He's starting his last year of middle school. Since we only homeschool 4-days a week, you can assume that each of these subjects will be covered only four times each week unless otherwise indicated. An asterisk signifies a new-to-him or new-to-me resource.
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Content-rich Subjects
As always, he'll cover some of his content-rich subjects, such as morning time/Bible, financial literacy, and art with his older siblings. You can see those curriculum choices here>>>
Personal Devotions- every day
Language
- Jump In* (I don't usually start formal writing beyond paragraphs until 8th or 9th grade. This resource came highly recommended from a friend. After flipping through it, I was impressed as it looks to teach the skills of writing in the same way I have "invented the wheel" to teach my older kids.)
- Finish All About Spelling level 6 and begin level 7.
- Read for pleasure. (every day)
Math
- Pre-Algebra video lessons from Abeka
Science
While I love doing science with my kids, I realize that I am not equipped or have the desire to teach high school-level science. I've always deferred to online classes for that. However, since 9th-12th grade science tends to be more rigorous than my kids are used to, and since grades must be kept for transcript purposes, I have always used 8th grade as a trial run — to practice traditional academia before it has to "count." I enroll them in an online program that is similar to what they will do in high school, but without the pressure of keeping pace for a transcript.
In years past, my kids have always done 8th-10th grade science through BJU Press. And while I still love their program, I'm following my son's lead. He and I did the self-paced Apologia Astronomy last year and loved it! So, we're going to give their live middle-school science classes a whirl for 2025-2026.
I'm hoping that he will enjoy the material as much as he did in 7th grade while still being able to dip his toe into the deeper end of tests, quizzes, and answering to a different teacher, which will prepare him for the four high school years ahead.
In years past, my kids have always done 8th-10th grade science through BJU Press. And while I still love their program, I'm following my son's lead. He and I did the self-paced Apologia Astronomy last year and loved it! So, we're going to give their live middle-school science classes a whirl for 2025-2026.
I'm hoping that he will enjoy the material as much as he did in 7th grade while still being able to dip his toe into the deeper end of tests, quizzes, and answering to a different teacher, which will prepare him for the four high school years ahead.
General Science Live Class from Apologia*
History- 2x a week
History should never be studied using a dry-as-dust textbook, in my opinion. It should always be learned through living literature, field trips, videos, and conversations with the real, flesh-and-bone people who lived it. This year, like most of the last 18 years, we will be using Truth Quest guides to create homespun history units for our look at Ancient Rome.
I'll also use the following resources to show my son what was happening in other parts of the world during the same time as an event we're learning about in Ancient Egyptian History:
World Geography- 2x a week
Trail Guide to Geography - This is a program I used with my older kids years ago. Now it's my youngest's turn. He and I will explore the different countries and cultures of the world through living books and hands-on projects.
At times, I will substitute some of our learning with titles recommended from this exception resource.
Give Your Child the World
Give Your Child the World
World View
- Who is My Neighbor? and Why Does He Need Me?- I highly recommend every single title in this four-volume What We Believe series!
Life Skills/Extra-Curricular Subjects
- Learn to tie knots using Knots at Work.
- Enjoy some downhill skiing with his dad and older brothers this winter. (1x a week through the winter months)
- Continue to play tournament baseball with local AAA and AA teams.
- Volunteer at the local soup kitchen with the rest of the family. (1x a month)
- Clean his room and make his bed each day.
- Daily chores: sweep the kitchen, sweep the living room and vacuum the area rug, and empty all the bedroom and bathroom trash cans.
- Weekly Chores for his child-of-the-day privileges and responsibilities: help make lunch/dinner, do two loads of laundry, wash the dishes on Fridays
- Monthly Chores: dust the main floor with his siblings, mop the kitchen, mop the living room, plus randomly select and complete two chores from our chore jar one Saturday each month
- Feed the neighbors' cat when they are away.
Co-operative Learning
His first-semester co-op classes will be as follows:
- Disasters That Changed the World
- Health & Fitness
- Strength Training
- Life Skills
His second-semester co-op classes are yet to be determined.
Eighth grade has always been a helpful trial run for high school. It still has the gentle delight of the early years, while also being a bit more challenging. This will be a year dedicated to learning autonomy and maturity. That's not to say that I will be completely hands-off, but that I'll begin to step back and take a lesser role in the learning. As a homeschool mom, I'm never completely out of the picture. He'll still need me in the high school years. He'll just need me in less relentless ways.
Here's to a year of slow unmooring!
Here's to a year of slow unmooring!
We love Jump In Writing! I used it with my now 11th grader when he hated writing and it totally changed his perspective! He loves writing now. So we are going to use it with my 7th/8th grader this year. Blessings on your school year!
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