Helping Your Child Graduate Early From High School

Discussing Plans

• Have a discussion with your youngster to learn about her goals and aspirations. Ask questions about why she wants to graduate early and listen carefully to her answers. You might learn that she̵7;s eager to pursue specific goals and she wants to move forward to new academic challenges by starting college early. An adolescent could also feel stifled in high school due to early maturation, yearning for different opportunities. Or, perhaps she has military goals and wants to enlist in the armed forces (with parental permission for minors). Make sure your youngster understands that graduating early will require significant effort and diligence to acquire the necessary credits ahead of the typical schedule.

Getting Counselor Input

• Make an appointment with a school guidance counselor to discuss your child̵7;s desires, advises Psychologist Carl Pickhardt of Psychology Today. Explain your child̵7;s goals. With the guidance counselor̵7;s knowledge about your child̵7;s strengths and abilities, ask for a professional opinion about whether the goals are feasible. Ask for specific input and suggestions from the guidance counselor for making the early graduation happen, and devise a plan of action.

Credit-Earning Options

• The guidance counselor might suggest that your child attend summer school to earn additional credits. It may also be possible for your youngster to take dual-credit college courses during free time in which he earns both high school and college credits simultaneously. It̵7;s also possible to take correspondence courses online to earn high school credits. Before moving forward with correspondence courses, however, ensure that the courses are with an accredited institution and that the credits will transfer to your child̵7;s high school.

Support and Encouragement

• As your child pursues an accelerated high school curriculum load, provide support and encouragement along the way. With an increased academic load, your adolescent may not have much time for other activities and pursuits, especially compared to peers. Stay attuned to your child to ensure that he doesn̵7;t become overwhelmed with too many burdens and responsibilities. If this occurs, consider scaling back the goals to make them more manageable. Encourage your youngster to take time out for regular fun and relaxation.