I need an easy start to 9th grade (and 7th and 11th) and curriculum suggestions for a basic, successful, school year (AKA redeeming school after divorce)

[Trilliumlady]

Back story - end of last school year I had just asked for separation from DH. This made the last two to three months of 2022-2023 school year rough for my boy who was then in 5th, DS in 7th, and DD in 9th.  Mostly, though for the 5th grader.  We barely made it across the finish line, with various assignments just skipped or kind of glossed over. It wasn’t pretty.

I filed for divorce October 2023.  Understandably, this has made this year rough as well.  In addition to normal boy puberty, the 12 and 14 y/o have had alternating brain dumps, shut downs, anger spells, etc.  We are again making do, and those of us around them involved in their schooling (which does not include their dad, at all.  He has historically never really been involved in their schooling, and routinely sends them home to me with their work for the day not done, etc) all agree that even though it’s been rough, this year we think is ending on a slightly better note than last year. Divorce is still in process, who knows when it will be done. 

I’m at a loss, though, for next year.  I just need basic. We need a year to feel successful. I don’t know what my finances will be come fall, so one or two onlines each would be the absolute maximum. I also am trying to work, as I am not receiving child support and he currently pays nothing. 

Any suggestions for curriculum that are just basic teachings for any of the grades (will be 7th/9th/11th) would be massively appreciated. I just need basic education at this point, and for them to enjoy learning again. We need a good year under our belts… Or even just suggestions in general would be helpful. Thank you so much…

[Miss Tick]

I'm sorry I don't have specific advice for you, just support. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation.

Any possibility of out sourcing to public school for your youngest two altogether? You've already paid in the money for that option.

Even in the best of times home schooling high school is difficult and it sounds like the next few years will see you looking to find your own balance.

If that won't work, I wonder if you can spend 8th grade really highlighting his strengths and interests. Is he a sports player or a reader, history buff or video gamer? Has anything you used this year been working and doesn't need to change? Any subjects in particular that have been a struggle?

[Eos]

I'm so sorry,  but glad you're moving forward. Xdh not being involved or paying support is a crime and so stressful. 

12 hours ago, Trilliumlady said:

this year we think is ending on a slightly better note than last year.

Great! 

I'm sure you know this but I'll just say it again: boys in puberty need a lot of food and a lot of exercise. I know there have been threads here or on the chat board asking for easy, inexpensive, nutritious meals and snacks for those years. I remember making 20 refried bean, cheese, salsa burritos for the freezer per week and my boys eating endless jars of peanut butter on endless loaves of bread. Exercise is not optional for that age, they have to sweat every day. Sweating socially is even better if there are kids they like to ride bikes or play sports with. Working with their hands while volunteering such as for church or a community organization is also really helpful for burning off that puberty angst.

A couple of clarifying questions: are you totally committed to homeschool or is public school an option?

Do they want to stay home?

What have you been using for the one entering 11th and can you reuse their 9th materials for the entering ninth?

Is there a local co-op or homeschooling community where they could do some of their classes? 

I'm thinking of the Oak Meadow curricula (secular) which span all the grades and all subjects. They have very clear learning guides, teacher/answer books, and incorporate arts-based activities if desired. You can pay for teacher support from the company or not, and it's fairly easy to find used sets of the grades and individual courses.

 

[HomeAgain]

Super basic: PAC (Paradigm) makes series like CLE for different subjects.  Rainbow Resource sells them decently cheap.  They're religious, at least the history ones are, but they fill a niche. https://pacworks.com/

 

If you can swing online, maybe Derek Owens for math to still keep the budget low. 

[Trilliumlady]

3 hours ago, Eos said:

I'm so sorry,  but glad you're moving forward. Xdh not being involved or paying support is a crime and so stressful. 

Great! 

I'm sure you know this but I'll just say it again: boys in puberty need a lot of food and a lot of exercise. I know there have been threads here or on the chat board asking for easy, inexpensive, nutritious meals and snacks for those years. I remember making 20 refried bean, cheese, salsa burritos for the freezer per week and my boys eating endless jars of peanut butter on endless loaves of bread. Exercise is not optional for that age, they have to sweat every day. Sweating socially is even better if there are kids they like to ride bikes or play sports with. Working with their hands while volunteering such as for church or a community organization is also really helpful for burning off that puberty angst.

