The Middle School Years

  In the interest of full disclosure, if you look at 1st-12th grade, we homeschooled 1st-half of 7th, 1st-4th and 11th-12th, 1st-2nd and 9th-12th, and 7th-12th (this one is still in school with me with a couple of years left).  You may notice that these years don’t include a huge amount of middle school experience.  I will say that I also taught a middle school math class when I was teaching at a private school.  Anyway, I’ll still offer you a few thoughts about middle school.

Ages 11-13 are what I would consider the logic stage, or the middle stage of classical education.  This is where you help your child to organize all the information they have been collecting so far.  This is also where you will probably veer away from the way things are being done in public schools (and most private ones).  This is because the American system of education has become more of Elementary School, Elementary School 2.0, and finally Elementary School 3.0.  It’s ok to do something better for your kids.  

Some academic skills and activities during these years may include outlining, timelines, math and science charts, formal lab write-ups, etc.  They also need to begin writing essays and other formal writing (maybe even a research paper).  Really, anything that will help them to organize their information is a great tool for these years.  Not just organizing the material, but really learning to use the organizational thought process and tools so that they can organize their thoughts and lives in the future.  Most importantly, help them to be able to articulate the gospel and exactly what they believe.  This should be their own words, not parroting you.  Catechisms are great, especially when they are younger, but now they need to begin to express their faith in their own words.

One thing to remember - these are often the years when your child will begin to rebel against you, as mom and as teacher.  Don’t be like me and give up in frustration and burn out.  If you have laid the foundation of discipleship, especially discipline, continue fighting the good fight.  Kids are testing their boundaries and, while they will never learn to be adults if you aren’t giving them more and more responsibilities and more and more room to make their own choices (even ones that lead to failure), they still need to know that there are boundaries.