Homeschool Options for 8th Grader

[BestEdu1]

Hello all,

We have a 14 year old son in the 8th grade that we want to home school.  We've been doing quite a bit of research into different options and have just been extremely overwhelmed. Any thoughts on Accellus, & Abeka?

We prefer a program that's guided and online, but clearly looking for something substantial that will provide a great education.

Any input is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

[HomeAgain]

I don't find either of those programs to meet the needs of an 8th grader.

The middle school years are full of conversation and thought.  There are ideas bounced around, development of skill happening, and the transition from childhood to adulthood.  There is not a program out there that will offer a great education while removing all contact from mentors and teachers.  There just isn't.  Both you listed may offer information, but it's like throwing marshmallows.

If you were sending your child to school, would you be satisfied with an environment of clicking through screens all day for your child?  Don't accept less from yourself than you would of someone else.

There are several highly guided options out there that offer you the opportunity to be involved and part of the learning process. CathyDuffy is a good place to start, Rainbow Resource to look at materials. Or there are online classes through various avenues like Derek Owens, WTMA, Outschool, and True North, where teachers offer feedback and opportunities to ask questions/clarify information.

Hone in on the details that make an education great, in your opinion, and don't waver from that ideal to throw money at something that doesn't meet it.

[8filltheheart]

The hows of homeschooing are highly variable and really depend on the reasons for homeschooling and the needs of the student as well as the needs of the parent taking on the responsibility of being the primary educator.

I can share that as someone who has been homeschooling for almost 30 yrs that neither the programs or their approaches would have worked well for our family.  Our reason for homeschooling is to provide a higher quality education that meets our children's individual needs better than a screen or a teacher in box one-size-fits-all approach.  Those are pretty much moving from an inflexible classroom at school to an inflexible classroom at home.

However, I have the time teach and interact with my students.  Meeting their academic level exactly where they are and challenging them to function at expectations that they are capable of achieving IS the primary objective.  For some families, that is just not even a goal.  For some families simply rescuing from a toxic environment and having them safe is the only thing that matters.

One caution I would raise for you to be aware of for your ds is that homeschooling, especially one that is independent screen focused, can be isolating.  Teens really need conversation and lots of human interaction.  Unfortunately, computer-based education can also put them in a position where without direct supervision that cheating, internet consumption, etc are serious temptations.  

[homemommy83]

I have found using more independent programs in the middle years with a tutoring period has allowed the time for natural discussions to occur.  Abeka is a good program, our area Christian school uses it and we have friends whom have used it with their children.  Some ideas.

Plan a reading period every day...it is the last year before high school and I would encourage reading heavily in topics of interest as it may help when directing the plan for high school.  There are some basics all children do, but electives really allow children to explore interest and callings.

Teaching Textbooks...it teaches and grades math every day for you.  It has solutions worked step by step as well.  I would schedule 1 day a week to tutor math in particular. I tutor each child daily, but rotate topics of focus. 

Easy Grammar Plus..most schools are not strong in grammar and this would shore up basic skills before high school.

Writing...I would do either Writing Strands or Writing with Skill.  

Rod and Staff Spelling is excellent he could do levels 7 and 8 in one year for a solid study of latin and Greek roots.

Reading widely and purposefully, writing daily, doing math, grammar, and spelling/vocabulary is sufficient in my opinion for under high school.

You could add Abeka science and history with videos of it is what you need instead of allowing him to follow interest.

In your daily tutoring time, begin with narration and discussion of what he is learning.  I have found this an excellent way to home educate a large family.  Rotate subjects in this time. 

Blessings,

Brenda

[Ting Tang]

We started homeschooling three years ago and began with Abeka because I honestly didn't know what more was out there!  It was a good program to use to introduce us to homeschooling, and I still think it has its merits based on my experience with elementary.  However, there are so many more options out there, which can also be overwhelming.  

We do not use online platforms, but many curriculum providers have online academies associated with them.  You could look at Classical Academic Press and Memoria Press and their academy sides. You can also search here, of course!

We are only now approaching middle school.  In our state, students can be granted high school credit for certain courses taken in 7th and 8th grade, so I do think that is important to keep in mind, too.

Best wishes!  I am still figuring out what might work best for us, too.

