How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum
re-blogged from CurrClick.com
As homeschoolers, many of us adhere to a certain learning philosophy, such as classical or interest-led. These methods give us a basic framework for choosing curricula, but it can still be a challenge to find the one specific program that fits your particular needs. On top of that, every family has different goals and learning styles, which means that no one homeschool curriculum can fit every situation. So how do you wade through all of the choices that are out there?
Here are a few steps to follow as you seek to choose materials that will work for you and your student.
Step 1. Determine your goals.
You need to first determine what the goals are for your homeschool. Ask yourself
What do I want to prepare my student for?
What do I need to instill in my student?
Is there anything that I must teach my student? (i.e. state requirements)
It’s good to have both realistic long range and short term goals.
Step 2. Know your student’s learning style.
It is important to understand how your student prefers to learn so that you can choose a curriculum that will maximize your teaching efforts. Your student may have one type of learning style across the board or he may blend several types to create his own style.
There are four basic learning styles:
- Visual: This type of student needs to see things before he picks up on the information.
- Auditory: This type of student learns best from hearing, either from read-alouds, lectures or discussions.
- Tactile: This type of student needs to touch things. He best acquires information from tangible processes.
- Kinesthetic: This type of student learns best when he is moving.
As your student gets older, you do need to stretch him by teaching how to learn from materials that are outside of his preferred learning mode.
Step 3. Choose what you would like to study.
In the homeschool setting, sometimes your educational philosophy will help you to choose what to study, or sometimes your student will help to determine what they would like to learn for the year. Whatever the case may be, you can ask yourself two questions to help you know what to look for in a homeschool curriculum.
What would I like to see my student learn this year?
What would my student like to study this year?
You may have certain benchmark concepts that you would like your student to know by a specific time or you may adhere to guidelines for the subjects that you will learn about each year. Either way, writing out what you want your student to learn in a particular year, will help you determine which curriculum to choose. On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable to ask your student what he would like to learn. After all, if he is interested in the subject matter, he will be more likely to engage with the materials and retain the information that he is studying. However, make sure that you decide ahead of time which of the answers from the above questions you will place the most emphasis.
Step 4. Decide how you would prefer to learn.
Now you need to determine how you would like to study the information that you need to learn for the year. You can ask yourself the following questions:
Would we prefer to learn from a textbook, encyclopedia or
living book?
Would we prefer to enrich our study time with hands-on learning projects?
Would we prefer to record what we have learned through notebooking or through worksheets?
Knowing how you would like to study will help you to determine which homeschool curriculum will best fit your needs.
So, now that you are armed with your goals, your students’ learning styles, what you would like to study and how you would like to approach learning that information, you are ready to tackle the multitude of options that are before you!
Paige Hudson is a homeschooling mom that has a passion for sharing the wonders of science with children. She writes science curriculum aimed at homeschoolers for Elemental Science, and has co-authored Success in Science: A Manual for Excellence in Science Education. She holds a BS in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech and currently resides in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia with her husband and 2 children. You can find her sharing tips and tools for science education at Elemental Blogging.
