9th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2026-2027

 

My youngest son is a full-throttle, all-in energy drink. He always has a ball in his hands, music in his earbuds, and the next bowl of cereal on his mind. Making friends is his superpower. So if you ever need him, just look for the giant clump of boys. He’ll be right in the middle of it. He’s my personal snuggler, reminding me nearly every day that he has an unlimited supply of bear hugs whenever I might need one. He's starting high school this year. As always, he’s coming in fast and loud and with a giant smile. But never fear, I'm ready!

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2026-2027

I've launched three kids from my homeschool. And I'm in the final home stretch with the remaining two. How is that even possible? When I began homeschooling back in 2009, I had no idea that the years would fly by so fast. 

In the last few weeks as I've been making final curriculum plans and purchases, I've been thinking ahead to what the next nine months of learning might bring. While it seems fairly uneventful on this side of our start date, I know from experience that what looks like a straight, sure path can often have some winding, bumpy stretches. So, I want to be prepared.

Favorite Read Alouds & Read Alones in 2025

I've kept a reading record since 2013—a list of all the books I've read for the past thirteen years. It's nothing fancy, just a handwritten inventory in a journal I found haphazardly tossed into a clearance bin years ago. But whatever it lacks in form, it most certainly makes up for in function. Each entry includes the title, author's name, dates I started and finished the book, my star review of the text, and any thoughts I want to remember when recommending it or discouraging others from reading it.

4 Ways I'll be Increasing in 2026

I'm not a farmer. Truth be told, I'm not much of a gardener, either. I've kept very few plants alive in my life. But though I've never cultivated a crop, I do know this one simple truth about gathering a good harvest: very few things will ever grow on a mountaintop. The soil is not deep or rich enough on a peak. Growth happens in the valley. The valley is where the best fruit grows.

Tips & Tools for a Budding Young Artist

When my son was little, he never played. Not with one single toy. He only wanted to make and do and create. Of course, at his age, all of that making and doing and creating looked more like a mess than a masterpiece. Once, when he was almost three, he found a black Sharpie marker that I had accidentally left on my dresser and proceeded to draw pictures on my bedroom wall, the curtains, the carpet, my brand-new bedspread, and himself, in less than five minutes. Around that same time, he became obsessed with drawing pictures in spills. He would intentionally go to the fridge, find a bottle of this or a box of that, spill it on the floor, and use his finger to make shapes in it.