How Hearth & Story Level 7-8 Prepares Students for High School and Beyond

by Lindsey Sodano

Ever wonder why Hearth & Story Level 7-8 is one year long instead of two? After carefully reviewing the Common Core standards for both 7th and 8th grades, we made the decision to combine these two years into a single course. Here's some more information on how this course prepares students for what comes next:

Standards-Based Approach

You might be surprised to learn that the 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts standards are very similar. Both grades focus on refining core skills like reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, and literary analysis. Rather than spread these similar standards over two years, we believe that most students can master them more efficiently in a single, well-structured course, allowing them to move forward with confidence.

Setting Students Up for Success

Our goal is to help students be ready for high school or even beyond. Students who successfuly complete Hearth & Story Level 7-8 will be more than ready to jump into English I (Freshman English), following the typical course progression common for U.S. students on the Honors-level pathway. In fact, many will be so well-prepared that they might choose to bypass 9th grade English entirely and go straight into dual credit college courses such as English Composition I or a college-level literary analysis course. This flexibility allows students to take control of their academic futures and choose the paths that fit their skills and goals best.

Click here to learn about one student's experience taking English Comp I after Hearth & Story.

A Curriculum That Challenges But Doesn’t Overwhelm

We understand that acceleration doesn’t work unless students are genuinely mastering the material. That’s why we designed Level 7-8  to be both efficient and thorough. We focus on the essential skills students need for high school success, like critical reading, strong essay and research paper writing, and effective communication.

More Flexibility for Enrichment and Exploration

One of the best parts of this approach is that it can open up more time in your student’s high school or late middle school schedule for enrichment, electives, or advanced courses. Students can explore subjects they’re passionate about or jump into college-level coursework earlier than usual. Whether they’re interested in creative writing, journalism, public speaking, or even dual credit programs, they’ll have the flexibility to pursue their interests.

Hearth & Story Courses for Older Students

We do not have plans to release high school levels of Hearth & Story. However, we do offer a few mini courses that could be very beneficial to high school or dual credit students: How to Take Notes and How to Plan a Big Project. These were both written by Jackson Sodano (co-author of some of the Brain Food levels), who used dual credit to graduate with his B.S. at age eighteen, went on to earn his M.A. at age twenty, and won the "Outstanding Teaching Assistant" award at grad school.

Here's where you can find Hearth & Story Complete Level 7-8. And for those who are finishing Level 7-8 and are wrapping up their time with Hearth & Story, thank you for trusting us to be part of your student’s English Language Arts experience. We’re looking forward to seeing where their learning will take them next!