Related Articles
Homeschool Curriculum 101
The number one thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong homeschool curriculum. Publishers and proponents of various homeschool methods will disagree, claiming their way is the way. Don’t buy it! The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all homeschool curriculum, and your decision depends on many factors. In the coming months and years you will try on homeschool curriculum like new clothes, experimenting with style and fit. Even when you get a seemingly perfect resource in your hands, you will adjust and modify it to fit your needs. In fact, homeschoolers typically spend less money on homeschool curriculum as the years go by, simply because they know what they want and what works for them. So relax; you have time. Homeschooling is a journey and your ultimate success does not depend on choosing the perfect math book.
Ask around, pick one, try it out, do some reading, swap with friends, pick another! You get the idea? Though only a sampling, the following is a glimpse of the major homeschool curriculum categories you will find and the pros and cons of each.
Traditional Homeschool Curriculum
Traditional curriculum consists of the things you think of when you think “school”; textbooks, workbooks, worksheets, quizzes and tests. Some of the big names include Abeka, Calvert, Bob Jones, and Saxon. The following are some pros and cons of traditional curriculum.
Homeschool Structure. Many homeschooling newcomers find the structure of traditional curriculum helpful.There are many things to juggle, and having a resource that has already done the work for you is beneficial. Many of these curriculums are published for private school classrooms which means there is a greater amount of "busywork" and less flexibility. This is a downside to some families who chose to homeschool to get away from traditional structure.
Homeschool Content. Everything is covered so there is less risk of educational gaps. But, some find the fill-in-the-blank workbooks and compartmentalized subject matter does not coexist with their educational philosophies.
Homeschool Ease of Use. Included are well-prepared lesson plans that leave little to chance. This can help inexperienced teachers gain confidence in a subject area. Everything is already planned and thought out which means less prep time for teachers.
Non-Traditional Homeschool Curriculum
Non-traditional curriculum offers a more holistic course of study where the subject matter revolves around themes, history, or literature. For example, if your family does a unit study on horses, then the science activity, math, literature, and writing may all be about horses. Some examples include Konos, Sonlight, Beautiful Feet, and Five in a Row. The following are some pros and cons of non-traditional curriculum.
Homeschool Structure. The greater flexibility this provides can be a pro or a con, depending on personal habits. The subjects do not fit into neat little boxes which is tough for some people to grasp. Unit studies are fabulous for homeschooling several children at different grade levels, because everyone is studying the same thing.
Homeschool Content. These curriculums utilize more real books instead of textbooks, and may be activity-focused. Because the content is often interest-based, students engage in meaningful ways. These curriculums are very loosly tied to grade level and have little focus on testing. These can be issues for the families that want to chart their progress compared to public schools.
Homeschool Ease of Use. Often, non-traditional curricula means more work for the teacher, even if lesson plans are included. And, often there are activities that are not stay-in-your-seat school work.
Pre-Packaged vs. Teacher-Created Homeschool Curriculum
Pre-Packaged Homeschool Curriculum. Publishers offer pre-packaged (everything is included) curriculum which is organized by grade level or thematic units. Within a grade level, you can often purchase just one subject. With pre-packaged homeschool curriculum, the work is done for you. The ultimate pre-packaged homeschool resources are satellite programs where teachers interact with your student, test them, and keep records.
Teacher-Created Homeschool Curriculum. This is just what it sounds like. The parent-teacher does all the research, the planning, the gathering, the teaching and the record keeping. This is ideal for creative types that want extreme flexibility in their course of study.
As families become more experienced, they often find a happy medium between buying fully assembled packages and doing it all themselves. Most people do a combination of the two, picking and choosing and creating what best fits their needs.
Homeschool Curriculum Checklist
● State Requirements
● Homeschool Goals
● Teacher’s Learning Style
● Student’s Learning Style
● Educational Philosophy
● Budget
● Time
● Creativity
● Comfort Level With Material
Like this article? Get more like it in your inbox. Subscribe today to our free weekly newsletter.