[8filltheheart]

Reading @homemommy83's post is a perfect example of the different needs among homeschoolers.  I personally would never use Teaching Textbooks for math.  Math is a primary focus in our homeschool and providing a strong foundation that challenges them at their level of ability means using math curriculum that I know offers thorough explanations with a wide variety of difficult problem sets.  TT is a very easy math curriculum that doesn't require the same level of complexity of thought/application as other math curricula.  (MUS is another math curriculum that I wouldn't use at the middle/high school level for the same reason.)

[cintinative]

It is not clear if you are thinking of pulling your child right now (as in, mid year) or for next year (9th). Could you clarify?

As others have indicated, there is no easy answer here. What works for each child is going to be very individual. Some kids might thrive with Abeka. Others would hate it with a passion.  My kids would likely fall into the latter camp.  Also my kids tend to hate video instruction. We have made exceptions over the years--we used Derek Owens for physics, for example. But they hated the Latin videos I tried and when we looked at history videos, those were passed over too. So you do need to get some input from your kid.  My kids don't tend to like lecture videos--we do use them on occasion, but not as the primary means of learning.  

Since you have an 8th grader, IF you are pulling him/her this year, it is going to be really important to think about trajectory. What history do you want your dc to take in 9th grade? If you want your dc to take American history, then you probably don't want to do American history this year.  If you want your kid to cover through Calculus in high school, it is likely that in 8th grade you want the child to cover Algebra I. 

It might be helpful for people to know what your dc is currently taking in 8th grade and if you know the publisher/book that would help also. If the child is already in a Christian school using Abeka and enjoying it, that might make a difference, for example.

[cintinative]

OP, not to overwhelm you more, but have you ever looked at The Well Trained Mind (book)?  It would help us to understand if you are seeking a Classical high school approach or an eclectic one. 

There are several pinned threads on the high school board that might be helpful. There are threads that go through different curriculum for science (bio, chem, physics) and math with texts and outside providers if relevant. Also there is the high school motherlode thread(s) that discuss all that you need to know for recordkeeping, tests, transcripts, choosing courses, etc. 

 

[BestEdu1]

Thank you all for your responses, all very enlightening and helpful. 

A little more background, our son is currently in school and we're going to transition over to home school within the next week or two.

We'd like a somewhat traditional online based approach if that makes any sense, looking for an accredited school that would handle grading, transcripts etc. We'd certainly look into adding coursework, and find some of the classes offered on outschool interesting.

Just wondering what would be best, and have been researching extensively for the past few weeks. 

Thank you again for all the recommendations.

[8filltheheart]

If you want to just continue ps at home, Connections Academy/K12 (or your state's version of a virtual academy) or Florida Virtual School are 2 options you might want to consider.  Those might allow a transition back into a traditional school with fewer issues than other if that becomes something that you might want in the future.  Believe it or not, high schools are far more hostile and reluctant to accept any homeschool courses than colleges.  Homeschool transcripts are usually accepted at face value for college admissions (no accreditation necessary).   

Edited January 2, 2023 by 8filltheheart

[cintinative]

8Fill is correct--if you decide to switch back to brick and mortar high school then it will go more smoothly if you use a public school at home option.

If you are looking for accredited courses because of sports, I would ask on the high school forum. 

Doing classes online is kind of a unique animal. Some kids do well with it, and others do not.  

One provider you could consider is The Potter's School. Live online courses in almost all disciplines.  And you can potentially do a full load through them. 

[homemommy83]

3 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

Reading @homemommy83's post is a perfect example of the different needs among homeschoolers.  I personally would never use Teaching Textbooks for math.  Math is a primary focus in our homeschool and providing a strong foundation that challenges them at their level of ability means using math curriculum that I know offers thorough explanations with a wide variety of difficult problem sets.  TT is a very easy math curriculum that doesn't require the same level of complexity of thought/application as other math curricula.  (MUS is another math curriculum that I wouldn't use at the middle/high school level for the same reason.)

I agree about it being less challenging, and would not use it as my main curriculum unless I needed more self instruction for a time as I believe the poster did😉.  I also mentioned tutoring weekly...this is where I would work topically on weaknesses and on more advanced word problems.  In her case of needing something more video reliant, I believe as you stated some may have different needs.  I personally LOVE math and enjoy teaching it. I was the strongest math student in my school and have many very strong math students.  I wanted to focus on grammar and writing as my main tutoring focus for a few months and got my children teaching textbooks for review and they LOVE it. For us I am still tutoring once a week in math as a stretching, 4 days in English.  Our children did their grade levels in a couple months and are about to start the second level above their grade levels.  It has been a blessing here to be able to back seat a subject, but in a couple more months we will be back at our main curriculums...I love them all🤣.  I tend to rotate curriculums a few months at a time, it makes life a bit more fun I think.

