My eldest two children are just 20 months apart in age. So, quite naturally they do many of their studies together. They are only officially a grade apart. For the 2012-13 year, they are my 8th and 9th graders. It was a few really busy years when they were both so little. But I’ve always been thankful God designed our family that way. This sister and brother compliment one another so well all around.
Last year of middle school, first year of high school. It’s the start of a new part of the journey. What a privilege to homeschool high school. I’ve talked about this being a big year for our preschooler, our first grader and our 5th grader. It’s a big year for my big children too. So, I thought it was time to start the year with…
Planners: Back at Apologia Live, I won this Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens. My daughter and I were already quite taken with it. But then I saw Maureen at Spell Outloud’s pin and her notes convinced me to purchase others. Each of my older three now have one plus my high schooler and I are soaking in the 4 year high school planner. And below are the resources we’ll be using. I’m sure we’ll tweak it along the way. And don’t forget I’m sharing the resources we’ll enjoy with our multiple ages tomorrow, like Tapestry of Grace.
Update: We have since grown to truly love A Plan in Place homeschool planners. We have the student, high school and the homeschool teacher versions!
Now, these planners I mention, make their home in each child’s ‘catch all’ basket in our homeschool room. Within easy reach since everyone begins the day with math after their Before 8:45 checklist. (Please see 10 Parts of the Hodgepodge Homeschool Schedule).
8th grader is an auditory learner, he prefers to listen to Teaching Textbooks lessons. 9th grader is a visual learner, she much prefers to read her lesson.
And since these two children are young adults, they choose where they work best. At the chalkboard desk, sitting in the big chair in the school room, stretched out on the family room couch, sitting and pondering on the backyard swing, gathered around the kitchen table or relishing the quiet of a bedroom.
8th Grade and High School Curricula
- Teaching Textbooks – 9th grader is finishing up Pre-Algebra, 8th grader is starting it. Waiting to make the Algebra purchase until later!
- Rod and Staff English, 8th and 9/10 respectively
- Apologia Biology – labs with Hodgepodgedad, iPad flashcards app. Leaning heavily on this advice on nature study with Apologia Biology.
- Science Roots
- Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)
- Tapestry of Grace Year 2 – Units 2 & 3
- Visual Latin
- Take 5 for Language Arts
More we enjoy as a family I share in Hodgepodge Curricula 2012-13: art and music study, Tapestry of Grace, nature study, AiG science, etc.
Eighth Grader – Middle School
- GloBible app – you simply must check this out!
- Lynda.com – Objective C and C for creating iPad and iPhone apps (Hodgepodgedad’s review here)
- Ham Radio course designed by Hodgepodgedad using Getting Started in Ham Radio
- Considering a Lego Robotics study but may wait a year
This past week was such fun! We ate at Chickfila a couple of times. Once before going to see comedian Tim Hawkins – “Chickfila, I could eat there seven times a day!” Of course, homeschooling high schoolers means the need for plenty of food, so after Tim Hawkins, we needed to swing through the drive thru at Krispy Kreme donuts. Expecially since they were ‘hot now’. Our older ones do their studies in different spots, as pictured above.
9th Grader – High School
- Independent Bible study
- Driver’s Education
- Drama Troupe – performing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and The Wizard of Oz
- Youth Group Lead Team at church
Additional Resources
- The IKEA baskets we use.
- I’ve been collecting resources on my Homeschooling High School Pinterest Board.
- Our Hodgepodge Curricula will be updated tomorrow but many of the resources we are enjoying again.
- All of the favorite resources Hodgepodgedad and I have reviewed – all in an index.
- My 10 Days of Teaching Multiple Ages.
I hope you’ll be back! I invite you to subscribe to Hodgepodge so you won’t miss a post. Over the next several days I’ll be sharing the remainder of our plans for preschool, 1st, 5th, 8th and 9th grades plus those things we enjoy with multiple ages. Our Curricula 2012-2013:
- Preschool to First Grade
- 5th Grade Kinesthetic Learner
- Middle/High – 8th/9th
- Hodgepodge Curricula 2012-2013 – Multiple Ages
This post is linked to Collage Friday hostess Mary at Home Grown Learners, Weekly Wrap-Up hostess Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers plus Homeschool Mother’s Journal at iHomeschool Network
It’s the start of a journey and I’m excited! What am I forgetting??
