This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses.

We often receive questions from parents of homeschool middle schoolers. They want to know how to record on the transcript their high school-level courses completed during middle school.

They want to know how and where to record those high school-level courses completed during middle school!

First, let me remind you there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, and not ONE right way to handle transcripts.

As a side note: Your middle schoolers do not have to rush to do high school. It is okay to wait till high school to do high school work.

Tweens are not in a competition to see, “How can I get ahead in the game?”

If they need time simply to be in middle school and simply enjoy the last few years before transcript life, that is absolutely marvelous. In fact, many of the 7Sisters middle schoolers did not work on high school courses.

Also, we did have some middle schoolers who wanted to jump the gun on things and start some high school courses. There’s really NOT one right way to homeschool middle school.

One reason a middle schooler might jump ahead and start taking a few high school courses is that they are academically ready and need the challenge of a high school course. Some kids are raring to go and want to do high school-level work.

Another reason middle schoolers might take a high school course is that they have a particular interest or a gifting that should not be neglected. Some middle schoolers are advanced in areas like music, the arts, science, math, languages, or literature. It is responsible to help them lean into those interests and gifts.

Some middle schoolers are part of a co-op teaching a high school course they are interested in. When the co-op allows middle schoolers to participate and the tween is capable of high school-level work, why not allow them?

Whatever the reason for taking those high school courses, make sure that you keep records to show that each of those courses were completed at a high school level (nothing scaled back for middle schoolers).

There are several tips to help you handle this process:

Keep records because if you don’t have a record of how they earned that credit, it did not happen. This can include:

It is wise to keep all this in a binder, portfolio, or wherever you’re keeping records.

Remember: there’s not ONE right way to record a high school class done in middle school on the transcript. Here are some ways that families we have worked with in our umbrella school have done this.

Algebra 1 (completed in 8th grade)

We need to note that some colleges do not count those 8th grade courses. That’s okay, because usually our homeschool high schoolers have many credits when they graduate. They really do not need to show them all on the transcript.

Also, sometimes the courses done in middle school are implied, and so you do not need to show them. So, for instance, if your 9th grader is taking geometry for their math, it’s implied that they did Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them! (If they are ready for high school work, if it excites them and inspires them, if it challenges them, feel free to have them take the course. Then include it on the transcript…or not!)

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them!

Stay in touch

So please join us there at the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group where you can ask all your questions and receive wisdom and encouragement from all the 7th Sisters out there!

Also, if you’re new to Substack, look up 7SistersHomeschool on Substack.

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

The post Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.