Next Fall, my youngest son will be starting 7th grade. This past year’s homeschooling adventure was a huge success, so we’ve decided to continue homeschooling again next year. Here is the curriculum he will be using for 7th grade.
Writing – WriteShop Level F: This particular child did not have a formal writing curriculum for 6th grade. Instead, his language are curriculum focused more on reading and grammar. His older brother used the WriteShop Level 1 curriculum last year, and I had thought about using that curriculum for my 7th grader next year. However, I believe the WriteShop Level F curriculum will be a better fit for him. That is one of the great things about homeschool, you can really tailor the curriculum level to the child for each subject.
Grammar – Fix It Grammar: My son completed the Fix It Grammar Nose Tree curriculum in 6th grade. He will be continuing with this program and doing the Robin Hood curriculum for 7th grade. Fix It Grammar is a very easy to use grammar program where a student edits and rewrites a story one sentence at a time of the course of a year. Grammar rules are introduced throughout the course of the curriculum and then those rules are broken in the text that needs to be fixed. The fact that each sentence that needs to be fixed ties together into a single story adds to the enjoyment of this curriculum.
Vocabulary – Wordly Wise Book 7: My son completed Wordly Wise Book 6 in 6th grade and will be continuing with this vocabulary curriculum for 7th grade. I really like this curriculum. It could easily be used for spelling with younger students and as students get older it turns into a wonderful SAT prep program.
Math – Saxon Level 7/6: I jumped around and tried a lot of different workbooks and math curriculum for my son in 6th grade. He did improve his math skills last year, but the teaching method I used was frustrating at times. I’m did use a Saxon math program with my older son last year and I’m really looking forward to using this program with my 7th grader next year. The material is clearly presented in a teachable way, and the homework assignments continually review past concepts to help solidify understanding.
History – Snapshots in Early Modern History: My son used Curiosity Chronicles history program for 6th grade. At the beginning of the year, I was worried that the Ancient History curriculum was too easy for him. Because this curriculum is designed for elementary students the first book (Ancient History) is intended for students in early elementary. The curriculum still had value and we decided to simply go through it at a faster pace and also complete the Snapshots in Medieval History curriculum in 6th grade. The Medieval history chapters were longer and more in depth and I am expecting that the later books in the series will also progress in depth/difficulty. For this reason we’ve decided to stick with this curriculum for another year, again going at an accelerated rate. There are two volumes to the Curiosity Chronicles Snapshots in Early Modern History. My son will be completing both of them in seventh grade, on per semester instead of one per year.
Science – Physical Science: I wasn’t thrilled with the science curriculum I used for my son in 6th grade. This kid has always loved building toys as a kid and is drawn to STEM activities. When asked what branch of science he wanted to learn for 7th grade he asked for physics. This secular middle school physical science curriculum by Holt is used in many public schools but is also available to homeschoolers. I’m hoping it will be a better fit for my son than some of the less rigorous science curriculums popular with many homeschooling families.
Elective – Computer Applications: My youngest kid is in middles school, and my oldest will be in high school next year. So we need to think about “electives”. My kids go to their dad’s house one day per week. Their dad is a software engineer and has been teaching them coding as his contribution to homeschool. My son will continue to learn coding during 7th grade. He has also been learning to type using typing club this year. I’m planning to have him continue to practice his typing and combine that with the coding lessons he’s getting from his dad a a single computer applications elective.
Spanish – Duolingo: We are starting foreign language this year. I took Spanish in high school, but don’t feel qualified to teach it. I know a lot of homeschool students use Rosetta Stone for foreign language, but based on reading reviews, I think Duolingo will probably be a better fit for both of my kids starting their foreign language journeys. My plan is to have all three of us use Spanish Duolingo next year and see how much we all learn. I will likely find a more through/rigorous program for my high schooler after a year of Duolingo, and then direct my younger son into whatever program I settle upon once he reaches high school himself. But for now, we’re starting with Duolingo.
PE: I’ve been trying to keep my kids active this past year, but I haven’t done a very good job. As social distancing restrictions lift, I’m hoping to also increase their activity levels. I haven’t completely decided what we are going to do for PE, but hopefully it will involve some type of sports activities that will not only get them moving but also interacting with other kids their age. Unfortunately, my soon to be 7th grader isn’t super “sporty” and I’m not sure what kind of team/class I’ll be able to get him to join. Likely a mixture of hiking, golf, and possibly fencing. I’m leaning towards golf, he’s asking for fencing.
Reading: It’s not really a curriculum, I do want to add that my son will also be reading a lot next year. I expect him to read independently from the book of his choice for about 45 minutes every day. This kid also still enjoys read alouds, and I enjoy reading aloud. So I want to continue with that too.
New Schooling 