Question posted by Amelia

Hello to all, This is going to by my first year homeschooling my 4th and 8th grader. I am so overwhelmed with all of the curriculums out there and was wondering if anyone had an advice on how to choose. I would really appreciate it!

Thanks for your time.
 

Answer: 

It is hard to choose which curriculum to use. Despite your best efforts at choosing the right one, be prepared to spend some time tweaking whatever it is you end up with.

1. Try to see the items. Do you have a local support group that is having a curriculum fair? Are there examples online? Amazon has views of some items.

2. Ask your kids how they picture learning. What choice looks good to them. Sometimes when they choose from a list of acceptable choices, they work harder to make their choice "work." Maybe find a fun elective just for fun or enrichment or even something academic in their field of interest.

3. Try to figure out their learning style and find curriculum products to match that, but don't worry if you can't tell. I truly don't know what types of learners my children are--even after 10+ years--and when something isn't clicking, then I turn to other methods or ways of presenting the material without getting rid of our curriculum. Besides, you can't present everything according to their learning style. Learners need to be able to adapt and learn from all types of instruction, especially as they get older.

4. Look for what type of support the company provides. Online forums, a hot line, etc. You're going to have questions. They don't end when you've chosen the curriculum; they seem to multiply.

5. Which curriculum appeals to you as the teacher? Which one gets you excited? This is a factor that shouldn't be forgotten. You do have to teach it or work with it on a certain level. If you hate the format, your lack of excitement will likely spill over and affect your children's level of excitement and vice versa.

6. Read the **user** reviews. I tend to not be too receptive to reviews in magazines or "testimonials" on publishers' web sites. The magazines are usually running ads for the company whose product they're reviewing. And testimonials on a publisher's web site show only one side of the story because they're "in effect" ads themselves. And you can learn a lot from reading the "cons." I think some folks forget that. Sometimes reading a "con" about something lets you know that it's the exact curriculum that you want. "One man's garbage is another man's treasure."

7. Give the curriculum time to work. If it doesn't work right away, give it time. Some folks give up too easily. I hesitate to say give it a semester; hard and fast rules aren't always necessary because there are times when you'll buy something and know immediately that you goofed on selection. Jumping from curriculum to curriculum wastes time and energy. The students don't learn much when they're jumping around. Don't be afraid to chuck the lot, but don't chuck it before giving it a fair chance. Sometimes your next choice will be worse than what you've got. So supplementing or modifying is usually what should be tried before chucking it.

8. Beware of anyone who tells you that this is the "best" curriculum. LOL! Someone's love of a certain curriculum will not necessarily mean that it will work for you. Don't let someone foist their "pet" curriculum on you. People are *not* doing this on purpose. They're really just trying to help you. But beware! :-) My story: A lady with about 6-8 kids told me that a certain curriculum product worked with every one of her *very different* children. She loved that curriculum product and recommended it highly; she was certain it would work for us. So we bought the curriculum product and it did not work with my student. No matter what we did, it was a miserable failure.

It is a bit unnerving to have so many choices. But it's also good to be homeschooling where you have the latitude to be able to change when things aren't working. Teachers in classrooms are usually stuck.

Anyway, I guess that's about it. There are many decent curricula with proven track records. They all have their supporters and detractors. Do your best at figuring out which looks like the best fit and then step out and make your choice work. :-)

  Learning Style Books

Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways

In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Multiple Intelligences

100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style

So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences

CBD.com
Singapore Math and Science
Saxon Math
Educator's Publishing Service
Classical Education Press
Curriculum Associates
Key Curriculum Press

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