Middle School Curriculum Choices

[@allheartandsong]

1 of my sons is tryong out Christian Light Education for the first time. He loves workbook style and LOVES A.C.E. for Science. It appears to be set up similar. He has memorized bible verses and has even applied them to real life. Were very excited to what it is about!

[@jo134]

We love the ACE curriculum ❤

[@allheartandsong]

I love having my children do copy work from the white board. It is very good for their eyes to look up at the white board and down to write it. It is also something we can do as a group and it is very sweet looking back at previous years and seeing how well handwriting has improved plus its FREE ❤

[@Grace_Filled_Homeschool]

My middle schooler loved CLE Math, Language Arts, and Reading.He wants to continue with it all next year.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Yay! Always great to find a curriculum your kids love using!

[@rusticheritagecrochet]

We loved using Sonlight! ❤ Their book selections are always SO good, and usually become our favorites!!

[@JanelleKnutson]

Songlight does have excellent book recommendations! I often check out their literature lists for book recommendations.

[@rmechelle4230]

We are also doing Masterbooks General Science 1 for 9th grade this fall. Thanks for sharing the link for your podcast! I am going to check it out!

[@homeschoolingmamaof5boys395]

We started using Notgrass this year for the 1st time with my 8th grader. Did From Adam to Us. We LOVED it. Other things that worked well are the ACE curriculum Paces for 8th Grade Science. Next year we plan to use 9th grade Biology and it comes with videos for labs. We are struggling in Math. He is in Teaching textbooks with Pre Algebra for 8th grade. Tried Math U See and will probably go back and stick with Teaching textbooks for 9th gr. Algebra I. For English, we are doing, and like, Easy Grammar Ultimate Series (short daily exercises). Also love the Language Lessons for. living education. Need to do better in writing. Gonna work this summer on IEW Bible Heroes. Also use Spelling You See Higher Levels. We also finished up A Reason for Handwriting for cursive. I will have to find something for him to continue in 9th grade for more "neater" cursive practice. Thanks for sharing all your curriculum choices. Excited to hear about high school. You and I are similar. I had a stroke back in Jan. so we have had to revamp some things to make it easier on me. The Lord is providing and showing us the way.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Sorry to hear about your stroke. So thankful we have so many wonderful curriculum options to help us homeschool through health issues. Thanks for sharing all your curriculum choices!

[@artrosario2239]

My 8th grade daughter really loved that General Science course from MB. She did it with the MB Academy videos, and loved the teacher. Highly recommend!

[@JanelleKnutson]

That’s good to know! Thank you for sharing.

[@mariscadenby4300]

We did some units from Campfire Curriculums and both my kids loved them (middle and high school). My middleschooler also really enjoyed Filmmaking from compass classroom and using Journeyeverday for Bible study.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@MadamCactus]

Hello! Our eighth grader will be using Teaching Textbooks for math, My Father’s World for Bible, History and science (Apologia). I was seeing they Masterbooks will be offering Living Languages for 8th grade ELA this fall, so we will give that a go. Thanks for posting this video- I like how you put it about middle school being a bridge and a good time to try out things for high school 👍👍

[@JanelleKnutson]

Thank you for sharing! Sounds like a great line up of curriculum. :)

[@allheartandsong]

My son, who just wrapped up 7th grade took the Iowa test and got 71% he has used Math U See thus far. However, we are switching to BJU press. He tested wonderful, but my daughter only tested 25% for math, and she just wrapped up 3rd grade. Her grade equivalent was 2.9 and my sons grade equivalent was 7.8 Very different personalities and learning styles. I am intrigued by BJU and looking forward to trying it out. Math U See seemed so repetitive and not enough "meat" 3 of my kids are doing the good and the beautiful again for language arts their test scores were insanely great. My son tested 91% and my daughter tested 89%. 1 of my sons only finished 50% of his test is what the test taker told me... so he clearly needed more time to finish so we will get him an un-timed test. For what he answered, he got most of his questions correct! My youngest is going to be a kindergardener but man the good and the beautiful impressed me so much and was the BEST. We are dabbling in campfire unit studies because my older boys show interest in certain topics they offer such as through the eyes of a mechanic and through the eyes of a professional chef! We are also doing Faithipedia for Bible and can't wait to dive into the new school year. I'm excited to see if you enjoy Structure and Style. My friend talks about that and has done it for years. ❤

[@Jessiemadanat]

Biblical worldview from BJU highly recommend it brought forth so many deep conversations with my children.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Love it! Those deep conversations are priceless and one of the things I love about homeschooling. Thanks for sharing.

[@jennajadeg7010]

Science Shepherd has been such a game changer for our youngest, we will continue that for him next year.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Thanks for sharing. You are the first person I *know* that uses Science Shepherd. Glad to know it has worked so well for you.

[@heidibarker2120]

My son loved Apologia General Science for 7th grade and Sonlight HBL W. We started with these companies a couple years ago and he is adamant that he does not want to use anything else. I will honor this and he will be using the History of Science (Sonlight HBL J) and Applogia’s new 4th edition Physical Science.

[@JanelleKnutson]

It's always a blessing when we find curriculum our kids love and want to continue using!

[@amandapatterson9182]

Great choices!! My upcoming 8th grader we are moving from Abeka math ( weve used them since K) to Denision Algebra 1. Taking BJU Spanish 1, Language doing the same generations literature study as you + continuing with IEW SS, Fix it grammar book 4 and Word Roots. She is taking Biology at CoOp using Dr. Wile Discovering Design with Biology. History and Geography we are moving away from Notgrass ( my kids found it boring) to Guest Hollow American History and Geography. Plus she is doing College Prep Genius ACT/SAT online prep class. She hopes to go to Military Academy and become an officier in the Air Force so she is jump starting HS by taking HS level classes. Embarking on HS is scary but exciting! This is our 9th year as weve homeschooled from the begining. Have a great year!

