Looking at the Individual Lesson Plans, I noticed that much of eighth grade requires finishing the second half of curriculum started in seventh grade. My daughters are 12 (going into 7th) and 13 (14 in August, slowed her down this year at a hybrid school to be 8th grade next year).
They are 16 months apart. Should they work through most of the seventh grade books together, and choose a science for both? If my oldest did start 9th, I don’t even know where I would begin!
I also have a seven-year-old boy beginning first grade, still learning to read.
Thank you for any advice! We are looking for simple, rich, and family togetherness. We’ve used textbooks, literature based, a classical/CM-ish hybrid school last year— we just want to simplify and come back together again. ♥️
You can choose science for both your 7th and 8th graders to work on together. If your older child hasn’t completed Science in the Atomic Age, then I would recommend that they both do that course. The next level, Discovering Design in Earth Science, can be completed in either 8th or 9th grade.
For language arts, Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Well, you will want to place each at the appropriate level for their ability, not their grade level. You can use our placement guide (scroll down the page) to determine where each of your daughters should start with Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Well. Wherever your daughters place is where you start, even if that is Spelling Wisdom/Using Language Well Books 1. Any student who completes all three levels of Spelling Wisdom/Using Language Well before graduation will have a very good education in grammar, English usage, and spelling.
For personal development, you will want to start at the beginning of Self-Knowledge for both daughters. Same for Getting Started with Latin.
For all other subjects, except math, you can teach all of your students together. Math is another skill based subject and each child should be placed where he/she is at in his/her ability. History, Bible, geography, picture study, music study, poetry, hymn singing, and more are not skilled based. Choose the lesson plan guide for the history time period you want to study, gather the books for Family and for each grade level in your home from the list in the guide, and open and go for your lessons.
The “fun” subjects of picture study, music study, literature, Shakespeare, poetry, handicrafts, creative art, and more are scheduled in our Enrichment lesson plan guides. You can choose any of the three Enrichment guides available; there is no particular order to do them in. Gather the materials from the list in the guide and open and go for your lessons. Feel free to substitute resources you already own or can borrow from the library or a friend. For example, if you already own a hymn book, then you do not need to buy Singing the Great Hymns. Or if you already own a book of poems by the poet scheduled in the Enrichment guide, then you don’t need to buy a poetry book from us.
Karen, I greatly appreciate your thoughtful and detailed response. It gives me clarity and seems very doable! Thank you for helping me see both the big picture and the day to day structure.