The most common question for a new homeschool parent is “How do I choose curriculum?!”
Are you concerned about choosing the right curriculum?
Or a little panicky about how many options are available?
You're not alone! There was a lot of experimentation in our early years of homeschooling. Through the years while gaining more know-how and expertise, I discovered four basic areas of focus for choosing curriculum.
Try using these four focus questions to effectively streamline your process and enjoy planning.
Let’s get started!
1. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE?
How does your child learn? Think about your child’s personality and the way your child responds to and approaches the world.
This is a top priority for planning and THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASE of homeschool prep!
Read about Learning Styles to utilize the specific strengths of your learner.
See Grades K-6 or 7-12 pages for links to free assessments.
Here’s why it’s SUPER important!!
A visual/print learner needs
Workbooks Textbooks Print-based integrated curriculum
An auditory/kinesthetic learner needs
Hands-on Projects Audio Books Tactile learning manipulatives Lessons read out loud
A visual/auditory learner needs
Online visual learning Visual Manipulatives such as flashcards or online games
Lessons read out loud Documentaries or videos
You can see these are widely different approaches to learning!
When you take time to figure out your child’s learning style through online assessments, observation, and talking with friends or family members about your child you will focus on finding a curriculum to suit individual strengths.
You’ll avoid having a visual/auditory learner whine about reading a textbook because she actually learns better drawing pictures while she listens! Or having an auditory/kinesthetic learner dawdle for hours to write answers to a math lesson he is able to complete in fifteen minutes of mental math!
Eventually your VA will need to read that textbook and your AK will need to write out the work. Meanwhile, give them tools to make the process easier for both of you. They will comprehend and retain more, and you’ll all be happier!
Suggestions
Provide tactile soothing learning aids for ADHD/ADD learners and resource specific teaching aids for children with special needs.
For an “I Can Learn This ALL BY MYSELF” child opt for providing lots of resources, science journals, coding classes, and STEM boxes.
For your social global learner connect with a parent co-op and schedule extra-curricular classes or lessons.
Provide whiteboards and markers for tracking assignments.
Develop weaker areas in chunks – a small bit at a time. Such as nudging your ARL (a student who needs sequential, structured assignments) with lots of praise and encouragement and help planning an unstructured assignment. Or encouraging your auditory/kinesthetic learner to write a three-sentence paragraph about his passion!
2. WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING STYLE OR METHOD OF INSTRUCTION?
Are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants parent, or a super-organized-routine-oriented-check-list person? Are you working from home and reading aloud, teaching math, and cooking dinner? Are you a full-time homeschool mom of three reading aloud, teaching math, and cooking dinner! Are you teaching one child, or multiple grades?
Here’s why it’s important.
If you are a first-time homeschool parent, you might want a daily schedule laid out for you and a pre-printed script for teaching. If so, then you’re going to lean towards a pre-packaged curriculum. (See Full Curriculum Providers here.) Keep in mind you can modify anything to fit the needs of your child!
If you have limited time for instruction, then you opt for online courses for comprehensive subjects (such as math) and save your one-on-one time for reading or providing extra help.
I recommend a combo approach for Grades 5 and up. Example: two online courses (such as science and math) combined with an integrated history and English program, plus family reading time, hands-on projects, and electives that include community service and personal interests. This gives the parent time for personal and household responsibilities, helps a student develop autonomy, and brings everyone together for engaged, fun learning.
For multi-grade level teaching an integrated combo approach also provides the greatest flexibility. You can easily work one-one-one with a child while another is studying online. Integrated curriculums are easily adapted to multiple grade levels as assignments can be expanded for older children or limited for the younger. (Ex. Adding research and essay writing for a high school student, or a hands-on project for a middle-school student.)
3. BUDGET
How much are you willing to spend on curriculum and extra classes?
Here’s why it’s important.
This will determine whether you are going to opt for expensive online video courses or use Khan Academy’s free video tutorials.
Free podcasts, library books and YouTube science videos?
Or a private tutor and a shelf of brand-new science books and lab equipment!
Purchase texts and workbooks?
Or download unit studies, inexpensive e-books, and use a free online worksheet generator for math and language arts.
4. WORLDVIEW OR PERSONAL BELIEFS
Here’s why it’s important.
Your personal beliefs and worldview may influence your choice of a secular or non-secular curriculum. For non-secular, you may want a program that aligns with your specific theology (i.e. Catholicism, Evangelical Christian, Jewish).
An inclusive approach with discussions centering around your beliefs gives your student a broad knowledge base in which to approach the world.
Now that you have narrowed your choices, take a look at our Full Curriculum Providers page and subject specific resources on Grades K-6 or 7-12 pages. (Scroll down for subject links.)
Look for resources highlighted for your type of learner.
Don’t limit yourself! If you find a curriculum you love, adapt! We used a variety of instructional methods through the years - adapting as needed.
Read aloud to your auditory learner, allow your creative child to act out stories, and encourage your absent-minded professor to share what he's learning during mealtime - you'll need to remind him to eat!
Homeschooling is a lifestyle, not an 8 to 3 bell schedule. With a little introspection and engaged discussions with your children about how they learn and what they are excited to learn, you will confidently choose a curriculum to fit your family!
