Digital Literacy & Programming
In seventh grade we introduce courses in digital literacy and introductory programming. While we do not expect everyone to become a full-fledged programmer, we feel that every young person should be exposed to the basics. Coding skills open many doors, both as an employee and as an entrepreneur, and familiarity with its potential may lead an initially uninterested child to revisit learning to program at a later point in life.
The core requirement course, STEM Learning for Kids, should be completed by all students. Those who wish to progress further may then take the optional courses in website development, Android app development or computer science.
Note that typing ability is a prerequisite for the programming courses. We recommend completing the sixth grade Learn to type activity first, if your child has not already done so.
Current Events
At this age many children start to be interested in political and social issues. If your child does not already read or watch news, we suggest spending ten minutes a day watching CNN 10, a news segment produced for middle and high school students which is less biased and more uplifting than typical news programs.
Science
We round out this year's science curriculum with a selection of awe-inspiring video presentations: the updated Cosmos series, and a variety of documentaries from Curiosity Stream. Science lends itself especially well to learning via video, and this format provides a break from the reading required in other subjects.