Homeschooling through high school (especially teaching teens to write!) can feel scary and overwhelming. Do you know how to help your homeschool teen with high school writing?
Writing is the most important academic skill students need to develop in their secondary education.
Why? Because it’s “the most visible expression not only of what [they] know but also of how well they have learned it.” (Carl Nagin, Because Writing Matters)
Use these important high school years to teach, train, guide, and direct. Provide opportunities for your homeschoolers to work more independently, letting the rope out bit by bit so they have a chance to prove themselves.
Your goal is to produce strong, independent writers who are equipped and confident to enter college or the workplace.
Teach Key Writing Skills to Your Homeschool Teens
Help your homeschool teen with high school writing by teaching them to:
- Write clearly, concisely, and correctly for both academic and personal purposes.
- Develop research skills.
- Vary sentence structure beyond the subject-verb sentence.
- Use correct conventions (spelling, grammar and usage). Incorrect or sloppy grammar distracts the audience from the content, so continue working on grammar and punctuation throughout these secondary years until you know their skills are solid.
>> Teaching Writing Conventions
>> Hey, Homeschool Teens! Look Smart. Grammar Matters!
There Are No Shortcuts
To improve their writing achievement, homeschooled teens need:
- Skill development that builds incrementally.
- Short, relevant, high-interest assignments.
- Tools to help them refine word choice and sentence fluency.
- An involved parent!
How Much and How Often?
- Your high schooler needs to write regularly—4-5 days a week—for a variety of subjects.
- 2-3 short writing projects per month makes a good goal. Students should take these compositions completely through the stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to final copy.
- In addition, assign 1-2 longer research papers, each of which can be spread out over an entire quarter. These can range from 4-15 pages, depending on age and skill level. Requirements for a 9th grader should not be as stringent as those for a senior.
- Tuck in shorter essays, journal writing, book summaries, or responses to current events along the way—assignments that only take a day or so and that don’t require much in terms of editing or revising.
- To prepare your student for college entrance exams and other timed writing situations, make sure to assign timed essays at least every other week.
- Keeping in mind maturity and attention span, spend about 1 hour per day on writing.
Promote Independence But Remain Involved
When our children become teens, it’s easy to think: “They’re getting older. I’ll back off and let them take responsibility.” There will come a time to step back. But that time comes when your teen has proven himself trustworthy and reliable.
Even with such a dependable child, you’ll still need to monitor his work. As part of your involvement:
- Break assignments into manageable chunks.
- Train your student to stick to deadlines.
- Give detailed, consistent feedback.
This is how you help your homeschool teen with high school writing!
In addition, teach students to develop self-discipline and independence while also holding them accountable. In doing so, you’re preparing them well for the demands of college-level writing.
Do You Have Younger Kids?
We’ve got you covered!
>> How to help your K-2nd grader with homeschool writing
>> How to help your 3rd-5th grader with homeschool writing
>> How to help your 5th-8th grader with homeschool writing
WriteShop I and II will not only teach your middle or high school student how to write, it will show you how to teach homeschool writing.
This step-by-step program includes schedules, lesson plans, engaging writing assignments, and checklists that help you teach effectively and edit and grade your teen’s work with an objective eye.