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As you prepare to homeschool high school for the first time, it's important to collect what you need. You do not need desks, wall clocks, or a flag to salute each morning. We educate our children at home to provide for their happy, healthy, and productive adulthood. So instead of tangible items, these are the truly important ingredients for successful homeschooling.

1. You Need to Be Courageous 

It takes some courage to step outside the box, but there is no need to fear. Homeschooling provides the best academic preparation, the best learning environment, and the best career preparation. Homeschool high school provides statistically-proven results that surpass public and private school options. Read 3 Reasons Why You are Qualified to Homeschool.

2. You Need to Know Simple Keys to Success 

It takes some time to learn what makes homeschoolers successful. Simple tips make a huge difference. If you have been homeschooling and what you are already doing has made you successful, then take these methods with you into high school. Most importantly, invest in your weaknesses. Whether they include your child's weakness in math or your lack of confidence, focus your time and money on your weaknesses as you plan to homeschool high school. Take the class 12 Keys to High School Success.

3. You Need to Provide College Preparation 

You need to understand college preparation and provide your child with a college prep education in homeschool high school, regardless of how likely or unlikely college may seem for your child. You see, teenagers change their minds. You've seen it happen, perhaps even with yourself as a teenager. Even the most unlikely student can end up in a university. Because any student may end up in college later on, always be prepared with college prep classes. Read Why College Preparation is Important for Homeschoolers.

4. You Need to Keep High School Records 

Begin keeping good records right from the beginning of homeschool high school, and continue updating them constantly. Every year, update your child's high school transcript. While it's just a piece of paper, it's critical to meet college and career goals. Write course descriptions every year as well, so you can back up that transcript with documentation. To create records, you need to learn about high school record keeping early on, preferably in junior high, before ignorance and fear prevent you from keeping good records from the start. Download Homeschool Transcript Template and Record Keeping Samples.

5. You Need to Understand High School Tests 

Homeschool high school is filled with scary-sounding acronyms such as: PSAT®, SAT®, ACT®, AP®, and CLEP®. Your goal is to understand these acronyms and plan ahead for important tests. Every child can be successful with a little advance planning, and understanding tests can help you become the best possible guidance counselor for your child. Careful planning can help you reduce your workload and increase your child's test scores when you replace standard curriculum with test prep materials in the upper grades. Read College Admission Tests.

6. You Need to Encourage the Love of Learning 

Children can develop a love of learning. In homeschool high school, it becomes even more important to encourage delight directed learning. Including the child's interests is how kids learn about college majors and careers. Delight directed learning provides the trial and error experience needed to learn what they may want to do (or don't want to do) in their adult life. It provides experiences to use in college and job applications. And colleges love to see unique classes on the transcript that make an applicant really stand out. Read Delight Directed Learning in High School.

7. You Need to Guide the College Admission Process 

Homeschool high school parents are the best guidance counselors, but it does take some conscious effort. Applying to college is approximately a two-year process. Junior year is spent finding a college where your child wants to apply. College applications should be completed one year before your child wants to go to college, early in the fall of senior year. Unless you want to pay full price for college, starting the application process in September of 12th grade is your best strategy for earning scholarships. Download the free eBook Finding a College You Love.

Where You Might Get Stuck 

Now you have the answer to What do you need to know to homeschool high school? But after consulting with many thousands of parents, I know there are places where you might get stuck. Grab the free ebook resources you need to avoid the common traps and pitfalls. Be prepared to homeschool high school! Grab the information and resources you need to be ready and capable for the next stage of homeschooling. Click here for instant access to A Great Homeschool Convention Online Just For You!

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PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.