• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

Graduate a Homeschooler

High School Senior Portraits Day 2 of 10 Days Planning a Homeschool Graduation

February 26, 2023 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is day 2 homeschool high school senior portraits for the updated 10 days series for planning a homeschool graduation. Also, look at more ideas on my how to homeschool high school page.

Early on I realized that I could go ahead and get Mr. Senior 2013’s official portraits done.

And I could purchase his cap and gown as we hashed out the other details on venue and menu.

Homeschool senior portraits were important to him.

High School Senior Portraits Day 2 of 10 Days Planning a Homeschool Graduation

But I learned while graduating my other seniors that it was not the same for each one.

For example, my second graduate was not interested in formality or tradition.

And my third graduate was a mix of both.

First, determine what is important to your senior.

10 days-Planning Homeschool High School Graduation: Senior Portraits (Day 2). Many details were floating around in my mind, one thing I figured out quite early was that I could go ahead and get official portraits done and purchase his cap and gown. Grab some ideas for places to take pictures that last a lifetime!

Too right away, we had to determine if he wanted a senior ring or not.

Homeschool Senior Portraits Matter Most

Breaking with tradition, he didn’t want a graduation ring.

I knew a regular, but no ordinary ring would be worn by him longer.

Grandma and grandpa wanted to make that purchase for their gift to him.  So that was one long term project done.

I love how sometimes he was traditional during planning and other times not so much.

Loving the details about planning, earlier in the year I had put together some color boards.

In my mind, we could then go from there to choosing a cap and gown for his high school senior portraits.

That approach made sense to me or so I thought at the time.

High School Senior Portraits Day 2 of 10 Days Planning a Homeschool Graduation

{Picture Source: The Craft Begins)

We spent wasted hours poring over color schemes. 

Being the boy that he is the color scheme above is close to what he ended up liking best, or he thought so too at the moment. Of course with less peach and more terra cotta color at the party is what he thought he wanted.

All I could think of was a green cake when I saw that color scheme.

All Mr. Senior 2013 could think of was an ivory wedding cake and a wedding theme which he wanted to be sure to steer clear of.

We backed up and started with what was easiest to pick out first and that was his favorite color for his cap and gown. He knew right away he wanted royal blue.

(Picture: Graduation Source)

There it was. Our inspiration for our color scheme and party just got easier.

We ended up going with Graduation Source because it was a  big company, had some great reviews and it was fast and pretty painless to deal with.

Overflowing Inspiration

Also, I went ahead and ordered only the diploma cover because guess I was creating his homeschool diploma too.

All of it was at our home fairly quickly and all I had to decide now on was how to get official senior portraits.

As I figured out, the color scheme could wait a bit longer because I needed to focus on senior portraits. I knew I wanted other pictures too of him showing things he loved.

After looking at a lot of senior packages from photographers, I knew I wanted more control input into the pictures and how many we got.

So I ended up getting my girlfriend who has a DSLR camera and is not an expert and knows less about her new camera than I do about photography. 

I coordinated the photo shoot because I knew what type of settings and expressions on my son’s face that I wanted to be sure to capture.

Let me tell you the extent of my knowledge of photography.

I know one very important thing and that is that light is everything.

I know the prime time to take pictures is either close to sundown like between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. or shortly after sunrise. That’s it! That is the extent of what I know to make pictures beautiful.

On the evening of the photo shoot, my girlfriend came to my house first because working with that amount of time, you need to work fast. I wanted some inside pictures too.

Creating Events To Remember

I picked out 3 outfits ahead of time for my son to change into as we went along so I was sure to have a variety to select from.

232323232%7Ffp543 7)nu=9;55)937)257)WSNRCG=368; ; 8(3348nu0mrj

232323232%7Ffp54393)nu=9;55)937)257)WSNRCG=368; ; 8(5348nu0mrjI wanted to capture moments that he was proud of like his music or piano at our house and his car.

232323232%7Ffp83232)uqcshlukaxroqdfv9854=ot)8(46= 28=348=XROQDF)277(9;;5;5257ot1lsi

So we were able to snap several pictures and ended up with these that we liked the most.

After that, I grabbed his change of outfits, his cap and gown and we headed to a local historical park.

Another important thing to me was getting some pictures outside in a natural setting that would have a background that inspired our Texas heritage.