[@JanelleKnutson]

Thank you for sharing!

[@heatheraz4680]

We have used Math U See for the last 5 years and love it! My girls have no interest in trying anything else. We also love IEW. This year my 7th grader with be using Math U See, TGATB for language arts and science. We are also using Masterbooks Anatomy and physiology which is a high school level. We went through 2 elementary/middle school aged courses for the human body last year and she said they scratched the surface but she wants a more in depth course. History we are using Notgrass Uncle Sam and You, she is using Duolingo for Spanish, fix it for grammar. We do family bible study and will be focusing on the New Testament this up coming year.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Thank you for sharing!

[@OliviaFlores658]

Nice to see you again🙂 How have your homeschool graduates done in their adult lives? College?

[@JanelleKnutson]

They have done very well in college. Actually, their professors often say how much better homeschoolers do compared to those in traditional school settings.

[@melanieturner5665]

My rising 7th grader will be using BJU for science, history, and reading. Abeka for grammar and math. He has done 2 years of IEW Structure and Style. I'm trying to decide if he should continue with it next year or just do my own writing prompts that could showcase what he's learned from IEW.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Sounds like a great year ahead! I like your idea of making up your own writing prompts. Great idea! You could tie those writing prompts into what he's learning in history and science as well.

[@lindseyhessler9472]

Hi Janelle! I appreciate hearing your curriculum choices! With so many of them out there, it is nice to hear what your experiences are with them! I am heavily leaning towards abandoning BJU American Republic course that I have started with my 8th grader. We are finding it long and dry. And I do not want that for my normally history loving child. I have Our Star Spangled Story Notgrass curriculum that I plan on implementing with two of my other children in the next year or so, so I am familiar with the curriculum, but have not actually gone through an entire course. My question to you, someone who is familiar with both Notgrass and online BJU, would this be a good switch for my child in the terms that it will shorten and brighten the material for him, while also providing solid material? And, if so, which Notgrass course would you suggest to replace American Republic with? Do you find doing Notgrass in a particular order makes a difference? Thank you for your time in hopefully answering my questions, Janelle! God's blessings, Lindsey

[@JanelleKnutson]

Great questions! I love BJU Heritage Studies especially in the elementary school grades. However, my kids prefer Notgrass History once they get into middle school and high school. I think you and your child would really enjoy switching over to Notgrass America the Beautiful. It is a wonderful curriculum. Here is an affiliate link to America the Beautiful should you decide to use the curriculum and want to support my channel. www.notgrass.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1164&url=369 Notgrass curriculum can be used in any order especially with their middle school curriculum. I hope that helps!

[@lindseyhessler9472]

Janelle! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and for answering my questions! I did go ahead and order and I look forward to implementing this curriculum soon!

[@ldv02]

Do you recommend BJU for writing or not? I see you moved from that to IEW. Is BJU writing not good? I was considering it now I’m doubtful

[@JanelleKnutson]

Great question! A video on this is probably in order but for now I'll try to summarize as best I can in this comment. :) BJU English curriculum covers grammar and writing in one. I really like their elementary English curriculum as it is a gentle introduction to grammar and writing and lays a good foundation in writing. (My upcoming 3rd grader will continue using BJU Press English). BJU English in the middle school and high school levels assumes the student already has a good writing foundation. The writing lessons are more writing prompts (ie write a short story, write a personal narrative, etc) with some guidelines but not a lot of instruction on how to write. A student struggling with writing will need extra help from a parent on how to complete the writing assignment. My kids who are good writers have done very well with BJU English in the upper grades but my older kids who struggle with writing felt overwhelmed this past year with BJU writing assignments (which is why I switched over to IEW). Also note that BJU English (in the upper grades) is heavy on grammar and lighter on writing. We spent this past year focusing on improving grammar and BJU Press English for the older kids worked well for that but next year I want to focus on writing and needed a dedicated writing curriculum (which is where IEW comes in). IEW is a completely different approach to writing and works very well for kids who struggle with writing and get easily overwhelmed with writing assignments. All my kids (excellent and struggling writers alike) have done well with IEW in the past although my good writers find the IEW method a little restrictive for their creative writing mind. IEW Structure and Style for Students takes about the same amount of time as the BJU Press English but it only covers writing. (BJU covers writing and grammar in the same amount of time.) That being said, the IEW Fix It Grammar only takes a few minutes each day, four days a week so it makes it easy to squeeze grammar in with the IEW writing. Both programs are excellent. Both of them I highly recommend. It just depends on which method clicks the best with your child and/or which is easier for you, as the parent, to implement in your homeschool. Also, what your focus in the upper grades is for the year. If it's grammar, then BJU English is great as it is heavy on grammar. If it is writing, then IEW or another writing curriculum might be a better option OR you will need to cut out some BJU grammar lessons and spend more time on the writing assignments. IEW offers a few weeks of free lessons so you can try it out and see if it is something you and your child likes. You can download the free lessons here: tinyurl.com/ytb4p6c3 Also worth noting is that BJU Press English incorporates a Biblical worldview while IEW does not. I hope this helps!

[@ldv02]

@@JanelleKnutson oh my goodness thanks so much for replying!!!! I really appreciate it. I’ll continue looking. I looked into IEW and EIW but sadly my boys won’t sit through video lessons, it doesn’t work for them. Thanks so much for your response, it helps a lot! ☺️❤️

[@JanelleKnutson]

@@ldv02 glad it was helpful! Curriculum can get expensive so I know how important it is to make a well educated choice. Happy to help. 😊