Twelfth Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks ll 25-26

Here we go again... another senior!  I have no idea how this happened, and I can tell you that I'm certainly not prepared for it.  This is going to be an interesting year as I get ready to graduate my only daughter.   

We are true eclectic homeschoolers, so you'll notice a variety of curricula planned for this year... secular to Christian, traditional with a little Charlotte Mason, and some dual enrollment thrown in as well.  She's chipping away at her A.A. as well as eyeing a culinary arts certificate.  Therefore, she's utilizing our local community college to fulfill some of her credits.  All that to say, I'm pretty hands-off with her this year. It feels weird to be checking in so little, and I'm really hanging on to the few things I'm assigning.... really,  I'm just hanging on as long as I can.

So here we go with my lovely daughter... planning out senior year!

American Civics:

I saw this course when it first came out, and I've been excited for one of my kiddos to take it.  It's presented by Michael Farris, the founder of HSLDA.  This full-year course appears very rigorous and challenging.  Scheduled for 30 weeks, there are videos, field trip ideas, writing assignments, quizzes and tests, and more.  I feel very confident that she'll have a thorough understanding of government and civics upon completion.

Anatomy:

I really wanted her to have one more science on her transcript, and she absolutely DID NOT want to take chemistry.  We tossed around the idea of doing a DE class, but then she mentioned that she does enjoy anatomy.  This seemed like a good fit as she's been a dancer since she was 5 years old, and occasionally talks of owning a studio one day.  I'm hoping this will give her some very practical knowledge about her own body as well as knowledge that she can pass on to her students.

Economics:

This is a course that we'll add on in the spring.  We've used Notgrass in the past for World History, as well as US History, so we're both very comfortable with the format.

Performing Arts:

She'll continue to take dance classes, and this year we'll label that time as performing arts as well as P.E.  I can definitely see this girl dancing throughout her life.  Between classes and performing in our local theater, she'll have more than enough hours for a credit in both.

Bible:

Besides establishing a regular devotional time, we'll also be using  Rod and Staff's Bible curriculum.  This curriculum runs from level 5-10, but that doesn't necessarily coincide with grades.  Rather, each level looks at a different part of the Bible, what was happening culturally with the people, what was the background, etc.  This year she will finish level 8 and move on to level 9 to take a deep dive into the New Testament.

Dual Enrollment:

English IV:

For English this year, she'll be taking Eng 102 at our local community college.  We're not quite sure what to expect as it's a "new to her" professor, but we're thankful that she has the opportunity to take college classes at such a low rate while still in high school.

Intro to Hospitality:

We were trying to decide on a second DE class for the fall when she mentioned Hospitality.  This will go well with her Culinary Arts classes, as well as peek her interest in other hospitality areas.  My only hesitation is that it's a 3 credit course smashed into 8 weeks while she's also balancing other class so we'll see how it goes.

Morning Time:

I'll go more in-depth into the specifics of our Morning Basket soon, but some subjects we'll explore this year include apologetics, Shakespeare, and the ballet.  These are enrichment topics that we'll be learning together with my 8th grader.

Outside Classes:

BSF-- We're trying BSF for the first time this year.  I've been trying to fit it in for years so this fall we decided to take the leap.  She loves studying the Bible and our family feels this is a lifelong habit worth developing.

What curriculum do you use in the high school years?

Pros and Cons of Dual Enrollment in High School

 Having graduated one high school student, and getting ready to graduate a second, our family has had some experience with dual enrollment in the past couple of years.  The term Dual Enrollment refers to when a high school student takes a college level course for both high school and college credit.  This is most easily (and inexpensively) accomplished through a local community college.  However, there are a variety of colleges and universities that offer Dual Enrollment to both homeschoolers and public schoolers.  The challenge is to be aware of whether your student is ready for DE and to find the right program for your family.   And with everything, there are pros and cons.

Pros:

*Your student can take one class and earn credit for both high school and college.

*Your child is responsible to someone else for their work.

*Your student earns a grade from someone other than you, which can add some legitimacy to their transcript.

*Your child can explore interests that might not be as easily accomplished in homeschool... culinary classes, vocational classes, speech and debate, etc.

Cons:

*Maturity is key.  Students must be ready to take responsiblity of for their learning and these grades will be on their transcripts.

*Not all colleges accept DE credits... at least not for both.  Your child may be put in a position where they must choose another college, or choose to put the classes on either their high school or college transcript.

*If attending an in-person class, your student must display a level of maturity that matches the class.  They may also be exposed to material and ideas that you're not prepared for them to face.

