There are so many choices out there for curriculum, it can be overwhelming. It’s impossible to fully consider everything that’s available if you want to get started while your children are still children. How then, do you determine what curriculum will work best for your family?
Start here:
- Consider your strengths.
- Consider your preferences.
- Consider the ‘requirements’.
Your Strengths: I really think you should start out with your family’s strengths. At this point, it’s not productive to worry about how bad you all are at math. Yes, you’ll need a strong math curriculum, but what are you good at? It may not be academic, but you can still use it in your homeschooling. Cooking, wood carving, gardening, knitting, and more all have a place in homeschooling if you choose to include them. Think of all the wonderful things you can do!
Your preferences: There are no right or wrong answers here. This is where you look at items such as philosophy, faith, and learning style. You need to determine your homeschooling ‘why’, which I covered in this post.
The Requirements: Your homeschooling plan does not need to mimic public school. In fact, you are probably homeschooling because you want to approach learning differently than public school. However, you still need to think about covering the same general topics and skills. Therefore, your homeschool will most likely involve some traditional curriculum.
Recently, I’ve gotten several questions through our homeschool group from parents who are considering homeschooling in the fall and want to know where to find curriculum.
Finding Curriculum: I recommend two sites for initial basic research AFTER going through the three-point checklist at the top of this post. The first is Cathy Duffy Reviews and the second is Rainbow Resource.
I especially like these two sites because they don’t promote one single all-inclusive curriculum. Yes, there is a LOT of info on these sites. I don’t think there’s any way around it – you’ll need to wander around online, ask homeschoolers you know or meet what they use, and then try to figure out what will work for your family.
Don’t feel like you need to figure it all out before you can start homeschooling. It’s helpful to do some research, but not too much. To talk to people, but not too many. Avoid overload. Find some curriculum you think you’ll like and then consider homeschooling a work in progress.
I’ll continue to explore this topic more with you over the summer and beyond, particularly with regards to finding specific curriculum. There are many different ways to homeschool and I believe everyone finds their niche as they go along. It won’t be exactly like anyone else’s. It will fit you and your children uniquely. You’ll grow and change and stumble and thrive. It can be overwhelming and sometimes scary but also amazing and so worth it.
p.s. The photos are from a beautiful hike we did this weekend in State Forest State Park, Colorado. Without snowshoes or climbing gear we weren’t able to summit, so here’s the tie-in if you want me to try and wrap things up neatly: With homeschooling, you can get more supplies and curriculum along the way. With hiking, not so much. 🙂