'll keep our options open. :001_smile:

[Quiver0f10]

I have already homeschooled 4 through high school and graduated them. I have 6 left to go and plan to homeschool them all the way also.

 

Edted to add: We start CC classes @ 11th grade but the bulk of our schooling is done at home.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Quiver0f10

[Amy in NH]

We have always homeschooled. During their eighth grade year, I sit down with each of my kids to go over their interests and goals for themselves. We look at all of their high school options. So far, both of my high-school aged kids have decided to continue homeschooling because it leaves more time to take advantage of opportunities for them to develop their passions.

[DawnM]

Oldest is 9th grade next year. I never planned to homeschool through high school but they are begging me to. So, I guess I am!

[hsmamainva]

My oldest daughter (21) will be a Junior at a 4 year college this fall. We homeschooled her through high school, but she started taking classes at the local community college via dual enrollment when she was 16. She received her AA degree at the age of 20 and transferred to her 4 year college with guaranteed acceptance.

 

My oldest son (18) just graduated from our homeschool last month. He'll be taking classes at the local community college this fall.

 

My youngest son (12) will be starting the 8th grade this month and we plan to homeschool him through high school.

 

My youngest daughter (10) has special needs. She will be going to public school 3 hours a day (1 hour of speech / 1 hour of OT / 1 hour of ABA therapy) this coming fall. We will continue homeschooling her in the afternoons.

 

Kelly

Edited June 12, 2012 by hsmamainva

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Well, I certainly plan on homeschooling through high school. But my kids are only 5 & 3. :lol:

[Samiam]

We always planned to. But life evolves and so did my child, and his needs. Oldest DS will start 9th grade at PS this fall. I'm scared to death yet somehow looking forward to it for him. It's going to be a big change for us.

 

I don't see middle DS going that route, but he's 9, so we've got years to see how it goes.

[Hannah]

We're in South Africa, so the systems differ considerably from those in the USA.

 

We are planning on doing the Cambridge International Exams (CIE.org.uk) IGCSE and AS-level exams. These are accepted locally for university entrance.

 

DD will be enrolled in correspondence courses and we'll use local tutors.

[Bear23]

Someday's I say I am and other days I say no. I think it will depend where we are living.

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm planning on HS'ing the entire way through. Whatever happens for college when it happens, happens.

 

Clear as mud?

 

We're in pretty much the same boat.

 

Each of my kids has chosen his or her own path for high school to college.

 

My daughter started doing high school work way early, finished the typical course sequence and then attended an early entrance college program, earning her B.A. at age 16.

 

My son isn't in quite as much of a hurry, but has also started his high school courses early and plans to finish in three years. He'll be 16 at that point and intends to do a year at the community college completing a certificate program in an area that interests him before applying to four-year universities.

 

Having been around homeschoolers for a lot of years, now, I've decided that there are about as many ways to navigate "high school" as there are homeschool students.

[Donna]

My boys are currently in school with one in high school and the other going to high school next year. I plan to homeschool my daughter through high school.

[Onceuponatime]

Yes we did with three so far. One of those was dual enrolled his senior year.

[kolamum]

Yes.

[angela in ohio]

Some of them. We started homeschooling because school didn't fit our dc's needs, and the local school were unsafe (we've moved since then,) and we take it year by year. As they've reached the teen years, I've realized that it's not so much the school choice but our parenting that has molded who they are, and that makes it easier to make decisions. :)

 

Oldest dd wants to finish at home. She will graduate from our high school, with some community college and online classes in there.

 

Middle dd wants to go to school. We are still deciding what to do, as she has a scholarship to a nice private school near here and our local public school has offered to let her take a few classes. So she's most likely going to take a few classes a year at the public school, a few math classes at the community college, English and history at home, and graduate from our homeschool.

 

Youngest dd will probably go to school full-time by junior high or high school. All of his friends are from the local public school - from Scouts and sports. I can't see him staying home for high school with my girls gone and no homeschool boys around. The school is pretty good, and they are very open to an alternate pace and online/cc classes to meet their needs.

Edited June 12, 2012 by angela in ohio

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm