While it may seem like a much scarier prospect to begin homeschooling during the high school years, there are so many great resources available to parents to help them teach their older children. Plus, the fact that older children can accomplish much more on their own is a benefit. It is often possible to enroll them in online courses for homeschooling students as well. In reality, the possibilities seem endless for all the wonderful homeschooling opportunities for high school students. Take courage in knowing that you will be able to provide your high school student with a good education.
Even though it may seem like a daunting task, you can start to homeschool your child during their high school years. If you take one day at a time, you will be able to meet their educational needs, as well as help your child become a compassionate citizen. You are qualified to homeschool your high school student. And if you need help, you only need to ask. Here are some easy-peasy options to help you get started...either with a full program or just a bit of extra help!
Are you confused, overwhelmed, or frustrated by the thought of tackling homeschooling through high school? Let our years of experience as school counselors, homeschoolers, and educators guide you so that you can enjoy the process of homeschooling your students! Select from the Homeschool Pathways Consultation (appropriate for any grade level and/or special needs issues) or the High School Academic Advising (appropriate for 9th-12th grade planning).
Sparks Academy provides blended classes in language arts, history, math, and science for middle and high school students.
What’s a blended class?
So glad you asked! These are classes hosted online that include textbook and video elements, discussion feeds with peers, and live, virtual meetings. Each week, the students are interacting through facilitated discussion in a private forum. Rather than labeling these live classes, we have labeled them blended because we will not be meeting live every single week.
How and when will the class meet? Each class has its own class join code in Canvas. Classes “meet” weekly via shared assignments and moderated discussion during the school year (August 18, 2025 – May 6, 2026 for the ’25-’26 school year). Most classes are pre-recorded with community discussion and group chats. Periodically we have live class meetings. These are on the syllabus for your student to plan ahead. If you are unable to attend a live class, it will be recorded for later playback. Self-paced coursework will be assigned between classes.
What it my student is absent? Since the coursework is assigned on a weekly basis, students have the flexibility to complete it on their own schedules. If your student will be absent for an extended period of time, or you are predicting an act of nature (eg, hurricane at your home), please contact us so we can make arrangements. If a family emergency arises, please do the same. We understand that life happens occasionally.
I don’t think I quite understand how a pre-recorded class works with group discussion? If it isn’t live, how do they get to interact with the instructor and each other?
That’s a good question, and one our test group grappled with, but currently what it looks like is: periodic live classes (once per quarter), discussion threads, peer reviews, and digital interaction through the platform with face-to-face interaction in those live classes (which will be recorded for any students who miss attending). Some of the classes also contain a group project component, where they will be working together, virtually.
Our original plan had been to stream every class as live interactive, but the internet capability where we live simply isn’t up to the task. And I’m not moving just for streaming. However, we are able to secure a place up in the city every so often to hijack their net for those live streaming classes.
What technology will we need? Required technology: Digital notebook (Google Docs or One Drive), internet access, Canvas (you will be sent access instructions), and the ability to use camera & microphone during class discussions
Where can I see a sample class? Currently, there is a Language Arts 1, a Physical Science class, a Chemistry class, a Consumer Math class, and an American History class for sample on the Academy page.
What if my student has questions? Within our online platform, Canvas, there is an email icon which will allow your student to directly contact the teacher with any questions.
How do you ensure students’ privacy? None of our students’ personal information is revealed in the online classroom. Students log in using a screen name. They do not provide last names or any contact information in the online classroom. Only teachers can see any personal information about each student. Work assignments are submitted via email and will only be shared with student permission for educational purposes. Teachers are not responsible for archiving data, so be sure to keep a copy of your work. Sparks Academy uses security protocols, but is not liable for data breaches or lost data.
Do I have to buy the curriculum, or will it be provided? All co-op members are required to purchase the PDF or physical copy of each course that they are participating in. (Purchases are verified. There are a few different options for verification.) In most cases, you will only need the student textbook. This information is provided in the course description. The student text for both Energy Science and Economics comes as part of the enrollment fee of those classes.