When it comes down to it, I am a simple girl and like simple country charm with a hint of formal. This park is close to our home and the perfect setting for our outdoor pictures.

If all possible, I encourage you to have one photography setting outside. You would be surprised at the places that make great photo shoots and I will list some for you in a minute.

Unforgettable Outdoor Photos

Look at my list though of what I brought for our outside pictures after choosing a location.

  • I brought three different outfits for my son to change into.
  • I brought a step ladder because I wanted some pictures of the photographer looking down at him.
  • I brought my point and shoot camera too.
  • I brought a chair so we had a place to lay some of the clothes on.
  • If you have a girl think about bringing makeup to touch up her face or to wipe any sweet, but shiny oily faces.
  • I brought some cotton pads for my son’s face to wipe away shiny spots too and of course hairspray and hair brush.
  • I also brought some flip flops or sandals because we took some photos of him barefooted and so he could put those on his feet as we walked to another part of the park.
Homeschool High School
Homeschool Graduation
High School Senior Portraits Day 2 of 10 Days Planning a Homeschool Graduation. Today is homeschool high school senior portraits for the updated 10 days series for planning a homeschool graduation. Also, look at more ideas on my how to homeschool high school page. As I figured out, the color scheme could wait a bit longer because I needed to focus on senior portraits. I knew I wanted other pictures too of him showing things he loved.

As you can tell we got a variety of poses and pictures to choose from.

Do not leave the decisions for the poses and positions you want to see your child in up to a photographer, even a good one. Though most professional ones will consult with you prior to the shoot so that they can understand your child’s personality, you are the only one who knows them the best. A photographer will love you for having a list or better yet pictures from the internet if you found some.

I came up with all the poses either by finding poses online close to what I liked or understanding what my son liked best. He is not an over the top person when it comes to taking pictures either so we knew we didn’t want glamorous. Girls like that kind of stuff better.

High School Senior Portrait Tips for DIY

When thinking of an outside place for a portrait think outside the box.

  • Like I mentioned an old historic building makes wonderful outdoor pictures. When we there taking our pictures a girl that was graduating too came in a beautiful formal dress. I can just imagine what her pictures looked like with a touch of class and a touch of simple.
  • Think of old downtown
  • Think of an arboretum
  • Think of a park or place along a river or pond
  • Think of the beach
  • Think of the area around a museum
  • Think of a state park
  • Think of all the cool, out of the ordinary places you have been on a field trip to because they make great photo shoot locations
  • Here in Texas, we have the river walk in San Antonio if you wanted to take them at several different venues and start early by visiting other cities.
High School Senior Portraits Day 2 of 10 Days Planning a Homeschool Graduation

More Homeschool High School Graduation Planning Resources

  • Start the Planning Day 1.
  • High School Senior Portraits Day 2
  • Invitations Day 3
  • Graduation Menu and Party Venue Day 4
  • Home Graduation Ideas Day 5
  • DIY Decorations Day 6 
  • Table Decoration Ideas Day 7
  • High School Graduation Gift Day 8
  • Free Editable High School Diploma Template Day 9 
  • Graduation Celebration Day 10 

By using one photographer, my girlfriend, for these pictures and a professional photographer at the party, we saved a bundle already.

I knew at the party I would be tied up with details for our guests, but my mind could be less stressed because I knew I had pictures already that were important to me.

Take inspiration from something simple and capture pictures way ahead of time because without one, it is hard to determine the color scheme for the party or for invitations.

No rest for the excited, because right after that, I had to determine details for the invitation. Next post I will share the details on invitation and venue.

4 CommentsFiled Under: 4. {10 Days of ... Blogging Series}, Graduate a Homeschooler, Planning a Homeschool High School Graduation Tagged With: high school, homeschool, homeschool joys, homeschoolgraduation, homeschoolhighschool, homeschooljoy, teens

Planning Homeschool High School Graduation Day 1 of 10 Days

February 25, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A lot has happened since I graduated my first senior. Today on planning homeschool high school graduation, I’ve updated my 10 days series for planning a homeschool graduation. Also, grab more ideas on my how to homeschool high school page.

How do I put all my plans, fears, successes, failures, and momentary lapses of insanity in one blog post?

I can’t. Instead, I will share 10 days of planning a homeschool high school graduation so that not IF, but when your turn comes, you will have a place to start.

