COMING SOON!

With the publication (February 2026) of our Eighth Grade Syllabus, the Christopherus curriculum is now complete, spanning early years through eighth grade. Eighth grade follows on from previous grades, drawing together and revisiting much material from earlier years, making this a truly holistic curriculum.

Please note that if you did not use Christopherus for 7th grade, you might need to purchase Christopherus 7th grade materials as language arts, history, geography and especially the various science topics build directly upon what your child did via our curriculum in 7th grade. It is possible to combine them in one year if your year is long and you are very disciplined!

Rudolf Steiner said that the goal of eighth grade is to bring children knowledge of the modern world. Through history, language arts, science and geography we bring your child themes, information, stories and perspectives which broaden their knowledge and help them become informed citizens of their country and the world.

As everything one does as a Waldorf homeschooler in eighth grade is largely dependent on what happens in high school—homeschool or not, Waldorf or not—we walk you through the various options, giving guidance and suggestions throughout the syllabus. From whether to keep the main lesson format to the use of text books, from studying conventional wisdom regarding science, we will help you navigate a wonderfully challenging and exciting year of learning whilst also tailoring it completely to your own unique needs.

In terms of conventional science we include a short introduction to subjects such as atomic theory as well as a short focus on biology. We include two chemistry blocks, one utilizing a very good conventional chemistry kit, the other focused on kitchen chemistry.

The main theme for history is the history of one’s own country. As most of you are American, that is our focus but our aim is to give guidance that can also be of use to those in other parts of the world.

The second history block is on a country chosen by the student: Russia (USSR), China, various African nations, India, Mexico and Iran are all possibilities as most of these countries were studied at various points in earlier grades. Now it is time to go more in depth and to look at the country’s history.

Bridging from seventh grade history and also focusing on topics such as WWI and WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, as well as themes such as the rights of the individual and the group (community/country) Donna has recorded five 30-minute audio downloads for your eighth grader to listen to as part of her history studies.

Math, magnetism & electricity, handwork, art and foreign language also feature.

You need our 8^th grade human physiology and our 8^th grade language arts to create a full, rounded and comprehensive eighth grade for your child.

Included with the syllabus is the 8th grade audio download,  an invaluable source of parenting, teaching and child development advice; as well as two videos on preparing for ninth grade, a theme which runs throughout our 8th grade materials as you and your child consider and plan for what comes next. One of the videos is focused on preparing for high school; the other is a step-by-step guide on how to correct and regard papers your child writes. Donna taught high school language arts and history and is thus well placed to share her knowledge, skills and practical advice.