Yesterday, I got my first homeschooling curriculum catalogs in the mail. The first of the season that is. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I am sure that I will continue to accumulate a growing pile of homeschooling curriculums all of which claim to meet my child’s needs. If you haven’t been inundated yet, let me encourage you to take a few minutes to sit down and think about it. Why? So you won’t be tempted to spend more than you need on “cool” stuff.
What Do You Really Need?
The truth is, there are tons of very cool educational products out there. I am of the persuasion however, that it’s not the curriculum that makes or breaks the homeschooling year. Homeschooling works and works well because your child is getting a one on one education. They are getting individualized attention and a curriculum that’s tailored to meet their needs. This means both that strong points can be challenged while their academically weak points can be worked on without the fear of out right failing.
With that said, I do think that there is a right way to homeschool for each family. I have many, many friends who use a very rigid classical method to homeschool. For us, it was too intense and we opted for something that emphasized reading out loud.
So figure out what it is that you really need with confidence. You are not going to “mess up” by making the wrong choice. (You might spend too much money, but you’re not going to mess up.)
The “Other Curriculum”
Something that I’ve found as I’ve gone through my homeschooling years is that there seems to be this ‘cache’ of other, unrelated but fun curriculum calling my name. What I mean is that I know I need language arts, math, science and social studies. Then there’s the k’nex educational materials. There are games galore and all those cool lapbooking supplies. There are also these cool geography books that I’ve had my eye on for awhile. How do I decide what and if I’m going to purchase?
I have one rule that I will pass on to you: I squeeze in most of my homeschooling in four days. On the fifth day, I still do language arts and math, but then I take the afternoon or a few hours to do one (just one) of those “other curriculums” that look like so much fun. In this way, I don’t buy a bunch of stuff I don’t need and I am able to keep focused without overburdening myself with a bunch of ‘extras’. This is one case when more isn’t better.
So plan a strategy before all those cool homeschooling catalogs arrive and you’ll find navigating the curriculum choices to be smooth sailing. . .well sort of.
Related Articles:
How To Avoid the Curriculum Flip Flop