While DE shouldn't be feared, these are all issues to consider before jumping into college classes.  Take your time, research your colleges and professors, and know what track your child is on.  If college is in their future, DE COULD be a great option.

Has your child ever taken DE classes?

What was your experience?

Ninth Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks ll 25-26

Wow!  Where did summer go?  Here we are already in August and getting ready for Back to School.  And this year is extra crazy in our house because we are welcoming our youngest child into high school.  It's hard to believe that we're officially out of the elementary years and only have four years left.  Where has the time gone?

My 9th grader is young (hello, fall birthday!), but beyond capable when it comes to high school level work.  We are true eclectic homeschoolers so you will notice a variety of curriculum planned for this year... secular to Christian, traditional schooling to a little Charlotte Mason, and more outsourcing than I've used with him in the past.

So here's to two kiddos in high school and a great year coming up!

Math: 

We'll be transitioning from Sadlier-Oxford (which we love in the elementary years) to Saxon Algebra I.  He did quite a bit of Algebra last year with Sadlier-Oxford, so I'm confident that this will be just fine for him.  I'm actually debating putting him into Shorrmann Algebra, so if anyone has experience with that curriculum, let me know.

LA:

This year, I want to put a greater emphasis on writing.  We've had a good experience with IEW in co-op classes in the past so I'm hoping it will work for us at home.  We'll be using level 1C this next year as it's a good starting point for high school.  I'm hoping this will be a good launching pad for college-level courses in a few years.

My 9th grader is a very strong reader.  However, since IEW is not a full 36 week course, we'll be using Rod and Staff on the lighter weeks.  We didn't quite finish level 8 last year so we'll pick up there.  Rod and Staff has a lot of high-level literature.  We also appreciate the fact that all the selections are clean, and build into our children's character.

In the past, we've used Rod and Staff grammar.  While I love that program, we've gotten to a point where it's college-level.  This year, we're looking for something quick, to the point, and effective.  I've used Easy Grammar with my oldest and liked it.  So we'll be returning to that for my 9th grader.

Biology:

My daughter LOVED Abeka, but I've heard a lot of good things about Apologia.  Since I was able to get a free copy of the Apologia curriculum, we're going to give it a try.  I've purchased a student notebook, and found many of the labs online.  Hoping to give a more thorough review after this year.

Human Geography:

I'm really on the fence about this one.  We used BJU's Human Geography for my daughter in her 9th-grade year, and it's TOUGH!  We ended up using the tests as a study guide and giving her extra days in the schedule before the tests.  It's a very challenging curriculum. I'm planning to fill out this course with lots of historical fiction.  If we get into it and it doesn't go well, I'm looking into Thinking Tree's Seven Amazing Continents.

French:

I've tried to get all three of my kids to take Spanish.  I've been out of luck all three times.  So online French it is.  My oldest used Rosetta Stone, and I wasn't very impressed with the voice recognition.  However, I haven't been able to find a course that our charter will pay for, and still covers the speaking element.  Any advice?

Computer Science:

This is probably the class that he's most excited for.  He is heavily motivated to learn coding and programming so we've signed him up for a computer science course through Acellus.  He started the course over the summer and is putting extra time into it because he's just enjoying it that much.

PE:

He's still taking gymnastics/ trampoline classes, but to round out his PE credit, we'll be adding in swimming and cycling, and weight lifting as the weather turns.

Bible:

We're continuing with Rod and Staff level 8.  This curriculum runs from level 5-10, but that doesn't necessarily coincide with grades.  Rather, each level looks at a different part of the Bible, what was happening culturally with the people, what was the background, etc.  This year, he's in level 8 which takes a deep dive into the New Testament.  Additionally he'll keep reading through the Christian Heroes series.  I've picked out 12 books for us to read and be inspired by this year.

Morning Time:

Next week, I'll go more in depth into what exactly is in our Morning Basket, but some subjects we'll explore this year include apologetics, Shakepeare, and the ballet.  These are enrichment topics that we'll be learning together with my 12th grader.

Outside Classes:

Choir--He will be continuing on in the senior high choir and will be involved in that for about 12 weeks in the fall, and then 12 weeks in the spring.

Youth Group and Worship Team--He'll be entering his first year of high school youth group where he'll be a part of a discipleship group and attend camps and Bible study intensives

Trampoline-- 1-2x/week, he'll continue trampoline lessons in big trampoline, double mini, and some tumbling at our local gym.

BSF--We're going to try BSF as a family this year.  It will be the first time we've done something like this,  and I'm hoping it's a good fit.

