Choose a Homeschooling Curriculum
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Because there are so many programs on the market, choosing a homeschooling curriculum can feel overwhelming. Here are some simple steps to choosing a homeschooling curriculum.
1. Find out what subjects your state requires you to teach. For a description of your state's requirements, visit the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
2. Assess your child's learning style. Find out how he or she best receives and processes information.
3. Choose a homeschool method. Here are some descriptions of popular homeschooling methods that will help you find one that is right for your family.
4. Make a list of subjects you will teach, and look for programs in each subject that fit your homeschooling method. You can find popular programs by doing an Internet search, looking through homeschool catalogs, and getting recommendations from other homeschoolers. You do not have to use the same curriculum supplier for every subject you teach.
5. Read reviews of programs you find interesting. Follow this link to homeschool reviews from fellow homeschooling parents.
6. Attend a vendor fair, where you can ask questions, look at interesting programs and purchase materials at a discount. Here are some tips on preparing for and navigating a home school curriculum fair.
7. Look for ways to save money on your chosen curriculum. Here are some tips for inexpensive homeschooling:
- Take advantage of your local library.
- Look for used curriculum at garage sales, used book stores, thrift stores, and online forums such as Veg Source, The Swap, and This Little Piggy Stays Home.
- Download or make your own worksheets, manipulatives, games and flashcards.
- Buy high quality materials that you can resell or pass on to younger siblings.
- Combine multiple children into a program. This works especially well for subjects such as history, science, music, art and religion.
- Buy new materials from discount suppliers, such as Rainbow Resource, or make purchases at a vendor fair to obtain show discounts and eliminate the cost of shipping.
- Here are some additional tips for affordable homeschooling.
8. Purchase your chosen curriculum, and enjoy homeschooling your children!
5 Mistakes to Avoid when Choosing Curriculum
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Seamus, I will work on one. Thank you for the positive feedback!
Carletta, I really enjoyed this hub. My son is learning English as a second language, so we have to buy him separate English reading and teach him after school to help him catch up to the rest of his class. That makes your information informative to us on a whole different level. Thanks again!
Great advice once again. Do you have any advice about socialization for children doing home school?
Homeschoolers have many options for socialization through church groups, homeschool support groups, community activities, sports, etc. I find that we often have too many social opportunities to choose from. We have to narrow down our options so we'll have time for actual schoolwork!
The other thing I love about homeschooling, is that my children get to avoid much of the negative socialization that takes place in school. They are able to avoid teasing, bullying and peer pressure while they are young, so they will be more confident and much less affect by it when they are older.
seamus 3 years ago
I'd love to see a link list of various homeschooling curriculums that you think are good. I enjoyed the article!