As of now, all my homeschooled kids have graduated and I’m still in the trenches with you as a coach.

Planning Homeschool High School Graduation Day 1 of 10 Days

Right away I will ask for your forgiveness during this series too because sharing our homeschool journey has never been so scary for me as it has been over the last few years.

Much of life and school was up, up, and down, down.

I have had feelings of overwhelming happiness at the same time sadness, feelings of joy yet fear wondering if I did enough with Mr. Senior 2013.

10 days of Planning A Homeschool High School Graduation: Day 1 Start the PlanningHow do I put all my plans, fears, successes, failures and momentary lapses of insanity in one blog post? I can’t. Instead, I will share 10 days of planning a homeschool high school graduation so that not IF, but when your turn comes, you will have a place to start.Click here to get tips from a seasoned homeschool mom!

Yet, I pressed on to have Mr. Awesome graduate in 2015 and Tiny graduated in 2018.

Planning the BEST Homeschool High School Graduation Celebration!

I can’t help but have tears as I reflect as I’ve savored every mommy moment with him and think how vulnerable I felt when I held him in my arms as I taught him to read.

A tear or two may run down my cheek as I type this because that has not been the only feelings I experienced as we celebrated the next chapter of Mr. Senior 2013’s life.

You know I tend to be private about hubby’s health, but it impacted our homeschool significantly these past two years.

So, the blessing of graduating our first son was special in more ways than one because my husband was around to celebrate it with us.

It may sound a bit dramatic, but for us it was also celebrating life.

10 Days of Plannning Homeschool Highschool Graduation | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

So although we weren’t able to have the graduation at the time I planned because we were with the Mr. at the hospital, the day was filled with more meaning when we finally did.

Nothing mattered more on ending Mr. Senior 2013’s journey than being with the ones who were there from the beginning and matter the most. Even at the end, he was still learning valuable life lessons.

Moving on to what matters, the beginning of planning a meaningful homeschool graduation starts with long term planning.

Celebration Countdown


Here are some things to think about and that will affect what type of homeschool graduation you plan.

  • Do you want to be part of a larger homeschool group or not? Most large groups I know plan a whole year out and hire speakers and usually hold the graduation in a large auditorium. If you do, you need to notify a group right away.
  • What type of personality does your young adult have? Yes, he is forever your child, he’s now just not a child. This is really important because what you might vision for the day and what he or she might vision may be two completely different things. It is their celebration too. It is hard for us capable mamas to remember that at this point because we have been so strong in nurturing and leading them but surrender to it because our young adults are capable now.
  • Does your teen vision a late night out on the town and a small gathering?
  • Does your teen vision a formal night complete with catering and closer to a wedding than a graduation?
  • Does your teen vision a family trip like a cruise with many of his or her friends and their parents?

More Homeschool High School Graduation Planning Resources

  • Start the Planning Day 1.
  • High School Senior Portraits Day 2
  • Invitations Day 3
  • Graduation Menu and Party Venue Day 4
  • Home Graduation Ideas Day 5
  • DIY Decorations Day 6 
  • Table Decoration Ideas Day 7
  • High School Graduation Gift Day 8
  • Free Editable High School Diploma Template Day 9 
  • Graduation Celebration Day 10 
Planning Homeschool High School Graduation Day 1 of 10 Days

Check that List Twice

I will be sharing some printables on this too, but I want to list some things that you need to brainstorm way ahead of time.

  • date, time (beginning AND ending times), and venue
  • type of dress
  • do you want a meal, just snacks, no meal or cake/punch only
  • how many people to invite
  • how many parties to have (yes, I was going to have two. One with our church friends and one with our homeschool group. Two small gatherings keeps each manageable. I ended up having one because of our circumstances.)
  • how to present the diploma
  • cap, gown, and ring can all be ordered ahead of time as long your teen doesn’t change their mind about colors he or she likes
  • what type of decorations do you want

The beginning is about brainstorming and including your young adult. In the end we both realized we had some ideas that ended up being too much work or that really were not that important to us.

Next post, I will share some of the details and plans we reached early in our planning and share with you a few time and budget saving tips I found along the way.

I will try hard to not have too many sniffles on this series, but no promises okay?

