Seventh Grade Homeschool Curriculum {2013-2014}

Seventh Grade Homeschool Curriculum

This year our fourth child enters seventh grade. I am completely amazed that Keaton is almost thirteen and already beginning junior high. Where does the time go?

Keaton is a strong independent learner and is very self-motivated. With a clear list of assignments and a quiet place to work, he’ll systematically tackle each subject, only stopping if he needs help or an explanation of something. Most of his curriculum has been chosen to fit his preference of self-directed learning.

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Seventh Grade Homeschool Curriculum Plan

Math – Math-U-See Delta

Since we switched math programs a year (or was it two years?) ago, Keaton has been working hard to catch up to where he should be in math. He already began Delta level math last year and he has been flying through it. He’ll finish this level during the first semester, and then he’ll be moving on to Epsilon.

GrammarEasy Grammar 6

Easy Grammar is one thing that remains constant in our homeschool. After four years of using Easy Grammar, I still find the prepositional approach to be the easiest way to teach and learn grammar. Keaton will be completing the last half of Easy Grammar 6 this year, allowing plenty of time to develop his writing skills.

SpellingSpelling Power

Since Keaton is a “natural” speller, we’ll be using the Spelling Power word lists without any of the extra learning activities. We typically go over a spelling list orally; if Keaton misses any words, I give him the correct spelling and retest those words the next day.

Literature

Keaton’s literature is correlated with his Mystery of History studies. He may need more than what I’ve chosen so far, but this will get him started. Since he has a tablet with a Kindle app, I opted for the Kindle version of each book.

WritingJump In

This is our first year to use Jump In, but I’m looking forward to trying it out. Keaton really likes the look of the material, so I’m optimistic that it will be a good fit for him.

If you’ve used Jump In with your child, I would love to hear your experience with it!

Vocabulary – Working with Words 7

We really like this vocabulary series from Pathway Publishers, an Old Order Amish publishing house. The books are straightforward and very affordable (currently only $1.95). Although I have a good grasp of vocabulary, I’ve found that it saves so much time to purchase  the teacher’s edition ($3.95) as well.

History – Mystery of History II

Keaton used Mystery of History I last year, and he said it was the best history course he’d ever had! I didn’t even hesitate before purchasing volume II this year. Keaton will also be notebooking, keeping a timeline notebook, and doing a lot of related reading.

ScienceSchool of Tomorrow Science PACEs

We made a last-minute decision to go with School of Tomorrow Science again this year. I had another program in mind, but after Keaton looked through it, he felt that it was too much “hands-on” and too open-ended for him to enjoy. Yes, he takes after his textbook-loving mother!

Bible reading

Because Mystery of History II begins just after Christ’s Resurrection, there is a lot of history that can be read and learned from the Bible. Keaton’s Bible reading will be specifically chosen to correlate with his history lessons.

Phys Ed

Phys Ed is very unstructured at our house. Keaton will be spending time in any aerobic activity of his choice–biking, walking, rebounding, etc. In addition, we’ll be emphasizing the necessity of regular physical activity in order to maintain a healthy body.

Art Creating a Masterpiece

This is our first time to use DVDs from Creating a Masterpiece, and I think I’m almost as excited as my children are! While I am not artistic at all, several of my children are very creative and interested in art. I’m looking forward to seeing their progress this year.

We’re starting with Lessons in Acrylic: Caribbean Lighthouse, a level one DVD. When these lessons are completed, we’ll decide which lessons to pursue next.

What about you? What will you be using for seventh grade this year?

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7 Comments

  1. We switched to MUS with our current 7th grader when she was in 3rd. We’re still catching up to the traditional sequence because we had to start completely over in Alpha when she switched. She’s doing Zeta now and will begin PreAlgebra before 7th grade is over. Yay for understanding math finally!

    I love seeing your plans for 7th grade!
    This year I have 7th, 3rd, 2nd, K, and 4 little ones: http://ourbusyhomeschool.com/2013-2014-curriculum-large-family-style/

    1. Judy Hoch says:

      That’s exactly the issue we have faced with switching to MUS. It’s been totally worth it, though, to have no more tears and confusion with math!

  2. I have a 7th grader this year too. I have to keep reminding myself that she isn’t one of my littles anymore!
    Looks like a great lineup for the school year – hope you have a terrific start!

  3. We started Math u See last year. I had my 5th & 6th graders start with Beta and watch the lesson and take the test. If they struggled with the test we did a few of the exercises. They will be doing Epsilon and Zeta for the 6th grader and Zeta and pre-algebra for the 7th this year. We also did Jump In last year. My writer enjoyed it but it frustrated the other one. This year we are using Writing with Skill. It will be a better fit as they are used to Writing with Ease and it is mostly self- directed.

    1. Judy Hoch says:

      Jennifer, I LOVE the idea of watching the lesson and taking the test for students who have had to move “back.” Brilliant! We are having the same issue with the kids having to move to a lower level of MUS when switching from another program–this solution may help us to move a little more quickly. 🙂
      I’m not familiar with Writing with Skill, but I will take a look at it.

      P.S. I’m glad that you were encouraged to relax and meet your children where they are. I keep reminding myself that this is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling!

  4. My son used Jump In last year and liked it. It’s pretty self guided. We are taking this year off to do some IEW work, and then we plan to go through Jump In again, but change up the assignments. I find you can absolutely to throught the book twice. It helped my son learn to “brainstorm” and get ideas into a format. Have fun!!!

    1. Judy Hoch says:

      Thank you for taking time to share your experience, Diane. I like the idea of going through the book twice–and any degree of “self guided” is definitely helpful for us! 🙂