How Do I Know Which Classes My Student Should Take?

A good starting point is to include classes from the four core subject areas: English Language Arts (ELA), math, science, and social studies, plus electives your student enjoys.

For elementary and middle school students, we generally recommend beginning with classes at the student’s grade level, then adjusting individual subjects when needed. The parent guides the course plan, and students can help choose electives based on their interests.

You do not need to figure everything out alone. Your Homeschool Advisor can help with class selection, appropriate grade levels, previous coursework, high school credits, and graduation planning.

What Would a Typical Course List Look Like?

For a student in 7th grade, a straightforward starting plan would be:

This gives the student a foundation in the main academic subjects while leaving room to explore something they enjoy. The same general approach can be used at other elementary and middle school grade levels.

This is a starting point, not a requirement to follow one identical course list. Your student may need a different level in one subject, prefer an appropriate alternative course, or need additional topics included in their homeschool plan.

See How Two Brothers Chose Electives They Enjoy

There is something special about hearing your child explain a lesson because they genuinely found it interesting, not just because you asked what they did for school.

In this video, two Homeschool Pro brothers share the electives they chose. The older brother picked Zoology and describes watching real footage of wolves hunting together. He is already looking forward to the next lesson.

His younger brother chose Meteorology. Now cold fronts and barometric pressure are making their way into conversations between the boys. When his brother mentions how much he has been talking about the weather, his response is simple: “Because it was interesting!” Their mom gets to hear what caught their attention without having to put the lessons together herself.

Two Homeschool Pro brothers share why they chose Zoology and Meteorology, and what makes them want to keep learning.

Electives give your student a chance to help shape their education. Start with the core subjects, then make room for classes that spark curiosity, develop a skill, or introduce a possible future interest.

Can We Choose Different Classes Within a Core Subject?

Yes. Depending on the grade level and available courses, there may be several ways to study a core subject.

For example:

• Math: A student might take a general grade-level math course or an appropriate pre-algebra or geometry course.
• Science: A student might take general science or an appropriate biology, life science, or physics course.
• Social studies: A student might study general social studies, history, or geography.

For example, the 7th-grade offerings include both Math and Pre-Algebra, as well as Social Studies, History, and World Geography.

You do not necessarily need to take every available class within a subject. Your family can choose the combination that fits the student’s current knowledge and educational plan.

When using a more specialized class instead of a broad grade-level course, consider its coverage. A course focused on one area may not cover everything included in the general course. Your Homeschool Advisor can help you decide whether it works best as the main class, additional practice, or enrichment.

Should My Student Always Take Classes at Their Registered Grade Level?

Their registered grade level is a useful starting point, but it does not have to determine every class they take.

Students can use a lower-grade class to strengthen foundational skills or move to a higher-grade class when they are ready for more challenge. Different subjects can be taken at different levels.

For example, a student registered in 7th grade might take 8th-grade math, 6th-grade ELA, and 7th-grade science and social studies.

This lets the student receive extra support in reading and writing without being held back in math. Using a different level in one subject does not automatically change the student’s registered grade.

Before changing an entire course, consider whether the student needs a different level or simply more practice with a particular topic. Sometimes replaying a lesson and reviewing an earlier skill is enough.

If the work is consistently too easy or too difficult, email your advisor for help choosing a better fit.

How Should We Choose Electives?

Let your student’s interests help guide the decision.

You might ask:

• What would you like to learn more about?
• Is there a skill you have always wanted to try?
• Would you rather explore something familiar or something completely new?

A student who loves animals might be interested in Zoology. A student who asks questions about storms might enjoy Meteorology, as the brothers in the video demonstrate.

Other interests might lead a student toward art, music, languages, technology, or career exploration. Review the available options together and choose a manageable starting selection.

Our suggestion is to begin with one or two electives rather than starting everything that looks interesting at once. Additional interests can become future course choices.

For high school students, elective choices should also fit the graduation plan. An interesting course can serve a useful purpose, but it should be recorded under the appropriate subject and credit category.

Do the Four Core Subjects Cover Every State Requirement?

The four core subjects are the foundation of our general course-selection recommendation. They are not a substitute for checking your state’s homeschool requirements.

Your state or homeschool arrangement may require additional subjects or topics, such as health, physical education, fine arts, civics, or particular history content. Requirements can also differ by the student’s age or grade.