1 CommentFiled Under: 4. {10 Days of ... Blogging Series}, Graduate a Homeschooler, How To - - -, Planning a Homeschool High School Graduation Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool graduation, homeschool highschool, homeschool joy, homeschoolgraduation, homeschooljoy, planning graduation, teens

How To Homeschool Middle School – Why Eclectic Of Course!

February 18, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Whether you’re utterly excited or fear that you’re woefully inadequate to homeschool middle school, one thing is for sure. Homeschooling middle school can be some of the best years to homeschool. Look for more tip on my how to homeschool page.

From homeschooling a 6th grader who is still so full of eagerness to a 8th grader who is ready to debate on a moment’s notice, there are no dull moments in the middle school years.

Besides watching the unfolding of a young child into a teen, it’s also the time your child is still flexible.

How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course!

It’s the perfect time to try an out of the box approach.

First, let me back up a minute. When I approached the middle school years I had thought it was my time to have it easy as the teacher.

Knowing that kids are more independent at this age, I wanted relief in the way of a boxed curriculum.

3 VALUABLE TIPS WHEN TEACHING HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL

However, as each son entered the middle school years, I learned several valuable lessons,

  • one was that the eclectic homeschool style approach was needed now more than ever before;
  • that I shouldn’t have listened to naysayers who said we needed to give up hands-on learning like games or lapbooks;
  • and I should have dabbled more into life skills and high school credits.

From teaching Mr. Senior 2013, I learned that subjects like the three Rs are the mainstay of these grades too.

Subjects don’t change significantly in middle school, but the approach to how you choose curriculum does.

For example, just because you used one math program with your child up to this point doesn’t mean it is the right one for middle school.

You need to take more time choosing curriculum and subjects.

Here is a very valuable piece of seasoned advice.

Up until middle school, you should choose curriculum based on your teaching style because you are wearing the teacher hat exclusively. Now, you need to choose curriculum based on your child’s learning style.

Beginning in about sixth grade you want to gently turn over the teaching reins to your child.

I can’t recall an exact moment with each of my sons where I could unequivocally pinpoint a time and say, “This is the exact moment my sons were independent.”

Middle school independence is a gradual process.

This is the time to explore alternative options.

Don’t wait until high school for out of the box elective where you don’t have as much flexibility to change courses in midstream.

HOMESCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL SUBJECTS GUIDE

Look at these subjects and options for curriculum that worked for us or that we currently like.

Homeschool Middle School Reading

Kids in the middle school are at varying maturing abilities.

Unlike the early grades where you focused on phonics, at about the fourth grade a child should be ready to move away from direct phonic instruction.

Don’t worry if your child is not, I just want you to have a rule of thumb. I had two that were ready to move away and one not so ready.

Look here at How to Transition a Child From Reading to Literature.

I focused on about 3 or 4 books with direct reading instruction. This means we delved deeply into them.

On their own, my sons read way more from my list, but about 4 books was all I could do each year where I questioned them significantly.

Remember there is a difference between a child narrating back a story and learning the elements of fiction and figures of speech.

Understanding where I was headed in the middle school grades helped me to see what teach in reading.

For example, in high school your child will be focusing on certain authors and literature in specific time periods.

In middle school, focus on learning genres and the basics of elements of fiction. This tool he will use as lens to pull up close and examine literature in high school.

Look at what you want to zero in on and use the free pages which explains a bit about each one and other literary elements.

  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Character
  • Theme
  • Style
  • Point of View

The point I’m making is although it’s important for them to read at this age, it’s equally important to delve deeply into a book and expose kids to a variety of genres.

How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course! Whether you're utterly excited or fear that you're woefully inadequate to homeschool middle school, one thing is for sure. Homeschooling middle school can be some of the best years to homeschool. Click here to read these tips!

Homeschool Middle School Writing

If you chose to teach cursive writing like I did, then you’ll want your child to practice daily.

Writing journals, hands-down has been the best tool I’ve used to encourage writing. The focus is on writing creatively and free from a judgmental eye.

Most of the time my sons chose to share their daily sentences or paragraphs with me, but I didn’t ask or didn’t grade them, only praise them.

Composition is quite a different thing. For example, although we may brainstorm one day and not do much handwriting on our current topic, writing in their journal each day ensured continued practice.

Again, the best way is to mix and match curriculum to suit your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Resources prepared and used by other homeschool teacher moms is another secret at this age.

