Preparing Your Homeschooler For The Future
If your child has been homeschooled, you have been right at their side through every single school day. You have seen where they have grown and improved, what subjects they are most passionate about, and you have probably had lots of conversations about what they want to do with their future.
The future of a homeschooler does not differ too greatly from that of a public or private school student in the big scheme of things. However, there are a few things to keep in mind as you go about preparing them for the future.
They need to have a network
Keeping your homeschooler in social groups of many different kinds is an important part of preparing them for the future. When they are ready to go to a college, trade school, or get a job, they will have to interact with people on a daily basis. Involving them in lots of social activities outside the home will help to prepare them for this experience. This makes it so that will not be a big culture shock for them. Knowing how to behave in social situations with people of all ages will help them to be comfortable in various settings. Volunteering, summer jobs, after school clubs, and more are all great ways to socialize your homeschooler. Another great way is to join an app like spikeview!
With COVID-19 still running rampant all over the world, spikeview is the perfect way to keep your homeschooler social and creative, while still practicing social distancing. spikeview has several completely customizable features that will not only help your homeschooler stay in touch with others with common interests, but it will also allow them to build up a portfolio that will benefit their future. (More on that below.)
They can still pursue their dreams
Even if your child is homeschooled, they will still have passions and talents that are more easily pursued in a corporate learning environment. Many public and even private schools have cooperative relationships with homeschooled students. This means that if your homeschooler wants to join a sports team, a specific class, or other group activity, they still can! Not only will this be another way of giving them an opportunity to be social, but it also helps them to be able to follow their dreams for their future.
Homeschooled students can still qualify for sports scholarships, and many other things that will benefit them in life. Look into your local schools, and see which programs are available to your homeschooler. You will surely be surprised at just how many opportunities there are to choose from! Never assume that something is inaccessible because your student is homeschooled. They CAN still pursue their dreams!
They should prepare for college early
Students of all kinds can benefit greatly from early college prep, and homeschoolers are no exception. You can start this process with your homeschooler as early as the eighth or ninth grade. Discuss what your homeschooler wants to do with their future, and which colleges they want to work towards. Then, you both can develop a study program to ensure a high grade point average, and map out which classes are best for both state credits and their chosen college major. During this time, it is also important to start building a student portfolio. This will help your homeschooler to stand out in their college applications. (You can read more about some tips on helping your student stand out in college applications here.)
As discussed in the first point, spikeview can be very instrumental in creating this portfolio as well. Not only does spikeview host students and parents in a completely safe and customizable network, but it also allows universities to be able to identify and reach out to students that they feel would best suit their schools. spikeview is essentially like LinkedIn for students. They can build a unique profile and portfolio made up of their achievements, passions, story, and even ways they have become influencers in their local or virtual community. This is one of the best and most fun ways to help prepare your homeschooler for the future, and for college.
As you can see, there are several exciting ways to make sure that your homeschooler is well-prepared for their future endeavors. Being aware of these tips, and putting them into practice will help greatly in giving your homeschool student a leg-up as they grow into productive and respectable members of society.
