By Cynthia Simunovich
Are you worried about choosing curriculum?
A little panicky about the oodles of options?
You are not alone! The most common question from a new homeschool parent is “How do I choose curriculum?!”
With so many online courses, pre-packaged curriculum, unit studies, and dozens of different books just for pre-reading skills, how do you know what’s right for you?
Today I’m sharing what I learned homeschooling six children through high school and how it will help you narrow your curriculum choices.
In our early years of homeschooling we created our own curriculum! Hold on! I’m not saying that’s what you need to do! Just imagine this: No internet! No mobile devices! Only a couple of mail-order, very boring workbook-style curriculums available! And parents were not allowed to purchase textbooks or solutions manuals from curriculum publishing companies! What did we do?
Tip: Keep these ideas in mind when we get to the budget section!
We checked out stacks of books from the public library, along with cassettes (early audio books) and vinyl records (early streaming music)! We scoured thrift stores for encyclopedias, art and science books, and children’s readers. We created loads of DIY manipulatives for math, art, and science projects. We invested in music, dance, and martial arts lessons. We taught the basics and allowed our children to explore personal interests such as magic, coding, art, dance, woodshop, and robotics.
We were fortunate to have friends teach our children chess and computer languages. With a few other like-minded parents, we hired science teachers or grad students for advanced classes. (Millennials and Gen Z parents are re-inventing this concept with modern homeschool pods!)
As our children got older, we learned what worked and didn’t work for our family. And, as more research became available on multiple intelligences and learning styles, we began to understand why. I’ll talk more about that down the road.
Along the way, I discovered four specific areas critical for choosing curriculum and resources to help you avoid the trial-and-error method!
How you answer these questions will help effectively streamline your process and jumpstart your homeschool adventure! Let’s get started!
1. WHAT IS YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE?
How does your child learn?
A lot of parents want to skip this step and get right to choosing curriculum. Don’t do that! This is a top priority and critical step in homeschool prep! You have time. You aren’t on anyone else’s schedule now!
Consider your child’s personality and the way your child responds to and approaches the world. Does she watch what you are doing? Or does she listen carefully to instructions? Does he use his body to express emotions? Does he point out colors, or mimic sounds?
Your child can be learning right along with you. Older children can take online assessments and discuss with you how they learn best. Younger children can do projects and activities while you are researching and planning.
Remember that part about understanding why certain things worked and others didn’t?
Here’s why it’s SUPER important!!
* A visual/print learner needs Workbooks Textbooks Print-based 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)
Color coded assignments and online games Lessons read out loud Documentaries or videos
These are widely different approaches to learning! When you take time to figure out your child’s learning style through assessments, observation, and talking with friends or family, you shift your focus to choices that suit your child’s 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/verbal learner dawdle for hours writing answers to a math lesson he can do in fifteen minutes out loud! Eventually your VA will read that textbook and your AK will write out the work. Meanwhile, give them tools to make the process easier for both of you. Their comprehension and retention will increase, and you’ll all be happier!
Learning Style Suggestions
Provide tactile soothing learning aids for ADHD/ADD learners. Provide resource specific teaching aids for children with special needs. The Homeschool Resource Room blog has a great list, as does our Special Needs section.
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 or create a homeschool pod. Schedule extra-curricular classes and interest-specific lessons.
Gently nudge your ARL (a student who needs sequential, structured assignments) with lots of praise, encouragement and help planning an unstructured assignment. Develop weaker areas in chunks – a bit at a time.
Encourage your visual/auditory learner to record his thoughts on his tablet or phone and then write a three-sentence paragraph about his passion from his recorded notes!
Use a whiteboard for the visual/auditory learner, too! Or large butcher paper with markers.
Learn more about Different Learning Styles here on Time4Learning, read our doc on Learning Styles here, or take a comprehensive assessment at Power Traits for Life here. A quick search will pull up free academic and personality assessments that will help you utilize the specific strengths of your learner.
