7th Grade Plans 2020-2021

Mercie will be in 7th grade next year, and I've been in full-blown curriculum research mode for a few weeks now! I think I finally have decided what she will be using for her 7th grade homeschool year.

MATH:
She finished Math Lessons for a Living Education 6, and I'm going to continue with Masterbooks. She will use Principles of Mathematics Book 1 this year, and she will use Book 2 next year. Mikaela and Eli both used this curriculum and we really enjoyed it.

LANGUAGE ARTS:
She  used Learning Language Arts Through Literature, the Tan book this year. We decided to continue in this series, and she will be using Learning Language Arts Through Literature, the Green book. The books she will be reading with this course are "The Star of Light" by Patricia Saint John, "Much Ado About Nothing" by Shakespeare, and "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart.

SCIENCE:
Her science course this year will be done independently. She will be using Apologia's General Science course for middle school.

HISTORY:
We will be doing history as a together subject with her 5th and 3rd grade brothers using Mystery of History Volume 1. I've been through this with her older siblings, and it's such a good, solid Bible-based ancient history. We will be using the notebooking pages and challenge cards with it.

ART:
She is using Artistic Pursuits right now and loving it (review coming soon). She will continue in this book until she is finished, and I'll order her another one in the series.

MORNING BASKET:
I'm going to bring our Morning Basket back into our homeschool day! We slowly quit doing it because I had a baby and we were in survival mode! It really does add so much to our lives, though, that I find it very important to bring back.

We will be using Road Trip USA by Confessions of a Homeschooler each morning to gently cover each of the 50 states. I am ordering every state book in the States Alphabet series to read during this time, as well as having map drills, states and capitals drills, and a few hands-on activities.

We will also be reading the Bible during this time. We are currently in Deuteronomy and will continue reading straight through the Bible. I read from the New Living Translation and discuss it.

We will work on scripture memory, memorizing chunks and chapters of scripture.

We will also have a poem a week, like we used to do. The kids loved reading the poem aloud and memorizing it. I usually choose poems based on the seasons or interests of the kids.

I'm also planning to have a read aloud each morning that corresponds with our history lessons. Mystery of History has tons of book suggestions that I will choose from.

Our Morning Basket will probably take around an hour each morning to do.

I'll share what I'm using with my 5th and 3rd graders in a few days!

Middle School Checklists {Junior High Junction}

With two kids now in middle school - one in 8th grade, and the other in 6th grade - I have decided to do a few things differently. Having a schedule for them to follow each day is one thing I have implemented this school year. They each have a 3-prong folder with 36 weekly schedules inside.

By schedule, I don't mean a strict, to-the-minute itinerary each day. I have created each of them a weekly checklist to use. This weekly checklist includes each subject they must complete each day, along with a checklist for things like personal hygiene, quiet time, and chores. {I find my middle school age kids need reminders to put on deodorant and brush their teeth without being embarrassed when I mention it.}

 

On their weekly schedule, I have included the following subjects:

• Math
• Language Arts
• History
• Science
• Writing
• Reading
• Spanish
• Typing

They don't do every subject every day - for example, science is 3 times a week - but they just put an X in the box if they don't have to complete it that day. A check goes in the box when they do complete it.

I have also included the following under the category of habits:

• Quiet Time
• Memory
• Personal Care
• Clean Room
• Chores

Also on the checklist is a reading log with room for the book title, number of pages and date completed. I have this because my kids read so many books that I can't keep track of them all! This way, at the end of the year, I can compile a list of every book they read in a year.

There  is also space for their memory verse, which we are using from Foundations 2: Christ our Messiah Bible curriculum. Having them write their memory verse on this page insures that when they see the Memory row to check off, they will study their verse for a few minutes. It makes it easier than hunting for an index card or searching in the Bible. Plus, I want us all to memorize the verse in the New Living Translation {my absolute favorite Bible translation} so we can play games and help each other memorize it.

Having the kids use this Weekly Checklist has been so helpful. There is no more "What do I do next?" or "I forgot to do Spanish today!" Until they have checked off every item from that list, they can't watch TV or go outside or do anything.

This gives me plenty of time to work with my little ones, who really need my focus this year. {This is why I have moved my two older children to independent school work instead of the family learning we have done in the past.}

How do you make sure your middle-schooler gets all of his work completed each day?

