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Middle school is the year homeschool families either find their rhythm or panic. The good news: there’s excellent independent-learner curriculum at this level, and if you pick well, 6th–8th graders can run most of their day themselves while you supervise and discuss.
Everything here is secular-friendly (important for California public charters). The Big Fat Notebook series in particular is a middle-schooler favorite — it’s aligned to standards, actually readable, and inexpensive.
The Short List (Start Here)
If you’re only buying a handful of things for middle school, these are the workhorses:
Saxon Math or Math Mammoth Grade 7 — pick one.
Everything You Need to Ace Math — Big Fat Notebook — the best supplement/reference at this level.
Wordly Wise — vocabulary.
Khan Academy — free, covers every middle school subject.
Home Science Tools — hands-on science supplies.
Language Arts
Bridgeway (Homeschool Academy) — full online curriculum.
Math
Saxon Math — spiral review.
Khan Academy — free, excellent for pre-algebra.
CTC Math — online, independent.
Mr. D Math — online, independent.
Science
Crash Course — pair with TPT follow-up activities.
U.S. History Detective — workbooks.
Supplemental / Enrichment
Kiwi Co — Eureka Crate (14+) + Tinker Crate (9–16) — engineering/design.
Math Antics — videos.
Khan Academy — free review curriculum.
Novel Study / Literature Projects for 6–8
Monica Abarca (TPT, 4–8) — travel-brochure projects.
Pro tip: search “[book title] projects” on TPT to find project-based pairings for almost any book you’d assign.
Other posts in this series: California Charter Homeschool Curriculum: Grades 3–5 Picks and California Charter Homeschool Curriculum: TK–2nd Grade Picks
Questions? Reply to this post or send me a note — happy to help.
—Dana
Social Studies / History