8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

Here are my TOP 8th Grade Home School Curriculum picks. Homeschooling 8th-grade students and preparing your homeschooled child for high school doesn’t have to be difficult.

This year we decided to home educate my youngest daughter for 8th grade. She was attending a private Christian school during 6th grade and half of the 7th grade, but we had pulled her out as the school was just not very inspiring to us. She loved the school for her friends but didn’t love the school itself. She misses her friends a lot, but not the day to day drudgery of attending boring classes.

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Here are my 2018-2019 homeschool curriculum (for 7th grade) ( for 9th grade) , 2017-2018 homeschool curriculum, 2016-2017 homeschool curriculum, 2015-2016 homeschool curriculum, 2014-2015 home school curriculum,  2013-2014 home school curriculum,  2012-2013 school curriculum and 2011-2012 school curriculum posts. Amazing to think I am heading into my 9th year of FORMAL home educating! 

2019 HOME SCHOOL CURRICULUM

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

Below is the 8th Grade Curriculum we will be using this year and all my TOP picks for homeschooling a 8th grade homeschooled student.

MATH:

Math: Grade 8: Math-U-See Geometry

We have used Saxon Math for so long, but this year we are switching it up a bit. I moved my oldest daughter to Math-U-See Geometry last year after reading loads of reviews and speaking with other homeschool moms. We completed Harold Jacobs Algebra with all my children. My youngest daughter this Geometry is great. There is one lesson per week with a video at the beginning of the lessons and a text at the conclusion.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR:

Grammar/Spelling/Handwriting: Grade 8: Growing with Grammar

I used Growing with Grammar, Soaring with Spelling, and Winning with Writing when my oldest daughter was in 8th grade and those worked very well for her. Since we are attending the Hybrid Homeschool Academy this year, I do not get to select this curriculum for my youngest daughter. In the past, we always used Shurley English but this curriculum ends in 7th grade.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Critical Thinking: Grade 8: If They Can Argue Well, They Can Write Well

This is an academy led class and my daughter does not enjoy Critical Thinking at all since she is extremely quiet and shy. This class is learning how to speak publically and argue well, in class. The course work itself is good and my daughter is learning.

English/Vocabulary/Language/Spelling/Literature/Composition:

The Grammar of Poetry, The Elements of Style Workbook, Writing & Rhetoric Book 5: Refutation & Confirmation, Student Edition

Literature & Composition is taught at the academy and they selected the texts. The textbooks used this year will be The Grammar of Poetry, The Elements of Style Workbook, Writing & Rhetoric Book 5: Refutation & Confirmation, Student Edition. My daughter adores the teacher for Literature & Composition. She doesn’t’ enjoy all the texts selected for this course, but I love that they stretch the reading that middle school kids would normally read.

READ ALOUD:  Pilgrim’s Progress, Chains, Frankenstein, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Two Roads, When My Name was Keoko, Inside Out and Back Again, Escape from Aleppo, A Tale of Two Cities

HISTORY:

Omnibus/History: Grade 8:  Academy Provided Curriculum I would suggest Mystery of History Volum 4: Wars of Independence to Modern Times Vol IV

This class is academy led and the course work was created by the academy. I do not like the course work at all as it is not a formal textbook and feels very disjointed. I much prefer an actual textbook. The work itself is fine, but I think this is just personal preference.

SCIENCE:

Science: Grade 8: Physical Science

I will be following the schedule put out by Exploring Creation with Physical Science and the academy for this subject. Since this is an academy led class, with labs, this will be an easy class as we are so used to Apologia texts after using them for 10 years. We have the Physical Science textbook and the Physical Science Notebooking Journal. I do not have the CD instruction since this is class is taught at our co-op, but I find the CDs very helpful if a student is struggling or you are teaching the class at home without co-op assistance.

BIBLE:

Biblical Studies/Religion/Memory: Grade 8:

God’s Story: A Student Guide to Church History AND Core Christianity

This is an academy that taught the class as well. My daughter also attends Catechism each week and I feel she is learning more and is more engaged at Catechism. She does not enjoy Biblical Studies at the academy and would prefer to withdraw from the class. The instructor is not the same religion as my family and I personally feel since we do not believe the same as her, that her view of the work my daughter submits is not graded subjectively. My daughter is also extremely quiet in class, and her grade reflects that she does not participate and this is a problem for me.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:

Foreign Language: Grade 8: Intro to Spanish

ELECTIVES:

Art & Music:  Violin, Private Lessons, Chamber Orchestra and Youth Orchestra for my 8th grader

Field Trips/Extra Activities:

We have many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums that we are members. Field Trip day will always and forever be a favorite. Field trips will be easier this year as I do not have to pick up my son from school every day.

Here’s a post on our workboxes and how we use them in our homeschool classroom! I also have some printable workbox tags.

I really hope this helps in planning your homeschool curriculum for 8th grade homeschooled students! Make sure to check out my other homeschool grade curriculum picks.