Grading All students receive a grade based on projects, quizzes, journals, and class participation.
Which classes are for Middle School? As of Fall '25, Level 7 Language Arts, US Constitution, General Science, and Physical Science would all be appropriate for upper-middle school aged students. They are also appropriate for 9th grade, and any student who may struggle in one of those subjects at a higher grade. The beauty of homeschooling is that it's flexible, and we can tailor our student's subjects to each of those levels!
Why is it called Sparks Academy?
Our oldest son is a blacksmith, and also a fan of word play. When we were hanging out in his shop one afternoon, watching him work (and making sparks), it just developed. Then he came up with the slogan, and the rest is history…
What if I just want someone to help with writing assessment, but don’t need an entire class?
We offer writing assessment and feedback packages for The Good & the Beautiful Levels 6, 7, and High School. If you are using any writing curriculum other than TGTB, please purchase the high school level.
If you usually use The Good & the Beautiful, why did you choose Notgrass for history?
TGTB is currently revamping their entire history program. Once they release it, we will examine the changes to see if it is still a good fit. In the meantime, Notgrass is an amazingly comprehensive program that will prepare your high schooler for further academic challenges! There is still a possibility that we will offer both Notgrass and TGTB history options for you to select from in the future, but we simply cannot say for sure right now.
There are also self-paced courses.
Students have access for one year after date of purchase. These courses do not have student interaction, as the students are completing the work at different times / paces. Students should be independent workers who are self-motivated.
Do you have a good relationship with your family? The bond between you and your family members is essential. It creates a sense of belonging and improves your communication and trust with your family. But where do you start? How can you improve your bond? Even if you already have a good bond, what can make it stronger? Family activities, maintaining a healthy lifestyle together, travel experiences, and traditions can accomplish this.
One of the best ways to bond with your family is through engaging activities. Finding a pastime that everyone enjoys is a great place to start. Try watching your favorite movies together or have everyone pick a movie they love to share with the family. You can have fun rating the movies and choosing the best. Playing games is another way to bond. Put all your devices away and engage with each other without any distractions. Board games, card games, guessing games, challenge games; there are many options. Find one that the whole family enjoys and you’re guaranteed to have a great time!
Having everyone pitch in to help the household run smoother is another activity to unite the family. Every member doing their part, whether it’s doing a certain chore or making breakfast once a week, is a wonderful way to learn to work together. Assign everyone a weekly task. Make chores more enjoyable! Have competitions to see who can unload the dishwasher the fastest or who can clean their room the best. You can even award prizes for who does the most chores. It not only gives the whole family some motivation, but gets things done faster. Try growing a garden. Everyone will pick a vegetable, fruit or plant to grow and you can work together to keep the garden thriving. Keep track of which plants grow best, which need the most sunlight, which need more water, etc. All these are ideas that encourage unity while getting things done around the home.
A healthy life is a happy life! When the whole family strives to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they not only are bonding through a shared experience but also improving their mental and physical health. Cooking clean meals as a family is another great way to learn to work together while improving your meals to make them more nutritious. It can be a lot of fun for you and your family to laugh and enjoy each other’s company, while having everyone help out as well as making a healthy meal. Get a cookbook of yummy recipes everyone enjoys and assign each person a part of the meal to cook. For smaller families, each member can make their own dish to bring to the table. For larger families, everyone can take turns cooking the meal. Either way, you are still sharing a kitchen and working together to make a nutritious meal. How nice it will feel when you all sit down to eat something everybody helped to make.
Food is only one part of a healthy life. Exercise is crucial for your wellbeing. It’s not always pleasant on your own, but with your family, you can make it a good experience. After you make dinner together, go out for a walk in the fresh air, and pick a different route every time. Bike rides are also very enjoyable. You can choose a destination such as your local park, the beach, or a restaurant to ride to. You can also go hiking. Select your favorite trail, pack your lunch and spend the day outdoors. Just being in nature can actually improve your mood, behavior, mental health, and physical health!