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 homeschooling? Are you a full-time homeschool mom of four with multiple grade levels?
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 or what we call full curriculum providers such as Book Shark, The Good and The Beautiful, or Time 4 Learning.
Tip: You can modify most pre-packaged curriculum to fit the needs of your child!
If you have limited time for instruction, then you might opt for online courses for comprehensive subjects (such as math) and save your one-on-one time for reading or providing extra help.
Tip: Many online courses have start and end dates, quizzes, exams and deadlines.
Consider a combo-integrated approach for Grades 5 and up.
Example: Two online courses (such as science and math) combined with an integrated history and English program. Add family reading time, hands-on projects, and electives. Note: Electives may include community service and personal interests!
The combo-integrated approach 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 a combo-integrated approach also provides the greatest flexibility. A parent can work individually with one child, while another is studying online, reading, or working on a project. Older siblings can reinforce their skills by helping younger sibs learn.
Integrated curriculums are easily adapted to multiple grade levels.
Example: When using an integrated English/History/Science module, add an extensive research and essay writing project for a high school student; include a hands-on research and art project for a middle-school student; and an easy art/journaling project for elementary students.
3. BUDGET
How much are you willing to spend on curriculum and extra classes? Remember the DIY manipulatives and thrifting I mentioned!
Here’s why it’s important.
This will determine whether you are going to opt for expensive online video courses or free tutorials on Khan Academy.
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!
Pull together a homeschool pod. Share resources.
Invest in what is important to your family – whether it’s horseback riding, motocross, or kayaking – then budget for other necessities.
You can provide a World-Class education on a budget. With the internet and your backyard, or the city park, you can explore science. Webcams are available for museums around the world! Public libraries are a fantastic resource. Khan Academy has free math and science tutorials for Grades 1-12. Thousands of videos are available on YouTube on every subject. As you become more comfortable with your homeschool approach, you can create a unit study on just about any topic, and incorporate language, history, science, art, and math. Look for used books online at Thrift Books or homeschool curriculum swaps. Even Harvard, Yale, and MIT now offer free online coursework for high school students.
Choose what fits your budget. And your imagination!
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 personal theology or faith. There are many faith-based resources available. You may find a secular curriculum that fits your budget, and child’s learning style, and also includes a chapter or two that may be sensitive or even challenge your beliefs. Don’t disregard a curriculum or resources just because it’s not “faith-based.” This can be an opportunity for discussion to help your child build a broader foundation of understanding.
An inclusive secular approach with discussions centering around your core beliefs gives your student a broad knowledge base in which to approach the world. As above, don’t necessarily disregard a curriculum because it is “faith-based.” These are opportunities to explore the many global faiths and contributions they have made to cultures and societies in art, science, and literature.
Now that you have narrowed your choices, it’s time to look at curriculum providers. You will find many on Cathy Duffy’s Homeschool Curriculum Reviews, Top 101 Picks, and the Homeschoolnewslink.com, CaliforniaHomeschoolingToday.com and The HomeschoolReview.com.
TIP: If you find a curriculum you love, fits your budget and other criteria, and it’s not 100% your learner’s style, adapt!
Read aloud to your auditory learner, encourage your creative child to act out stories or draw or paint, and have discussions with your verbal learner.
Homeschooling is a lifestyle. Engage your children with how they learn and what they are excited to learn! As you consider your child’s learning style, your teaching method, your budget, and your worldview, you will confidently choose a curriculum to fit your family!
As always, enjoy the Journey! ~ Cynthia
About Cynthia Simunovich: We homeschooled six children through high school – and we all survived! Our grown children are independent-minded, creative, people with varied interests and pursuits, from 3D sculpture and imaging, to music recording, theater/dance, culinary arts, construction, house-painting, and nursing. Sixteen years ago, I designed our Private School Satellite program (PSP) with extensive resources to help other homeschool families be successful. Branson Academy provides an umbrella covering for homeschooling in California, help Getting Started and support from Kinder through high school graduation!
