8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2020-2021

Like me, my middle son is a word nerd. He likes to read. He likes to write. So, when it came time to create a curriculum list for him, I naturally included resources that would help nurture his love for words. 

Because he's only got one more year before high school, I'm slowly easing him into a more robust schedule. 8th grade will be a chance for him to dig deep without having the pressure of a grade point average or a transcript to maintain. It'll be like a trial run.

6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2020-2021

This summer found my son hosting a pop-up pottery shop every few weeks; building a metal forge; fashioning numerous metal knives, hatchets, and swords; and building a tree fort from scratch. He's autodidactic and loves to make, create, and do. 

Up until this point, his insatiable appetite for busy has kept his curiosities on nature, science, and mechanical design, but now, at ten, he's beginning to wonder about other things--less concrete things. He's asking hard questions about the world around him and wanting honest answers. 

So this year, I've chosen a few weightier books for him; books that will hopefully steer him well into adolescence--books that will help him make sense of this crazy world in which we live. 

3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2020-2021

For the first time in over thirteen years, I will not be teaching anyone phonics. My youngest has officially moved from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn. And while I could not be happier for him, I'm secretly a bit sad to admit that I'll miss those early years of bright-eyed phonemic revelation. 

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With phonics behind us, however, he and I can concentrate on building a love of great books! He's already plowed through some of my favorite chapter book series from my own childhood like the Cam Jensen collection and the Nate the Great titles and has moved on to a newer illustrated chapter book series his older brothers enjoyed called The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls. This year is definitely shaping up to be the Year of Books for him!

In addition to reading, he'll also be discovering and doing many grand and glorious things. Here's what he'll be learning this year in 3rd grade. Since we only homeschool 4-days a week, you can assume that each of these subjects will only be covered four times each week unless otherwise indicated.

Content-rich Subjects

As always, he'll do all of his content-rich subjects like Morning time/Bible, history, science, art, and creative writing with his older siblings. You can see those curriculum choices here>>>

Personal Devotions- every day

• The ESV Holy Bible for Kids

God's Amazing Creatures & Me

Language

• LLATL The Yellow Book
• Finish All About Spelling Level 2 and move on to Level 3.
• Read for pleasure every day.
• Read the following books that correspond with the LLATL Yellow Book.

The White Stallion

Madeline

Meet George Washington

The Courage of Sarah Noble 

If he's not currently working through an LLATL suggested book, he will read a chapter from a book that I assign to him. These will be classics, biographies, or exceptional fiction.

Math

• Math 3 from BJU Press Distance Learning- After using and loving the BJU Press Distance Learning for upper-level science for the past few years, I've decided to take the leap and switch from Teaching Textbooks math to BJU Press math. Math is definitely a subject I've never felt equipped or excited to teach, and so I've always deferred to an online program for my third-grade-and-above students. While I've appreciated Teaching Textbooks and have seen great results from it (My oldest daughter got an A in her first college math class last year after having graduated with a Teaching Textbooks background.), I feel like BJU Press will offer a much more user-friendly learning experience for my boys who crave a live teacher experience. (You can read my review of the BJU Press Homeschool Distance Learning science program here>>>) 
• free online review games and apps (like Math Mateer and Monkey Math) for math process review (every few days) OR
• a flashcard drill with his dad for 5 minutes

Handwriting

• A Reason for Handwriting T- This is the book that will help him transition from writing in print to writing in cursive.

Typing- 1x a week

• Typing Instructor for Kids

Life Skills/Extra Curriculars 

• Lessons in Responsibility for Boys 2- 1x a week
  
  
  
  
  
• Udemy for online drum lessons
• Co-op for two enrichment type classes- 2x a month
• Clean his room and make his bed each day.
• Daily chores: sweep the music room, empty the dishwasher with his older brother, empty all the bedroom and bathroom trash cans
• Weekly Chores for his child-of-the-day privileges and responsibilities: help make lunch/dinner and do two loads of laundry (Fridays)
• Monthly Chores: three chores that he randomly selects from our chore jar one Saturday each month

Third grade starts in just a few short weeks. I don't know what seems more impressive at this point--our shelves lined with potential reading and learning adventures or the size of his eyes as he stares in anticipation at it all!  

Despite your best curriculum plans, homeschooling will, at times, be quite difficult. It can be made so much better, however, if it launches well. I can help with that! On Tuesday, August 4th, I’ll be hosting a live Homeschool Jumpstart webinar and Q&A where I’ll be addressing the following:

• Deschooling- tips for stepping out of a traditional mindset and into a homeschooling lifestyle
• 7 common homeschool methods/philosophies
• Top curriculums that pair with each homeschool method/philosophy
• Creating a homeschool schedule
• Teaching multiple ages

In addition, attendees will be given a 9-page course syllabus with lots of helpful links and additional articles to help them step into homeschooling with bravery. Not able to attend the night of the 4th? No matter. You can still grab a ticket. The webinar will be recorded and will available for replay following the event. Spots are limited.

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Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2020-2021

Curriculum planning is normally the perfect preamble to the lovely year ahead. I head to my local homeschool convention and spend hours slowly sauntering through the vendor hall. I always go with a tentative shopping list in hand, but usually leave with several fun extras that were not originally on it. 

There's just something about getting to see, touch, and flip through curricula that can't be replicated by looking through a catalog or shopping online.

40+ MUST READ Books for Christian Teen Boys

High school is a time when the loose opinions of childhood begin to solidify. It's a time when many Christian teens begin to stand on their own faith legs and develop a worldview that is autonomous to that of their parents. Contrary to the popular trend of extended immaturity, the teen years can be a time when God can use a person in ways that He can not use them at any other time in their lives. Teens have free schedules, growing passions, and liberal amounts of physical energy. When aimed in the right direction, a teen can do great things for the cause of Christ.