Talk to me about your favorite resources for middle school

[kentuckymom]

So Squirrelboy will be starting middle school in the fall and, for the first time ever, DH is actually open to exploring the possibility of homeschooling. This is because our districted middle school is not an option in our minds (lots of great teachers, but terrible administration and a ton of discipline problems) and neither of the magnets we applied to (which we don't find out if he got into for at least a month) seem ideal for our kid. I want to make it abundantly clear that we're just in the exploring stage. It may be that he gets into one (or both) of the magnets and we decide that continuing in school is the best choice for him. However, for the first time since I started exploring homeschooling four years ago, DH is actually on board with looking into it, so now I can actually take a serious look at resources.

 

If I homeschooled him, I think my general goals would look like this:

 

Language Arts: I'd like him to realize that he actually can write and get him to like it more (the public school is very writing heavy but not very writing instruction heavy, and he's grown to hate it). I'd like to get him to read or listen to a good variety of classic literature. I'd like to give him a good basic knowledge of grammar. I'd like to remediate his spelling (he's dyslexic and his reading is great thanks to Barton, but his spelling is still pathetic).

 

Math: He gets concepts easily but then struggles to apply them consistently and remember all the little details. I'd like to work on that and also keep him on track with the usual sequence around here, which means finishing Algebra by the end of 8th grade.

 

Social Studies: I'd like to give him a general overview of world geography and world history with some space to explore topics that interest him. At this point that tends to be wars.

 

Science: I'd like to explore a variety of science topics in all four disciplines at his level.

 

So do you have any suggestions for me? Or encouragement that homeschooling a kid just for middle school is an awesome decision? 

[tjlcc]

A few suggestions. Life of Fred Language Arts. My 7th grader is a Fred fan. Not everyone is.

 

There are numerous spelling resources available. My struggling speller uses ABCs and All Their Tricks, McGuffey's Speller, copy work, and dictation.

 

We are also enjoying Life of Fred Math.

 

Are you wanting secular or Christian resources for history, science and geography? Gombrich's A Little History of the World is interesting and is available on audio cd. We are currently reading through Synge's history titles.

[kentuckymom]

Answering the question about secular vs. religious material: we're evangelical Christians, but we're adamantly not young earth creationists, so we'd probably want secular materials for science. For history I think we could go either way.

 

Oh, and we tried Life of Fred for Math enrichment, and Squirrelboy was not a fan.

[sbgrace]

LA:

I love Apples and Pears Spelling for dyslexia or weak spellers otherwise. It made a great difference with my son.

 

I love Grammar Made Easy (linked in my sig, because it's not well known) and am using it with my 6th graders right now.

 

Composition is harder to recommend in your situation. I really like Barbara Mariconda's Scholastic books. She has a fantastic one on narratives (though that is probably not where I would spend a lot of time in middle school) and another on Expository writing that is geared to include middle school and approaches writing instruction from a typical public school angle. Her instruction is really well done (complete, easy to understand, and interesting). Those books adapt well to home instruction. She has a program not through Scholastic for Persuasive Writing, though I haven't personally seen it.. It's by Empowering Writers and marketed to schools, but I have purchased directly from them. I liked what I used from them. It was definitely geared to prepare kids for testing and school type writing, which wouldn't be bad in your situation. You could see what Empowering Writers has for middle school.  

 

Alternatively, I like the paragraph structures taught in Diana Hanbury King's Writing Skills books by EPS. If you do some self education with the books Common Threads and Writing With a Thesis to provide additional instruction, you can make a great program with just the Writing Skills books. You could then write about science, history, and other curriculum topics through the rest of middle school. I'd consider BraveWriter's Help for HighSchool course in 8th grade to get ready for high school.

 

Math:

See where he tests into CLE. They are good with solidifying things. Unfortunately, their 7th and 8th grade are pre-algebra, so you would need to condense and accelerate. I do think you could do 6, 7, and enough of 8 (half works) in 6th and 7th if you worked in the summers and accelerated otherwise as long as he was retaining. That would put you ready for Algebra in 8. I use Arbor Algebra books as well to conceptually cover the CLE stuff. I plan to use CLE Algebra along with Arbor Algebra in 7th/8th. Alternatively, Singapore has some middle school materials which might be great. Or you could try Math Mammoth 6th followed by Math Mammoth Pre-Algebra. Saxon is another possibility. Both Saxon and CLE spiral, which can be good for the kind of kid you describe. They are just not as strong with conceptual (why) teaching, but you could add something like Arbor Algebra to supplement. My son is enjoying the Arbor Algebra.  

