Ooh! This looks intriguing! Thank you!

I haven’t! Thank you!

Yes. Yes. If I do high school it will need to be very specific, getting the right credits, etc, but I’m just talking about ideas for 8th grades. Specifically science and social studies/history. As an example, at our public school next year, in social studies they will be going through US history again. She has done that several times and will probably hit on parts of it again in high school, so if we take this year to study the eastern hemisphere or only a portion of US history, I’m not worried about it, whereas a couple weeks ago I was trying to form a plan around our state standards for 8th grade. Hope that helps clarify my meaning.

As background, I did some homeschooling in my kids’ early years, but they have largely been in public school for 9 years. This year we pulled our 7th grader out due to tons of stressors and her not seeming like herself at all. I love having her here, but I never anticipated homeschooling older grades, so I have felt pretty uptight about making sure I keep her on track. This half year we have focused mostly on basics, but it looks like I’ll have her here at least next year as well, so I’m trying to put together something thorough, geared towards her learning style, and not intensive on teaching for me. (I’m navigating health issues and am often in bed.) I had a conversation that explained that schools teach in a spiral fashion, so I don’t have to worry that she will have big gaps. I’m thinking specifically about social studies/history and science. The reality of schools using spiral teaching frees me up to not feel like we have to cover certain topics in these subjects, so I’m just looking for suggestions of general curriculum/programs that would fit us. She loves having clearly laid out instructions and things to check off (she is a doer, project minded girl.) She loves doing things with her hands and doesn’t love endless worksheet/textbook type stuff. I’ve always been drawn to Charlotte Mason’s ideas about schooling, but I do not have the ability to do a lot of pulling together of random things right now. So well organized, living books, activity ideas included. What are your favorites for 8th graders?

Thanks for all your thoughts. I like the idea of keeping the main things streamlined so she can do activities that interest her-and I love the thought about a lot of doing happening with the arts!

Ha!!!! You’ve written your own curriculum! 😂 But yes, it sounds like what I imagine needing/wanting to do with SL or Bookshark.

I have! Honestly, there is tons that really appeals to me about it-looks robust and thorough, the literature, the projects. But I would need to pick and choose parts of it because she’s done about half of the topics during 7th grade, but it isn’t like the first half or second half. And then it gets super expensive. Also, their literature for US history/social studies looks pretty dark...? I’d love thoughts on this.

I’m finding the same! The closest I see that appeals is SL or Bookshark, but they feel really heavy on reading and light on much else, and I’m not sure that is the best fit.

She’s on track and doing well, but I don’t want her getting behind, since she will likely go back to school at some point. Just hoping to find some curriculum that is thorough, but also appealing. Hope that helps clarify!

I think I am probably going to end up picking and choosing from various companies for different subjects as well.

Just looking for your best bets for curriculum for next year. My daughter excels at all things crafty and project based. She likes clear directions and deadlines. Here are the topics I’d like ideas on: Algebra 1. She has found pre algebra challenging and draining. Both at public school until we pulled her out and with Math Mammoth which I’m using to reteach what she should have learned at school this year. Hoping for some fresh ideas for next year. US History/Social studies-We’d love to use living books, and I’d like geography and themes like government and economy to be addressed to make connections to current events and systems. LA-I want this to be very thorough. She will likely attend public or private school in high school, and I want her to be challenged now. Science-we will probably use a bunch of unit studies to hit the themes we want to cover before high school. What have you loved for this age? Thank you!

I’m loving these suggestions. Keep the ideas coming! Moving Beyond the Page sounds really appealing in that it seems rigorous and thorough, but the grade levels cover about half the stuff she’s already learned, and piecing it together looks crazy expensive.

Hi, I pulled my daughter out of public school in January. (middle of her 7th grade year). We are focusing on the 3R's and supplementing with science and social studies type things to finish out this year, but I'm searching for something that has everything pieced together for me for her 8th grade year. Sonlight and Bookshark appeal to both of us for their interesting looking books, but I wonder about being overwhelmed with reading. She is a hands on kind of kid, so while reading good literature appeals to both of us, I know she is going to want time to craft and do projects as well. The Good and the Beautiful has been recommended to me by my sister in law, and I like how it's laid out for me and not super expensive. I'd love to hear thoughts/experiences you've had with these programs, or others that pop into your mind with the preferences I've mentioned above. Thank you!

I would love to hear the answer to this as well.