Often buying resources is done too early in the process and results in buyer’s remorse. After you have thought about your child’s learning style and what your homeschooling will look like, it’s time to think about resources. Choose whether or not to use curriculum or which curriculum will work for you.
Only after working through steps 1-3 should you think about curriculum and research which curriculum fits the style your family is most comfortable with. You may find that you are more comfortable with a lifestyle of learning than a set curriculum. If so, you are not alone. Many families have found this to be the best way to learn. Whether you choose radical unschooling or simply let your child’s interests lead his learning, know that curriculum is not a must-have.
When/if you are ready to buy, check out sources for used curriculum to save money.
Parents of preschoolers, Kindergartners, and first graders, please read this post about the best curriculum for these ages.
Go to Step 5 »« Back to Step 3
Related Reading
Our Interest-Led Middle School Homeschool
6 Topics to Round Out Your Homeschool Schedule
Is Your Curriculum Accredited? Does It Matter?
The Magic, Mayhem, and Mostly Awesomeness of Middle School Homeschooling
10 Tips for Adjusting to Homeschooling or a New Curriculum
The Online Curriculum Advantage
Mid-Year Homeschooling: Connection, Not Curriculum
Deschooling: The School Rules You Need to Break
What Curriculum Should I Use For My 4 Year Old?
What I Learned about Homeschooling from Saxon Math
Homeschool High School Composition: The Assignments
Homeschool High School Composition
High School Homeschooling: Our 10th Grade Plan
Instead of Curriculum: Handwriting Practice
Contextual Learning: Homeschooling Through Fashion
Delayed Academics: It’s All About Learning
Instead of Curriculum: The Great Courses
Instead of Curriculum
Post-Convention Stress Disorder
Benefits of Homeschooling: Changing Curriculum, Again
Instead of Curriculum: Living Math
When You Need More Than One Curriculum For the Same Subject
How Did Your Curriculum Work For You?
Choosing a Homeschool Language Arts Curriculum
What does a homeschool language arts curriculum need to have to make it useful, interesting and comprehensive? Are there language arts lesson plans which I can use over a number of ages? Well, firstly we need to consider what language arts lessons makes a language arts curriculum. It would need to include reading, writing, speaking and listening. Getting to finer details, it would need to teach writing skills from handwriting to written sentences, paragraphs, essays and writing in a wide variety of forms. It should teach interesting use of words, sentence grammar and the use of a variety of sentence ... Read More »
Choosing Your History Curriculum
For homeschool moms and other teachers who are able to choose their own history curriculum, selecting the book(s) that will keep you energized all year long is a crucial decision. Whether you call them spines, source books, core books, or textbooks, you can’t ignore the importance of having one all-encompassing history guide to keep you grounded and make sure you leave no obvious gaps. This book will reinforce the flow of events, even if your extended reading is chronologically a little before or behind it in time sequence. Read More »