Electives: The Zing in Your High School Plan

Remember taking electives in high school? Things like band, drama, the yearbook, mechanical drawing, home economics, etc.?  

But now that you’re putting together your own high schooler’s educational plan, maybe you’re wondering, “What exactly are these courses and how do we do them in homeschooling?”

Electives are officially a type of academic coursework. They enrich your teen’s high school experience and strengthen their education. But because these courses fall outside a high school program’s core subject areas, your student gets to select them instead of being required to take them.

That's why they're called electives, because you can elect (i.e., “pick”), the classes that are best for your teen in light of their preferences and future goals. Despite their name and optional nature, electives are quite necessary to your teen’s high school program.

Colleges, trade schools, military recruiters, employers, and other entities expect to see electives on your student’s transcript as evidence of a well-rounded education and an indicator of who they are as a person.

Electives can also help your teen investigate their interests, learn or hone skills, and clarify career goals. In fact, elective courses can be great motivators for students!

A great way to begin is to ask your teen to propose elective courses he or she might enjoy. Then, consider involving them in the development of the course material and objectives. Teens are more likely to be invested in courses they’ve had a hand in developing. In turn, elective courses can cultivate your teen’s appetite for learning and study.

Course Options: The Sky’s the Limit!

While some electives fit within the core academic subjects of English/language arts, math, social studies/history, science, and foreign language (speech, geography, business math, logic, creative writing . . .), others are not in core subjects at all—for example, band, physical education, photography, first aid, or woodshop.

When it comes to electives, your imagination is all that limits possible courses!

Generally, one to three elective courses in each year of high school is typical. Too many electives can overshadow the core academic courses. For college-bound students, it's always a good idea to browse a potential school's website to find out their expectations in this area.

You’ll be able to find existing curricula for many of the elective courses your teen might want to take. Online courses, co-ops, and community colleges offer many options. However, you can also easily design these courses yourself. Read the next post in this series for tips on designing your own elective courses.

If you need inspiration, check out this list of over 80 different elective course possibilities—but we’ve only scratched the surface here!

Documenting Elective Courses

Because elective courses are part of a student’s academic studies, they’re included on the high school course description as backup documentation for each elective on the transcript.