This homeschool year is a special one for our family. We have a 6th grader and a senior! 🙏📚

As we head into another year of homeschooling, I’m excited to share the curriculum choices we’ve made for both of them, what we’ll be using throughout the year, and a little bit about why we chose each one.
One thing I’ve learned throughout our homeschool journey is that every year can look a little different. We’re definitely an eclectic homeschool family. We don’t follow one particular curriculum company or homeschool method for every subject. Instead, we pick and choose different resources based on what we think will work best for each child.

We do try our best to stick with what we choose for the school year, but we’re also not afraid to make a change if something truly isn’t working. Every child learns differently, and sometimes it takes actually using a curriculum to find out whether it’s a good fit.

Our 6th Grade Curriculum 📚

For our 6th grader, we’re using a combination of curriculum at home, online learning, our weekly co-op, and enrichment activities.

Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 6

Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 6

The Good and the Beautiful is actually not new to our homeschool!

I first used it with my 6th grader when he was little, beginning around preschool and kindergarten, and it played a big part in how he learned to read. ❤️ We also used it during first grade and again around third grade, so it’s a curriculum we’ve returned to a few times throughout our homeschool years.

Eventually, we pivoted and tried other curriculum options, which is pretty normal for us. But now that he’s entering middle school, I wanted to give The Good and the Beautiful another try.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the curriculum at this level, so I’m excited to see how it works for him this year. Hopefully we love it! As with any curriculum, though, we’ll see how it goes.

Spelling: BJU Press Spelling

This will be our first year using BJU Press for spelling, so this one is completely new to us.
I’m looking forward to seeing how my son does with it and how well it fits into our homeschool routine.

Math: BJU Press Math 6 Online

This is also our first year using BJU Press for math.
Last year, we used Saxon Math along with Nicole the Math Lady. It was actually a really great curriculum and resource, but at the time, it just wasn’t the best fit for my son.
That doesn’t mean we would never use it again. I would absolutely consider revisiting it in the future. Sometimes a curriculum can be great and still not be the right fit for a particular child or season.
This year, we’re giving BJU Math a try, and I’m hopeful it will work well for him.

Science: BJU Press Science 6

For science, we chose BJU Press Science 6.
Since we’re already introducing BJU for math and spelling this year, I’m interested to see how we like their approach to science as well.

History

For history, we decided to work with resources we already have at home rather than purchasing another full history curriculum this year.
One thing about homeschooling for several years is that you slowly build up quite the collection of books and resources! 😂 So this year, we’re going to make use of some of what we already have.
Our Weekly Co-op
Our 6th grader will also be attending our weekly homeschool co-op group.
He’ll be doing English grammar, writing, science experiments, music, history, and other activities alongside other students.
I really appreciate having a combination of learning at home and opportunities to learn alongside other homeschool families.

Electives & Enrichment
Along with his core academics, we’ll be incorporating piano, basketball, soccer, Bible study, read-alouds, narration, typing, Spanish, and other learning opportunities throughout the year.

Our Senior Year Curriculum 🎓

And then we have our senior.
I still cannot believe I’m saying senior year! 🥹

Just like with my 6th grader, our curriculum journey with my oldest has included a little bit of everything.
We’ve used The Good and the Beautiful with him during different seasons as well, along with many other curriculum options throughout the years.
We’ve also used Teaching Textbooks for math a few times. In the earlier years, I thought it was a fun and engaging way to do math, and it worked well for us during that season.

As he got older, though, we found that it wasn’t as great of a fit for him anymore, so we eventually moved on to other options.
That’s not to say that I’m against Teaching Textbooks or wouldn’t recommend it. Every child is different, and something that isn’t the right fit for one child could work wonderfully for another.

That’s something I’ve learned again and again through homeschooling. Even a curriculum you enjoy doesn’t necessarily have to be the curriculum you use forever. As our children grow, their learning needs can change, and our homeschool can grow and change right along with them.

I actually think it would be fun to write another blog post where I go year by year and share some of the different curricula we’ve used throughout our homeschool journey, what worked for us, and what we eventually changed.
But for now, here’s what we’ve chosen for his final year of high school.

English/Literature: BJU Press British Literature

For his senior English and literature studies, we’re using BJU Press British Literature.
At this stage, I wanted him to have a solid literature course while continuing to strengthen his reading, writing, analysis, and communication skills before graduation.

Vocabulary: Wordly Wise

He’ll also continue with Wordly Wise for vocabulary, completing Level 11 and then moving into Level 12.

Economics: Notgrass Exploring Economics

For economics, we chose Notgrass Exploring Economics.
This course also incorporates reading and writing through its English and literature component, giving us another opportunity to connect subjects rather than always treating everything as completely separate.

Personal Finance: Foundations in Personal Finance

We’re also including Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance this year.
I really wanted practical financial education to be part of his senior year. Learning about budgeting, saving, managing money, and making wise financial decisions are skills I want him to carry with him long after high school is finished.

Electives

His senior year will also include Bible study, piano/keyboard, physical education, computer skills, video editing, content creation, volunteering, driver education and other practical learning experiences.
At this stage of homeschooling, I think there is so much learning that can happen beyond a traditional textbook.

Senior year isn’t only about finishing academic requirements. It’s also about preparing for what comes next, and enjoying the journey along the way.

We’ve tried many different curricula throughout the years. Some we’ve loved and used again. Some worked wonderfully for one child but not another. And some simply weren’t the right fit for our family during that particular season.

I think that’s one of the beautiful things about homeschooling. We can choose resources based on the child in front of us and what will help them the most at the time.

Curriculum is a tool. It doesn’t have to control our homeschool.

As I look at this year, it’s a little emotional knowing I have one child entering the middle school years while another is beginning his final year of high school. And of course, we have our two little ones growing up right alongside all the learning, books, and everyday homeschool life. ❤️

Going into this year, I’m hopeful about the choices we’ve made for both our 6th grader and our senior. Some are familiar curricula we’re returning to, while others are completely new to us, so I will definitely do a mid year check-in!

If you have any questions about any of the curriculum we chose, feel free to leave a comment. I’d be happy to share more about our experience as we actually use everything throughout the year.

And maybe I’ll do that year-by-year curriculum post next and share more about what we’ve tried throughout our homeschool journey. 📚

Here’s to another year of learning, growing, making adjustments when we need to, and trusting God through it all. 🙏❤️

Written by Maria Jerez 💌
Ridgehills Designs Co.