I forget about exercise…. Well, that’s not accurate. I don’t forget about it.  It just is so hard to fit it into our days.  We live in the country so there is ample space, but when school takes SO LONG then the end of the day comes and I run out of energy to toss them outside everyday.  I need to do better on this, thank you for this reminder.

A couple of clarifying questions: are you totally committed to homeschool or is public school an option?

Basically committed to homeschool.  The local small school isn’t TERRIBLE as far as that goes, but I really really really would like to avoid it.

Do they want to stay home?

Yes, they all adamantly do not want to go to public school.

What have you been using for the one entering 11th and can you reuse their 9th materials for the entering ninth?

Yes, I could reuse some.  It’s been CLE math for most years other than this year with I did Derek Owens for the oldest two.  That has been “adequate” as far as their learning styles go, but both are asking for something else next year. She’s done two years of Roman Roads for history/lit and those have been decent for her (my dad who loves that stuff has been able to walk through it with her, at least watches the lectures with her). I don’t know if DS going into 9th is up for that jump, though.  She did Berean Builders science for a year but got behind so just finished it this year, her 10th grade year.  I guess I think DS could use the biology, he is more sciencey than she is.  I could ponder that for sure. Then she did online languages through CLRC and now Schole, so those wouldn’t be an exact pass down.

Is there a local co-op or homeschooling community where they could do some of their classes? 

I wish.  No, nothing close.  Closest would be an hour away and with my unpredictable work schedule I just wouldn’t be able to make it work. They do enjoy youth group at church and have friends there, but aren’t SUPER extroverted where they need a ton of socialization.

I'm thinking of the Oak Meadow curricula (secular) which span all the grades and all subjects. They have very clear learning guides, teacher/answer books, and incorporate arts-based activities if desired. You can pay for teacher support from the company or not, and it's fairly easy to find used sets of the grades and individual courses.

I haven’t looked at that one, but that sounds good.  Thanks for that suggestion!

 

 

[Trilliumlady]

I think I’ve heard of PAC…. Off to check that out too.  Thank you!

[freesia]

With my boys, having them exercise before school worked best. 
 

How about Teaching Textbooks for math? 7 sisters homeschool has bundles for ELA that would be straightforward to use. Alternatively, Lantern English has full year English for around $325. They have quarterly classes that are affordable, too. 
 

I have used a lot of different science and honestly find Apologia with the notebooks the most straightforward to use. It’s written for homeschoolers. I just discuss places where our family disagrees. 
 

Guesthollow Biology is also straightforward as is their world history. 

[BusyMom5]

I would very seriously consider sending the 7th and 9th graders to public school. I have a friend who faced a similar situation when her kids a year older than each of yours- same genders. Youngest thrived in PS, oldest finished with lots of DE, and the middle one had started high school at home- it was very hard because in our state, public school are often all or nothing for high school.  He went to a small private homeschoolish school, doing the next level of programs they used at home, online DE, and eventually at the college campus.  I think putting him in public school would have been a much easier option for all involved.  She was in a similar situation, knew they were splitting, but still wanted to homeschool.  I get that, and its hard when life doesn't turn out thecway we had imagined.   Homeschooling means you have a lot invested in their education, and its hard to put them somewhere else.  I would pause for a bit and consider how the next 5-7 years will play out and what would be the best way to balance everyone's needs. Be realistic, not best-case scenario.  Do you really think you can finish the 9th graders high school?  If Dad isn't making them do the work now, is that going to change?

For the 11th grader- what are her goals?  If DE is an option?  If not, what credits does she still need?  Do you have any private Homeschooling type options in your area?  

[Trilliumlady]

22 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

I would very seriously consider sending the 7th and 9th graders to public school. I have a friend who faced a similar situation when her kids a year older than each of yours- same genders. Youngest thrived in PS, oldest finished with lots of DE, and the middle one had started high school at home- it was very hard because in our state, public school are often all or nothing for high school.  He went to a small private homeschoolish school, doing the next level of programs they used at home, online DE, and eventually at the college campus.  I think putting him in public school would have been a much easier option for all involved.  She was in a similar situation, knew they were splitting, but still wanted to homeschool.  I get that, and its hard when life doesn't turn out thecway we had imagined.   Homeschooling means you have a lot invested in their education, and its hard to put them somewhere else.  I would pause for a bit and consider how the next 5-7 years will play out and what would be the best way to balance everyone's needs. Be realistic, not best-case scenario.  Do you really think you can finish the 9th graders high school?  If Dad isn't making them do the work now, is that going to change?

