How am I going to plan homeschool electives?
The thought of homeschooling a high schooler is daunting for many. The thought of planning what classes need to be taken and when, is sometimes overwhelming. Once you successfully jump those hurdles, you may feel you’re home-free. And then it hits you, electives….. How on Earth am I going to plan homeschool electives?
But don’t let it get you down. Truth be told, electives can be just as important as core classes, but way more fun!
While the choices are almost limitless, narrowing down your selections can be difficult.
Unlike my child who’s known what she wants to be since age 4, most 8th graders have no clue what they want to do with their lives. By using electives as a helpful and enjoyable way to explore possible career paths, the process of choosing them can be exciting.
Explore their talents, passions, and interests. There are classes available that are geared toward almost any subject. And if there isn’t, create your own!
What is an elective anyway?
Homeschool electives are any classes that fall outside of the core curriculum courses of Math, (English) Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. While there will be a minimum number of credits required for high school completion, you are not limited to that amount. Once all of the necessary slots are filled, use any additional credit for extracurricular items.
Where do I start?
Do Your Research
Navigating the path of planning a high school career really isn’t as difficult as it seems. Most states are specific in their requirements for high school graduation. The information is not hard to find, either. A quick search for “(state) requirements for high school graduation” will yield the answer you seek.
Most adhere to similar guidelines for the amount and type of course credit needed:
English 4
Math 3
Science 3
Social Studies 2
Electives 7-9
PE/Health, Arts, and Foreign Language are all courses that vary widely among the states.
The exceptions are Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, which all leave specific requirements up to individual school districts, and Vermont and Maine, who both use a proficiency-based system. While this is a general guideline, it is best to check specifically with your state.
A 50-state comparison of graduation requirements can be found here. This information was published in February 2019, so it should also be used as a loose guide.
Most universities also require some specific elective credits such as Fine Arts or Foreign Language. If your student knows which university they would like to attend, check their freshman requirements to be sure you fill all the listed credits first. If you don’t have a specific university picked out, choose four different ones and review their requirements to give you a general idea of what might be needed.
Know your credits
When you’re trying to fill in spots on your high school transcript (yes, you need to fill in spots on a high school transcript!), one of the first things to consider is how many credits will the class be worth. A general rule of thumb is that 60 hours’ worth of work is equal to ½ credit.
Plan your grade strategy
While planning, you also need to decide how you will grade the course. Will it be an actual letter grade, or will it be a Pass/Fail class? There isn’t necessarily one advantage over the other.
If the course is something that involves a higher level of effort and will contain a form of evaluation to show proficiency such as papers, projects, or tests, it should be given a grade.
Other courses such as Driver’s Ed or Test Prep, or courses based on interest or hobbies, such as music or art, that don’t require, or aren’t given, the same level of commitment or do not require proof of mastery, should be graded on a pass/fail scale.
Log the hours that are dedicated to the class. Once they equal 60, ½ credit should be given.
This doesn’t mean the knowledge learned is any less valuable, it just means they don’t warrant the same weight as other courses. Giving an A to a homeschool elective course that doesn’t require the same level of commitment could also be viewed as trying to skew your student’s GPA for the better.
What’s Next?
Brainstorm
Now that you’ve gotten your foundation laid, it’s time to start building. How do you decided which classes to assign? Two words, data dump. A mental one.
Start with a blank sheet of paper and make three columns: Passions, Talents, Interests.
Now, start writing. List any subject that falls in one of the three columns. Start broad. Think science, math, art, literature, music, etc.
Now, narrow your focus. What kind of science? Chemistry, astronomy, biology? Then, go a step further. What type of chemistry? Organic, physical, biochemistry?
Continue to narrow the field for each subject on your list, as far as you can. If your student doesn’t have a specific interest, yet, other than just chemistry, then go with it. And I know right about now you’re thinking, “but chemistry is a required class for graduation so why would it be a homeschool elective”.
Just because a class is a requirement doesn’t mean a class in the same subject can’t also be an elective. If your student loves a subject, let them explore it in different avenues.
It is possible for one kid to love and devour everything chemistry just as much as another goes after music or art. Electives are the perfect opportunity to feed those passions (and still get credit).
Make Some Choices
Once you’ve completed your list, it’s time to make some choices. If the list is a mile long, pick your 10 favorite choices. Write one choice on the top of a sheet of paper; do one for each choice. Now, make three columns on each sheet: Materials, Cost, Location. For each course, you need to research what will be involved or required. For example, if your student has chosen to play the violin for music class, there are several factors that go into completing that course that need to be considered.
Will you need to buy a violin?
How/where will you obtain instruction?
Will you hire an instructor?
How far will you need to travel?
How many days will you need to go?
Will your child drive or have to be taken?
The time and expense for each criterion will need to be added to your sheet.
Making The Cut
When your research is done and your sheets are complete, you will be able to make an informed decision on which classes are selected. We’re talking about homeschool electives, don’t be afraid to get creative. Remember, you never know what’s going to be the spark that lights a lifelong fire!