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Middle Schoolers Making Money {Junior High Junction}

If your middle-school aged kids are anything like mine, they are always looking for ways to make money! I think it's a great thing that my two oldest kids are so interested in earning money - not because I want to raise greedy little adults who think money is the most important thing ever, but because it takes money to live. Earning money will hopefully be something that motivates them to do their best work, to learn how to save and budget for things they want, and to teach them that earning money is hard work!

Mikaela, 13, and Eli, 11, have found a few jobs they can do this summer to make some money right here in our park. Mikaela has been cleaning our neighbor's trailer once a week while he is working for about $25 a week. She washes dishes, sweeps, cleans cabinets and tidies up. Cleaning bathrooms and refrigerators are extra. She is hoping to pick up a few more trailers a week. Eli has decided to start cleaning out people's vehicles for $20. We have a Shop-Vac, so he will vacuum the carpets, wipe down the windows and seats, and wash off the mats. He has already done one vehicle, has another one to do today, and is hoping to have several more in the coming weeks. They are also going to watch the kids in the trailer park while the moms have a Bible study. The moms have offered to pay a little bit, and that is motivating for them! Mikaela has made money in the past walking dogs and baby-sitting, and they have both sold items on eBay.

Here is a list of jobs your pre-teen and teens may be able to earn money doing:

• washing cars
• cleaning cars out
• baby-sitting
• mowing the yard
• cleaning houses
• walking dogs
• weeding a garden
• laundry
• baking and selling brownies or cookies
• helping a mom grocery shop
• selling hand-made goods {jewelry, crocheted items, paintings, or wood-work}
• being a mother's helper
• organizing
• garage sales
• selling on eBay
• power-washing houses or porches

How have your teens made money?

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Why We Don't Let Our Middle Schoolers Have Devices

For this week's Junior High Junction, I'm going to list the reasons my husband and I have decided against letting our middle school age children have devices - phone, iPads, tablets, and video games. This post is in no way meant to criticize those of you who do allow their children to have devices. Every family is different, and every family will make different decisions.

1.) Devices are a time-sucker. According to this website, kids ages 8-18 are spending an average of 44.5 hours weekly in front of screens. Granted, I'm sure this includes television, too; still, this is an incredible amount of wasted time our kids are spending in front of screens.

2.) Devices are addicting. Everywhere I go, I see people glued to their screens. In waiting rooms, at restaurants, at the grocery store, driving, at the park...it's ridiculous. Most of these people are children and teens! I do not want my kids to be glued to their phones or tablets.

3.) Kids cannot communicate anymore. Texting has truly become the main form of communication between teens these days. Kids don't know how to interact with each other or with adults. I want my kids to be able to clearly communicate with all people.

4.) Devices have killed our teen's creativity. When our kids are bored, they don't pick up a book or head outside to shoot hoops anymore. They pick up their phones or tablets or play video games! They cannot think of better ways to entertain themselves. I want my kids to be creative and use their creativity to help change the world.

5.) Our teens are dependent on devices to find information. Don't get me wrong, devices can be a great tool. I use my phone quite a bit to find information for the kids. However, teens find dictionaries and encyclopedias to be obsolete! The majority of teens can't even use a real reference book without help. I want my kids to be able to utilize both - devices and real, live books.

6.) Devices can be dangerous. At least, the internet is dangerous, and kids are using devices to gain access to the internet. Between cyber bullying and pedophiles, I know I don't want my kids involved in any of it. It's not that I don't trust my kids; rather, I don't trust the internet! When my children do get on my computer for school-related things, they are always monitored by me and always sit in the kitchen.

Will we ever allow our kids to have devices? I'm not sure. Maybe when they get older, we will reevaluate our decision.

Do you allow you kids to use devices? Do you put time restrictions on their usage? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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Junior High Junction: How to Make a Simple Abacus

My daughter, Mikaela, made an abacas when she started her new math program, Principals of Mathematics. We didn't follow their directions, because we didn't have all of the supplies. However, we did modify it with what we had. It turned out to be a really cute project, and she has used it numerous times with her math program.

Here is what you will need:

a 4x6 picture frame, no glass {we used the kind found in the craft section}
5 pipe cleaners
50 pony beads in two different colors {25 of each}
thumb tacks
hot glue

Step One: Arrange the pipe-cleaners where they will be evenly spaced in the "window" of the picture frame. Insert the thumbtacks evenly on the inside of the frame.

Step Two: Wrap one end of the pipe-cleaner around a thumbtack. Secure with hot glue. Do this with one end of each pipe-cleaner.

Step Three: Add 5 beads on one color and then 5 beads of the other color to each pipe-cleaner.

