How to Homeschool Middle School

When I first began homeschooling a decade ago I was nervous about teaching the upper grades. I was a classroom teacher, but there is a big difference between teaching kindergarteners and teaching middle school and high school. It turns out that it isn’t crazy hard to homeschool middle school.

At this point, I have been homeschooling middle school for 5 years. Along the way, I have really figured out how to homeschool middle school for my family.

Middle school grades, typically 6th – 8th, are a unique time period. Kids are changing quickly. They no longer like the same things they did in elementary school, but are not quite ready for high school.

Rather than fear the transition to middle school, let’s lean into it.

How to Homeschool Middle School

Give Up Some of the Control

Let’s start with the hardest aspect of homeschooling middle school for me – giving up some of the control. In elementary school I pretty much planned everything. I planned all of the subjects and I planned out our days. I knew what order we would do school work and when we would take breaks.

I don’t do that once my kids hit middle school.

At this stage, I need to start giving them a little more responsibility. They get some control in middle school and even more control in high school. My hope is that this incremental plan will prepare them for college and adulthood.

When my kids reach middle school I give up some of the control by:

• Letting them choose a few classes or subjects
• Putting them in charge of their daily and weekly schedule
• Giving more independent work

Of course, with responsibility comes consequences. My husband and I set the expectation that all schoolwork is to be completed and turned in by 4 pm on Friday unless they have gotten an extension due to circumstances beyond their control. If their work isn’t turned in on time, they lose screen time over the weekend. Amazingly, work is always turned in on time and we have never had to take away screen privileges.

Related – Easy and Effective Homeschool Schedule Options

Choose Unusual Classes

Homeschool middle school classes are some of my absolute favorite.

The kids have a basic knowledge on a broad level of topics thanks to their elementary homeschool years, but we don’t have the pressure of a high school checklist and transcripts yet.

This means we can choose to study anything.

Some of the unusual classes we have covered in middle school include:

• Marine biology
• History of chocolate
• History of video games

Next year my son wants to learn about the history of money. I expect that I will learn a lot about that topic too!

Strengthen the Foundation

Middle school skills are generally just a continuation of material learned earlier. They write papers that are a little longer, read a little more, and go a little deeper with math.

I like to use the homeschool middle school years to strengthen the foundation before high school. This means that I focus on improving weak spots.

There are many ways to strengthen the educational foundation:

• Try a different curriculum
• Include a supplemental skill-based workbook
• Hire a tutor
• Play educational games

Take as Many Field Trips as Possible

I love to include field trips in my homeschool plans as often as possible. They are a great way to pique interest about a new topic, dive deeper into a subject, and can offer a little social time.

It can be a little harder to drop everything for a field trip once kids hit high school level work, so I try to plan as many field trips as possible into my homeschool middle school plans.

Related: 30 Homeschool Field Trip Ideas

Plan Social Time

Sometimes social time happens automatically. Maybe kids are on a sports team or have friends their age in the neighborhood. That is great!

My kids are not really into sports and there don’t seem to be kids their ages in our neighborhood, so I need to intentionally plan social activities for them.

Homeschool kids seem to be pretty willing to socialize with a wide age group (which I love), but in middle school I think it is important they have friends roughly the same age. This lets them have a peer group that is going through the same life experiences.

I plan social time by:

• Signing up for activities with our local homeschool co-op
• Sending my kids to youth group at church
• Inviting my kids’ friends over to our house

Check out some of my middle school posts to get curriculum ideas.

6th Grade Curriculum for My Daughter

6th Grade Curriculum for My Son

Hand Selected 7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

7th Grade Homeschool Classes for My Son

Rigorous 8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

How do you homeschool middle school?