Selecting Curriculum

I may be repeating myself and you’ll notice patterns in different posts, but here it goes: Your homeschool will not look like mine, and it shouldn’t. I’m not an expert in homeschooling, I am only an expert on my children (and even that is a constant work in progress). You’ll need to find what is best for your child(ren) and your family. Below are some general guidelines on selecting curriculum for your family based on what I’ve found helpful, and there is also a handy “snapshot” curriculum guide at the bottom as a quick visual resource too.

• Don’t panic and buy #allthethings. Take time to do your research and review the other bullets below. This is especially hard for parents who have recently been thrust into a homeschool situation for this upcoming year and unexpectedly have to make some tough decisions in a short time frame.
• Talk to your kid(s)! What do they want to learn this year? Home school is FLEXIBLE. Yes, you’ll need to have math and reading/language arts, but other than that if your child is interested in underwater basket weaving, German, or geology — you can study it. You DO NOT and should not re-create school at home. They are different for a reason. Make this a pleasurable experience for everyone and incorporate themes or subjects that they can look forward to as well. It’s not always going to be rainbows and sunshine, but this is a great way to set realistic expectations for everyone involved.
• What is your child’s learning style? (auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc.) My kids are young so I’m still figuring that out, but we are choosing items that offer a blend of learning styles and will hone in more as we go along to offer resources that bests fit the way they like to learn.
• How structured do you need the curriculum to be? Do you want open-and-go set curriculum or do you want flexibility to build out and do your own thing? How much do you want online vs. printed resources and materials?
• What general philosophy and method of education do you want to follow? You can learn more about classical, Montessori, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, traditional, unschooling, and/or an eclectic mix of these options based on what draws and interest you! If you want a list of books to read about homeschooling, here is a good list to get started.
• How long do you plan to homeschool? Is this temporary while schools are closed or do you plan to homeschool long term? If this is a short term solution then you may want to take that into consideration and choose something that will helps you kid(s) ease back into school. The cost of the program and the investment of time and resources will factor into your decision here as well.
• If you are teaching multiple children or plan to in the future, find ways you can merge subjects. Simplify as much as possible. You can teach all subjects (science, history, geography, art) together, but math and reading. Your children can all learn about ancient Greece, marine biology, nature study, art, etc., but just at different depths depending on age or grade level. It also gives your children opportunities to chat and learn together! You can build field trips around these group subjects too.
• Do you want a secular or faith-based curriculum? Even within a faith-based curriculum there is a wide range of how much christian stories, scripture, and references are weaved into the curriculum. For example, Masterbooks is very faith-based, but The Good and the Beautiful has only some faith elements. You could still follow much of the curriculum (esp. math), even if you’re looking for something less focused on faith. Blossom and Root is a nature-based secular homeschool curriculum. (*Note: the graphic below shared on several Homeschool Facebook groups is a great quick reference). I’d also like to note that if you’re Jewish, you can tailor the curriculum for your homeschool and just change elements that are not relevant to you. Here is a great resource for Jewish Homeschoolers.
• Once you have a general idea of the items above (you do not have to have it all figured it out, but it does help narrow down your options because there are so many curriculum options to choose from), read more about curriculum options by philosophy or subject on Cathy Duffy Reviews. Check out the curriculum websites and look at their samples online. It will give you a good idea of what a “typical” day looks like. If you look at the sample pages and you’re not attracted to the material then your child likely will not be either. Your excitement (or lack there of) shows through. I’ve already noticed a huge difference when I’m teaching something I’m excited to show and do alongside both of my kids.
• Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful resources and I’ve found many of my favorite items recommended by other homeschool moms on various blogs and social platforms, but don’t go down the rabbit hole of comparing your homeschool to everyone else and then over-purchasing just to match what you think you have to have based on someone else. In reality you do not need much to start homeschooling, many items are fun but not necessary for learning.
• Purchase the curriculum you like best based on the answers to the items above and maximize use of free online resources available. Don’t just look on Amazon and curriculum websites. Check out Rainbow Resource, Thriftbooks, Abebooks, Homeschool re-sale groups, LivingPress, ChristianBook, Learning Resources, Lakeshore Learning, Teachers Paying Teachers, and more. Join online communities for the resources, curriculum, and methods you plan to follow for support, guidance, connection, and ideas with other moms. Join local groups to connect and share resources that may be of interest or relevant to you such as field trip ideas, play groups, nature hikes, co-op opportunities, outside tutors and lessons, etc.

I hope these general guideline help you along this path as you make choices for your children’s education during this time of COVID and/or long term. What questions do you have about curriculum? If you’ve been homeschooling a while, what have you found to be helpful in making curriculum choices? I may not have all of the answers, but I’d love to direct you to other moms and resources available!