Step Four: Pull the pipe-cleaner tightly and secure around the other thumbtack with hot glue.

{The back of the abacas}

Step Five: Teach your child how to use this abacus!

This is a great teaching tool, and it was a lot of fun for Mikalea to make. She decorated her frame with coordinating Sharpies, which made it more personal. It looks really cute!

What math manipulatives have you made?

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Junior High Juntion: Math for Next Year

Welcome to the Junior High Junction! I took off a week last week, but if you wrote a post, I hope you'll link it up today!

I know it's only March, but already I am obsessing over next year's curriculum choices! I've been pondering what has worked for us, what hasn't worked for us, and what we would like to change. The biggest obstacle I'm facing right now is math for Eli, who will be in 6th grade next year.

We have jumped around in math this year quite a bit. I don't like to change curriculum mid-year, but I have done that way too much this year. Eli started the year in Singapore math. He completed the first workbook, but we didn't move into the second. It was too abstract for me, with little to no instruction. I bought him a Spectrum math workbook, which he actually liked. But, it didn't have enough review. It had around 5 lessons per topic, and then it moved on. Next, he started working on Khan Academy for math, but he didn't like it. Now, I have bought him the Life of Fred: Fractions book. He enjoys the stories, but it's too easy for him. I also don't think there is enough "meat" in it for him. He is reviewing an online math program, but I don't see us continuing it.

Here are the three math programs I'm looking at for next year. We are thinking about doing a light summer schedule - an hour a day of schoolwork, looping through subjects, just to keep our minds fresh. So, I may start him on one of these pretty soon.

• Rod and Staff math. It's such a simple, very traditional math program that we have used in the past. There are pros and cons, but the cons are very easy to adjust. For example, there are a ton of math problems per lesson. Easy to fix - break the lesson into two lessons, or just do half of the problems and call it a day. I thought we may just do half the problems, and if he gets 90% correct, let him move on. If he doesn't get that many correct, he can complete the rest of the lesson the next day.
• Key to ... Series. Mikaela used the Key to Fractions series at the beginning of the year, and it was very beneficial to her. I'm considering the Key to Decimals and Key to Percents for Eli.
• Math-U-See. Silas is doing very well with the first level, but I'm not sure how someone would do moving into it at a higher level. I also don't know if Eli would enjoy using the blocks.

So, do any of you have any suggestions for 6th grade math? Eli is very good at math, and he has an abstract mind. He usually catches on to a new concept extremely fast. He doesn't need a teacher-intensive program, but I would like some teacher guidelines, as I am not a mathy person.

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The Thinking Tree: All About Horses Horse-Lovers Handbook

My 13 year old daughter, Mikaela, loves horses. She learned to ride with her best friend, Sarah. Sarah has a lot of horses and barrel races. Mikaela has learned so much from Sarah. Recently, we acquired 3 horses. They are being taken care of by my father-in-law and a good family friend while we are in North Carolina. Mikaela hopes to start riding them when we get home in a few months.

When Sarah Janisse Brown sent me the "All About Horses Homeschooling Journal" to review, Mikaela was ecstatic! She wanted to start using it right away! I ordered a huge lot of horse books from Ebay for Mikaela to use with this journal.

If you are familiar with Sarah's journals, you will recognize quite a few of these pages. However, there are also lots of new pages created just for this journal. You will see the usual "Reading Time", "Spelling Time", "Copy Work", and "Nature Study" pages. The new pages in this journal are all about horses! Your child will practice drawing horses, writing stories about horses, reading books about horses, and coloring horses! There are real pictures of horses in the journal, including some humorous pictures.

Mikaela uses this journal in her spare time. Your child could totally use this as a complete unit study, as they will be learning science, spelling, language arts, drawing skills, creative writing, and even history if you pick the right books.

What we love about these journals is the ability to pick our own books! When my kids choose their own books, they feel like they are taking ownership of their learning. Mikaela has learned so much from these books we bought. She is learning how to take care of horses, why horses do certain things, and the illness and injuries horses can incur. She loves reading about horses!

This journal is perfect for the horse-lover in your family. You can buy it here. Right now, it's on sale for $9.00! What a steal! Check out Sarah's other journals and do-it-yourself books on Amazon!

Junior High Junction: Charlotte Mason for Middle School?

As I venture into Charlotte Mason homeschooling, the big question I keep asking myself is:

When I first started reading about Charlotte Mason, her methods seemed geared toward elementary-aged children. However, the more I study, the more I find that her methods work well for all ages - elementary, middle school, high school, and even young adults! After all, we should never stop learning.