 

 

Social Studies: I'm Using Glencoe Journey Across Time for middle school history. It does cover the broad sweep, and I like the questions they ask. We've gotten some good writing topics out of them too.

 

Science: There was a thread in the last day or so on middle school science. I will see if I can find it. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/582946-science-and-your-sixth-grader/?hl=%2Bscience&do=findComment&comment=6784283

 

I taught public middle and high school for 10 years prior to homeschooling, and I think middle school is a fantastic time to homeschool. There is so much going on in those years developmentally that the more angst you can avoid and customization you can do the better imo. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by sbgrace

[BusyMom5]

LA-  I second the suggestion of Apples and Pears Spelling,  we are all liking Essentials in Writing, but I did recently find some religious stuff in the Level 5 that I am not happy about- the part where they are teaching how to write quotations is all about the Bible, otherwise their program is secular and very good.  I am usijg 5th and 7th grades, and both kids love it.  I feel like the instructions are very clear and easy to follow, the composition is step-by-step with lots of graphic organizers.  Depending on the level, it may have enough grammar in it (7th has some grammar, I think the upper grades do not, 5th grade is quite a bit of grammar).

 

Math- Saxon may help if he's having trouble retaining b/c it spirals and repeats quite a bit.  I like it for some of mine, and don't for others.  We adjust it to fi the kid if needed.  This is a hard age to jump in b/c he's finishing up primary school, but probably not ready for PreAlgebra yet.  It felt to me like a lot of the things suggested for this age ended at 6th grade level, so I chose Saxon b/c it went further (I started HSing when my oldest was in 6th grade).   You might look at Math Mammoth, you can print out exactly what he needs, and it now has a pre-algebra level.

 

Science- if you want secular science, check out Pandia Press RSO, highly recommend it!

 

 

[Farrar]

For language arts, if the primary goal is getting him to love writing and discover different forms, Brave Writer - either Partnership Writing or Faltering Ownership. However, neither of those will work on the spelling issues at all. If you want something that will push that, you'd need something else.

 

For science, a lot of the Ellen McHenry stuff is good for middle school. I also like the ACS's Middle School Chemistry. The Joy Hakim series about the history of science is also really cool. The Build Your Library evolution unit is neat (don't know if that would appeal to you though). We DIY science so I'm typically buying individual resources.

 

For math, I really like Jousting Armadillos and that series, but it might or might not be right for him.

[Momling]

Apples and pears for spelling has worked great for my younger. She's started book b in 3rd grade and now in 6th is finishing book D (we just do it when her public school is not in session).

Ellen McHenry has awesome science units. They've been some of our favorite materials.

[Miss Tick]

Hey, we always welcome legitimate homeschooling questions, no one will be upset if you find a good fit for your ds with a magnet school. We love talking this stuff and giving our opinions based on our own experiences.

 

LA- I agree with Farrar, sounds like you want Bravewriter for composition.

 

Math - of the programs we've used, Math Mammoth would be my suggestion.

 

Science - if you are reasonably comfortable with science you might use BFSU as a jumping off point for science. It is pretty teacher intensive, so I would suggest waiting until you have a steady rhythm.

 

Good luck!

[My3girls]

We pulled my dd out of ps after 5th grade for many of the same reasons.  A few resources that really worked for us were:

 

Analytical Grammar:  Her grammar was AWFUL!!  This is meat and potatoes stuff, no fluff, and gets the job done.  We used it for 6th-8th, but it can be done quicker if you want.  We'll continue to use the review books in High School.  The only thing it doesn't have that I wish it did is conjugating verbs.

 

Oxford University Press The World in Ancient Times and The Medieval and Early Modern World:  This has been wonderful and interesting.  Our literature selection followed our history such as: Epic of Gilgamesh, Hittite Warrior, Black Ships Before Troy, Beowulf, etc...  We are pokey so this took us the whole 3 years to complete.  We'll do Modern History with History Odyssey in 9th.

 

We used Math Mammoth for 6th grade then moved to AOPS Pre-Algebra.  They now have a Math Mammoth 7, and I will use it with my youngest  and skip straight to Forrester's Algebra.  AOPS just hasn't been good for us.  We tried Life of Fred as well, and she liked it but wasn't getting enough out of it to use alone.  My middle girl is struggling with Math Mammoth so we are moving to Math-U-See as soon as the books get here.