For the 11th grader- what are her goals?  If DE is an option?  If not, what credits does she still need?  Do you have any private Homeschooling type options in your area?  

All good thoughts to ponder.  Thank you. And no, no good private homeschooling type schools in the area at all. And the hard part is she’s undecided what her goals are and I think is overwhelmed by thinking about it…. The other two show more aptitude in specific directions, but this oldest is more difficult to pinpoint where she could end up.

[happypamama]

Is cyber school an option? We have some good cyber options here that friends have liked, and given the choice between that and public school, I'd probably try cyber first. In our state, cyber is considered public school, so the oversight is different from a traditional homeschooler. That could take pressure off of you to make sure work happens when they're with Dad. 

[Trilliumlady]

On 4/20/2024 at 12:27 PM, happypamama said:

Is cyber school an option? We have some good cyber options here that friends have liked, and given the choice between that and public school, I'd probably try cyber first. In our state, cyber is considered public school, so the oversight is different from a traditional homeschooler. That could take pressure off of you to make sure work happens when they're with Dad. 

Cyber school might be an option that I haven’t really considered.  I have to look into this, thank you.

[Clemsondana]

I might consider public or cyber school, but if you need to keep them home then you might consider workbooks from The Critical Thinking Company.  We used several over the years.

[CAtoVA]

You could look at www.study.com which is a monthly subscription giving you access to tons of classes in all academic subjects for various grade levels. The costs are anywhere from $29.00 a month for a  teacher subscription to $59.00 a month for a student subscription. As the parent, you would assign the lessons and then get reports showing your kids' achievement on quizzes, tests, and worksheet types of assignments. Also, Wondrium which is a monthly subscription ($15.00 a month) that has taped 30 minute lectures for all types of academic and non academic subjects. For World History, my 10th grade DD watches assorted Wondrium lectures that I assign and does various study.com lessons to reinforce the topics she is learning about. I have also added in readings from various trade books, activity books, and text books, quizzes and tests (homemade), and literature books (for example Beowulf while studying Anglo-Saxon England), but you could do a "light" credit just with the Wondrium lectures, study.com lessons, and some discussion. 

Another idea is to do the monthly recorded class subscription from www.homeschoolconnections.com. Full, recorded classes are available for elementary, middle school and high school levels at a reasonable monthly price. You could also look at IXL which has reasonable subscription plans. Lastly, try Khan Academy (free courses) and the library for supplements of course! My library has all the Life of Fred math books for checkout, for example. 
 

For purchasing used curriculum: I have found www.homeschoolclassifieds.com and www.bookfinder.com very useful as well as used curriculum sales at my annual homeschool convention and library used book sales. I have also bought and sold on general and specific curriculum groups on Facebook. Always use Paypal or Venmo or something that protects your purchase price when buying books online. 

I hope this helps! I am so sorry that you and your family are having to go through such a trying time. Homeschooling isn't easy even when things are "smooth" family-wise. <<<<<<HUGS to you!! >>>>>>>

 

Edited April 25 by CAtoVA

[almondbutterandjelly]

You might look at Timberdoodle.com at their grade-level curriculum kits for ideas.  They always seem so fun.  Personally, I recommend Mathusee for high school because that worked well for my dd, but of course, kids have various learning styles.  Timberdoodle suggests The U.S. Constitution graphic novel for 9th grade, which looks like a really fun way to cover that topic.  

Ooh, for really fun history coverage, watch the Horrible History episodes.  But, like, all of the same kind.  Like all of the Romans or all of the Greeks or what have you.  That was a hit here.

[almondbutterandjelly]

For English, I always liked to hit areas that needed work.  So some books that we used (not at the same time) were Figuratively Speaking, Window to the World, Jensen's Format Writing, Composition by Seton Books (note: very Catholic content, but if you can overlook, it's good old school research report writing.  Note cards and outlines and such).  

I also really liked using Graphic Canon volumes one and two for tasting pieces of classic literature (Note: you must black sharpie over some of the pictures in Graphic Canon, and I did rip out about three pages, but I still think it's great.  Totally graphic novel.  Has pieces of Epic of Gilgamesh, Iliad, Odyssey, Shakespeare, all sorts.  Very fun approach.). In addition, I would have a book basket with novels and required 30 minutes of reading a day.

Best wishes!