How To Navigate High School In The Junior Year

Just like the sophomore year, navigating homeschool high school during the junior year involves a blend of careful planning, understanding legal requirements, and fostering an environment conducive to learning. Your student will continue taking responsibility for their own academic progress. This guide reflects the 11^th grade year and the possible goals.

As a reminder from the sophomore year guide, please keep in mind that every learner is unique, and God created your child to be unique. A method that may be effective for one might not suit another. Stand firm against the influence of other educators or parents who may have their own ideas about what your student ought to be doing. Trust in your understanding of your student’s capabilities and desires, and tailor their education to fit their individual needs and aspirations.

11th Grade Guide + Goals

Sophomore year is over and now this is where the rubber meets the road. For many students, this year is the toughest in high school. With more challenging courses, testing, and early college preparation, it can feel like there’s a lot to handle. Staying focused and organized will help you manage these demands and continue to succeed.

Below, I will quickly list any new things your junior needs to think about this year, before reminding you of the other important aspects if you are just starting this homeschool high school adventure. Check out the other guides for freshman and sophomore years to get yourself caught up on the right path and download my Junior Student Checklist.

Review

First, start by revisiting the goals and future plans you set at the beginning of your student’s freshman or sophomore years. Do any adjustments need to be made? Is there anything new to add? Consider whether any courses, volunteer experiences, conversations, or other interactions have influenced or refined your student’s direction. Discuss these insights with your students to ensure their academic plan for the next three years aligns with their goals. Additionally, help your student connect with professionals in the fields in which they are interested. They not only build relationships, because it’s who you know that matters, but also this will help them continuously evaluate and refine their goals.

Last but not least in the review section, encourage your students to list the opportunities they want to pursue this year. Ensure they leave some room in their schedule to avoid overloading themself but remain proactive in seeking out these opportunities.

Is Your Student College Bound?

If you are working from my sophomore guide, your student created a list of potential colleges and alternatives they were interested in. Remind them that they are not “locked in” to their choices but are preparing for the path they will choose.

If they are not ready to graduate early, as every students path will be different, it’s time to review their potential collages and alternatives they listed. Narrow things down to their favorites and strive to find out more about those schools. If they can, start an email account and sign up to these school mailing lists to find upcoming events they can explore, and visit their campuses.

Continuing from the sophomore guide:

• If your student is planning on heading straight to a university, have them plan to take the PSAT/NMSQT in October and the ACT. Besides financial aid, these tests open opportunities to scholarships if they score amazingly. Don’t forget to register for these tests, the dates go by fast!
  • Visit act.org for December registration and choose your test dates.

• Your student should continue scheduling in time to study for these tests. At least 15 minutes a day, to focus on problem areas they found while studying in their sophomore year. If you need to, find a good tutor, look for resources at your local library, watch YouTube videos, or try one of these test prep places:
  • The Princeton Review: Known for comprehensive test prep, including PSAT courses.
  • Kaplan: Offers various options for SAT and PSAT prep, including live online classes and on-demand lessons.
  • PrepSchlar.com:  Get Results You Want Faster. Guaranteed.

• If your student plans to attend their local community college before transferring to a university, help them get signed up and start introducing dual enrollment courses into their schedule, it’s never too early to start college. See the article on How To Master Dual Enrollment In High School.

Now Plan Ahead

Have you thought about how you or your student will pay for college? It is not too early to start, with just one more year left after this.

Let’s look at a few options:

Scholarships

There are so many creative scholarships available and finding them can take time. I encourage you to visit my article Scholarship Finder | How to Find scholarships for Homeschoolers 🎓 . A $200 -$500 scholarship might seem small compared to hefty tuition fees, but these smaller amounts can add up quickly. So, don’t wait until senior year to look into them.

Financial Aid Might Be Available

However, do not forget about this little thing called the FAFSA. You can learn more about it here. Just don’t go into debt over your student entering college or dual enrollment, so don’t get the “parent-plus” loan.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) offers Financial Aid funds  that are available for students to help them pay for their educational expenses. Most types of financial aid come from federal and state programs, which require completing the FAFSA. Financial award funds are allocated based on a student’s demonstrated need. Additionally, there are other aid programs that provide funds based on financial need or merit.

Your eligibility for financial aid can depend on various factors such as income, assets, family size, and the number of family members in college. Regardless of the reason, it is crucial to complete your application and submit the required information on time to ensure you receive the financial support you need. Additionally, students starting at age thirteen can fill the FAFSA out online, while younger students must mail in the FAFSA before the deadline.

Enjoy The Junior Year!

Things might be a little harder this year, but take a breath, thank God for making it this far, and enjoy the junior year with your student!

No one can control what happens tomorrow, and guess what, tomorrow is not even promised to any of us. It’s by God’s grace we are here, so help your junior not feel overwhelmed by keeping an eye on the goals and interest they wrote down prior to this year, during the freshman and sophomore years.

