Which curriculum do I choose?
The word "curriculum" seems to have achieved a four letter status recently. In the infancy of our homeschool journey, I placed an IMMENSE importance on it and spent a borderline insane amount of time (and money) in my search for the ideal curriculum. Let's see if we can't remove some of the intimidation factor from our syllable rich friend.
"What curriculum do YOU use?" I found myself horrified as these words were repeatedly asked of me in the first months of homeschooling. Then, even MORE SO, when I began asking them of others myself! First thing's first... you know your child/children best. Please don't try to please others or fit into a mold. A large portion of the beauty of homeschool is the ability to tailor to learning style. We have purchased several popular names only to find they weren't a good fit and we had to start over.
How do I know what's what? Asking around is great, but it's not your only avenue. Do some research online. Find a website with a method or materials you like and read reviews. This enables you to get a few perspectives without the pressure, but please don't buy just yet. If a product looks like it would fill a need, try before you buy. Ask around to see if someone is willing to lend it out. Second best may be to find a video or printed sample. Some sites offer trials for a week or even a month! (Visit the online resource pages for my favorites).
Consider the child or family's personality. Some of us can read things and absorb it like a sponge. Others may need an audio or picture component to put things into context. Perhaps hands on or with music works best. I'll admit, there is definitely some trial and error here, but try not to let that discourage you. Trust yourself and ask The Lord for help. The sweet discovery of finding your child writing longer stories or doing math without being asked is SO worth it!
A great, affordable, source for ready made curriculum is Schoolhouse Teachers.com. They cover ALL of the needed subjects (from preschool to high school) including speech, foreign language, technology, even electives. I love their Bible courses and "Drive Through History" was a HUGE hit at our house!
When I say affordable, I mean it. Seriously... the first month is only $5, then $10 a month after that. You can use it for as many students as you like, although you may only log in on one device at a time. No more coming up with hundreds of dollars at a time. Now that's music to my frugal homeschool ears.
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