Arriving at the middle school years can be a time of mixed emotions for both mom and child. But homeschooling middle school doesn’t always mean middle way in our journey. It is only natural though that middle school weigh heavy on the mind because it is a midpoint. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.
3 Smart Strategies to Middle School Homeschool
Having gone through these grades twice now with my oldest sons, there are several things that helps me to stay grounded.
- It’s about discovering your child’s individuality.
Curriculum will come and go, but this is the time to focus on who your child will become. It was hard for me to look at my boys then to picture the men they will become but it happens.
Middle grades are a time for discovering the strengths and weaknesses of your child’s character. Middle school kids want to know how they fit in the world and they need time to explore a whole host of activities. Whether you think they are behind or ahead in academics has nothing to do with their changing emotional and social needs.
Self-discovery may come through field trips, attending classes without other siblings, or even volunteering for community service projects. It may even come through an activity they enjoy doing alone. Bottom line is that it is about discovering who they are and how they will contribute to this world.
I think it is one of the hardest times to homeschool too. Because the kids are feeling the tug of adulthood but don’t have the skills like driving or the experience at planning to fulfill them, it is very discouraging at times.
It requires extra work on our part because it requires extra time. Add in the time demands of a toddler or younger siblings to a middle schooler’s unique needs and it can be quite stressful.
Finding another homeschool mom you can trade off with in driving your child to his classes, hosting a co-op on a subject your child likes with only one other family at your house and driving them to classes every other week are things I have done to feed their need for adventure and discovery.
During those grades I have also found that my sons were ahead in subjects and lagged behind in others.
With both of my older sons, it has never meant either that we were exactly middle way in our journey or in academics.
- Re-evaluate the academics.
This is the time too that I have to switch from my teacher hat to supervisor hat. Like us, our middle school kids want the same freedom to pursue subjects that interests them. Without giving up the parental guidance, we need to throttle back the control.
It’s important for them to understand that though they have more input in their academics now, it doesn’t mean that you are willing to negotiate the core subjects.
You have to be willing though to let them try a new math program (approved by you of course) or writing program. Negotiating how they approach core subjects, times about when they do them or where they do them shows you are willing to let go of control.
Many times I gave my sons a couple of choices in curriculum that I had weeded through at some of the conventions. Some of the programs were ahead in some subjects, on target in others and a few for lower grades.
My oldest son was very decisive at that age about which math and writing program he wanted to stick with. My second son, not so much. So I made the choice for my second son and he was completely fine with it.
The point I am making is that both of my sons had a choice about academics because I wanted to show my willingness to be reasonable as this journey eventually becomes their education.
Too, some kids are very advanced in middle grades and are already capable of doing high school level work. I always let me sons move ahead where needed and simmer on other subjects as they needed to.
- Letting go of the best homeschool approach – your approach.
Ouch, this next suggestion of being willing to let go of a homeschool approach that you have followed for many years is a touchy one.
However, being willing to switch your homeschool method or approach that has been working for you as the teacher is crucial to surviving middle school. Try to avoid micromanaging your children because it stifles any efforts for self-independence. Clear accountability works better and is of more value because in real life, that is when they are adults, nobody runs behind us to remind us. We learn by reaping the benefits or consequences of bad decisions.
I’m right there with you too because this is kind of scary for us as moms when we have been use to taking all control for their education up to this time. I had to learn differently too because my sons now learned differently. If you want your children to be independent learners then your method of teaching has to follow what works best for them.
When I started homeschooling and my children were young, the classical approach to homeschooling fit my idea of what my husband and I thought homeschooling should look like. It still does in many ways.
Along the way though I learned that I didn’t have to be so dogmatic about it but that I could embrace many strengths from each homeschool approach.
Having boys and knowing they learn best by hands-on allows me to mostly choose resources that fit our unit study method.
I have not given up any of my homeschool goals but have partnered with my sons in embracing their homeschool approach that becomes more clear during the middle school grades.
I have found that the middle school years are an exciting time as my sons emerge. It is a good place to be if you stay flexible and realize that the many different approaches to homeschooling exist because we have many different types of learners. Embrace it, don’t run from it. And change for goodness sake if you need to because it will mean the difference between making the most of middle school or having a collision midway.
I will be sharing some resources in upcoming posts that worked good for us too during the middle school grades.
Are you willing to let go of the middle school struggle and seize these exciting years?
Hugs and love ya,