Also take this year to make sure that you continue instilling Christian values in your teen. Colleges have a way of corrupting students who are of the Christian faith, when values and theology are not a part of their daily lives. If you are a Christian family, make sure your teens have a good theological background to defend their faith and supports the reasons they believe Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

If your student started their first email account, they can sign up to our site for Live Inspired Devotional messages: Live Inspired is uplifting Christian Articles, Podcasts, Videos and Series, aimed to bless your day, and encourage your Bible Study. On this site, we love and cater to family, download one of our Family Bible Studies from our shop to help or aid you in keeping salvation in your home!

Now take a breath, you’ve made it, and senior year will not sneak up on your family!

Reminders from the previous year

If you are just getting started with homeschooling your student in their junior year, or if you need to be refreshed of the sophomore year guide, listed below are things to consider and implement now:

Legal Requirements

First, understand your legal requirements as a homeschooling high school parent. Ensure you’re in compliance with your state’s homeschooling laws. This may involve submitting necessary paperwork to your local school district along with making sure you attempt to cover the basic academic requirements for this grade.

Most 11th Grade students will have courses that looks like this:

Course Title

Bible (optional/Christian homeschoolers)

English 3

Geometry

U.S. Government

Economics

Physics

Spanish 2 (or other foreign language)

Piano (or another elective)

While this course schedule is typical for most, it can also look different for many students, especially if your 9^th or 10th grader took some of these courses already. You will still add them onto your four-year plan but star them as, “*taken in _ grade.” Then your student can move on from there.

Evaluate Academic Needs

Just like in the sophomore year, continue to evaluate your student. You can use the junior year to address any gaps in your student’s education. If they are transitioning from public school, it’s possible their previous grades can help identify areas needing more focus. But don’t count on this! Your student could have scored differently being in a different environment. Talk to them and let them tell you where they think they are, and where they want to be. This will help you create goals for them to obtain during this year. Don’t be afraid to challenge them with some advanced reading books and or math, while testing to see where they are academically.

Map Out The Plan

Now that you know what’s required of your student, what they are good at, and what they desire to know, you can plan out their 11th grade school year if you haven’t started this in freshman or sophomore year. Grab the four-year homeschool high school planner and start writing down the courses your student will need to take. Also include extracurricular studies, projects, or classes.

Choose electives that align with your student’s interests and future goals. You can encourage participation in extracurricular activities to develop new skills and passions.

Most high school curriculums often encourage self-directed learning. As a homeschooling parent, guide your student in managing their time and studies effectively. Help them see what times they can do their schoolwork, chores, projects, etc. Make sure they DO NOT over pile work on themselves in which they feel overwhelmed.

You can even try block scheduling. For example, on Monday and Wednesday, a student might do English, Econ, etc.

The Environment

If you haven’t done this in their freshman year, find or designate a specific area in your home that’s organized and free from distractions. This will be your student’s central hub for studying and learning. Try to teach your student essential skills like intensive studying and time management. These skills are crucial for success in high school, college, the workplace, and life!

Strike A Balance!

It’s important to strike a balance between academic responsibilities and personal well-being. Ensure your student gets adequate rest, nutrition, and stress-relief. Encourage your students to exercise their body with exercise or sports, and their mind by meditating on God’s Word.

Tips For Creating The Academic Plan

While high school does have certain mandatory courses, there’s also considerable flexibility in scheduling these and filling out the rest of your credits. With strategic planning, you can choose courses that not only align with each other but also advance towards your students graduation goals. Here are some tips for devising a robust four-year academic plan:

Explore Early:

Even if college isn’t on your students’ radar yet, investigate institutions that offer programs they’re interested in. What are their admission prerequisites? Combine these with your state’s graduation requirements to create a list of challenging courses that keep their future options open.

Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment:

Are your students inclined towards AP or dual-enrollment classes this year? Help them list potential courses and ponder how they fit into their overall academic trajectory.

Align Interests with Courses:

Help your students reflect on their interests, just like I stated earlier, they should have an idea of what they like. Which core subjects and electives could further these passions?

After listing potential courses, document it or draft a tentative four-year academic blueprint. It’s likely to evolve annually, but it’s better to modify an existing plan than to have none.

Encourage Building a Portfolio

Last, but not least, having a portfolio is very important! Check out the articles, How To Collect Homeschool Records And Why You Need To, and What Are Work Samples? How To and Why Collect Them.

Many of your students extracurricular activities may feel second nature, but they are also valuable additions to their high school portfolio. Like sophomore year, make it a practice to show them how to document these activities so that they’re ready when it’s time to compile their portfolio. Here’s a review of what you should consider including:

A good reading list

Keep a log of insightful books and classic literature they’ve read or plan to read.

Volunteer and Internship Experiences

 Record any volunteer work or internships undertaken.

Employment History

Note down any job experiences, whether they were short-term gigs or longer commitments.

Club and Artistic Endeavors

Document any involvement in sports, the arts, or other club activities.

Test Preparation

Set goals for standardized tests like the ACT and decide if you’ll attempt the PSAT/NMSQT.

In Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create a supportive and effective homeschooling environment that prepares your student for the challenges and opportunities of the next and last year of high school.

Use the four-year homeschool high school planner, along with our Junior Checklist, to help your student get started! Remember to print one per student because each student’s academic year is different.

From Our Shop to Your Homeschool:

Recent Homeschool Articles: