Our 9th Grade Curriculum | 2021-2022

We don't have too many changes to what we're doing this year.  The biggest difference is that now that we're doing high school, the girls do much more independent work.  Instead of us reading together the majority of the reading is done independently and then we just discuss the books they read so I can make sure they understood everything.  Part of me is excited that I don't have to do as much school as I have in the past, but the other part of me misses the snuggling on the sofa while we read great books and discuss them together.  

A big part of what they need to learn over these next four years is time management.  That's a skill that is going to take them far into the future so it's super important.  We've been slowly working on that skill over the years as they have always had independent work to do, but this year almost everything is on them to manage and do alone.  I know if they can thrive in this they'll be able to do whatever life throws at them from a school/work/life standpoint.  My babies are growing up!!! 

Here's what we're doing for our 9^th Grade Curriculum...

• Bible: Daily Bible Study, Misc Books, and Scripture Memorization
• Math: Math U See - Geometry
• English: Essentials in Writing - Level 10 
• Literature: Sonlight American Literature
  
• History: Sonlight Core 100 - American History
  
• Science: Apologia Physical Science & Labs
  
• Language: Rosetta Stone - Spanish
  
• PE: Swimming, Hiking, Peloton Classes, Gym Membership
  
• Music: Piano Lessons & Voice Lessons & High School Worship Team
  
• Electives: Typing Instructor 

 

 

Sonlight Core 100 - American History - For the first time ever we aren't reading all these books together.  We still discuss everything they read with all the great notes and questions that Sonlight provides.  We're still working on a schedule to make sure they can fit everything into their days, but so far they've been able to keep up.

English & Literature -  Last year we used the grading service for Essentials in Writing for the first time and I can't speak highly enough about the entire process.  The girls had a different mindset about their writing knowing that someone other than me was reading and grading it.  They did amazingly well and got all A's writing at a high school level when they were only 8th graders.   Even though the curriculum and writing assignments are a little repetitive from year to year, it gives them good practice with a variety of different writing styles and they've become really great writers.  For this reason we're sticking with Essentials in Writing and we again added the grading service.  In addition to their writing we're doing the Sonlight American Literature program.  They have SO many great books to read this year and I can't wait for the discussions we're going to get to have about all of them!

Math-U-See - Geometry - This curriculum is still one of my favorites.  Mr Demme has made math so easy to understand and the mastery approach has made it so that the girls have never gotten behind and only thrived in math.  They were so nervous about doing Algebra 1 last year and were sure they were finally going to struggle with math... nope!  They mastered each lesson before moving on so they were always ready for whatever came next and before we knew it the year was over and they hadn't struggled at all.  I predict this year will be another great one without any issues.

The Sonlight Science for this year is actually an Apologia course.  The girls are only a week into it so far and are really loving it.  They do it completely on their own including labs and lab reports and said it's really fun.  The workbook is really inclusive and I can tell when I grade their notes that they really understand what they read and learned as there is lots of summary work for the questions so unbeknownst to them they are putting their English skills to work as well. 

For Bible this year the girls are doing a Bible Study sampler which is a bit more inductive in style and really allows them to focus on what God is specifically showing them in each passage of scripture.  I think it's so important for them to know how to study the Bible on their own without a study or guide and this is much more geared towards that so I can't wait to watch their spiritual lives continue to grow.  I'm already so proud of who they've become and the walk they each have with God.  They both love him and have a desire to grow in their relationship with him and are such a good example to their friends and everyone around them. 

We're ready to start our first year of High School and are praying God's blessings over each of us as we journey this year together!

First Day of 9th Grade | 2021-2022

Well, we officially have high schoolers in the house.  I'm not quite sure how my cute little pre-schoolers learning to read and write their names became 9th graders who are doing Geometry and Physics all on their own.  These lovely ladies are helpful, thoughtful, mature, and most importantly love Jesus with all their hearts.  I couldn't be more proud of the path they are on and their enjoyment and love for life.  They are both learning to cook and help out around the house, and they still appreciate time together as a family, which this mama loves!  I'm so thankful that our experience with teenage girls has been a good one and that we all love each other and enjoy being together as a family.

Right as summer started they jumped into VOX, the high school youth group at our church, and are soaking up every minute of it.  They both play piano on the worship team, they sign up for every event no matter who else is going to be there, and they're making great friends who love the Lord right along with them.  They both chose to be baptized about a month ago at one of the beach nights.  It was such a beautiful experience being surrounded by their friends and leaders who love them and prayed over them. I felt so honored to be part of it.

As we enter the final chapter in our homeschool journey I'm excited to see what God will do in their lives and how he will continue to grow and expand their minds as they learn.  I'm excited to see how they nurture and grow their friendships, how they grow in leading worship, and what God calls them to in the future as he turns their passions into something tangible.  I have no doubt we're in for an amazing high school journey and I'm so excited they've reached this exciting point in their lives.  It feels like we've rounded a corner and I know these last 4 years are going to fly by.

Our 8th Grade Curriculum | 2020-2021

There has never been a time I've been more grateful to be homeschooling than during this crazy season of Covid-19.  When things started shutting down last spring it was so comforting to know that nothing had to interrupt or change my girls education.  So much of homeschooling is going out and experiencing life outside of the home, however the core of our learning is done using the curriculum we have chosen right in our home.  To know that we were able to finish out our year strong and that my girls didn't get behind was so comforting.

I was able to order all of our curriculum for this year in the spring when I usually do and did my normal lesson planning over the summer.  As so many parents are still struggling to fit their child's education into whatever plans the schools choose to move forward with I'm glad that we were able to start on time without any delays and that there won't be a disruption to the girls schooling. 

Here's what we're doing for our 8^th Grade Curriculum...

• Bible: Turning Your Bedroom into a Bible College, Misc. Books
• Math: Math U See - Algebra 1
• Language Arts: Essentials in Writing - Level 9 
• Literature: Essentials in Literature - Level 9
  
• Grammar: Rod & Staff English 7
  
• Reading: Library Books & Sonlight Readers
• History: Sonlight Core H - World History 2
  
• Science: Sonlight Science F - Anatomy
• Logic: Orbiting with Logic
• Language: Sign Language Made Simple & Duolingo Spanish
  
• PE: Family Workouts, Swimming, Hiking
• Music: Piano Lessons    
• Electives: US Elections Lapbook, Typing Instructor 

Sonlight H - World History 2 - History, Bible, and Literature.  We enjoyed our first time back through part one of world history last year and are excited to finish it out from the Roman Empire through modern day.   There are always so many amazing books and I love that the girls have both re-read almost every Sonlight book we have multiple times.  It definitely makes owning all these books beyond worth it! The girls really enjoyed the lap-book last year and are excited to complete another one.

Sonlight Science F - Anatomy for Girls - This is our first year doing Sonlight for Science and we're really excited.  After 6 years of NOEO we were ready for a change.  We're excited to jump into Anatomy this year and the girls are really excited for the worksheets that go along with each lesson.  In the past I've made them keep a science journal but they're happy to switch from that to completing diagrams on worksheets instead of making them themselves

 

Math-U-See - Algebra 1.  We had a fabulous year doing Pre-Algebra last year.  I'm always waiting for the girls to hit a bump in Math where they struggle or we have to slow down, and because of Math-U-See we have yet to hit that bump.  I'm so blessed we started this curriculum from the beginning and am happy that it will carry us through our last few years of Math.

Our biggest changes this year come in our choices for Language Arts.  After a second year struggling through Grammar for the Well Trained Mind I made the decision to try something different.  The girls learned so much but there was still so much they struggled to understand and while the approach was meant for them to repeat over the coarse of 3 years grasping more each year they felt frustrated not understanding parts of what they were being asked to do.  We're moving to Rod & Staff English this year since it has a heavier grammar focus than some programs and I moved us back a level since it will differ a bit from what we have done in the past and I didn't want it to be frustrating.  We still love Essentials in Writing and will be doing the 9th grade program this year as well as adding on Essentials in Literature to learn to break down literary work.  I'm excited for the growth the girls will do this year in their writing and understanding of the English language.

For Bible this year the girls will be doing How to Turn Your Bedroom into a Bible College.  It teaches them a variety of ways to break down and study the Bible on their own.  From word studies, to book or chapter studies it will take them through different ways they can break down God's word.  In addition to their own study time we'll be reading these additional books together and discussing them.  The girls just finished doing an in depth Bible Study with their Jr High group and are really thrilled to jump into something else.

For our electives this year we are continuing with Typing Instructor, and for our language we are continuing to work on ASL and then doing an intro to Spanish by using the Duolingo App.  Since this is an election year we'll also be doing a lapbook on US Elections.  The girls are still going strong with Piano and for PE we are now doing family crossfit style workouts at home and eventually when things open back up we have gotten a gym membership for the girls.

We're excited and ready for our final year of Jr High!!!

First Day of 8th Grade | 2020-2021

Every year I can't believe we have another grade under our belt.  If you had told me 10 years ago that I'd be happily homeschooling through Jr High I would have likely thought you were crazy, yet her we are on year 10 and our final year of Jr High and I couldn't be more thrilled with my girls education.  We've had a wonderful summer with lots of down time thanks to continuing lock downs due to Covid.  We've been working from home so we're together as a family all the time and thanks to our pool we've had lots of great outdoor time.

My beauties are so grown up and while they've missed being able to go to youth group and hang out with friends they are so thankful to have their best friend with them all the time.

Here's a fun look back at each of our years homeschooling.  My girls are as beautiful inside as they are outside and I couldn't be more proud of the young ladies they have become.

Avalyn - Preschool - 8th Grade 

 

Brinley - Preschool - 8th Grade

Our 7th Grade Curriculum | 2019-2020

I'm pretty sure our Eastern Hemisphere curriculum last year was our favorite to date.  We had a fantastic 6th grade year and are excited to jump back into another year of World History this year. 

Here's what we're doing for our 7^th Grade Curriculum...

• Bible: Bible Study Guide for All Ages, Children's Bible Field Guide
  
• Math: Math U See - Pre-Algebra
• Language Arts: Essentials in Writing - Level 8 
• Spelling: All About Spelling - Level 7
• Grammar: Grammar for the Well Trained Mind - Level 1
• Reading: Library Books & Sonlight Readers
• History: Sonlight Core G - World History 1
  
• Science: - Noeo Physics 2
• Language: Sign Language Made Simple
• PE: Golf, Swimming, Hiking
• Music: Piano Lessons    
• Typing: Typing Instructor
  
  
  
  
  
  Sonlight Core G - World History 1 - This year there is a lap book that goes along with our history core which  should be a fun way for the girls to get some hands one activities to instill what they learn. As always we can't wait to dive into this great list of books!
  
   
  Noeo Physics 2 - So many fun experiments to do in science this year!

  

  For English this year we are sticking with Essentials in Writing.  The girls did amazingly well last year after jumping ahead a year so we plan to continue moving forward.  We will also be doing our last year of spelling with All About Spelling 7, and then attempting to complete the Grammar for the Well Trained Mind book 1.  We started it last year and it got to be so advanced we decided to pause it up and pick it up in 7th grade. 
  

   

  

  I can never say enough good things about Math-U-See and this year we'll be doing Pre-Algebra.  The Mastery approach has been SO good for the girls and has really allowed them to feel confident moving forward with each thing we learn in Math.

