What to Look for in a Homeschool Curriculum | Homeschooling

By KayleyKenzie
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Have you ever attended a homeschooling convention to choose homeschool curriculum? The experience can be quite refreshing, since it introduces you to the many possibilities available on the market.

On the other hand, it could leave you feeling more lost and overwhelmed than before you ever went.

You might be the kind of parent who enjoys picking and choosing what you see in catalogs. Maybe you prefer to make your purchases over the phone, by mail, or through the internet. Perhaps you'd rather contact the salesperson first instead of waiting for them to get in touch with you.

Or, you could possibly be the type of homeschooler that likes surfing on the web to find what you need.

Regardless of how you shop for your homeschool curriculum online, through a catalog, or at a homeschool convention, here are some important suggestions to consider when making your choices:

* Be familiar with your children's strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Knowing these factors will help you decide the best material. The resources you choose should not only enhance your child's strengths, but also address your child's weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

* Know your family's needs. For example, is your family religious? Do you have special needs kids? Is your family interested in traveling? When you choose a homeschool cirriculum, it's vital to consider all these different factors.

* How does your child learn best? Is your child more of a visual learner, and auditory learner, or more of a hands-on learner? Knowing your child's learning style is a very important consideration when choosing curriculum.

* What long-term goals does your family have? Has your child been setting goals? If you and your child both have a goal to let him or her run a business, you should focus on resources that will help both of you achieve this goal.

* Cost of materials is an important factor. Some homeschooling families feel okay about photocopying material, or "borrowing" curriculum. Personally, I feel it is not fair. This doesn't mean that the curriculum you choose has to be expensive or make your broke. If you plan in advance, you will be able to budget in the costs.

* What homeschooling philosophy appeals to you? There are a variety of homeschool cirriculum philosophies. Some include: literature-based, unit studies, textbook, unschooling, accelerated, Christian, and Classical.

* What are your time constraints? If you have a lot of children and also work part-time, it is important to take time into consideration. When you buy curriculum, you need to consider the time that you'll also be putting into co-op classes and your child's activities.

Before you decide on any homeschool curriculum, I think it's important for you to pray about your decision and talk things over with your spouse first.

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