What Worked: 7th Grade

Bob is my 7th Grader, this is what I wrote about him back in Aug.

Just in case some of you were starting to feel inferior, or you beginning to think, ‘wow this homeschooling family has it all together, and their kids are brilliant’ this post is for you.

Bob is going into 7th grade in the fall and I am a little freaked out about that. The years I have to squeeze all the information into him that he needs to know are dwindling, but the information is not.

Bob is dyslexic and has been through the Scottish Rite Remediation program that Ann is currently going to. And while it helped him immensely, he is still not the best reader, he does not like to read, and spelling…well, let’s just not go there. His handwriting is also awful, and he is a year behind in math. So academically thing are not going so well for Bob. However, if you need to build a deck, rewire a lamp, unhook a trailer, or do just about anything mechanical, he’s your guy. He is also great with people, and is a great helper. He is also a good teacher as he is patient and will spend the time to show you how to do it. (this is the only reason I know how to work the DVR) And he has a great attitude, he has a lot he could complain about, but he is not a complainer.

I don’t know what God has planned for Bob. I wish I did so I could better prepare him. No matter what he does he’s going to have to be able to read and write better than he does now.

So we plug along and do our best, but I worry that our best may not be good enough. Just the thought of that boy taking algebra gives me the cold shivers.


This is all still true, Bob is still behind in math, and his spelling and handwriting is still awful. Somehow I am not quite so freaked out about it now though. I have seen him really come into his own this year. He started in the youth group and has really become a leader.


Language Arts – I will be using the new and improved Sonlight LA 3 with Eve & Bob. He will also be taking a writing class at Co op. He will continue to do his journal writing daily, using the Love to Learn journal I mentioned in A’s post. I am quite scared of this writing class, it is going to be A LOT of work for both of us, but it needs to be done.

As I said yesterday, the SL LA went out the window but the writing class has been going really well. He is doing quite well and he has learned quite a bit. His handwriting is still horrid, but his typing is faster!

Spelling – I have tried every spelling program on the market with little luck with Bob. His dyslexia remediation teacher basically said, keep working on it but don’t make a big issue of it, and give him a spell checker.

Yeah, spelling still horrid but at least he is close enough that the spell checker gives him the correct words to choose from. This is progress.

Math – Bob Jones 6th Grade and Calculadder

Math is going quite well this year. It’s like some thing has clicked. He is doing 2 lessons every day, and getting them mostly correct. He is also using the flashmaster instead of the calculadder

History – Sonlight Core 3 along with Ann & Eve. He will read the readers, he will not like it but they are only 3rd grade readers and I’m going to make him READ them. I will probably make him listen to some books on tape that will be reading with his American history study, just so he can get some higher level thinking.

He has been doing well with our history. His reading is doing so well that I am getting him different readers from the library on his grade level we are also watching many documentaries and I am finding them fascinating myself.

Geography – Simply stated. I posted a while ago about this. I am very excited about this study. I think it will be a lot of fun. You can go check out that post if you like. (links are in Ann’s post)

Same as other posts

Electives –

Typing – He has been doing a typing program for a couple of years now. He has got to get better at his typing if he ever hopes to use a spell checker correctly!

As I have mentioned our typing CDROM broke, but he’s had enough of it that he just needs to practice what he knows. He is getting plenty of typing in, typing all his papers for his writing class.

Spanish – We have access to the full program of Rosetta Stone through the library. I don’t make him do it too much as we’re still working on the English language.

Same as other posts for Spanish, (got to do something about that) But we have added in Guitar. It is quite funny to watch Bob and Will taking lessons. They do it together and come home with a song to practice. Will practices by looking at the page with notes and reading the music, then playing. Bob watches Will's fingers on the guitar to see where to put his once, then he plays it by ear from then on. I can't get him to read the music! It cracks me up how different they are.

Classes at the Homeschooling Co op –

PE – Bob lives for the PE class. He loves it.

Writing - This is the first year he will be taking the writing class. Yikes, this will be so much work for me.

This has been a lot of work for me but worth every minute as it has really helped Bob get closer to grade level in his writing ability. (not handwriting)

Science – Bob will be helping out in the younger kids science taught by my SIL. She is going to give me some advanced notice of what she will be teaching so I can have G do a little research on the topics before class

PE Helper – Bob will also be helping out the PE teacher with the K – 3rd boys class. He is really good at helping. He really shines there.

Bob is such a great helper. He has taught the K-3 PE class alone the past two weeks as the teacher has been out. As far as I know, no other helper that young has ever been left alone with a class. (the girls PE teacher is in the gym with him class she he’s not ‘alone’ alone.

I am really proud of Bob. He has a hard time academically but he does not complain. He has such a good attitude. He is a blessing.