What's Up With Curriculum?

Nothing causes more excitement and confusion for homeschooling parents than the topic of curriculum. In some capacity, it is the foundational tool for teaching. Parents tend to feel very strongly about the topic, whether they use it or not. Regardless, natural questions consistently crop up among the community. Where can I find it? What should I use? How much does it cost? For new homeschooling parents, it can seem almost overwhelming. I will touch on the general things to examine when choosing a homeschool curriculum.

The first thing to consider is your family's learning style. This may sound peculiar. Isn't the child the one doing the work? Many home-teachers know that the parent does just as much work as their child. All teachers, whether at home or in traditional schools, know the amount of hours involved in preparation, not to mention the actual teaching time. This is why it is important to know your teaching style. Ask yourself some basic questions. The most important one to ask yourself is "What will keep my patience intact?". Patience is an attribute that is required by most parents and teachers; combining these job fields necessitates a vast amount in reserve.

By analyzing how best the parent can teach, and the child can learn, you can help narrow the field of choice. There is curriculum that comes complete with a teacher manual, worksheets, and lesson plans. There are unit studies in which several subjects are covered in one topic. There is curriculum devoted to having all the subjects revolve around a specific religious preference. A parent that wants a more loose approach may choose a math curriculum, and use the library and recommended book lists for English. The less work on the parent, the higher the price the curriculum will cost.

The cost factor of curriculum packages can almost make some parents feel as though they should forget saving for college, and concentrate on creating an account just for the curriculum fund. Before more pennies are pinched, don't discount the word "used" in your fiscal arsenal. There are many used curriculum fairs occurring throughout the year. These fairs allow individual homeschoolers to find bargains, and even make a bit of money selling their old books and materials. It also allows new and old home-schoolers to find out about the new things being offered to the home-schooling world. Homeschoolers love books, and the publishing world is catching on fast to get those dollars. New things are always coming onto the market. Checking Ebay, Craigslist and listings on e-mail groups are another way to locate and find cheaper alternatives for the curriculum packages you desire. Regardless where you purchase, it is important to talk to your friends, check out a copy, chat even on Lesson Planet's Facebook page, connect with other parents, and find out if the curriculum is worth purchasing.

Flexibility is the final necessity. It's important for parents to realize what works one year may not work the next. Life happens, the sentiment isn't just a corny bumper sticker, but apropos to what goes on during the year. A major reason for change can stem from the fact that what was appropriate for one child, won't help the younger sibling learn the subject matter. No amount of pre-planning can prevent a family crisis, whether medical or financial, which could impede the most careful of groundwork. It is also impossible to know about every single curriculum out there. Parents may stumble onto the "perfect" one mid-semester. It's okay to change to something different. It's also okay to forgive yourself for what you didn't know beforehand.

These tips are just little secrets that can help make homeschooling move more smoothly. Curriculum is simply a tool. Keeping that fundamental concept in mind, will keep everything in perspective, and lessen the pressure on parent and child. Below are some lesson ideas for you and your child. Lessons can be found that fit your individual curriculum needs.

Sample Lessons For Language Arts, Math, and Science Studies:

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pioneer Life: This is a three week unit that has lessons to help students learn about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her books, and pioneer life. This unit integrates math, social studies, science, and fine art. These types of literature units can be found to fit individual grade levels and interest.

Algebra Made Easy: In this series of lessons students learn about algebra in a step by step process. They perform hands-on investigations to make the concepts more understandable. There are math units for all different subjects from multiplication to Calculus.

Gravity: In this lesson students learn about gravity, do research, and calculate the observed gravity values for locations around the world. This lesson would take more than one day, and could be used to kick off a unit on gravity.