This article about electives was originally published in issue nine of the Learning Well Journal (Winter 2023).

One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that just about any extracurricular activity can be counted for credit as long as your child does enough of it. For example, if your child is in a church choir or band, that can count as a music credit. If she rides horses, that can count as a physical education class. And if he decides to learn how to build a robot and destroys your vacuum cleaner for parts, that could be a credit, too.

None of these credits really matter until your child is in high school, but then they can take up all of the elective credits he needs to graduate. If we aren’t careful, we can fill those credits with activities instead of being intentional about what our children need to learn.

There are a few things to consider as you begin to plan for those high school electives. You need to begin with the end in mind, not just educate your child but prepare him, and maybe even leave your comfort zone. Let’s unpack these a bit.

Begin with the End in Mind

Probably the most important thing to consider is where your child wants to end up, or what you have planned for his future. Does he want to go to college, and does he already know what he wants his major to be? If so, you may want to choose electives that prepare him for his future course of study. Some majors require specific prerequisites, so if you have already chosen a college and a major, find out what those prerequisites are and incorporate them into your child’s electives. Some colleges also allow for “testing out” of courses if the student has certain credits or test scores, which is something to consider when choosing electives for your child to take.

Another popular option these days is for high school students to take dual enrollment classes at a local college or an online program. This allows them to get college credits while they are still in high school. This is beneficial for eliminating the general education requirements most colleges have, so it can dramatically shorten their time in their academic endeavors. I have known students who have entered college with enough credits to be a junior! And if you are concerned about the content of the teaching, there are Christian colleges that participate in these programs, too.

Not all careers require a college degree, For example, my son decided as a child that he wanted to fly planes. The original plan was for him to go to college so he could enter the military as an officer and become a pilot that way. As he got older, and that time drew nearer, we decided it would be better for him to simply receive flight training.

After a short time in flight school (which he did as part of his high school education beginning at 17 years of age), he decided he wanted to be a pilot as a career. He might still attend college in the future, but it is not something he is pursuing right out of high school. All of that time spent in ground lessons and flight lessons counted toward his electives. 

Of course, being a pilot is not the only career that doesn’t require a degree, and we live in a time when we can learn just about anything we want to learn from the comfort of our own living rooms. Homeschooling provides the perfect opportunity for kids to try on a lot of different careers before they have to make that decision. And even once they decide, it can always be changed or modified.

Electives: Don’t Just Educate Them, Prepare Them

Beyond academics, there are several things to consider when it comes to those elective credits—most important of which is your child’s spiritual well being. You should consider courses such as Christian worldview, logic, and even apologetics. There are full-blown curricula that cover these topics, or you can build them yourself.

There are plenty of books that can be checked out of the library that will instruct your child in these topics. Some we have used include:

• Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace
• The Absurdity of Unbelief by Jeffrey D. Johnson
• Another Gospel by Alisa Childers
• Tactics by Gregory Koukl
• The Fallacy Detective and The Thinking Toolbox by Nathaniel & Hans Bluedorn

The Answers in Genesis books would serve this purpose as well as many of their free online resources. Mama Bear Apologetics has a couple of books, but they also have online tools and guides. One of my favorite resources for a logic course is the Filter It through a Brain Cell podcast by Kathy Gibbens. She also has online resources and a course you can work through with your child. Depending on your schooling situation, these can be used individually by your child by having him fill out a questionnaire or book report, or you can work through them together and discuss the different questions that come up. I could honestly go on and on about different resources available, but as we homeschool families know, we each have to find what works best for us.

Another way we should prepare our children is by growing their confidence. Once our children leave our home, they will need to stand on their own two feet. One thing we have found to be very helpful in this area is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We watched our son transform from a people-pleaser to a leader who confidently engages with others and stands for what he believes. He has participated in other sports, but BJJ seems to have a maturing effect that instilled confidence in him, so much so that our daughter is now enrolled and learning to defend herself and protect others.

Get out of Your Comfort Zone (and Theirs) when Choosing Electives

It can be really easy to simply allow your child to take electives that are fun and comfortable. And depending on your situation, this may be the best route to take. But it can be so beneficial to push your child out of her comfort zone and require her to do some things that scare her a bit. Perhaps she should take part in voice lessons and sing a solo, or maybe she should try a team sport that forces her to work with others. Your child needs to learn that she can do hard things, and she should learn this while you’re there to catch her if she fails.

Maybe it is you who needs to leave your comfort zone by allowing your child to try things you don’t particularly enjoy. My daughter is an artist, she likes to sew, and she rides horses. I can’t help her with any of these things. I have found ways for her to practice different forms of art because this is not my area of expertise. She has taught herself how to sew by watching YouTube videos, and I have found someone who can teach her to jump fences while atop a thousand-pound animal.

The goal is to allow your child to try things now, making it easier for her to know what she actually likes and doesn’t like and not what she thinks she likes and doesn’t like.

Homeschooling my kids has been such a learning experience for me. I am in no hurry to hand them off to a college, but if and when they go, it is my goal that they know Whose they are, what they believe, and who they want to be.

You May Also Enjoy:

• How to Build Mutual Trust with Your Kids
• Babylonian Education Tactics Used in Our Society
• Education Is Discipleship

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