I was hoping it would allow her to have a gentle start into homeschooling as she finds strengths and interest of her child.  Not unschooling, but gentle.

Many blessings,

Brenda

[8filltheheart]

9 minutes ago, homemommy83 said:

I agree about it being less challenging, and would not use it as my main curriculum unless I needed more self instruction for a time as I believe the poster did😉.  I also mentioned tutoring weekly...this is where I would work topically on weaknesses and on more advanced word problems.  In her case of needing something more video reliant, I believe as you stated some may have different needs.  I personally LOVE math and enjoy teaching it. I was the strongest math student in my school and have many very strong math students.  I wanted to focus on grammar and writing as my main tutoring focus for a few months and got my children teaching textbooks for review and they LOVE it. For us I am still tutoring once a week in math as a stretching, 4 days in English.  Our children did their grade levels in a couple months and are about to start the second level above their grade levels.  It has been a blessing here to be able to back seat a subject, but in a couple more months we will be back at our main curriculums...I love them all🤣.  I tend to rotate curriculums a few months at a time, it makes life a bit more fun I think.

I was hoping it would allow her to have a gentle start into homeschooling as she finds strengths and interest of her child.  Not unschooling, but gentle.

Many blessings,

Brenda

There are better options for math for families/students who want video based instruction.  Derek Owens classes are normal middle/high school level difficulty with honors level as an option.  Parents can self-grade or they can pay for him to grade as well as having tutors available to answer any questions. 

[Green Bean]

[But 8, not every child can handle DO or other more difficult options even with a great foundation. Saying TT is a bad fit for your kids is one thing. Saying it is just a subpar choice overall and implying subtly that a kid or parent who uses that is "wrong" is another. We all know you are like SUPER HOMESCHOOL MOMMA and admire you for it. We aren't all like you or have your kids, though. Isn't it nice we have options to use with the kids we do have and that fit us, as the teacher/parent? 🙂]

To the OP:

Depending on your flavor, BJU has an accredited school:

https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/content/the-academy-of-home-education

We have used lots of their online courses over the years. Religious, but excellent content.

 

K12 Public School enrolling is another option, but I have read nothing but scathing reviews about them over the years. We used their courses as independents for some subjects. Loved them! I would encourage you to maybe look at their private K12 International option instead.

https://www.k12.com/tuition-based-school-programs/online-private-school.html

 

HTH!

[8filltheheart]

13 minutes ago, Green Bean said:

[But 8, not every child can handle DO or other more difficult options even with a great foundation. Saying TT is a bad fit for your kids is one thing. Saying it is just a subpar choice overall and implying subtly that a kid or parent who uses that is "wrong" is another. We all know you are like SUPER HOMESCHOOL MOMMA and admire you for it. We aren't all like you or have your kids, though. Isn't it nice we have options to use with the kids we do have and that fit us, as the teacher/parent? 🙂]

To the OP:

Depending on your flavor, BJU has an accredited school:

https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/content/the-academy-of-home-education

We have used lots of their online courses over the years. Religious, but excellent content.

 

K12 Public School enrolling is another option, but I have read nothing but scathing reviews about them over the years. We used their courses as independents for some subjects. Loved them! I would encourage you to maybe look at their private K12 International option instead.

https://www.k12.com/tuition-based-school-programs/online-private-school.html

 

HTH!

If you read the post I was responding to, she stated she had strong math students.   My first response about TT was very specific about my not using it with my students precisely bc I have strong math students and challenging math is a priority for my familiy.  

 

30 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:

I was the strongest math student in my school and have many very strong math students.

For some reason it posted as my stating that. but it was @homemommy83

Edited January 2, 2023 by 8filltheheart

[homemommy83]

24 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:

There are better options for math for families/students who want video based instruction.  Derek Owens classes are normal middle/high school level difficulty with honors level as an option.  Parents can self-grade or they can pay for him to grade as well as having tutors available to answer any questions. 

