I’m sitting here and scratching my head as I make decisions for Lira’s 6th grade homeschool curriculum. Although Lira is very intelligent, I don’t think she is exactly where she should be to enter the 6th grade so selecting homeschool curriculum is difficult.
Lira was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder as a preschooler but her education never showed an impact until recently. Certain subjects will not capture her attention at all. And with us growing close to those very important high school years, I really want to make sure she is retaining a strong foundation and understanding how to keep learning. So this year, I will be putting a strong emphasis on researching and writing.
But… this scares me. Will the Autism allow her to think in a way that the analytics of research will be reflected in what she writes? I don’t know. We might end up starting and then readjusting my plan. Of course, that is part of the beauty of homeschooling. Right?
6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Recommendations
How to Research
I have looked around and it appears that the highest rated curriculum for teaching children to research is available at CurrClick.
This series from Connect the Thought must be studied in order:
- How to Start Connect The Thoughts From Connect the Thoughts (FREE)
- Information, Right or Wrong (ages 9-adult) From Connect the Thoughts
- How To Do Research (ages 11-adult) From Connect the Thoughts
Creative Writing
Since I will be guiding my 3rd grader through creative writing too, I decided to keep working on WriteShop Junior Book D and Activity Pack, Book D to keep them together.
If we progress through WriteShop quickly, we will move on to WriteShop Junior Book E and Activity Pack, Book E – 5th grade through 6th grade.
>>READ: How to Use the WriteShop Homeschool Writing Program<<
Spelling
I have friends who highly recommend the website, Spelling City, for vocabulary and spelling. They use the free version and can access spelling lists, tests, and more. Because their children seem to enjoy the games and really be learning, I decided we would try it too.
Literature Studies
I discovered Total Language Plus as a Teach Them Diligently Convention and fell in love with their literature-inspired language arts program.
This year, Lira will use several of their studies including:
- Around the World in 80 Days
- The Incredible Journey
- Caddie Woodlawn
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
History
For the entire family, we will be combining Drive Thru History with additional reading and their free discussion guides.
Drive Thru History: American History Series, All Episodes 1-12 in Set
We will supplement the Drive Thru History studies by allowing Lira to choose one historical person or place to research each month.
Science
I think it is time we revisited Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Botany from the Young Explorer Series. Lira has been collecting seeds lately so I want to take this opportunity to do interest-based learning.
In addition to creating my own powerpoint lessons, we will use Apologia Exploring Creation With Botany Lapbook Package (Lessons 1-13) from Knowledge Box Central to create lap books instead of the Exploring Creation with Botany Junior Notebooking Journal… maybe. I really love the notebooking journals but I am not sure if the Junior version would be better for Lira than the regular Exploring Creation with Botany Notebooking Journal.
>>SEE the Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Unit Study Page for another great science curriculum recommendation.<<
Math
In math, Lira is definitely running behind, but as soon as we finish Teach Textbooks 5, she will move right into the Teaching Textbooks: Math 6 Kit (Windows & Macintosh).
My children really enjoy Teaching Textbooks and as long as I am observant and willing to pause when they do not understand a concept to pull additional worksheets from the internet, they do very well.
More homeschool curriculum recommendations
I post about out homeschool curriculum choices every year. Here are some additional posts to browse:
- Dollar Store Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
- Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
- 2nd Grade (or is it 3rd?) Homeschool Curriculum
- God’s Little Explorers Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
- Preschool and Little Learner Curriculum Suggestions
- 2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- 4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Our 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2012-2013
- Our 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2012-2013
- 5th Grade Homeschool Language Arts and Math
- 5th Grade Homeschool Social Studies and History
[…] I mentioned when I shared our 6th grade homeschool curriculum, I love Total Language Plus, which I found as a Teach Them Diligently Convention. I wanted […]