It seems like the whole world is homeschooling right now! I get asked almost every day: what curriculum do you use? I’ve had some long chats with a few friends and then I realized it would make more sense to just post my list for you to browse through at your convenience. I’m still up for long chats though, so if you have questions please reach out. I love homeschooling and the word curriculum excites me, lol. Guess I’m a nerd! Today I’m kicking things of with my choice of homeschool curriculum for a 9 year old boy. If you don’t want to read all the details, skip to the bottom for a quick list and a video of what we’re using!
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To give you an idea of who these choices might suit, my 9 year old boy is an advanced reader. In math, he’s proficient in addition, subtraction, and multiplication operations in to the ten thousands. He’s an oldest child of two oldest children and he has 5 younger siblings, so he’s a born leader and very driven and analytical. I also have a post with curriculum choices for a 7 year old boy that might be helpful if you have a more relaxed child or one that doesn’t really love reading yet.
History, Bible, & Literature Curriculum
We use Sonlight for these subjects! My 9 year old is doing Sonlight Level D: American History I. This curriculum is a collection of regular “living” books – not textbooks. Most of them are realistic fiction with accurate historical details. There is a teacher’s guide with discussion questions, vocabulary, and suggested activities to go along with many of the stories. It’s a fun way to learn and it’s easier to remember historical facts when they are part of an exciting storyline. I’m learning a lot that I’ve forgotten or maybe never knew!
- My son has done every Sonlight level from Preschool through B and we all enjoy it very much. We’ve skipped C and will return to that next year.
- We do the 5 day option (versus the 4 day) and he’s doing the Advanced Readers.
- He does most of this on his own. I only do the read-aloud books, parent reading portion of the Bible, and then I ask him comprehension questions and we discuss his work.
- I usually buy our Sonlight curriculum used. I either buy the teacher’s guides new from Sonlight and then piece together the books secondhand, or I look for a deal on an entire set from another homeschooling family. Let me know if you want to be added to a Facebook group I’m in for buying and selling Sonlight!
- You could also use the library if you are ok jumping around a bit as you can get the books.
- If you purchase directly from Sonlight, use promo code:
JB20396985or click here for $5 off your first order of $50 or more.
Science Curriculum
He is using Sonlight Science Level D: Biology, Taxonomy, and Human Anatomy this year. It is a lot like the other Sonlight curriculum, with many good books, but there are also worksheets with a few questions to answer after each day’s reading.
- He reads the assigned science books on his own and then I check the worksheets and/or help with them as needed.
- There’s a DVD of experiments that he’s free to watch and then re-enact if he wants.
- I picked up some fun extras for our human anatomy study: Squishy Brain, Squishy Human Body, and the Human Organs Toob. I found all three at Micheal’s and they offer a teacher discount for homeschoolers!
Reading, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar Curriculum
This year we are using Logic of English Essentials. This is his 6th year using Logic of English! We love, love, love this program. I cannot say enough good things about it. I looked at a lot of other programs but most were separate spelling, handwriting, phonics, etc. Logic of English is all in one! Plus, it’s scripted so it tells you exactly what to do each day, there is no parent reading or trying to figure it out ahead of time. It is literally open and go. I need that in my crazy life.
- Essentials is recommended for kids age 8 and above. I think some 7 year olds could handle it, too.
- Logic of English also has a Foundations program for younger children or those not yet reading fluently.
- There are placement tests for some of the levels. If you’re interested and need help navigating your options, reach out to me! I’m happy to help. We have used every level.
Mathematics
All of his math work so far has been done with Montessori materials. This year we are using Fraction Manual Volume 1 from Montessori Research and Development, and these Montessori Metal Fraction Circles.
- Most Montessori math is pretty complicated to manage, it’s not a clear cut curriculum, but doing a fraction study like this would be an easy way to try out Montessori style math if that’s something you’re interested in. Children as young as 6 could probably start this as long as they are solid in their basic math and counting. You could even use a less expensive version of the fraction circles like these.
LOOKING FOR OPEN AND GO MATH? We did a placement test and 15 trial lessons of Teaching Textbooks at the end of the summer. We really enjoyed them. I’m waiting to hear back on whether I can be an affiliate and get a discount code for you guys. I think Teaching Textbooks would be a perfect solution for families who aren’t sure how long term they are going to homeschool and just need something to get through this year. I think we will purchase and use it again later in the year or next year. Level 4 was too easy for Kent except for a few gaps he had so we are going back and working on those with Montessori materials. Then when we purchase we should be able to do Level 5.
Summary: List of Homeschool Curriculum for a 9 Year Old Boy!
- History/Bible/Literature: Sonlight Level D
- Science: Sonlight D
- Reading/Spelling/Vocabulary/Grammar: Logic of English Essentials
- Math: Montessori Fractions manual and manipulatives OR I’d suggest Teaching Textbooks
Have Questions?
Feel free to reach out to me. Seriously! I don’t know anything about a lot of homeschool options but I do know the programs we use inside and out and I have many of their levels on hand. I can help you figure out where to start, show you table of contents or pics of certain lessons, whatever you need. I live for this stuff and I want you to ENJOY this year with your family, despite all the crazy that is going on in the world.
This post on Homeschool Curriculum for a 9 Year Old Boy is part of a series showing what all of my children are using for the 2020-2021 school year. Watch the rest of the posts soon!