Homeschooling High School: Our Curriculum Choices For Grade 12

Inside: Are you homeschooling high school? Many ask what we are using for Grade 12 curriculum. Sharing our homeschool picks for the year! 

My daughter is going into grade 12, and I’m not ready. I’m not ready for my very last year of homeschooling ever. 

But then again, homeschooling has always been one of those things I never planned. I didn’t plan on homeschooling, I never planned on homeschooling high school, and I certainly never planned on working while I did it.

Alas, here we are in our very last year.

Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I always said that homeschooling was one of those things that you don’t know if you are making the right choice until you look back.

Standing here so close to the finish line, I can honestly say homeschooling has been the BEST choice for my daughter. 

If you are a mom of a teen you can probably relate. Time flies! 

And before you know it you are facing the question: Do I homeschool the high school years or not?

If you are not sure if you can or should homeschool the high school years, be sure to read about the 3 questions I asked to help us decide what was right for our family ♥

The Flexibility Of Homeschooling

One thing I’ve really appreciated over the years is how flexible homeschooling can be. 

This year we have a lot of changes. 

It’s our first year homeschooling one child. Our first day felt a little off. She slept in while I worked knocked some tasks off my to-do list. 

While she did her morning routine of pet snuggles and reading, I made breakfast. She had pancakes, berries, and whipped cream. 

Next, we organized the supplies and ran into town to pick up a few of the missing pieces. Someone (okay, ME!) forgot to order the books and supplies. Oops! 

It’s our first year we only have two core subjects because she doubled up last year. One of my treasured tips from Cure the Fear of Homeschooling High School: How to Be Sure You’re Not Missing Anything by Ann Karako was to plan the last year to be lighter.

We stacked credits for the other years, so she’d only have the minimum credits left for Grade 12, a grand total of 5.

For all high school help planning and credit-wise, I used Cure the Fear of Homeschooling High School: How to Be Sure You’re Not Missing Anything (review here) and The Well Trained Mind for curriculum ideas.

This year we are using three weeks to test out our schedule and planning daily. 

I always try to take the first month as a “test” month to see what is working and what doesn’t work. Yes, after 14 years of homeschooling, there is no “one way” of making this work. 

This is the flexibility of homeschooling, the freedom to change and make adjustments as needed. 

Homeschooling High School Curriculum Planning Tips: 

Homeschooling high school is much scarier in your head than in practice. If you are freaking out, here are a few tips to consider:

1. Your Role Has Changed

Now that your kids are older, your role in your homeschool will change. 

You’ve shifted roles from “I teach and control all the things” and moved into a supporting high school role.

All the hard work you’ve put into teaching your kids to work on their own and take ownership of their work pays off! 

2. Plan With Your Child In Mind

I can not tell you how many times I’ve seen comparison kick in when moms are staring high school in the face. 

Please stop, for your sake and your child’s sake. 

Let’s be real; by grade 12 your teen may be tired and burned out. This was one of the reasons we opted for a lighter grade 12.

Do what is best for YOUR child and their goals. 

3. Talk To Your Teen

It is important to talk to your kids every homeschool year before you do any homeschool planning, but it is VITAL at this stage in your homeschool journey.

Before you make any decisions talk to your kids.

It might surprise you that they have already given this last high school year a lot of thought. They may know exactly where they are going in life and how they want to get there.

Make sure their course of study will help them get there.

4. Educate Yourself, Yes YOU!

One way to overcome the fear of anything is to learn more about it. The same is true for homeschooling the last year of high school.

It is never too late to learn more. Find out the requirements your child will need to meet. I called the local Colleges and University and asked. Learning the answers gave me a huge sense of relief.

I called my homeschool board only to discover they did not count credits. Talk about freedom!!

True, she won’t get a government-issued diploma but I already know that she can take an entrance exam for community college because I called to find out.

Educate yourself, so you know what to expect and get your child involved in the process!

Tips For Planning High School For The Child That Has No Direction

It’s okay if your child has no idea what they want to do when they finish high school.

Maybe you are stressing out because everyone is asking. Maybe you think because your child doesn’t have a clue, you failed in some way.

Let me assure you, you have NOT failed.

Think back to when you were in Grade 12. Did you know what you wanted to do? Has that dream changed over time? I’m betting it has.

All in all, it is okay. Really. You’ll figure this out.

Make a date with your child. Sit and chat one on one. Ask questions such as:

• Can you tell me what topics you are interested in learning about?
• What do you want to learn?
• What do you NOT want to learn about?
• Which format did you find the easiest to understand, videos? Audio? Written? Or a mix?
• What goals do you want to reach for this year?
• What dreams do you have?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help narrow your focus and help you plan your homeschool year.

Grade 12 Curriculum Choices:

I’ll share what we are planning on using for Grade 12 because one of the biggest challenges of homeschooling and working is finding curricula that will work for you and your family.

Checking out what others are using is a great way to get new ideas to see what might work for you!

By the way, I’ll include clickable links and reviews when possible. I find that is the best way to see how something might work.

High School Planner:

One of the most important things I did this past year was to get my kids to start planning their own time.