 

2 things we discovered late so she didn't get to take full advantage, but I will definitely use with my younger 2, are IEW for writing.  I was resistant to it because of it's religious content and because many on the board here says it's too formulaic.  I finally buckled after trying other things, and now, wish we had started with it.  The other is Real Science Odyssey with Pandia Press.  The 6th grade Physics is great, and I have heard good things about the Biology.  They have a middle school Earth Science coming out soon, as well.

Edited January 14, 2016 by My3girls

[Lori D.]

Welcome! Middle school can be a SUPER time to start homeschooling! ?

A good friend of ours started homeschooling with her youngest in 6th grade, and never looked back. He was able to devote large amounts of time to his passion of Music all through middle/high school, and participated in several high school extracurriculars (homeschool group Student Council and social activities; sports team; mock legislative group), graduated from homeschool high school having used honors-level materials, and transferred after a year at the community college to a 4-year university with a hefty scholarship! ?

The previous posters have all given you some terrific ideas of specific programs and curricula to think about. Later on, you can post different threads for the different subject areas for even more ideas to match up with your goals and your DS's needs. ? At that stage, you might also want to include you DS's learning style (visual-spatial, or, auditory-sequential), or if you need remedial, standard, or gifted material, or if it is important to have secular or Christian material (or even if you are looking for Pagan, Mormon, Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim materials) -- the ladies on these boards are amazing for helping to match people up with materials!   :thumbup1:  )

No way to know if any of these programs would be a match for your family, but here are a few things that were great matches for our DSs while in middle school (one academically advanced and more math/logic oriented, and one bright visual-spatial learner and out-of-the-box thinker with mild dyslexia):

Math: Singapore, Math-U-See**, Keys to…** (math books on specific topics), Jacobs Algebra 1

Literature: good books (from lists) & matching lit. guides, Figuratively Speaking, Lightning Lit. & Comp. 7 & 8, Literary Lessons From the Lord of the Rings

Writing: Jump In**

Spelling: Megawords**; ABCs and All Their Tricks (to make our own individualized/remedial spelling)

Grammar: Winston Grammar** Basic/Word Works/Advanced; Comicstrip Grammar; Grammar with a Giggle: Giggles in the Middle

Science: made our own -- "living books", videos/documentaries, and hands-on kits/experiments; TOPS Rocks & Minerals & Reader's Digest How Earth Works; TOPS Analysis (and others) & Reader's Digest How Science Works

History: made our own -- "living books", videos/documentaries, and projects

Geography: Beautiful Feet Geography Guide & Map Pack (for grades 4-6, but a new homeschooling 7th grade might really enjoy this)

Logic: informal -- wide variety of types of logic puzzles, games, books, etc.; Fallacy Detective

** =  esp. good for DS with the mild/"stealth" dyslexia)

 

Other programs that have come out since our middle school days that you might want to consider:

Math: Math Mammoth, Art of Problem-Solving (pre-algebra thru advanced maths), Kinetic Books (pre-algebra thru algebra 2)

Writing: Brave Writer: Faltering Ownership and Transition to Ownership; Writing with Ease; Essentials in Writing

Grammar: Junior Analytical Grammar

Science: Rainbow Science (Christian) -- 2 year program; 1=Physics & Chemistry topics; 2=Life Science and a little Meteorology and General Science; Noeo Science; Supercharged Science; 

History: living book approach: Guest Hollow, Sonlight, Biblioplan, My Father's World, Pandia Press; classical approach: Tapestry of Grace, Omnibus (Veritas Press)
 

Some general things that are good to develop over time in the middle school years -- esp. if your student might end up going to a high school:

- typing (touch typing skills)

- computer (basic word processing familiarity, possibly learn power-point or other presentation software by doing a few projects throughout middle school using power-point)

- study skills (beginning stages of time management, limited solo/independent working, first exposure to note-taking and other study skills)

And finally, while it's NOT AT ALL critical to know this for starting to homeschool with MIDDLE school, at some point you will want to look ahead to what your options are for high school, because in many places, high school is an either/or decision -- if you decide to homeschool, then you WILL have to do it for all 4 years, as the public school policies make it extremely difficult to jump back in partway through. Why that is good to know while your student is in middle school is if you know that your student is likely to return to the school system for high school, there may be skills or materials you want to make sure to cover while in middle school in prep for high school...

