Homeschooling Middle School

We offer several options for all grades, depending on what your needs are. The Basic version of our curriculum kits contains math, language arts, and thinking skills. It’s the most economical choice and works for families who supplement history and science from the library, borrowing from friends, sharing with a sibling, etc. The Complete version contains everything in Basic, plus science, history, and hands-on learning tools. The Complete kit includes everything you would need for an entire year. The Elite kit contains everything in the Complete version, plus more fun add-ons. Elite is an outstanding option if you want all the bells and whistles!

For each of our kits, we also offer a classic (Christian) option and a nonreligious option. Usually families who receive funding for homeschool through the public school system will need the nonreligious option. It’s also possible to customize our curriculum if you need to make adjustments for any reason. The kits come with parent/teacher handbooks and access to our customizable online scheduler.

FAQs

“What level should I order?”

We offer placement tests for various subjects. This will help you determine the appropriate level for your child.

"What school supplies do I need?"

The simple answer is you wouldn't actually have to have much beyond your basic pencil and paper, maybe a pair of scissors and some glue or tape for most of our kits. Chances are you will likely find a few extra supplies do come in handy, so we compiled a list to help you with your planning and back-to-school shopping.

"How much time should school take?"

We asked the families who used our middle school level kits how long their students spent on "school." Most of the families worked on academics 4 or 5 days a week and spent 2-5 hours a day specifically on Timberdoodle materials. It is common for families to spend more or less time than that, so don't stress if your schedule doesn't exactly match up. And, of course, the time you spend will be greatly impacted by how in-depth your student takes their studies, their learning approach, how distractible they allow themselves to be, and much more.

“As my child gets older and more independent with her schooling I feel more and more useless. How can I still be involved other than just being available for questions?”

Yay! This is exciting that she is learning how to learn independently! But, we totally understand wanting to connect too. The most obvious opportunities for connection are the game included in each kit and the reading challenge. Read-Alouds are always a blast, or listen to the audiobook version together. Also, is there a subject that you'd enjoy working through together? Perhaps this year's science or history captivates you too, and you could read the text together or do field trips based on the subject matter?

"What is the best product, in your opinion, to get a tween girl excited about math?"

That would really depend on her interests. Math is so critical to so many fields - entrepreneurial, engineering, farming... What are her interests? Is there a way to have her talk to a leader in that field and have them share how math impacts their daily life? It's also ok to not be excited about every subject. She's still learning the persistence that will serve her well the rest of her life. Also, it would be a good time to take a placement test and make sure she's in the right level. Too easy will be boring, while too hard will be frustrating.

"I have seventh and fifth grade boys. We are getting into more serious subjects and heavier topics. What are some things you can recommend for that age range that are fun, fresh and engaging?"

Check out the STEM and art selections in our 5th, 6th, and 7th grade kits. All of them are appropriate for that age range and would be high interest.

"We are about to head into the junior high years. What are some of the bigger changes I should expect in how we school?"

You'll find the kits include more bookwork and not as much hands-on learning (though there is still some!). Also, your student will be working more and more independently. Self-teaching at this grade is key. We recommend setting up a clearly understood list of incentives and consequences and let them be the master of their fate.

"What are your options for online courses at this age?"

Our special emphasis is engineering, hands-on, and thinking-skills products so most of our courses are not online.

Online courses we do offer for middle school students include:

Tips from Our Blog Team

Homeschooling the Middle Years from A Mom's Quest to Teach

5th Grade Curriculum Kit Unboxing from Stars of Jewels

6th Grade Curriculum Kit Unboxing from Homeschool Family Stuff

8th Grade Curriculum Kit Review from Mama Smiles

Join Our Facebook Community

We'd love to have you join our middle grades community group on Facebook! If you’re using Timberdoodle Curriculum Kits for 5th through 8th grade this year, the Grades 5-8 Community is the group for you!

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