Homeschooling High School: 9th Grade Plan

Our 9^th Grade Plan

I am one of the “eclectic” moms. I LOVE researching curricula and finding the best fit for us. Before I dive into the details of our 9^th grade choices, let me just make a brief confession: Except for PE (competitive swimming), I taught everything myself. Why? My son BEGGED me! He didn’t want to take part in a class outside of our home and, because he swims competitively which consumes quite a bit of time in our week’s schedule, I didn’t mind. So on to the particulars:

Language Arts

Except for literature, English has always been our challenge. My son has struggled with dysgraphia for most of his school years and even though we have been able to remedy most of his difficulties, we still have some catching up on composition, spelling, and handwriting. Therefore, we chose to dedicate a large part of our 9^th grade days to language studies.

Literature: Fundamentals of Literature by BJU Press

After completing Pathway and Abeka readers in the elementary and junior high, we were ready for a change. We enjoyed both curricula and would heartily recommend them to anyone, but sometimes too much of even a good thing seems just too much. So we laid our eyes on BJU curriculum and LOVED it. It introduces students to literary criticism and encourages them to read and analyze literature in light of a Christian worldview. In addition to the literature selections, rich illustrations, author biographies, and application questions promote the child’s critical thinking skills. Also, the ability to read a short author’s biography together with a piece of literature they produced gives you a deeper understanding of reasons behind their writings.

Composition: Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level C by IEW

We have been successfully following the IEW curriculum since 4^th grade and it has been a major contributor to overcoming my son’s dysgraphia. Even though the course is not specifically targeted at children with language difficulties, the teaching style caters even to these children. The writing lessons are humorous, incremental, and effective. The curriculum provides clear daily assignments that are easy for the student to follow with minimum supervision. Unlike our literature path, we didn’t have a need for a change in writing curriculum but heartily decided to continue in the same vein.

Grammar: Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: 180 Daily Teaching Lessons Grade 9 by Easy Grammar Systems

This step-by-step daily program uses a mastery approach to build confidence in grammar concepts relating to phrases, clauses, compound-complex sentences, and other higher-level concepts. 9^th grade was our first year using this particular curriculum and we were pleased to see a good progress in my son’s grammar skills.

Spelling: Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level B by IEW

This phonics-based program uses auditory input to ensure that the correct spelling of each word is absorbed by the brain in the right sequence. The audio allows students to work independently much of the time, while allowing for the repetition needed for mastery. After trying a number of other spelling curricula, we branched out to this primarily auditory program and made significant progress in spelling. [Please note, my son is a very strong auditory learner so this curriculum was a perfect fit for him. It proved to be even a better option than some of the best multisensory programs available on the market.]

Math

Plain Geometry by Math-U-See

(Honors lessons are available in the curriculum if one chooses to utilize them.)

Having the nine-year (K-8) foundation and rigors of Singapore Math under our belt, we were ready to lighten up a bit. [You can read about our adventures with Singapore Math in Singapore Math? Really?] I have seen some negative reviews about Math-U-See as “too EASY”, but also positive ones that described it as “proficient and EASY to understand.” As far as our household is concerned, we really enjoyed this program. The video lessons are well taught, the textbook provides excellent study and reference material, and the workbook gives enough practice to comprehend the problems without feeling overwhelmed. It also includes outstanding continual review lessons, which were omitted (for good reasons, nevertheless omitted) in Singapore Math for 7^th and 8^th grade. Overall, math for us was not a struggle in 9^th grade, it didn’t take two hours to finish, and the knowledge gained proved to be on quite a high level.

Social Studies

U.S. History I CLEP: Early Colonization to 1877 by REA

As we had ventured into a dual-credit high school path and U.S. History I CLEP was the first college exam my son had studied for, we followed the highly recommended REA preparation book. We were not disappointed! [You can read more about this CLEP exam and the preparation for it using REA book and other resources in How to Take History of the United States I CLEP Exam for FREE.]

The American Republic for Christian Schools by BJU Press

Even though this curriculum covers the entire U.S. history from early European colonization to the twentieth century, we used only the 2^nd half in preparation for U.S. History II CLEP exam. We found it to be very well written, providing linking bridges and understanding of the time period between the end of the Civil War and the present.

U.S. History II CLEP: 1865 to the Present by REA

As we were very pleased with the result of the first U.S. History CLEP, we chose to deepen the knowledge gained in The American Republic for Christian Schools with this study book for the second CLEP. It not only provides thorough study text but also includes 2 full-length practice exams both on paper and in an electronic format. Each answer is then accompanied by detailed explanation of why the particular answer is correct while the other ones are not.

American Government CLEP by REA

Based on our previous experiences with REA study books, we decided to continue in the same vein while studying for The American Government CLEP exam. This study reaches beyond a general understanding of civics and incorporates political processes and behavior. Even though not everything was easy to understand for a 14-year-old due to the nature of the subject, he was still able to pass the exam with a good score.

Science

Physical Science: Matter and Energy by Abeka

This course teaches the foundational science principles and thus prepares children for chemistry and physics studies in higher grades. I know there are people who very much enjoyed this curriculum and would highly recommend it, but it was not a good fit for us. Even though we studied Abeka science since 5^th grade, we would have gone a different direction with physical science if we had a chance to do it all over again. The text was often hard to understand and our ideas of making use of the lab materials proved not to be very successful. The materials used in the labs were rather difficult to obtain in the area where we live and too expensive to buy individually online. There was only one outlet that provided the entire set of materials, however, they did not have them available for the school year we needed them. All in all, we were glad to get through, pass the tests, and move on. This experience proves that no matter how good any curriculum may be, it may not always turn out to be a good fit for you and your student.

Bible

Hebrew History: Kings of Israel by Abeka

As unhappy as we were with Abeka’s 9^th grade science, we can only give praise for their Bible curriculum. The study focuses on Israel’s united kingdom from the suffering under King Saul to the blessings under Kings David and Solomon. It also covers the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, and the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem. The students not only learn the history of a nation but also how to apply the lessons to their personal lives. They explore the obedience and the blessings it provides as well as the consequences of disobedience. We highly recommend this course which is supported by frequent reviews and tests.

Speech

Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization by IEW

When I did my research on homeschooling high school, I realized that I had pretty much omitted development of my son’s brain through memorization. Even though I am sure he would have been able to survive his life without it, I still decided to remedy this negligence of mine. I even managed to “sell” it to him. And we have been reaping its benefits. [For more information on why it is so important to teach your children to memorize poetry and speeches and how to “sell” them the concept, please read Is Memorizing Poetry Good for the Brain?] IEW’s poetry memorization program proved to be the best choice to achieve our goal.

PE

My son has been a member of the local competitive swim team with training practices 4 times a week. What a gift to a homeschooling mom! I haven’t had to teach PE in years!

I trust you have found some profitable information in this article that will help you to make your own choices for homeschooling 9^th grade. No matter which direction you decide to take, please rest assured that homeschooling high school is not difficult and that with the resources available at your fingertips, you will be able to successfully guide your child through the next four years of their life.

Our fully editable 9th grade plan is available for a free download with a purchase of How to Homeschool High School Ebook.

Which curriculum have you used and would recommend to others? Please share with us in the comment section below. We would LOVE to hear from you!