A Family’s Complete Guide to Finding a Homeschool Curriculum
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Finding a curriculum can be one of the most intimidating parts of switching to homeschooling for your children, but it can also be the most rewarding. While I can’t tell you which curriculum will work best for your family, I am happy to help you learn how to find a curriculum that supports your goals!
What is the Purpose of a Curriculum?
A curriculum is an organized collection of information that guides learning on specific subjects. When your child attends a traditional school, they are exposed to different curriculum types created/selected and organized by requirements of the state and district to fit each class. At home, you can create a fully comprehensive curriculum that covers all of the core areas while also allowing you to teach the fundamental values that you want to share with your child!
Three Easy Steps for Finding and Designing Your Ideal Homeschool Curriculum
I am commonly asked what kind of curriculum I recommend for parents and their kids, and the simple truth is that I can’t know this without knowing both your child and your goals to homeschool! There is no single curriculum that applies to all kids, but rather, many offerings to meet the needs of many different kinds of learners. You can learn more about why I don’t recommend any one curriculum for homeschool families here.
While I believe that a curriculum should be chosen with care or made with love, I can also assure you that your curriculum will only play a small role of importance within your homeschool – and no curriculum could ever make or break a homeschooling experience. A curriculum should never run your homeschool - you have the control to run your curriculum! (More on this and tips/strategies on making our selected curriculum work for us, THIS WEEK on my Instagram)
So, instead of searching for that perfect curriculum (like searching for a needle in a haystack… blindfolded), let’s explore how you can decide on the best curriculum for your homeschool!
#1 Consider Schedule and Budget
Every curriculum will have its own recommended practices, and a lot of them also have a specific cost attached if you want to use them, as well as a recommended level of daily commitment. Before you can decide on a curriculum, you will want to consider what your learning schedule will look like and how much money you have to invest in the different types of curriculum options available.
As a homeschooling parent, you'll encounter a wide array of curriculum options, each with its own price tag. From free resources to higher-priced programs, the range can be extensive. It's important to approach these choices with a mindful eye on your budget. While more expensive options might seem appealing, maintaining financial balance is key. By evaluating your family's financial situation, you can select a curriculum that aligns with your resources and still provides a valuable and enriching learning experience for your child.
With confidence, I have always opted for free or less expensive curriculum. For our family, this made the most sense, knowing that curriculum would only play a small role in our homeschool as the skeleton we would use for direction of what material I would be teaching. With this, we were able to allocate more of our homeschool funds to resources, outings, and extracurriculars.
Lastly, homeschooling can accommodate fluid schedules, but it is important to know what you would like your day to look like before you set your heart on a specific curriculum. Time commitment and cost matter, so always look at these features when choosing from the available options.
#2 Decide How Much Flexibility You Want in How You Teach
Now that you know what you have to work with, it is time to consider your teaching method and approach. Your homeschool method will help you to decide which curriculum choices best align with what you want to achieve at home.
You can learn about the more popular homeschool methods in Homeschool.com’s guide on how to Find Your Homeschool Method.
Depending on the curriculum that you choose, you will find that your approach can vary significantly. Some curriculums are designed to offer total support for your child while they learn, while others will have you piecing more of the parts together to supplement your child’s daily education. Getting started, you may find your preference to be a more robust curriculum to act as your guide. In later years, you may find that your rhythm preference is for more freedom and flexibility in developing your own approach. No matter what is most comfortable to you, remember that, whichever route you choose, you can absolutely modify the curriculum to best fit your child and your family. A curriculum should never run your homeschool - you have the control to run your curriculum!
You can learn more about customizing a curriculum from They Call Me Blessed’s article on How to Customize Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family and the 10 Minutes to a Better Homeschool Podcast’s episode Tips for Modifying Curriculum That Isn’t Working.
#3 Identify What You Want to Teach
Lastly, before finalizing a curriculum, consider what you want your children to be learning. During this part of the process, take the time to learn about essential subjects, while also deciding what topics within these subjects align with what you would like to teach.
Make sure that your decisions align with local regulations as well. You can learn more about meeting local requirements in my guide to getting started with homeschooling here.
After you have considered your schedule and budget, your homeschool method, and the topics within subjects you want to cover, you should be ready to select your first homeschool curriculum!
To explore the more popular curriculums available, check out Homeschool.com’s Curriculum Finder. It makes it very easy to explore popular curriculum choices by subject.
You can also read a few more guides on finding and building your own curriculum here:
The beauty of homeschooling is that we can decide what does and does not work, and we can always change the curriculum if we want to. Don’t hesitate to experiment and try different curriculum options to find the right match for your family!
Xoxo,
Mandy