If I’m going to start handing over the teaching reins to my child, I needed resources by homeschool families who understood my need.

We loved using WriteShop because it’s written specifically with homeschoolers in mind. But also we loved Essentials in Writing and Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Not only did it have lots of teaching background notes for me, but it was the first top notch writing curriculum my first middle school son used on his own.

Homeschool Middle School Arithmetic

Don’t get discouraged if your middle school kid is behind in math. I had one like this and two ahead at their grade level.

For the one son behind, I added in straightforward practice.

Although math apps can be helpful for drills, my struggling math guy needed to write and see the work.

The Key to . . . Math Series have been some of the best no fluff straight forward practice books I’ve ever used. They’re such timeless helps.

The books are a set of consumable non-overwhelming books on one math topic, like fractions, which progress from the easiest concept in Book 1 to the hardest concept in the last book.

Some packets have 10 books others are smaller.

Middle school was the year I switched from Teaching Textbooks, which I thought was ahead of Math U See, and back again to Math U See. Teaching textbooks was not ahead in my experience from K to 12th grade math.

Although Teaching Textbooks explained step by step, mastery is my goal and Math U See taught mastery. I guess the main difference is that Math U See does not go by grade level but by concept. That is my preferred way of teaching.

Choose what is best for your child at each grade. I didn’t use MUS or Teaching Textbooks at the lower grades.

Also, remember to add in fun hands-on math to teaching. Kids this age can still be cuddly and cute. (ha, ok.)

Look at Making Math Count for Middleschool When You’re Not the Math Mom and 25 Creative and Tasty Edible Math Activities that Keeps Learning Fun.

And then living math is one of the best ways to incorporate it into every day learning.

Kids want a reason for why they have to learn math. Don’t make it boring and humdrum.

Grab an idea from this living math book below from another talented homeschool mom which makes teaching middle school a cinch.

And one of the BEST parts of homeschooling middle school is the time to explore and even get credit in middle school. Yes electives are something fun and doable at this age, so explore them.

Middle school is also the time to narrow down what your middle school kids may want to jump into deeper in high school. The only way to do that is to do a wide range of fun and practical skills.

Give them time to explore while making it practical. For example, teach your child how to write out a check.

Yes, my young adult kids still need to use a check once and a while and remembering how to do it can be a struggle.

It’s easier to use a debit card, but that’s not always great for record keeping. How to change a tire and check a vehicle’s oil are important skills to teach them as they approach driving age.

We also love to explore different types of art. We love doing chalk art.

Art for All Ages Bundle

We’ve used another resource by a homeschool mom which is Chalk Pastel because of the variety of books and teaching helps she has on her site.

Even cooking has been added as part of our science and history.

It gives us a set of life skills from A to Z. Now is the time to learn this stuff before your kids tell you they know everything.

I wanted to give you this quick glance at the middle school years. Soon, I’ll be adding more specific posts to help you.

What are you wrestling with right now in middle school?

Other How to Homeschool Middle School Resources

  • 10 Best Science Movies for Middle School
  • Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • How to Choose the Best Middle School Literature And Favorite Resources
  • How to Teach Science Through A Story – Middle & High School
How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course!

Hugs and love ya,

How To Homeschool Middle School - Why Eclectic Of Course! Whether you're utterly excited or fear that you're woefully inadequate to homeschool middle school, one thing is for sure. Homeschooling middle school can be some of the best years to homeschool. Click here to read these tips!

1 CommentFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Middle School Homeschool Tagged With: middle school, middleschool, teens

How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

January 22, 2023 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

After homeschooling 20+ years, I’m sharing how to make a homeschool transcript. You’ll love the other forms I have on my homeschool planner and how to homeschool high school and homeschool middle school page.

Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve updated my original transcript.

In addition, this unique form I’ve updated today can be used beginning in middle school.

How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

Also, my homeschool high school transcript was created with much flexibility.

You can use this editable transcript for many different reasons.

  • If you want to track some courses starting in middle school.
  • Or you have a special needs child and want to take a bit longer time or need more flexibility with subjects.
  • Too, if your teen wants to graduate earlier, this form gives you much flexibility.
  • And if you want to follow a 4-year traditional high school course this form is perfect and finally
  • You may lean toward the unschool-ish side and want to track subjects instead of years or grades this form fits that need too.

As you can see it’s a unique form.

