I know yesterday I wrote all about how you shouldn’t change curriculum. I know numerous homeschoolers that flip flop only to come back to what they originally decided on. However, there are a few that clearly need a change. I find this most often happens when the parent’s teaching style and the child’s learning style clash. But in any case, here are a few hints that a change is in order.
1. The sight of said curriculum, makes the child cry. . .
I once recommended Saxon math to a friend. We like it and it works very well for us. So my friend tried it. However, she has a child who just didn’t do well with the approach. The child really struggled. So the mom tried harder to make it work, pulling out the teacher’s manuals and reading verbatim. It got to the point where she’d pull out the books, and the child started to cry.
2. You don’t have the time. . .
I personally find that a lot of the really neat curriculums and activities for younger children also require a lot of teacher prep. There’s something to be said for hand made manipulatives. However, if the curriculum requires so much work on your part, that you can’t really ever use it, then it’s time for a change.
3. Your lessons are over in 10 minutes. . .
To me, the point of using curriculum is to engage a child in learning. I know my children are engaged when they are asking questions about it. My best history and science lessons are ones where my kids start getting excited and taking what we’ve learned in an entirely different direction. If I feel that I just have to get through the material and that my kids are never actively engaged in processing the information–it’s likely that it’s just plain boring and a switch is in order.
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a tweaking. Skipping some assignments, supplementing with more assignments. However, if you find yourself consistently being bored, hating the subject, or being overwhelmed with teach preparation–a change might be in order.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.