Learning to set goals and manage their time wisely will be skills they will continue to use for life… I hope!

Up to this year, my daughter and I planned every single Sunday using our Happy Planner. 

This year, she wants to change to daily planning. We picked up these tear-away planning notebooks at Michaels for under $2! 

You can find similar ones on Amazon. These pads are perfect for anyone who finds planning stressful. You can narrow down your top choices and add any time-specific deadlines. 

If your kids like online planners, I highly recommend Homeschool Planet (review) or Flexible Homeschool (review). As you can see, I’ve used both. I prefer Homeschool Planet as it handles everything I can throw at it, but if you want a simple and focused online planner, Flexible planner is perfect!

High School Math:

After trying and failing at so many math programs, we find CTC Math is the best fit.

This online program has the option to print some lessons, keep records, and they can learn at their own pace.

I love that when she completes a section, it will send me a printable award. Simple but she loves it!

You can check out our full review here on how we make this program work for us.

High School Language Arts:

Over the last few years, we have been using different courses from Literary Adventures For Kids.  

Last year we used American Literature Series, which was amazing!! 

This year we joined The Society of Literary Adventurers because it was the BEST deal and it gave her so much control over her own journey. 

It meets your teen where they are at, combining tech with literature and providing a full year of language arts credit to check off the boxes. 

Did I mention her courses are little to zero work for mom? Yes please! I get to join in on all the fun while letting them do all the hard work for me. 

I wanted the Society because I can let her loose and tell her to pick what she wanted. 

She gets access to dozens of online courses:

• 10 Poet Studies in Poetry and a Movie Course
• 10 American Classic Literature Book Clubs
• Up to 10 British Literature Courses 
• And an Upcoming Poem a Day Course

And that’s not including the Monthly Interactive Book Club, Quarterly Workshops, and Community Support.

In each book club, your child will go on rabbit trails of discovery into history, culture, and more. You will find ways to learn by experiencing parts of the book through hands-on activities.

We are starting with Alice in Wonderland! I am waiting for books. I ordered 2 and am still looking for the 3rd.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (Penguin Classics) by Lewis Carroll(1976-10-28)Through the Looking Glass: The Original 1871 Sequel to Alice’s Adventures in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass (Illustrated): The Classic Edition with Original Illustrations

 

By the way, you can also visit the main shop and purchase them individually. 

High School Health & Physical Education:

Last year we dragged the kids on an outback hiking trip!

It was the same hike my husband and I took a few years ago. The scenery was amazing and worth every single step. You can see photos here.

Because I had blown out my knee on that trip, and it took six weeks in recovery, I’ve been hitting the gym fairly consistently.

Therefore, when my daughter decided to come along this time, she also joined the gym. She comes about 3-4 times a week and trains.

We feel educating our kids on their food and activity choices is vital to raising healthy adults. She’s been learning about food, cooking and working out as part of our lifestyle for years.

Here are a few resources we’ve used:

• Kids Cook Real Food. Not only does this program teach basic cooking skills but it encourages them to think about what is IN their food. You can read our full review here.
• How to Read Nutrition Labels for Kids: This is a 2 part video + Worksheet activity that teaches our kids how to read nutrition labels in the video so they can make informed, healthy decisions.
• Living the Good Life by David Patchell-Evans: this book came with the membership and includes his personal story, the basics of fitness, balanced health.
• Choose My Plate: Helps you learn more about building healthy food and physical activity habits will help teens now and as they enter adulthood.

High School Art:

My daughter is my artsy one. As a mom who has zero artistic talent, I am so happy to have resources that I can rely on.

Last year she used Art School: Drawing 101 For Older Kids And Teens. (Read our review here). Sadly, they do not have Drawing 102. 

We decided to go with How to Draw From Beginner to Master from Udemy. Did you know you can use Ratuken (formally ebates) to get money back? 

Thankfully she had most of the art supplies but we picked up the missing pieces through Amazon and Michaels. 

Research & Notetaking Skills:

One skill that she wanted to work on was notetaking and research skills. We decided she will pick a topic each week and we will research it together. 

She will practice asking good questions, critical thinking, and taking notes on what she has learned. 

Graphic Design:

My daughter has been working in Canva, designing many different things for me over the past few years, including pins, printables for the Coffee Club, and social media quotes, just to name a few. 

This year she will be using Purely Printables to dig a little deeper into how to use Canva more effectively. 

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There you have it our 12th grade curriculum plan. 

You might think that high school is scary. I sure did. I have learned that it is great to be able to step back and let her take responsibility for her education.

The past year was so much easier than I thought it would be. We went through the books, dug out the 4-year plan we created last year, and saw what was missing. Adjusted and looked at what was working and what wasn’t.

Are you homeschooling high school? What is your favorite curriculum you are using?

Many freak out about the very idea of homeschooling high school. I know I did! I thought it was going to be horrible and scary. It wasn’t. If you are worried you can’t do this, breathe deep momma and repeat after me, “I got this!” Have a little faith and trust in you.

I LOVE this book to help me cure the fear and overwhelm of homeschooling high school. Read my review here: Cure The Fear: A Powerful Tool To Help You Homeschool High School With Confidence

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