Traveling doesn’t have to be a costly getaway to a foreign country. You can have just as much fun locally! Have each member choose a place in your area and every weekend select a new one. This can be a trip to the museum, the beach, a historical site, an escape room, bowling or a farmer’s market. Museums and historical landmarks are both inexpensive, (check to see what days you might get into a museum for free) and educational. A day at the beach or a farmers market is a good way to get outside and have some fun. If you don’t mind the expense, escape rooms and bowling are also great options. Take a little time to research places near you. You’ll be surprised by all the local experiences you may have not known about.
Family traditions create everlasting memories and stability. Chances are, your family already has some great traditions. Such as celebrating a holiday or a birthday tradition. But did you realize that traditions don’t just have to be annual events? Having a weekly ritual such as movie nights on Fridays or having brunch on Saturdays is just as good. Simply having a set time to spend together is a start. Try bringing your heritage into your traditions. Maybe cooking a cultural meal on occasion or celebrating a holiday with traditional music and games. When it comes to calendar holidays there’s many choices. If you celebrate Christmas, you can decorate the tree as a family, bake cookies, sing carols and read Christmas stories. During Easter, dye eggs and have an egg hunt. For Thanksgiving, create a list of what everyone is thankful for. Shoot off fireworks for the Fourth of July. Carve pumpkins for Halloween. The options are endless. Whether it’s a reliable routine of togetherness or fixed festivity, find what works for your family.
There are so many ways to strengthen family bonds. Doing activities together, keeping healthy routines, traveling locally, developing and maintaining family traditions. Take the extra time and effort to really improve your relationships. In the end, you’ll be so grateful you did.
I enjoy writing and editing videos. I’ve loved to write and create stories my whole life. My dream is to someday become a published author. When I was younger, I used to make short movies with my brother and spend hours editing them. Then, when I got older, I started to edit my dad’s videos for his work. I found that this was another passion of mine. When I’m done with high school, I want to take further writing classes and go to film school.
This post was written by Ava, a student at Sparks Academy.
Unit studies are popular with homeschooling families because they provide a hands-on, in-depth approach to learning about any topic of choice. This is a great way to provide individualized instruction for your students, allowing them explore the 'topic-du-jour,' and instills a love of learning!
I’ve found that when I give my teens a choice about what they write, they’re do so much less begrudgingly. I have one that prefers to write either historic non-fiction or dystopian stories. Another prefers mystery / crime solving stories and would happily never write another research paper. Those are their preferences, so when it’s time to just practice writing, that’s what they opt for, but it’s important that they also work on other skills, too.
Two of our favorite bundles to incorporate writing are the Exploring Writing Styles & Literary Elements novel study bundle and the JRR Tolkien & Old English curriculum. With five different novels included in the bundle, each focusing on a different literary element, students learn about recognizing and incorporating basic themes and elements in their writing. If you're looking for something a bit more specialized, or just have a Tolkien fan in the house, a full-year curriculum might just be the ticket! This one incorporates classic British Literature with an in-depth study of Olde English (which helps students better understand those classics).
“No language is justly studied merely as an aid to other purposes. It will in fact better serve other purposes, philological or historical, when it is studied for love, for itself.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
This full-year plan covers Old English grammar, vocabulary, Tolkien’s etymology, archetypes, virtual field trips, literature, movie connections, comprehension, and more! This course that is appropriate for high school grades (10+). Students are expected to work independently, take notes, and complete both written and hands-on projects.
Five unit studies covering literary styles and elements. Each unit addresses a new topic and includes introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.
After this text, you will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
There are vocabulary words, reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments included.
We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.
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However, we are able to secure a place up in the city every so often to hijack their net for those live streaming classes.
Download a free guide to using The Good & the Beautiful curriculum in the high school years!
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