The Homeschool Path {Planning Eighth Grade and preparing for high school}

 
Come August my oldest will be an eighth grader. I find this daunting! Our last year before high school! This makes school planning difficult unless you look ahead to the high school years at the same time. 

I'm struggling with looking ahead to high school! I prefer just to bury my head in the snow sand. It came as a surprise that I would have to do some high school planning while planning eighth grade. I'm sure everyone already knew this and perhaps I did too . . . . . remember that head buried part!

I've been reading blogs and online forums for advice. This is extremely helpful! I also like to go back on old threads and ask "How did this workout for you and what changes would you make?" These discussions are priceless! I've been having these discussion in real life too. I'm also asking those fellow IRL homeschoolers that are in the same spot about their plans for the upcoming year and high school.

I found our state graduation requirements and printed those off. I didn't really look at it, but I gave it a glance. I asked those who have gone before me if a child can get into college by following those graduation requirements. I was told I would want to do more if we are planning on a private college, but the requirements were good enough for a state college. This was filed away mentally. Looking at those graduation requirements gave me a small glance at possible high school classes which was helpful in planning for eighth grade especially history and science.



I decided on our history time period and subjects for science for eighth grade (and a pre-game plan for high school)and everything else will just be a continuation of what we are currently doing. Really, history is too, but it needed a little more figuring out. I also took a look at areas that needed more focus and/or needed to be "caught up" on before high school. Math and writing will be a big consumer of our time for eighth grade.


There is also a book list to read through in the next year. Items I have on hand include, Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education by Laura Berquist (which I started a while back but never read the high school part-refer back to the head buried part), and The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell that I got for Christmas, read a little, and please refer back to the head buried part.

So, here it is, a game plan for eighth grade that made me take my head out of the sand for a quick look and see. High school still scares me and I'm sure it will until both boys are through it. I've accepted it and may or may not move one.  ; ) 

What's next? I would love to hear more advice for planning eighth grade and starting the high school planning! Please share!

The current 7th grader and cause of post inspiration.