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If you’re not a regular reader here at Many Little Blessings, you’re probably just thinking, “Okay – she’s got a couple of older kids, let’s see this middle school curriculum.” (Oh, and hopefully you’re also thinking, I’d really love to subscribe via RSS feed reader or by email – either one for each new post or just a weekly newsletter that also includes posts from The Homeschool Classroom.) Alright, maybe you’re not thinking that. But, maybe so.
Now, if you’re a regular reader here at Many Little Blessings, you might be thinking, “Wait! Only two grades? You have three kids.”
As I’ve been gently touching on the last few weeks, we had one child this summer who asked to go to school this school year. We thought on it and prayed on it, but since we’ve always been pretty open to what the kids have wanted to do in regards to their education, we agreed that Molly could give school a whirl this year.
Since she’s the only one of the kids that never went to school, she has often wondered what it would be like. If she gives it a try and isn’t crazy about it though, I had purchased (or already owned) almost everything for her curriculum this year. So, we can easily just add her back into the mix at any point.
So, at least for right now, our official plan is just for a 7th and 8th grader.
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Our 7th and 8th Grade Eclectic Homeschool Curriculum
Language Arts
Starting with this huge category because it always has the most things listed for us. So many things go into the language arts heading!
Spelling: My Catholic Speller
Typing: Mavis Beacon Typing (6th/7th Graders)
Grammar: Language of God
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000 (book 7)
Composition: Finish Wordsmith Apprentice (almost done) and start Wordsmith
Plus a variety of activities this year possibly including, but not limited to:
- Papers or presentations about topics we are studying
- Short stories
- Letter writing
- Working on blog posts
- Making their own zines
- Poetry writing
- Lessons from Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students
- Whatever fun writing projects we can find (this is an area my older kids struggle in, so we’re making it a priority this year)
Reading
Silent Reading Each Day
We’ll be reading six to ten novels this year with help from these study and activity guides and these other study guides. I’m still trying to decide which books to choose, but have settled on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (free for the Kindle!) as our first one.
Math
Teaching Textbooks – Math 7 (7th grader) and Pre-Algebra (8th grader)
History
Light to the Nations: Development of Christian Civilization (Part One)
We may also work on finishing:
Story of the World – finish Volume 2 (the Middle Ages)
Science
Behold and See 6 (and supplement, as needed, since this is the current highest level of the Behold and See series)
Religion
Bible Reading
Faith and Life series
Youth Group
Music
Piano Lessons (and Daily Practice)
Art
An art class at a twice a month small group that we will be attending
French
A variety of activities from the following sources:
Rosetta Stone Homeschool French
French in 10 Minutes a Day (book and audio CDs)
French flash cards and computer games
First Thousand Words in French
100+ Reproducible Activities in French
Home Economics
Training Your Children in Home Economics eBook (Training Your Children in Home Economics is also available for the Kindle)
A life skills class at a twice a month small group that we will be attending
Student Planners
We are again using Days of Faith Student Planners for the kids. (We are using the Intermediate level for all of them, just because it is laid out best for the way we school.)
Past Years
Interested in what we have used in years past?
Our Curriculum in 2009 / Grades: PreK, 3rd Grade, and 4th Grade
Our Curriculum 2010 / Grades: Kindergarten, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade
Our Curriculum 2011 / Grades: 1st Grade, 5th Grade, and 6th Grade
Our Curriculum 2012 / Grades: 2nd Grade, 6th Grade, and 7th Grade
This post is linked to iHomeschool Network’s Not Back to School Hop
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We love teaching textbooks around here. It looks like a busy year for your oldest.
blessings, Dawn
This is a nice full curriculum. I have a 7th grader and looking ahead to 8th grade will be fun.
I was excited to see your choices for the older grades (since my Sarah is doing eighth grade this year especially!) and very excited to see that you were willing to give it a go with your youngest at school. I hope she has a good time, whether it ends up as as the plan for the long run or not! 🙂
Glencoe lit guides are so awesome!! Have you seen Cummings Study Guides? They are also really helpful. http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net
I’ll definitely have to check those out, Sarah! Thank so much for mentioning them. From a quick glance, they look like a great resource. Thanks!
My youngest is going off to school this year as well — same thing, she’s the only one who has never gone so she felt like she was missing out on something. There are other reasons too, but like you, the nice thing is once you’ve homeschooled a child it takes some of the pressure off of away-school. If it doesn’t work, you know can always homeschool them again!
Looks like you have a wonderful year planned! Enjoy!
How funny that we’re both in the same situation this year, Kellie! “Away-school” — I need to keep that term in mind. It’s been weird figuring out what to say. Thanks for giving me a term to use! 😉
Been there with one kid in public school. I’ll be interested to hear how she likes it. I’m hoping to learn a little piano myself this year and get the little ones started with it (maybe) next year.
What are the differences between standard Rosetta Stone and the homeschool edition? Thanks!!!