Homeschool High School: Teaching Health
Unless your state requires it, you don’t have to teach Health every year of high school. Some states want Health to be a requirement for graduation, but colleges generally don’t care about it much. Some colleges want to see students who take health as a separate course, while others assume it is included in Physical Education (PE) classes. More often, colleges don’t mention it as a requirement at all.
Both times I used Total Health, I combined it with their sports activities to make it a PE credit. I didn't list Health separately on their transcript. With their sports activities, I did have an EASY 150 hours of PE, and I did give them a full credit, but they were doing soccer, swim team and baseball at the time. If I had listed Total Health alone on the transcript, I think I would have given it 1/2 credit, because even with the tests and stuff, I don't think it would take the time for a full year at 1 hour a day to complete. In Washington state, we are required to teach health at some point in their lives, but they don't specify when or how much, so I had no requirement as to it being a whole credit in high school.
If you want to supplement, consider taking a CPR or basic first aid course, that would be great!
We really liked the books by Susan Boe. Written for Christian Schools, it’s assumes the student lives in a reasonably healthy environment, without sex or drugs. It covers physical, spiritual, and social health.
Total Health is a wonderful books, and both of my boys loved it. In fact, when I bought the first one, the kids ended up reading it on their own over summer before school even started. It had a wonderful tone, and had a nice balance between conservative concerns and some of the issues that Christian kids might face at school or youth group.
The Junior High or Middle School Book: Total Health: Talking About Life’s Changes by Susan Boe
The High School Book: Total Health: Choices for a Winning Lifestyle by Susan Boe
For younger students, we used “Passport to Purity” for a discussion about healthy dating from a Christian perspective.
For a more complete exploration of teaching homeschool health, read my article, Homeschool Health for High School.
Comments 5
funny. the things we think we HAVE to do. In Texas, of course, I don't have to do health. I have a SOS 6th grade Health program that I was going to have N buzz through. On second thought, now that I've read this, don't think I will. He is doing a personal fitness merit badge for BSA. That's enough for me.
PERFECT timing, Lee! I've been looking to add in one more class for my 9th grade dd, and I've been asking for health recommendations. The only thing suggested has been Total Health, and it's all been positive. In my searching, I knew you'd used this successfully with your boys. I've put the idea on the back burner for the last week or so, but now I think the Lord is telling me to choose this. I appreciate the link!
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.homehighschoolhelp.com/
More Encouraging Posts
-
[Free Class] Planning High School Courses
Do you ever wonder if you have everything you need to plan high school courses for your child? Well, wonder no more! In my free class, I'll teach you all you need to know to get you through high school planning.
… Read MoreWhen they were young, my boys would sometimes argue silly questions with all the passion of television political commentators.
-
31 Educational Games for High School Students
… Read MoreGames for high school students can make learning more fun. Learning through games requires a careful balance of structure and fun (so the kids don't go crazy) and an amount of teen independence (so the mom doesn't go crazy.) Good thing for you, you're reading this just prior to the holidays! A great pre-holiday shopping guide for the teens in your
-
Super Senior or Delayed Graduation: The 5 Year Plan
When deciding whether or not you'll have your student do a 5th year of high school, or a Super Senior year, you'll need to weigh the desires and maturity of your student against their age and abilities.
… Read More
It's normal for a child to graduate high school between the ages of 17 and 20. For many parents, that means that you can -
3 Reasons to Write Course Descriptions
Why write course descriptions ? Many people will tell you they aren't necessary, but here are three important reasons not to shirk on that job.
… Read More1. The College May Need Them
Course descriptions are best written each year, as you complete each class. Waiting until the last minute, when your child decides which college to attend and you find out they are required
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53