An Authoritative Guide to Electives for Homeschool High School

Here’s an authoritative guide to Electives for homeschool high school.

Electives for Homeschool High School- An Authoritative Guide

An Authoritative Guide to Electives for Homeschool High School

We often get questions from homeschooling parents about how to choose electives for their teens. After all, high school is 4 short years, so you can’t cover EVERYTHING. How do you handle electives for homeschool high schoolers? How do choose which courses will be best for your homeschoolers?

This post will cover the following topics:

  • How do you know how many electives your teens should complete?
  • What is the difference between an electives and an extracurriculars?
  • How do you pick the right electives?
  • Counting internship hours- how does it work?
  • Homeschool co-op: How to handle electives.

Electives for Homeschool High School: How do you know how many electives your teens should complete?

As you know, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. But it helps to have guidelines.

Here are the ones we use:

Know how many electives your teen needs and include at least that many. Most states require 24-26 credits for graduation. Core classes like Language Arts (English), Maths, Sciences, Social Studies and World Languages take up 16-20 of those credits. The remaining credits are spread between Physical Education, Fine Arts requirements and Electives. You can find your state laws for graduation requirements at your state’s Department of Education website, your local homeschool organization or Homeschool Legal Defense’s website.

Here’s something important you need to know:

It is a good idea to include at least one elective each year. This is not hard to do. Keep reading, we will give you ideas.

Also, know that your homeschool high schoolers CAN graduate with more than 24-26 credits. They can put as many credits as they desire on their transcripts. SO, build as many elective credits as your teens need. Need some ideas? Our friend, Betsy, has a list of 100 elective ideas.

(Here is a post with more details on what to include on the homeschool transcript.)

What is the difference between and electives and an extracurriculars?

To keep it short and sweet, electives are recorded in the course section of the transcript. Teens get credit for electives. Extracurriculars (while just as important as electives) are not recorded as courses. Teens do not earn credit for extracurriculars. Here’s a post with detailed information on the differences and why you need both.

Electives for Homeschool High School: How do you pick the right ones?

There are SO many ways to choose electives. Here is a post on choosing electives wisely.

Here’s details on How to Turn Interests into Electives.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to choose electives:

Explore an interest

Many teens already have interests. Some teens have hobbies, arts, sports, fitness, school subjects or service areas that they have naturally developed on their own. They are already working on an elective without even trying.

This is an “organic” elective, because your teen naturally does them. (Remember, all of life is education, so capture these organic electives on the homeschool transcript.)

To capture these credits for the transcript:

Read about how Sabrina’s son Sam earned a film-making credit while in high school.

Financial Literacy from a Christian Perspective 7SistersHomeschool
Click image for full description.

 

Or check out this post on history electives.

When teens are investing in an interest, it helps them own their education.

Develop a life skill

  • Homeschool high schoolers, like all teens, need life skills. Several important life skill electives include:

    Discover an Interest or Skill

    Many teens will tell you they do not really have an interest yet. This is often embarrassing to them because they feel pressure to be “interested” and involved. I always tell them not to worry! They simply have not found their interests yet. However, they probably will not until they explore a bit. Do new things. Take some completely different courses.

    Human Development 7SistersHomeschool
    Click image for full description.

    One good example of this is 7Sisters’ practical course: Early Childhood Education. While the course is specifically preparation for training in becoming a preschool teacher, any teen who might want to become a parent someday will benefit is understanding skills that they can use educating their own kids.

     

    Steward a gift

    God gave each teens gifts. All people are gifted. That doesn’t mean they are naturally THE BEST at that gift, it just means they are good at it. Gifts from God are not comparisons, they are preparations for service. As homeschool high schoolers discover their gifts, they would be wise to steward them/grow those gifts.

    Here are a few gifts we’ve seen and a way to nurture that gifting:

    Sometimes teens will feel like they haven’t discovered any gifts. We need to remind them that God gives each person some kind of gift. That doesn’t mean they are naturally THE BEST at that gift, it just means they are good at it.

  • Gifts from God are not comparisons, they are preparations for service.

  • Here’s a post about helping teens find their callings.  Here’s a post to help your teens develop their gifts. Add sparkle to the transcript.For homeschool high schoolers who are college bound, they need to know that college admissions officers are often looking for transcripts with *sparkle appeal* or *pop*. Transcripts that sparkle are those that stand out from all the exact-same-looking transcripts of other applicants.To add some sparkle to the transcript, try:Out-of-the-box coursesIt is a good idea to give your teens some completely out-of-the-box courses for their homeschool transcripts. Sometimes in doing this, you will open a whole world of discovery and personal development (and they definitely give the college-bound transcript the non-generic courses that colleges like to see).

How many of your homeschool high schoolers’ friends will have Philosophy on their transcript? How many will have a full speech credit? These are definitely sparkle courses.

Here is a big list of electives to help you and your teens plan.

Philosophy in 4 Questions. 7SistersHomeschool.com
Click Image for full description.

Cover basic needs like Career Exploration and Drivers Ed

Most teens will take Drivers Ed during their high school years. This is often a 1/4 credit course with a Pass/Fail grade. It should go in the elective section of the transcript as “Drivers Education”.

One of THE most important courses to cover in homeschool high school is Career Exploration.

While it might not be required in all states for graduation, think about this: Why would you turn a teen loose without any idea of where to go for college major or career choice? That is an expensive and time-wasting idea! Even if teens later change their minds, they at least need a solid start for post-graduation.

Some states DO require Career Exploration electives. Our local state (Delaware) requires 3 Career Pathways elective credits. (These include Career Exploration, internships, special trainings, etc.)

The first Career Exploration credit that many teens need is a comprehensive exploration of the topic.

Teens need to know themselves and God’s will in order to narrow down career choices. A good Career Exploration course will at least cover the basic understandings of:

  • God’s will
  • How He has worked in their lives
  • The giftings from God in their lives
  • Their own weaknesses
  • Interests and abilities
  • Career values

That’s exactly what 7Sisters’ popular Career Exploration Bundle does (and more).

Teens have been using this course for years and finding it useful in making these life decisions.

Career exploration bundle
Click image for full description.

BTW- Don’t forget to keep good records! Here’s all you need to know in our Authoritative Guide post on Record Keeping for Homeschool High School.

Check out these resources from our friends:

Follow our Pinterest board on Electives for Homeschool High School.

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An Authoritative Guide to Electives for Homeschool High School

Vicki Tillman

Blogger, curriculum developer at 7SistersHomeschool.com, counselor, life and career coach, SYMBIS guide, speaker, prayer person. 20+year veteran homeschool mom.

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