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7th Grade

 

When our kids were in grades 1, 4, and 7 we began using a curriculum called Tapestry of Grace. TOG follows the “classical method” using a 4-year rotating cycle of Ancients, Middle Ages/Reformation, Early Modern and Modern. Based on a Christian worldview, this is the BEST curriculum I have ever used. Having all three of my girls using the same curriculum means that they all cover the same topics and subjects, but each grade level has age appropriate activities and expectations. Each Year Plan can be purchased in digital format (DE) as well as in print. You purchase the lesson plans (instructions) for Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 and then use them over again as you go through each cycle. If you began this curriculum with your child in 1st grade you would go through the 4 year cycle 3 times before he graduates (going through Ancients in grades 1, 5, and 9). The reading books and reference materials will change with each grade level as you go through the curriculum, but you only have to purchase the lesson plans once. You can purchase additional pieces to go along with the curriculum for subjects like writing/grammar, map work, etc. We added our own math and science for the older students and the Tapestry lesson plans provided instructions for everything else...including hands on projects!

 At first glance, it can be intimidating. I honestly looked at it for 3 years and didn’t think I could do it, but I eventually figured out that each Year Plan has everything in it for grades 1-12 and I would never “do it all” in one year.   We have now worked with Year Plans 1, 2, and 3 and I can honestly say that we are solid in our decision to use this curriculum until our last child graduates from high school. You even have access to online help including other users and the authors through the Tapestry Forum on their website. Check it out by clicking here...


Text Box: Tapestry of Grace website

 

 

Using the Writing Aids which came with our Tapestry of Grace, we really didn’t need to supplement with any other grammar, but we did choose to continue with Rod and Staff for reading/grammar for all three kids (grades 1, 4 and 7)

 

  • Rod and Staff Grammar

 www.rodstaff.com

 

This is an EXCELLENT grammar program teaching grammar from the ground up. It is very thorough and while friends called it “dry” my kids had no problem with the lessons being at least interesting enough to get through without much fuss. (It worked so well that we went on to use it in subsequent years)

(Note: we used Rod and Staff for various kids in grades 4-6. When we began to use Tapestry of Grace the oldest was in grade 6 and the youngest was in grade 1 - at that time all kids went to the grammar suggest by TOG. For as long as we have used TOG, we have used the grammar series by Writer's Inc. Lessons are short and even colorful in the younger grades and all have learned grammar by using it in their writing rather than studying grammar for grammar's sake).

 

  • Saxon Pre-Algebra

 

While the younger girls continued with Singapore Math, our oldest began to take math and science at our homeschool co-op. For this reason, she needed to use the program they offered – Saxon. Saxon seems to be either really well liked or not liked at all, depending on whom you ask. Not being the teacher or student in this case, I’ll keep my opinion to myself (but I will say that my daughter seems to have a much better grasp on algebraic concepts than her mother).

 

  • A word on homeschool co-ops

 

Not everyone who homeschools chooses to attend a co-op. For our family this was a huge blessing. We had attended a co-op in the past which was mostly for enrichment (fun classes). As my children got older I quickly realized that there was not enough time in my week to fit in all of the educational activities AND the day of fun classes. But I didn’t want to give up on the co-op idea because my kids loved interacting with other homeschoolers. So we simply changed our focus and started with a co-op which offered more core classes. Instead of our day being spent in extra classes, my children made choices that replaced things I no longer had to teach at home.

 

The co-op we chose met once a week and offered 5 classes each semester. The older kids (junior and senior high) could take science and math classes that were 2-semester classes, but many of the classes were only 1 semester long. So my kids got up to 10 different classes in a single year. For my kids, the older ones had to take at least 2 academic subjects that replaced something at home. Because they thought science was so much more fun in a group, that was one subject each of them chose at co-op. That could be anything from bugs/animals, rocks/minerals, machines, Legos/K’nex (engineering), or even cooking.  From the cooking classes I was even able to hand off breakfast, lunch and most of the dessert making to my kids (it was homework!).

 

In addition to the large co-op (about 80 families), we also had a smaller co-op on a different day of the week with just 2 other families. This group came together when three of our big co-op families discovered we were all using Tapestry of Grace. So we decided to get together once a week and do the “teaching” then, leaving Wednesday through Friday for work at home. This was an excellent opportunity for the older kids to have discussions in both history and literature. Much more fun than question and answer time with mom.  Our 5 hours of Tapestry co-op classes gives the kids from ages 4 through 15 instruction with vocabulary/spelling, writing, reading, history, literature, worldviews (Bible), art, and hands-on projects.  For our family, this was the perfect solution. We have been so happy with Tapestry of Grace that we will continue to use this curriculum until our last child graduates from high school!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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