So how do I plan to use the Charlotte Mason method for my middle school aged children? I am going to share five ways we are using the Charlotte Mason method this week, and hopefully a few more next week.

Charlotte Mason stresses the importance of short lessons - short lessons build the habit of attention. When your child is giving their full attention to a lesson, they retain much more information. The recommended time per lesson for grades 4-6 is 20-30 minutes and for grades 7-9, it increases to 30-45 minutes.

I am not going to set a timer, although that is a great idea for younger children. Generally, Mikaela's lessons take around 20 to 30 minutes, with math stretching to maybe 45 minutes a day, but I will do what is necessary for her lessons to stay within the recommended time frames.

Copy-work is generally thought of for younger children, but I believe it is a very good way to teach grammar, spelling, and penmanship. Copy-work will be taken from our history curriculum or artist study, and she will do it two days a week.

Dictation is a little different from copy-work - the child studies a passage, noting the correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The parent then dictates the passage, phrase by phrase, while the child correctly writes it. Mikaela will use dictation once or twice a week, taking passages from living books we will be reading.

Mikaela will drop her formal grammar program from daily to three times weekly.

Living books are books written in a narrative or conversational style. These books are very different from textbooks, which spit out facts and information. Living books teach by telling a story. You can select living books for every subject. An example of a few living books for middle school:

Mikaela will be reading many living books as opposed to textbooks for history, science, and geography.

You are never too old for nature study! We spend a lot of time outdoors, but I am going to make nature study a formal subject once or twice a week. This means we will either go on a nature walk, do some bird-watching, or use our sketchbooks to draw insects, or plants, or clouds. I will expect Mikaela to do further reading on whatever topic we are examining. An hour a week of formal nature study is what I am aiming for.

Handicrafts differ from arts and crafts. Handicrafts require a skill to be learned and produces projects that are useful. Mikaela already enjoys baking and cooking, so I am going to let her have time in the kitchen each week, alone, to explore recipes. A few of the handicrafts we will be learning are sewing, crocheting {she already knows the basics}, embroidery, calligraphy, jewelry making, paper beads, and working with felt. My list of handicrafts is ever-growing! I plan to have Mikaela spend a half hour to an hour in the afternoon or evening working on her handicraft.

I hope this list has helped you! I plan to share some more ideas next week on how to homeschool middle school the Charlotte Mason way!

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Junior High Junction: 3 Simple Ways to Enourage Your Middle Schooler

We all need a little encouragement sometimes! It's easy to overlook our junior high/middle school age students and their need for a confidence-boost. I'm going to share 3 simple ways we can encourage our pre-teens and teens, and then I want you to share in the comments a few more simple ways!

1.) Ask them to use their gifts or abilities as a favor to you. Let me explain what I mean here. Let's say your daughter loves to bake cookies. You could say, "Your chocolate chip cookies are so delicious; why don't you bake a batch that we could take over to Mrs. Smith's house later today?" Or if your son is really good at fixing things, you could ask him to replace a toilet seat or tighten the screws on your swing set. When your child feels needed by you, it gives them motivation to work hard and encouragement that they are an important part of the family.

2.) Let your child hear you brag on them. This may seem like something reserved for little children, but everyone loves to hear how special they are. When you are talking to your husband, say something like, "I was very impressed with the comic book Eli drew today; he has a natural talent for drawing!" or "Mikaela did a great job on supper tonight. The spaghetti tasted better than mine does!" If your child doesn't think you know she is listening, double the points.

3.) Give them small gestures or tokens of appreciation. Throughout the day, smile at your child, give them a thumbs-up or high-five, wink at them, and hug them. If your child doesn't enjoy being touched, there are other things you can do - sneak them a handful of Hershey kisses {that nobody else sees or receives}, sharpen all of their colored pencils as a surprise, or write a little note to leave on their pillow or in their math book.

Don't forget to pray for and with your child every day. This is the most important thing you can do to encourage your child spiritually.

What ideas would you add to the list?

 

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Junior High Junction: Book Review by Mikaela

This past week, we have been so busy! We had to pack and travel from Louisiana to North Carolina. We will be here for several months with my husband's job {pipeline construction}. We have settled in to our rental, unpacked furniture and clothes, books and toys. We went to the grocery store and stocked the cabinets and fridge. Whew! Now I'm exhausted. That's why my 13 year old daughter, Mikaela, will be writing today's post. She has chosen to do a review on the first two books in a series by James Dashner - The Morality Doctrine. The books she will be reviewing are "The Eye of Minds" and "The Rule of Thoughts".

