How to Keep the Wonder Alive in Homeschool High School

I’m willing to bet many of you are in the same boat as me: I want my child to discover and explore their passion. Those huge looks of wonder that were almost daily occurrences when he was little are more fleeting now.

I don’t think that has to go away in high school. (You might remember Homeschool High School: Don’t Lose the Wonder - written when my first child was at this point.) We must LISTEN to and OBSERVE our children. Then, we need to be brave enough to come beside them to help them pursue what interests them.

This is one of the benefits of homeschooling (especially high school) - the ability to give our older children time, space, and FREEDOM to NOT become a product like those spit out by the public school assembly line.

Sometimes, however (especially for very type A, practical moms like me), there are things that get in the way. Doesn’t our state require certain credits to graduate? How do we fit everything in and still give our children that time to pursue an interest and keep the wonder alive? In my case, I believe in the principles of a Classical Education through high school - how do I include those while still keeping the wonder alive?

What if our student doesn’t really CARE about anything in particular?

I look back on how we homeschooled our oldest through high school and it makes me smile. She graduated with all of the so-called “necessary” requirements, but we also allowed her to pursue her interests in music and working with the special needs population at the same time. She took a writing class that allowed her to hone a talent she has with words.

Now, with my son in 10th grade, we’re in the thick of planning a partially interest-led homeschool high school education. I think it’s going pretty well!

Yes, we are members of Classical Conversations. My son is in Challenge II this year. If you follow the Challenge curriculum to the letter then I would agree there is very little time for pursuing your child’s own interests. (Don’t get me wrong - the Challenge curriculum is beautiful - that is why it is the spine of our high school.)

After talking with my son and evaluating all of our options, we agreed to adjust the curriculum slightly to give him more time to pursue his interests.

You know this, mom, but time is short. High School will come and go before you know it. We must homeschool with intentionality, prayer, and focus.

Let’s talk about how to keep the wonder alive in these critical years.

(Did I mention these are the very last years of homeschooling for me? I’m cherishing them!)

---

Keep the Wonder Alive - 5 Suggestions

Talk to and Plan With Your Child

At this age, they aren’t really “children” anymore. In just a few years they will be deciding for themselves what to study and pursue, so why not start now?

Make sure you communicate with your child. Let them make the school decisions with you.

My son has an interest in architecture. So — while he didn’t’ say “Mom, could you please help me pursue architecture?” - I did show him some different opportunities for learning in that area. He opted for a one-semester class from Excelsior Classes (Intro to Architecture) that he has learned so much from. He told me he’d like to continue learning more!

Win.

Listen and Observe Your Child

Become a student of your child (and if you’re a homeschool mom I’m sure you already are!).

Because of the sheer amount of time I spend with my son, I’m getting a VERY good idea of what he is interested in.

He has started talking a lot about (and actually making his own) YouTube videos. He is using his gift of creativity, humor, and love of technology in this project.

Yes, they take a lot of time. Yes, sometimes he is working on them when he should be doing his “traditional” school work. But you know what? I don’t complain or tell him to stop or do it when everything else is finished. He is LEARNING. He is excited. And, I know what a valuable skill making these videos can be!

I happen to think his “Moms When You Get Home From a Party” is pretty funny!

Or, I have long noticed my son is great with Latin. I knew he would be interested in Spanish, so I suggested a Spanish class to him - which I’m pretty sure he is enjoying. (as much as a 15-year-old boy will verbalize enjoyment to you - ha!)

Suggest and Present Opportunities

It is your job, as the parent, to research and present opportunities to your child.

Maybe it’s a class they will take online. Maybe you have found an in-person mentor for them.

Or, maybe you need to investigate opportunities outside of your normal (and therefore comfortable) circle of homeschool friends. I’ve had to jump out of known group to find opportunities for my son - it takes time and effort.

Homeschool Spanish Academy has been a great discovery from my research. This is my son’s second year with them and it is going well!

Get Creative With Credits

A lot of moms have asked me how to assign credits for something.

If you are unaccredited, then this is super easy. You get to decide what goes on that transcript!

For example, when my daughter showed an interest in music and special needs, she did a lot of volunteering with our special needs group at church. She played guitar for them and planned music for their Vacation Bible School - then executed those plans. I gave her a credit for this: “Music and the Special Needs Adult”.

Or, if your child plays an instrument or participates in an ensemble - call this “Music Performance”.

Because I have been teaching my son video creation - and he’s been researching a lot on his own and even creating videos for my SQUILT Music Appreciation curriculum - this will go on his transcript as “Video Creation using iMovie”.

Don’t Be a Stumbling Block / Who Is Your Child Created to Be?

Moms & Dads - most often we just need to GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Many of us (myself, at times, included) are experts at projecting what WE WANT our child to be onto them. We have a vision for them - for how they should turn out and what they should be.

This will only backfire. Your child is going to do what they want to do. Or, they will become who you want them to be and not have any joy in the process.

Homeschooling High School with wonder has to be a give and take of what the parent knows is best, what the child desires, and who the child IS. For our family, this has been the best approach to a balanced, joyful, and rigorous high school education.


The end of the homeschool journey for your child should be every bit as wonder-filled as when they were in the elementary years. The wonder might look quite different, but the spirit and attitude are still the same.

We homeschool to give our children something DIFFERENT, something BEAUTIFUL, and something tailored to THEM.

I hope these ideas will guide you along the way.

If you have any ideas for me, leave them in the comments below!

You might also like:

Homeschool High School: Meeting the Foreign Language Requirement

Big Picture Homeschooling

Homeschool High School Planning: 10th Grade

Homeschool high school CAN be done.

Honestly, I often want to tell people, “Stop Telling Me Why You Can’t Homeschool High School”!