   

  

  We are finally on our last year of Bible Study Guide for All Ages.  This will be our fourth year and after this year the girls will have studied the entire Bible.  They will have completed a timeline of the entire Bible as well as mapped where everything took place.  It's been a commitment but one I'll be happy to see them complete.  We plan to continue working on our ASL using a variety of sources as well as a formal typing program now that the girls have their own laptops.

  
  

  
  

   

   

   
  

First Day of 7th Grade | 2019-2020

We have Jr Highers in the house!!!  My beautiful girls are in 7th grade and we're excited to be starting school after a crazy busy summer of travel.  We took a family vacation to Maui, hubby and I went to Italy & Greece for 2 weeks while the girls took a trip to Seattle, I took a girls trip to Palm Springs, the girls went to jr high summer camp, and we took a family trip to New York with the girls for the first time.  It felt like we were gone as much as we were home but it was an amazing summer with tons of memories made.  The girls are already loving being involved in the Jr High youth group at church and had a fun activity every Wednesday that they enjoyed participating in when we weren't traveling. We're all ready and excited to settle into a bit of a routine now that school is starting again. 

Here's to an amazing 7th grade year.  I can't believe this is our 9th year homeschooling.  We're in the big leagues now and I have no doubt it will be another amazing year!

Our 6th Grade Curriculum | 2018-2019

I don't think I can ever praise Sonlight highly enough for what it has done to transform our schooling into something we can all be excited about.  The love for reading it has cultivated in my girls makes me overjoyed.  This year we're especially excited to be in the Eastern Hemisphere core.  The idea of learning about and praying through the 10/40 window of those unreached with the gospel has us all excited.  We have so many good books just sitting on the shelf waiting for us to read that I know it will be another great year.  

Here's what we're doing for our 6^th Grade Curriculum...

• Bible: Bible Study Guide for All Ages, Case for Kids, How to Study Your Bible for Kids
• Math: Math U See - Zeta
• Language Arts: Essentials in Writing - Level 7 
• Spelling: All About Spelling - Level 6
• Grammar: Grammar for the Well Trained Mind - Level 1
• Reading: Library Books & Sonlight Readers
• History: Sonlight Core F - Eastern Hemisphere
• Science: - Noeo Chemistry 2
• Vocabulary:  Wordly Wise 3000 - Level 6
• Logic: Orbiting with Logic
• Language: Sign Language Made Simple
• PE: Golf, Swimming, Hiking
• Music: Piano Lessons    
• Art: Art Classes 

Sonlight F - Eastern Hemisphere - History, Bible, and Literature.  Look at all the amazing books!!!  There are quite a few missionary stories this year which we all LOVE, and also quite a few of the girls readers which I can't wait to read as well. 

NOEO Chemistry 2 - So many fun experiments to do this year.  Not pictured is the core science book the Science Encyclopedia that we will use from last year.

Math-U-See - Zeta.  Fractions went so smoothly last year.  I kept waiting to get stuck and have them feel defeated or complain about how hard it was.  Nope, smooth sailing thanks to this amazing program and it's mastery approach to math.  Hoping we have another great year with those pesky decimals and percents.

Language Arts this year is pretty much staying the same though we've dropped handwriting and finished writing with ease.  I'm really excited about our new Grammar program which is a continuation of First Language Lessons but for middle school.  It uses the same definitions and examples but goes more in depth.  We also decided to skip Essentials in Writing 6 and jump straight into 7.  Since we have such a good grammar program we found all the worksheets for the first half of the year in Essentials to be a bit too easy and boring so 7 will remove much of that review and jump into writing assignments much earlier.  We still love All About Spelling so we'll continue on with that.

Just a few of our electives this year.  We have absolutely loved going though Bible Study Guide for All Ages.  We're now half way through the entire Bible with 2 years left.  We do it 3 days a week and then Case for Kids will be 1 day a week, and on Friday's the girls will do a lesson each week in Kay Arthur's How to Study Your Bible for Kids.  We're still doing Logic, ASL, Art Classes, and Piano Lessons.

Let the 6th Grade year commence!!!