The common myth is that grades don’t matter until the student reaches high school, but the reality is that a student’s performance in middle school can have a profound impact on how they will do the last four years before graduation.

One of the toughest tasks in homeschooling is building a daily school schedule that everyone can stick to most of the time. It’s important to have a schedule in order to increase organization and commitment to getting the school work completed in a timely manner;  but, the schedule also needs to be fun and flexible for those days when life throws a curve ball.

Middle school can be one of the most challenging time periods for homeschoolers for several reasons but there are a few things parents can do to make it a little easier. At this time, kids are transitioning into teenagers so there are physical, emotional and mental changes; at the same time, schoolwork moves from concrete to abstract and students should start moving from dependent to independent learning.

If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic has made more families aware of how their kids learn along with good and bad techniques for home education. Experienced homeschoolers know that spending too little or too much time each day on schoolwork can have an adverse effect; but, what is the right amount of time?