Now that my husband and I have graduated one child, we clearly see the benefits of homeschooling high school. In fact, high school is the most crucial time to homeschool our children.

Last week my youngest completed his 9th-grade year. Let the planning for 10th grade commence!

Because this isn’t our first 10th-grade homeschool rodeo, I pulled out the plastic bin of 10th-grade books from the basement and took stock. Then, I got out my Classical Conversations catalog and began to check off what we owned, and made orders for what we didn’t.

To come up with our final plan, however, was a little more complicated - and that is what I want to talk to you about today. And, I want to give you some general high school encouragement, because you can never have too much of that!

If you are anything like me, planning brings about all the feelings of possibility, promise, and excitement. Planning for high school, seems to feel a lot more heavy. There is a lot riding on these four years of our children’s education, and we want to get it right.

(You might want to read the series I wrote a couple of years ago - Homeschool to College - about the path we took with our oldest child.)

---

Let’s break this down into 5 steps - the first two steps being my pep talk! The next two steps are extremely practical, and the last step is what our actual plan is for next year - to give you an idea of a sample plan.

1. Don’t Lose the Wonder

Our high schoolers don’t have to lose the wonder in their education.

Many of you ask if Classical Conversations Challenge works for my younger child - the answer is this: with prayer and planning (and a wonderful community of families) the Challenge program works better for my younger child than it did my older child.

Factors such as tutors, community, and student learning style all contribute to this. Right now, our plan is to stay in the Challenge program as long as it is a good fit for my son. If and when it ceases to be is the point we will contemplate a change.

DISCLAIMER: My son has a unique group of peers - they have been together for many years and are steeped in the Classical model. They have grown, learned, and questioned together. They feel safe and comfortable with each other - to succeed and to fail. They have tutors who have been committed to this, and parents who learn alongside them. I believe all of this is SO IMPORTANT for the Challenge program to work.

2. It Will All Work Out

I know the tendency is to stress out as our children approach high school. Please don’t.

Just like when they were babies - we are equipped with just enough information each step of the way to help us succeed. Do your research, make friends with other parents who have homeschool high schoolers, and pray a lot.

Don’t get too far ahead of yourself because then you are in danger of losing the wonder!

Have FAITH. You’ve been called to this and you will graduate this child successfully!

3. Now, Let’s Get Practical

• Bookmark this page: High school & beyond (a page from HSLDA full of high school information)

• What does your state require your children to know? (consult your state’s Department of Education website.)

• What do YOU want your children to know? (Many people forget this - you are homeschooling because you want control over your children’s education. Use this control in their high school years!)

• What does YOUR CHILD want to know? It’s important to keep talking with your young person about their dreams and goals for the future.

• Find a source you trust for high school advice and information - I really like Annie & Everything. She has homeschooled a lot of high schoolers and offers a wealth of knowledge for parents. She even has a step-by-step guide for planning high school.

• Keep accurate records. No matter how you do this, just be sure to save everything. You may not use half of it, but you can always throw it away. I keep a simple file folder for each class my children take - write the course description and dates inside the front cover and save all work inside. Simple.

In practicality, however, don’t sacrifice quality. Maintain the INTEGRITY OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.

If you’re trying to knock out credits for college, that is great - but don’t lower your expectations in the process. You get one shot at high school, so make it good. If you’ve heard bad things about a dual enrollment course at the local community college, don’t sign up for it just because your child might get college credit. Believe me, it won’t be worth it.

4. Consider YOUR Child

One size does not fit all. Stay in your own lane!

Is your child college-bound? Are they trade school bound? Do they have an entrepreneurial spirit?

You want to adequately prepare your child for what comes after high school for THEM - not for the general masses.

My son wants to be an architect (or at least right now he thinks he does!). So, preparing him for college is important. We’re looking at entrance requirements for architecture schools that might interest him. I’m looking for opportunities NOW that will teach him about architecture and give him a taste of what might be in his future.

If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” ~ Yogi Berra

5. Make Your Plan

I start making plans in May for the following school year. This gives me time to enroll for any online classes, order materials, etc…

Here is what our 10th-grade plan looks like. Remember - this is just for my child. Your child’s plan (even if they are also in Classical Conversations Challenge II) will look different.

*Note: 10th grade was my oldest child’s busiest year. She earned the most credits that school year and spent the most time on her school work. 11th grade was reserved for test prep, college visits, and increased independence with driving, working, etc…. 10th grade seems to be the ideal year to pack it all in!

• Math - Shormann Precalculus with Trigonometry Self-Paced Course

• Foreign Language — Spanish (Homeschool Spanish Academy)

• Architecture - Intro to Architecture with Excelsior Classes

• Literature/Exposition - British Literature (lots of books here - we’re pre-reading now and I’m reading the books ahead of time so I can be someone my son can discuss with)

• Western Cultural History - (I adore this seminar! “Students research and write about significant artists and composers in their own histories of art and music. Seminar discussions focus on Francis Schaeffer’s ideas in How Should We Then Live?”)

• Science - Exploring Creation with Biology

• Traditional Logic & Socratic Dialogue - Memoria Press Traditional Logic & the reading of Plato’s Gorgias

• Music Lessons - continue with private piano lessons

• Physical Education - continue participation with a private school basketball team

This is the plan for the coming school year. I’ll keep you updated as we progress through the year.

I’d love to know how your planning is going, and if you have a 10th grader how you are feeling about next year. If you’re like me, you’re starting to feel the urgency to make memories, teach them the life-lessons they need, and so much more.

It’s a busy time, and I’m so glad we are right there with them through homeschooling.

---

You Might Also Like:

Homeschool High School: Follow that Child

Five Books for Homeschool Moms (that aren’t about homeschooling)