Homeschool High School Transcript

So, when I got his question from Carol, I was excited.

Hi, had a quick question do you know of any place we as homeschool parent can purchase,blank transcripts with a guide to teach you how to  prepare them? Getting overwhelmed with our son now in high
school.Thanks again, your a God sen
d.

Homeschool High School Transcripts @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Sharing a few general tips to help you through the high school years and some specific tips for the transcript,

General High School Transcript Tips

  1. Decide a grading scale and stick with it when you do decide. Here at my Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You, look at option 10 on that page where I give you a couple of options for grading scales.
  2. About credits. Know that a very basic rule of thumb and easier to remember without all the educationalese is that one high school textbook or course equals to about 1 credit. Look here at Homeschool High School–How to Log Hours for High School for more tips. And if you’re tracking by hours another rule of thumb is that 1 credit equals about 120 hours.
  3. And finally, you don’t produce a transcript immediately upon entering high school or even in 10th grade. I changed from how I thought I wanted it set up in 9th grade until his senior year. You have time to mull over what is needed for your child’s particular direction if he is in any grade other than a senior this year.
  4. A high school transcript is a 1-page document. When and if a college asks for more, then second page which is a comprehensive course description. Your 1-page document should be clean, simple, and well articulated, not a diary of your whole homeschool journey.
  5. Course Descriptions. You do not put course descriptions on the transcript. You put descriptions on a second page so they’re noted and you have them if asked by a college. Just put the name of the course.
  6. One more thing I need to mention is plan for the 3 Rs in high school like you have all the other grades. Depending on what your child is doing will determine which one you may spend more time in. Each year cover 1 English, 1 Science, 1 Math and 1 History.
How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

As I mentioned earlier, key to filling it out is charting your courses or subjects in middle and/or high school and then filling out the transcript, not the other way around.

What I’m saying is 1) Plan the courses 2) Change the courses as needed, 3) Redo courses 4) and LASTLY prepare the transcript.
You track most all work and courses by planning pages. My form is so flexible that is you want to use it for planning and tracking you can too.

Basics of High School Transcripts

Transcripts, like birth certificates are official documents and that means they need to look somewhat uniformed although we have unique journeys.

Use the forms below for planning while you look over the high school transcript.

High School Planning CP @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Planning 1-Required Courses for Graduation CP @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I have had them for years before I produced my transcript because that is the part of the phase that takes longer.

Charting a course for 4 years or longer is not easy, but then again it too doesn’t have to be done all at once either.

You can find those forms on Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You.

Transcript Tina's Dynamic Homeschol Plus

My first transcript is above, and I left it here so you can see how things change.

And my newest high school transcript template has these features in each section. Look below as I explain each section.

How to Fill out the TOP SECTION of the High School Transcript Personal Basic Information

  • full student name
  • student address
  • date of birth and sex
  • phone number
  • email
  • parent/guardian name
  • school name
  • school address
  • phone number
  • email
  • date of graduation
  • signature of principal or administrator

How to Fill Out the Middle Part – Courses/Subjects of the High School Transcript

This section is where this template is different than most and that is you can use it just for high school or for middle, unschooling or modify for a child with special needs.

For example, look at sample 1 below.

  • This first sample is using my editable form for a traditional 4-year high school experience.
  • Note you can just put the grade level or
  • You can add a school year to it 202? – 202? after each grade if you want more specificity.
  • Under each grade level you would add the courses, the grade and the credit earned.
  • Too, there are 6 areas so you can separate the electives or specify other individual courses.
How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

Furthermore, look at this sample 2.

  • Instead of tracking by grades, list by subjects or courses which can be good if you begin in middle school or have a special needs child. Use the main box for Subjects or Courses and not grade level.
  • Under each subject there are 6 lines to list courses. That is an additional 2 lines for courses instead of the traditional 4.
  • Also, another way to track is by combining courses AND the school year. This works best for a child that has a leaning toward one area or discipline over another. For example, if your child is science minded, he may take more courses in Math and Science. You can reflect that on this form.
  • Use ** asterisks to denote something unique about a course and then add to the key at the bottom of the transcript.
How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

Lastly look at the bottom section of the transcript where you can note important details.

You have flexibility to add any notes or circumstances unique to your situation.

How to Fill Out Last Part – Grades/Making it Official/Noting Honors, Dual Enrollment, Etc.