I am out of the loop for his classes.  That sounds like an excellent option for her as well.  I do Teaching Textbooks because we have chosen to not have our younger children have internet access and it can be done offline once lessons are downloaded.  I had considered Khan Academy, but one has to be online the entire time.  I think for my weakest math student, she has felt more successful as well which is blessing here.  I also prefer mastery based programs and TT is not, but for fun review our children have enjoyed it.  We also use Life of Fred each summer and our children love that.  I used to use Rod in Staff...it is solid, but switched to MCP and Singapore in the younger years...I enjoy both for different reasons.  Like everything curriculum wise, use the tools as tools and you can be successful in your goals.  I plan to take a month soon and play math with our younger children using mastering mathematics cards and manipulatives.  Math is fun and great to look at from many points of view.

LOF, living math books, and Number stories...through a story.

MCP, Key to series,and Rod and Staff...mastery based and great for filling holes and introducing topics.

Singapore is excellent at mental math and understanding why.  It builds solid word problem understandings.

I used AOPs prealgebra, BJU for tutoring, and Saxon/LOF (independent studies) for my oldest whom is graduated for High School.  He did amazing on his SATs with these programs.  We school year around with rare giving birth breaks every few years 🤣...this allows us to backseat certain subjects to something different and still make great gains.

 

My main goal for using Teaching Textbooks is to backseat math as I need to focus on something else more important for a few months 😉

[homemommy83]

8filltheheart,

What are your favorite programs not done online?

Blessings,

Brenda

[8filltheheart]

9 minutes ago, homemommy83 said:

8filltheheart,

What are your favorite programs not done online?

Blessings,

Brenda

My kids do hardly any online classes all the way through high school graduation.  I am their primary teacher.  I plan, teach, grade, etc.   I don't want to distract from the OP's thread which actually answering your question would do.

[seemesew]

4 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

tThe hows of homeschooing are highly variable and really depend on the reasons for homeschooling and the needs of the student as well as the needs of the parent taking on the responsibility of being the primary educator.

I can share that as someone who has been homeschooling for almost 30 yrs that neither the programs or their approaches would have worked well for our family.  Our reason for homeschooling is to provide a higher quality education that meets our children's individual needs better than a screen or a teacher in box one-size-fits-all approach.  Those are pretty much moving from an inflexible classroom at school to an inflexible classroom at home.

However, I have the time teach and interact with my students.  Meeting their academic level exactly where they are and challenging them to function at expectations that they are capable of achieving IS the primary objective.  For some families, that is just not even a goal.  For some families simply rescuing from a toxic environment and having them safe is the only thing that matters.

One caution I would raise for you to be aware of for your ds is that homeschooling, especially one that is independent screen focused, can be isolating.  Teens really need conversation and lots of human interaction.  Unfortunately, computer-based education can also put them in a position where without direct supervision that cheating, internet consumption, etc are serious temptations.  

I can second and third this! From the programs not working for us to the teen isolation of being totally online.

 

[Clemsondana]

A couple of not-curriculum-specific thoughts based on things that I've seen... I've homeschooled my kids since K, and I've taught (mostly biology, mostly grades 8-12) at weekly homeschool co-op where kids can take the courses of their choice - some take 1, some take 7, and many take something in between.  

I've had several students who come from a traditional (public or private) school background.  Some do very well, but many struggle with how to manage their time in the more flexible homeschool environment.  Obviously I can't know your student or your plans, but that is one thing to keep in mind.  I remember one girl asking the other students repeatedly about how they managed when there weren't daily due dates.  This is a common issue with any teen, but the transition to schedule independence is usually less abrupt for long-term homeschoolers.  Depending on how you think this will go, it may influence whether you choose online courses that are synchronous or asynchronous, have multiple meetings or deadlines each week, etc.  

For example, one of my kids is doing a Derek Owens physical science class.  There is a weekly syllabus, but students can move through the work at their own pace.  One of my kids would easily do this, perhaps finishing ahead of schedule.  For the student taking the course right now, I have to set weekly 'This must be finished before you can go to...' deadlines myself.  

There are all-in-one online options that have been suggested above.  There are also good ways to piece together an online program by taking classes at multiple providers, if that would be a better fit.  It can be hard for some students to juggle that schedule, but there are some very good providers for individual courses or areas - Derek Owens does physical science and math, for instance.  You can also have traditional subjects that aren't done in ways that require lots of grading.  My kids have rarely taken classes at home that involved tests, although we've covered many traditional subjects.  For some classes, reading interesting books and then journaling, or writing papers, or having discussion, can be a good approach that doesn't involve a lot of grading by the parent.  

If you are planning to transition back to traditional high school after this year, you will likely want traditional math and English.  However, you can still take advantage of some interest-led courses for history and science if that is of interest to your child.