Ah… high school. So little time left with them. This beautiful transformation between child and adult. This is one of the most exciting stages of homeschool in my opinion. (Of course I probably think they all are!) But seriously getting to watch them discover who they are and and seeing them pursue new hobbies and interests at this stage that are affecting the way they decide their future is more fulfilling than many dramas on tv.
HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM CHOICES
Eric has discovered a love of literature and music this last year which is really exciting to watch develop. I am so grateful he has to the space in his schedule to do so because we homeschool. Regardless of his plans, I will continue to prepare him for college. It is important he is prepared for college academically, but it is equally important he have opportunities to discover more about who he is and what he wants by learning more about himself. That is a delicate balance.
MORNING TIME
We do morning time together as a family as many days of the week as possible since Eric does often get to join his dad for work about once a week and he will most likely begin working this year. Since I just have the two kids left at home, Morning Time can be in the afternoon if it is a lesson I really want him to sit in on.
We enjoy World Watch to start our day. (On the link you can even find a free week of news to try for you and your family). In addition, we are going to be using Simply Charlotte Mason’s Enrichment Studies Volume 2.
ENGLISH
English is typically our largest subject to go through when looking at all the 11 grade homeschool curriculum, what with all the parts of it.
Eric is a well read student with a love for literature who could use more practice with writing so we are going to use IEW’s Elegant Essay for the first six weeks and the One Year Adventure Novel by Clearwater Press. He is really excited about the story writing!
For Grammar, we are using IEW’s Fix-it Grammar series. He is currently in book 5. We still have the older versions which we’ve been happy with but I will utilizing the newer editions for my younger son. You can even try a free 4 week sample IEW offers for FREE.
I really enjoy the selections from Simply Charlotte Mason’s Spelling Wisdom book 4. We will utilize this resource again about twice a week. It’s an excellent resource to add to his 11th grade homeschool curriculum this year.
Lastly, English From the Roots Up is always an excellent addition. I aim to use this about twice a week for 10-15 minutes.
MATH
We will be Math-u-see Algebra II this year. In our homeschool, this is our favorite choice for high school math.
He will be using all the components: Textbook, DVD, worksheets, and tests. For more of what I think of Math-u-see you can see my review here.
SCIENCE
For Chemistry, we are going to use Discovering Design with Chemistry by Berean Builders. This is our first time utilizing this high school series by Dr. Wile. I am looking forward to how it compares to Apologia. Additionally, I will do the experiments at home with him.
GEOGRAPHY/ HISTORY
In our Morning Time lessons we are going to be using Simply Charlotte Mason’s Enrichment Studies Volume 2 and since those plans incorporate Geography, he will receive the rest of his geography credit. He is finished with his history credits and will complete his government / economics classes next year.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
For Spanish this year we are going to use BJU Press Spanish 1 (3rd Edition) I decided to go with the 3rd edition because it has been updated quite a bit and many of the co-ops or classes that are taught will use this edition especially if continuing to level 2, which we plan on doing.
FINE ARTS
Music: We keep track by keeping a log of how much time he is learning, practicing each day in his weekly planning guide (more about that below). Eric needs 120 hours for a full credit. He is currently learning the cello and is looking forward to learning music theory this coming year while developing his skills with his guitar further.
Theatre: My son likes to participate in our local theatre group for high school kids. What an amazing opportunity! For his 11th grade homeschool year, He is planning to be involved in their spring performance. He also works at a local coffee shop.
HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM PLANNING GUIDE
My teens all get planning guides likes this one. Sometimes I make them myself, sometimes I utilize an excel version I bought here from A Farmhouse Full. I like hers because she utilizes Excel and they are able to auto fill certain category labels. Some parts I will fill in a semester or quarter at a time with our homeschool curriculum choices and others they fill in as they go. Below is an example of last years.
Moreover, I encourage my kids to begin their own routines in high school as jobs and activities can begin to complicate homeschool schedules. Lastly, here is a link for how to create a morning routine and an evening routine that I encourage my children to follow in an effort to further encourage independence.
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