" These are some of my favorite books, but any books by James Dashner I enjoy. I am still trying to get the third book of this series... the second book,The Rule of Thoughts, leaves you with a cliff-hanger!The books are based on a virtual world "The Virt Net" and gamers would get into a coffin to enter the "Virt-Net". When they wanted to come back from the "Virt-Net" [or the sleep] they would find a portal to come back to the "wake". The book is about a gamer named Michael who has excellent coding and gaming skills in the virtual world. The VNS controls the Virt-Net and they created it. They program Tangets, which are made to look like humans and act like them as well. Some don't even know they are not human. They live in life-blood deep, another dimension inside the Virt-Net. One of the first Tangets they programed is Kaine. He is programed with extreme coding skills as well as gaming skills. He forms a plan to overrule the human world [the wake] with Tangets. It is a plot only Michael can stop with the help of his friends, Sarah and Bryson, who are also skilled gamers. These books are based on Science-Fiction. James Dashner also writes The Maze Runner Triology and the Thirteenth Reality Series. He is my favorite author; I love all his books that I have read so far. I hope you read these books and enjoy them as much as I did. Here are the links to all three books."

THE EYE OF MINDS

 

 

THE RULE OF THOUGHTS

 

 

THE GAME OF LIVES

 



I hope you enjoyed her book series review! It is a series that any teen or pre-teen, boy or girl, would enjoy! Link up your junior high/middle school blog posts below! I would love to read a book review by your pre-teen or teen!

 

 

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Junior High Junction: Nurturing Relationships with Your Pre-Teens and Teens

This week, I want to talk about ways to nurture the relationship you have with your junior high/middle school aged kids.

It's too easy to neglect the relationships with our pre-teens and teens - they are busy kids with friends of their own, their own hobbies, and a growing need for privacy and alone time. Scary how quickly they turn into little adults-in-the-making! As parents, we need to make sure our kids feel valued and appreciated as members of the family, as well as pave the way for a healthy relationship during the tumultuous and hormonal teen years. Here are some ways we can do this:

1.) Make time to talk with them! This seems obvious, but it is vital to any relationship. Even if it's just ten minutes at the end of the day, it matters! Allow them to talk without interrupting or giving advice {unless it's requested}. Pay attention to what they are saying, as well as what they aren't saying. Be trustworthy, non-judgmental, and approachable. Your child should feel that they can to you with any problem, big or small.

2.) Show interest in their life! If your child is into drawing comic books {like my son}, take the time to read the comic book. Laugh at the funny parts! If your child loves to make jewelry {like my daughter}, sit down and make a necklace with her, or ask her to make one for a neighbor or church member. When your child tells you a story, hang on to every word.  As you are browsing Pinterest, send your child a pin you think they would like.  

3.) Discover your child's love language! There are 5 different love languages - words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, gifts, and acts of service. More than likely, you already know your child's love language, and if you don't, it won't take long to figure it out. Make it a priority to speak their love language at least once a week.

4.) Perform small acts of kindness! It's the little things that really are the big things. Fix your teen a bowl of ice cream and take it to his room before bed. Buy or make a pretty book mark for her favorite book. Pick up a movie and popcorn to enjoy on the weekend. After running errands, stop for fries and a milkshake before heading home. Pick up her favorite scent of lotion or body wash when you go to the store.

5.) Pray together! Praying together as a family is so important. Make time to pray together with your teen, just you two. Ask if there is anything they would like prayer for. Thank God for what your teen means to you and the blessing they are in your life. When your teen hears this, it will make them grateful to have a parent who loves them enough to pray with them and for them.

What are some more ways we can nurture the relationship we have with our teens?

 

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Junior High Junction: 5th Grade Curriculum Choices

Welcome back to the Junior High Junction! Last week I shared Mikaela's month-in-review. This week, I'm going to share a little about Eli, my 5th grader. I know Junior High is typically 6th-8th grade, but I am going to count Eli as a Junior Higher.

Here is Eli's curriculum list for 2016:

Math: He just started "Life of Fred: Fractions". He enjoys it so far! The chapters are humorous to read, and the problems to solve at the end of the chapter are fun. After "Fractions", he will move to "Decimals and Percents". The goal is to complete these two books by May.

Grammar: Eli has been using IXL online for grammar. I have him work 15 minutes a day on grammar. He can choose which category he wants to work on, and when he masters it, he can move on to the next. He has worked on Latin roots, alphabetical order, adjectives and adverbs, and subjects and predicates so far.

