Another school year is upon us! (At least that’s what people are telling me… I personally am in denial)
I still plan to squeeze every last drop of fun and rest that I can out of this summer, but I also know that my future self will thank me if I make some solid school plans for the year ahead.
Every year we’ve homeschooled I’ve shared the curricula and resources we’ve used. (Check out the first post in the series – Our Curriculum Choices Year By Year – to start at the beginning).
This year my kids will be in the 4th, 8th, and 11th grades – my, how the time flies! Keep reading to find out what resources we’ll be using for each of them.
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Our Homeschool Year 12 Snapshot
Has my family really being doing this for twelve years?!
It seems like just yesterday I heard the word “homeschool” for the first time and wondered if I was crazy for even considering it. Now I can’t imagine what life would’ve been like if we hadn’t decided to take this road less traveled!
My oldest will be a high school junior this year, and it’s starting to sink in just how fast it all goes. I’ll spare you the full “make-the-most-of-every-moment-because-they’ll-be-grown-before-you-know-it” speech.
But, seriously… it’s all going SO FAST now! Though the days have sometimes felt long, the years have flown by! Appreciate each age and stage while you can! Make the most of every moment because….
Oh, wait… sorry… I promised I’d skip the speech…
Ahem. Back to the topic at hand. Here’s what we’ll be using for our 12th year of homeschooling:
Eleventh Grade Homeschool Curricula
- Bible: Youth group, Bible studies, discipleship groups at church
- Math: VideoText Geometry, Dual Enrollment Calculus I at a local college, the Life of Fred high school books as a supplement, plus ACT and PSAT math prep
- Writing: Dual Enrollment College Writing I at a local college
- Science: Physics I on PhysicsLab.app
- Social Studies: Government & Economics at a local co-op
- Computer Science: Kahn Academy units on Internet, JavaScript, Python, & Theory
- Foreign Language: ASL III using lifeprint.com
- Psychology: Dual Enrollment Intro to Psychology at a local college
- Logic & Strategy: Board game strategy and chess classes at a local co-op
Eighth Grade Homeschool Curricula
- Bible: Youth group, Bible studies, discipleship groups at church
- Math: VideoText Algebra and Life of Fred Algebra books as a supplement
- Writing: 180 Days to Save the World novel writing course
- Science: Introduction to Veterinary Science plus Science Olympiad unit studies
- Social Studies: World Geography & History class at a local co-op
- Civics: iCivics online course
- Foreign Language: French I at a local co-op
- Life Skills: PragerU “How To” and “Financial Literacy” series
- Logic & Strategy: Board game class at a local co-op
Fourth Grade Homeschool Curricula
- Bible: AWANA T&T Evidence of Grace plus at home and church Bible studies
- Math: Simply Good & Beautiful Levels 4 and 5, and Life of Fred Elementary series as a supplement
- Language Arts: Writing & Literature class at a local co-op
- Handwriting: PenTime Level 5 plus copywork (of Bible verses, etc)
- Spelling: All About Spelling Level 4 [for more information on AAS, see my review here]
- Grammar: Kahn Academy Grammar course
- Typing: typing.com
- Science: Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (Vol. 1) [check out my super-thorough review of BFSU] and a Nature Study class at a local co-op
- Social Studies: Story of the World: Early Modern Times (Vol. 3) and a USA geography class at a local co-op
- Logic: Thinking Through Analogies, The Basics of Critical Thinking, and Critical Thinking Detective workbooks
- Electives: LitARTure illustration class, P.E. class, and Math Club at local co-ops
Other Fun Stuff
Co-ops have been a great place for us to find a variety of classes. This year we’ll actually be a part of two co-ops, where we’ll be taking some additional art, crochet, and P.E. classes.
We’ll also continue with Math Club and Science Olympiad and the homeschool band we love! My daughter just graduated to the Explorer level in her American Heritage Girls troop, so we’re excited to start that again soon, too! And all three kids are continuing the Faber piano books in their piano lessons.
With all of their classes and activities, I’m hoping to still prioritize family read alouds (we’re loving the Tuttle Twins book series right now). And, each morning, we’ve also been using (and I highly recommend) World Watch News as a family to keep up on the latest news and world events.
Lastly, our family YMCA pass has helped get us back on track with our exercise routines, so I’m hoping that continues as well (wishful thinking for me, perhaps… but at least the kids are doing great with it)!
I hope this sneak peek into our plans has helped as you brainstorm your own!
Even if your school plans need to change later, it’s still wise to have a good idea of the subjects and goals you hope to achieve and a list of resources and curricula you’ll use to do it!
For homeschool resource ideas by grade, check out the following posts:
- How to Homeschool Preschool – Part 1
- How to Homeschool Kindergarten
- How to Homeschool the Early Elementary Years (1st – 3rd grade)
And if you’re new to homeschooling or need some encouragement, my book Think About Homeschooling is for you! Click here for more information or get it here now!
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