Homeschooling is becoming the preferred choice for more and more parents in USA. Unlike many other countries, USA has homeschooling legalised in all three levels: elementary, junior high and high school. There are different regulations in different states. The states also provide guidelines regarding the curriculum for different levels so that there’s certain uniformity in the learning process in every level of education.
Homeschooling at elementary level is comparatively easier than junior high i.e, 7th to 10th grade. You might have to put in extra time as well as work a little harder to use these junior high years to prepare your kid for high school years waiting ahead.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your ward is on the right path when getting ready for high school:

Difficulty Level

Junior high students are expected to start handling complex concepts in every subject. Try increasing the difficulty level of the questions of concepts already introduced. Start with new concepts of geometry and exponents and solidify algebra in maths. Add the history of other nations and of different sections of population of America in the curriculum.
You can always find online resources to help you frame the curriculum for your 7th grader.

Oral Skills and Vocab

At this level, your kid should be able to read as well as pronounce complex words and handle heavier texts. Work on the vocabulary by fixing a target number of words everyday. Flashcards can help organise the learning process and are a good way to practice. Focus on grammar skills along with presentation of texts to polish the oral skills.

Self Dependence

While you are always there to guide and help them, try making your kid a little more self dependent. Every kid has a different way of learning and they need to find which way suits them. They should learn to be able to work with the resources they’re provided and find the best way of learning that works for them. Self learning is an important skill that will help them through not only high school but also life.

Confidence

We have all been through the high school and know very well that those tough years can easily make us doubt our potential. Thus, along with textbook learning, it is also very important to learn to have self confidence. Teach your kid to have faith in themselves. It is a slow process and can take time. You can try confidence building exercises or even just talking and sharing experiences.

Social Skills

Since homeschooling usually does not involve mass interactions and a lot of public speaking, there are chances that your ward may be lacking the social skills apt for her age. Try to involve them in public activities to increase their social interaction and encourage them to participate in open competitions This will boost their social skills and confidence which is necessary especially if you plan to send them to public/private school for high school. These skills will help them perform better and avoid cases of panic and anxiety when faced with such situations.

You can use online resources available and try to customize the schedule as well as the curriculum according to your kid’s interests. While there is obviously a need to step up the difficulty level, try not overwhelming or burning out your ward. Let them work at their own pace to increase the learning outcome.