Since you're still in the exploring stage, I'm also going to post about "the big picture." ?

I'd suggest that you and your spouse first think about your long-term (through high school/post-high school) goals are for you student in the "big" areas of life (which is education, but also maturing into a functional adult). For example, what goals (if any) do you have for DS for:

- academics/schooling (particular subjects to cover, is college a possibility, etc.)
- emotional/physical maturing
- spiritual/religious or philosophical/worldview foundation
- acquiring of life skills (personal finances, cooking, cleaning, shopping, auto/home repairs/ maintenance, etc.)
- explore/develop personal passions and strengths
- explore extracurricular activities
- community involvement (things like volunteering, classes or groups outside of academics, social time, etc.)

Because you will definitely want to find ways and resources for developing any of these areas in addition to the academics -- and, of course, you'll want to allow time in the schedule for reaching these goals.

And then do some research on the different educational philosophies, to see which would best fit your family's educational goals. Finally, once you know your goals and the philosophy that fits your family, you can start to narrow down a list of specific curricula and programs that would fit with your educational philosophy and goals. Knowing your goals also helps you when it comes time to scheduling yourself, as you know whether or not you'll want to schedule time for "life learning" (skills around the house), or extracurriculars or community involvement, as well as for "formal academic studies".

Welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling (or at least, possibly planning for homeschooling) ? BEST of luck to your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

On 1/14/2016 at 8:04 AM, kentuckymom said:

Math: He gets concepts easily but then struggles to apply them consistently and remember all the little details. I'd like to work on that and also keep him on track with the usual sequence around here, which means finishing Algebra by the end of 8th grade.

The only thing I'll throw in here is to be very careful about NOT RUSHING/PUSHING to meet some arbitrary Math level set by the public school.

The abstract/logic portions of the brain required for handling Algebra (abstract math topics) on average *begin* to mature starting about age 13-14. Dyslexic students and "right-brain" students VERY frequently are later in this area of brain development (more like age 15-16), so delaying going into Algebra by taking extra time for gentle/solid development of foundational math skills with Pre-Algebra programs and supplements can be a very good idea -- which means starting Algebra in grade 9 (or even grade 10), and NOT grade 8 (unless the student really and truly is ready for it).

Honestly, MANY schools are discovering that even students who took Algebra in grade 8 do better if they re-take it in grade 9 -- when the students brains are more developed in the areas required for Algebra. So, it is NOT at all "behind" for the average student to take Algebra in 9th grade.

And taking Alegebra 1 in 9th grade still puts the student right on track for graduating high school with the 4 Math credits (Alg. 1, Geometry, Alg. 2, Pre-Calc.) typically required for high school graduation and for college admission.

My advice to parents -- esp. with those who have students with LDs (learning delays/disabilities) -- is to NOT RUSH/PUSH the Math (or the Writing!) in middle school. Because all of the high school Maths require a solid foundation in Pre-Algebra skills and the courses build on one another, if you rush/push through those basic foundational skills, your student very potentially could end up increasingly struggling, and you find you have to go *back* and re-do Algebra -- losing all that time that you thought you were getting *ahead* in Math by doing Algebra in 8th grade. (And potentially causing more dislike of Math in the student due to struggling so much and now feeling like a "failure" for having to back up...) Plus, Algebra is just SO much easier for the student if you wait and do it when THEIR brain has matured a bit more.

But, I digress into my rant of frustration about schools who think that if they just shove Algebra down into lower and lower grades -- 7th! no, now 6th grade! -- that it shows increased "rigor" of the school's academics. Yes, there are a few students who can do it and really are ready for it at those younger grades -- yea! they are advanced/gifted and they *should* do it at that younger age if they truly are ready! But they are the small minority, not the majority of students… Okay, end of rant. ?

Edited September 13, 2018 by Lori D.

[madteaparty]

The curriculum I keep recommending is Galore Park. For English, for French, and starting soon, Latin. I know others also use it for math. We also used it for intergrated science.

I also second Oxford University Press history as recommended.