Some states give homeschool administrators considerable freedom in setting academic standards. North Carolina, for example, allows nonpublic schools to establish their own high school graduation requirements rather than requiring them to follow the public school graduation checklist.

If you are unsure whether your course plan includes everything needed, email your Homeschool Advisor. Include your state and the student’s grade level so the guidance fits your family.

How Is Choosing Classes Different in High School?

High school course selection should be guided by the credits and subject requirements the student still needs for graduation, along with their readiness and future goals.

A graduation checklist might include four years of English, three years of math, particular science courses, social studies, and electives. Those figures are an example, not a requirement that applies to every homeschool student.

The starting point is to establish the graduation standards that apply to your homeschool, then identify which courses the student has already completed. Public school requirements should not automatically be assumed to apply to an independent homeschool.

Your Homeschool Advisor will be happy to help prepare a personalized graduation checklist showing completed coursework, remaining requirements, and recommended next classes. The advisor can also help keep the transcript organized as the student progresses.

This makes course selection more straightforward: instead of wondering which classes to open, your family has a plan showing what the student needs next.

Why Don’t Most High School Classes Have a Grade in the Title?

Most high school academic classes are identified by their subject or course level rather than a single grade.

For example, you may see Chemistry I, Biology I, or Physics I, rather than a separate chemistry class for each high school grade. High school students receive access across grades 9 through 12 so they can follow an appropriate individual course plan.

A student might take Biology I in 9th grade, Chemistry I in 10th grade, and Physics I in 11th grade. Another student may take those subjects in different years.

You do not need to find a class specifically called “10th Grade Chemistry” for a 10th grader to study chemistry.

The important questions are whether the student is ready for the course and whether it fits their graduation plan. Flexibility does not mean prerequisite knowledge should be skipped. Review the course content and ask your advisor about sequencing when needed.

What About English 9, 10, 11, and 12?

High school English is an exception to the subject-only naming pattern. The main English classes are titled English 9, English 10, English 11, and English 12.

We generally recommend taking them in that order.

A student beginning high school would normally start with English 9, then continue through the sequence. If your student has already completed high school English elsewhere, send the previous records to your advisor before choosing the next course so the plan accounts for work already completed.

Should Future Goals Affect Course Choices?

Yes. Graduation planning and preparation for a particular college or career should work together.

A college may expect specific coursework beyond the minimum standards used by your homeschool. For example, the University of North Carolina System has admission requirements covering English, mathematics, science, social studies, and additional academic courses, including a laboratory science component. Individual institutions or programs may have further requirements.

When planning courses, consider what your student may want to do after graduation:

An engineering interest might lead the family to prioritize a strong math and science sequence and explore engineering electives.

An interest in animals or health-related careers might lead to biology-focused coursework and related electives.

An interest in creative work might lead to additional art, writing, music, or media study.

These are planning examples, not prescribed pathways. Your advisor can help connect interests with appropriate courses, while your family checks the requirements of any particular college, training program, or other destination.

Your student does not need to know their future career yet. A balanced academic plan can leave room to explore.

What Should I Send My Advisor for Class Recommendations?

To help your advisor recommend an appropriate plan, include:

• The student’s current grade level and state.
• Previous transcripts or report cards, especially for high school.
• Classes already completed or currently being taken.
• Subjects that feel too easy or require extra support.
• Interests, future goals, and expected graduation year, if known.

You can simply ask for help choosing classes. For a high school student, ask for a graduation checklist and recommendations for the next courses to take.

Your advisor can help with both the academic choices and the records needed to support them.

Once We Have a Course Plan, How Does My Student Find Those Classes?

Your student accesses classes through their individual student account, not the Parent Portal.

Help your student identify the courses in their plan. As they begin completing lessons, those classes appear under In Progress on the My Classes page. They can then use that filter to find their current courses without scrolling through the full library.

Tip: The full class library shows what is available, not what your student is required to complete. Your course plan identifies what they should study, and In Progress helps them find the classes they are working on.

The Bottom Line

Start with ELA, math, science, and social studies, then add electives that interest your student.

Use grade-level classes as a starting point, adjust individual subjects when needed, and check whether your state requires additional topics. For high school, choose courses that contribute to the student’s graduation checklist and future goals.

You do not need to build the entire plan alone. Your Homeschool Advisor can help you turn the available choices into a clear, manageable course plan.

Related Articles

How do I assign classes to my student?

Can my student take different subjects at different grade levels?

What Are the High School Graduation Requirements?

How many video lessons should my student complete each day?