Figuring out how to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your family, can feel a tad overwhelming. There are so many choices out there, that choosing the perfect curriculum seems impossible at times! The good news is, there is no right or wrong way to homeschool your children. You get to decide what to use based on what works for you, and your children.
When searching for the best curriculum to use in your homeschool, there are a few things to consider. Let’s take a look at the top 10 things you should keep in mind when making your curriculum choice. Also, if you’re brand new to homeschooling, consider reading this article covering the things you should know before starting to homeschool.
Know Your Child’s Learning Style
Before trying to choose which homeschooling curriculum you’re going to use, think about your child’s learning style. Perhaps you have children who are visual learners and respond well to charts, diagrams, and symbols. Or, maybe you have a kinesthetic learner who enjoys project-based learning like hands on science experiments, or art projects. Whatever the different learning styles of your family are, you will be able to tailor your child’s education to their specific needs. If you are unsure what your child’s learning style is, here is a great article that explains each unique learning style in detail. This will help you have a better understanding of how to best educate your children.
Create Some Homeschool Goals
Another important factor in choosing the best homeschool curriculum, is knowing what your homeschool goals are each year. I say “each year”, because they will change from year to year based on your child’s grade level, interests, and possible struggles. If you have a child who is struggling with reading, then your focus for that year might be primarily on language arts. If you’ve struggled with homeschool consistency in the past, maybe your goal this year is to simply create a more consistent homeschool routine. If that’s the case, focusing on just the core subjects will help simplify things, and support you in building consistent habits.
If consistency is something you’ve struggled with in your homeschool, read the “Top 10 Tips on Becoming a Consistent Homeschooling Mom”, to learn how to develop some good homeschool habits.
Also, make sure to include your children in the goal setting process. This is their homeschool year as well, and it’s important to listen to what they want to accomplish and experience.
Consider Your Teaching Style
As homeschooling parents, we need to enjoy the curriculum we are teaching from, and it needs to match up with our own personal teaching style. Do you enjoy doing a lot of reading aloud? Are you someone who likes going on lots of outings and field trips? Do you want to create all of your own lesson plans, or do you want something that is open and go? These are all things to consider when choosing a homeschool curriculum. Be honest with yourself about your preferences, so that you can choose the right homeschool curriculum for you as well.
Read Some Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
Homeschool curriculum reviews are a great asset to homeschool parents, because it’s pretty much always other homeschool parents providing these reviews! This means you are getting honest feedback, based on their own personal experiences. If you end up having a few top picks for curriculum choices, it’s a good idea to spend some time reading or listening to some reviews on each one.
Cathy Duffy is a well known curriculum expert who homeschooled her own three sons, right through high school. She has researched and written about curricula for home education since the 1980s, and her website, cathyduffyreviews.com, is considered the go to resource for homeschool curriculum reviews. Cathy has also written books that help homeschoolers learn how to choose the resources that will work best for them and their children. If you’re looking for a good place to start, this will definitely get you going on the right path.
Decide On A Homeschool Method
Now, when I say to decide on a homeschool method, by no means am I implying that you can never switch methods! Remember, homeschooling is all about finding the best fit for your family. You are always free to change direction and go with a different curriculum, or homeschool method, all together!
There are many different options when it comes to homeschool methods, and more than anything, these methods are merely outlines of how your homeschool might look. Each individual family will adopt their own unique way of doing things, but it is helpful to figure out which homeschool method you most identify with. If you are new homeschoolers, expect to make changes for a little while. It takes time to get your footing when you’re just starting out, so keep your expectations realistic, and be willing to change if necessary.
For more details on what the common homeschool methods are, homeschoolmom.com has a great post that dives deep into each one. You can read through, and see what resonates with you and your family. But for now, here are a few of the most popular homeschool methods:
- Charlotte Mason Method
- Traditional
- Waldorf
- Classical
- Montessori
- Online School
- Unit Studies
Look For Free Homeschool Curriculum
There is actually a lot of free homeschool curriculum available online! Many of the curriculum providers have free samples you can download and print. Some even have entire courses or unit studies available as free downloads! This is great if you are on a tight budget, plus it’s also a good way to test things out and see if that particular curriculum is a good fit for your family.
Consider Your Child’s Interests
One of the benefits of homeschooling is that your children have so much time to explore their interests and passions. So when you’re trying to choose the best homeschool curriculum, don’t overlook the different subjects or hobbies that your kids want to do for fun. Maybe one child wants to learn a foreign language, and another one wants to learn how to play an instrument, or develop their artistic skills. Allow room for these things when looking at your year, and remember that there are endless online classes and resources available. You don’t need to have a curriculum for everything, and allowing your kids to explore their own interests will make their homeschooling experience so much richer!
Don’t Worry About What The Public School Is Doing
When figuring out how to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your family, it might seem easy to just try and copy what they’re doing in public school. However, by doing this, you may be sabotaging your homeschool year before you even get started! Homeschooling can, and should, look different than public school. Yes, you will cover the same core subjects such as math, and language arts – but you do not need to try to replicate public school at home. Rarely does this work, and it usually ends up in tears…let’s just say, I know this from experience. Focus on the needs of your family, and customize things as much as you see fit. Enjoy the freedom homeschool offers, and don’t feel tied down to any one way of doing something.
Talk To Other Homeschool Parents
Connecting with, and talking to other homeschool parents is always helpful when trying to make curriculum decisions. Getting feedback from people you know and trust is very valuable. If you don’t know any other homeschoolers yet, take advantage of local homeschool facebook groups and open up a discussion in there. Just remember, only YOU know the unique needs of your children, so don’t be talked into something that you don’t think is the right fit.
Expect and Accept Changes To Be Made
At a certain point, you will have found what you consider to be, the very best homeschool curriculum in the world! You and your kids will be excited and ready to roll with it – which is great! However, as your children grow and change, every year will look a little different. So even if you have scoured the internet for weeks, and have determined that a specific curriculum is THE curriculum for your family…..don’t get too upset if you end up switching down the road. That is SO normal, and it’s important not to get too attached to any one curriculum. Expect and accept that there will be changes to things over time, and that is perfectly OK.
Blessings!
~Maryann
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