Step away from the curriculum! You- yes, you!

Take a few minutes, grab a fresh cup of coffee, or a glass of wine (let’s face it you probably need one by now) and take a deep breath.

Deciding on a curriculum can be tricky. You’re probably feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and perhaps a bit frustrated with the whole process.

I know… I’ve been there.

Please allow me to walk you through the first steps in selecting a homeschool curriculum. I promise, once you know how to narrow down your options, it gets easier.

If you are brand new to homeschooling, welcome! I’m sure you have many questions, hopefully I can provide some answers.

The first thing to know is, like many specialty areas (medicine, military, IT) home educators have a language all their own. If you have come across a few terms you are unfamiliar with, please read my blog, Homeschool Terms and Definitions. This will help you become familiar with the lingo which will, in turn make navigating the homeschool catalogs and web pages less frustrating.

In this blog I will be addressing what to consider when choosing a curriculum. It is an overview, the first in a series. In future posts I will add specific information on learning styles, teaching methods, and philosophies to help you edit, or trim your curricula options down to a manageable list.

The first thing to know is that curriculum (plural curricula) is a tool.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Curriculum with rave reviews, even one that your best friend has used for years may not work for your family. What?! Yep. I speak from experience. This is why I suggest taking a few moments to do some research, not on specific curriculum types (that comes later), but on the different approaches to homeschooling, i.e. the methods and philosophies behind different publishing companies, and the goals and priorities you have for your family.

Here’s some basic information about curriculum:

• it is offered as work books, worksheets, online, or a combination of these
• it can be either faith-based or secular
• it is available as individual books or classes, unit studies, or in boxed sets
• can be offered as accredited or unaccredited (most common)
• it may or may not offer teacher guides, quizzes, or tests
• is written according to specific educational philosophies. Each philosophy approaches learning in it’s own unique way. By understanding these philosophies you can determine which method will best suit your lifestyle and home educating goals.

So, how do you know which curriculum is best?

There is not one best curriculum, despite what you may have heard. The best curriculum is the one which fits your family’s lifestyle and your child’s interests and needs. It is not uncommon, in fact it is expected, to change curriculum during the course of your home education journey. You might even find yourself using different curricula within your family to suit the needs, learning preferences, and unique personalities of multiple children! (And, if you have been blessed with a large family, there are even curricula options to teach them as a group).

If your kids are interested and learning then you have found the best curriculum…for them… for now! This is the beauty of homeschool, you can switch it up as needed. (This is also why it is not a good idea to go all in on one publisher buying multiple years ahead of time – needs and interests change, or something new may come along you’d like to try instead).

We all know that curriculum is important. It provides the educational framework or structure for (most) home educators to build from.

Selecting the right curriculum can mean the difference between an enjoyable day or a stressful experience. In order to find the curriculum best suited to meet your needs, it is important to do some research, make an honest assessment of your situation, and answer a few questions.

 

1. What are your state’s educational requirements?

This includes the number of days or hours your child must be engaged in education, the specific subjects which must be taught, the number and timing of portfolio review (more on this in the future), graduation requirements, and diploma options. If you are unsure, the HSLDA offers links to each state’s educational requirements.

2. Which philosophy most closely aligns with your preferred teaching style and method?

This will require a bit of research. I have included below a couple of books about popular philosophies for you to peruse. The most common homeschool methods (sometimes referred to as philosophies) include: Traditional, Classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio, Unit Studies, Unschooling, Gameschooling, Roadschooling, or Eclectic (a mix of two or more). I will doing an in-depth study of each method in future posts.

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I may earn compensation for purchases made using affiliate links.

BOOKS ABOUT HOMESCHOOL PHILOSOPHIES

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3. What are your child’s learning style(s)?

By this I mean the way they absorb, process, comprehend, and retain information (more information on this in a future post).

Scientists, psychologists, and researchers have developed several different models of learning styles. These include the VARK, Kolb, and Felder-Silverman models. They include variations of the following four styles:

• visual
• auditory
• read/write
• kinesthetic or tactile

Most people have more than one preferred learning style, so keep this in mind as you are assessing your child.

4. Do you have any time constraints?

How much time do you have to devote to homeschool each day, each week? Do you have other obligations such as work, animals, or family members to care for?

Homeschooling does not need to take all day. In fact, ‘sit down school’ shouldn’t take more than 1 hour per day for K-1st grade, and up to 4 hours for older kids.

In reality, kids learn through play, imitation, observation, and hands on experiences. Education is more than book knowledge, so in effect they are always ‘at school’.

5. Location – where will education occur?

A separate classroom, though nice to have, is not necessary. In fact many moms who have such as space report spending school time on the couch or at the dining room table. You will, however, need some type of storage to keep your supplies, books, and other resources.

The location is important if you have small children who may distract or interrupt older siblings, or for online classes (headphones may be helpful too).

6. What is your annual homeschool budget?

Homeschool curriculum expenses range widely, from thousands of dollars to free. Research studies that I found on this topic claim families spent an average of $300-$700/student per school year. This figure includes books, field trips and extra curricular activities.

Currently, only four states offer any sort of tax breaks for home educators.

If you are on a budget, options include: free worksheets (many websites including mine offer them), utilizing the library or free online reading app for books, create your own worksheets, buy used, or search the web for free or low-cost curriculum options.

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SCHOOL SUPPLIES

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7. Health Status. Are there any health issues to consider?

This can apply to you, the educator (chronic illness, work fatigue, pregnancy, or a new baby), and/or your child.

As an example, long days sitting in front of a screen will likely not be possible for a child with ADD, so the Traditional Method of homeschooling may not be a good fit.

8. What are you and your child’s future plans?

If you plan on returning to public school, your curricular choices may be different from a family who plans to homeschool through graduation.

When we began homeschooling I followed the public school syllabus closely so my kids wouldn’t be ‘behind’ when they rejoined their peers. At that time I was certain home educating was a short-term solution to an immediate problem. I was wrong! Now we decide together what our priorities are based on interests and future goals.

9. Who will be responsible for home educating?

This is the person who will do the bulk of the planning, teaching, grading, etc.

Most states require the parent to take charge of homeschooling, so check your state’s laws (visit HSLDA). Parents who work may have to juggle home educating around their schedule, or vice versa.

10. Do you wish to do portfolio reviews?

Each state and/or school district has specific guidelines for home educators. For most states this requires an annual or semi-annual review of the learning that has occurred. The parent meets with an educational representative from the school district to discuss what was taught, and to provide samples of the child’s work.

This leads to another decision, do you wish to use an accredited or an unaccredited curriculum?

Accredited students will likely not need a review, but unaccredited students will need to have their work evaluated at least once per year in most states. In order to be accredited, schools must be associated with a brick and mortar institution and often use the Traditional educational approach, aka “school at home”.

11. Do you experience internet connectivity issues?

This may seem strange, but believe me this issue keeps coming up in homeschool forums.

Poor connectivity will make an online curriculum or streaming video class painful, perhaps impossible to pursue. If you are not able to travel to a location with good internet for these classes, then DVDs or book learning may be best.

12. What is your worldview? Is it faith-based or secular?

In the past, one of the top reasons for choosing to homeschool was *to pursue a faith-based education, especially for families who could not afford private school tuition. As a result many homeschool courses are bible-based, though secular curricula is gaining popularity, with many options available today.

Sometimes a religious family will opt for a secular curriculum, substituting their own bible class. Secular parents have selected religious curricula but omitted the bible aspect. This is the beauty of home education, you can do what works for you.

*current statistics show that the top reason given for homeschooling is safety concerns

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RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTS

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