How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)

Below I have explained each section and have even given you some wording for each section if you need it.

  1. Grading Scale. Add the grading scale you’ve chosen to use through your journey.
  2. Academic Summary. If you need to add test scores add them here. Too, if you need to distinguish between weighted and non-weighted grades or GPA. And to keep it simple, weighted means there was an overall grade for subjects. For example, honor and AP courses are normally weighted. Unweighted means course difficulty was considered. Also, you will notice that Total Credits Earned are put here and NOT tracked by courses or grade. If you want to track credits, be sure to use the planning pages I have.
  3. Notes: There is plenty of room to explain either dual enrollment, honors courses or modifications because of special needs. For example for special needs add : Modifications for special needs was given for the American History Remedial Course. For Dual Enrollment: Dual Enrollment courses were taken by Lone Star Community College. For Honors Courses. Please note this area is subjective meaning no two schools even agree. So explain with detail how you determined this course as hnors. For example, Honor courses were determined by a faster pace, more in depth study, and special projects.
  4. Sign, date it, and make official. You’ve got this.

More Creative Solutions for High School Posts

  • Creative Solution for Homeschool High School When Life Happens
  • Best High School Homeschool Curriculum Packages (Accredited and Not Accredited)
  • 25 Great Homeschool High School Science Curriculum
  • How to Make A Homeschool High School Transcript & Middle School (Free Editable Form)
  • Free Editable High School Diploma Template Day 9 of 10 Days Of a Homeschool Graduation

How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript

Also, look at video on YouTube How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript.

 

Moreover, look at my other beautiful and detailed homeschool planner forms.

More Homeschool Planner Forms

  • Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar
  • 31 Popular and Free Homeschool Planner Printables
  • 32 Free Beautiful Homeschool Planner Cover Pages
  • Homeschool Planner Supplies – Organizational Eye Candy Because Paper Planners ROCK!
  • Year 2023 Homeschool Planning Schedule Beautiful Form
  • 4 Colorful and Editable Homeschool Lesson Plan Templates
  • Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft
  • 3 Free High School Planner Cover Designs
  • 5 Beautiful and Detailed Planners for Homeschool Moms
  • Reasons a Paper Planner Is Better Than a Homeschool Online Planner
  • The Ultimate and Beautiful DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner
  • Gorgeous 7 Step Free Homeschool Planner You Build
  • 6 Ways a Homeschool Daily Planner Beats a Weekly Planner
  • A Unique Flexible and Beautiful Preschool Homeschool Planner

Also, look at these posts for some detailed and practical help:

  • Homeschool High School Readiness?
  • Homeschooling High School: Curriculum, Credits, and Courses
  • 10 Popular High School Chemistry Homeschool Curriculum
  • High School The Must Cover Subjects Part 1
  • Homeschool High School The Must Cover Subjects Part 2
  • How to Log Hours for High School?
  • High School Readiness?
  • Should I Let My Homeschooled Teen Graduate Early?
  • 9th Grade Homeschool High School – Avoid the Sock It to Them Attitude
  • How to Expose Homeschooled Teens to a Variety of Fine Arts (and Get High School Credit)
  • How Does my High School Homeschooled Kid Get a Diploma If I Do This Myself?
  • When a Homeschooled Sophomore Struggles
  • Homeschool High School Transcripts – Anything But Typical

You have some time to investigate and learn.

Focus on keeping a well rounded out course in the 3 Rs and savor the treasured high school years.

Lastly, grab this free form below.

How to Get the Free Editable Highschool, Middle or Non Traditional Transcript

Finally, how to grab the free editable transcript printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access my subscribers library and this freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

5 CommentsFiled Under: 2. My FREE Organizing Printables {Any topic}, Dynamic Reader Question, Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Planner, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, How To - - - Tagged With: homeschoolgraduation

12 Great Options of High School Literature Curriculum

May 3, 2022 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Next to math, deciding high school literature curriculum for my first high school teen was scary for me. Today, I will share practical pointers in choosing high school literature curriculum. Also, look at How to Homeschool High School for more ideas.

Looking back after three homeschooled grads, I’ve learned you need to be absolutely clear of your goal.

Choosing curriculum versus stand alone components was confusing as well.

So, I want to help you make a better choice.