Your baskets are so pretty! I’m glad you were able to enjoy Chick -Fil -A – twice 😉
I love to read how you work with each child’s preferences in planning and implementing their schoolwork.
My husband is a ham radio fan as well and can’t wait for our son to be old enough to get a ham license!
I’ve never been to Chick-fil-a. Deprived, I know. ::sigh:: LOL
Love your organization and those baskets! Great use of space!
Homeschooling high school is exciting! I enjoy the mental challenge of some of the higher level courses. 🙂
I’m so thankful to be able to learn from parents with children a bit older than mine. Since Anna is sixth grade this year, we’re just a couple of years behind you. It’s funny how God just eases us into things we think we be so impossible (like homeschooling high school!).
Love your collages!! Have a great weekend, Tricia!
Thank you for all of the resources for Biology! We’re using the same book, and the app…but didn’t know about Science Roots.
Which IEW did you finally decide on? I’m still trying to figure out what we need there (yes, and we begin school shortly!)
Hey Daniele! You, Maureen and I could join forces since we are all doing the same study of Biology.
On IEW, I chose the one that Barb reviewed at Curriculum Choice: Teaching Writing: Structure & Style https://www.thecurriculumchoice.com/2010/02/institute-for-excellence-in-writing-twss/
I now have two adult kids graduated from high school. I see what you are using for yours for Math and Science and I pan to use those when John reaches high school. I wish I knew about them 5 or 6 years ago. Thanks for sharing what you do. It all looks wonderful! I didn’t know there was an APP for the Apologia Biology. I am trying to slowly add more electronic apps and ebooks to supplement our homeschool but it will come with time. Thanks for some really great resources!
Stephanie – I so appreciate those of you that have gone before and paved the way for us in high school Thank you so much for your encouragement!
Enjoy your first year of highschool!
The only missing thing that really stands out is that your forgot to mention how you’ll be keeping records…or is that something you do in those nifty planners? It’s important.
I find it difficult to do because we’re always doing non-standard things and I can’t decide what ‘standard’ courses they are part of until I have an overview of the whole highschool program. I’ve enjoyed the program from Lee Binz that I reviewed on TCC; it helps me tie things together.
One more thing: I have back-ups of my records and email them to myself in case of fire etc.
Oh Annie Kate! I so appreciate you mentioning those details! I’ve been reading through Lee Binz materials. And I do mention the planner and tracking of credits in my next post – Hodgepodge Curricula 2012-13. I’m learning about Homeschool Tracker. You are right – it is very important. Thank you – exactly why I asked “what have I forgotten?”
I really liked your comments on the planners. I am one of those people who searches every year for “just the right planner”. Obviously I haven’t found the perfect one yet or I wouldn’t be searching anymore. I am going to go check those out. My daughter is a 10th grader this year and my son a 6th grader, so I feel the pressure to be more organized and come up with something to help keep us on track. We also use Teaching Textbooks and the Apologia sciences. Nice to “meet” you!
Nice to meet you too Kitsel!
Thanks for linking up, Tricia! It sounds like you have a fun year planned. We’re doing biology as well~ I have 3 teens taking biology together. {Yikes!} I’ll be sharing lots of biology moments and lab videos throughout the course of the Home School High link-up. :o)
I didn’t know about the Apologia Flashcards App. I followed you link, which took me to another blog, but their link to the flashcards didn’t work. I’ll try to find it another way. Thanks for sharing that, though. You’ve got a lot of great info here. We’ve been using Spelling City to create lists of words from each unit in their Apologia Science. It’s really helped to improve their test scores to practice the definitions through playing Match It games.
My teens are also 20 months apart. We’ve found LetsHomeschoolHighSchool to be a very helpful site. They have a great forum for parents as well as the students. And they have some great free printables and resources, also.
Thanks again.
Thanks for sharing all your resources Janet!