Penmanship: Eli uses "Cheerful Cursive" to learn cursive. It is geared toward younger students {my 2nd grader is also using it}, but he has such trouble with handwriting that it works well for him.

Writing: We are reviewing Here to Help Learning, an online program that teaches the writing process through funny videos and hand-on activities. We just started last week, but it is a lot of fun! We do this twice a week.

Science: We are not doing a formal science curriculum right now. We are doing Nature Journals. Each child has a sketchbook, and we are reading through different books on nature - trees, birds, insects, weather. Right now we are learning about trees. Each day, we read a little and then draw in our sketchbooks - the inside of a leaf, deciduous leaves vs. evergreen leaves, the root system of a tree. He likes to draw, and is learning a lot right now. {I would like to get a multi-age science curriculum for K-8th...}

History: We started using BiblioPlan: Ancients last week, and all of the kids love it. We have the BiblioPlan Companion and The Story of the World Volume 1 as our spine. There is map-work, copy-work, vocabulary, timeline, and fun projects to do each week. There are also extra literature suggestions, and I am going to have him read two for each unit {a unit is around 5-7 weeks}.

Bible: Eli has been using his Faith-Builders Bible this week {review item}. He likes the way it reads - the New International Readers Version. He also has a Bible journal that he writes in each day and is reading through the New Testament. We are starting Grapevine Studies {review item} next week that will take us through the New Testament. He is in Bible Drill at our church, and he has memorized tons of scripture, the plan of salvation, and key passages. We also do memory work at home. Right now, we are working on Matthew 5:6-15.

Reading: We are going to review a literature kit for Memoria Press in the next few weeks, and the book he will read is "Robin Hood". He also loves to read for fun. Some of his favorite series are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, Captain Underpants and Baseball Card Adventures {which are actually really great for history lessons}.

Eli's hobbies are building Legos, drawing comics, and shooting his BB gun. He loves to play baseball, kickball, dodge ball, and ride his bike and skateboard.

I would love to hear your junior high curriculum choices.

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Junior High Junction: Month in Review {January}

Welcome back to the Junior High Junction. Thanks for linking up last week, and I hope to have even more link-ups this week!

This week, I'm going to do a month-in-review for January. Mikaela is in 7th grade, and here is what she has been up to this month.

Math: She quit using Khan Academy in lieu of a textbook/workbook curriculum {her decision}. She started using Principles of Mathematics by Katherine Loop. This math book has a Biblical worldview, which is kind of strange for a math textbook, but Mikaela enjoys it so far. It is challenging in some areas, and some areas are easy review {which she really likes}. There are real-life examples of how and when you will need to use math in your life, which is great because she doesn't like math, and this shows her that she will, in fact, one day use it! The first week she made an abacas. We didn't follow the directions exactly; we just used what we had on-hand. It works, though, and she {and I} learned the correct way to add and subtract numbers in the thousands on the abacas.

Science: She has been reading "It Couldn't Just Happen", which is a book based on creation science. She also follows up in her Fun-Schooling Journal with activities that I list for her - copy-work, drawing diagrams or pictures of the things in the book, spelling words, and writing interesting facts. She is enjoying it. She's learned about the planets and stars, fossils, why dinosaurs could have disappeared and other interesting facts. She loves this book, and complains that I don't give her enough to read every day. But I want it soak in!

History: She has finished up the first book in America the Beautiful. We will not move on to the next book yet, as we are going to start BiblioPlan this week!

Grammar/Language Arts: This is one area that we have been weak in. She uses Daily Grams and Easy Grammar daily, and she works in the Spelling Time Journal several times a week. We don't have a writing program, but we start reviewing one for the Crew on Monday. We have never done a formal writing program, so I'm excited. We also start another review item, a literature kit from Memoria Press. These two elements added to her week will be a big burden off of my shoulders. {Why are we always worried our kids aren't "doing enough?"}

Electives: She has not been doing her Art Lessons, and I want her to pick them back up. She does cook and bake often, which I count as home-ec! She loves making jewelry and key-chains {check out her page - KK's Korner - at the top of my blog}, and she even made few bottle-cap magnets!

Books Read: Some of the books she read this month are:
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
The Death Cure by James Dashner
The Eye of Minds: The Mortality Doctrine by James Dashner
Bound for Oregon by Jean van Leeuwan

I would love to hear what your junior high students have been up to this month!

An InLinkz Link-up