Does everything change when you start the high school years? Will homeschooling look completely different in 9th grade then it did in 8th?  What about grades?  Do you have to “do grades” when you start high school?  Here is how one anxious mom said it;

“This is the first year of homeschooling for my 4th and 8th graders. I really do not want to do grades. I want them to master and move on. We had to really deschool from the public school system and I needed these boys to know it wasn’t just about grades but learning and understanding. My questions is this: Do I need to show a grading system for a portfolio?” ~Karen

What a great question! When it comes to high school, there are a few key lessons that lead you to  homeschooling freedom.  You do NOT have to do things differently! Here is what you need to know:

1. Whatever has been working before, keep doing it.

Since you have been successfully homeschooling all this time without grading, don’t start now.  Like you, mastery was important to me.  I did grade a few classes, but only math, science, and foreign language – and only because my curriculum choices included tests!  My boys had a great-looking transcript even without “grading” and they were admitted to every college they applied to.

2.  A grade on a transcript is not the same as “grading” with a test.

The grade on your transcript should represent all of the different ways you EVALUATE your children.  Evaluation may have nothing to do with tests, or it might include some tests.  Testing is optional!  But providing a grade on your high school transcript is a good idea.  Just remember that your transcript grade doesn’t have to include tests.  It may be just a function of other ways you evaluate:  papers, oral presentations, completed assignments, etc.

3.  Homeschooling is not the same as a “school system.”

Because we have that great one-to-one tutoring system, we don’t NEED graded tests and quizzes.  In a classroom setting, those things are necessary, because it’s the only way to evaluate large numbers of children all at once.  Homeschoolers are aware (possibly even “too aware”) of how our children are doing, so tests may be redundant.  That’s why it’s a good idea to get homeschool information from veteran homeschoolers, so they can encourage you in freedom rather than tie you up in a school system.

4.  Invest in yourself

As a homeschooler, it’s important to remember that record keeping in high school is part of your job.  You are the “High school registrar and office staff” you know!  Record keeping is not the same thing as grading, but it’s important to get the information that you need about homeschooling high school so you feel confident.  Preparing to homeschool high school is a big part of your job!

I wrote an article called “How to Assign Grades without Grading” that may help to calm nerves.
http://www.thehomescholar.com/how-to-assign-grades-without-grading.php

Have fun homeschooling high school the way you know will work for your children!

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.