Edited January 15, 2016 by madteaparty

[Miss Bean]

Great resources on this post! Really useful information. However, there is something I think is missing and maybe people who pulled their children out of public school can provide some imput on this - everything looks really, really great on paper. That's before you factor in the child and the fact that they might not always be willing to pull their weight when it comes to doing the work. Its left me feeling burnt out after only 4 months of schooling. Any advice? I think this will be useful for anyone thinking of beginning homeschooling. It will give you a wider picture.

[Lori D.]

On 1/14/2016 at 7:00 PM, jbrando said:

Great resources on this post! Really useful information. However, there is something I think is missing and maybe people who pulled their children out of public school can provide some imput on this - everything looks really, really great on paper. That's before you factor in the child and the fact that they might not always be willing to pull their weight when it comes to doing the work. Its left me feeling burnt out after only 4 months of schooling. Any advice? I think this will be useful for anyone thinking of beginning homeschooling. It will give you a wider picture.

:grouphug:  Sympathy for the rough patch your family is experiencing in making the move to homeschooling! Transitioning to homeschooling can take a full semester, sometimes a full year, as you all feel your way through to what homeschool looks like for *your* family. Sometimes it means making tweaks:

- start slowly (just a few core subjects), and once that is working pretty well, blend in another subject -- not just when you first start homeschooling, but also a gentle start and a slow ramping up to each semester after a long break makes it easier on everyone

- do NOT try and recreate school at home (sit for 6 hours at a desk/table with only 2 short breaks)

- take breaks as needed, and be flexible -- do school in pjs once in awhile; take a day off and go to the zoo or a museum; occasionally dump the schedule and curl up and read good books together or work on a project you'd both enjoy

- try adjusting your schedule -- school 4 days/week and use day 5 as catch-up and for games, big projects, field trips, educational videos, "fun school" (or, start Mondays that way to ease into the school week) -- maybe do "block" scheduling, or "loop" scheduling -- not all subjects have to be done every day

- are you providing some time and materials regularly for the student to pursue a passion or enjoy a hobby or interest?

- if the student really likes time with other children, are you providing weekly ability to meet that social time through get-togethers with neighbor children, friends, community groups/classes, sports, arts/music, homeschool group, co-op, etc?

- not all subjects need to happen 5x/week (ex: grammar can happen 3x/week)

- esp. if you have older children -- upper elementary, middle school, high school -- sit down together and work out kinks together -- "what's not working here for you, and what suggestions do you have for how it would work better for you"

- not all students are going to be willing to accept you as parent AND teacher/mentor; you may need to adapt your initial plans and include some outsourcing so your student can have you primarily as parent/cheerleader and let the outsourcing "be the bad guy" (lol)

- is the material a good match for the student's learning style? (visual-spatial learners don't do well with formal workbooks and audio lectures; impulsive children don't do well with long lessons but need short bursts of learning; kinesthetic learners need manipulatives and hands-on projects/kits…)

 

On 1/14/2016 at 7:00 PM, jbrando said:

… maybe people who pulled their children out of public school can provide some imput on this - …  the child and the fact that they might not always be willing to pull their weight when it comes to doing the work… Any advice? 

Probably will depend on WHY the child is "not always willing to pull their weight when it comes to doing the work", as to what advice will be successful...

- Still transitioning: student is still anxious and unsure about this new way of doing school?

- Still transitioning: student is still missing friends or aspects of school, or not liking the switch to homeschooling?

- General character issue: no longer masked by school, the appearance of a character issue, and homeschool is the "handy channel" for the issue to rise to the surface?

- Health: undiagnosed physical/emotional/mental/hormonal health issue manifesting in attitude?

- Undiagnosed learning issue or processing issue, manifesting in attitude?

- Academic level: not understanding or not ready for the material, so "pushing back" with anger, apathy, tears, etc?

- Choice of material not a good fit, and the student doesn't know how to verbalize that?

- Need to teach/present the material in a different way for it to connect better?

- Student taking advantage of the transition to be lazy?

- Student just needs the "suck it buttercup" talk? ("I understand you dislike school, but it's not an option to NOT do school, so suck it up, and the quicker you get it done, they more time you have to go play.")

- Time for the "school is not an option" talk?? ("Either we do school here together where we work together as a team with me incorporating your input and interests as much as possible, or you will do it elsewhere with someone who does not care about your interests and where you get little to no input.")

Edited September 13, 2018 by Lori D.