12 Great Options of High School Literature Curriculum

First, confusing to me in the beginning was what to teach from high school literature.

Also, how to transition from teaching your child reading to literature wasn’t clear.

Quickly, I learned there is a shift in high school to not just reading a variety of literature, but to analyzing it.

What to Teach With High School Literature

As you can see, the elements you look for in a high school literature curriculum will vary depending on your goals.

If your teen is on a college track, analyzing literature is a basic requirement for most colleges.

However, if your child is on a career track, you decide if analyzing literature will benefit your teen.

That was the part that confused me. My English teacher in high school taught me like I was in an AP Lit class. I was not, but her love for literature was obvious.

The very basic reason why you teach high school literature is to move your child beyond the reading is fun stage. Appreciating why literature moves us, how to be involved in the great conversation, and how to analyze literature is one goal.

Another goal is to help your child appreciate the variety of genre. Think about it.

You have doing this all along as you taught your child to read.

Teaching a love of reading doesn’t stop in high school, but you want your child to now dig into the literature.

In addition, one more thing to be aware of before choosing curriculum is to decide if you need the other components of language arts.

Besides literature, grammar, vocabulary, composition, and writing are other components of language arts.

Teens are normally all over the place on each component of language arts, I encourage you to try to choose just literature curriculum.

High School Literature Curriculum Goals

One huge advantage to choosing just high school literature curriculum which is not tied together with the other components is to save time.

I don’t think teens should get bogged down with the other components when focusing on beautiful pieces of literature.

However, some options I share below is curriculum which does not make deep dives into analyzing.

That too has been a great option some quarters in high school when your teen needs a change of pace from analyzing in depth.

Covering all the components together may be your goal.

The point is your teen, your choices, and your goals should stay front and center when poring over options.

Furthermore, tying literature to history is another fun way to bring both subjects to life.

This is a slant that many teens enjoy.

On top of that, some choices will be more faith-based and others with a secular focus.

Keep all those facts in mind as you compare curriculum below.

12 High School Literature Curriculum

Finally, look at these twelve high school literature curriculum.

  • BJU Press Literature for Junior and Senior High. This is one of my favorite because it’s so comprehensive in the variety of genre.
  • Memoria Press is another one I’ve used and although they’ve updated through the years, I still love their guides.
  • Stobaugh is another keeper which has been around for years. It’s comprehensive and takes more of a classical approach.
  • Lightning Literature has been another mainstay by homeschoolers. I love their choices.
  • Windows to the World: An Introduction to Literary Analysis. Although the topics covered are comprehensive, there are short passages. So it makes for a great option.
  • Illuminating Literature is one by Sharon Watson. I’ve used her other writing and love them because of their step by step guidance.
  • Beautiful Feet we used when we wanted to cover literature analysis lightly. Focusing on our history love, we could include a framework of analysis with the literature choices.
  • Progeny Press is another favorite because of how many activities they have and ease of use.
  • Learning Language Arts Through Literature is not as well know today as it used to be. I love it because it’s gentle and has a Charlotte Mason flair. Some years, we just needed light language arts and literature. So, I’m listing it as option. There is both American and British literature options. It’s just a beautiful option
  • Sonlight has been around for years. Started by a homeschool family like some of other companies, it too has a comprehensive language arts program.
  • Total Language Plus is just what it says. All the components of language arts when you want to cover them at one time. We love this curriculum as well.
  • The Art of Poetry is a resource we just absolutely loved. If your teen is wanting to dive deeper into poetry, you’ll love this resource. In addition, this resource can be used for middle school kids too.

These are not all the resources available for you, but they are ones I know will work.

They give your teen guidance; And the best part is they create a love of literature and push your teen out of his comfort zone.

Which ones have you tried?

12 Great Options of High School Literature Curriculum

Look at some more posts which will help you:

  • Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens
  • Modern U.S. and World History High School Literature
  • 3 Beginner’s Tips: Homeschool High School Literature
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Homeschooling High School: Curriculum, Credits, and Courses
  • Free Homeschool High School Planning Sheet (and pssst help for high school too)

3 CommentsFiled Under: Choose Curriculum, Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschooling, Lesson Plan, Middle School Homeschool Tagged With: high school, high school literature, homeschool, homeschool highschool, homeschoolhighschool, lessonplanning, literary analyis, literary devices, literature, teens

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 11
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy