How to Homeschool an 18 Year Old

What Should an 18 Year Old Be Learning?

The senior year of high school is a critical year for your 18 year old to develop the necessary skills for their transition to their next stage in life.  As a homeschooler, you have complete flexibility in the subjects your teen is learning about this year, but it can be helpful to know what traditional schoolers typically focus on, too. Some of those subjects include:

• Advanced math, such as calculus, statistics, or trigonometry
• United States government and economics
• 18th, 19th, and 20th century American literature
• Writing term papers and developing bibliographies
• Physics
• Various electives that could include foreign language, career studies, or technology

How do You Start Homeschooling an 18 Year Old?

If your teen’s senior year is your first year of home education, then you’ll need to know how to homeschool an 18 year old.  The process isn’t as difficult as it might seem, but pay attention to each of the steps to getting started.

• Step 1: Research your state homeschooling laws to find out exactly what requirements you must follow to legally teach your teen.
• Step 2: Create homeschool goals and plan out a schedule, based on what you want to accomplish by year’s end and what your homeschooler’s plans after graduation may be.
• Step 3: Choose the best mix of curriculum that fits your teen’s individual learning style and your family’s chosen homeschooling style.
• Step 4: Keep detailed records of what you are studying, because it will make preparing a homeschool transcript much easier.
• Step 5: Have fun learning together!

One unique aspect of planning out your 18 year old homeschool year is preparing for graduation. As a homeschooler, unless your teen is enrolled in an online school or umbrella school, you will be the one administering their diploma. You also are likely to be the one to plan out their homeschool graduation ceremony.

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What Should a Curriculum for an 18 Year Old Look Like?

In their final year of high school, 18 year olds are wrapping up course requirements, bolstering any academic weak areas, and using electives to explore potential career paths. As you plan out your teen’s curriculum for the year, try to involve him or her as much as possible. Have plenty of discussions about what their plans after graduation will be, then tie those into the subjects you’ll cover in your homeschool this year.

In general, though, a typical course of study for an 18 year old  includes a full year of high school language arts, an advanced math course (if algebra and geometry have already been taken), a fourth year of high school science (especially if your teen is aiming for a science-related career), a fourth year of high school social studies, and electives in fine arts, technology, vocational studies, and other specific areas of interest.

Other considerations when designing a curriculum for an 18  year old can include:

• Whether or not your state homeschool laws outline specific subject requirements
• What your teen’s specific interests and strengths are
• Inclusion of life skills courses that will help him/her become more independent and self-sufficient
• Opportunities for community service or internships
• Tailoring coursework to the admissions requirements of any universities your teen may plan on applying to

How Does Time4Learning Help With Homeschooling an 18 Year Old?

As your 18 year old prepares for the next stage of life, one thing is for sure: technology will play a large part in it. Time4Learning’s web-based platform gives students a head start preparing for the expectations of online college courses by helping students develop self-discipline, time management skills, and efficient computer skills. The multimedia lessons, interactive assessments, and engaging teaching videos make Time4Learning a natural choice for homeschooling today’s digital natives.

Time4Learning offers your eighteen year old the ability to take four standards-based courses of their choice with the added benefit of online lessons, offline practice, and assessment to keep their homeschool day varied and stimulating. Some of the reasons our program is so popular with families homeschooling high school include:

• All our online courses are standards-based and designed to prepare students for college level coursework.
• Students are able to learn at their own pace, in their own way, and reach their full potential.
• 12th grade lesson plans give parents detailed information on every lesson and activity.
• Activity planners and curriculum calculators help students work independently and stay organized.
• A wide choice of high school elective courses allows your student to customize their learning to their unique interests.
• The curriculum is flexible enough to be used as a core curriculum or as a supplement to other programs.

Are There Tips for Homeschooling an 18 Year Old?

Your teen’s final  homeschool year requires some planning and preparation, but because there is no one more dedicated to your child’s success than you, the parent, you are already far ahead of the game.  Homeschooling your 18 year old means having complete freedom and flexibility to choose what they learn and how they learn it. It also means that your homeschooler has time to explore their individual  interests.

As you plan out the year, here are some additional helpful ideas for homeschooling an 18 year old:

• To keep your high school student engaged, it is important to talk to your teen about his or her interests. Supplementing curriculum at home with interactive activities, such as volunteering, sports, and real-world experiences, can create a well-rounded student.
• It’s a great idea to decide what your expectations of your teen are this year. Do you expect them to have a job? Take charge of their own assignments? Fill out a certain amount of college applications? Let your homeschooler know what you expect, and give them guidance on how they might try to achieve these expectations.
• Credit hours, which are the normal way of tracking a high schooler’s coursework, can be fulfilled in a myriad of ways when you are homeschooling. In addition to traditional coursework, don’t forget to include time spent on field trips, free reading, online research, personal projects, and discussions with family and friends.
• If you haven’t already worked it into your homeschool schedule, this can be an important year to cover the important life skills your son or daughter will need as they enter adulthood. Everything from personal finance, to car maintenance, to basic cooking skills can make up aspects of a Life Skills course for your high schooler.
• Another big part of homeschooling an eighteen year old may be planning for your student’s graduation.  Whether you will be participating in a local or statewide homeschool graduation, or just celebrating as a family, it’s important to commemorate the occasion just as much for your homeschooler as you would if your child were graduating from a public school.
• Parents of high schoolers need not be anxious about whether they are qualified to teach all the subject matter. Homeschoolers taking advanced coursework can access online tutorials, homeschool cooperatives or qualified local tutors for those subjects.