[fourisenough]

You've gotten great suggestions so far, so I'll only mention the stand-outs:

 

Analytical Grammar (start with Junior if better for your student)

 

Math Mammoth, through Pre-Algebra then Foerster's Algebra 1

 

Everything by Ellen McHenry, but especially her geography: Mapping the World with Art and chemistry The Elements

 

Writing With Skill by WTM Press

[jjeepa]

I don't know if you are interested at all in checking out online classes, so ignore this if your aren't, but my 7th grader takes an online writing class through IEW and it has been a wonderful experience. We appreciate the accountability and structure it provides and I would highly recommend their curriculum. I still work with her on her weekly assignments, and it's been a joy to see her transformed from a reluctant writer to someone enthusiastic about getting her ideas down on paper.

Edited January 15, 2016 by jjeepa

[kentuckymom]

Thanks for all the advice so far, both in regard to materials and homeschooling in general. We'll definitely have an eye one what the local public schools will expect DS to have learned if we homeschool for middle school, since the plan would be for him to return for high school. There's a new high school being built right down the road from us which we'll be districted for. This would keep him out of the scary high school that we're currently districted for and the local middle school we want to avoid feeds into. There's also a huge variety of magnet choices for high school, many more than for middle school.

 

I appreciate the advice about not pushing algebra in 8th grade just for the sake of keeping up with the school. I still want to keep algebra in 8th grade as my initial goal, but it's good to be reminded that an advantage to homeschooling is that I can assess my child's academic needs and readiness and not move on if he's not totally ready. 

 

So far, I'm most attracted to Bravewriter (plus something else for spelling) for LA and Math Mammoth for Math. I know two homeschoolers in real life who started using Bravewriter in the past year and they say it's transformed the way their kids look at writing, in a very good way. 

 

I'll save posting more subject specific threads until we've made a definite decision (I won't need to post them if we decide on a magnet school, of course), and I'll definitely come back to this thread if and when the time comes that I actually need to make a choice.

[redsquirrel]

Don't hate me, but on my second trip through homeschooling the middle grades, my favorite resource is The Well Trained Mind Academy.  My son is taking his writing course there and we are SO happy.  I find myself daydreaming about signing him up for history as well next year.  He's easy to teach and at this point I only have one kid to teach....but boy oh boy, having someone else teach writing has been niiiiice  :thumbup1:

[In2why]

I would suggest looking at CLE for math since you wrote he struggles with concepts. It is a Christian company but not much in their math. They are a spiral program so there is a lot of practice for the concepts learned. I also like that it is inexpensive and very thorough, but not overwhelming. I also rave about the Key to...series. I have key to fractions, decimals, and percents and used them extensively to firm up before I found CLE. I still use them as practice sheets of to look at a concept in a different way.

[Julie of KY]

Thanks for all the advice so far, both in regard to materials and homeschooling in general. We'll definitely have an eye one what the local public schools will expect DS to have learned if we homeschool for middle school, since the plan would be for him to return for high school. There's a new high school being built right down the road from us which we'll be districted for. This would keep him out of the scary high school that we're currently districted for and the local middle school we want to avoid feeds into. There's also a huge variety of magnet choices for high school, many more than for middle school.

 

I was going to ask if you live in the same school district as me, but maybe I should ask if you live down the street? :mellow:

 

Feel free to private message me, I own many of the choices that have been mentioned.

 

Math - I love Art of Problem solving (starting with prealgebra); MEP is a good option (though I don't like their elementary options as well; Math mammoth has been mentioned

 

I'm another lover of Brave Writer classes. It's been amazing what my kids have done with Brave Writer - both my kids that like writing as well as my severely dysgraphic son.

 

Take a look at All About Spelling - many people find it useful for kids with dyslexia.

 

Science - lots of good science curriculum out there, but there is nothing that says you have to follow them; you can get great science books and just read and do experiments.

 

I like Mystery of History for an overview of history.

 

Two of my boys have loved some of the Teaching Company engineering videos (and physics) - including my youngest!

 

Consider homeschool co-ops in your area.

 

Persue learning about whatever interests your child, just for fun.

 

One of the biggest challenges of starting homeschooling in middle school is the transition from traditional school to homeschool. It is a different mindset to educate at home versus reproducing "school" at home. It'll take a while for everything to settle into a routine if you do choose to start homeschooling. Around my area it's easy to transition back into school as a 9th grader.

 

Edited January 16, 2016 by Julie of KY

[kbutton]

We love Ellen McHenry.

