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3 Ways to Plan for High School with Your Middle Schooler in Mind

Do you have a child in middle school? Are you planning on homeschooling them through high school? If so, now is the time to Plan for High School with Your Middle Schooler in Mind.

3 Ways to Plan for High School with Your Middle Schooler in Mind

Planning for homeschooling high school is something you should be doing during your child’s middle school years.  Your planning should include both things they are doing in middle school to prepare, as well as what and how you will carry out their homeschool high school years. Here are 3 Ways to Plan for High School while your child is still in middle school.

1. Work Towards Independent Study During the Middle School Years

With each of my children I use the middle school years to transition them from the guided years of elementary school to the more independent work of high school. One of the ways we do this is by transitioning them over to a planner they are responsible for. In the elementary years I create the exact lesson plans for each day, creating a checklist for each week of the things they need to complete.

In middle school I have created this Simple Homeschool Middle School Planner plan that still has me planning the overall year by breaking down the work for each week. Then the daily logging of work, and planning out how they will finish that weeks work is up to them. They may choose to do all five math lessons in one day, instead of one each day. Or they may choose to do some subjects in blocks and some spread out. However they choose to do it is up to them, but the end result is that they have been independent in planning their work for the week.

2. Include Them in the Decision Making Process

During the middle school years is a great time to start asking them what they want. Include them in the process of choosing what type of history you will study, or how you will study it.

For instance, I wanted my son to do a language, I had thought Spanish. He wanted to learn German because that is what his grandfather speaks. So I got my language box checked, and he got his German box checked! By doing this he was much more invested in the learning because he chose something of interest to him.

Another way I included my kids in the middle school decision making process was to allow them more freedom with the time in which they do their schoolwork and the location. We usually all sit together in our homeschool room from about 9am until noon. Being together allows me to help when needed, and to be right there to supervise that things are getting done.

Currently my son gets up around 6am and does some of his school work in the quiet of the morning before we are all up. Then he goes back to bed for a couple of hours. Upon getting up we talk about what he has accomplished so far, and what he needs to finish. While I think this is a strange schedule, it seems to be working for him, and thus I am allowing him the freedom to do what is working for him.

This is an important step in the direction of becoming a functioning adult (or high schooler before that) that knows what works and what doesn’t for them, and is able to problem solves ways to accomplish what they need to get done.

3.  Choose Curriculum/Programs That Suit Their Learning Styles

Writing is NOT my current middle schoolers thing. This year we are doing a large amount of writing. Why? Because I felt he needed to work on his writing skills before he is thrown into the deep pond called high school.

Knowing this about him means we are choosing differently as we enter into high school though. My major goal is to keep the bulk of his writing for when it is most necessary. Therefore, the first thing we did was find a history curriculum that includes American Literature and writing. This means he will not have to double down on writing for both history and English.

While my oldest did well with video based curriculum, my son would rather read it if he needs to, or get away without it if he knows the material already. This means choosing curriculum that has a textbook, or living books as the foundation.

I highly recommend using the middle school years as transition and preparation years for high school. Taking the time during the middle school years to plan for high school will save you loads of time and stress when the time comes!

What is your plan for high school?

Other Middle School Ideas Here at Hip Homeschool Moms

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One Comment

  1. Heidi, the basic thought of homeschooling thru high school truly makes me shudder. Added to that the initial concept of middle school being training for high school? Well, let’s just say I’m not shuddering any less! Ha, ha. However, reading through your post, it made sense that doing a little preparation with high school in focus, ultimately is a good thing, and may in fact, make high school “easier” (for me). 🙂

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