A lot of the curriculum that we're using this year, we've used in the past with great success.  While I try to tailor our year to each child's needs, I also find that when we find something we like, it's best to stick with it.  So many of these curricula are returning from previous years.  Plus, he's been very lucky to find several outside opportunities that fit his interests this year.  He'll certainly be busy, but I don't think my social butterfly would have it any other way.

What curriculum did you use for your 9th grader?

What I Read and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll July 2025

 

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

The Franke family rose to fame when mom, Ruby Franke, picked up a camera and created her family vlogging channel.  Over the years, she chronicled the events and happenings of the Franke family of 8.  But behind the scenes, the kids were reeling, the couple falling apart, and the family disintegrating.  In The House of My Mother, daughter Shari Franke pulls back the curtain to reveal a broken childhood littered with narcissism, abuse, and brainwashing.  This was an incredibly tough book to read when considering all that these kids went through.  I couldn't believe all the twists and turns this family's journey took.  And to see that any of these kids have come out half-functional is a complete miracle.  Fascinating read!

Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula

This one has been on my list for a long time.  It's a collection of 40+ short biographies, highlighting heroes of the faith.  Trial and Triumph is divided into sections by time period, so it's easy to sort and add to your history curriculum.  I loved that the biographies were short.  This could easily be read during a morning basket time slot.  One word of caution: some of the selections can be scary depending on what time period you're reading in.  Particularly theos people who lived when Christians were heavily persecuted.  But overall, well worth adding to your home library.

Rasmus and the Vagabond by Astrid Lingren

This book was a really interesting find.  Astrid Lingren is the author of Pippi Longstockings, so one day we decided to see if she'd written anything else.  Rasmus popped up at our local library, and I thought I'd check it out.  Rasmus is an orphan who decides to run away one day.  His first night away from the orphanage, he meets up with a vagabond who takes him under his wing.  Together, they get mixed up with a sheriff, bank robbers, hidden loot, and more.  The two must unravel the mystery to save their name.  And in the process, find an unlikely family.  This was a well-written story about honor, perceptions, and home.  While I didn't enjoy it as much as Pippli Longstockings, I did enjoy the story and loved discovering new books from a favorite author.  This would be an excellent book for introducing topics such as adoption and family.

The Four Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson

Packed with practical examples from her own real life homeschool, Durenda Wilson casts a vision for an education that leaves both mom and students thriving.  I love how down to earth this book is and really wish I would have read it earlier in my homeschool journey.  This one definitely goes on my recommendations list.

Better Together by Pam Barnhill

This is an annual reread for me.  Morning Basket is the heart of our homeschool.  It's time when we connect and grow in truth, beauty, and goodness.  I love rereading this title to be inspired and gather new ideas for our next year.  I always read this one with a notebook and pen nearby.  I have definitely gotten my money's worth out of this book.

Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado

See my full review here.

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

This was one of those books that I didn't discover until my kids were a little older, but I wanted to go back and read it for my own benefit.  Betsy is mistakenly sent to live with a distant relatives when her aunt falls ill.  Although she's heard troubling things about this family, she soon discovers that their love for her makes a warm and happy home.  Written similarly to the Little House books, this would make a fun read for 4-5th graders.  And a light summer read for mom!

Our Homeschool Read Alouds:

The Time Garden, Magic or Not?, The Well-Wishers, and Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager

We're continuing our way through the Tales of Magic series.  And we still love it!   This month we read books #4-6, and they were fantastic.  Book five introduces us to a new cast of characters so it took a minute to adjust, but the writing is still amazing, the tales imaginative, and the journey so much fun!

What are you reading?

Tame Your Thoughts {Review}

 

The Bible warns us that our thoughts have consequences.  Numerous times, we're challenged to "take every thought captive."  But what do we do when we're hounded by chaos and regret?  Swirling thoughts that leave us confused and depleted?  

In Tame Your Thoughts, author Max Lucado identifies three thought-management tools and applies them to some of today's most common problems: worry, anxiety, and other mental traps that threaten to keep us from the full life of Christ.  In this battle of the mind, Lucado uses the Bible to help his readers combat toxic thoughts by:

*taking every thought captive

*renewing our minds

*testing our thoughts against Scripture

*and interrupting destructive thought patterns!

Tame Your Thoughts is Biblically rich, and Lucado does a thorough job of making it practical to today's world. He reminds his reader how important it is to take our thoughts captive and not create stories in our heads.  Furthermore, he doesn't just show what we're trying to avoid, but rather creates a vision for the glorious life that awaits all of us as we mature in our thought life.  This book includes questions for further reflection and would make a great resource for a small group study.  While a lot of the focus is on worry, the tools outlined apply to a variety of scenarios.  This is a great book for anyone wanting to mature in their thinking,

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.