I really like the 6th-8th grade version of The Reader's Handbook--it's some LA, some literature skills, some study skills. It's kind of a nice reference that has practical To Do stuff in it. You might or might use it all in one year. It's schoolish, but I think it's a great resource.

Jump In has been a good fit for my son, but he uses it with a tutor, so I can't get very specific about how it goes. The book can be used for two years.

If grammar is solid conceptually, you might look at the Daily Grams for older students--they have an 8th grade and up edition that is good if most grammar has been covered conceptually. If not, maybe Winston Grammar or Michael Clay Thompson? I have not used Winston, but I think their cards are really helpful. We love MCT grammar, but it's not typical and doesn't cover mechanics in a traditional way. (My son needs additional practice with that.)

 

Shooting for a balance of independent/together work take some time and effort. You might want to borrow some materials from HS friends if that is an option for you--look at them, see how you think they would work. You might also try to buy some things through the yearly homeschool bundle sale--they have had Ellen McHenry stuff there, and sometimes buying just one or two resources pays for the whole bundle. You can mix and match--I've gotten a lot of stuff that way when I haven't been sure of exactly what i want because it's pretty low risk. I think you can sign up here to be notified when the sale starts: https://www.buildyourbundle.net/ .

 

As far having a hard time transitioning, I found that it's very difficult for a child who is used to being one of many in a classroom to be "in the hot seat" so to speak, answering every question, working all by themselves. Even if they are very interested in school, that level of 1:1 investment and mental engagement is not something they are used to. YMMV. 

[Julie of KY]

My kids have enjoyed (and learned a lot) from both middle school and high school Center for Literature classes. We do the literature class only without writing. This year, I had two of my kids ASK to take another Center for Lit class saying that it really impacts how they think about what they are reading. As mom, I've been impressed with how much they've learned in a very low key way -- I didn't realize how much they were learning until I was having lit discussions about other books.

[nobeatenpath]

Lori D's post said pretty much everything I wanted to say (and said it better than I would have!). I will also put in another word for Brave Writer and Mammoth Maths.

[kbutton]

As far having a hard time transitioning, I found that it's very difficult for a child who is used to being one of many in a classroom to be "in the hot seat" so to speak, answering every question, working all by themselves. Even if they are very interested in school, that level of 1:1 investment and mental engagement is not something they are used to. YMMV. 

 

I just realized that I should have said this is something you can work through--it's part of the learning curve. I didn't mean to make it sound like it would be a reason to not try homeschooling.

[Aurelia]

 

If I homeschooled him, I think my general goals would look like this:

 

Language Arts: I'd like him to realize that he actually can write and get him to like it more (the public school is very writing heavy but not very writing instruction heavy, and he's grown to hate it). I'd like to get him to read or listen to a good variety of classic literature. I'd like to give him a good basic knowledge of grammar. I'd like to remediate his spelling (he's dyslexic and his reading is great thanks to Barton, but his spelling is still pathetic).

 

Math: He gets concepts easily but then struggles to apply them consistently and remember all the little details. I'd like to work on that and also keep him on track with the usual sequence around here, which means finishing Algebra by the end of 8th grade.

 

Social Studies: I'd like to give him a general overview of world geography and world history with some space to explore topics that interest him. At this point that tends to be wars.

 

Science: I'd like to explore a variety of science topics in all four disciplines at his level.

 

So do you have any suggestions for me? Or encouragement that homeschooling a kid just for middle school is an awesome decision? 

 

Language arts: Bravewriter, Apples & Pears Spelling. I might do Treasured Conversations as grammar and light writing instruction. Kolbe Academy has a pretty good reading list, though I wouldn't necessarily buy the curriculum.

Math: CLE (worked really, really well for DD, who had similar problems)

Social Studies: Mapping the World with Art

Science: So You Really Want to Learn Science by Galore Park (2 volumes/years, now OOP, but you can get them pretty cheaply through Amazon). Add Quark Chronicles (3 volumes, living books for life science reinforcement) and Ellen McHenry's The Elements (and Carbon Chemistry, if he really likes chem) for enrichment.

 

Don't forget to leave room for something like music and/or art and PE. Those are some of the most vital subjects (excellent for training focus and emphasizing hard work over being "smart") and they tend to get overlooked.

 

I always said if I could only home school for a certain period of time, it would be middle school. The schools always seem to be the worst academically, with the most bullying and negative peer pressure.