Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
Homeschool Curriculum - Where to buy
curriculum online
Choosing curriculum is always a main concern of homeschoolers. And understandably so. After all, you want your children to learn!
 
When consulting new homeschoolers, I always recommend that before they buy any curriculum, they should stop and look at what they currently own and what free resources they have available to them.
Many parents I meet who want to home school feel they are unable to because they cannot afford it.
This is absolutely not true, homeschooling your child does not have to cost a fortune.
For example, I have a big World and United States atlas book. My kids love these books, they are large print and inviting and they have learned more about the United States from reading the atlas than any geography lesson I could have prepared on my
own. Was it necessary to purchase an expensive geography book or geography curriculum set? Absolutely not. I simply utilized something I already owned prior to homeschooling.
Take a look at books you have laying around the house. You might be surprised at how much “curriculum” you already own.
Take a visit to your local library. I was AMAZED at how much I was able to find at the library – all available at no cost to
me. For example, every science lesson I have ever put together has consisted of material I found in science books from the library. Our local library also has a fabulous video library collection that we have used for science and history to enhance our studies.
 
I have even seen popular (and very expensive!) phonics programs at my library, as well as foreign language programs like Rosetta Stone available to check out. And of course, they are never in short supply of reading material (our library has an entire section of early readers!).
If you have some way to get on the Internet (and if you are reading this, my guess is that you do), than you have access to A LOT of teaching resources, readily available for you to print and use in your home school.
So make a list of what you already have in your home and what you can borrow before you make a list of what you need to buy.
Now, decide what YOU want your children to learn.
This will of course vary from child to child depending upon their age and their personal interests. Sit down and make a list of what you think your child should learn this year. Your list should obviously include the basics – which for me are phonics, handwriting, reading, and math.
 
Check your local homeschool state laws, as most have basic outlines as to what you are required to teach. Otherwise, what you and your family learn is completely up to you and your personal interests.
In addition to the basics this year, we are learning about Astronomy in science (because my kids are currently fascinated with the stars and planets) and
geography of the United States (we collect the state quarters so this is a topic that naturally interests my children) for science and history. In addition to “normal” school subjects, we are also learning to sew and play tennis during school time hours.
Once you have an idea of what you would like your children to learn, start looking for the curriculum to do the actual teaching with.
When choosing curriculum, keep in mind how your child learns best.
- Does he or she enjoy writing?
- Do they prefer bookwork over hands on learning or vice versa?
- Is your child a visual learner?
- Or an audio learner?
You do not want to waste money or time on curriculum or products, no matter how great others may say it is, if it will not capture the attention of YOUR child. This is the benefit of homeschool, you are able to cater your teaching methods to your child's individual needs and interests.
Good luck with curriculum shopping and if you have a question regarding any curriculum, please email me!
Interested in what curriculum we are using with our children? Take a look at the homeschool curriculum we are using
this year.
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