Enjoy the Journey!
Are you concerned about choosing the right curriculum?
Or a little panicky about how many options are available?
You're not alone! There was a lot of experimentation in our early years of homeschooling. Through the years while gaining more know-how and expertise, I discovered four basic areas of focus for choosing curriculum.
Try using these four focus questions to effectively streamline your process and enjoy planning.
Let’s get started!
1. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE?
How does your child learn? Think about your child’s personality and the way your child responds to and approaches the world.
This is a top priority for planning and THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASE of homeschool prep!
Read about Learning Styles to utilize the specific strengths of your learner.
See Grades K-6 or 7-12 pages for links to free assessments.
Here’s why it’s SUPER important!!
A visual/print learner needs
Workbooks Textbooks Print-based integrated curriculum
An auditory/kinesthetic learner needs
Hands-on Projects Audio Books Tactile learning manipulatives Lessons read out loud
A visual/auditory learner needs
Online visual learning Visual Manipulatives such as flashcards or online games
Lessons read out loud Documentaries or videos
You can see these are widely different approaches to learning!
When you take time to figure out your child’s learning style through online assessments, observation, and talking with friends or family members about your child you will focus on finding a curriculum to suit individual strengths.
You’ll avoid having a visual/auditory learner whine about reading a textbook because she actually learns better drawing pictures while she listens! Or having an auditory/kinesthetic learner dawdle for hours to write answers to a math lesson he is able to complete in fifteen minutes of mental math!
Eventually your VA will need to read that textbook and your AK will need to write out the work. Meanwhile, give them tools to make the process easier for both of you. They will comprehend and retain more, and you’ll all be happier!
Suggestions
Provide tactile soothing learning aids for ADHD/ADD learners and resource specific teaching aids for children with special needs.
For an “I Can Learn This ALL BY MYSELF” child opt for providing lots of resources, science journals, coding classes, and STEM boxes.
For your social global learner connect with a parent co-op and schedule extra-curricular classes or lessons.
Provide whiteboards and markers for tracking assignments.
Develop weaker areas in chunks – a small bit at a time. Such as nudging your ARL (a student who needs sequential, structured assignments) with lots of praise and encouragement and help planning an unstructured assignment. Or encouraging your auditory/kinesthetic learner to write a three-sentence paragraph about his passion!
2. WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING STYLE OR METHOD OF INSTRUCTION?
Are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants parent, or a super-organized-routine-oriented-check-list person? Are you working from home and reading aloud, teaching math, and cooking dinner? Are you a full-time homeschool mom of three reading aloud, teaching math, and cooking dinner! Are you teaching one child, or multiple grades?
Here’s why it’s important.
If you are a first-time homeschool parent, you might want a daily schedule laid out for you and a pre-printed script for teaching. If so, then you’re going to lean towards a pre-packaged curriculum. (See Full Curriculum Providers here.) Keep in mind you can modify anything to fit the needs of your child!
If you have limited time for instruction, then you opt for online courses for comprehensive subjects (such as math) and save your one-on-one time for reading or providing extra help.
I recommend a combo approach for Grades 5 and up. Example: two online courses (such as science and math) combined with an integrated history and English program, plus family reading time, hands-on projects, and electives that include community service and personal interests. This gives the parent time for personal and household responsibilities, helps a student develop autonomy, and brings everyone together for engaged, fun learning.
For multi-grade level teaching an integrated combo approach also provides the greatest flexibility. You can easily work one-one-one with a child while another is studying online. Integrated curriculums are easily adapted to multiple grade levels as assignments can be expanded for older children or limited for the younger. (Ex. Adding research and essay writing for a high school student, or a hands-on project for a middle-school student.)
3. BUDGET
How much are you willing to spend on curriculum and extra classes?
Here’s why it’s important.
This will determine whether you are going to opt for expensive online video courses or use Khan Academy’s free video tutorials.
Free podcasts, library books and YouTube science videos?
Or a private tutor and a shelf of brand-new science books and lab equipment!
Purchase texts and workbooks?
Or download unit studies, inexpensive e-books, and use a free online worksheet generator for math and language arts.
4. WORLDVIEW OR PERSONAL BELIEFS
Here’s why it’s important.
Your personal beliefs and worldview may influence your choice of a secular or non-secular curriculum. For non-secular, you may want a program that aligns with your specific theology (i.e. Catholicism, Evangelical Christian, Jewish).
An inclusive approach with discussions centering around your beliefs gives your student a broad knowledge base in which to approach the world.
Now that you have narrowed your choices, take a look at our Full Curriculum Providers page and subject specific resources on Grades K-6 or 7-12 pages. (Scroll down for subject links.)
Look for resources highlighted for your type of learner.
Don’t limit yourself! If you find a curriculum you love, adapt! We used a variety of instructional methods through the years - adapting as needed.
Read aloud to your auditory learner, allow your creative child to act out stories, and encourage your absent-minded professor to share what he's learning during mealtime - you'll need to remind him to eat!
Homeschooling is a lifestyle, not an 8 to 3 bell schedule. With a little introspection and engaged discussions with your children about how they learn and what they are excited to learn, you will confidently choose a curriculum to fit your family!
Enjoy the Journey!
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