Why Middle School?

In my ideal world, a high quality Classical Christian education would be a reality from Kindergarten through 12th grade.  And I would love to see that develop eventually.  But for right now, I am focusing on Middle School, for two reasons. 

1. I can’t do it all and still do it well.  This reason is pretty obvious.  My qualifications as a teacher are limited to K-8 education. Also, the academic needs of each of the three phases of the trivium (Grammar ages 5-9, Logic ages 9-14 and Rhetoric ages 14-18 respectively) are all quite distinct. 

2. Middle School is pivotal point of education, and a time when many parents are seeking alternatives to both homeschooling and public schooling.  I’ll elaborate on this second point below.

For the homeschooled student, parents can find that the easy days of natural learning in the home, when life and play and learning are completely intertwined, can start to shift as their kids become older. 

I call these early years of homeschooling the “productive play” years. When we give our children the appropriate environment for learning, they play and they learn. Its natural.  

For some children though, upon reaching ages 9, 10, 11, their tendency to play productively can wane, and we find them needing more structure and accountability. In the absence of such structure, what used to be productive play can give way to entertainment, recreation and social pursuits—all of which are natural and good, but can compete with academic growth if not kept carefully in check. 

Sometimes as homeschooling parents, we find it a challenge to provide our kids the structure that they need to thrive academically and socially during these years.  

(There are exceptions of course….there are highly structured homeschool parents, as well as students, like one of my daughters, who is such a self-motivated learner that she will learn with or without structure.  But, every family is different.) 

For parents with children in public schools, it is not uncommon to find that their child who once thrived in the primary grades is now struggling both academically and socially in the middle school environment.  There is a major culture shift that happens between K-3 and middle school, and some students who once loved learning and flourished socially in the lower grades suddenly falter in the middle grades.  

It is interesting that Charter School enrollment explodes during the middle school years, both for formerly homeschooled and public schooled students.   It is a time when students and parents often are seeking alternatives. 

At the same time, students who develop a strong academic foundation and sense of confidence as a student during these years are well set for success in high school, vocational training, college, and beyond.  

At the end of middle school, a student who reads well, writes with good structure and style, is solid in basic mathematical thinking and skills, possesses a thorough understanding of history, is a confident thinker and communicator of ideas, and considers himself or herself a scholar, capable of achievement, is in an excellent position for whatever comes next. 

And, this is not too much to expect at the completion of the eight grade.  

How is that accomplished? With excellent curriculum and instruction, high expectations, and a school culture that values academic achievement.  

Just for fun, here I am, circa 1988, in all my 8th grade glory!  (back row, 3rd from left)