Many homeschoolers have a particularly hard time when it comes to guiding their children through high school math. Whereas the math we teach our children in the earlier grades is generally easier for us to remember, high school math becomes more complex and conceptual. Many parents were never properly taught these subjects themselves, so they lack the confidence to teach them to their children. Fortunately, there are now many excellent high school math curriculums available to homeschoolers. Whatever your child’s learning style and your own comfort level with math, rest easy – with the right curriculum, math can be an enjoyable, useful, and confidence-building subject for your homeschooled high schooler.
Where do high school students start when it comes to math? The traditional sequence for high school math is Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and Calculus. Since each of these courses generally corresponds to one year of study, most students will only take four of these courses during high school. A typical student would begin with Algebra I in ninth grade and progress through to complete Precalculus as a senior. Some students, however, will complete Algebra in Middle School and be able to progress through Calculus (and perhaps even farther) in high school. Some may complete a course in less than a year and be able to advance to the next level right away.
If you are homeschooling a current or soon-to-be highschooler, be sure to check the homeschool requirements in your state regarding math. There may be a certain number of math credits or particular math courses your student is required to take, especially if he or she will be seeking a high school diploma. If your child is planning to attend college, you will also want to check the math requirements for incoming students at the universities he or she is interested in attending. Some homeschooled students choose to take AP math classes or study for AP math tests in the high school years.
We hope this section on homeschool math for high schoolers is helpful to you. If there’s a high school math topic you’d like to learn more about that you don’t see included here, please email us and we’ll research it for a future article!